Prospect Info: 2013 Draft Part II: All Aboard the Nichushkin Train

[DaveG]

ZOMG, first time we've ever hit a part two draft thread

continues from here:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1284517

Click to read more...

 

[DaveG]

Canes draft profiles:
6/17 - Aleksander Barkov
6/18 - Max Domi - possibility if we trade down (though I kindof hope not)
6/19 - Jonathan Drouin
6/20 - Seth Jones
6/21 - Elias Lindholm
6/24 - Nathan MacKinnon
6/25 - Sean Monahan
6/26 - Valeri Nichushkin
6/27 - Darnell Nurse
6/28 - Rasmus Ristolainen


Bob's top 75:
http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=9420

 

[Novacane]

Hoping for Drouin. Don't know why.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

This is basically what I'm expecting. If Tampa takes Drouin then Nichushkin will be our pick (I don't see the Preds taking him).

Put me in the category of I won't believe it until I actually see it happen. I don't care what he says through agents, media, etc... I will be surprised if Rutherford and team take him.

 

[DaveG]

I completely understand where you're coming from on this. And before Tampa came out and said what they did I would have sworn he wasn't going before #10. But all that said, with how this draft breaks down and with what we need up front, combined with him being willing to come over for next season, I wouldn't bet against it if he's still on the board.

 

[Unsustainable]

I think I am:
Nichushkin > Drouin > Barkov

 

[Vagrant]

Barkov has a shoulder injury and will not participate in the combine. Looking like a Hurricane already?

But seriously, I wonder what that does for his stock if a few of the other guys at the top test really well.

 

[Unsustainable]

Hoping for Drouin. Don't know why.

His size scares me, but his upside is what we need.

Here are my thoughts:

Draft Drouin:
Tlusty / Eric / Semin
Drouin / Jordan / Ruutu
Xxx. / Skinner /

Draft: Nichushkin
Tlusty / Eric / Semin
Skinner / Jordan / Nichushkin
Xxxx / Ruutu / xxxx

Draft Barkov
Tlusty / Eric / Semin
Xxxx / Jordan / Ruutu
Skinner / Barkov / xxx

I think if we draft Drouin, we could use Skinner to trade for a legit top 4 D.

 

[dogbazinho]

Bold prediction that the Canes are scouting Drouin, Barkov and Nich, fall in love with one of em and gets scared of Nich. We trade 2nd + Mcbain to flip picks w/ Tampa and draft the player we love, probably Drouin and Tampa ends up with Nich who they wanted to begin with. We then spend the rest of the 1st round trying to get a 2nd back but fail.

 

[Jussijuice]

I'm on he Nichushkin train.

Swing a deal to bring in Burmistrov while we are at it, I want a Russian invasion.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Really thinking we're getting Drouin.

 

[rocky7]

who knows how these guys will turn out and who they will draft? from the little i've seen (plus Vagrants' always good insights) i like drouin and nichushkin as well. just not jones thanks.

AND YES to burmistrov! if they got nichushkin and burmistrov well then that would be great but unlikely by the sounds of it. maybe with semin here jr would go for it. imo burmistrov is super good value. i don't care if his game hasn't been on in winnipeg. the guy has loads of talent. i don't understand jr being "scared". what does the past have to do with these guys?

 

[Brock Anton]

Still not convinced that we're going Nichushkin if he's there. If Tampa doesn't take him, I still think he falls out of the top 5.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Speaking of Russians, there seems to be a lot of talk about Burmistrov, with WPG moving out of the division next season, a trade wouldn't be out of the question. Have there been any links to us or are we just hoping?

 

[Buenos Necas]

Yeah throw me in with the skeptical crowd on us drafting Nichushkin. Not doubting his talent as a player, but even with Semin in the fold, I think the Russian factor is too much for us to actually take a chance. After 1 and 2 (Jones and MacKinnon), it's too wide open to predict, with no telling what direction Tampa and Nashville take. I'd be ecstatic if Drouin fell to us, but would be fine if we ended up with Monahan.

 

[Swag Surf Aho]

Speaking of Russians, there seems to be a lot of talk about Burmistrov, with WPG moving out of the division next season, a trade wouldn't be out of the question. Have there been any links to us or are we just hoping?

Mostly just hope, but I don't see why we give what it takes to land Burmi. Sure, we need foward depth just as badly as we need another stay at home defenseman but the asking price is ludicrous.

Concerning Nich, I think we draft him if Tampa doesn't. Jones and Mack is the consensus top 2, and we'll land Barkov if Tampa decides to take Nich afterall. Slim chance we end up with Drouin IMO.

 

[Vagrant]

Drouin certainly has all the things you look for in an offensive game breaker, but I feel like we need a different dynamic in order to have prolonged success. I mean, I don't want to emulate the Tampa Bay model where you have so many skill players that your forechecking ability is minimal. I mean a roster with forwards like Stamkos, Lecavalier, St. Louis, Purcell, Conacher, Johnson, Panik, Connolly, etc. where you have a ton of guys that are top six level skill players but don't bring a lot else and your results suffer for it. I feel like having Skinner in our Top 6 is about as much of that kind of player as we need in the group. If we can snag a player with a strong two way game and offensive upside to go with it we're probably better for it. That's why Nichushkin seems appealing to me. He adds a dynamic at a cost control that could really help our units round out provided we're able to get him over here. I know the folly in need over BPA, but when the difference is negligible then stylistic factors become something that can be a tie breaker. Barkov and Nichushkin fit out stylistic needs better than Drouin. I would prefer one of those two over Drouin, but if this rise to Top 5 turns out to be false for Nichushkin then the possibility of Monahan still exists. And in fact, I feel like if we've been banking on the others not being available and have watched Monahan so much that we've fallen for him then it may not even be a factor.

 

[Vagrant]

Speaking of Russians, there seems to be a lot of talk about Burmistrov, with WPG moving out of the division next season, a trade wouldn't be out of the question. Have there been any links to us or are we just hoping?

My opinion on Burmistrov? Much ado over what right now is a player that hasn't proven a damn thing. The Thrashers were so terrified of losing him to Russia that they brought him to the NHL before he was ready and he's having trouble elevating his game. For a guy that makes Chad Larose look like consistent offense, I would rather invest my interest elsewhere. I don't doubt his ability. I think he's fantastic with the puck, but at some point the results need to follow. Not implying, even remotely, that he's running out of time but he's a third year professional now and by now the flashes of brilliance should have been a bit closer together for a player that is getting 15-16 minutes a night. 23 career goals in 194 NHL games just isn't making me pine for his production. I understand he's good defensively as well.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Colorado may trade their 1st (according to Roy). Doubt it'll happen, but if they are thinking about it...

Skinner for their 1st?

 

[What the Faulk]

Do you mean to move up? If so, no.

If you mean just Skinner then they'd just as soon take MacKinnon if they want a forward.

 

[Novacane]

I'd probably do it. Especially if we could get MacKinnon and Drouin.








But this is reality we're talking about.

 

[Hornswaggle]

Not the Ni-choo-shkin train....disappointment.

 

[Unsustainable]

I'd probably do it. Especially if we could get MacKinnon and Drouin.








But this is reality we're talking about.

Drouin / Jordan / MacKinnon

That would be a very sweet line.

 

[the halleJOKEL]

I also hate Jeff Skinner.

 

[Finlandia WOAT]

I understand he's good defensively as well.

In his first year, Burmistrov was "good defensively" in the same sense that Ryan Murphy was good defensively in his short stint here: "Wow, he was playing against 16 year olds last year, if this is his starting point he will be amazing!".

Since then, he has done an excellent job shutting down 3rd liners. The only difference between Burmistrov and Nash is that Burmi was drafted in the top 10.