Kings Article: Two LA Kings Draft Mistakes Illustrate Why Drafting For Need Is Generally A Bad Thing

[FrozenRoyalty]

Two draft mistakes by the LA Kings perfectly illustrate why drafting primarily based on need is the wrong way to go, despite what some may believe.

Two LA Kings Draft Mistakes Illustrate Why Drafting For Need Is Generally A Bad Thing

LOS ANGELES — Whenever hockey fans talk about what a particular team should do in the annual National Hockey League Draft, at least one person will state that their team lacks depth, for exam…

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[Johnny Utah]

Tuebert, Jesus that was awful.

 

[kilowatt]

We made these picks in 2007 and 2008… Obama wasn’t even president yet.

 

[raswilliam]

wonder who the staff wanted over tuebert?

 

[Statto]

wonder who the staff wanted over tuebert?

Karlsson went two picks later… Eberle went 22OA and there were a bunch of other solid picks in the 1st round.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The timing for the release of this article couldn't have come at a better time.

 

[Telos]

Agreed somewhat, but also neither stopped LA from winning two cups shortly thereafter as well and one was used to acquire Dustin Penner who assisted in doing so. But of course, it can be argued they won in spite of the missed picks which were head scratchers even at the time.

I remember both times thinking that we just got Voracek or Myers when neither was taken before our pick and being elated only to be puzzled when the name was called I remember being extra deflated after the Forbort pick being that I drove to LA for the draft and was all hyped in the stands only to draft who felt was Teubert 2.0 at the time

We made these picks in 2007 and 2008… Obama wasn’t even president yet.

It just sucks that many of the players taken shortly after are still playing and still useful to their teams.

Edit: To add, I think Yannetti is right in that it is a balance of both BPA and need. You need to be taking the prospects you think are best and most valuable, but you have to do so smartly because if you just draft 7 centers every year and expect you can trade and sign for what you lack you will end up in trouble sooner or later.

 

[Bandit]

Then again, Blake drafted not for need when he took Byfield instead if Strudel and now we're "competing" with a player who isn't ready. The incompetence is impressive.

 

[johnjm22]

Chuck Fletcher was interviewed on 32 Thoughts recently. Dean Lombardi was mentioned a few times.

Dean's philosophy was to always have your list of prospect rankings, and never veer from it during the draft.

One draft Dean went off script, diverting from his own philosophy, and drafted a different guy. It turned out to be a huge miss. Lombardi never said exactly who that player was, but I suspect it was Tuebert.

 

[BigBrown]

Chuck Fletcher was interviewed on 32 Thoughts recently. Dean Lombardi was mentioned a few times.

Dean's philosophy was to always have your list of prospect rankings, and never veer from it during the draft.

One draft Dean went off script, diverting from his own philosophy, and drafted a different guy. It turned out to be a huge miss. Lombardi never said exactly who that player was, but I suspect it was Tuebert.

I remember reading they picked Joey Ryan because they needed a d-man, when in fact they had Milan Lucic ranked higher. So that could be another candidate.

 

[King'sPawn]

Chuck Fletcher was interviewed on 32 Thoughts recently. Dean Lombardi was mentioned a few times.

Dean's philosophy was to always have your list of prospect rankings, and never veer from it during the draft.

One draft Dean went off script, diverting from his own philosophy, and drafted a different guy. It turned out to be a huge miss. Lombardi never said exactly who that player was, but I suspect it was Tuebert.

The article Gann linked names the two players Yannetti mentioned were "bad picks on need": Hickey and Teubert

 

[DoktorJeep]

One thing I never saw coming from the Kings being a winner was how much thought would be expressed about micro failures versus macro championships.

We had to wait a decade before Lombardi’s accomplishments were barely lauded through coverage of cup winner reunions. And things quickly pivot back to a couple of flawed tactical, relatively minor decisions from almost 20 years ago.

For all the media mouthpieces love to call for context to be considered, why are two of Lombardi’s pick for needs put out as the case study? Has no other Kings GM drafted for need more than the late pick for Teubert?

And the other bust was a guy who played 400 games, so it sounds more like a development and coaching issue for the club. I guess Dean needs to wear losing him for nothing, but is that a strike on his drafting.

As with most media coverage of this team, this piece is just trying to feed into the sentiments of the majority of the fans who love the purple koolaid because they’re desperate to support their team at any cost of objectivity.

 

[johnjm22]

The article Gann linked names the two players Yannetti mentioned were "bad picks on need": Hickey and Teubert

Hickey may have been an example of drafting for need, but I don't think they were going off script. I think they planned to pick him there heading into the draft.

I remember thinking they were going to take Alzner.

 

[Gjwrams]

 

[Surf Nutz]

If Lomaberdi didn't win at least one Cup, history would have judged him very harshly indeed.

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

The timing for the release of this article couldn't have come at a better time.

Total coincidence...

 

[FrozenRoyalty]

One thing I never saw coming from the Kings being a winner was how much thought would be expressed about micro failures versus macro championships.

We had to wait a decade before Lombardi’s accomplishments were barely lauded through coverage of cup winner reunions. And things quickly pivot back to a couple of flawed tactical, relatively minor decisions from almost 20 years ago.

For all the media mouthpieces love to call for context to be considered, why are two of Lombardi’s pick for needs put out as the case study? Has no other Kings GM drafted for need more than the late pick for Teubert?

And the other bust was a guy who played 400 games, so it sounds more like a development and coaching issue for the club. I guess Dean needs to wear losing him for nothing, but is that a strike on his drafting.

As with most media coverage of this team, this piece is just trying to feed into the sentiments of the majority of the fans who love the purple koolaid because they’re desperate to support their team at any cost of objectivity.

To be sure, the Kings, overall, have had a terrible draft history, mostly because of Jack Kent Cooke-era disasters.

As for draft mistakes after he sold the team, sure, there were mistakes made. However, these two seem to stand out more than others.

As for lacking objectivity, believe what you wish. My track record in that regard, speaks for itself.

 

[tigermask48]

Hickey may have been an example of drafting for need, but I don't think they were going off script. I think they planned to pick him there heading into the draft.

I remember thinking they were going to take Alzner.

The rumor was that Lombardi had a deal in place for the Kings to drop down into the teens and take Hickey there closer to where he was ranked. But then he caught wind of someone (Colorado I think, might have been Montreal) in the teens wanting Hickey and Lombardi didn't want to potentially lose the guy he wanted. So he took him at 4 instead.

 

[Nasti]

If Lomaberdi didn't win at least one Cup, history would have judged him very harshly indeed.

You could say that about anyone. If Phil Jackson didn’t win 11 NBA titles…

 

[SmytheKing]

Hickey may have been an example of drafting for need, but I don't think they were going off script. I think they planned to pick him there heading into the draft.

I remember thinking they were going to take Alzner.

Yeah that was the strangest thing about the pick to me. If you didn't like the depth you had on defense...why not take Alzner who was rated around 5-10 from what I recall? You can still draft for need, you just don't reach for it. The "BPA" at that pick was Gagner, Alzner, or Voraceck. Hickey shouldn't have even been on the radar at 4.

 

[Statto]

Yeah that was the strangest thing about the pick to me. If you didn't like the depth you had on defense...why not take Alzner who was rated around 5-10 from what I recall? You can still draft for need, you just don't reach for it. The "BPA" at that pick was Gagner, Alzner, or Voraceck. Hickey shouldn't have even been on the radar at 4.

IIRC he did try to trade down to take his guy, had he done that we’d have probably been ok with the pick. However given he couldn’t as you say, don’t reach. Still whilst it was a bad pick maybe with a different pick the butterfly effect means we don’t win one, let alone either cup.

 

[tigermask48]

Wasn't part of the Hickey pick also that he was a captain and had decent leadership qualities in juniors? I'm 99% positive he was the captain in Seattle, and didn't he have an "A" or "C" for Canada in the WJCs?

 

[Nasti]

The rumor was that Lombardi had a deal in place for the Kings to drop down into the teens and take Hickey there closer to where he was ranked. But then he caught wind of someone (Colorado I think, might have been Montreal) in the teens wanting Hickey and Lombardi didn't want to potentially lose the guy he wanted. So he took him at 4 instead.

Could be wrong but I think it was Boston.

 

[All The Kings Men]

The only real shame in the Hickey pick is that they had an offer to trade him for a first round pick the season before he was claimed off waivers and they didn't do it.

That's it. That's the tragedy.

 

[kingsfan28]

Tuebert, Jesus that was awful.

Hard to think of one that was worse as far as trading up to get him. I think the next two guys after him got ROTY and a few Norris Trophy's.