2021 Draft

[NWTHabsFan]

Or the shifty playmaking and shooting of Mackie Sammy (full credit to Skilly)?

[GNick99]

Jul 22, 2021 9:27:03 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Or the shifty playmaking and shooting of Mackie Sammy (full credit to Skilly)?

I imagine our draft will be RD favoured. After losing Weber and Fleury back to back. Timmins shown to be partial for need before. Most our defense prospects are LD

[folatre]

I think there is always an awareness that, long term, it is nice to have some positional balance in the prospect pool. However, Montreal's need at RHD in the short-term (2021-23) seems to me an unrelated issue. A kid that you pick at #30 is, best case, going to become an NHL regular in 2024-25. The Habs need to hit on at least a couple of the four picks they have in the top-75, but basically I would go best player available.

The problem in this draft with kids' whose development were impacted so much by Covid, how confident does Timmins feel that he has even a reasonably good handle on who is the best player available when Montreal makes these picks?

[NWTHabsFan]

Timmins said today they will go BPA, but as the draft progresses there will be a bunch of kids they may rate the same, so they can edge into the organization depth chart as a need too. He also was really clear they are not fixing roster gaps with the kids they pick this weekend, especially considering the late picks.

[NWTHabsFan]

Jul 22, 2021 18:20:46 GMT -5 GNick99 said:

Jul 22, 2021 9:27:03 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Or the shifty playmaking and shooting of Mackie Sammy (full credit to Skilly)?

I imagine our draft will be RD favoured. After losing Weber and Fleury back to back. Timmins shown to be partial for need before. Most our defense prospects are LD

I think we cannot hurt adding skilled forwards either. Never a bad thing for depth. See my last post on BPA, but I fully expect some RD picked. I biased my list a bit that way too. And skilled forwards.

[NWTHabsFan]

Jul 22, 2021 19:33:33 GMT -5 folatre said:

I think there is always an awareness that, long term, it is nice to have some positional balance in the prospect pool. However, Montreal's need at RHD in the short-term (2021-23) seems to me an unrelated issue. A kid that you pick at #30 is, best case, going to become an NHL regular in 2024-25. The Habs need to hit on at least a couple of the four picks they have in the top-75, but basically I would go best player available.

The problem in this draft with kids' whose development were impacted so much by Covid, how confident does Timmins feel that he has even a reasonably good handle on who is the best player available when Montreal makes these picks?

To put it bluntly, that is his job. He and the team had to rely on video way more than usual. They had to rely on old reports from underage years more than usual. They have to project without the combine data or limited analytics due to very few games played. So did every team. He said there could be some great picks slip this year as a result. So, just pick them lol. Should be a fun weekend.

[GNick99]

Jul 22, 2021 19:33:33 GMT -5 folatre said:

I think there is always an awareness that, long term, it is nice to have some positional balance in the prospect pool. However, Montreal's need at RHD in the short-term (2021-23) seems to me an unrelated issue. A kid that you pick at #30 is, best case, going to become an NHL regular in 2024-25. The Habs need to hit on at least a couple of the four picks they have in the top-75, but basically I would go best player available.

The problem in this draft with kids' whose development were impacted so much by Covid, how confident does Timmins feel that he has even a reasonably good handle on who is the best player available when Montreal makes these picks?

Timmins always drafted for need before. Example took McCarron after beat down Ottawa gave us in playoffs and Lucic was a force in Boston. Be surprised if not a couple of RD in our draft

[GNick99]

Jul 22, 2021 21:04:26 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

Jul 22, 2021 18:20:46 GMT -5 GNick99 said:

I imagine our draft will be RD favoured. After losing Weber and Fleury back to back. Timmins shown to be partial for need before. Most our defense prospects are LD

I think we cannot hurt adding skilled forwards either. Never a bad thing for depth. See my last post on BPA, but I fully expect some RD picked. I biased my list a bit that way too. And skilled forwards.

Who you taking at 31 as of now, Mackie? Provided nobody slides.

[BadCompany]

Trade down?

I'm usually not a big fan of it, and Bergevin has never traded a first round pick, but I could see us dropping from 31st to Arizona's 37th. The Coyotes of course, have no 1st round pick, but they do have three 2nd rounders, and perhaps more importantly, four 2nd rounders next year, when the draft is supposed to be in Montreal. I could see them dropping back six spots if Arizona offers up their 2nd, and one of those four 2022 picks. Heck, I could see them doing it for Arizona's 2nd and a 3rd or 4th next year.

[folatre]

For sure, that is possible scenario, BC. Or just for fun, what if Bergevin and Timmins feel very strongly about a kid slotted to go in the second half of the first round though unlikely to still be there at #30? Who could be interested in adding a pick or two? I would say perhaps Edmonton because Kenny Holland has really been burning through seconds, thirds, and mid-rounders since he took over as Oilers GM. Or maybe Minnesota since they have two first rounders that are situated very close together in round one.

[GNick99]

Jul 23, 2021 9:28:03 GMT -5 BadCompany said:

Trade down?

I'm usually not a big fan of it, and Bergevin has never traded a first round pick, but I could see us dropping from 31st to Arizona's 37th. The Coyotes of course, have no 1st round pick, but they do have three 2nd rounders, and perhaps more importantly, four 2nd rounders next year, when the draft is supposed to be in Montreal. I could see them dropping back six spots if Arizona offers up their 2nd, and one of those four 2022 picks. Heck, I could see them doing it for Arizona's 2nd and a 3rd or 4th next year.

I am open to trading down. Just hang onto to last second in case somebody slides. But I would try and line a deal up with Arizona to be able to move quick. I would move down from 31 to 37. If they flip one of their other 2nds for our 3rd??

Should give me Salminen, Heimosalmi, and still Krillsov at 63. Dach with my final 3rd round pick.

[NWTHabsFan]

Jul 23, 2021 7:07:47 GMT -5 GNick99 said:

Jul 22, 2021 21:04:26 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

I think we cannot hurt adding skilled forwards either. Never a bad thing for depth. See my last post on BPA, but I fully expect some RD picked. I biased my list a bit that way too. And skilled forwards.

Who you taking at 31 as of now, Mackie? Provided nobody slides.

Maybe Pinelli or Knies.

That being said, I have a funny feeling someone (or more) will drop to our spot. It gets so unpredictable after the top 10-12 or so.

[folatre]

My son and I were reading and watching some video today. I keep hearing about the American kid Morrow, though I must say I am not overly sold on him in the first round. Likewise, that Swedish kid Olausson kind of worries me. Timmins has in the early rounds picked quite a few rangy athletic Swedes (De la Rose, Kollberg, Olofsson, Vejdemo) who could skate and I hate to say it they have all lacked offensive creativity.

[NWTHabsFan]

Jul 23, 2021 18:44:44 GMT -5 folatre said:

My son and I were reading and watching some video today. I keep hearing about the American kid Morrow, though I must say I am not overly sold on him in the first round. Likewise, that Swedish kid Olausson kind of worries me. Timmins has in the early rounds picked quite a few rangy athletic Swedes (De la Rose, Kollberg, Olofsson, Vejdemo) who could skate and I hate to say it they have all lacked offensive creativity.

Morrow has some flags for me in the first round. Too many better options, almost all forwards when we pick.

[GNick99]

Jul 22, 2021 19:33:33 GMT -5 folatre said:

I think there is always an awareness that, long term, it is nice to have some positional balance in the prospect pool. However, Montreal's need at RHD in the short-term (2021-23) seems to me an unrelated issue. A kid that you pick at #30 is, best case, going to become an NHL regular in 2024-25. The Habs need to hit on at least a couple of the four picks they have in the top-75, but basically I would go best player available.

The problem in this draft with kids' whose development were impacted so much by Covid, how confident does Timmins feel that he has even a reasonably good handle on who is the best player available when Montreal makes these picks?

I told ya Timmins will draft hard RD. I know Timmins.

[folatre]

Yes, though it does not fill any need in the short-run. The only way to fill the hole on the right side is via free agency or trade.

[jkr]

Even though this pick fills no immediate need, Timmins will justify it by saying this guy is the best player available.

The Mailloux pick just makes me queasy. In the past some players on the Habs were labelled as dressing room problems. How would you like to be a father in the room looking over at that guy? Think his presence is not going to cause any problems?

As you and NWT pointed out, there were good options available but the Habs decided to put character aside.

[NWTHabsFan]

As per our tradition, I will start a thread for each of the Habs picks today in the prospects section here.

[GNick99]

Jul 24, 2021 9:11:10 GMT -5 jkr said:

Even though this pick fills no immediate need, Timmins will justify it by saying this guy is the best player available.

The Mailloux pick just makes me queasy. In the past some players on the Habs were labelled as dressing room problems. How would you like to be a father in the room looking over at that guy? Think his presence is not going to cause any problems?

As you and NWT pointed out, there were good options available but the Habs decided to put character aside.

I don't know Mailloux, never seen him play so can't comment.

If I was going to select him, I would have traded down and got an extra pick.

I probably would have traded down, got an extra 2nd or 3rd, take the safe pick with Pinelli. Then took Mailloux at 63.

[NWTHabsFan]

I will leave the other thread in the main section for the ongoing discussion about the actual decision to draft Mailloux, and use this thread to assess the hockey potential of the Habs’ 2021 draft class. The usual caveat applies: we will really only know in five years. A few other caveats for this draft though: the Habs were picking late in each round, in person viewings were rare, some kids did not play at all, and the draft was seen to be a bit weaker than previous recent drafts and the next two draft classes coming in 2022 and 2023. The reality is the draft is a bit of a crapshoot, so this year was just a tad more. With challenge comes opportunity for those in the ready.

First pick was Mailloux. From only a hockey perspective, this is a prospect with a very high ceiling, but also a lower floor than you would expect from a first round pick. He has so many attributes that teams desire in a defender right now: size, mobility for a big man, physicality, big shot, decent puck skills. The challenges are he has not yet honed them in the CHL or equivalent structured league, his decision making is sometimes questioned, and there are concerns about his agility defending while skating backwards. A lot will be ironed out with two years under the very watchful eyes of the Hunters in London. He will get structure and development feedback there like no other. In his D-2 year (16 year old season), he only played 4 games with the Knights due to their depth, and the rest of the season being in Junior B. This past season, he played in the Swedish 3rd men’s division, again a challenging environment for such a young player in his early development years. A lot of questions likely would have been put to rest had he played at the U18s in a big role for Canada, but they went in another direction n the end. It will not be an easy road for him, as he also has all those off ice issues to handle as well.

Kidney at 63 is the case of a player who just got better during the year, and who had a great playoffs. He needs to get stronger (and thus help his skating strength and ability to compete in battles), but he is a highly skilled playmaker with superb vision and IQ. TT said he will be part of the QMJHL team against the Russians in November, so he is getting on Team Canada’s radar as well.

Kapanen has the obvious bloodlines, but I really like this pick here. He lead the Finnish junior league in scoring, so he is a shooter. Like many Finns, he also boasts a strong 200 foot game and strong work ethic. He also has great IQ (a theme with TT picks this year), and is currently with the U20 Finnish team at the Summer Showcase after being with the team a week earlier in a U20 tourney in Finland (Myšák was there as part of the Czech team). He has been playing 3C on the U20 team and getting PP time. Pretty impressive for a 17 year old who does not turn 18 until later this month.

I really like the Kostenko pick in the third. An offensive minded, puck moving defender with a huge shot and good puck skills. He does need to get stronger to defend against bigger forwards, but there is a lot to like in this style of defender that has become in demand in the newer NHL. He is part of the U20 program and hopefully will be at the WJC in December for Russia. He played most of the year against men in the VHL, and is expected to play with Spartak in the KHL this season.

Trudeau is another guy who has come a long way this season. He does need to work on his first three step quickness to be better at puck retrievals and pivots, but he is a solid two way guy who also has really good hockey sense. He has been invited to Canada’s U20 development/selection camp along with Guhle. With the depth and talent, he is a huge longshot, but it still shows that he is on the radar.

Sobolev is a Windsor Spitfire import draftee who opted to stay and train in NA this season rather than return to Russia and be forced to play a defense first game. He is a strong physical defender, and we will see if he does develop more offence in his two seasons with the Spitfires. He did not play a game all this past season.

Joshua Roy is a great home run swing with a fifth round pick. He was the top pick in the Q draft in 2019, but has not reached his potential for a few reasons. He needs to work on his conditioning and gym work, and he is reportedly doing a much better job of it this year. TT feels that will help with his skating. He was still a point per game guy and has loads of skill, including a truly wicked wrist shot and great IQ and vision, so he is worth the gamble that he can get it back on track. You don’t see skill like this in the fifth round without warts, but I really like that they are going after a big boom or bust kind of player. He also is still only 17 as he does not turn 18 until later this summer, so one of the younger guys in the draft.

Simoneau is tiny, but apparently never takes a shift off and has great vision and playmaking. TT mentions they have liked hm for years, but that his speed to size ratio was never good enough until this year. RHP version 2.0, which is just fine in the sixth round. He was actually invited to the November WJC selection camp by Team Canada, but had to miss it due to catching COVID.

Vrbetic is a huge, athletic goalie who last played a year ago on a terrible North Bay OHL team. He was ranked as the 6th NA goalie by Central Scouting, so there is some raw potential there.

In the end, way more CHLers picked than I expected, and absolutely no Americans at all when we all know TT likes the USHL and high school kids. Just when you think you see a pattern to his picks, he throws a curveball. Although Sobolev is supposed to be a beast in the gym, so you know the Bicep Club are all over those kind of prospects. And, there was the obvious and expected trend towards RHD, but that is quite warranted considering the cupboard is pretty well bare.

I am reasonably happy with this class, and look forward to seeing how they develop. They all have a longish development path as there are no plug and play guys due to the late picks, but I still give this group a moderate 7.5/10 or B rating as of now (based on hockey attributes).

So nice to see way more CHL kids now, and given the new tv deal with TSN, RDS, and CBC, we may be able to watch a number of these new prospects play this season. Stay tuned!

[folatre]

Good synopsis, NW. I would not have picked Mailloux in the first round, but I have no major issues with where any of the other kids went.

This draft class just feels different for obvious reasons. 2021 was not as deep as 2020 to begin with and scouting became so problematic. Also, the Habs were picking later each round, and that seems particularly significant in rounds like 1-2. For instance, I have no problem with Kidney or Kapanen but I was far more confident with Tuch and Mysak last year.

[jkr]

You mentioned Kapanen's bloodlines.

Is he related to Sami Kapanen?

[folatre]

Sami is his uncle. And Kasperi (former Leaf current Pen) is his cousin. I am not 100 percent sure if Kasperi is Sami's son.

The scouting reports make it sound like Montreal's Kapanen has the good vision and hockey smarts of his famous uncle, though without his uncle's blazing speed (Kasperi is a burner too).

[NWTHabsFan]

Jul 27, 2021 13:08:03 GMT -5 jkr said:

You mentioned Kapanen's bloodlines.

Is he related to Sami Kapanen?

Sami is his uncle. Kasperi (Sami’s son) is his cousin. His grandfather is a Finnish hockey hall of famer. His dad played professional hockey in Europe as well.

More on it here:

nhlentrydraft.com/news/kapanen-relishes-bloodlines-in-draft-journey/

[jkr]

Thanks NWT. That was a good read.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

Jul 27, 2021 12:09:52 GMT -5 NWTHabsFan said:

I will leave the other thread in the main section for the ongoing discussion about the actual decision to draft Mailloux, and use this thread to assess the hockey potential of the Habs’ 2021 draft class. The usual caveat applies: we will really only know in five years. A few other caveats for this draft though: the Habs were picking late in each round, in person viewings were rare, some kids did not play at all, and the draft was seen to be a bit weaker than previous recent drafts and the next two draft classes coming in 2022 and 2023. The reality is the draft is a bit of a crapshoot, so this year was just a tad more. With challenge comes opportunity for those in the ready.

First pick was Mailloux. From only a hockey perspective, this is a prospect with a very high ceiling, but also a lower floor than you would expect from a first round pick. He has so many attributes that teams desire in a defender right now: size, mobility for a big man, physicality, big shot, decent puck skills. The challenges are he has not yet honed them in the CHL or equivalent structured league, his decision making is sometimes questioned, and there are concerns about his agility defending while skating backwards. A lot will be ironed out with two years under the very watchful eyes of the Hunters in London. He will get structure and development feedback there like no other. In his D-2 year (16 year old season), he only played 4 games with the Knights due to their depth, and the rest of the season being in Junior B. This past season, he played in the Swedish 3rd men’s division, again a challenging environment for such a young player in his early development years. A lot of questions likely would have been put to rest had he played at the U18s in a big role for Canada, but they went in another direction n the end. It will not be an easy road for him, as he also has all those off ice issues to handle as well.

Kidney at 63 is the case of a player who just got better during the year, and who had a great playoffs. He needs to get stronger (and thus help his skating strength and ability to compete in battles), but he is a highly skilled playmaker with superb vision and IQ. TT said he will be part of the QMJHL team against the Russians in November, so he is getting on Team Canada’s radar as well.

Kapanen has the obvious bloodlines, but I really like this pick here. He lead the Finnish junior league in scoring, so he is a shooter. Like many Finns, he also boasts a strong 200 foot game and strong work ethic. He also has great IQ (a theme with TT picks this year), and is currently with the U20 Finnish team at the Summer Showcase after being with the team a week earlier in a U20 tourney in Finland (Myšák was there as part of the Czech team). He has been playing 3C on the U20 team and getting PP time. Pretty impressive for a 17 year old who does not turn 18 until later this month.

I really like the Kostenko pick in the third. An offensive minded, puck moving defender with a huge shot and good puck skills. He does need to get stronger to defend against bigger forwards, but there is a lot to like in this style of defender that has become in demand in the newer NHL. He is part of the U20 program and hopefully will be at the WJC in December for Russia. He played most of the year against men in the VHL, and is expected to play with Spartak in the KHL this season.

Trudeau is another guy who has come a long way this season. He does need to work on his first three step quickness to be better at puck retrievals and pivots, but he is a solid two way guy who also has really good hockey sense. He has been invited to Canada’s U20 development/selection camp along with Guhle. With the depth and talent, he is a huge longshot, but it still shows that he is on the radar.

Sobolev is a Windsor Spitfire import draftee who opted to stay and train in NA this season rather than return to Russia and be forced to play a defense first game. He is a strong physical defender, and we will see if he does develop more offence in his two seasons with the Spitfires. He did not play a game all this past season.

Joshua Roy is a great home run swing with a fifth round pick. He was the top pick in the Q draft in 2019, but has not reached his potential for a few reasons. He needs to work on his conditioning and gym work, and he is reportedly doing a much better job of it this year. TT feels that will help with his skating. He was still a point per game guy and has loads of skill, including a truly wicked wrist shot and great IQ and vision, so he is worth the gamble that he can get it back on track. You don’t see skill like this in the fifth round without warts, but I really like that they are going after a big boom or bust kind of player. He also is still only 17 as he does not turn 18 until later this summer, so one of the younger guys in the draft.

Simoneau is tiny, but apparently never takes a shift off and has great vision and playmaking. TT mentions they have liked hm for years, but that his speed to size ratio was never good enough until this year. RHP version 2.0, which is just fine in the sixth round. He was actually invited to the November WJC selection camp by Team Canada, but had to miss it due to catching COVID.

Vrbetic is a huge, athletic goalie who last played a year ago on a terrible North Bay OHL team. He was ranked as the 6th NA goalie by Central Scouting, so there is some raw potential there.

In the end, way more CHLers picked than I expected, and absolutely no Americans at all when we all know TT likes the USHL and high school kids. Just when you think you see a pattern to his picks, he throws a curveball. Although Sobolev is supposed to be a beast in the gym, so you know the Bicep Club are all over those kind of prospects. And, there was the obvious and expected trend towards RHD, but that is quite warranted considering the cupboard is pretty well bare.

I am reasonably happy with this class, and look forward to seeing how they develop. They all have a longish development path as there are no plug and play guys due to the late picks, but I still give this group a moderate 7.5/10 or B rating as of now (based on hockey attributes).

So nice to see way more CHL kids now, and given the new tv deal with TSN, RDS, and CBC, we may be able to watch a number of these new prospects play this season. Stay tuned!

Sometimes we are like children at Christmas. Excited over the new shiny picks to be and discard last years toys, especially if they didn't make the big team and toiled in obscurity. I have no problem drafting undrafted overage players that blossomed late. Most players don't make the jump to the NHL right away. NHL drafts 17 year olds while NFL drafts from colleges where there is more exposure and certainty about development.