Why draft picks?

Nil d · Guru

Why draft picks?

Habtastic · Guru

You nailed it Nil... it is about money and it is about free agency at the end of the year. One team saves money that they can use for another deal (aka Samsonov) and they also have the chance of grabbing something for the future; the other team gets a player now because they have the extra money to spend.

It isn't wonderful, but it is a worthwhile sacrifice for the betterment of the game.

Habtastic

mperra (Admin) · Guru

Nil d wrote:

Back in my day, teams traded players for players (there was that trade for a team bus one time, but that was an anomaly ). Now we see a quality player like Mike Johnson acquired for a draft pick (and not that high either), and another quality player, Zednik, let go for the same. Doesn't seem like fair consideration given. So what gives? Why are these players given away?

Good observation. Have you noticed how in the NFL, almost 98% of all trades, players are traded for draft picks? Rarely is a player traded for another player.

Why?

Free agency and salary cap have a huge say on how trades are conducted these days. I am curious to see what % of trades in the NHL are players-for-players. Mind you, it still is much higher than the NFL.

Nil d · Guru

Habtastic wrote:

You nailed it Nil... it is about money and it is about free agency at the end of the year. One team saves money that they can use for another deal (aka Samsonov) and they also have the chance of grabbing something for the future; the other team gets a player now because they have the extra money to spend. It isn't wonderful, but it is a worthwhile sacrifice for the betterment of the game. Habtastic

Thanks, Habtastic.

I guess then we're seeing more of these due to the salary cap. Teams need to free up space to buy players, so the expendable guys go. Maybe Bulis is a similar case. They might keep him if money (i.e. total team salaries) was no object?

Nil d · Guru

mperra (Admin) wrote:

Have you noticed how in the NFL, almost 98% of all trades, players are traded for draft picks?

Frankly, I haven't noticed anything about the NFL in years! Not a big football fan (it is football, right?)

Thanks, Mario.

macneil · Guru

the zed and johnson deals were salary dumps , we picked up johnson and had to drop salary so we droped zed and his similar salary . now phoenix is not near the cap but probably wont be either so they dropped his 1.9 from their payroll . the 3-4 round draft picks are almost meaningless as there are few players around that late anyway .

hockeyman · Senior Member

Good 'ol Salary Cap.

Habtastic · Guru

I am not sure we would have kept Bulis, cap or not. He wants to be a top-six guy and we wanted him to be a 3rd-liner. He didn't want to accept it, so he got benched which led to him wanting out. I think Gainey also wants to make the team tougher and Bulis doesn't seem to be that tough.

Habtastic

beakermania · Senior Member

MacNeil, there are definetely good players picked up in the 3rd and fourth rounds. Just check some past drafts at hockeydb.com

I'm starting 5 years back as guys take time to develop

2001 draft Notable 3rd rounders

Tomas Plekanec, Garth Murray, Stephane Veilleux, Patrick Sharp, Evengeny Artukhin,

4th Rounders

Jordan Tootoo, Ray Emery, Cory Stillman, Christian Ehroff, Tomas Surovy,

Later Rounds

5th Jussi Markennan, Kyle Wellwood, 6th Dennis Seidenberg, Marek Zidlicky, Pasi Nurminen, Jussi Jokinen, Brooks Laich, 7th Round Christobal Huet, Jason King, Brandon Bochenski, Marek Svatos, 8th Round Martin Gerber, Peter Cajanek, 9th Round Ivan Majesky.

Sure its a crapshoot, but so is every round and as you go further down, good players are harder to find. So Washingtons third rounder (essentially a late 2nd round pick) and Montreals 4th rounder do have some value. To dismiss them as worthless is a bit callas.

Figaro · Guru

Drafting can be such a crapshoot and having more picks is a good thing. Having 2-3 extra picks lessens the impact if you Daigle a pick. Also, picks are tradeable (as we've seen). So you stock up and you can afford to give 2-3 picks away for a trade. So, it's all of salary-dump, crapshoot and crap-dump when needed.

Nil d · Guru

Figaro wrote:

Drafting can be such a crapshoot and having more picks is a good thing. Having 2-3 extra picks lessens the impact if you Daigle a pick. .............

I've never seen "Daigle" used as a verb!

I guess it's easier to say than "we Wickenheisered a pick"...................

Figaro · Guru

Nil d wrote:

Figaro wrote:
Drafting can be such a crapshoot and having more picks is a good thing. Having 2-3 extra picks lessens the impact if you Daigle a pick. .............

I've never seen "Daigle" used as a verb!
I guess it's easier to say than "we Wickenheisered a pick"...................

Though, no less true, to Wikenheisser a pick would be a mouthful. Should we say that we were "Royed" in a trade or that we were "Thibeaued"? I think Colorado really Royed us in 93, though we Theoed them back in '05.

Nil d · Guru

Figaro wrote:

Nil d wrote: Figaro wrote: Drafting can be such a crapshoot and having more picks is a good thing. Having 2-3 extra picks lessens the impact if you Daigle a pick. ............. I've never seen "Daigle" used as a verb! I guess it's easier to say than "we Wickenheisered a pick"................... Though, no less true, to Wikenheisser a pick would be a mouthful. Should we say that we were "Royed" in a trade or that we were "Thibeaued"? I think Colorado really Royed us in 93, though we Theoed them back in '05.

How about: Our goaltending situation was Aebish, now it's Aebischer, and hopefully will be the Aebischest before long!

Figaro · Guru

Nil d wrote:

How about: Our goaltending situation was Aebish, now it's Aebischer, and hopefully will be the Aebischest before long!

They way I figaro with recent moves, we'll be samsonov to the playoffs in a souray. Just gotta chipchura away at it and ryder all the way to the finals. Hopefully we can bonk a team or 2 with nil d and gainey back our glory days.