We knew Lundkvist was terrific, but that Fox is Fox and Schneider is more of the type of player we needed in our 2nd RD spot. Really if one of those players were not there, I don't think there's any chance we move Nils. Having Jones in the club helps as he's a possibility to run our PP2 in the future, which would have likely gone to Nils otherwise. But SOME of us wanted a legit center prospect in return. Not just a 1st round pick and whatever. And I think if we had traded him early last season, we could have gotten something more along those lines. Or at least more than we got in this deal from Dallas; And really, I thought it was apparent even then that there wasn't likely going to be a place for Nils long term. Schneider hadn't yet rose the ranks but it was clear he was headed in that trajectory. And I was really pushing to package Nils with like Krav or someone for a legit young center. But Drury and Krav made things uncomfortable and Nils kind of just floundered. Almost now wish we let him play a few months this season and run the PP@ just to get his value up. The way he played, all be it in one game, suggests in 3 or 4 months time he might be worth double what Dallas paid.
I would also feel better about the pick if I trusted Drury and Co. a bit more regarding how they'll spend it. If for instance, this was Dallas' front office making the pick, I'd be quite confident and thus value the pick more. But with the Rangers, there seems to be this habit of going for need more than best player available, or grit over high end talent. And then when need and talent seem to merge in availability, that's when they seem to get hit with the grit bug. Like I love how Othmann turned out, but I'm pretty sure they picked him because he had PF tendencies, also talent and a good shot, but at that point he hadn't yet broke out. And there was Wyatt freakin Johnston sitting there... the center we desperately needed..... and like 8 other centers who exploded the D+1 year, Stank, Raty, Svechkov, Pinelli, Bolduc, L'Heureux, Bourgault, Helenius.... and we got exactly none of them. Meanwhile we just drafted wingers with like 3 out of our last 4 or 5 1st round picks and we are stacked at LW, theoretically. It still boggles my mind and hurts my head.
But if I had faith that Drury would, with either pick next year, just take the best center on the board... I'd feel much better. We have an issue with taking centers it seems. Especially when they are talented. I swear if they use the pick on a D, unless it's like some Korchinski/Mintyukov level prospect that for some reason falls, I'll lose my head.
But yea, I feel like the pick is more valuable in some hands than others. Detroit and LA are other great examples, not teams that just get lucky here and there, but that consistently draft well, at least in their current regimes.