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One of the biggest head-scratchers from this year's NHL Draft was the fall of USNTDP/University of Denver defenseman Zeev Buium to the 12th overall selection spot (Minnesota Wild). Was it because the pendulum has started swinging back toward prioritizing bigger-framed defensemen and centers?
"That's a part of it," said a high-ranking NHL team hockey ops executive. "I don't think it will ever go all the way back to where it was in the mid-to-late 1990s, when small defensemen were all but excluded from going early in the Draft. But there's been a bit of a move back toward size factoring in if there's two players you like."
Specific to Buium, was size why he dropped from the top 10?
"I've heard that. Maybe a tad. But, I mean, it's not like he's [Brian] Rafalski or [Kimmo] Timonen. He's not the biggest defenseman out there, but he's not some 5-foot-9 or 5'10" guy. He's average-sized, maybe slightly less," the exec said.
Was it because Buium is represented by sometimes controversial agent Kurt Overhardt, whose clients Cutter Gauthier and Rutger McGroarty forced trades from the NHL teams that drafted them?
"I don't want to make it about the agent. I think it's about something bigger. Do I think what happened with Gauthier and McGroarty is a factor? I do, yes, because I don't think they'll be the last college players -- the ones who are top prospects -- from the NTDP who basically aim to get as drafted as early as possible and then force their rights to be traded a couple years later," he said.
Is this because of a sense of entitlement among NTDP players?
"I won't go there. Zeev seems like a great kid—bright, personable, not a prima donna. I don't see an entitled kid there at all. So I don't think it's fair to paint all the NTDP kids with one brush."
Put another way, then, is there some perception, right or wrong, that some of the young American players expect things on their own timetable compared to what the organization that drafts them thinks is best?
"Yes, I've heard that. Maybe a little less receptive to developmental coaching or showing patience to work on certain things before they come up to the NHL," he said.
Is it a question of Philadelphia [Gauthier] and Winnipeg [McGroarty] not doing their homework before drafting players who refused to play for them?
"No. Both organizations did their due diligence. They had every reason to believe there'd be no issue signing those players," he said.
In the case of Gauthier, the player said after he was drafted that he was "born to be a Flyer". He said that for a year, until he suddenly did a 180-degree switch.
"Yeah. But, look, players this days come to the Combine well-prepared... I didn't want say rehearsed, but that's probably accurate... for what to say when teams interview them. When you [media] guys talk to them. Same with the Draft. There's almost like a script they memorize for when they're picked. It's meaningless. They'll do whatever the organization wants until they won't. Circle back after a year, two years, in the NCAA," he said.
This perception has grown after the Gauthier and McGroarty situations played out as they did?
"Yes."
So it wasn't about Buium specifically? It's something that may affect the Draft in years ahead?
"I mean, we'll see. But it could, yes."
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