2017 NHL Draft - Part II

[PG Canuck]

Continue.

Part I - http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2097861

Click to read more...

 

[JA]

Most recent posts:

Lines for tonight's top prospects game (starting in a few minutes)



TEAM ORR

Popugaev 71 - Hischier 13 - Yamamoto 17
Rasmussen 15 - Glass 8 - Lind 16
Formenton 80 - Frost 61 - Mattheos 12
Strome 18 - Chmelevski 89 - Schnarr 7

Valimaki 3 - Phillips 53
Hague 41 - Timmins 21
Paquette 6 - Rasanen 77

D'Orio 33
DiPietro 64


TEAM CHERRY

Leschyshyn 9 - Patrick 19 - Tippett 47
Comptois 44 - Vilardi 13 - Suzuki 37
Morand 88 - Thomas 27 - Ruzicka 21
Ratcliffe 91 - Entwistle 4 - Lodnia 72

Joseph 15 - Foote 25
Tyszka 5 - Minulin 55
Crete-Belzile 6 - Jokiharju 16

Scott 33
Skinner 74

Did anyone catch the Top Prospects game? Of the "Big Four" of today's game, only Owen Tippett hurt his stock.

Nico and Gabe were terrific today. Patrick played a fine game.

Vilardi showcased his strength around the net; he was very difficult for the opposition to handle down low; he's not fast, but he's smart, crafty, and strong. I compare him to Alex Frolov. His sub-par skating ability has worried many, but he didn't do anything today to hurt his draft stock and instead offered today's onlookers a glimpse of his better attributes.



Hischier was fabulous.

http://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1220946-hischier-outshines-patrick-at-prospects-game-takes-top-player-honors

Hischier outshines Patrick at prospects game, takes top player honors
by Justin Cuthbert 1h ago

Nolan Patrick got his hands on the trophy in the end, but it was No. 2 ranked North American skater Nico Hischier who had scouts, pundits, and fans alike buzzing after the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Quebec City.

Hischier scored a gorgeous breakaway goal off a Patrick turnover with a silky backhand move and also added two assists to take top player honors in a losing effort for Team Orr.

He outshone the presumptive No. 1 NHL draft choice with a dynamic offensive showcase, though Patrick, the captain for Team Cherry, did have a productive outing, collecting two assists and impressing physically.

Hischier, a Halifax Mooseheads center, has picked up momentum throughout his draft season. He scored four goals and seven points in five games at the World Junior Championship, and U.S. coach Bob Motzko labeled Hischier the best player his gold medal-winning side faced in the tournament after he nearly willed Switzerland past the Americans in the quarterfinal.

...

What a pass by Popugaev.

Yep I watched it

Patrick tried to do way too much out there and turned the puck over lots but you could see why he is a projected #1

Hischier is a absolute gem...definitely going to challenge for #1

Agree about everything you said about Vilardi, definitely a top 5 pick.

The player who impressed me the most, he's in those tweets...Popugaev! Excellent skating for his size with good vision and shot. I also really liked Entwistle's game, for a toothpick he sure didn't play like it and I thought he played a complete game given the ice time he received.

Special shout out to Yamamoto, Foote, Skinner and Dipietro as they all played well.

Missed the game but was Nic Hague playing?

and if so how did he look? dude is a giant.

I'm pretty sure he did but none of the D really stood out today as lots of goals were scored.I did notice Foote though...he's like his pop's and will go around 10th.

On a final note...Patrick & Hischier are elite prospects.

The rest are very good complentary players @ a NHL level. I would be very happy if the Canucks could score a mid 1st & a early 2nd round pick

Bob McKenzie's Top 31 midterm rankings today (Tuesday) at 8:30 AM PT:

 

[DL44]

Always a point of interest: any of the prospects in this game related to current or past NHLers?

 

[lawrence]

Always a point of interest: any of the prospects in this game related to current or past NHLers?

Foote's father is Adam Foote

Nolan Patrick's father and uncle were NHlers. His Grandfather is also an ex professional hockey player, not at the NHL level.

Jake Leschyshyn's father is Curtis.


anyone interested in Haugue if we finish in the teens? wouldn't mind adding a 6'6 offensive dman, if we are either adding a top 4 dman or a top 6 foward, I will rather have a top 4 dman.

 

[JA]

Always a point of interest: any of the prospects in this game related to current or past NHLers?

Nolan is the son of Steve Patrick, the former Buffalo Sabres 20th overall selection in 1981.

He scored 150 points in 208 games for three teams over six seasons, retiring in 1986.

Paiement traded to N.Y. Rangers for Steve Patrick
The Toronto Star
February 7, 1986, Friday, FINAL EDITION
BYLINE: CP
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. F4
LENGTH: 175 words
DATELINE: QUEBEC CITY

QUEBEC CITY (CP) - Quebec Nordiques yesterday sent veteran rightwinger Wilf Paiement to New York Rangers for rightwinger Steve Patrick in a swap of former National Hockey League first-round draft picks.

Paiement, a 30-year-old native of Earlton, Ont., was the second player picked in the 1974 entry draft, selected by Kansas City Scouts.
He has scored 40 or more goals twice in his 11 previous seasons and had a 39-goal season with the Nordiques two years ago.

But he has been struggling this season and, in 44 games, has contributed just seven goals and 12 assists. Entering the current season, he had 326 goals and 417 assists in regular-season play.

Patrick, 25, was in first full season with the Rangers after spending 4 1/2 seasons with Buffalo Sabres, who picked him 20th over-all in the 1980 draft.

He had four goals and three assists in 28 games with the Rangers this season before being demoted to New Haven Nighthawks of the American Hockey League Jan. 25. He refused to report and was suspended by the Rangers.

He is also the nephew of James Patrick, who was drafted 9th overall that same year, and logged 1280 games as a defenceman.

Matthew Strome is the brother of Ryan and Dylan.

Jake Leschyshyn is the son of Curtis Leschyshyn.

Cal Foote is the son of Adam Foote.

Adam's other son, Nolan Foote, is a Kelowna Rockets winger who is eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft.

 

[Zombotron]

Useless fact of the thread: Patrick's family lineage is Ukrainian in origin; the name "Patrick" was anglicized from "Patrebka"

 

[elitepete]

Useless fact of the thread: Patrick's family lineage is Ukrainian in origin; the name "Patrick" was anglicized from "Patrebka"

A lot of Ukrainians immigrated to the prairie provinces in the early 1900's to escape from Soviet Russia.

 

[Jack Burton]

Always a point of interest: any of the prospects in this game related to current or past NHLers?

Pick any complement player from the late 90's to the early 2000's

As we all know it's very thin when it comes to elite prospects in the top 10 but I got a say I was quite impressed with some of the roll players.

Excellent size and vision to help their teams. 1st period sucked but after that and given they have never played together before....quite entertaining.

Definitely going to be some players that slip through the cracks

 

[Knight53]

Continue to be really high on Jokiharju. If we can somehow get a 2nd first rounder, a puck moving d-man like him or a Brannstrom would be great.

Foote and Hague should go top 20. Just smart 2-way d-men with good offensive hockey sense. Their feet might raise questions but nothing that can't be improved.

Do not like Valimaki at all.

Hischier was brilliant as usual, outshined Patrick. Patrick turned it up in the 3rd showing his vision and hands, some turnovers and erratic play by him though during this game.

Vilardi- Cycle game very impressive, once in the offensive zone and with control scoring chances are consistently made. Big and smart. Massive skating concerns that will hinder his overall impact. Dylan Strome lite. See him as a winger at the next level.

Cody Glass- Love this player. Very underrated, see no real flaws but not elite at anything. Reminds me of Scheifele. Could see a Gm fall in love and take him top 10, maybe top 5. Flip flop between Glass, Vilardi, and Necas on my list.

Watching all these centers, imo the clear top 4 are Patrick/Hischier/Mittelstadt/Pettersson. Then you have Glass/Vilardi/Necas/Bowers/Suzuki.

Yamamotto- Likey falls to late teens and some team will hit the jackpot ala Konecny. What a player. Produces at every level.

Lodnia/Thomas/Lind all impressed me as well. Really wanted to see a good look a Jaret Anderson-Dolan but oh well.

Wouldn't touch Tippett/Comtois/Rasmussen in the top 15. Middle six players that we just can't take with our high first imo.

 

[The Drop]

 

[Love]

Would be amazing if we got Patrick or Hischier but Im not getting my hopes up.

 

[Nuckles]

Bob McKenzie's mid-season rankings are out: http://www.tsn.ca/patrick-has-decided-edge-in-tsn-hockey-mid-season-draft-ranking-1.661533

Edit: I am slow

 

[JA]

Bob McKenzie's midterm report just aired. Some notes:

Patrick is ranked #1 on Bob's midterm with 8/10 scouts ranking him there, although there is a major emphasis on his production last year. Bob made sure to state that this outcome leaned heavily on Patrick's production in 2015-16.

According to McKenzie, Nico Hischier has served notice and has made this a two-horse race for first overall. He stated that it is very possible for Hischier to overtake Patrick as the consensus first-overall choice. So far, Patrick's previous accomplishments are standing place of his 2016-17 performance; many of the scouts who voted for Patrick are "intrigued by Hischier."

I have disputed the legitimacy of Patrick's previous level of production, as many of you know. He played for the 2016 WHL Champion Brandon Wheat Kings with Ivan Provorov (2015, 7th overall overall), John Quenneville (2014, 30th overall), and Jayce Hawryluk (2014, 32nd overall) and played with those top-end talents. There is a 20-game sample from last season when at least one of the others was absent from the lineup; in those 20 games, Patrick had just 20 points. I believe that his statistics were inflated last season as a result of playing with those players. He does not drive his line either. That said, Patrick's 2015-16 season appears to be keeping him at #1 for now until he can generate a body of work for his current season.

Shift-by-shift packages of Nolan Patrick with the Brandon Wheat Kings since his return:

January 13, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JK6qjr65kpU
January 14, 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgBCf-92HX0

This season, Hischier leads the QMJHL in points per game and all first-year draft-eligible players in points per game. Of his 68 points so far in 40 games played, 59 are primary points (counted manually due to poor primary and secondary assist tracking by the Q) (see: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2162767). Hischier is also the only first-year draft-eligible player who has broken the 2.0 points per game plateau at home, an accomplishment that all of the top-tier CHL first-year draft-eligible players of the past few drafts have done. Since October 26, 2016, he has scored 28 goals, 55 points in 27 games with the Halifax Mooseheads.

Some numbers to consider:

[collapse=points per game]Keep in mind the adjustment that Nico Hischier needed to make over the first month of the season, coming to North America from Switzerland. All other players he has been compared to here grew up playing hockey in North America and played at least one previous CHL season. Nico Hischier is a CHL rookie.

In the first 13 games of the season, he had 13 points.

In 6 away games, he had 6 points. In 7 home games, he had 7 points.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nico Hischier (Since October 26):

Home: 22 goals, 38 points in 15 games (2.53 points per game)

Away: 6 goals, 17 points in 12 games (1.42 points per game)

If he played his full season on the road, his road pace since October 26 would be good for 34 goals, 96 points in 68 games.

If he played all of his games at home, he would be on pace for 99 goals, 172 points over 68 games.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To compare (raw home/away splits):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2015 NHL Draft:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connor McDavid (2014-15):

Home: 28 goals, 70 points in 24 games (2.92 points per game)

Away: 16 goals, 50 points in 23 games (2.17 points per game)

2013-14 (McDavid):

Home: 16 goals, 62 points in 28 games (2.21 points per game)

Away: 12 goals, 37 points in 28 games (1.32 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mitch Marner (2014-15):

Home: 22 goals, 71 points in 32 games (2.22 points per game)

Away: 17 goals, 45 points in 25 games (1.8 points per game)

2015-16 [Draft+1] (Marner):

Home: 25 goals, 64 points in 29 games (2.21 points per game)

Away: 14 goals, 52 points in 28 games (1.86 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2016 NHL Draft:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pierre-Luc Dubois (2015-16):

Home: 26 goals, 63 points in 30 games (2.1 points per game)

Away: 16 goals, 36 points in 32 games (1.125 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Matthew Tkachuk (2015-16):

Home: 17 goals, 56 points in 28 games (2.0 points per game)

Away: 13 goals, 51 points in 29 games (1.76 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017 NHL Draft:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Since we don't have enough of a sample size for Nolan Patrick's current season, we'll look at his 2015-16 home and away splits as well:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nolan Patrick (2015-16):

Home: 21 goals, 50 points in 36 games (1.39 points per game)

Away: 20 goals, 52 points in 36 games (1.44 points per game)

2016-17 (Patrick):

Home: 7 goals, 13 points in 8 games (1.625 points per game)

Away: 1 goal, 4 points in 3 games (1.33 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gabriel Vilardi (2016-17):

Home: 7 goals, 21 points in 19 games (1.105 points per game)

Away: 10 goals, 15 points in 11 games (1.36 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Owen Tippett (2016-17):

Home: 17 goals, 31 points in 21 games (1.48 points per game)

Away: 19 goals, 30 points in 24 games (1.25 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kailer Yamamoto (2016-17):

Home: 16 goals, 31 points in 21 games (1.48 points per game)

Away: 14 goals, 32 points in 22 games (1.45 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Rasmussen (2016-17):

Home: 19 goals, 35 points in 23 games (1.52 points per game)

Away: 13 goals, 20 points in 26 games (0.77 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nick Suzuki (2016-17):

Home: 10 goals, 29 points in 24 games (1.21 points per game)

Away: 13 goals, 28 points in 21 games (1.33 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nikita Popugaev (2016-17):

Home: 9 goals, 25 points in 27 games (0.93 points per game)

Away: 15 goals, 26 points in 25 games (1.04 points per game)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------[/collapse]
In McKenzie's terms, "Patrick and Hischier are a clear level above the rest of their draft class."

Every player from #3 to #13 received at least one Top Five vote. Every player between #14 and #21 received at least one Top Ten vote.

The program will be aired again tonight at 7 PM ET/ 4 PM PT.

http://www.tsn.ca/patrick-has-decided-edge-in-tsn-hockey-mid-season-draft-ranking-1.661533

Patrick has decided edge in TSN Hockey Mid-season Draft Ranking
By Bob McKenzie
Jan 31

In the one, and likely only, head-to-head, on-ice meeting this season between Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier, give a slight edge to Hischier.

The Halifax Mooseheads’ Swiss centre scored a nifty breakaway goal – started off a Patrick turnover – and added a deft primary assist and a late-game secondary assist in Team Cherry's 7-5 win over Hischier's Team Orr in the CHL's Prospects Game Monday night in Quebec City. Mind you, Patrick also had a pair of assists and turned in a solid winning effort in a game that often featured the two captains playing opposite each other. Hischier was named Team Orr's player of the game.

As for TSN's Mid-Season 2017 NHL Draft Rankings, give the decided but not unanimous edge to Patrick –for now, anyway.

Eight of 10 scouts surveyed by TSN have the 6-foot-2, 198-pound centre from Winnipeg at No. 1 for this year's draft, which will be held June 23-24 in Chicago.

...

"The reality is [in spite of the limited viewings because of a groin injury] Patrick is a known quantity because of what he did last year," an NHL scout said of Patrick's 41 goals and 102 points in 72 games for a powerhouse WHL champion Wheat Kings team, adding league playoff MVP honours to his resume.

...

Patrick is a late 1998 birthdate. He missed being eligible for last year's draft by only four days, so even though he wasn't eligible, he was often being viewed and measured against the top players in the 2016 draft class. . . .The consensus amongst scouts seems to be that were Patrick eligible last year, he would have been ranked/chosen in the No. 5 to 8 region, quite likely behind Matthews, Laine, Pierre-Luc Dubois and Jesse Puljujarvi. . . . All it really means is the scouts are familiar with Patrick's game.

...

While Patrick's 8-2 edge amongst scouts in TSN's voting seems lopsided, many of those who chose Patrick over Hischier acknowledged the potential for a legitimate battle the rest of this season for No. 1 draft status in June.

"You can't rule it out," one scout said. "Hischier has been so dynamic in Halifax this season. He's very quick. The numbers he's putting up with a team no one expected to be very good this season are eye- opening and his play at the world junior championship wasn't just good, it was great."

...

"He wasn't the biggest kid before and he most certainly has grown and filled out," a scout said. "He's much stronger than he was. He's extremely difficult to take off the puck."

...

One of the two scouts who put Hischier ahead of Patrick in TSN's mid-season balloting did so for a variety of reasons.

"No one's smarter [in this draft]," the scout said. "His hockey sense is really good, his overall compete level and two-way game, I think, is better. He's more dynamic [than Patrick]. It's not a case of not liking Patrick; he's a good player and he's going to be a good NHL player. I just like Hischier better."

The other scout who took Hischier over Patrick noted the Swiss player's ability to get inside and to the net to make plays.

...

I can only post 20 lines as per the forum rules, but the article covers the top of the draft class very well with regards to its parity, as well as the Hischier vs Patrick debate. For example, Timothy Liljegren was ranked as high as #3 by one scout, and as low as the second round by another; Gabe Vilardi's ranking ranged between #3 and #14; Casey Mittelstadt's ranking ranged from #4 to #13. According to Bob, Cale Makar has the best chance to jump into the Top 10 and challenge Timothy Liljegren as the top defenceman. He also believes that Klim Kostin will likely fall from the Top 10 due to his season-ending injury and the lack of certainty about him.

It is definitely worth your time.

80 players are listed; there are also several honorable mentions.

 

[canuckfan75]

With with way the Canucks are stalking Eeli Tolvanen if he is on the board when the Canucks pick say 8 to 14 they will do a wind sprint to draft him


They will have to pick in the top ten to get him but if they pick say 6 to 10 he is the guy for them

 

[y2kcanucks]

Looks like his top 6 matches mine (slight different order), and he has Rasmussen and Necas ahead of Tolvanen (who I have in my top 7).

In fact, here's who I would list in my top 20:

1) Nolan Patrick
2) Nico Hischier
3) Casey Mittelstadt
4) Gabriel Vilardi
5) Timothy Liljegren
6) Owen Tippett
7) Eeli Tolvanen
8) Cody Glass
9) Cale Makar
10) Martin Necas
11) Elias Pettersson
12) Michael Rasmussen
13) Cal Foote
14) Nick Suzuki
15) Nikita Popugayev
16) Klim Kotsin
17) Matthew Strome
18) Jusso Valimaki
19) Robert Thomas
20) Nick Hague

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Want Patrick or Nico.

At the very least Mittelstadt.

Anyone else would be a disappointment.

 

[Serac]

Haven't been keeping up with prospects this year

How have the D been looking ?
Particularly Liljegren, Foote and Hague
(Especially Foote)

 

[Skirbs1011]

Admittingly I have not payed to close of attention to this year's draft.

Are Patrick and Hischier NHL ready? if so are they the only 2?

How close are guys like Tippett Tolvenan Valardi Mittlestadt ect ect.?

 

[M2Beezy]

Admittingly I have not payed to close of attention to this year's draft.

Are Patrick and Hischier NHL ready? if so are they the only 2?

How close are guys like Tippett Tolvenan Valardi Mittlestadt ect ect.?

Me too havent either payed enough attention to the draft but i guess as we get closer to the lottery draft and the draft will get a better idea. Seems to me Middlestat is overrated and Vilardi should be consensus #3. Patrick edging Hershiser but is close for 1

 

[Icebreakers]

Why are we still talking about Patrick or Hirschier? We obviously are going to get those players anymore. Lets look at who is available in 12-18 range.

 

[M2Beezy]

Why are we still talking about Patrick or Hirschier? We obviously are going to get those players anymore. Lets look at who is available in 12-18 range.

Why? Because this

Sedin Sedin Magna
Baertchi Horvat Burrows
W Granlund Sutter Eriksson
Gaunce Chabut Skille

 

[y2kcanucks]

Why are we still talking about Patrick or Hirschier? We obviously are going to get those players anymore. Lets look at who is available in 12-18 range.

Because this team is 3 points out of 28th and has the toughest schedule in the NHL coming up. That's why.

 

[Trelane]

I wonder what the pro skating experts/instructors out there think of Vilardi's stride and how amenable it is to improvement on the scale of Horvat-Draisaitl-Monahan-Hodgson. It's the one area Benning hasn't gambled on with his early picks. Even Boesser was at worst described as average.

No point in pining for Patrick or Nico prior to lottery. Playing it conservative and looking at guys like Petersson, Necas, Glass, etc. Comforting to know there is huge variance in this year's projections. Several prospects rated anywhere from top 5 to 20s depending on the publication. Truly a scouts draft as someone on the main board noted.

 

[racerjoe]

Interesting rankings. I think it will be interesting to see how the top 5 or so does in the post draft, to compare to the past draft. Think Patrick is ahead of Dubios, and Nico seems extremely Dynamic.

 

[RandV]

Because this team is 3 points out of 28th and has the toughest schedule in the NHL coming up. That's why.

Not to mention with the draft lottery every non-playoff team has a shot not. Doubt we'd get that lucky but statistically someone picking below #5 should get moved up into the top 3.