Doug Wilson’s first round draft pick of the 2017 draft was, shall we say, controversial.
Josh Norris is the son of Dwayne Norris, who had cups of coffee with the Anaheim Ducks and the Quebec Nordiques before spending 11 seasons playing in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Germany. Despite that illustrious pedigree, 19 overall was a reach for young Joshua, who NHL Central Scouting had ranked at 34th among North American skaters. The initial reaction to the pick was one of confusion and disappointment. While some very smart and handsome and cool people with many real friends understood the safety first rationale, most were nonplussed.