2016 NHL Entry Draft Thread IV

[FireBurningBin]

Look at how Larkin forced the Red Wings' hand.

I agree though, it's highly unlikely we see this player in the NHL within the next two years.

I can see Chychrun, Juolevi, and Nylander forcing our hands a year later, but I wouldn't count on it. Certainly a centre is even more unlikely to make it early, unless "transitioned" at wing.

This off-season there are a lot of wingers that would fill both that immediate and long-term need. Really we are looking for a player here that will help extend the contention of our current core and leave us with something to work with when it's all over.

 

[The Great Weal]

If we pick Jost or Keller with our 1st and Abramov+Girard with our 2nds I would be one happy fan.

 

[Gyfu]

By chance it's Timmins and Bergevin that will make the call. We will see what is the result. From what I saw from Brown, he has the superior vision to become a dominant player. He just need to grow in his body. Just compare him to McCarron and do the projection. Brown is at 17 where McCarron was at 19. Getzlaf played two junior seasons after his draft. At the same age I am sure you would have prefered a smaller more spectacular player over him. We need a big playmaking centerman like him.

Man i have nothing against brown or the fact he could be a damn good player but comparing him to getzlaf in every posts already lol... not saying it's not gonna happen or not but come on... he could be awesome or a damn plug... there's no way to know 10/15 years ahead... plus bigmac and him are bad comparables... brown projects as a skilled player, mac is all instangibles to me... not trying to argue though... at the spot we picked mac, brown would be a fine pick for sure

 

[S Bah]

Having the 9th OV pick it's a certainty the Habs will draft a gem for our future, Saturday could provide our fanbase with a very pleasant surprise or not. My feeling is the Habs will do great either way it goes, like choosing Arturri Lehkonen despite many scouts turning a blind eye to him. The Habs did well with that 55th choice OV, as they did with Carey Price at 5th OV & PK Subban with the 44th OV, they just evaluate young talent very well, no guess work involved, IMHO!!!...

Just cannot wait for the lottery draw Saturday all the same, Go Habs Go we deserve that #1 OV, or #2 or #3, anyway you cut it the Habs are destined to Win, IMHO.

 

[jfm133]

Man i have nothing against brown or the fact he could be a damn good player but comparing him to getzlaf in every posts already lol... not saying it's not gonna happen or not but come on... he could be awesome or a damn plug... there's no way to know 10/15 years ahead... plus bigmac and him are bad comparables... brown projects as a skilled player, mac is all instangibles to me... not trying to argue though... at the spot we picked mac, brown would be a fine pick for sure

Is there a way to be sure about Jost or Keller? No. At this point I like what I saw from Brown. He is really a playmaker in a huge body with a lot of upside.

 

[rahad]

you guys ready to win the lottery and have the choice of Matthews and Laine?

Yes!! We will make him the best first overall Grinder in the league!!!

2016-2017:

DD
Chucky
Plekanec
Matthews

 

[Fozz]

Top 6 forwards are a bigger immediate need than top 4 D. Even going forward, it will be much easier to find a top 6 forward in a bad situation than a top 4 D available. It happens every year.

If you sign Okposo, suddenly Nylander looks much less needed than Chychrun, maybe even Sergachev.

Immediate needs are irrelevant, IMO. You take the player that has the chance of becoming the best, regardless of position and short term needs. The player we draft this year won't have his full impact for at least another 4 to 5 years. No one knows what the team's needs will be at that time.

 

[Michelangelo]

Top 6 forwards are a bigger immediate need than top 4 D. Even going forward, it will be much easier to find a top 6 forward in a bad situation than a top 4 D available. It happens every year.

If you sign Okposo, suddenly Nylander looks much less needed than Chychrun, maybe even Sergachev.

Price wasn't needed when he was drafted, we had Theodore, Huet, Halak...

Look at him now

 

[LastWordArmy]

Our Leafs writer did this, so its mainly focused on the Leafs (I know, I know)... I post it here though because he took a look at trading up and trading down in the top 10 picks of the NHL Draft. Might be interesting for someone who thinks we should move up in the draft and what the cost will be.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2016/04/25/leafs-first-round-pick-trade-precedents/

 

[Fozz]

Our Leafs writer did this, so its mainly focused on the Leafs (I know, I know)... I post it here though because he took a look at trading up and trading down in the top 10 picks of the NHL Draft. Might be interesting for someone who thinks we should move up in the draft and what the cost will be.

http://lastwordonsports.com/2016/04/25/leafs-first-round-pick-trade-precedents/

We definitely have the assets to move up if there's a player we target outside the top-3.

 

[FireBurningBin]

Immediate needs are irrelevant, IMO. You take the player that has the chance of becoming the best, regardless of position and short term needs. The player we draft this year won't have his full impact for at least another 4 to 5 years. No one knows what the team's needs will be at that time.

I never suggested that was the case. Top six forwards are an immediate need, much less likely a long-term need, they are easier to acquire via trade or free agency. And there is a good chance we can acquire a top 6 forward this summer that will still be relevant in 4-5 years. You can't say the same thing about our LHD situation in 4-5 years.

Price wasn't needed when he was drafted, we had Theodore, Huet, Halak...

Look at him now

If all things are equal it would be in your best interest to draft for organizational need. Often, most things aren't equal. In our specific case we need LHD as much or more than wing or centre long-term. It would be tidy if, the best player to fall to 9 be a centre as the second round is ideal for LHD, but if Chychrun or Juolevi falls to 9 you have to take him and re-consider the second round, perhaps trade up for one of the more dynamic forwards if you think they are worth the price. Or just stack up on LHD and be pro-active up front.

 

[Bourdon101]

Top 6 forwards are a bigger immediate need than top 4 D. Even going forward, it will be much easier to find a top 6 forward in a bad situation than a top 4 D available. It happens every year.

If you sign Okposo, suddenly Nylander looks much less needed than Chychrun, maybe even Sergachev.

First of all that is a huge if given that the draft is before july 1st. Secondly, how needed a player looks on draft day should not affect his stock much.

I would pick Nylander over Sergachev 100% of the times even if we signed Okposo.

 

[FireBurningBin]

First of all that is a huge if given that the draft is before july 1st. Secondly, how needed a player looks on draft day should not affect his stock much.

I would pick Nylander over Sergachev 100% of the times even if we signed Okposo.

I would too. But what about Nylander over Chychrun or Juolevi?

If you think that it's easier to find Nylanders in free agency or trade than Sergachevs then it absolutely should factor into your decision making. Similarly, if you think it's fairly easy to find a LHD with our second round picks then that should factor against Sergachev as well.

Especially if Bergevin has already decided he wants to take a serious run at JVR, Eberle, Okposo etc.

 

[Top Corner2]

The nice things is that our organization has pretty good depth at all positions really. Probably better than it has been in years. Bergevin has been much better at asset management and has managed to hold on to more draft picks than Gainey & Gauthier did. I think the team will be very comfortable going with BPA and grabbing the player who they think will have the biggest impact regardless of position (and size for that matter). You have to hope with a pick this high that they can add a core player that will be able to join our young core group in a few years. One thing is for sure....this can't be another A. Kostytsyn if Nos Glorieux are going to be Glorieux again soon.

 

[SOLR]

Laine isn't even a consideration with Mathews available. ......

Only in your mind.

Matthews is a great player but Laine is in the conversation for all 30 teams.

Laine is basically a light ovechkin or I should say a very light because ovy is fast

Not sure where you guys take these comparables.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Only in your mind.

Matthews is a great player but Laine is in the conversation for all 30 teams.

Wrong........utterly wrong. Mathews is easily the best prospect in the draft........Laine does not enter the conversation in any NHL GM or head scout meeting when it comes to the first overall pick.

Mathews is not only better, he is a center and a far superior skater. No conversation to be had here.

It is only in your mind that such fantastical scenarios are taking place. Please don't bring up any ridiculous suggestions about drafting for need, ie. winger over center. Mathews would also be a better winger than Laine.

 

[FireBurningBin]

Wrong........utterly wrong. Mathews is easily the best prospect in the draft........Laine does not enter the conversation in any NHL GM or head scout meeting when it comes to the first overall pick.

Mathews is not only better, he is a center and a far superior skater. No conversation to be had here.

It is only in your mind that such fantastical scenarios are taking place. Please don't bring up any ridiculous suggestions about drafting for need, ie. winger over center. Mathews would also be a better winger than Laine.

I don't agree.

I don't think it's clearly the case that Laine had a more impressive year. He was better in their respective playoffs, and the WJC. It's difficult to compare Liiga to NLA but I would say that Matthews was more impressive.

The kicker is that Laine is two thirds of a year younger..

I think Matthews will evidently be chosen first overall regardless of who is picking but it won't be without discussion.

 

[Team_Spirit]

 

[Team_Spirit]

Didn't know where to put this :

Vintage Bobby Mac

-In the prospect interview ''we are coming in at the right time, salareis are booming!'' so true.
-Bettman not booed in Quebec City!
-The 'coin toss' is hilarious
-Daigle seems humble
-The Habs are booed as expected, selected Koivu

Agreed. If Kostitsyn is the "risk" then it's a pretty good pick to make.

don't watch the '03 draft..

 

[gillyguzzler]

9th overall plus Beaulieu? How far up do we move?

9th overall plus Eller? How far up do we move?

9th overall plus Desharnais? How far down do we move?

Serious questions...

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Beaulieu, probably up to 6th.

Eller, hard to see a team moving down to get Eller.

DD, 15th and not worth it at all. Dude has one year left.

 

[JayKing]

The obvious 8 (Matthews, Laine, Puljujarvi, Dubois, Chychrun, Tkachuk, Juolevi, Nylander) are off the board. Sergachyov, Bean, Brown, Keller & Jost are on the board.

Would you guys trade the pick + Beaulieu for Drouin?

 

[jaffy27]

Wrong........utterly wrong. Mathews is easily the best prospect in the draft........Laine does not enter the conversation in any NHL GM or head scout meeting when it comes to the first overall pick.

Mathews is not only better, he is a center and a far superior skater. No conversation to be had here.

It is only in your mind that such fantastical scenarios are taking place. Please don't bring up any ridiculous suggestions about drafting for need, ie. winger over center. Mathews would also be a better winger than Laine.

This is simply not true........

 

[SOLR]

Wrong........utterly wrong. Mathews is easily the best prospect in the draft........Laine does not enter the conversation in any NHL GM or head scout meeting when it comes to the first overall pick.

Mathews is not only better, he is a center and a far superior skater. No conversation to be had here.

It is only in your mind that such fantastical scenarios are taking place. Please don't bring up any ridiculous suggestions about drafting for need, ie. winger over center. Mathews would also be a better winger than Laine.

You sound desperate to make this point.

It's not as clear as it is suggested because:

- Laine is younger.
- Laine has progressed more this year.
- Laine has more size and it's a good fit with his role.
- Laine fits a need that Matthews never will.

Yakupov was also a superior skater, and he was nearly out of my top 10 (I was called ridiculous there too). I was also called ridiculous for having Maxpac in my top5 in 2007. Ridiculous. Or for thinking Nugent-Hopkins would be so injury prone to the point where he would bring limited value, ridiculous. Or for proposing Tarasenko should be in the top 5 in 2010, while Nino was so overrated, ridiculous. I'm being called ridiculous every year. Sometimes I'm right, sometimes I'm wrong (I was sure Taylor Hall would be better than Seguin).

Matthews isn't Yakupov, but he failed to rise up in big moments this year, while Laine did.

For this reason, and to give 97 a lifetime 40 goal winger with size , I believe Edmonton will draft Laine and that he is the BPA for Edmonton. In other words, Laine is the best player they can get to maximise the value of the pick, and the assets they already have. See, BPA is not a "rigid" concept like you think it is, it's not "drafting for need" when you choose a player in a role you absolutely need to fill, over someone of about the same value (And in the cap world, drafting "pure" BPA might be the most insane thing to do in small delta situations). It's happening every single year, for every single pick. Now, I'm not saying Edmonton might not end-up with Matthews because he seems to be top ranked assets, (and therefore top trade value).

To illustrate:

If Toronto wins the lottery: Matthews
If they win the lottery, Edmonton would draft Laine
If they win the lottery, Vancouver would draft Matthews
If they win the lottery, Colombus would draft Matthews
If they win the lottery, Calgary would draft Matthews
If they win the lottery, Winnipeg would draft Matthews
If they win the lottery, Arizona would draft Matthews for sure or the concession is dead.
If they win the lottery, Buffalo would draft Laine
If they win the lottery, Montreal would draft Matthews
If they win the lottery, Colorado would draft Matthews

So I have 2 teams drafting Laine and 8 teams drafting Matthews if on top after the lottery. I think Buffalo and Edmonton are in a similar position where they have drafted better center talent vs. Matthews in the last 2 years and Laine would bring the most value to them.

 

[Le Barron de HF]

EDM would be dumb to not pick Matthews and trade him for a ransom a la Lindros.