Unsigned late picks have a very good chance of not getting signed, that’s just a simple fact.
Obviously it’s a lot more complex than that but Barabosha is a 7th round pick who’s signed to play in the KHL until 26-27. He’s got limitations too.
I like the player, but he’s a long shot that’s going to be slow cooking in the KHL. I don’t see why he’s on the list this early. Just weird to me.
Also, “what if everybody decided to vote for Salminen for nonsensical reasons” is a goofy argument lol.
NCAA players have more chances of not getting signed like we see but we still have and had them in our pools.
Again - Barabosha isnt in my top-10.
And even if we will never sign him, the fact that he will have professional career - is making him better player than some players that will never have even regular pro career or will be released. Vukojevic says hello.
And Salminen has lesser chances to be NHLer or even regular pro than Barabosha. Even if he will play some AHL games. He isnt better prospect or better player. Its just fact. If we are picking better players - lets pick better players, if we are picking higher picks than I dont understand what we are doing - picks were already being made. Whats the reason to vote for Sitillman over Vilen or over Orlov because Stillman was picked in the first round?
"Salminen" argument is not goofy argument or it is as goofy argument as any other non-hockey arguments. 7th rounder Bardakov wasnt signed but even in a very minor trade he was a piece we traded. In a small scale but he was attractive. He wasnt full waste of picks like some players who will never be traded or will never make an impact at least on AHL level.
So I dont care where Melovsky, Barabosha or Karpovich were drafted(they have much better potential to be NHL regulars than earlier drafted Graham). Every player has chances for career, some of them are playing in pro leagues, some of them will be part of the trades, may be some of them will be NHLers. And I will rank them by their skill, production, level of competition, compete level etc. Not for their number of the draft. Or league.
Again if we are looking back at the previous pools - thats what we should learn too.
Of course we can do that in the opposite way and continue to vote for non hockey reasons and talk about how rarely players from some countries are developing into the NHL players or how rarely some late rounders are developing into the NHL players or how rarely some Russians are traveling to NA to play in NHL. The history of our team is telling that 5-6th rounders could be NHLers, 7th rounders can be pro players or even be part of the package for NHL players and in the same time some earlier rounders mean nothing for organisation in the end.