Look, I tried not to do this one. In the end, it just made sense for several reasons. Obviously there’s the poetic nature of Blake Fiddler being drafted by Dallas when he is a Dallas product (and, of course, his dad played for Dallas). But another big reason for me is that while Dallas has a decently deep forward corps, their defensive prospect pool is a little less shiny. Fiddler currently projects as a top-four guy in the NHL, and he’s that allegedly mythical skilled right-shot defenseman every team is looking for. He would fit well with the group of young guys they’re building up.There are legitimate good reasons to draft him outside of the gimmick; why resist the combination?
Another big reason for me is that the inconsistencies in his game are things I think that their development staff could help him iron out. He’s got a really bright future as a player ahead of him if he continues on his current path, but so far we’ve only seen his ability to manipulate opponents with the puck and his offensive production in fits and starts. I’d love to see him get to the point where we’re seeing those night in and night out. He’s got great defensive impact on the game regardless and he’s a mobile, physical guy, but becoming more consistent in even one of those areas could elevate his game to another level.
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