By now you might have noticed that I would love to see the Vancouver Canucks making some bold picks at the 2017 NHL Draft. If you want to be successful in the NHL, you need to draft players that make you successful. Not ones you can find plenty of in free agency.
At the top of the draft, that applies to some extent. A question like “Nolan Patrick or Cale Makar?” can be answered two different ways, depending on what you want. However, that question will only be relevant at the very top of the draft — and at that point, it’s probably smart to go for the ‘safe pick’ rather than the one who may or may not have a slightly higher ceiling.