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Post by folatre on Apr 9, 2020 20:38:13 GMT -5
Not having the combine or in person interviews is a significant issue. I would imagine that not having your club's doctors directly looking at prospects also adds an element of uncertainty.
Marc Denis is a part of the ownership group for the Sagueneens, no? There must be a handful of people in the Montreal organization who should be well positioned to glean tidbits of useful info about Lapierre.
I know that Button is very bullish on Lapierre, but I would estimate selecting him in the top 10 is simply too risky. However, I would be very excited if the Habs could get a player of his talent late in the 20-30 range of the first round. Based on the data that BC earlier in this thread, it would take quite a bit of draft capital to acquire that additional first round pick. It would likely take, for instance, at least the #39 and #40 picks to move up to #22 slot. Having said that, I would be entirely okay with that if a kid that could be a difference maker is sitting there.
Trading out of the #39 or #40 slots to move down in the second round and get an extra fourth round pick is precisely the kind of move that I really hope Bergevin stays away from. Button and others have said the quality of prospects is strong enough that it holds up well into the second round, but that could mean the drop-off starts around 45 or 50.
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Draft '20
Apr 10, 2020 7:32:02 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by GNick99 on Apr 10, 2020 7:32:02 GMT -5
Not having the combine or in person interviews is a significant issue. I would imagine that not having your club's doctors directly looking at prospects also adds an element of uncertainty. Marc Denis is a part of the ownership group for the Sagueneens, no? There must be a handful of people in the Montreal organization who should be well positioned to glean tidbits of useful info about Lapierre. I know that Button is very bullish on Lapierre, but I would estimate selecting him in the top 10 is simply too risky. However, I would be very excited if the Habs could get a player of his talent late in the 20-30 range of the first round. Based on the data that BC earlier in this thread, it would take quite a bit of draft capital to acquire that additional first round pick. It would likely take, for instance, at least the #39 and #40 picks to move up to #22 slot. Having said that, I would be entirely okay with that if a kid that could be a difference maker is sitting there. Trading out of the #39 or #40 slots to move down in the second round and get an extra fourth round pick is precisely the kind of move that I really hope Bergevin stays away from. Button and others have said the quality of prospects is strong enough that it holds up well into the second round, but that could mean the drop-off starts around 45 or 50. I would keep the extra picks also instead of trading up. Considerable talent available in 2nd and 3rd round. Those 5 picks in round 2 and 3, good chance we could hit one out of the park. In 2nd round I see legit shot at Cormier, Foerester, Pashin or Villeneuve. Maybe even a Jarventie or Colangelo in 3rd round. |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Apr 10, 2020 14:16:50 GMT -5
Just did a draft simulator in two groups of five ... the first group saw the Habs drafting 1st (x2), 3rd, and 9th (x2) ... after resetting it, it came out Habs drafting 8th (x2), 9th, 10th, and 3rd ...
Cheers.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 11, 2020 0:48:09 GMT -5
Not having the combine or in person interviews is a significant issue. I would imagine that not having your club's doctors directly looking at prospects also adds an element of uncertainty. Marc Denis is a part of the ownership group for the Sagueneens, no? There must be a handful of people in the Montreal organization who should be well positioned to glean tidbits of useful info about Lapierre. I know that Button is very bullish on Lapierre, but I would estimate selecting him in the top 10 is simply too risky. However, I would be very excited if the Habs could get a player of his talent late in the 20-30 range of the first round. Based on the data that BC earlier in this thread, it would take quite a bit of draft capital to acquire that additional first round pick. It would likely take, for instance, at least the #39 and #40 picks to move up to #22 slot. Having said that, I would be entirely okay with that if a kid that could be a difference maker is sitting there. Trading out of the #39 or #40 slots to move down in the second round and get an extra fourth round pick is precisely the kind of move that I really hope Bergevin stays away from. Button and others have said the quality of prospects is strong enough that it holds up well into the second round, but that could mean the drop-off starts around 45 or 50. I would keep the extra picks also instead of trading up. Considerable talent available in 2nd and 3rd round. Those 5 picks in round 2 and 3, good chance we could hit one out of the park. In 2nd round I see legit shot at Cormier, Foerester, Pashin or Villeneuve. Maybe even a Jarventie or Colangelo in 3rd round. Yeah, I would keep the picks (if not able to move up). I also think there will be prospective talent well into the fourth. The second and early third round picks have capital. But if you can leverage picks and get a top LHD, you do it. |
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Draft '20
Apr 11, 2020 2:09:41 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by GNick99 on Apr 11, 2020 2:09:41 GMT -5
Just did a draft simulator in two groups of five ... the first group saw the Habs drafting 1st (x2), 3rd, and 9th (x2) ... after resetting it, it came out Habs drafting 8th (x2), 9th, 10th, and 3rd ... Cheers. That's 10 rolls of the simulator, we draft 1st twice. I like those odds. If we ever won lottery be most good anything has happened to this team in a long, long while. |
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Draft '20
Apr 12, 2020 4:46:13 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by GNick99 on Apr 12, 2020 4:46:13 GMT -5
I would keep the extra picks also instead of trading up. Considerable talent available in 2nd and 3rd round. Those 5 picks in round 2 and 3, good chance we could hit one out of the park. In 2nd round I see legit shot at Cormier, Foerester, Pashin or Villeneuve. Maybe even a Jarventie or Colangelo in 3rd round. Yeah, I would keep the picks (if not able to move up). I also think there will be prospective talent well into the fourth. The second and early third round picks have capital. But if you can leverage picks and get a top LHD, you do it. Yeah, I don't know draft like you do. Once you get by 2nd round or so, I never heard tell of the prospects before. I just jumped into draft 4 or 5 weeks ago when this Covid thing started here. I found Colangelo looking at the stats. His offense and size stood out to me. Plays center too I like. I never seen him play or read a scouting report on him. Kind of was looking for a Jack Dugan type. I remember when he played USHL. Same as Jarventie. Just going over stats. His goals and young birthdate what grabbed my attention. Going by his height and weight those kind usually are good skaters but have major hiccup in their game. Elsewise they would be rated higher. There is a chance if you can fix his weakness he could be a gem. Jack Finley maybe? But I don't know him. Seen his name for first time 2 days ago. His size, young birthdate, plus 34 and near a point a game jumped up at me. Sounds like he has higher hockey IQ than most 17 year olds. For a center, at 17, to have a touch of offense and responsible defensively. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 12, 2020 12:48:06 GMT -5
Yeah, I would keep the picks (if not able to move up). I also think there will be prospective talent well into the fourth. The second and early third round picks have capital. But if you can leverage picks and get a top LHD, you do it. Yeah, I don't know draft like you do. Once you get by 2nd round or so, I never heard tell of the prospects before. I just jumped into draft 4 or 5 weeks ago when this Covid thing started here. I found Colangelo looking at the stats. His offense and size stood out to me. Plays center too I like. I never seen him play or read a scouting report on him. Kind of was looking for a Jack Dugan type. I remember when he played USHL. Same as Jarventie. Just going over stats. His goals and young birthdate what grabbed my attention. Going by his height and weight those kind usually are good skaters but have major hiccup in their game. Elsewise they would be rated higher. There is a chance if you can fix his weakness he could be a gem. Jack Finley maybe? But I don't know him. Seen his name for first time 2 days ago. His size, young birthdate, plus 34 and near a point a game jumped up at me. Sounds like he has higher hockey IQ than most 17 year olds. For a center, at 17, to have a touch of offense and responsible defensively. The more I look into the details of this draft, the more I like it. I initially thought this was an average draft for depth, but I am pretty comfortable saying it is above average in depth. Time will tell, but I really like the first three rounds. There will also be some potential into the fourth. It has some interesting attributes. It is really strong and deep for Canada. A great age group for Canada. Just look at the Top Prospect Game rosters, and the Canadians totally dominate it. There is only one American that was chosen: Stranges. That is so rare not to see better top end talent from the US in the CHL. After dominating the first round last year from the generational USNDT roster, this US U-18 team is much weaker. Sanderson is their best player, and he is a D. In the USHL, one team is stacked with draft potential. The top four USHL players all come from Chicago Steel, and that team likely will see six players drafted. Once you get to late first and beyond, you will start to see a fair number of American names called from both the U18 team and the USHL. Europe has some nice depth, but a lot of casual viewers don’t get to see many Euros play. Myself included, so I have to work at it a bit. Missing the U18s in Plymouth really hurts for casual viewers like me, but there are the U18 Five Nations from February and last summer’s Hlinka, although that is ages ago for some players and lots have changed with risers and fallers. I like the depth for both Sweden and Finland. The big names like Raymond, Holtz and Lundell (FIN), have been on the radar for years, but the depth is really starting to emerge. Finland swept and won the February Five Nations with more depth than I had realized before that point. Sweden finally has elite forwards again (the big two), but they have really good forward and defensive depth in this draft. I like a lot of the Swedes this year. Russia’s top player is a goalie, and I really think he slips to mid first due to inconsistent performances at both the WJC and Five Nations. They have decent depth, and their players are scattered across the CHL, USHL, and at home in Russia. Two of the more interesting overagers to watch in the mid rounds are Russians in the CHL: Sokolov and Gogolev (Hillis’ line mate). This is a decent age class for Russia, but no real superstars other than Askarov. Teams will have needed some good scouting of the MHL, VHL and KHL to get a good read on these kids though. I always think Russians bring good value as the draft progresses as some teams do still discount the “Russian factor”. Germany has the big three, all of whom could go first round. Austria has Rossi and defender Nickl. The best Czechs play in the CHL: Mysak, Gut, Pytlik and Novak. It is not a strong year for Slovakia. I expect only Chromiak and their goalie see the first 3-4 rounds. It is a real off year for Switzerland, with their top player being a 20 year old undersized forward: Baumgartner. You won’t hear his name for a while. In Junior A, the top three picks are from he AJHL, rather than the usual BCHL or OJHL. In early March, I caught a game with all three playing. Savoie put up lots of points and undersized Benning is really interesting. Yes, he is Elmer’s grandkid and part of that great hockey family of our old western scout who passed away after decades with us. Another thing, there are lots of small forwards and defenders who will get picked in this draft. A lot. 9 picks in the top 105 or so is really something quite good this draft. I would keep them all and take my chances on this draft class!! Of course, expect the unexpected from you know who. |
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Post by folatre on Apr 12, 2020 20:56:25 GMT -5
Nice overview, NW. Canada is definitely providing the majority of the high end kids. As you say, this shapes up to be a quality year for Germany and Sweden too.
There is no way to know how Montreal's tentative list shapes up through the top 10, let alone its top 25 or 50. We can probably imagine most of the names in the top 10 but the order of the kids after Lafreniere, Byfield, and Stutzle could vary quite a bit from club to club. Based on what Timmins said earlier this week, I guess the only thing we really know is that Montreal is not giving any special preference to the position of the player. And as you say there are not a lot of big bodied kids with the talent to go in the early rounds so it is likely prudent not to worry too much about addressing that organizational need via this draft.
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Post by GNick99 on Apr 14, 2020 8:37:57 GMT -5
Yeah, I don't know draft like you do. Once you get by 2nd round or so, I never heard tell of the prospects before. I just jumped into draft 4 or 5 weeks ago when this Covid thing started here. I found Colangelo looking at the stats. His offense and size stood out to me. Plays center too I like. I never seen him play or read a scouting report on him. Kind of was looking for a Jack Dugan type. I remember when he played USHL. Same as Jarventie. Just going over stats. His goals and young birthdate what grabbed my attention. Going by his height and weight those kind usually are good skaters but have major hiccup in their game. Elsewise they would be rated higher. There is a chance if you can fix his weakness he could be a gem. Jack Finley maybe? But I don't know him. Seen his name for first time 2 days ago. His size, young birthdate, plus 34 and near a point a game jumped up at me. Sounds like he has higher hockey IQ than most 17 year olds. For a center, at 17, to have a touch of offense and responsible defensively. The more I look into the details of this draft, the more I like it. I initially thought this was an average draft for depth, but I am pretty comfortable saying it is above average in depth. Time will tell, but I really like the first three rounds. There will also be some potential into the fourth. It has some interesting attributes. It is really strong and deep for Canada. A great age group for Canada. Just look at the Top Prospect Game rosters, and the Canadians totally dominate it. There is only one American that was chosen: Stranges. That is so rare not to see better top end talent from the US in the CHL. After dominating the first round last year from the generational USNDT roster, this US U-18 team is much weaker. Sanderson is their best player, and he is a D. In the USHL, one team is stacked with draft potential. The top four USHL players all come from Chicago Steel, and that team likely will see six players drafted. Once you get to late first and beyond, you will start to see a fair number of American names called from both the U18 team and the USHL. Europe has some nice depth, but a lot of casual viewers don’t get to see many Euros play. Myself included, so I have to work at it a bit. Missing the U18s in Plymouth really hurts for casual viewers like me, but there are the U18 Five Nations from February and last summer’s Hlinka, although that is ages ago for some players and lots have changed with risers and fallers. I like the depth for both Sweden and Finland. The big names like Raymond, Holtz and Lundell (FIN), have been on the radar for years, but the depth is really starting to emerge. Finland swept and won the February Five Nations with more depth than I had realized before that point. Sweden finally has elite forwards again (the big two), but they have really good forward and defensive depth in this draft. I like a lot of the Swedes this year. Russia’s top player is a goalie, and I really think he slips to mid first due to inconsistent performances at both the WJC and Five Nations. They have decent depth, and their players are scattered across the CHL, USHL, and at home in Russia. Two of the more interesting overagers to watch in the mid rounds are Russians in the CHL: Sokolov and Gogolev (Hillis’ line mate). This is a decent age class for Russia, but no real superstars other than Askarov. Teams will have needed some good scouting of the MHL, VHL and KHL to get a good read on these kids though. I always think Russians bring good value as the draft progresses as some teams do still discount the “Russian factor”. Germany has the big three, all of whom could go first round. Austria has Rossi and defender Nickl. The best Czechs play in the CHL: Mysak, Gut, Pytlik and Novak. It is not a strong year for Slovakia. I expect only Chromiak and their goalie see the first 3-4 rounds. It is a real off year for Switzerland, with their top player being a 20 year old undersized forward: Baumgartner. You won’t hear his name for a while. In Junior A, the top three picks are from he AJHL, rather than the usual BCHL or OJHL. In early March, I caught a game with all three playing. Savoie put up lots of points and undersized Benning is really interesting. Yes, he is Elmer’s grandkid and part of that great hockey family of our old western scout who passed away after decades with us. Another thing, there are lots of small forwards and defenders who will get picked in this draft. A lot. 9 picks in the top 105 or so is really something quite good this draft. I would keep them all and take my chances on this draft class!! Of course, expect the unexpected from you know who. Get a good player with first pick. Then if can get another player with one of our late picks makes for a good draft. 2 above average players out of same draft |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 14, 2020 8:53:15 GMT -5
Yeah, I don't know draft like you do. Once you get by 2nd round or so, I never heard tell of the prospects before. I just jumped into draft 4 or 5 weeks ago when this Covid thing started here. I found Colangelo looking at the stats. His offense and size stood out to me. Plays center too I like. I never seen him play or read a scouting report on him. Kind of was looking for a Jack Dugan type. I remember when he played USHL. Same as Jarventie. Just going over stats. His goals and young birthdate what grabbed my attention. Going by his height and weight those kind usually are good skaters but have major hiccup in their game. Elsewise they would be rated higher. There is a chance if you can fix his weakness he could be a gem. Jack Finley maybe? But I don't know him. Seen his name for first time 2 days ago. His size, young birthdate, plus 34 and near a point a game jumped up at me. Sounds like he has higher hockey IQ than most 17 year olds. For a center, at 17, to have a touch of offense and responsible defensively. I never did comment on the three guys you mentioned. I actually like them all. Järventie plays in the Mestis, the Finnish second league, so he plays against men. He has done well. A great sniper with good puck skills. Decent skater. I would be really happy picking him up late second, early third. He was quiet in the only game I have watched, but I am going to watch the Five Nations where he and his line looked very good. I have only watched one Colangelo game, but he was noticeable. He is part of a stacked draft class playing for the Chicago Steel in the USHL. The other highly regarded forwards are Brisson, Farrell, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. They also played together (and with defender Reid) as part of the USA Selects team at the World Junior A Challenge in November, alongside our prospect Pitlick. In that tourney, Colangelo played on the second line and second PP unit with Pitlick. Brisson has a more dynamic shot and Farrell is a small speedster, but I like Colangelo too. Finley is huge for such a late birthday. He can move well for his size too. In a draft with few legitimate PF’s, he is one for sure. He also blew away the CHL Top Prospects combine, so that puts him on Timmins’ radar for sure. TT loves guys that do well at combines. The WHL does not have the extensive top end guys like last year, but there is some real nice depth out of the league this draft (from about pick 10 or so so onwards). Mid second to early third with him too, perhaps. Like many young big men, you have to figure he will only get better too when he matures into his body, and he is already a good player. |
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Post by GNick99 on Apr 15, 2020 8:25:21 GMT -5
Yeah, I don't know draft like you do. Once you get by 2nd round or so, I never heard tell of the prospects before. I just jumped into draft 4 or 5 weeks ago when this Covid thing started here. I found Colangelo looking at the stats. His offense and size stood out to me. Plays center too I like. I never seen him play or read a scouting report on him. Kind of was looking for a Jack Dugan type. I remember when he played USHL. Same as Jarventie. Just going over stats. His goals and young birthdate what grabbed my attention. Going by his height and weight those kind usually are good skaters but have major hiccup in their game. Elsewise they would be rated higher. There is a chance if you can fix his weakness he could be a gem. Jack Finley maybe? But I don't know him. Seen his name for first time 2 days ago. His size, young birthdate, plus 34 and near a point a game jumped up at me. Sounds like he has higher hockey IQ than most 17 year olds. For a center, at 17, to have a touch of offense and responsible defensively. I never did comment on the three guys you mentioned. I actually like them all. Järventie plays in the Mestis, the Finnish second league, so he plays against men. He has done well. A great sniper with good puck skills. Decent skater. I would be really happy picking him up late second, early third. He was quiet in the only game I have watched, but I am going to watch the Five Nations where he and his line looked very good. I have only watched one Colangelo game, but he was noticeable. He is part of a stacked draft class playing for the Chicago Steel in the USHL. The other highly regarded forwards are Brisson, Farrell, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. They also played together (and with defender Reid) as part of the USA Selects team at the World Junior A Challenge in November, alongside our prospect Pitlick. In that tourney, Colangelo played on the second line and second PP unit with Pitlick. Brisson has a more dynamic shot and Farrell is a small speedster, but I like Colangelo too. Finley is huge for such a late birthday. He can move well for his size too. In a draft with few legitimate PF’s, he is one for sure. He also blew away the CHL Top Prospects combine, so that puts him on Timmins’ radar for sure. TT loves guys that do well at combines. The WHL does not have the extensive top end guys like last year, but there is some real nice depth out of the league this draft (from about pick 10 or so so onwards). Mid second to early third with him too, perhaps. Like many young big men, you have to figure he will only get better too when he matures into his body, and he is already a good player. With no U18, CHL playoffs and maybe no combine, leaves more room for mistakes. Should be better players available later in draft. Habs with 14 picks? Good opportunity for Timmins to turn his draft fortunes around. Maybe his last here, if he strikesout again. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 15, 2020 11:07:19 GMT -5
I never did comment on the three guys you mentioned. I actually like them all. Järventie plays in the Mestis, the Finnish second league, so he plays against men. He has done well. A great sniper with good puck skills. Decent skater. I would be really happy picking him up late second, early third. He was quiet in the only game I have watched, but I am going to watch the Five Nations where he and his line looked very good. I have only watched one Colangelo game, but he was noticeable. He is part of a stacked draft class playing for the Chicago Steel in the USHL. The other highly regarded forwards are Brisson, Farrell, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine. They also played together (and with defender Reid) as part of the USA Selects team at the World Junior A Challenge in November, alongside our prospect Pitlick. In that tourney, Colangelo played on the second line and second PP unit with Pitlick. Brisson has a more dynamic shot and Farrell is a small speedster, but I like Colangelo too. Finley is huge for such a late birthday. He can move well for his size too. In a draft with few legitimate PF’s, he is one for sure. He also blew away the CHL Top Prospects combine, so that puts him on Timmins’ radar for sure. TT loves guys that do well at combines. The WHL does not have the extensive top end guys like last year, but there is some real nice depth out of the league this draft (from about pick 10 or so so onwards). Mid second to early third with him too, perhaps. Like many young big men, you have to figure he will only get better too when he matures into his body, and he is already a good player. With no U18, CHL playoffs and maybe no combine, leaves more room for mistakes. Should be better players available later in draft. Habs with 14 picks? Good opportunity for Timmins to turn his draft fortunes around. Maybe his last here, if he strikesout again. There are a number of kids that have been rising that would have had much more exposure with the U18s and/or CHL playoffs. I am just finishing a bit of a mock draft of our first nine picks where I profile a few of those exact type of players. More to come once I post my ramblings, but that is where good steals (and conversely busts) are possible. All teams are in the same boat, but the Habs not having their European and local combine (for kids not invited to the NHL combine) does hurt as that is where they add more info that has helped to develop their draft board the last few years. This is a huge draft for TT and the Habs. We don’t have the multiple firsts that others do, but there is some nice depth and we do get lots of darts this year. |
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Post by GNick99 on Apr 16, 2020 8:10:53 GMT -5
With no U18, CHL playoffs and maybe no combine, leaves more room for mistakes. Should be better players available later in draft. Habs with 14 picks? Good opportunity for Timmins to turn his draft fortunes around. Maybe his last here, if he strikesout again. There are a number of kids that have been rising that would have had much more exposure with the U18s and/or CHL playoffs. I am just finishing a bit of a mock draft of our first nine picks where I profile a few of those exact type of players. More to come once I post my ramblings, but that is where good steals (and conversely busts) are possible. All teams are in the same boat, but the Habs not having their European and local combine (for kids not invited to the NHL combine) does hurt as that is where they add more info that has helped to develop their draft board the last few years. This is a huge draft for TT and the Habs. We don’t have the multiple firsts that others do, but there is some nice depth and we do get lots of darts this year. Doing 9 picks is abit over my head. Takes well into the 4th round. I know the first 2 rounds fairly well. But after that I will have to put more time into it. Perfetti be my first pick at 8th. Unless Rossi is there. But I doubt it as I have him and Drysdale at 4 and 5th. Perfetti is most likely for me. Too much there for him not to be a star. Great Hlinka/Gretzky, good Top Prospects Game, set OHL record last year for goals scored for rookies. Then followed up with great season this year. Holtz I may take at 8th. Can see him playing 6' and 180lbs. But not Raymond. Can't see him playing above 175 lbs and he hasn't played many minutes this year. Too much room there for mistake. If all are gone at 8, just Raymond there I would trade down 2 or 3 slots for extra 2nd, then draft Zary. I like Zary and lots of talent available in 2nd round. With our 2nd pick if anybody like Perrault or Foerster slides I would pick them. But I doubt they be there. Pashin I like at 39. Went toe to toe against Perfetti at Hlinka/Gretzky and played equal as well. Can score, skate looks like he plays hard. Niederbach I may take a chance on at 40. Missed last year due to injury but after 5 nations was different player. Played well at center in Superelite. Could be a sleeper, a center which I like. Plus, scoring, hands and offense are there. At 58, maybe a Cormier or Villeneuve. Cormier never had the season I thought he would have this year. May cause him to slide. While Villeneuve has a great season. Especially, in goal scoring. Which is a good sign for draftee defensemen. In 3rd round, maybe a Finley or Jarventie. I mentioned why in previous post. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 16, 2020 15:46:33 GMT -5
Craig Button just released his latest Craig’s List. He always has a few guys ranked quite a bit higher or quite a bit lower than other lists/rankings. Interesting to see him still rank Askarov (Russian goalie) in his top eight. It will be interesting to see where he is picked. A big talent, albeit a rough WJC, but I really wonder where he will go in the first round. He also is very high on Quinn, even ranking him higher than teammate Rossi. Quinn is a good one. www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-alexis-lafreniere-solidifies-status-as-hockey-s-top-prospect-1.1461675I decided to kill some time and do a mock draft...with a twist. I will make our top nine picks based on who would be possibly available based on Craig Button's latest list. Yeah, I know his list can have some guys all over the place, but this is April and I just felt like having some fun and this "sort of" simulates who could be gone or still there when we pick based on a list that goes up to pick #103. Our last fourth round pick is at #105, so this enables me to have some fun through the fourth round. Round One:Pick #8: Button's list throws a curve ball or two already with Askarov and Quinn both gone by our pick. This becomes a really tough choice between Raymond, Holtz and Perfetti. 8th: Alexander Holtz, RW, Djurdgarden (SHL), 5'11.5" 192lbs: Why Holtz over the other two? I am just going with his great scoring capability, his underrated playmaking skills, skating, and his projectable NHL size. Those last two give him the slight edge over Perfetti IMO. As for Raymond, he could end up being the best overall player of the three in the long run, but I cannot ignore elite scoring ability here. Round Two:Picks #39 and #40. I really love these two picks given how good I think the second will be. There are probably about ten guys here I would be more than happy to see the Habs take off the table. 39th: Noel Gunler, RW, Lulea (SHL), 6'2" 176lbs: if you look at most available draft lists (McKeen's, ISS, Bobby Mac, The Hockey Writers), they all have one thing in common: Gunler in the first round. Another elite shooter, but he also has good IQ and playmaking skills. He does need to improve his choppy skating stride, but he moves well laterally and has decent enough north-south movement. Technique can be improved, and lower leg strength will also come with maturity. He also needs a bit of work on consistency and tightening up in his own end. He is a late 2001 birthdate, so ages out of the U18 teams, but Sweden also did not invite him for any of their U20 or U19 events. That has people wondering. This is where having good Swedish scouts to interview him properly come in. We have a couple of scouts in Sweden. He is holding his own in the SHL and has undeniable top end shooting ability. HM (honourable mention): John-Jason Peterka, RW, Munchen (DEL): He was very impressive at the WJC and was their second best player IMO, second only to Stetzle and more engaged than Reichel. I just like Gunler more here, but Peterka would be just fine. 40th: Lukas Cormier, LD, Charlottetown (QMJHL), 5'10, 180lbs: I am picking him here mainly for his upside. He had 36 points in 44 gp and can skate like the wind. He also has a good shot and has good instincts in the offensive zone, so can be an effective PP QB. He is very comfortable jumping into the play and skating the puck in transition. Played well at the Hlinka and Top Prospects Game. A good old Acadian boy who projects to be a good new age defender. He will need to add strength and bulk before playing against men. HM: Topi Niemela, RD, Karpat (Liiga): I think he is a more well rounded defender than Cormier, projecting to be a very solid two way defenseman. He is the top D on Finland's U18 team, and he ate tons of key minutes for them at the Five Nations in February. A very good alternative here (I did sneak in a CHLer here, but would be thrilled with Niemela). 61st: Theodor Niederbach, C, Frolunda Jr (SWE Jr), 5'11", 172lbs: GNick did mention him in a recent post, but he is a guy I would love to grab at this point as this is thrilling value with a late second. He missed the entire season with a knee injury last year, so has very limited viewings heading into this season. He started off with Frolunda's U18 team to ease him back into game shape, but he did move up to their U20 team and put up over a point per game. By February, he was on Sweden's top U18 line at the Five Nations. He would be ranked much higher if the U18s had happened in April, as far more scouts and GMs would have seen him play. A very offensively creative player with good skating. HM: Helge Grans, RD, Malmo JR (SWE Jr): A tall, smooth skating defender who moves the puck with ease up the ice. Still needs to work on his defensive play and his decision making. Third Round:70th: Joni Jurmo, LD, Jokerit Jr (FIN Jr), 6'4", 190lbs: This kid skates like the wind for a big guy and loves to transition the puck on his stick. He is still very raw, but the upside is huge for him. He also has very good edges. Needs to learn to be more creative in the offensive zone and work on tightening up his defense, as well as being a more consistent player. I read a recent interview, and he is aware of what he needs to work on...that is usually half the battle. He has played on some national teams in the past, and likely would have been named to the U18 team and received a ton more exposure. I really like this kid for what he can become, and boy can he skate (I have only managed to see highlights). HM: Brandon Coe, RW, North Bay (OHL): More on him later! 91st: Daemon Hunt, LD, Moose Jaw (WHL), 6'0", 198lbs: He has played for Canada at the U17s, U18s and Hlinka, but missed a big chunk of the season due to his arm getting sliced open with a skate blade. A bit of out of sight out of mind if he is available here. He came back just as the season was cancelled and looked really good in this handful of games. A strong two way defender with good mobility. HM: Brett Berard, LW, USNDTP (USHL): He is undersized, but is one of the more talented offensive dynamos on this year`s rather unheralded USA U18 team. Great skater and offensive skills, but is also not afraid to get his nose dirty and score the mucky ones too. He is one of the youngest guys in the draft, being only a few days away from being eligible in 2021, so he has room to grow and mature. Fourth Round:98th: Brandon Coe, RW, North Bay (OHL), 6'4.25", 188 lbs: Okay Button, you keep leaving him unlisted, so I have to pick him this time!! A hair under a point per game pace for a big guy who can skate and goes to the dirty areas too. This is good value here for a guy who held his own just fine at the Top Prospects Game against his top peers. He did play for Canada in the U17s a while back, and with his December birthday was not eligible for recent U18 teams. HM: Jaromir Pytlik, C, SSM (OHL): Very similar ppg stats as Coe for the big, Czech centre who is adapting to NA ice with SSM. He would be great value here, especially if you were after a centre as opposed to a winger. 101st: Joel Blomqvist, G, Karpat Jr (FIN Jr), 6'1", 182lbs: A strong technical goalie who was Finland`s starter at the Hlinka and also split duties at the most recent U18 Five Nations in February, helping to guide Finland to win that short tourney. Played in the U20 league all season with two games in the Liiga, and put up great numbers in the junior league. Time to get a goalie, and he is one of the best in the draft. HM: Amir Miftakhov, G, Bars Kazan (VHL), 6'0", 172lbs: Definitely small by today's NHL goalie standards and he will turn 20 later this month, but he wins. He was very solid in the Russian second league and was among the best goalies at the most recent WJC, where he helped Russia win silver. He was the goalie that shutout Canada 6-0 in the round robin (but also lost in the gold medal game!). He is already playing against men so has already shown that he could make the jump to NA pro hockey sooner rather than later. 105th: Mitch Miller, RD, Tri-City (USHL), 5'10", 180lbs: Another great skating defender who is not afraid to join the rush, move the puck, and contribute to offense from the back end. He was a point per game player for the US at both the Hlinka and World Junior A Challenge, where I thought he was easily the USA Selects best defender. The bonus is he is RHD, and we need some with upside. HM: Blake Biondi, C, Hermantown (USHS-Minnesota), 6'0.24" 191lbs: The top ranked US high school forward and Minnesota`s Mr Hockey for 2019-20. A prolific scorer (95 points in 31 games), good skater, and has an abrasive side to his game. There is always a big jump with HS kids, but he is one of the best in the draft and TT does like to dip his toes into US high school players in recent drafts for sure (Struble, Harris, Gorniak…). Well, that was more typing than I thought!! A lot of picks into the fourth round. My key observations: - I am still early on in my draft assessment, so still trying to fine tune where in various rounds certain players I like could go. There is a margin of error on this list as it was just for fun and based on Button`s list. The final draft will likely look nothing like this, but this was fun to kill some time in April while we wait and see when the draft will even take place.
- I think this reinforces to me the depth of this draft that I am liking more as I do more research and watch some extra games.
- All the kids I picked are skilled, and have projectable pro skills. They all also can skate well, although Gunler would be the one that needs to work on his the most but he is not below average by any means.
- All the players I picked have played in some bigger stage. Either for a national team or at a international event and/or in a mens league.
- I really like the upside of the players I picked. I went skill and mobility first and also favoured guys with good upside. With 14 picks, might as well swing hard with these picks than go the safe route every time.
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Post by BadCompany on Apr 16, 2020 16:30:55 GMT -5
Excellent work as always...
I gotta say, I'm not overly enamored with the Swedes, but I will defer to the experts! With a deep and varied prospect pool we do have the luxury of going with the vaunted BPA, so it will be interesting to see what happens. Pretty much anybody could and should be on the table, including... the goalie?
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Draft '20
Apr 16, 2020 18:06:32 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by GNick99 on Apr 16, 2020 18:06:32 GMT -5
Craig Button just released his latest Craig’s List. He always has a few guys ranked quite a bit higher or quite a bit lower than other lists/rankings. Interesting to see him still rank Askarov (Russian goalie) in his top eight. It will be interesting to see where he is picked. A big talent, albeit a rough WJC, but I really wonder where he will go in the first round. He also is very high on Quinn, even ranking him higher than teammate Rossi. Quinn is a good one. www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-alexis-lafreniere-solidifies-status-as-hockey-s-top-prospect-1.1461675I decided to kill some time and do a mock draft...with a twist. I will make our top nine picks based on who would be possibly available based on Craig Button's latest list. Yeah, I know his list can have some guys all over the place, but this is April and I just felt like having some fun and this "sort of" simulates who could be gone or still there when we pick based on a list that goes up to pick #103. Our last fourth round pick is at #105, so this enables me to have some fun through the fourth round. Round One:Pick #8: Button's list throws a curve ball or two already with Askarov and Quinn both gone by our pick. This becomes a really tough choice between Raymond, Holtz and Perfetti. 8th: Alexander Holtz, RW, Djurdgarden (SHL), 5'11.5" 192lbs: Why Holtz over the other two? I am just going with his great scoring capability, his underrated playmaking skills, skating, and his projectable NHL size. Those last two give him the slight edge over Perfetti IMO. As for Raymond, he could end up being the best overall player of the three in the long run, but I cannot ignore elite scoring ability here. Round Two:Picks #39 and #40. I really love these two picks given how good I think the second will be. There are probably about ten guys here I would be more than happy to see the Habs take off the table. 39th: Noel Gunler, RW, Lulea (SHL), 6'2" 176lbs: if you look at most available draft lists (McKeen's, ISS, Bobby Mac, The Hockey Writers), they all have one thing in common: Gunler in the first round. Another elite shooter, but he also has good IQ and playmaking skills. He does need to improve his choppy skating stride, but he moves well laterally and has decent enough north-south movement. Technique can be improved, and lower leg strength will also come with maturity. He also needs a bit of work on consistency and tightening up in his own end. He is a late 2001 birthdate, so ages out of the U18 teams, but Sweden also did not invite him for any of their U20 or U19 events. That has people wondering. This is where having good Swedish scouts to interview him properly come in. We have a couple of scouts in Sweden. He is holding his own in the SHL and has undeniable top end shooting ability. HM (honourable mention): John-Jason Peterka, RW, Munchen (DEL): He was very impressive at the WJC and was their second best player IMO, second only to Stetzle and more engaged than Reichel. I just like Gunler more here, but Peterka would be just fine. 40th: Lukas Cormier, LD, Charlottetown (QMJHL), 5'10, 180lbs: I am picking him here mainly for his upside. He had 36 points in 44 gp and can skate like the wind. He also has a good shot and has good instincts in the offensive zone, so can be an effective PP QB. He is very comfortable jumping into the play and skating the puck in transition. Played well at the Hlinka and Top Prospects Game. A good old Acadian boy who projects to be a good new age defender. He will need to add strength and bulk before playing against men. HM: Topi Niemela, RD, Karpat (Liiga): I think he is a more well rounded defender than Cormier, projecting to be a very solid two way defenseman. He is the top D on Finland's U18 team, and he ate tons of key minutes for them at the Five Nations in February. A very good alternative here (I did sneak in a CHLer here, but would be thrilled with Niemela). 61st: Theodor Niederbach, C, Frolunda Jr (SWE Jr), 5'11", 172lbs: GNick did mention him in a recent post, but he is a guy I would love to grab at this point as this is thrilling value with a late second. He missed the entire season with a knee injury last year, so has very limited viewings heading into this season. He started off with Frolunda's U18 team to ease him back into game shape, but he did move up to their U20 team and put up over a point per game. By February, he was on Sweden's top U18 line at the Five Nations. He would be ranked much higher if the U18s had happened in April, as far more scouts and GMs would have seen him play. A very offensively creative player with good skating. HM: Helge Grans, RD, Malmo JR (SWE Jr): A tall, smooth skating defender who moves the puck with ease up the ice. Still needs to work on his defensive play and his decision making. Third Round:70th: Joni Jurmo, LD, Jokerit Jr (FIN Jr), 6'4", 190lbs: This kid skates like the wind for a big guy and loves to transition the puck on his stick. He is still very raw, but the upside is huge for him. He also has very good edges. Needs to learn to be more creative in the offensive zone and work on tightening up his defense, as well as being a more consistent player. I read a recent interview, and he is aware of what he needs to work on...that is usually half the battle. He has played on some national teams in the past, and likely would have been named to the U18 team and received a ton more exposure. I really like this kid for what he can become, and boy can he skate (I have only managed to see highlights). HM: Brandon Coe, RW, North Bay (OHL): More on him later! 91st: Daemon Hunt, LD, Moose Jaw (WHL), 6'0", 198lbs: He has played for Canada at the U17s, U18s and Hlinka, but missed a big chunk of the season due to his arm getting sliced open with a skate blade. A bit of out of sight out of mind if he is available here. He came back just as the season was cancelled and looked really good in this handful of games. A strong two way defender with good mobility. HM: Brett Berard, LW, USNDTP (USHL): He is undersized, but is one of the more talented offensive dynamos on this year`s rather unheralded USA U18 team. Great skater and offensive skills, but is also not afraid to get his nose dirty and score the mucky ones too. He is one of the youngest guys in the draft, being only a few days away from being eligible in 2021, so he has room to grow and mature. Fourth Round:98th: Brandon Coe, RW, North Bay (OHL), 6'4.25", 188 lbs: Okay Button, you keep leaving him unlisted, so I have to pick him this time!! A hair under a point per game pace for a big guy who can skate and goes to the dirty areas too. This is good value here for a guy who held his own just fine at the Top Prospects Game against his top peers. He did play for Canada in the U17s a while back, and with his December birthday was not eligible for recent U18 teams. HM: Jaromir Pytlik, C, SSM (OHL): Very similar ppg stats as Coe for the big, Czech centre who is adapting to NA ice with SSM. He would be great value here, especially if you were after a centre as opposed to a winger. 101st: Joel Blomqvist, G, Karpat Jr (FIN Jr), 6'1", 182lbs: A strong technical goalie who was Finland`s starter at the Hlinka and also split duties at the most recent U18 Five Nations in February, helping to guide Finland to win that short tourney. Played in the U20 league all season with two games in the Liiga, and put up great numbers in the junior league. Time to get a goalie, and he is one of the best in the draft. HM: Amir Miftakhov, G, Bars Kazan (VHL), 6'0", 172lbs: Definitely small by today's NHL goalie standards and he will turn 20 later this month, but he wins. He was very solid in the Russian second league and was among the best goalies at the most recent WJC, where he helped Russia win silver. He was the goalie that shutout Canada 6-0 in the round robin (but also lost in the gold medal game!). He is already playing against men so has already shown that he could make the jump to NA pro hockey sooner rather than later. 105th: Mitch Miller, RD, Tri-City (USHL), 5'10", 180lbs: Another great skating defender who is not afraid to join the rush, move the puck, and contribute to offense from the back end. He was a point per game player for the US at both the Hlinka and World Junior A Challenge, where I thought he was easily the USA Selects best defender. The bonus is he is RHD, and we need some with upside. HM: Blake Biondi, C, Hermantown (USHS-Minnesota), 6'0.24" 191lbs: The top ranked US high school forward and Minnesota`s Mr Hockey for 2019-20. A prolific scorer (95 points in 31 games), good skater, and has an abrasive side to his game. There is always a big jump with HS kids, but he is one of the best in the draft and TT does like to dip his toes into US high school players in recent drafts for sure (Struble, Harris, Gorniak…). Well, that was more typing than I thought!! A lot of picks into the fourth round. My key observations: - I am still early on in my draft assessment, so still trying to fine tune where in various rounds certain players I like could go. There is a margin of error on this list as it was just for fun and based on Button`s list. The final draft will likely look nothing like this, but this was fun to kill some time in April while we wait and see when the draft will even take place.
- I think this reinforces to me the depth of this draft that I am liking more as I do more research and watch some extra games.
- All the kids I picked are skilled, and have projectable pro skills. They all also can skate well, although Gunler would be the one that needs to work on his the most but he is not below average by any means.
- All the players I picked have played in some bigger stage. Either for a national team or at a international event and/or in a mens league.
- I really like the upside of the players I picked. I went skill and mobility first and also favoured guys with good upside. With 14 picks, might as well swing hard with these picks than go the safe route every time.
I am not blown away with the Swedes. So hard to compare to NA skaters. We have over valued them in recent past. Collberg, DLR, maybe Olofsson. International tournaments are great but large ice surface and small sample size. I would take Rossi or Perfetti over Holtz. Especially if they can play center. A lot more sure what I am getting. I don't want to risk this high pick. Think we made mistakes drafting high before in Koktaniemi/Galchenyuk. Reaching for a star instead of taking sure thing ie. Hughes, Morgan Reilly. Is Holtz 193lbs? I must have gotten wrong info somewhere along the way. I had him at 18olbs. I was following Berard too. But didn't want to go to small size with Pashin then Perfetti. |
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Post by folatre on Apr 16, 2020 21:50:55 GMT -5
NW, very nice work. I am doing well to have some familiarity with the kids in the top 50-60 and you have obviously spent some time on a wider swath of prospects. It is appreciated.
I am assuming that you see Rossi going before #8, which I believe is where Button had him ranked.
I would concur with the selection of Holtz ahead of the goalie, Perfetti or Raymond. Guys who possess the kind of release that can potentially/likely beat NHL goalies do not grow on trees. I know that Quinn and Perfetti scored at will in Junior but Holtz looks like he can rip it.
There is also plenty to like about Gunler and Cormier, though as we project to #39 and #40 it becomes harder to predict who else may still there. I have some kids (Canadians, jeje) that I like better but they may well not be sitting there. I am high on Niederbach because he really looks to be undervalued because of the injury, grabbing him at the end of the second round would be good business.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 16, 2020 22:26:21 GMT -5
Excellent work as always... I gotta say, I'm not overly enamored with the Swedes, but I will defer to the experts! With a deep and varied prospect pool we do have the luxury of going with the vaunted BPA, so it will be interesting to see what happens. Pretty much anybody could and should be on the table, including... the goalie? A definite quirk of doing this based on a particular list. I really like this draft for Canada. Tons of kids I really hope we can snag and that I like. It just so happened that when I made my pick based on who was available, there were a few high upside Swedes. It is an okay draft for Sweden after the first few top guys, but not super deep. I likely will adjust more once I do more research for sure. The tough part with the Euros is they don’t all convert to their upside away from home. Ditto with USHL kids are even more with US high school kids. I too defer to experts. I am learning more from others who get to watch tons more junior hockey than me. I get a bias from the kids I get to see on my own, but I do know the type of player I am looking for. If I read about those attributes and see it in highlights, that player gets on my radar screen. I try and watch a fair number of the higher round kids on video/tv where possible, but my viewings are still so limited. As for goalies, I want us to pick one if we keep lots of picks. We should keep the pipeline full. Most don’t work out. When I saw Blomqvist available in the fourth, that was a BPA pick for me more so than a position pick. If you can get a potential starter in the fourth, you grab them. There are a few goalies I like in this draft. Askarov, Daws, Commesso and Blomqvist could be starters one day. Maybe Miftakhov. I also really like Garand from Kamloops with a late pick although not sure of his ceiling. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 16, 2020 22:57:30 GMT -5
I am not blown away with the Swedes. So hard to compare to NA skaters. We have over valued them in recent past. Collberg, DLR, maybe Olofsson. International tournaments are great but large ice surface and small sample size. I would take Rossi or Perfetti over Holtz. Especially if they can play center. A lot more sure what I am getting. I don't want to risk this high pick. Think we made mistakes drafting high before in Koktaniemi/Galchenyuk. Reaching for a star instead of taking sure thing ie. Hughes, Morgan Reilly. Is Holtz 193lbs? I must have gotten wrong info somewhere along the way. I had him at 18olbs. I was following Berard too. But didn't want to go to small size with Pashin then Perfetti. Realistically, I don’t see us getting a choice at eight between any combo of Rossi, Perfetti and Holtz. I expect we will be left with one of those as the BPA. Depends how the other seven teams value those guys. Somebody will be available for us. We just grab them. Weirdly enough, I see Holtz as a safer pick compared to those two. He is the most NHL ready or has the easiest pro skills that are transferable to make the jump sooner. Higher floor, but maybe not higher ceiling. Berg and TT need to get something out of a first round pick, it is their kryptonite. Rossi and Perfetti have hockey smarts up the ying yang, both have to get stronger and quicker, which may impede their ability for a bit. I still like Holtz’s complete package and would be comfortable with him at 8. I see a Tkachuk vs KK pick here. I got Holtz’s weight from the NHL final draft rankings, and they indicate that they have verified those measurements. Got us talking draft in these doldrums days!! |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 16, 2020 23:15:14 GMT -5
NW, very nice work. I am doing well to have some familiarity with the kids in the top 50-60 and you have obviously spent some time on a wider swath of prospects. It is appreciated. I am assuming that you see Rossi going before #8, which I believe is where Button had him ranked. I would concur with the selection of Holtz ahead of the goalie, Perfetti or Raymond. Guys who possess the kind of release that can potentially/likely beat NHL goalies do not grow on trees. I know that Quinn and Perfetti scored at will in Junior but Holtz looks like he can rip it. There is also plenty to like about Gunler and Cormier, though as we project to #39 and #40 it becomes harder to predict who else may still there. I have some kids (Canadians, jeje) that I like better but they may well not be sitting there. I am high on Niederbach because he really looks to be undervalued because of the injury, grabbing him at the end of the second round would be good business. The 39 and 40 picks will be so fun to watch based on who is picked before and who is left. It just as likely could be ten different guys that are BPA at that point. There is a great grouping of guys between 20-60 that will make the second really interesting. Again, I used Button’s List as a guidepost, but I expect we will have different choices at the draft...and I will be screaming for other names to be picked...and TT will announce entirely different names lol. This was just a fun simulator in April. I actually expect we will pick more Canadian kids when our draft is done than what I have listed. I could do this again in six weeks, and have different list. I like this draft for Canada. There just may be some value in Europe with a number of our picks. On a different but related tangent, I expect they will cancel the August Hlinka in Edmonton due to both uncertainty over travel restrictions and also to keep Rogers open in case the league has some warped sense of priorities and tries to play until fall to award a Cup. That is the first good glimpse at the 2021 draft and there are some real beauties that I would love to see live. The one two years ago had so many top picks from last year and these obscure 2020 picks like Raymond, Holtz, Lundell, Holloway etc. |
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 17, 2020 6:38:35 GMT -5
An obscure bit of news relative to the Habs’ 2021 draft, so I will post it here. With the Blues re-signing Scandella to a four year deal, the condition was met for the Habs to get the fourth round pick in 2021. That gives the Habs another 11 picks next year.
If nothing else changes (and it will), this is the total number of draft picks over a four year span for the Habs: 2018-11, 2019-10, 2020-14, and 2021-11. 46 picks in total, so a lot of kids will not get ELCs due to the contract limit. If only more of those picks were impactful picks rather than mid round picks, but Berg does make a lot of transactions involving depth guys and mid-late picks. That seems to be his trading wheelhouse.
Gives me lots of prospects to track and try and watch a bit throughout the season! It will keep the prospect thread lively (and me posting a lot lol).
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Post by GNick99 on Apr 17, 2020 7:34:06 GMT -5
I did one compared to NWT's picks. Using Button's list....I would rather use Bob McKenzie's final rankings but they are not out yet. We'll should each do one later on in summer - after McKenzie does his mock draft?
1 - 8 - Marco Rossi - Led OHL in scoring, a center. Only 5'9" but build like a tank, should play 190lbs. Good on faceoffs, he is an offensive NHL #1 center. I perfer a center over a winger, and NA skater surer of what I am getting. A Giroux type to me. Not passing on him. If I can get a Giroux out of first round I am taking it and running.
2 -39 - Jacob Perrault - Noticed Perrault in Hlinka/Gretzky. Has a great shot and wheels. Will play 5'11" 200 lbs, maybe 205lbs. I was hoping a guy like this would slide. Played a solid Hlinka/Gretzky, good to very good TPG. Put in a solid year in Q this season.
2 - 40 - Lukas Cormier - This is where draft gets tricky for me. It was tough for me to pass on Theodor Niederbach. Along with Pashin and I like Kkusnutdinov also. Taking my chances one will be there at 61. I need to pick defense somewhere along the line. Cormier impressed me at Hlinka/Gretzky. I seen him make some bonehead defensive plays but i think with development he will come around.
2 - 61 - Theodor Niederbach - Elated he is still there at 61. Niederbach could be a sleeper. A real shot in the dark as he missed last year with knee injury. But the hands, hockey sense, and scoring are there. Came on strong at 5 Nations, nunbers were impressive. He played better at center and put up more points in SuperElit. This pick is found money. It's the pick we got for Scandella.
3 - 70 - Joni Jurmo - Continueing on my theme of defensemen. He is a shot in the dark but could be a homerun. Came down to him or William Villeneuve. Grans I considered also but was not impressed with him at Hlinka/Gretzky. Maybe making mistake, but it is 3rd round?
3 - 91 - Brett Berard - Why I passed on Pashin earlier in draft. I wanted Pashin at 39 or 40 but changed my mind at last second figured be many small skill available later in this draft. Should be one I like still on board. Berard is one I liked. He didn't play much this year but put up impressive numbers when he did. This is a free pick, the one we got for Kovalchuk.
4 - 98 - Ronan Seeley - Going thru the stats, Picked him out because of his plus/minus of +22, with average hands and size. For 17 year old, tells me he should have hockey smarts. I compared to Fairbrother's of +6. Even teammate Wylie's was +28. One is 2 years older and other is 3 years older. Both drafted and veteran of camps. On same team, comparsion should be relative. Also, Seeley don't turn 18 til August. Gives a bit more room than usual to work with him. So, makes 2 stats I like. Not physical at all does worry me though. Can he stand the rigors of Montreal? But it is the 4th round? If I am wrong - never gambled much anyway. It's the Ducks pick. Picking Seeley on hockey sense and youth.
4 - 101 - Dmitri Ovchinnikov - There are several McShane, Hillis types available. A surer bet to make NHL someday. But limited upside. Habs drafted that way last year. This year with this pick and last one, I am trying to find a diamond in the rough. He put up some good numbers in MHL, even got in a couple of games in K. Another young birthday gives more room to work.
4 - 105 - Jan Bednar - Wanted to put a goalie in our system. His play slipped this year but year before he had a great year. Never seen Bednar play but potential for some growth. Goalies are hard to judge for me, I thought he was 4th best goalie in draft. This pick is more found money, it is the Jets pick we got in Armia deal.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 17, 2020 9:32:52 GMT -5
Nice job GNick. I like Ovchnnikov too. I figure he will be a great mid round pick for some team. I just have not watched any of his games yet. I expect he will be on my draft board by the time the draft eventually happens. Bednar is a good pick. He was good at the Hlinka, but his team was always overwhelmed. Ditto with the Five Nations, but that team in front of him was worse because they did not have the Czech forwards from the CHL for that tourney. I just liked Blomqvist’s junior stats way better than Bednar’s. The cool thing about Berard is he plays way bigger than he is. He is always in the middle of things. He will have to beef up before being able to play that way in the pros, but he is such a late birthday that he still has some growing to do. The USNTDP team will hurt from the U18s being cancelled in three ways. This team was nowhere near as talented as the generational talent last year. Exposure at that tourney would help solidify some draft stocks. Second, the event was being hosted at their facility. It is so rarely held outside of Europe. Finally, that is the main event that this team/program prepares for after being together for two years. The last big showcase for the U18 team was the Five Nations. Nice shout out to Seeley. He is from Yellowknife, NWT after all.  I expect he will be on my draft board around our first pick in the fifth (130 something). Still lots of players that I have not had time to research more yet! |
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Post by seventeen on Apr 17, 2020 19:45:47 GMT -5
I have only seen Holtz out of the guys you mentioned and not even that much of him.
Niemela....156 pounds. For a defenseman. If that hockeydb stat is correct, that's a lot of poundage to gain. Then again, MA Bergeron made it and while he was heavier (198 lbs), most of that was in his head.
Cormier....I like that he picked up 36 points in 44 games, but also that his team was really low scoring, so his stats are actually underrated.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 18, 2020 13:33:11 GMT -5
I have only seen Holtz out of the guys you mentioned and not even that much of him. Niemela....156 pounds. For a defenseman. If that hockeydb stat is correct, that's a lot of poundage to gain. Then again, MA Bergeron made it and while he was heavier (198 lbs), most of that was in his head. Cormier....I like that he picked up 36 points in 44 games, but also that his team was really low scoring, so his stats are actually underrated. Niemelä is small for sure. Needs to add beef, but he is already playing third pairing minutes in the Liiga against men as a 17 year old. A poised defender, but he likely doesn’t have the same offensive upside as some of the more offensively driven defenders in this draft. And there are a few. Size is why I really like the upside potential of the much rawer and far less developed Jurmo. He is tall and skates like the wind. He is a lot like a poor man’s Broberg to me...with the good and the bad. I think young junior players who have size and skating advantages over their peers can either do things that likely won’t work as much against pros and/or go to the same well too often and don’t have enough deception and variety in their game. Jurmo likes to rush and carry the puck a lot. He needs to mix up his options more and also tighten up defensively. I have only seen Niemelä play once (this morning in fact), as I watched the FIN-USA match at February’s Five Nations U18. Loads of good prospects in that one, including a few top ones for 2021. FIN: Hirvonen, Jarventie, Niemelä, Raty (2021), Simontaival, Tuomaala (2021), Viro. USA: Sanderson, Bordeleau, Tuch, Smilanic, Berard, Beniers (2021). |
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Post by Disgruntled70sHab on Apr 21, 2020 17:44:42 GMT -5
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Post by folatre on Apr 21, 2020 18:10:43 GMT -5
Thanks, Dis. In my view, the reasons to have the draft in June are not terribly compelling; whereas the reasons to delay seem pretty logical.
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Post by NWTHabsFan on Apr 21, 2020 19:41:14 GMT -5
Yup, while I am sure this is an “option”, it does not make a ton of sense for a number of very practical and logistical reasons. The kids will still be there later in the summer. Now, as a draft junkie, don’t delay for ever!
Now, even if the league wants to salvage the playoffs ($$$$$), can we officially put a big fork in the rest of the regular season already please.
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Post by seventeen on Apr 21, 2020 20:22:52 GMT -5
Yup, while I am sure this is an “option”, it does not make a ton of sense for a number of very practical and logistical reasons. The kids will still be there later in the summer. Now, as a draft junkie, don’t delay for ever! Now, even if the league wants to salvage the playoffs ($$$$$), can we officially put a big fork in the rest of the regular season already please. This is big money talking, of course. The owners are desperate to avoid cancelling the playoffs because of the money they could take in. Even if the stadiums were empty, there's still the television revenues. You'd think it should be possible, if the owners are willing to forego attendance. That's no doubt a sacred cow, though. They are crossing their fingers that lawmakers ease up even the slightest, so they could rationalize holding the playoffs with crowds in attendance. I cant stand Jacobs and those like him, so if the full season has to be canceled, so be it. It's not worth risking people's lives so already rich people can get richer. Signed - Comrade Seventeen. AS far as the draft goes, bring it on!! |
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Post by franko on Apr 21, 2020 21:30:55 GMT -5
Thanks, Dis. In my view, the reasons to have the draft in June are not terribly compelling; whereas the reasons to delay seem pretty logical. It's the NHL . . . June it is, then! |
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I expect he will be on my draft board around our first pick in the fifth (130 something). Still lots of players that I have not had time to research more yet!
