Feels a lot like the eagles Marcus Smith pick. Board doesn’t fall the way the team likes, small trade back, then a reach. Really hope it works out but when you go against the consensus to this degree, as Charlie notes, some faith is required.

Feels like Jay O’Brien all over again.

I don’t want to rush the rebuild, but I would like to start seeing the fruits of these draft picks over the next year or two. I’ll trust Danny B

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Well we once picked an undersized center Claude Giroux at 22 and that worked out !I would think Briere sb able to evaluate centers!! Looking forward to Luchanko’s continued development going forward .

I wanted Buium, but I’ll at least admire them Briere presumably trusting in the scouting department rather than making the chalk pick. All the comments being made about passing over Buium would have been made if Hexy passed over Nolan Patrick, but in retrospect that would have been the right decision. Only time will tell. But man did I want Buium.

Interesting strategy. Use this draft to fill 3rd and 4th lines 3 to 5 years from now. Could have had a 1-D (which they desperately need) in Buium, rated top 5 in many circles, but passed to get that 3rd line center of the future. Brilliant!!!