I guess, for me, the question is did adding the scouts positively impact this past draft. Only then will I look at all questions surrounding drafting with any seriousness (personally, I think Dundon was just blowing smoke). So let's look at this past years draft:
1. Svechnikov - no brainer
2. Jack Drury - still playing at over a point per game pace for Harvard. This one looks tentatively positive.
3. (our 1st of 2 4th round picks, but our 3rd pick) Luke Henman - this was one of the most curious picks in recent memory. He's slight with a build that likely won't allow him to add a lot of weigh. He's got a weak shot, but is allegedly a very heady player. His D+1 stats look a lot like his draft year stats. This feels like a waste of a pick at this point. Personally, I'd a redrafted Adam Mascherin who is playing very well for Texas in the AHL.
4. Lenni Killinen - from the few reports I've read, he started the season injured I believe but has played pretty well since his return. Can't argue with this pick.
5. (our 5th pick but this was a 6th rounder) Jesper Sellgren - apparently he's quite a heady player based on the Swedes comments I've read, but he's tiny and not excelling given he's an over-ager. In the end, the real sin is that we didn't use this pick to grab Ville Vehvilainen, who is, yet again, tearing it up in Liiga play. This was an idiotic move on Waddell's part, especially given....
6. Jacob Kucharski - as much as I wanted to like this pick and enjoy Jake's uncle's comments, right now this looks like a wasted pick. He's not played particularly well even after the trade to Omaha (although in his defense, that team looks like a bit of a train wreck).
Overall it looks like we wasted 3 of our 6 picks (although to be fair the jury is probably still out on a couple). However the fact that, given our desperate need for goalies, we didn't pick Vehvilainen when he was available late seems pretty damning in my opinion.
