Or why I don't have a problem whatsoever with Worley drafting OEL in SBN's mock draft.
Anyway, Les Jackson says the Stars will probably just draft the best player available.
And I believe him.
Except when it comes to the first pick at #8.
Expounding on that statement, I do think the later you get in a draft, the more pronounced the talent differential becomes. As such, you can't afford to pass on a guy who is more talented that somebody on your board that fills a 'need'. Especially when you consider that aside from the first 3 to 5 picks in this draft, nobody is going to make an immediate impact on your squad next season.
And it's never a bad idea to load up on assets, even if they create a logjam at a particular position for you. Because what you see as a logjam on your team, another team will see as an asset who can fill a need for you.
I've used the same strategy in my fantasy football league draft the last six years and...well...
Bad example.
Getting back to my original point, the talent pool at the very top of the draft is so deep that you could eschew normal 'draft the best player available' thinking and grab a guy who will fill a need in your organization. At least in some instances.
And in the Stars situation, I do think they'll have that luxury should a kid like Oliver Ekman-Larsson fall to them. Sure, MPS or even Jordan Schroeder could be more talented. But aside from Ivan Vishnevsky, the Stars don't really have any blue line prospects cut from the same mold as a Sergei Zubov.
So if OEL is on the board but another player is ranked ahead of him on their draft board, I think they'll take him.
And they should.