I don't buy that. Dach's actually younger than Caufield. He had an impressive playoff for the Blackhawks in the bubble as a rookie. He's being judged harshly because he's been getting his feet wet in the NHL since he was drafted. So many tall forwards don't hit their stride and find consistency until they approach their mid-20s.
I'm a Kemell fan and think he was a steal at pick 17. I'd still take the 21-year old 6ft4 center with untapped upside (has shown what he can do at NHL level in flashes) any day of the week over Kemell. They're just so hard to get. Conor Geekie went 11 overall and Dach's a far better skater.
I agree. Kemell will be a great prospect for the Preds. But despite not exactly living up to his draft position yet, Dach is still ahead in his development than any player Habs would have drafted had they kept the 13th pick. And he's only 21, so there is still a lot of room for progression.
And Hughes has said it since he got here, all things being equal, if he had the choice of having a draft pick or a prospect. he'd take the prospect. And his trades so far have been proof of it. He acquired Heineman in the Toffoli trade. He acquired Smilanic in the Chiarot trade. He acquired Barron in the Lehkonen trade. He did get picks in those deals, as well. But instead of getting more picks, he ensured that a prospect was included in the deal. He also acquired Schnarr in the Hammond trade.
