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Draft '19
Jun 9, 2019 9:39:49 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by BadCompany on Jun 9, 2019 9:39:49 GMT -5
Latendresse was a good pick and a good player. His problem was that he was a big guy on a small team in an era where big guys were expected to hit and fight. How old was he when he fought Chara? 19? 20? It's kind of ridiculous that we all expected our 20 year old great goal scoring hope to fight perhaps the greatest fighter ever just because he was big. Shouldn't they have been protecting him, instead of expecting him to do the protecting? Would we ask Kotkaniemi to protect Gallgher? Of course not. So it was no surprise that Latendresse ended up with massive concussions and out of the game.
Of course we then made the same mistake with Komisarek, Tinordi, and McCarron, so apparently we didn't learn.
I don't know if Lavoie will be the best pick to make. But as I have said before I do think we need to get bigger. Not to fight or hit, but just for the strength it takes to play in the NHL, in particular during the playoffs. Its still a big man's game.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 9, 2019 11:22:26 GMT -5
One other player who found it difficult being big in MTL was Benoît Pouliot ... I remember his comments (somewhat) when he hit BOS ... in MTL he was expected to assume the tough guy role only because of his size ... he gets to BOS and he's just another tall, big player in the dressing room ... WRT Raphael Lavoie, I'm not sure what type of player he really is ... Frederick Gauthier, Pouliot, or ? ...
Cheers.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 9, 2019 13:33:44 GMT -5
I remember reading something about this guy that reflected this but I couldn't find it later ... it was the only criticism I could find on him and I thought I was reading up on Dustin Penner, though pretty much all of the other scouting reports on him were positive ... mind you, I saw that Ryan Suzuki was ranked a few spots higher (NA Skaters) than Raphael Lavoie in the final rankings and I haven't read too many positives on him here on our boards either ... Cheers. I think Lavoie is a great pick...around 20 or so. I think Suzuki is a late first (maybe falls to early second) player. It is all just based on how they stack up relative to their peers. Yes, I should have qualified that I'm not keen on Lavoie at #15. Obviously even players I see flaws in are a value at a certain selection. HE really raised his game in the playoffs and that's something I like a lot. What bothered me was the fact you'd see a superlative play from him and then you wouldn't notice him for stretches. Not the worst thing, but you worry about consistency. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 9, 2019 13:39:55 GMT -5
Too bad about Guillaume Latendresse ... he had a rep for not being able to follow direction in junior and that rep followed him into the pros ... thought he was going to be our Eric Daze, but he just never panned out ... but, I don't think it's fair to heap all of what never happened on him, though ... he had an attitude, sure, but I also remember a lot of us talking about the organization rushing him into the NHL too fast ... might have been a factor, eh ...
Cheers.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 9, 2019 13:45:47 GMT -5
I can't recall enough of how he played, but wouldn't' be surprised if his hockey IQ wasn't that great. That's such a key factor, being able to read the flow of the play and the game and react appropriately before rather than after the fact.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 9, 2019 15:02:06 GMT -5
Anyone think Marc Bergevin could trade down ... what kind of deal would that make for, I wonder ...
Cheers.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 9, 2019 17:58:42 GMT -5
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Post by seventeen on Jun 9, 2019 19:06:18 GMT -5
Speed kills.
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Post by folatre on Jun 9, 2019 19:52:45 GMT -5
Anyone think Marc Bergevin could trade down ... what kind of deal would that make for, I wonder ... Cheers. It is hard to know. In a recent interview from Buffalo I heard Timmins saying something to the effect that they are hopeful about the availability of a handful of kids they really like at #15. If a kid is there that they value in that slot, then I think they make the pick. It is probably not easy to speculate about other teams' board/intentions so trading down more than a couple or three slots could simply cause you to lose the guy you want. The compensation of trading down varies: In 2018, Ottawa traded down from 22nd to 26th in exchange for a mid second rounder (#48); and Toronto traded down from 25th to 29th in exchange for a third rounder (#76). In 2017, Chicago moved down three spots (from 26th to 29th) and picked up a third rounder, #70. In 2016, the Capitals moved down from 26th to 28th and got a late third round pick (#87) Considering Montreal is not down there in the 20s, I would assume to moving, say, from 15th to 18th would cost the club moving up a second rounder as well as a later round pick like a fifth. Montreal's prospect cupboard has been restocked pretty nicely so the enticement of things like second or third round picks does not hold that much allure. But if all of the kids in your top tier are gone and you feel sure a kid that you like as well as any others among the next tier is going to be there at 18, then it is never bad business to snag assets that could become nice prospects or packaged with other assets to target a kid you really want at the start of day two. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 9, 2019 20:40:09 GMT -5
Anyone think Marc Bergevin could trade down ... what kind of deal would that make for, I wonder ... Cheers. I actually hope not. We may get a sniff at a really good kid at 15. I really want to be in the top 12-13. We may end up there with some other team picks ahead of us. I really want an early second. If Berg could convert one of his seconds with other picks (after the third) for a better second....gold. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 9, 2019 20:44:02 GMT -5
Indeed. But you need some big bodies in the lineup for the playoff grind. Teams may over compensate watching the finals with the Blues and Bruins. Our gambles with size over skill have not turned out well. You can add depth size for cheap at the deadline. Draft for skill. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 9, 2019 22:50:53 GMT -5
Anyone think Marc Bergevin could trade down ... what kind of deal would that make for, I wonder ... Cheers. It is hard to know. In a recent interview from Buffalo I heard Timmins saying something to the effect that they are hopeful about the availability of a handful of kids they really like at #15. If a kid is there that they value in that slot, then I think they make the pick. It is probably not easy to speculate about other teams' board/intentions so trading down more than a couple or three slots could simply cause you to lose the guy you want. The compensation of trading down varies: In 2018, Ottawa traded down from 22nd to 26th in exchange for a mid second rounder (#48); and Toronto traded down from 25th to 29th in exchange for a third rounder (#76). In 2017, Chicago moved down three spots (from 26th to 29th) and picked up a third rounder, #70. In 2016, the Capitals moved down from 26th to 28th and got a late third round pick (#87) Considering Montreal is not down there in the 20s, I would assume to moving, say, from 15th to 18th would cost the club moving up a second rounder as well as a later round pick like a fifth. Montreal's prospect cupboard has been restocked pretty nicely so the enticement of things like second or third round picks does not hold that much allure. But if all of the kids in your top tier are gone and you feel sure a kid that you like as well as any others among the next tier is going to be there at 18, then it is never bad business to snag assets that could become nice prospects or packaged with other assets to target a kid you really want at the start of day two. Appreciate the time and work you put into your post, folatre, gracias ... if Trevor Timmins is actually excited about some of the players that will be available at #15 then that tells us the plan for draft day ... however, if Marc Bergevin has shown me anything at the draft it's how creative he is in acquiring draft picks ... I'm hoping to see some of that at this year's draft but I think his options might be limited time around ... would you trade your 2020 1st ( Alexis Lafrenière's year) for two 2nds in this upcoming draft ... Cheers. |
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Post by BadCompany on Jun 10, 2019 8:51:33 GMT -5
It is hard to know. In a recent interview from Buffalo I heard Timmins saying something to the effect that they are hopeful about the availability of a handful of kids they really like at #15. If a kid is there that they value in that slot, then I think they make the pick. It is probably not easy to speculate about other teams' board/intentions so trading down more than a couple or three slots could simply cause you to lose the guy you want. The compensation of trading down varies: In 2018, Ottawa traded down from 22nd to 26th in exchange for a mid second rounder (#48); and Toronto traded down from 25th to 29th in exchange for a third rounder (#76). In 2017, Chicago moved down three spots (from 26th to 29th) and picked up a third rounder, #70. In 2016, the Capitals moved down from 26th to 28th and got a late third round pick (#87) Considering Montreal is not down there in the 20s, I would assume to moving, say, from 15th to 18th would cost the club moving up a second rounder as well as a later round pick like a fifth. Montreal's prospect cupboard has been restocked pretty nicely so the enticement of things like second or third round picks does not hold that much allure. But if all of the kids in your top tier are gone and you feel sure a kid that you like as well as any others among the next tier is going to be there at 18, then it is never bad business to snag assets that could become nice prospects or packaged with other assets to target a kid you really want at the start of day two. Appreciate the time and work you put into your post, folatre, gracias ... if Trevor Timmins is actually excited about some of the players that will be available at #15 then that tells us the plan for draft day ... however, if Marc Bergevin has shown me anything at the draft it's how creative he is in acquiring draft picks ... I'm hoping to see some of that at this year's draft but I think his options might be limited time around ... would you trade your 2020 1st ( Alexis Lafrenière's year) for two 2nds in this upcoming draft ... Cheers. I wouldn't trade our first for two seconds, either this year or next. If anything, I see Timmins trying to get rid of some picks, instead of acquiring more. He made 11 picks last year, and he has another 10 this year. As mentioned above, at a certain point the 50 contract limit starts coming into play. I don't know the CBA well enough to really say, but I'm guessing that at least 6 of those guys (CHL picks) will need to be signed next summer, and possibly more if the Euros progress. We've already let go two players from a couple of years ago that in years past we almost certainly would have signed (Tyska and Walford), so you don't want to get into a situation where you're making picks just for the sake of making picks, when you know you're probably going to let them go in a couple of years anyways. Of course I could also just be talking out of my you-know-what. I suppose you'd have to lay it all out on a spreadsheet to see where you anticipate the roster size to be in a couple of years, and really think about whether or not that's going to be a problem, and perhaps more importantly a problem that you can't live with - you can always just cut guys if it comes to that, as they just did. But having said that, it wouldn't surprise me if Timmins uses his picks to move UP, instead of moving down to get more picks. I think it will be pretty tough to move up in the first round, but I could see using either both of our 2nd round picks, or one of the 2nds and a 3rd/4th to move up to the top of the 2nd round, for example (*cough Edmonton cough Anaheim*). Or a couple of the 5ths to move up into the late 4th. That sort of thing. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 10, 2019 9:50:02 GMT -5
Appreciate the time and work you put into your post, folatre, gracias ... if Trevor Timmins is actually excited about some of the players that will be available at #15 then that tells us the plan for draft day ... however, if Marc Bergevin has shown me anything at the draft it's how creative he is in acquiring draft picks ... I'm hoping to see some of that at this year's draft but I think his options might be limited time around ... would you trade your 2020 1st ( Alexis Lafrenière's year) for two 2nds in this upcoming draft ... Cheers. I wouldn't trade our first for two seconds, either this year or next. If anything, I see Timmins trying to get rid of some picks, instead of acquiring more. He made 11 picks last year, and he has another 10 this year. As mentioned above, at a certain point the 50 contract limit starts coming into play. I don't know the CBA well enough to really say, but I'm guessing that at least 6 of those guys (CHL picks) will need to be signed next summer, and possibly more if the Euros progress. We've already let go two players from a couple of years ago that in years past we almost certainly would have signed (Tyska and Walford), so you don't want to get into a situation where you're making picks just for the sake of making picks, when you know you're probably going to let them go in a couple of years anyways. Of course I could also just be talking out of my you-know-what. I suppose you'd have to lay it all out on a spreadsheet to see where you anticipate the roster size to be in a couple of years, and really think about whether or not that's going to be a problem, and perhaps more importantly a problem that you can't live with - you can always just cut guys if it comes to that, as they just did. But having said that, it wouldn't surprise me if Timmins uses his picks to move UP, instead of moving down to get more picks. I think it will be pretty tough to move up in the first round, but I could see using either both of our 2nd round picks, or one of the 2nds and a 3rd/4th to move up to the top of the 2nd round, for example (*cough Edmonton cough Anaheim*). Or a couple of the 5ths to move up into the late 4th. That sort of thing. Sounds reasonable to me, BC ... I had the # of picks MB has opened in another browser but didn't think of the max # of contracts ... I think NWTHF alluded to the same thing insomuch as trading up in the 2nd to improve the draft position ... would I trade my 1st-round pick ... no, but it might make for some interesting discussion ... Cheers. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 10, 2019 11:42:59 GMT -5
Anyone think Marc Bergevin could trade down ... what kind of deal would that make for, I wonder ... Cheers. I actually hope not. We may get a sniff at a really good kid at 15. I really want to be in the top 12-13. We may end up there with some other team picks ahead of us. I really want an early second. If Berg could convert one of his seconds with other picks (after the third) for a better second....gold. BC mentioned Edmonton/Anaheim ... the Habs have a lot of wingers on the roster it's possible they could move one, or more of their wings so as to improve their draft position ... for instance, would the Oilers be interested in moving their #38 pick for MTL's #46 + Charles Hudon ... Cheers. |
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Post by seventeen on Jun 10, 2019 13:08:19 GMT -5
Anyone think Marc Bergevin could trade down ... what kind of deal would that make for, I wonder ... Cheers. It is hard to know. In a recent interview from Buffalo I heard Timmins saying something to the effect that they are hopeful about the availability of a handful of kids they really like at #15. If a kid is there that they value in that slot, then I think they make the pick. It is probably not easy to speculate about other teams' board/intentions so trading down more than a couple or three slots could simply cause you to lose the guy you want. The compensation of trading down varies: In 2018, Ottawa traded down from 22nd to 26th in exchange for a mid second rounder (#48); and Toronto traded down from 25th to 29th in exchange for a third rounder (#76). In 2017, Chicago moved down three spots (from 26th to 29th) and picked up a third rounder, #70. In 2016, the Capitals moved down from 26th to 28th and got a late third round pick (#87) Considering Montreal is not down there in the 20s, I would assume to moving, say, from 15th to 18th would cost the club moving up a second rounder as well as a later round pick like a fifth. Montreal's prospect cupboard has been restocked pretty nicely so the enticement of things like second or third round picks does not hold that much allure. But if all of the kids in your top tier are gone and you feel sure a kid that you like as well as any others among the next tier is going to be there at 18, then it is never bad business to snag assets that could become nice prospects or packaged with other assets to target a kid you really want at the start of day two. I finished reading an article (I read so many I can't remember the author to credit them) about this very point...the cost of moving up or down. Interestingly, almost no picks above 15, (I think) have changed hands. The last time was when Unlucky Lou traded the pick that became Bo Horvat for Schneider in 2013. I'd say both teams got what they wanted from that deal. Teams may be willing to move those picks you have described, in the 20's. As you can see, the cost of moving up about 3 spots in the late first round is a 2nd round pick. The cost of moving up in the early part of the round would be exponentially higher. No one is giving up a #15 pick in this draft where you could draft maybe not a difference maker, but an excellent support player (2nd line or 2nd pairing guy) without receiving another first round pick or top prospect in return. I certainly wouldn't. Habs are best off to use their pick, especially this year. Supposedly the second tier of players falls off after #12 or 13. But every team's list is different, so one of Timmins' top 13 is likely to still be around at 15. AT least that's my take. |
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Draft '19
Jun 11, 2019 1:32:49 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by GNick99 on Jun 11, 2019 1:32:49 GMT -5
I would be open to trading down. A lot of talent in 2nd round. More than usual. According to the trade though. Somebody may slide to 15 not expecting. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 11, 2019 6:06:01 GMT -5
Anyone think Marc Bergevin could trade down ... what kind of deal would that make for, I wonder ... Cheers. I actually hope not. We may get a sniff at a really good kid at 15. I really want to be in the top 12-13. We may end up there with some other team picks ahead of us. I really want an early second. If Berg could convert one of his seconds with other picks (after the third) for a better second....gold. I agree that there is a drop off after 12 but if there are three off the board picks ahead of us, one of the 12 may be available. Thank you Bergevin for missing the playoffs again and getting us the worst pick of any team that missed the playoffs. |
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Post by The Habitual Fan on Jun 11, 2019 7:06:57 GMT -5
Or thank you Bergevin for making this years team 25 points better than it was the year before and making it look promising by adding speed and youth in the lineup.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 11, 2019 11:11:40 GMT -5
This is my hybrid draft board. It is hybrid because I am missing all of the expected first round guys that I like and a huge group of players that should fall and be picked in between our picks at 15 and 46. That would just take a ton more time and make for a really huge post.
If any of them fall, then I am all over them with our second round picks. Some of the names that folks may have seen watching international tourneys or CHL playoffs include Poulin, Pelletier, Hoglander, Leason, Bjornfot, Beecher, Tracey, Rees, Tomasino (I actually see him going in top 20), McMichael, Holmstrom, Robertson (both of them, no relation) etc. There is quite a good run of players between 20 and 45-50 or so, and there will be so many variables as to who is picked when due to individual team’s draft boards, needs and likes. This should lead to a fun start to day two of the draft on the morning of the 22nd.
I don’t get to see all the players; however, I did get to a number of games at the Hlinka and WJC this past year. I do see a fair number who participate in televised major events (I watched a ton of U18s, some Hlinka and the final WJAC games). I do read a lot about the draft, but that can never replace seeing guys live and seeing them often. Work and life get in the way of me doing more of that! However, I just have some fun putting together some names that might be in play when we pick our various picks. I will do the first round in a bit as I am still working on my mock draft (next week I expect in the early days leading up to the draft). In the end, TT and team see all these guys, talk to them and their coaches and parents, do medical testing, put them through psychological tests, etc. I just sit on my couch watching games and reading about players on my ipad and have some fun. If it gets more folks talking about the draft…awesome! If it gets folks saying my choices are out to lunch…that is just fine too!
Picking players who might be in play at each pick is always a crapshoot for us blatant amateurs. It gets far tougher as the draft progresses into the later rounds with much less known players (if you even know them at all). Nothing ventured, nothing gained…
Second Round (46th and 50th)
Vladislav Kolyachonok, LD, Flint (OHL), 6’1” 184 – Good skating, well-balanced two-way defender, can also play a physical game. Played at U18s for Belarus, who surprised many this year.
Artemi Knyazev, LD, Chicoutimi (QMJHL), 5’11” 178 – Good skating puck moving defender, who picks his spot to effectively pinch and jump into the play. Played for Russia at the Hlinka and World Junior A Challenge (WJAC).
Robert Mastrosimone, LW, Chicago (USHL), 5’10” 160 – 2 way centre who has a quick release and is great passer due to his strong vision. Will need to add some strength. Played at the Hlinka and WJAC for the USA. Had a very strong USHL playoffs.
Albin Grewe, RW, Djurgardens (Swe Jr), 5’10” 187 – Nicknamed T-Rex for his style of play. Has good offensive skills and is an explosive skater. Will get under other team’s skin due to his super-pest style. Played for Sweden at the Hlinka and U18s.
Ryan Johnson, LD, Sioux Falls (USHL), 6’0” 173 – Strong skating defender who is a good puck mover and plays a very solid defensive game. He played for the USA at the Hlinka.
Mikko Kokkonen, LD, Jukurit (Liiga), 5’11” 198 – Put up 19 points in 56 games for a 17 year old defender playing in the top Finnish men’s league. He is mobile, has a good hockey IQ and is already physically strong. He played for Finland at the Hlinka and U18s.
Ilya Nikolayev, C, Loko (MHL), 6’0” 190 – Not often you can say skilled Russian forwards are safe picks, but he might be due to his strong 200 foot game. A good 2 way centre with great edges and is reliable defensively. Was Russia’s #1C at the Hlinka, WJAC and U18s. Played with Podkolzin and often Gutik on those national teams.
Patrik Puistola, LW, Leki (Fin 2), 6’0” 174 – Good skill and vision and has good offensive instincts. He led the Finish Hlinka and U18 teams in scoring, netting 9 goals in 9 games at both events combined. He does need to improve the defensive side of his game.
Third Round (77th)
Alex Beaucage, RW, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL), 6’1” 193 – A physical forward with a good shot. He has good hands and average speed. Played on the Memorial Cup champions this May.
Mattias Norlinder, LD, Modo (Swe Jr), 5’11” 179 – A 19 year old second year eligible player who really improved this season. He is a great skater, two-way defender with great hockey IQ and a solid shot and passing skills.
Karl Henriksson, C, Frolunda (Swe Jr), 5’9” 174 – His points totals definitely benefited from playing with 2020 draft stud Lucas Raymond. He also got a short 2 game call up in the SHL. He is a quick skater with good offensive skills and a strong shot. He played for Sweden at the Hlinka and U18s (silver and gold respectively).
Jackson LaCombe, LD, Shattucks St Marys (USHS), 6’1” 171 – He is a smooth skating puck-moving defender who played high school hockey, so he is still raw defensively as he has yet to adapt to a more structured team approach. Lots of raw potential here, but will need development time. He played for the USA at the Hlinka in a support role.
Daniil Gutik, LW, Loko (MHL), 6’3” 179 – One of the more skilled players in the draft, but he is not very fast as he is still very lanky and has not grown into his tall body. He is agile though, and has good edges, but has very good hands and vision and top notch skill. Just needs to get more explosive skating that should come with added weight and strength. Played for Russia at the Hlinka and WJAC.
Mid Rounds (4th-108th; 5th-131st; 5th-136th; 5th-138th)
Samuel Bolduc, LD, Blainsville-Boisbriand (QMJHL), 6’3” 210 – He might not last this long, but he does on a number of draft lists that I have seen. This defender is a smooth skater and already a physically imposing size and good strength. He is confident with the puck for a good two-way defender.
Semyon Chistyakov, LD, Tolpar (MHL), 5’10” 170 – A strong skating defender with good offensive skills and great passing and vision. Was one of Russia’s top three players at the U18s in April and he also played on the Hlinka and WJAC teams.
Layhton Ahac, LD, Prince George (BCHL), 6’2” 188 – A strong skating defender with a good first pass who is also strong defensively. He played for Canada West at the WJAC and played in the RBC Cup.
Eric Ciccolini, RW, Toronto (OJHL), 5’11” 160 – Very fast skater with soft hands and good offensive skills. He played for Canada East at the WJAC.
Patrick Moynihan, RW, USNDP (USHL), 5’11” 183 – Good two-way forward who is a smooth skater and has a good shot. He tended to be hidden on the third line due to the crazy depth of the top two forward lines on the USNDP team this year. As a result, his skills are a little under the radar. Played for the USA at the U18s.
Hugo Alneleft, G, HV71 (Swe Jr), 6’2” 177 – If they keep all 10 picks, I expect at least one goalie to be picked to add to the pipeline. Heck, even with 9 or less picks, I still think we draft a goalie somewhere. He is an athletic goalie who is calm and has good rebound control. He also was the starter for the Swedish silver medal team at the Hlinka and gold medal team at the U18s.
Jordan Struble, LD, St Sebastien (USHS), 6’0”, 194 – Another raw defender with potential out of the high school ranks. He also ticks a few of TT’s boxes due to his strong athleticism, as he topped a number of tests at the NHL Combine. He is a great skating puck mover who also has a good and active stick defensively.
Matias Maccelli, LW, Dubuque (USHL), 5’11” 165 – This Finnish import put up very solid offensive numbers in the USHL this past season. He is a good skater who has strong vision and has good offensive skills. He is a late 2000 birthday, so he played for Finland in the 2017 Hlinka and was too old for this April’s U18s.
Aku Raty, RW, Karpat (Fin Jr), 5’11” 170 – He is a player that you enjoy watching due to his effort and hard work. He is a strong skater who is a solid two-way forward. He played on a line with his younger brother on the national team. He played for Finland at the Hlinka and U18s.
Massimo Rizzo, C, Penticton (BCHL), 5’10” 175 – He missed two months to injury, so did not get as much exposure as he would have liked. He is a great skater with a quick shot who is very solid in both ends. He played for Canada West at the WJAC.
Albert Lyckasen, RD, Linkoping (Swe Jr), 5’10” 172 – Another of the modern day defenders who likes to add to the offense but who is also strong defensively. He is a strong passer and has a good shot. He played for Sweden at the Hlinka and U18s. Yes, he is a RHD just to show I am not blinded for just LHDs lol. It is actually a good draft for LHDs though.
Taylor Gauthier, G, Prince George (WHL), 6’1” 195 – A goalie with great competitiveness and good reflexes. He was a co-starter along with Nolan Maier for Canada at both the Hlinka (gold) and U18s (fourth). Could use some more consistency in his game and some coaching to work on some of his technical inconsistencies. I almost went with Miner, a goalie with the Vancouver Giants of the WHL, but gave the nod to Gauthier due to his Hockey Canada pedigree. Miner would be a solid choice too.
Rhett Pitlick, LW, Chaska (USHS), 5’9” 160 – A great skater who is quite offensively skilled and plays a bigger physical game than his size would suggest. He also got a few games in at the end of the season with Omaha in the USHL.
Justin Bergeron, LD, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL), 5’11” 175 – He is second year eligible, but was one of the youngest players in last year’s draft missing this draft by only a couple of days. He is a smooth skater with good offensive instincts and skills. He possesses a strong wrist shot. He also played on this year’s Memorial Cup champions.
Late Rounds (6th-170th; 7th-206th)
Luka Burzan, RW, Brandon (WHL), 6’0” 184 – Another 19 year old second year eligible player. He is a speedy and skilled winger with a good shot and he is hard on the puck. I don’t expect he will get passed over again this year. He played for Canada in the Hlinka in 2017.
Maxence Geunette, RD, Val D’Or (QMJHL), 6’1” 181 – I am often wary about suggesting a CHL pick this late in the draft due to the requirement to sign them in two years (although I have three in my list this year). However, he is a solid two-way defender who is mobile, has good gap control, a good first pass and a solid shot. He played for Canada in the Hlinka last August and put up two points in five games. If TT has not found a local player by this point in the draft, he is a nice choice.
Yaroslav Likhachyov, RW, Gatineau (QMJHL), 5’10” 170 – I am always wary of players who come into the seasond highly rated and then fall like a rock during the season. He is a case in point. The skilled Russian winger was highly touted in pre-season rankings after a strong Hlinka last summer. He then struggled adapting to his first year in Gatineau and was not anywhere as dominant as was expected. However, he has skill and did seem to revitalize his season at the U18s in April. He also played in the WJAC. Some guys are worth the gamble on their talent and skill alone. He is a small skilled player who has decent speed and edges, making him shifty and elusive.
Jonathan Brinkman, LD, Aalborg (Denmark), 5’11” 165 – Sometimes it is just fun to name guys who are quite unknown but sound like an interesting late round flyer. He is a great skater who handles the puck really well, but like a lot of mobile defenders, he could stand to add a fair bit of weight to be effective in NA pro hockey. He played in the Danish men’s league this season, and played for Denmark at the U18s (Division 1) and in the World Juniors as an underager.
Max Wahlgren, RW, Modo (Swe Jr), 6’1” 184 – A Swedish winger who plays more of a power game than most of his peers. He is a decent skater with a good shot and decent vision and passing. He played for Sweden at the Hlinka (silver) and U18s (gold). There are a few other second tier Swedish forwards that would be good choices here, but I went with Max due to his style of play being very adaptable to NA hockey. With Rockstrom as your head European scout and head scout in Sweden, you know TT is getting good intel on the top Swedish prospects these days. That has not always translated into NHL players though.
Janis Moser, LD, Biel (Swiss A), 6’0” 160 – Another 19 year old second year eligible player. He plays in the top Swiss men’s league against solid competition. He is calm and poised in his game, with a good active stick defensively, a good first pass and good gap control. Would need to add some weight and strength to his skinny frame. He has had extensive recent international experience with Switzerland, at the Hlinka and U18s in 2017-18 and this past year at the World Juniors and World Championships.
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Post by seventeen on Jun 11, 2019 12:25:14 GMT -5
Man, NWT, you have to get a life. Sheesh. That's a lot of guys to pay attention to and that's only part of your list! Great work, big guy. Couple of observations: Two typos early on. Knayazev is Kniazev. Mastosimone is Mastrosimone. You've got Layton Ahac in the 4th round area. I watched part of the RBC Cup final game where PG got ripped off  and Ahac was considered as possibly a second round pick by commentators (I may be wrong there, but he seemed to be highly regarded). Not saying you're wrong and I certainly don't know enough about him. Mea culpa as I could have gone to watch when the Spruce Kings were in town. Didn't know about him then and the Silverbacks didn't have any good prospects this year. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. Whew. That's a lot of watching and note taking NWT. Thank you! |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 11, 2019 12:47:29 GMT -5
As for Ahac, yeah he could go earlier. The same can be said about a bunch of guys that I tried to pigeon hole into a particular pick/round. I see a lot of variation in different draft lists of when these guys might go. In the end, if a team likes him, they will take him when they are on the mike. I tried to be a tad optimistic that some of those guys will still be around for the 4th and 5th round picks (if we keep them all). As others have commented on this thread, I see that bunch of picks as possible ammo to trade up if a TT highly coveted player is available earlier on in between picks.
I watched that RBC Cup game of his as well as that was the only game I could catch of his on tv this year. As you are likely aware, I was cheering for Brooks having a soft spot for the AJHL (if there is no AJHL rep left, I will gladly cheer on the BCHL team).
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Post by HABSINFL on Jun 11, 2019 14:11:45 GMT -5
Wouldn't surprise me to see le Club draft another d-man in either the 1st or 2nd round ... reading some impressive things on Samuel Bolduc, though ... NHL Central Scouting has him a #42 (NA skaters), while The Hockey News has him ranked #116 ... also, here's a blurb from The Chronicle Herald (Halifax) ... "One scout recently told me he wouldn’t be shocked to see the big blueliner climb into the first round by the end of the year. Bolduc is six-foot-four, 211 pounds and seems to gain strength every week, plus he has underrated offensive ability."Cheers. I agree with your choice, a great choice none the less. |
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Post by folatre on Jun 11, 2019 19:26:49 GMT -5
I feel significantly more informed about a number of prospects. Thanks, NW.
One would assume the Rouyn-Noranda kids have been looked at very thoroughly by not only Montreal's scouts but also most other clubs too. I like Beaucage. The Habs already have Teasdale (same position, no?), not that this is decisive factor in where you slot a kid like Beacage in your board but for guys without high ceiling projections I may not want to pull the trigger too soon when Teasdale is signed and delivered. I would be more excited to grab Beacage's skill set in the fourth round.
Bolduc may be a riser. If Timmins likes him, he may have to spend a second rounder on this kid. I know sometimes we have a craving for positional variety in a draft year, but I think it would not be an issue for instance if the Habs grab Harley in the first round to take Bolduc in the second if the scouts believe that he is coming on strong.
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Jun 11, 2019 20:39:45 GMT -5
I'll echo the thanks others have expressed, NWTHF ... thanks for all of the work, it's very much appreciated ... it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the club took a defenseman at #15 ... one of either Cam York, Philip Broberg, or Thomas Harley are all LHD and could be available around when the Habs make their pick ... that said, though, I'd really like them to add a kid who's known for scoring goals ... that would be nice ... a goal scorer ...
Cheers.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 11, 2019 20:57:40 GMT -5
I'll echo the thanks others have expressed, NWTHF ... thanks for all of the work, it's very much appreciated ... it wouldn't surprise me in the least if the club took a defenseman at #15 ... one of either Cam York, Philip Broberg, or Thomas Harley are all LHD and could be available around when the Habs make their pick ... that said, though, I'd really like them to add a kid who's known for scoring goals ... that would be nice ... a goal scorer ... Cheers. I think they should be able to get both with their first three or four picks. Lots of good mobile LHD this draft and scoring wingers can be found as well. We need both, and they likely will be close to the “BPA” when we pick. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Jun 11, 2019 21:04:20 GMT -5
I feel significantly more informed about a number of prospects. Thanks, NW. One would assume the Rouyn-Noranda kids have been looked at very thoroughly by not only Montreal's scouts but also most other clubs too. I like Beaucage. The Habs already have Teasdale (same position, no?), not that this is decisive factor in where you slot a kid like Beacage in your board but for guys without high ceiling projections I may not want to pull the trigger too soon when Teasdale is signed and delivered. I would be more excited to grab Beacage's skill set in the fourth round. Bolduc may be a riser. If Timmins likes him, he may have to spend a second rounder on this kid. I know sometimes we have a craving for positional variety in a draft year, but I think it would not be an issue for instance if the Habs grab Harley in the first round to take Bolduc in the second if the scouts believe that he is coming on strong. My pleasure. I left out about twenty guys I like in the 16-45 range! There are a bunch of good ones there, and I expect we will have a chance at a few of them with our 46 and 50. RN has had tons of exposure this year. A top 2 or 3 team most of the season. I still like some of their guys though. I also expect the Habs to be talking to overagers like Bibeau as well. Why not? Development camp invite candidate. Bolduc may be a riser, but I still like a bunch of guys more with our two seconds. If TT likes him there though, I will be fine with his call. As for LHD, this is a great draft for mobile LHD. I expect we walk out with several once the dust settles. |
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Post by Habs_fan_in_LA on Jun 11, 2019 22:38:31 GMT -5
Or thank you Bergevin for making this years team 25 points better than it was the year before and making it look promising by adding speed and youth in the lineup. Yes the team improved from the terrible Bergevin team of two years ago but; If my child was on a five year program to graduate from college and he failed in the sixth year with terrible results and repeated the year, again failing again but almost passing, I would not be pleased. When the goal is to be the valedictorian, not just get by, seven years of failure means change is needed. We are not close to winning the cup and while we have some good young players there isn’t a star in the group, much less a great first line like the bruins, blues, leafs or lightning have. |
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Post by The Habitual Fan on Jun 12, 2019 8:17:41 GMT -5
Or thank you Bergevin for making this years team 25 points better than it was the year before and making it look promising by adding speed and youth in the lineup. Yes the team improved from the terrible Bergevin team of two years ago but; If my child was on a five year program to graduate from college and he failed in the sixth year with terrible results and repeated the year, again failing again but almost passing, I would not be pleased. When the goal is to be the valedictorian, not just get by, seven years of failure means change is needed. We are not close to winning the cup and while we have some good young players there isn’t a star in the group, much less a great first line like the bruins, blues, leafs or lightning have. Agreed, however if my child was in a five year program to graduate from college and he failed in the sixth year with terrible results then I may stand behind him if he changed his major and I saw drastic improvements by him taking a new path. I wouldn't necessarily disown him. The goal is to have a successful long term career and not be valedictorian. I agree that Montreal is not right now in the same class as Tampa, Toronto or Boston but in 2015 the Bruins had picks number 13-14-15 in the first round and passed over Matthew Barzel with all of them. If that had been Bergevin doing the same thing for Montreal some guys would still call him incompetent and want him gone. |
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Post by blny on Jun 12, 2019 12:59:02 GMT -5
NWT is the man.  |
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and Ahac was considered as possibly a second round pick by commentators (I may be wrong there, but he seemed to be highly regarded). Not saying you're wrong and I certainly don't know enough about him. Mea culpa as I could have gone to watch when the Spruce Kings were in town. Didn't know about him then and the Silverbacks didn't have any good prospects this year. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. 
