Don, not Dave.
As for asset management, the goalie examples are an interesting case study. Here’s what I found from the post-Dan Cloutier draft era: For a decade 1996-2006, very few were selected higher than Round 5/6. LaBarbera was a Round 3 in 98. The Swede Asplund was also Round 3 in 99. Another Swede Holmqvist was Round 7 in 97. The late round guys like Holt, Snee, etc. were off the prospect grid and never had an NHL look. (Snee was selected two rounds prior to Lundqvist in 2000, just as Halverson was Round 2 and Shestyokin Round 4 in 2014)
The Mike Richter successor, Blackburn was the exception - Round 1, 10th overall in 2011. The career-ending injury that was to come was a 1 in 1,000 scenario. Lundqvist becoming Lundqvist was 1 in 1,000 for the matter. You do the math on the odds of them both occurring. We happened to have gotten irrationally unlucky - and lucky in each case. Blackburn was the plan. The 2004-05 lockout was the best timing for Lundqvist to have a big year and come over for 2005. The rest is history.
Fast forward to 2014, we begin seeing a string of goalies selected higher: As I mentioned above, prior to Lafleur going 48th overall in 07, Halverson was late Round 2 in 2014. Shestyokin was Round 4 in 2014. Huska was Round 7 in '15, and Wall Round 6 in '16. Not exactly expending much risk there. Lindbom at 39th overall defies that late-round shot in the dark.
Bottom line, if Shestyokin proves to be a 1A, we'll have won the asset management game yet again for the upcoming decade, albeit it not the way you would necessarily assume for it to go.
