2018 HF Team Boards Mock Draft -- Picks #11 & #12 -- Select Two

[steveat]

Why is Merkely on there? He has top 10 skill but both...BOTH ISS and NHL.Com have him in the second round..

2018 Draft Prospect Rankings | NHL Draft Prospect Rankings - position 45 of "north American" skaters which means 3rd round for him

ISS Top 31 - Top Prospect Rankings

Elite Prospects have him out of the first round too: Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

HockeyProspects.com doesn't have him in the first round: 2018 NHL Draft Rankings - HockeyProspect.com | 2018 NHL Draft

Future Considerations @ 25: https://futureconsiderations.ca/top-rankings-2018/

McKeen's Hockey - Bottom Right @ 24: Subscribe

I don't think Merkley is going in the first round..e

 

[boredmale]

Why is Merkely on there? He has top 10 skill but both...BOTH ISS and NHL.Com have him in the second round..

I don't think Merkley is going in the first round..e

Another guy along with Jett Woo that i would love to see fall to 41

 

[steveat]

If we land Merkely and Woo with our 2 x 2nd picks...wow..we just had a spectacular draft

 

[CodeE]

Why is Merkely on there? He has top 10 skill but both...BOTH ISS and NHL.Com have him in the second round..

2018 Draft Prospect Rankings | NHL Draft Prospect Rankings - position 45 of "north American" skaters which means 3rd round for him

ISS Top 31 - Top Prospect Rankings

Elite Prospects have him out of the first round too: Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

HockeyProspects.com doesn't have him in the first round: 2018 NHL Draft Rankings - HockeyProspect.com | 2018 NHL Draft

Future Considerations @ 25: https://futureconsiderations.ca/top-rankings-2018/

McKeen's Hockey - Bottom Right @ 24: Subscribe

I don't think Merkley is going in the first round..e

I mean, three Isles fans did vote for him...

 

[doublechili]

Both Smith and Veleno can fly.

Thanks. And it seems like they'd be a couple of the next "consensus" guys on the above list. I'd go with them at this point (although I haven't really investigated the prospects yet).

 

[Yashin for President]

Kravtsov is the real deal. Only thing is his contract in Russia expires in 3 years. Just in time for Belmont.

 

[doublechili]

Kravtsov is the real deal. Only thing is his contract in Russia expires in 3 years. Just in time for Belmont.

Kuznetsov and Tarasenko make me interested in Russian forwards who drop because of perceived signing difficulties.

 

[saintunspecified]

Smith and Farabee for me. Hoping for Kotkaniemi.

 

[frankieboy]

I voted for Smith and Kravtsov. If Kravtsov was named Williams we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Other teams (see the Caps and the Blues) have done pretty well selecting Russians. The Russian players will come over. If there is some problem (e.g., Snow) with the organization that may be turning them off, fix it. Select the best players. Also, I think it is important to have some infrastructure (i.e., other players) when we try to bring Sorokin over. Imagine if he was coming over and Kravstov was also going to be on the team.

 

[DarkHorse2]

I went with Bode and Serron (if no one falls). Bode reminds me of Pulock with more size and aggression, while Noel is huge and has serious upside.

 

[doublechili]

I voted for Smith and Kravtsov. If Kravtsov was named Williams we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Other teams (see the Caps and the Blues) have done pretty well selecting Russians. The Russian players will come over. If there is some problem (e.g., Snow) with the organization that may be turning them off, fix it. Select the best players. Also, I think it is important to have some infrastructure (i.e., other players) when we try to bring Sorokin over. Imagine if he was coming over and Kravstov was also going to be on the team.

I'm going full-speculation here, but if Lou L comes aboard there is a chance Kovalchuk could want to sign here. And if Kovy signs here, the Isles could suddenly become a desirable destination for young Russian players.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Kravtsov is the real deal. Only thing is his contract in Russia expires in 3 years. Just in time for Belmont.

He'd be a great gamble indeed, IF we had a stocked prospect cupboard where we knew we'd be inserting 3-5 surefire forwards in the next season or two. Alas, we haven't been drafting like the Phillys, Tampas, and Torontos of the world in recent years. We were more concerned about dishing off 1st and 2nd rounders to pawn off an invalid's contract and make sure we keep the odd Pelech or Nelson.

At the moment, the only guy I see us having up front who might come in and have an impact is Bellows.

Ho-Sang is currently in no-man's land and there's not another forward prospect in there who can be counted on to be more than what Fritz was this season, at least not over the next two years.

As such, if comparable North American talent is there to be had at 11 and 12, gotta go with that. Just no room for error here, especially with the Tavares uncertainty AND the fact that we have some unmovable dough tied up in Ladd, Clutterbuck, and Cizikas with big-money guys soon to decide on in Lee and Eberle.

Absolutely amazing that this team is on such a path for financial headaches although it finished miles away from a playoff spot and is currently facing a UFA situation that may mean its #1 center, #1 goalie, and statistically two best defensive Dmen this past season could all be gone on July 1st.

I'm dumbfounded when I think about it...

 

[DarkHorse2]

I'm going full-speculation here, but if Lou L comes aboard there is a chance Kovalchuk could want to sign here. And if Kovy signs here, the Isles could suddenly become a desirable destination for young Russian players.

I thought Kovalchuk was forced upon LL by ownership?

(Speculation from the start was that Lamoriello wanted nothing to do with the Kovalchuk contract and that it was being driven by ownership.)

Kovalchuk retirement a little too convenient for all involved | The Hockey News

 

[DarkHorse2]

My feeling, when you have two picks in the first round, especially back to back, you make one safe pick and one home-run swing. You have the opportunity to take a chance, so do it, but make sure you get something out of the deal.

If you look at 1999, when we had an insane four first-round picks, and we blew it--though it was admittedly one of the worst overall drafts ever. Connolly was the safe pick (supposed to be Yzerman), Pyatt was a safe power forward (he wasn't), the huge Euro Dman who has played in the CHL was Mezei (he was not good), and then Kudroc (similar to Mezei). The biggest mistake was probably drafting two of the same player in Kudroc and Mezei, but the fact that none of them played more than two seasons with the Islanders because of impatience is probably the key problem. At least Pyatt and Connolly brought us Peca before they proved themselves to be unworthy of their draft pedigrees.

 

[steveat]

Earlier in the year, I really wanted Serron, but after reading that his skating is not the best and gets knocked off his skates easily...not good for a 6'5 guy...short players are different and they usually get up a lot faster after being knocked down. He's too raw and he doesn't create plays so he will need to play with a playmaker..He's like Nelson/Lee/Vanek..Nelson because he can't create plays (has a great wrister), Lee because he's a force in front of the net and all his shots are from the danger areas and Vanek because he's got real good hands in close.

He's way too raw and if his skating doesn't improve ..A LOT, he ain't making it. Perfect 3rd/4th round project, but not first round material in my books.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

My feeling, when you have two picks in the first round, especially back to back, you make one safe pick and one home-run swing. You have the opportunity to take a chance, so do it, but make sure you get something out of the deal.

But in this draft, there are two not just safe, but pretty good future NHLers to be had at 11 and 12. They're practically in the bag. And they are just the guys this team needs in its prospect bin (either a center and dman, or two centers).

Does they not clearly outweigh "one safe" and "one homerun" swing?

Also, I don't see anyone who is a "homerun" swing in the traditional sense around that area. I see a Russian or two who MIGHT be as good as Veleno and Hayton, but then there's the "Russian factor". One this franchise absolutely cannot get wrapped up in. What I don't see is a "he may have attitude problems, but sheesh, he's got all the skating and talent in the world" type.

Maybe someone would call Serron Noel that, but I don't really think that applies in the traditional sense of a loose canon or controversial type with questionable sportsmanship.

BTW, both of these aforementioned types are actually already in the system. See Sorokin and Ho-Sang.

 

[Riseonfire]

I don't have the energy to research this draft like I've done for most others.

I picked Veleno and Merkley (the latter mostly on name recognition). Evidently Smith is a top prospect?

 

[Riseonfire]

My feeling, when you have two picks in the first round, especially back to back, you make one safe pick and one home-run swing. You have the opportunity to take a chance, so do it, but make sure you get something out of the deal.

This is why I will continue to give Boston crap for not picking Barzal or Connor (consensus BPA). 3 picks, and not a single HR swing?

 

[saintunspecified]

Does they not clearly outweigh "one safe" and "one homerun" swing?

Seems to me that Farabee is the "safest" pick that we're going to get in our range. "Safe" because he his skillset seems like it should translate so naturally to the NHL as a top-six forward. Good wheels, a nice shot, puck skills, and hockey sense are as safe as you can get. The questions about whether the available centers will really become top-6 centers gives me pause. They may be "safe" to be NHL players, but not necessarily top-6 players. Farabee looks like a sure-fire top-6 winger with an already mature play style (even if he isn't filled out).

For the home run, I'd say both Koktaniemi is a good home run swing, as is Smith. It's too risky to go for Russians IMO.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I don't have the energy to research this draft like I've done for most others.

I picked Veleno and Merkley (the latter mostly on name recognition). Evidently Smith is a top prospect?

One basically only need to go here to get a general idea of how things are shaping up.
Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

 

[Riseonfire]

One basically only need to go here to get a general idea of how things are shaping up.
Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

Thank you sir!