Congratulations! You hold the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft...now what?

Question

Not only was your team the worst squad ever assembled during the past season, as general manager you also managed to win something meaningful: the draft lottery. With your first pick, do you...

1. Go for the sure bet and spend your pick on the top-rated prospect, or go for the dark horse?

2. Keep your pick and ensure at least another rebuilding season or two, or trade your pick for a veteran whom you could build your team around (as a bonus, you have at least $15 million in salary cap space)?

3. Trade said pick for more draft picks and select a couple players to meet needs?

Upon deciding...

4. What kind of marketing campaign do you embark upon (how do you sell your decision)?

5. How would you introduce...(based on what decision you have reached in the above scenarios, what line/defensive pairing would you put your player, or would you feed a goalie to the wolves right away)?

Answer 1

Cliff Fletcher said it best in an article today that it's better to go for the best player available because you never know if you are going to need a player like that in a few years down the road. For example, if I desperately needed defense, I'll take Stampkos anyways. Plus, there's always the second round where I can pick up a very decent d-man, or I can trade it for a very good d-man from another team (like Gill...apparently, he's worth a second and a fifth round).

Answer 2

Ha, sounds like my Lightning...Only not the worst squad ever assembled.

Even if rebuilding, I think you gotta take the top guy. Make a face for your new ERA of the franchise. Something that will give your fans the feeling that they are not spending money on a team that finished dead last the year before.

Again using Tampa as my team, I think for the introducing part. Stamkos is going to do just fine in the NHL. He will have alot of great guys around him to settle him in. I would think, being the Steve seems NHL ready, we could throw him in as Tampa's second line center.

Though one player won't take your team to the top. The team must make it there together!

GO BOLTS!

Answer 3

I think i would look for what my team really needs and draft accordingly but if all my team really needs is a player to build the team around or a supporting cast i might trade it.

Answer 4

Go for the sure bet... I want to keep my job and it looks like Some of my decisions have been less than stellar to get me in this last place mess

I only consider trading the pick if I am getting one of the top 5 current players under 30

Unless someone as the 2nd and 3rd pick to trade I don't

trade for more picks in lower rounds.

I have picked the consensus number one, that will almost sell itself.  Unless Shero tells the media he offered me Malkin and Fleury for that pick and I turned him down.. then I have a sales job.

My player assuming its this year gets to start on the 4th line- before reaching the 10 game plateau I make a decision if I am keeping him or sending back to Jr for another year.

Starting him slow to keep the pressure of.

As an aside, when everything else is equal I will take a d-man before a forward as good d-men critical, if I end up with too many a no 4 d-man gets me more in a trade that a third line player.

Answer 5

SO what you're saying is pretend you're NOT Mike Milbury?

1) Take the top-rated prospect.  There is less risk he won't pan out rather than going off the board for some dark horse you could probably get in a later round, but I

might be willing to do (3). I think it also matter on how deep the draft is.

It would be interesting if Tampa traded down to say, oh, I don't know, #5, and get a second round pick in addition?

4) If you take the "sure thing" at least in the fans eyes' you don't have to sell it, as it is what they want.  Can you imagine what would happen if Tampa does trade that pick?

5) Unless the player has been playing in Europe, it's unlikely he will be with the big club right away. A few months in the AHL should give him some time to get up to speed.

Answer 6

6.) I pray to the hockey gods that he won't become a su*k-up like Alexander Daigle