We've scribbled down a few thoughts about why NHL teams should almost never draft a prospect based on what their roster needs right now.
It's a question that gets asked every year around this time. At the NHL Draft, should teams make their selections based on current needs, or simply take the best player available, regardless of position?
Most of the time, teams say they'll go for the best player early on and then draft for need later in the draft. It's a philosophy that Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios said last month that he subscribes to.
The glaring flaw in ever discussing drafting for "need" is that no one really knows what their team needs will be when these draft picks finally develop into a real asset.
If the Senators want to adhere to their motto and be "best in class," they probably shouldn't be looking at help from their 2024 draft picks for 2-4 years.
And, again, no one knows what the Senators' needs will be in 2-4 years. That's not because Staios lacks vision or ability, it's just a fact.
For example, will Brady Tkachuk or Drake Batherson still be here in three or four years? Most Sens fans hope so, but who knows? They'll be UFAs by then. If those players don't re-sign, then that forward you draft next month might be ready to step up and fill the void.
If Thomas Chabot doesn't re-sign in three or four years, then drafting that available offensive defenceman – the one you feel right now like the Senators don't need – will suddenly become extremely valuable. Yes, I'm looking in your direction, Saginaw right-shot defenceman Zayne Parekh and your 33 goals and 96 points this season.
In the Senators' case, they need help everywhere, so they can't really go wrong. But the only "need" to be concerned with is if there's a mid-draft imbalance in this year's selections. If Staios picks his first four players and three of them are defencemen, then he "needs" to balance things out by favouring forwards in the later rounds.
But beyond that exception, the rule should always be to draft the best player available.
And since no one has a crystal ball, and no one really knows who the best player is, the wording of the rule should actually be expanded: Always draft who you believe (and pray) is the best player available.