This is what happens when you give Hakan Andersson your top draft picks.

[kliq]

how many good players has anyone drafted in the 5th-7th rounds since Zetterberg?

there's like maybe one a year and some years don't even have any

Its rare, but it happens. In 2015 for example, the Wild took Kirill Kaprizov 135 overall (5th round).....guy had 108 points this year. In that same round the Ducks drafted Troy Terry at 148th and Conor Garland went 123rd overall.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Andersson has confirmed a long time ago that Holland wanted to bring him to Edmonton.


Why would the director of european scouting use a pick on a North american kid? If Håkan isn't confident about one of the european kids he won't advocate very strongly for them. Cossa over Wallstedt is one such example.

It was an illustration of the stupidity of "giving Hakan a pick." It wasn't a literal expectation. As you correctly point out, there is no guarantee that he will like any European who is available when we pick. I doubt that he likes every European players simply because they are European. As you correctly point out, if Hakan isn't familiar with what is available on the other side of the pond, should we really be asking him to just personally make a pick?

This board romanticizes Hakan to an absurd result. He is a very good, experienced scout but he is just that, a single scout.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Do you think you should draft someone just off play in international tournaments?

I’ve said in various other threads that scouting is a collaborative process. But I don’t think it’s crazy to think Hakan saw the most of this kid being that Raymond is Swedish and Hakan is our most prominent/influential scout in that region. (And from an organization he was part of for years.)

I also didn’t even say Hakan’s name in the post you are quoting.

No, I do not think we should draft solely on international play. If I was, however, sitting in Yzerman's chair and I wanted to send some NA scouts to Europe for some cross-over scouting or if I wanted to head to Europe myself for a week or two to watch a group of prospects, Raymond would certainly have been on that list at that point. This isn't a matter of uncovering a prospect, this is evaluating a kid who is sitting in plain sight.

You don't need to mention him by name, the whole damn thread is about him.

 

[Pavels Dog]

As you correctly point out, if Hakan isn't familiar with what is available on the other side of the pond, should we really be asking him to just personally make a pick?

This board romanticizes Hakan to an absurd result. He is a very good, experienced scout but he is just that, a single scout.

Yzerman has insisted that Andersson go to North America more frequently so he has a grasp of the best players over there as well.

Håkan doesn't do it all himself but his track record still speaks for itself. Definitely not a surprise that Yzerman has leaned heavily on european scouting so far.

 

[SCD]

Hakan's ability to see talent before it blossoms makes him special. Guessing when on the board that player will be gone is Yzerman's and Draper's challenge.