The issue is NOT never draft any smaller players...but RATHER how many for your best lineup or projected future lineups...And if you already have quite a few small players projected for future lineups ,should you take another small player if he is the BPA when you pick?
If the Hawks make the playoffs we will not need to worry about any lottery chance at Jack Hughes...and our pick would be 16 or higher ...not going to be a smurf to take in the 16-18 range anyway. .so will not be an issue..however if we miss the playoffs but get lucky in the litho draw for the #1 slot, then should we take Hughes at #1 just because he is the "consensus' best player ranked ?
No way we should do that if this unlikely scenario happens...Smurf Hughes is a bad fit fir us because we would slit him as 3C and no more room in the position. ..he would be out of his best roles playing for us...We need 5'11 180 and up Centers for a 3C role but who would move to 1C by 4-5 years out when Toews gets moved to 3C role
Or we should take Kakko as the best winger and next on the BPA list.
But most likely we are not drafting 1st or 2nd ...more likely it will be 16-17 ...that late Alex Turcotte who would be a great pick for a 3C role for a few years till Toews moves out of the 1C role,is probably taken ahead of our pick ...Maybe Artur Kaliyev is still there...great sniper but lots of concerns about compete level and consistency. Or maybe we go big with Brett Leading if he still is there.. Or maybe we go D ...again..but this time a Bigger Dman...maybe Vlasic from the USNTDP.....