Toronto Marlies Notebook: Soshnikov Cocktail

Chiarelli Guy

One aspect that is rarely acknowledged as a factor influencing the actions of a general manager is ego.

The player topping ESPN’s NFL Mock Draft Board is Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. As this illuminating article outlines, Allen doesn’t possess any of the attributes befitting of a top draft pick.

He doesn’t play at a Division I school, throws comical interceptions, and has wilted in his limited exposure to the national spotlight.

So, why has ESPN identified him as the draft’s presumed first overall pick? The answer is ego.

Allen possesses the best physical tools out of any QB in the draft. He’s taller, has a cannon for an arm, and just has the look of a franchise player. And every GM believes that they can develop those tools better than anyone else.

Essentially, GM’s love themselves a reclamation project. Squeezing value out of a previously dismissed asset is a badge of pride on their resume.

You know who seems like a prime reclamation project? Rychel. He’s a former first rounder, with size and grit to boot. If Rychel could somehow get faster, he could turn into the next Patrick Maroon.

Speaking of Maroon, who acquired him from Anaheim as a reclamation project? That would be Peter Chiarelli. And what does Edmonton desperately need? Scoring wingers. And what does Chiarelli deeply value in his players? Size and grit.

If you ask me, Rychel seems like the perfect example of a Chiarelli-type player.

On an unrelated note, Edmonton had scouts attending the Marlies game this past Sunday. A game that Rychel just so happened to score in. Connect the dots.

Chiarelli has previously performed similar moves, with the Griffin Reinhart trade as the leading example. That move ultimately failed to work out for that former-first rounder. And I’d bet that didn’t sit well with Chiarelli.

To me, Rychel seems like a prime candidate for a do-over.