Maybe you are right but the overwhelming consensus is that you are not.
After severely underperforming expectations, gutting the development pipeline on Trotz' whims, and ending the season with a roster that looked like some leftovers that had sat in the back of the fridge for 6 months, ending with the unjustifiable and ridiculous post-season PC that everything was going perfectly to Barry's plan and Barry was sticking with Barry's plan, it would be supremely abusive of the fans for this team to top it all off taking a wild flyer on a kid in the draft for the shins and grits of it. It really is not too much to ask that Barry does something vaguely resembling any other NHL GM here.
Frondell and Desnoyers are a tier below Hagens and Martone. Almost all experts are saying this. I personally will not be happy with Frondell or Desnoyers because neither has the IT factor. Hagens has it, Martone has it (but we don’t need winger), Misa has it, Schaefer has it, MCQUEEN has it. Period.
I don't think McQueen has that it factor as you say more than the others you named Well just have to disagree. I think when he played he was playing against lesser players is what I've read and put that with his injury concerns and I believe he has to many red flags to risks taken him at 5. We can't afford to take that risk. Frondell is playing in a men's league already so that's my pick if Hagens isn't available. I'm still on the phone with Utah to see if they wanna move down a spot to secure hagens. I'd even reach out to the isles as well to try and get Misa. Do I think trotz will? I don't I have no faith in his decision making
So again, I just think people have to be cautious with the wishful thinking they are attaching to a guy who is a 6’5” center. Yes, the measurements are enticing. But…
Someone is going to have McQueen high on their board and that could be to the Predators advantage from a trade down perspective. Say someone like the Sabers have him high on their list and want to trade up. Then maybe Trotz can get a good trade down package.
Don't want to trade down from the top 5, as for Buffalo maybe if it's Power, but they have 2 centers under 25 and neither have hit 55 points.
I was just throwing them out there as an example maybe Philly, Boston, and Buffalo get into a bidding war or something. I was just saying maybe McQueen would be too tempting for someone.
I know some of us don't want a D at all and a G would be a new level of dumb, but you look at our prospect pipeline and we really can't go wrong with any of C, F, or D. We need significant upgrades in talent across the lineup. Just take the kid with the most talent and the highest upside. Picking an eventual bust because he's got a freak skill (like he can land a quad axle or has a long neck) will set us back even more.
Definitely need all positions. Some areas are more thin than others but we don't exactly have young prospects in any position really demanding NHL time. I would definitely go C with the 1st pick. I'm hoping we don't go McQueen but realize it could pay off if things go right. Unfortunately for us, that hasn't happened as of late so he probably busts if we draft him. Outside of that I prefer D the rest of the 1st and early 2nd but if we draft more C in there I won't be upset (depending what D are still on the board). Grab a G in the late 2nd or 3rd round. But players at that point are a crapshoot anyways so meh
I'd say yes, he's got top 5 talent and his highlights are impressive. We need quality and he has it.
Tough one for me. His offensive ability is still great either way though. I won't be upset either way but I'd be bummed if he didnt make it as a center. Gotta also remember that his competition with this club for a center spot isn't exactly amazing.
Yes, but I think a key ingredient in him staying at center is simply his team’s willingness to proactively use him as a center. He has all the traits necessary to stick at center. But we know how NHL coaches are… the GM needs to override any tendencies on that front for the long term good of the franchise.
To add to this point. Say you get a winger who can be a difference maker like a Kaprisov, he's going to make whatever C he's playing with all that better too. Remember Trotz comparing Edstrom to JEE? Imagine you get a difference making W with a C like Edstrom and now you have something to build upon. Is it the classic way of doing so, not really but if you make your team better and competitive, that's all that matters.
For the record, I also think he can be a center in the NHL. But he's going to be a Hughes-lite, Cooley-type. I think with Hughes, he's listed as a center but doesn't have all the responsibilities a normal center has. With Cooley, I don't know, I think he might be a pure center.
