Watching DeBrusk's performance in the Toronto series has been a revelation.
I vividly remember the 2015 draft and thinking the franchise wouldn't recover from it for a decade. Three first round picks, 13, 14, 15 overall. Rumors of failed attempts to trade up for Noah Hannafin. The board (correctly) begging for Mathew Barzal and Kyle Connor and getting neither. It was a dark day. You can re-live it here:
http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/draft-day-game-thread-storm-the-td-garden-like-its-the-bastille.9969/
Now, three years later, we were half right. Whiffing on Barzal at that point in the draft looks even more inexcusable now. However, the DeBrusk kid that was seemingly picked half a round too early is paying huge dividends. Their second round pick, Carlo, was a huge hit for the franchise. In a hindsight is 20-20 redraft, an argument can be made that the two are top 15 talents in their draft class. On NHL draft day, it's good to remember things are likely never as dark, or sometimes as rosy, as they seem at the time.
Zboril
Here's Sweeney, inviting the boos, picking DeBrusk.
And 'Off the board' Senyshyn
I vividly remember the 2015 draft and thinking the franchise wouldn't recover from it for a decade. Three first round picks, 13, 14, 15 overall. Rumors of failed attempts to trade up for Noah Hannafin. The board (correctly) begging for Mathew Barzal and Kyle Connor and getting neither. It was a dark day. You can re-live it here:
http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/draft-day-game-thread-storm-the-td-garden-like-its-the-bastille.9969/
Now, three years later, we were half right. Whiffing on Barzal at that point in the draft looks even more inexcusable now. However, the DeBrusk kid that was seemingly picked half a round too early is paying huge dividends. Their second round pick, Carlo, was a huge hit for the franchise. In a hindsight is 20-20 redraft, an argument can be made that the two are top 15 talents in their draft class. On NHL draft day, it's good to remember things are likely never as dark, or sometimes as rosy, as they seem at the time.
Zboril
Here's Sweeney, inviting the boos, picking DeBrusk.
And 'Off the board' Senyshyn