Draft Selections – A Two Year Perspective
July 26, 2007 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Following yesterday’s summary of player performance during the second year after a draft, let’s take a look at the best and worst teams with respect to player selection for those who have been fortunate enough to have earned a first or second pick.
As with the previous analysis, two periods are used to assess a team’s (or General Manager’s) skill at selecting prospective talent.
(1)The change from Year 2 versus the year prior to the draft, which may indicate long-term performance and a General Manager’s ability to pick talent that can contribute immediately.
(2) Year 2 versus the year following the draft, which may indicate short-term improvements and the ability of a General Manager to spot talent the may need a little development.
Top Choice Selections
Of particular interest here is Quebec and New York. Quebec (later the Avalance), having drafted Lindros and later having to trade him as part of a huge deal, secured themselves a Stanley Cup legacy with the addition of Forsberg, Duchesne and Ricci. New York, on the other had, has locked in DiPietro for the long-haul after having proved himself a contributor from the get-go.
Better To Throw The Darts With A Blindfold
The great shocker here – Montreal. But look at the numbers. The Habs powerhouse had so many points to begin with, maybe it was next to impossible for Houle, Tardif, Plasse and Belisle to make an impact other than to keep them at the top of the heap. My question – how did the Habs get the top picks with such a strong team? (They actually had the third pick in 1968 and chose Jim Pritchard.)
Rounding out our analysis of top draft picks over the next couple of days will be a look at the third year following a draft. This should give us a much better sense of long-term performance and talent assessment.
