I was thinking about this the other night. Who do we really have that can come in and make a surprise impact?
I go to 2014,15,16 and look at picks where we started the draft. There are quite a few guys that have already made the NHL. We really have nothing and I don't even know if we will have any more this year. While there is bound to be a lot more coming through the ranks this year from other teams from those years.
We really need those younger players on the current roster to step up and allow our list of prospects to mature properly and let the list grow as well.
Well when people refer to improved drafting they mean 2015 onward. Of the picks on that list that we selected here is what players from the same round have done at the NHL level
2015:
Jones (4th round) - only player worth noting is Denis Malgin (98GP - 32P), few others have got a few games, but most of them were 2013 draft eligibles.
Bear (5th round) - only other player who has played more NHL games is Dominik Simon
2016:
Benson (2nd round) - Only Debrincat and Girard have played NHL games worth noting.
2017:
Skinner (3rd round) - none have seen the NHL
Safin (4th round) - none have seen the NHL
Maksimov (5th round) - only Sebastian Aho (NYI) has seen NHL time and he's a 2014 draft eligible.