Yeah I understood two teams wanting big high potential centers, but Tampa had the perfect partner for Hedman sitting there waiting for them and they drafted a winger.
I'm sorry but hell people are unsure if Patrick is a sure fire #1 center. So I don't see how it's any different... Especially since both of the forwards and D are considered weak at the top compared to other drafts.
McAvoy has the potential to be a #1 now I guess, and he went after Jost... If that's the level we're talking about here do we want McAvoy, or another Jost?
I did not want Jost at #10 last year, I desperately wanted Chychrun.
So McAvoy was not even really on my radar (as a RHD) because I was focused on the guy that was dropping for the wrong reasons IMO.
I am not really unsure about Patrick. I personally doubt that he will be better than Mac at the next level but IMO Mac/Patrick down the middle for the next decade is easily good enough to win a cup if the rest of the team is good enough and if Patrick (as well as Mac but I am way more concerned with Patrick) can stay healthy.
He is that big, two-way center that the Avs are really missing since ROR left.
So I really would not mind him. Same could be said for Hischier IMO. He is not as good a fit next to Mac but I love his offensive game and compete level.
With me you are preaching to the choir basically. I wanted Larsson in 2011, Jones in 2013, one of Provorov/Werenski in 2015 (yeah I even wanted them to lose late in the season to make it happen which they didn't do ) and Chychrun in 2016.
I would be ok with them picking D in the 1st in the next 5 drafts.
But this one is unique because aside from Liljegren who is a big wildcard right now, there simply are not many good Ds available that should be picked anywhere near the top5 (or even top10).
That said. I am not a huge Vilardi fan and Mittelstadt is also a pretty big wildcard.
If the Avs pick at #3 , I would go Liljegren.
But IMO right now the top two (arguably three with Vilardi but again I am not a fan) forwards are underrated in this draft right now. They are currently in a tier of their own at the top. And I don't like passing on that for positional reasons. Liljegren has plenty of time to show enough in the Allsvenskan to get back into that tier and make it easier for the Avs to pick him.