GDT: 2018 NHL Draft

[Knight53]

Might as well start talking prospects for the stacked 2018 draft.

Some of my early favourites.

Click to read more...

 

[Zombotron]

I hope Rasmus Dahlin doesn't contract mono and miss half the season.

...or do I?

 

[DownGoesMcDavid]

The Canucks are surely going to have a Dman heavy draft aa they sorely lack top end talent of depth in their prospect pool.

This works out well as the 2018 draft is deep and talented w. Some fantastic Dmen including generational talent Rasmus Dahlin.

Other D prospects are Mciisac, Merkley , Wilde , Bouchard , Ty Smith, Jet Woo

 

[polarbearcub]

Just watch wel have a fluke season just like in the mcdavid draft and pick 20th

 

[Cancuks]

Toronto misses the playoffs, wins lottery, gets Dahlin. The Caps struggle, wind up with Svechnikov. Chicago misses as well and gets the 3rd pick. Although Canucks finish with the worst record, they drop down to 4th where this time they pick a Tkachuk, however he turns about to be a bust like Virtanen, while the #5 pick goes to the Flames and proceeds to be a future HHOFer.

 

[66Sniper]

No love for Svechnikov?

 

[LickTheEnvelope]

No love for Svechnikov?

? He's the 2nd video. Could be the best player in the draft but I really love Dahlin's game.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

No love for Svechnikov?

Personally, this is the kid that I want.

 

[Bad News Benning]

I wouldn't be too focused on Dahlin or Svechnikov. Odds are that the Canucks will get screwed by the lottery again so I consider both a pipe dream at this point.

I think the hope has to be that two or three other players in this draft emerge as franchise types. I'm interested to see how big of a gap it is between Dahlin/Svechnikov and the rest of the field since we will likely be picking outside the top 2 (somewhere between 3-6).

 

[Donuts]

just be 31st place so canucks is guaranteed to draft in top 4


dahlin
svechnikov
veleno
tkachuk
merkley

 

[66Sniper]

? He's the 2nd video. Could be the best player in the draft but I really love Dahlin's game.

No i meant i think he's the best player in this draft.

 

[VanillaCoke]

Theres another tkachuk!?

Whiffed on both nylanders and both tkachuks. Boo urns

 

[Josepho]

There's only one guy who I've seen much of from this draft -- Ryan Merkley. Put up big numbers in his -1 year with Guelph. His +/- was pretty rough, but he's also playing top minutes on a team that was absolutely brutal and easily the worst in their division.

Really interested in seeing what his frame is after this year, his biggest problem is that he's light and often manhandled by other, stronger players. The downside for this pick is definitely a guy like Ryan Murphy.

Here's all the good things that I had to say about him in January.

As of late, I've been watching the Storm more than any other OHL team and this kid is singlehandedly why.

Absolutely elite skating in every way. He's just ridiculous. His straight line speed is fantastic. He can afford to make risky pinches, since he normally flies back to his own zone on time. His lateral movement is phenomenal and it leads to him getting open lanes. Fans aren't going to complain about this guy missing the net or hitting shinpads. His backwards skating is also great and he doesn't get beat to the wide often. The best aspect of his skating is the way he turns. He loves doing 360 degree turns and he does them often and well. He's obviously not going to be able to spin around like a ballerina in the NHL like he does in juniors, but it's a useful skill to have nonetheless.

He's an offensive defenceman for sure, no other way of putting it. He's a talented passer who sees the ice well and it's a shame he's stuck on this atrocious Guelph squad. I'd kill to see what he would do with forwards like that of Erie or Kitchener (or basically anyone else). As expected, he's a stud on the PP as well and I love seeing him fire from the point with Smith/Ratcliffe crashing the net. Sometimes guilty of attempting to do too much, but again, I think that has a lot to do with the lack of talented teammates. But the numbers speak for themselves, nearly point per game on a bad OHL team is just insane.

Defensively, I feel pretty good about him. He's slightly prone to being flat-out overpowered on occasion, but that's a pretty normal problem for a lightweight rookie to have in the OHL. He has solid awareness and decent positioning but he's definitely not a rock back there. Luckily, his combination of speed, skill and smarts usually leads to him moving the puck out of the zone fairly easily.

His biggest priority is to put on weight. 5'11" is a respectable height, but he's going to get totally destroyed if he doesn't put on lean muscle. But I'm not worried about it in the slightest, I'm sure he knows that he needs to bulk up.

I'm very excited for this kid. Not only is he very talented, but he's also going to be marketable too.

 

[y2kcanucks]

just be 31st place so canucks is guaranteed to draft in top 4


dahlin
svechnikov
veleno
tkachuk
merkley

30th works also...even if we end up picking 5th again Tkachuk looks great too (as long as we don't pass).

Svechnikov looks like he could be another Ovechkin type. High offense, gritty winger. Not sure he'll have Ovechkin's shot, but a dangerous first line winger nonetheless.

Dahlin looks great. An excellent puck moving defenseman who can skate. Just what every NHL team needs.

Tkachuk seems to be a slightly less skilled version of his older brother. Matt Tkachuk-lite perhaps? Will have to follow-up more int he upcoming season.

I like Veleno and Merkley from what I've seen thus far, but will have to see how they develop in their draft year. Veleno underwhelmed a little bit in his Draft-1 season, relative to the high expectations that were placed on him. If he tears it up this year he'll solidify his spot in the top 5.

 

[polarbearcub]

30th works also...even if we end up picking 5th again Tkachuk looks great too (as long as we don't pass).

Svechnikov looks like he could be another Ovechkin type. High offense, gritty winger. Not sure he'll have Ovechkin's shot, but a dangerous first line winger nonetheless.

Dahlin looks great. An excellent puck moving defenseman who can skate. Just what every NHL team needs.

Tkachuk seems to be a slightly less skilled version of his older brother. Matt Tkachuk-lite perhaps? Will have to follow-up more int he upcoming season.

I like Veleno and Merkley from what I've seen thus far, but will have to see how they develop in their draft year. Veleno underwhelmed a little bit in his Draft-1 season, relative to the high expectations that were placed on him. If he tears it up this year he'll solidify his spot in the top 5.

Next years draft is looking good. All I want from this next season is to see bo, Brock , stecher develop, take steps. I'm more excited to follow petterson and dahlen over seas than anything else really.

Also Brady tkachuk is apparently nastier than Mathew...

 

[y2kcanucks]

Next years draft is looking good. All I want from this next season is to see bo, Brock , stecher develop, take steps. I'm more excited to follow petterson and dahlen over seas than anything else really.

Throw Lind, Gadjovich, and Dipietro into that mix and I'm right there with ya.

 

[Ninebreaker]

Toronto misses the playoffs, wins lottery, gets Dahlin. The Caps struggle, wind up with Svechnikov. Chicago misses as well and gets the 3rd pick. Although Canucks finish with the worst record, they drop down to 4th where this time they pick a Tkachuk, however he turns about to be a bust like Virtanen, while the #5 pick goes to the Flames and proceeds to be a future HHOFer.

This is depressing

 

[Zombotron]

You'll be seeing a lot of these faces in 2017-18

 

[xtr3m]

We're fallin' (in the standings) for Dahlin, boys.

 

[Trelane]

Toronto misses the playoffs, wins lottery, gets Dahlin. The Caps struggle, wind up with Svechnikov. Chicago misses as well and gets the 3rd pick. Although Canucks finish with the worst record, they drop down to 4th where this time they pick a Tkachuk, however he turns about to be a bust like Virtanen, while the #5 pick goes to the Flames and proceeds to be a future HHOFer.

Jimbo don't need no lottery winning picks; does some of his best work outside the top 5. Already have Zetterberg (Pettersson), Bossy (Boeser), Bergeron (Horvat), Lidstrom (OJ) and Rafalski (Stecher). But I suppose if the aim is a dynasty, instead of settling for a cup here or there, another quality D man wouldn't hurt.

 

[me2]

Dahlin or else.

 

[Verviticus]

Jimbo don't need no lottery winning picks; does some of his best work outside the top 5. Already have Zetterberg (Pettersson), Bossy (Boeser), Bergeron (Horvat), Lidstrom (OJ) and Rafalski (Stecher). But I suppose if the aim is a dynasty, instead of settling for a cup here or there, another quality D man wouldn't hurt.

uhhhhhhhh, granlund is bergeron

 

[jeromemorrow]

Just watch wel have a fluke season just like in the mcdavid draft and pick 20th

Yep actually just made a bet with a coworker that the Canucks are gonna make the playoffs just for that reason.

Hoping for Brady (Tkachuk)

 

[LeftCoast]

I think we will about 27th. Other than Vegas, Colorado and maybe Buffalo, who are we going to beat? Arizona with Derek Stepan as their #1 C and Antti Raanta as their goalie will be in the turtle derby as well but their D is better than ours. Detroit hasn't improved and they are handicapped by playing in a stronger division.

So there you go - the best I think we can do is 27th - so 6th overall pick, then we get bumped 2 spots in the draft lottery absurdity.

Book it we're picking 8th.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Next years draft is looking good. All I want from this next season is to see bo, Brock , stecher develop, take steps. I'm more excited to follow petterson and dahlen over seas than anything else really.

Also Brady tkachuk is apparently nastier than Mathew...

Id add Hutton, Baertschi, and maybe even Goldobin and Granlund as hopefuls taking that next step.