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NHL Draft 2014: Rich get richer at expense of the poor

PHILADELPHIA — While the opening round of the NHL Draft on Friday night was more of a theatrical show, designed to shine a bright light on the influx of top new talent that's entering the league, Saturday was far more business-like. Rounds 2-7 were essentially conducted in the same amount of time as the one that preceded them the prior night, with 180 selections being announced in a rapid-fire format. 

There's going to need to be some patience required before we're able to appropriately evaluate how all 30 teams did for themselves over the course of the weekend, but there are still a couple of particular decisions made by a few specific teams that were provided something of a window into the different thought process' on a grander scale.

Robert Fabbri, center (AP Photo)

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The rich get richer

Scouting departments have become more intelligent and well-versed over the years, as more information and progressive thinking has become emphasized. However, there's still a long way to go. Look no further than the market inefficiency that is smaller, skilled players that tend to be routinely erroneously undervalued. That, and Russian players which — despite ample evidence suggesting otherwise, refuting it as a lazy narrative — carry with them the stigma of being "enigmatic" and lacking in a desire to compete in a manner conducive to a team setting. 

Smart, well-run teams have identified these inefficiencies, using them to their advantage and garnering all sorts of value through drafts, trades, and free agency. The Blues were the big winner of the weekend, nailing both of their top two picks. Robby Fabbri was generally considered a Top 10 type of talent heading into the process, but saw his stock fall due to his diminutive frame. The fact of the matter is it didn't stop him from owning Major Junior — only Nikolaj Ehlers finished with more goals last season amongst CHL draft-eligible players, as Fabbri's Guelph Storm team made it all the way to the Memorial Cup Final. Meanwhile, Ivan Barbashev had no business falling out of the first round; his assist rate was that of a prolific playmaker.

Both will help fill a massive need for a St. Louis squad that has — despite their well-coached, sound defensive style — failed to convert their regular season success into a sustained playoff run over the past three years because of a noticeable dearth of offensive talent. They managed just six goals combined in the final four games of their first-round exit against Chicago this year, and scored 16 goals total in their 10 playoff games against the Kings in '12 and '13 (being eliminated by LA in both). With Tarasenko, Schwartz, Jaskin, Fabbri, and Barbashev, they're rapidly accumulating quite a collection of dynamic game breakers they've sorely lacked. 

The moves by the Blues front office this weekend, which includes a trade(*), should instill plenty of optimism in the team's fan base. They don't need Brenden Morrow's "grit" or Steve Ott's "sandpaper" to keep up with the Western Conference's elite. They need skill, which they infused their organization with plenty of in the 2014 draft. 

Some things never change

The last time the Blues and Maple Leafs worked together on a trade, things didn't work out all that well for the latter. This most recent swap of defensemen is hardly as consequential as that previous heist, but it does provide a perfect microcosm for why the Blues have been run well under their current management; and why the Leafs haven't. While Gunnarsson is definitely a superior player to Polak in a vacuum, the legitimate concerns about his health make the swap far less egregious than it otherwise would be. 

It's the reasoning behind the move from Toronto's perspective that is more worrisome than anything. "More difficult to play against he [Dave Nonis] says of Polak." There's still a widespread misunderstanding in hockey circles of what actually constitutes being difficult to play against. Roman Polak is big, he's scary, and he hits hard, but his team also has the puck far less frequently when he's on the ice than when he's not.

The ultimate goal of hockey is to score goals and, based on the celebrations that take place following them, they sure do give off a feel of being enjoyable. Wouldn't having the puck all the time be a far better alternative than having to chase someone that can embarrass you at any given moment? The Maple Leafs already have plenty of guys that are proficient in the latter. 

Gunnarsson's numbers themselves haven't been sparkling by any means, but it's not like there isn't any precedence for a player with ability to leave a dreadful situation for a great one and immediately thrive. If he's able to put his health concerns behind him, it's easy to envision Gunnarsson thriving in a more favorable deployment scheme playing next to a Kevin Shattenkirk, with far less responsibility on his plate. The Leafs will pay for that ... literally

Similarly the Blackhawks, a team that knows what it's doing, managed to unload their worst player on a team that hasn't made the playoffs since '09. All of these little things add up.

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