2018 NHL Draft Discussion

[PhoPhan]

Joseph Veleno is boring. Not tall but not short. Not powerful but not weak. Pretty good shot. Pretty good passer. Pretty good two way player. Pretty good work ethic. Granted exceptional status into the CHL with the likes of Crosby, Tavares, McKinnon, and McDavid but only has 22g and 35a in his last 72gp (including playoffs).

He's Josh Bailey.

I haven't seen him yet this year, but Veleno did not excite me much last year. I think his upside is a little higher than Josh Bailey, but if he ends up being the Coyotes pick, I hope it's because we finished shockingly high in the standings and not because that's who we took with a top 7 pick.

Svechnikov and Tkachuk aside, there are a bunch of forwards I like a lot more at this point. Zadina and Wahlstrom look like real gems.

 

[rt]

Watched a couple of full BU games I found. Very eager to follow Brady Tkachuk this season. Seems like a good bet for 3rd overall we are sooooooo f***ing due to win at least one of these god damned mother f***ing lotteries at some god damned mother f***ing point for crying out f***ing loud.

Anyway

He's playing wing. He might be a better skater than Matthew but I don't think he's a plus skater. He's playing a very old school power forward game. Has swagger and piss and vinegar. I think his front net skill is quite developed. Much like Matthew's and clearly modeled after Keith's, who was one of the two or three greatest net front guys in the history of the NHL. He's shockingly strong for a D1 freshman in his draft year.

BU is a great program and they seem to have a very good team assembled. He's in a great position. I suspect he's going to be a wing moving forward. I still like him better than a guy like Veleno who will probably be a center moving forward.

Brady looks to have a pretty good chance to be as good as Matt. The older brother has been soneffective so far that I'm sure he'd go 2nd-3rd overall in this draft. Brady should be a very high pick. I was a huge Matt Tkachuk fan. Big homer for him. I'm over the moon that we could potentially have another crack at what could potentially be basically the same player.

 

[rt]

Also Crotty and Hickey are playing on a pair together and both have looked quite good. BU has a fun team. All of their D are NHL picks. They've got some super talent up front and they've got one of those super rambunctious and endearing bottom sixes that championship teams always seem to have.

 

[RABBIT]

I want to draft Brady Tkachuk just so we don't ever have to play against him. Them Tkachuks don't give a f***.

 

[MIGs Dog]

This thread will soon garner much more interest.

 

[rt]

Svechnikov and Zadina both scoring at a goal per game as rookie imports and making a tremendous case for top 2-5 locks both suffered major injuries in the last 48hrs and will miss months not weeks. Oye vey.

 

[PhoPhan]

Svechnikov and Zadina both scoring at a goal per game as rookie imports and making a tremendous case for top 2-5 locks both suffered major injuries in the last 48hrs and will miss months not weeks. Oye vey.

The Zadina injury looked bad, but he didn't even miss a full period. He's fine.

 

[rt]

Someone exaggerated greatly in his prospect thread.

 

[rt]

Brock Otten called Andrei Svechnikov EASILY the best draft prospect from the OHL since McDavid.

"He's been nothing short of fantastic for a Barrie club that is surprising thus far among the best in the Eastern Conference. I expected the goal scoring ability, having seen him Internationally before. He's a freight train who drives the net with authority and already dominates along the wall. And I knew he was a great skater. But two things have surprised me. The first is his patience with the puck and overall playmaking ability. Calm, cool, and collected in the offensive end. Not a one tricky pony. The second, and more notable to me, has been his play without the puck and in the defensive end. Consistently one of the first forwards back into the defensive zone and shows excellent defensive awareness, using his size to dominate at both ends. Easily the best draft prospect from the OHL since McDavid. Too bad he'll be a one and done player. This guy could play in the NHL right now IMO. Also too bad that he's now out for a couple months with a broken hand."

https://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2017/10/preliminary-top-50-for-2018-nhl-entry.html?m=1

Sign me up. Let's win that second pick please. Do we need another LHS winger? Nope? Do we need an electric gamebreaking talent who can score 30+ goals all by himself? Yes. For the last 20 years. A physically mature kid who could in theory drop those thirty goals for us next season. With lousy linemates. On a lousy team. I've always wanted one of these flashy goal scorers that can do it on their own. We've always needed a star that could rise above the muck and mire that is our roster every year.

 

[Grimes]

Who is a good comparavle for Svechnikov? I havent been able to place my finger on it. Seems like he has the net front drive of a young Rick Nash but with much more flare. But this description raves about his defensive game too. Usually a two-way forward isnt this dominant in the offensive zone. Are we looking at someone more like Foresberg?

 

[rt]

Semin in his prime?

 

[PhoPhan]

If his defense is as good as advertised, I think Hossa would be a good comp.

 

[TheLegend]

I want to draft Brady Tkachuk just so we don't ever have to play against him. Them Tkachuks don't give a ****.

At least have Brady to line up against his older brother 5-6 times a year.

 

[rt]

If his defense is as good as advertised, I think Hossa would be a good comp.

Great call!!! Like a poor man's Hossa.

 

[NHL Dude 120]

So who do you think is needed more Dahlin or Svechnikov? and how would they project into the lineup?

 

[PhoPhan]

Don't draft for need that high. Both players project to be good enough that you can rearrange the roster around them, anyway. Dahlin has the higher upside as a defenseman, but wings are much easier to project, so Svechnikov is probably the safer bet. The hype train on Dahlin makes him tough to knock off the top spot, though, and Svechnikov's injury will put a bigger emphasis on the end of the season for him.

 

[rt]

I'm hoping we win the 2nd pick just because I think what this team needs more than anything is a guy who can score a bunch of goals without any assistance from his linemates and regardless of systems or coaches. His skill set is largely shitty team proof. He's also going to be plenty ready to just step right in. He's a plug and play deadly offensive weapon. We need that so desperately.

Having Svechnikov on one line and Keller on another would be huge for this franchise. It's been since Tkachuk and Roenick 20 years ago (before Svechnikov and Keller were even born) since we've had anything like that here.

 

[Mosby]

How many guys from this draft are expected to make the immediate jump to the NHL?

 

[Grimes]

Svechnikov gives us center insurance, as in our wingers will be able to make 2C and 3C's produce like 1C's. Dahlin is OEL insurance. Both would be amazing to add and would allow us to make sone moves to fill in holes.

 

[rt]

How many guys from this draft are expected to make the immediate jump to the NHL?

Dahlin and Svechnikov are the immediate two favorites I think. If Matt did it than it stands to reason that Brady maybe could. I think that's probably it. As good as Boqvist is, he's struggling to earn quality SHL minutes. Hughes and Merkley are physically immature. Zadina's overall game needs rounded out. He plays with junior-itis in terms of having enough skill to just wait around for the puck and worrying about little else. Veleno maybe as a very poor man's Horvat who breaks in as a checker and slowly tries to find offense over time. I wouldn't recommend that, though.

 

[OriginalJetsCoyotes]

So who is on our radar at #4? We know it's coming.

 

[XX]

So who is on our radar at #4? We know it's coming.

Brady Tkachuk

 

[hbk]

Saw Jett Woo play yesterday. Small skilled puck moving RD. Showed some great creativity and PP quarterback capability. Strongly disliked his repetitive use of a drop pass. He looks like a guy who will go in that 10-20 range (mid to late first rounder who will likely go slightly higher because he's a RD). Liked his skill level and in a good program in Moose Jaw.

 

[Heldig]

Well, at worst we will get the 4th overall pick (barring a second half miracle surge). I would like to see Chayka snag one more 1st rounder. It is a deep draft.

 

[hbk]

Well, at worst we will get the 4th overall pick (barring a second half miracle surge). I would like to see Chayka snag one more 1st rounder. It is a deep draft.

Not sure we have any pieces for sale that would garner a late first. I don't see us moving any D.