Crazy how Brook was our top defense prospect at one point but now we’re so deep that I’m not really bummed out about it.
Also regarding the 2012 draft, literally everyone and their grandma thought we did well. That’s what happens when you draft the consensus top picks was my biggest take away.
Plus injuries and total lack of development. Galchenyuk could have used some more time in lower leagues, and his game really dropped after his NHL knee injury. Collberg didn't develop. Thrower was a tougness over talent pick. Bozon, Vail, and Hudon were all worse picks than I remembered. I suppose Hudon wasn't bad, too bad he plateaued in the AHL.
My biggest takeaway from habs drafting is that you can't draft projects when your AHL development is terrible and you don't have skills coaches. They drafted project after project, left them to develop until they got to the AHL where they had no hope with Lefebvre. If you're going to have a terrible development stream try to draft players with a higher floor, players who have already acquired skills.
I suspect the habs lost the thread when all the D from the '80s left. Robinson taught players for years, Laperriere was around for a long timeas a coach, and they had a pretty strong group of players to teach the new guys. The habs didn't make the transition when they let those guys go. If Bergevin actually turned Robinson down, as opposed to covering for his desire to be in a less crazy hockey town, that would be his worst move as GM, and some of his other moves were really bad.
