A player’s status can change very quickly in the hockey world.
At the 2018 draft, the second-round selection of a relatively unknown and lower-ranked Alexander Romanov by the Montréal Canadiens was perceived as a reach, the defenceman’s limited MHL production bringing doubts about his ability to fill an NHL role. But back-to-back strong World Juniors performances rapidly elevated his ranking. In the seasons that followed his draft, he came to be regarded as one of the best defensive prospects outside the NHL and an untouchable in trades.
Four years after the draft, following good but not great NHL seasons, Romanov is now making his way to the New York Islanders.
When an organization changes management, the prospects developed under the previous regime lose their aura. The idealistic vision of their potential goes out of the window and their value inside the team and the league is reevaluated with a more detached perspective.
