Might wanna fix up that intro. The Flames finished 16th.
TheConfidentInterval
Good article. I imagine some folks won’t read far enough and interpret this as a reason to tank and say we need x number of top tens to have a hope. But good drafting is just as important. I’d add that proper development, coaching, and providing an environment where people want put down roots and stay long term to that equation. Even if you do hit the lottery with a generational talent you won’t get anywhere without those things.
NoDuck1754
Unfortunately we just drove our best drafting GM in decades out of town.
PowderHound13
It’s also interesting how many cup winners in the last 20 years had a homegrown goaltender…
SauronOMordor
“Fun fact, the Bruins actually have the same amount of top-10 picks as the Flames since 1992, but 69 more playoff wins”
Narrator: that was not, in fact, a “fun” fact.
Chemical_Signal2753
Looking at the top 10 picks vs playoff success graph, there does not seem to be a strong correlation between the two.
For a long time I have been of the opinion that tanking is not worth it. High draft picks are one part of building a successful team, but they’re not the only component; and (in my opinion) are not the most important part. How successful you’re drafting in later rounds, your ability to sign UFAs to good contracts, your ability to get fair value in trades, whether you lose valuable assets for nothing, and whether build a lot of dead cap space matter far more to success in my opinion.
People emphasize the importance of high draft picks, or first overall draft picks, by pointing to successful teams and their high draft picks; but they never seem to ask “how many teams haven’t had 3 or more top 5 draft picks in the last 20 years?” Almost all teams (the Flames being an obvious exception) have drafted so often in the top 10 that they will have multiple top picks playing core parts on their team.
azndestructo
Flames’ drafting is good. Imagine if this team still had Chucky/Johnny/Fox?
7 Comments
>With another ninth place finish
Might wanna fix up that intro. The Flames finished 16th.
Good article. I imagine some folks won’t read far enough and interpret this as a reason to tank and say we need x number of top tens to have a hope. But good drafting is just as important. I’d add that proper development, coaching, and providing an environment where people want put down roots and stay long term to that equation. Even if you do hit the lottery with a generational talent you won’t get anywhere without those things.
Unfortunately we just drove our best drafting GM in decades out of town.
It’s also interesting how many cup winners in the last 20 years had a homegrown goaltender…
“Fun fact, the Bruins actually have the same amount of top-10 picks as the Flames since 1992, but 69 more playoff wins”
Narrator: that was not, in fact, a “fun” fact.
Looking at the top 10 picks vs playoff success graph, there does not seem to be a strong correlation between the two.
For a long time I have been of the opinion that tanking is not worth it. High draft picks are one part of building a successful team, but they’re not the only component; and (in my opinion) are not the most important part. How successful you’re drafting in later rounds, your ability to sign UFAs to good contracts, your ability to get fair value in trades, whether you lose valuable assets for nothing, and whether build a lot of dead cap space matter far more to success in my opinion.
People emphasize the importance of high draft picks, or first overall draft picks, by pointing to successful teams and their high draft picks; but they never seem to ask “how many teams haven’t had 3 or more top 5 draft picks in the last 20 years?” Almost all teams (the Flames being an obvious exception) have drafted so often in the top 10 that they will have multiple top picks playing core parts on their team.
Flames’ drafting is good. Imagine if this team still had Chucky/Johnny/Fox?