Actually...
Eh in general most people on message boards don't scout heavily, so when someone tries to use "facts" which they made up or have a huge bias for to try and say why people who get paid money to do this are dead on wrong it sounds foolish. Its fine to not like the pick, but there are ways of stating that with out looking like a fool, this isn't everyone btw, just a few individuals who "know it all"
I do a fair amount of evaluation. Probably more than most of you do here. I also read a ton of material from proven talent evaluation organizations like International Scouting Service to name one of them. If he just 'oozes' potential then why did none of the major evaluating branches identify this guy. They identified other guys that didn't end up being drafted, I even have game reports where they mention who shined in individual games. I looked at every single Owen Sound game they had evaluated, something like 15 games yet he's not mentioned in a SINGLE one of them.
If the Sledgehammer is such a huge force for his club wouldn't his high energy game get him some notice? Its not like they didn't mention other overagers who shined. But I'm supposed to believe that the Wild saw something in this kid that no one else saw? So what he works hard. It isn't accomplishing a lot. By the way the Lucic comparisons are laughable. Lucic did put up points for the Giants while also providing toughness and as others stated he was drafted when he was 18, not when he was 20.
By the way, Gabriel's agent has every reason to lie about the 'demand' this kid had. Even by his own statement the Wild drafted him 1-2 rounds higher than they should have.
I think there were some physical defenseman that we passed up on Florentino, Ausmus who would've been nice to have versus an overage nobody. By what I've read here from you guys it sounds like the Wild drafted Brandon Bollig. Anyone really want to say Bollig would've been a worthwhile 3rd round pick? Didn't think so.
I agree completely with Jarick that the blind defense of the Kurtis Gabriel pick is kind of sad and pathetic. Not everything this organization does, even with Brent Flahr calling the shots completely golden. They make their fair share of mistakes too. This was a Tommy Thompson like selection.