Do you remember the Charmin Bears and how they would sing about their heinies being so shiny? They would shake their bear butts after wiping their dirty tushes off, celebrating a clean bottom.
But they also taught people that "less is more." What does that mean, you ask. Well, when you make the most of what you have, that's better than hoarding everything in sight.
Kelly McCrimmon adopted this philosophy during the 2025 NHL Draft. By trimming his picks from six to four, he got more bang for his buck. That led to selecting a player projected by some to go in the first round, along with a star who scored 28 goals and 39 assists last season (57 games).
While having the most NHL Draft picks could work for some teams (the New York Islanders had three first-round picks this year), there's the open chance that doesn't work out.
Think back to when Alexandre Daigle was the first overall pick for the Ottawa Senators during the 1990s. He was hyped up to be the next Wayne Gretzky, given his extraterrestrial amateur days. But he just... grew bored of hockey.
Instead, he was fascinated with dating models like Pamela Anderson and becoming a Hollywood actor. In fact, his fascination was with the film industry itself, for he became a producer.
Luckily, Kelly McCrimmon didn't pick any film producers to join the Vegas Golden Knights. Only forwards.
First, let's start with Jakob Ihs-Wozniak (not related to Steve). He's the connoisseur of shots, using a variety of shooting styles to throw off his opponents. People think of him as a Brock Boeser-type, specifically since he carries shot versatility.
That's why he scored 23 goals and 34 assists (40 games) with Lulea HF J20. Not only that, but he scored 18 goals and 11 assists in 29 games with Sweden's U18 (all) team. Being an all-around scorer makes for a quality pick.
That's also true for a player like Mateo Nobert, whose cerebral style makes him a tough matchup. His offensive approach might be slightly different from Ihs-Wozniak's in that he doesn't fire off different shots at will. But simply reading the ice and outmaneuvering opposing defenses will do the trick.
Quality over quantity matters
The fallacy of having more picks will never end. You want as many opportunities as possible to nail the best players in the draft. After all, the more chances you have, the more likely you'll hit, right?
Well, it's more complicated than that. You see, if you're a team like the Vancouver Canucks, you're given countless opportunities to nail draft picks. You might have 10 picks compared to the Golden Knights having only four (over and out).
But having quality picks matters more than the quantity. Those 10 picks could be nothing but middle-six forwards (see the Seattle Kraken). Certainly, you don't want to miss the playoffs, do you?
Kelly McCrimmon might begin developing a reputation as a master drafter soon. All those first-round picks wasted won't mean anything if he can nail the later rounds. Golden Knights fans will point to Pavel Dorofeyev and his 35 goals as a shining example.
Sometimes, less is more.