Biggest Draft Steals Rounds 4-7

Just steals this time around as no player can really be considered a reach in the latter half of the draft.   

Chase De Leo – Winnipeg Jets 99^th overall

The Jets got a big steal in last year’s draft selecting Nic Petan 43rd overall. This year they get another steal this time drafting Petan’s teammate De Leo.  De Leo much like Petan is a small skill player. De Leo put up 81 points in 72 games this season and clearly fell due to his size. It’s crazy to me that teams scouted Portland and watched all the small skill they have with Petan, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Brendan Leipsic etc. and not come away thinking I want some of that skill. The Winterhawks entire third line of Dominic Turgeon, Alex Schoenborn, and Keegan Iverson all were picked ahead of De Leo, so clearly teams are not thinking that. I hope that De Leo and Petan can both play on a line together with that Jets and maybe then teams will realize how undervalued small skill is.  

Dainel Audette – Montreal Canadiens 147^th overall

Audette falls right into the same category that just about every other steal I've talked about; a small skill player on a terrible team. The Sherbrooke Phoenix had an abysmal season in the QMJHL finishing in last place with just 16 wins. Audette was the team’s lone bright spot putting up 76 points in 68 games. The Canadiens have a recent history of drafting these types of players getting Brendan Gallagher and Charles Hudon late in the 2010 and 2012 drafts respectively.

Spencer Watson – Los Angeles Kings 209^th overall

Our final steal of the 2014 entry draft comes from the 209^th player, the second last player selected; Spencer Watson. His small stature as with every other player here is what scared teams off, but more so than that was the fact that he played the entire season on Sam Bennett’s right wing. Watson put up 68 points in 65 games, yes Bennett has a large influence on those numbers, but I don’t think that’s enough of reason for him to practically go undrafted. He clearly has a solid skill level as the Kingston coach wouldn’t put two goons with Bennett. Even if he did there is no way they would be point per game players.

NHL teams very clearly undervalue small skilled players on terrible teams. This is a major market inefficiency in today’s game and these teams have either by choice or by fluke have exploited it and should be very happy with their selections.