Quoting: AC14
I mean I personally don't see Laughton helping our current issues like Couterier could. Here's my issue with our current draft position. In the event that one of the following doesn't fall: Dickinson, Levshuvnov, Buium, Parekh, Silayev, there's alot of risk involved in what's left. The options behind that that I would deem at least the potential long-term to fill a blinding hole and play a significant spot would be: Yakemchuk (Hard to tell exactly what he is, but physical tools are definitely there), Jiricek (big injury risk and down play), Kiviharju (Again large question mark due to injuries stunting development), and then there's the ceiling concerns with Badinka, Emery and Elick.
There's alot of risk involved on both sides for sure. But having a true shutdown Center with some offensive ability would look nice to pair with Thomas. Also creates a lot more stable of an environment for our young guys to come in to as Hayes and Saad filter out of the lineup.
Okay, well like I said, Couts is slipping out of the legit 2C tier as we speak. Laughton is basically Couts light, but a legit 3C and paid like one. But he's just an example, there's other fish in that particular sea.
As for the draft, there's little sense in placing expectations on our draft position until we know better what that will be. It could be 10, it could be 22 for all we know, but it would be monumentally dumb as an idea to trade it before we know what it is, let alone for a declining over 30 guy with 6x7.75 left.
Once we do know, I would certainly not assume that we will stay in that slot. We have the ammo to trade up and there's a bunch of teams with fat fat fatty fat D prospect pools who will be picking in that 4 or 5-10 range. It should not be much of a trick to get the right guy with our pick.
As for the D available to be drafted with our 1st, I think you can narrow your scope there. Lev will be gone. Parekh is the semi opposite of what we're looking for. Same goes for teeny tiny Kiviharju. Badinka, Emery and Elick are not good enough for this discussion. I do think you are underrating Yakemchuk a good bit. Silayev probably will be gone already, but there is a chance he drops to us somehow. Buium would be a very nice consolation price for missing out on Dickinson, who I have to think has to be the #1 target.
And I think it's attainable. And I think it is going to take a trade-up whether we make the playoffs or not. None of these guys worthy of that pick are going to fall to 14 or 16 or 18 or whatever. Army has to be proactive, like he was the summer of 2018. Like he was with Buch. We can do this! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!??!?