As draft day finally draws near, let us all recite the Mevin Kusto Oath of Equanimity and Good Faith:
I am not a professional hockey scout.
Try as I might, I have not spent enough time to properly evaluate the top players in the draft, let alone players further down the draft board.
I have not watched the majority of these players in person, let alone met them or assessed their fit in the organization.
I reserve the right to be excited or disappointed by draft picks, but I will refrain from broad kneejerk declarations of failure or success for the rebuild or the organization as a whole.
I will not lose sleep because Kyle Davidson drafts my 63rd-ranked player with pick #50 instead of my 42nd-ranked player.
I will remember that projecting the hockey careers of 18 year olds is an enormous challenge, and what seems obvious today may appear completely different in a year's time, let alone by the time these players are ready to play in the NHL.
Above all, I will remind myself that I know less than I think I do.
All the above being said, I will light myself on fire if they don't pick Demidov.