The post you originally replied to referenced teams drafting successfully in rounds 4-7.
Saad, Bolland, Rakell, Gibson, Vlasic, Toffoli, Pearson and Voynov were not picked in that range. From that list, all but Toffoli were top 40 picks and Rakell and Pearson were 1st rounders.
yeah fair enough, i definitely strayed from the original premise of UofG's post though i still disagree that rounds 4-7 are a lottery. though it seems the sentiment behind the original post and apologist's reply is that later round picks aren't of much value because you have to get lucky to hit on them. so why not trade them for NHL players?
i agree that there is luck involved like anything else but
- you need picks in order to get lucky on them
- if you look for a type of player/skill set and your focus you player development on that type of player it seems to increase your chances of getting lucky, as it were.
- having picks allows you to target players you want and get in a position to draft them. of course sometimes you'll be wrong on a player or whatever, but it seems like the Leafs always need to borrow against future drafts, or trade from previous drafts, in order to get a player they like.
which is why Rakell seems worth mentioning, because the Ducks traded back in the first round with the Leafs and got two prospects that are better than the one the Leafs took at 22. Saad was taken with a pick (Calgary's) that the Leafs traded to the Hawks so that Burke could make a pick in the top-60 in his first draft.
anyway. i wish the Leafs were managed better. and the draft seems like an area where the Leafs could put their financial advantage over every other team to use. and they don't.