Why would Podkolzin staying in Russia for two years make him drop when Dach & Cozens are both unlikely to be impact players before their draft+3 seasons either? Does that draft+2 season where they’re just getting their feet wet & Podkolzin is still polishing his game in the KHL, really make much of a difference?
The kid wants to come to the NHL when he’s ready and he won’t take any longer to become a difference maker than all of the other non-Hughes-or-Kakko prospects
Absolutely without question it does. If a team has a chance to choose between two players where one is North Anerican born and can join the team at any point from the moment hes drafted, and the other one is fully committed to another league for his next 3 years with no intentions of joining the NHL before that, NHL teams are going to pick the North American player every time until the gap on skill becomes large enough to justify taking the European.
Now, this isnt something I agree with at all. I think you should take BPA no matter what the situation. But I'd say 75% of teams in the NHL dont view it this way. Fortunately I think the Avs are starting to fall in that 25% group.