I agree it is very much a strategy. The poster was asking for an articulated strategy on how I would build the team, citing that PV has stated he would build through the draft. To me that means that he's looking for specific strategies or players I would implement. If that is what they considered articulated. To me "build through the draft" is even less articulated as there is generally even less clear cut strategy. We don't know where our picks are going to land from a year to year basis and have even less idea on who who be available. Generally in FA or trade you have a specific target in mind which can make planning a whole lot easier. That's all I meant. If that is not what the poster meant by articulated strategy then go ahead and disregard. I think the Ducks have, are, and will continue to build via the draft. I just don't think it will be the sole avenue nor do I think its limited by where the team is if the right deals are there.
You should stop projecting an extreme outcome as your counters:
1. "I just don't think it will be the sole avenue...
2. ... nor do I think its limited by where the team is if the right deals are there."
Let's address point 2. Earlier in the thread, someone asked if teams in rebuilds would make trades for significant talent. Using Murray and the Ducks' rebuild starting at the 2019 TDL as an example, we tried to acquire RHD Justin Faulk in a trade in the 2019 off-season and tried to trade for C Pierre-Luc Dubios using futures. The context there was the Ducks had established veterans on the team, not plugs.
This brings us to point 1. From 2018-19 TDL, Murray didn't add any significant talent. Although he did try to go after the very top-end talent in Faulk and PLD, Murray's other option was to not to use prospect or draft assets for middling talents. By essentially sitting on his hands, he was letting his youth get NHL burn and he lands better prospects because we had no NHL depth if injuries hit us. Result:
Ducks Draft picks
2019: 9th overall = C Zegras
2020: 6th overall = D Drysdale
2021: 3rd overall = C McTavish
Those three picks are going to be the pillars for the next Ducks hockey era. Murray went solely drafting when the option to acquire top talents didn't work out.
Verbeek doesn't need to use all his draft picks since Murray laid down the foundation, but Verbeek does have a specific rubric for his team of the future. One of Verbeek's rules is age factor and his youth core, imo, revolves around the ages of Zegras, Drysdale, and McTavish.
I have been advocating trying to trade for D Haydn Fluery or D Nicolas Hague as they would not be costly acquisitions and fit our youth core time line. Fluery could be had for a fifth rd or later pick or swap with Steel. Hague could be had in salary dump trade or offer sheet will cost the Ducks only a 2nd round b/c VGK can't afford to re-sign him with their current cap concerns.
Anyhow, why are you so adamant about NOT revealing your plan in detail that a poster asked of you? You pivot to project extremes of building through the draft to change the direction of the conversation? Just give the poster his answer instead of being afraid of criticism while criticizing everyone else.
...
To me "build through the draft" is even less articulated as there is generally even less clear cut strategy. We don't know where our picks are going to land from a year to year basis and have even less idea on who who be available.
You're projecting again on the organization's ability to have imagination and are constrained with trying to draft potential hockey players.
The Hockey News' 2022 Future Watch has a five year snapshot of farm team rankings.
Anaheim Ducks' 5-year farm team ranking (THN)
2018: 20th
2019: 21st
2020: 14th
2021: 4th
2022: 1st
Anaheim's top-10 prospects:
1. C McTavish (2021, Rd 1)
2. G Dostal (2018, Rd 3)
3. LD/RD Zellweger (2021, Rd 2)
4. RW Perreault (2020, Rd 1... 27th OA)
5. RD Helleson (2019, Rd 2... acquired at 2021-22 TDL)
6. LW Tracey (2019, Rd1... 29th OA)
7. LD/RD LaCombe (2019, Rd 2)
8. RW Pastujov (2021, Rd 3)
9. LD Thrun (2019, Rd 4)
10. RD Moore (2020, Rd 3)
Not included in that list Zegras (2019, Rd 1... 9th OA) and Drysdale (2020, Rd 1... 6th OA). The other youth cores are Terry (2015, Rd 5) and Lundestrom (2018, Rd 1... 23rd OA).
How can a GM help himself build through the draft aside from great scouting? Adding more draft picks is a sound strategy b/c the draft is still a gamble. Murray added a second 1st round draft pick in 2019 and 2020, which both are part of the top-10 prospects above. Verbeek added a second 1st round pick and a second 2nd round draft pick for the 2022 draft. He also added two more second round picks in 2023.
Please note the many different rounds represented in the 2022 top-10 prospects on the #1 farm team for The Hockey News' Future Watch. Our best player on the NHL team today is a 5th round pick in Troy Terry.
Eventually, the goal is to have a team full of NHL talent, some talents developing in the AHL, and longer term prospects. When that happens, then Verbeek can start trading prospects and/or picks for top-end talents like Murray did to acquire Kesler.
Anyhow, here's a
quote from Verbeek when he was hired by the Ducks:
"We studied successful teams, then we found our own way to do it," Verbeek said. "In Tampa, we were fortunate because we had [Steven] Stamkos and [Victor] Hedman, two major pieces we could build around. That was a big advantage. We wanted draft picks. We wanted to throw as many darts at the board as we could. Then we need to make sure players develop. Those go hand-in-hand if you're going to build a team that can win in the cap era."