Player Discussion Patrik Laine

[Toene]

He has the tools, so if he can pot a few or be a great playmaker then the downside is we get a smidge better, the upside is he improves the team a bunch by moving guys to their proper chair.

The real downside is we get a worse draft pick given our rank at present is another top 5. We still need this as our top prospects that I hear "are amazing" each and every year are proving to be flashes in the pan like usual. Still remember the steal we got in logan M...."bergie will be vindicated for this !" And yet here we are. Hopefully PL is getting the right help he needs to get back to a very good 2nd liner and maybe a decent top liner at some point.

At this point, I think the added value of having young players experience meaningful games offsets the separation between a top 5 pick and and a pick in the teens, for example. Also, gems can be found in that range and even higher, it happens every draft. Caufield was 15th OA. Suzuki 13th IIRC.

Not becoming Buffalo or Detroit is one of the main priorities imo.

 

[ZUKI]

At this point, I think the added value of having young players experience meaningful games offsets the separation between a top 5 pick and and a pick in the teens, for example. Also, gems can be found in that range and even higher, it happens every draft. Caufield was 15th OA. Suzuki 13th IIRC.

Not becoming Buffalo or Detroit is one of the main priorities imo.

i disagree. Not becoming Leafs is the main priorities imo.