Eh not really. After the ~25 spot, the value of draft picks is relatively similar. The only big drop off is after 1 and after the top 7. It may seem like there is a big drop off because teams often pick there high risk guys with the 2nd round pick and low upside positional needs with the 3rd round pick, so that is what sticks out to fans
As for the question, the NHL draft is a lot similar than GMs act. You pick BPA 95% of the time. And you should always look to trade down after the late 1st and acquire more lottery tickets.
Hell, Id personally make a wager I could end up with a better results at a draft with zero scouting staff and zero spent on any scouting activities by trading down when the price is right, acquiring more picks and picking BPA from the aggregate of the different freely available scouting agencies. GMs try way, way to hard to put their own stamp on the draft and try to outsmart the other GMs.