Quoting: exo2769
I would have drafted Byram with the #3OA and I would NOT have traded away Joki for Nylander. BUT there's a bunch we don't know. Would drafting Byram affect Ian Mitchell's decision? I'm not in those convos. Also, the Hawks need another Center...so that could be a factor, but I hope not. I'm a firm believer in best available no matter what with that high a pick. Lastly, I would send Byram back to Vancouver. He might be ready...maybe...but it doesn't hurt the Hawks (as a team) to have him develop a little more on the defensive side before bringing him to the bigs. Allow other guys that are further along to develop even more. Look at Miro Hesk! Similar story to Boqvist...except Boqvist is looking even better offensively than Byram.
Exo, I think I might have brought it up in one of our conversations. A huge problem with the Hawks right now is too many vets getting the chances young players probably deserve. This is severely the case on defense, as I don't see any room for Boqvist on this team, and that's even before de Haan comes back. We have so much promise on offense and people like Saarela deserve a chance, but he probably won't get it because of too much room for vets. Add Byram and Joki to the defensive equation, its rough. But, take away maatta, trade gus, sit seabrook (which should happen anyway), and you may actually get the youngsters chances they deserve. I also believe in best player available as well, and I'd even stretch and say Turcotte would have been acceptable at #3 as well. I don't necessarily believe we needed a center so bad as to take Dach, but we definitely should have waited till next year and taken the sure thing #1 dman.
Also, I get the Miro Heiskanen comparison. He did get one more year to mature before reaching the NHL. But remember, Miro is Finnish, meaning his year before the NHL was in the Finnish Pro League, where he played against players in their 20s and 30s. Byram would only play players from 16-21. So, in all honesty, I do believe the only way for Byram to go this season with the Avs (or theoretically with the Hawks) is in the NHL. He cant get anything out of the WHL anymore, even defensively. He needs to try and (most likely) fail in the NHL. Players like him are truly rare.