it's still hard not imagine our defense, right now, with Maatta or Ceci. Time will tell if the gamble pays off but there's still no denying it was a huge risk.
Maybe having Maatta/Ceci means we never bring in Russell and don't make the playoffs last year because Maatta can't bring that leadership and poise and health.
Maybe having Maatta means we never give Brodie a chance on the top pairing, he stays paired with Smid, underperforms, and gets traded for pennies on the dolllar.
Maybe having Maatta takes away Brad Treliving's urgency to bring in another possession-driving Dman, and we don't go after Dougie Hamilton.
Maybe Maatta is still toiling away in Stockton along with the other Dmen we drafted in 2012 and hasn't even made his NHL debut yet like with Culkin.
Maybe Maatta being there pushing in Stockton takes away Brad Treliving's urgency to trade up for Oliver Kylington.
It's fair to fixate on hypotheticals if you're drafting in the top 5 or so. We were drafting 14th, and ultimately 21st/42nd. Every player in that range has question marks and unpredictable development curves. And just as David Pastrnak wasn't necessarily a better draft pick than Dylan Larkin, Travis Sanheim, or Alex Tuch, Olli Maatta winning the 50 meter sprint doesn't mean he's already won the marathon.