For the Record

Despite my wailing and teeth gnashing, I have nothing against Burmistrov. I was very concerned that any Russian would be a risky pick, but his comments about the KHL have quelled those fears.

My outrage with Dudley's choice of Burmistrov isn't a knock on him, it's a commentary on the fact that Fowler and Campbell were both available and would have been a gift. As The Falconer will tell you, franchise D-men and goalies just don't come along as UFA's or in trades but once in a blue moon. Goal scorers are much easier to come by, so you should use your draft picks on the guys who will keep the puck out of your net.

If you misuse your draft picks, you end up with a team like we had last year that was able to put a lot of rubber in the other team's net but can't keep your own twine clean. That is a recipe for 9th and 10th place finishes, just out of reach of a playoff spot. Much like this:



Now that it's done, let's welcome Burma and hope he turns into a dynamic little scoring machine.