So you're saying despite his obvious flops and busts in the 1st & 2nd rounds he's had a couple good picks also ... got it
And some are saying Clifford isn't a decent NHL player ... I'm not one of those, just saying. You know some of these expert Scouts on here and all.
No, I'm saying several things.
A) Six guys isn't 'a couple'
B) Every team has a bad 1st round pick. However if you go from 2007 to the present, which is the timeframe of Mike Futa, we have drafted Hickey, Doughty, Teubert, Schenn, Forbort and Pearson. The only two of those who aren't in the NHL right now is Teubert and Forbort, and Forbort is defeinately still in line to be an NHL regular down the road. Pearson isn't a regular yet, but things look like they will be panning out quite well.
Now that is six players, and right now four appear to be NHL regulars (assuming Pearson stays with the team) and one more is a legitimate NHL prospect. Hickey hasn't panned out great by any stretch, but he's not a bust either and looks like he'll have a steady, albeit unspectatular NHL career. Most teams don't have this level of success with their first rounders.
C) In round two, we have Oscar Moller, Wayne SImmonds, Vyachelsav Voynov, Kyle Clifford, Tyler Toffoli, Christopher Gibson, Valentin Zykov. Do I really need to even explain to a very educated poster like you that this level of success in the 2nd round is almost unheard of?Aside from Gibson, we've done very well in the 2nd round. Extremely well, and it'll look even better if Toffoli continues to play the way he has.
D) Anyone that thinks Clifford isn't an NHLer is off-base. Additionally, getting a kid who has put up the numbers Clifford has for a 2nd rounder in terms of games player is already above average. Despite most people's line of thought, 2nd rounders typically don't pan out, Clifford when all is said and done (barring injuries of course) will have likely played 700+ games. That's great value for a 2nd.
Also we need to gave Pearson a fair chance at the 2nd line left wing spot. He has all the tools as well to be exactly what we need in that position again cheaper for a while. There is also Kane ego to fit in As I stated in the Winnipeg thread I have heard stories from non hockey fans about Kane and with them stories I don't see him as the right fit chemistry wise Next my kopitar offer was purly sarcasm as I noted he s not available either 
albeit while also pointing out that Lombardi has had some major busts in the first two rounds, yes he's good, but god like he's not was all I was trying to temper down ok 
