Good call on Gourde, and I am still not sure why it matters if they were drafted or not. There are a number of smaller centers in the NHL that are solid players.. I am not pumping Merk's tires in the sense that I think he is going to be a game-changer for Boston (though he could be), but making the point that they signed the guy knowing full well what he was- a smaller, skilled center, and he is producing in the AHL in that role at a level you expect a good prospect to do. Why not give him the chance to show what he can do in the NHL in the role where he has been successful and see what you've got? If he can't hack it, he can't. and away he goes. With the team lacking scoring talent and skill right now and sinking like a stone, there is no reason not to give Merk and Lysell (since this is his thread) a good long look and see what you have.
Someone had to say it
