Prospect Info: 2018 NHL Draft - Shall We Begin?

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LegionOfDoom91

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Jan 25, 2013
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That's a huge get for the Soo. I'll be at the Oct 1st game in Sudbury.

It's just a rumor right now. Their GM said they're close with an import but didn't specify which one.

http://www.saultstar.com/2017/08/17/hounds-hoping-to-land-import-player

The other import is defensemen Rasmus Sandin who's thought of in this upcoming draft as well. So either way they're getting a good player who will be 17 if just one signs. If both were sign then that would a huge pull given the talent they already have there.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=289453
 

Chuck Downie

Cheese and olive
Jul 11, 2007
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It's just a rumor right now. Their GM said they're close with an import but didn't specify which one.

http://www.saultstar.com/2017/08/17/hounds-hoping-to-land-import-player

The other import is defensemen Rasmus Sandin who's thought of in this upcoming draft as well. So either way they're getting a good player who will be 17 if just one signs. If both were sign then that would a huge pull given the talent they already have there.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=289453

Okay, thanks. That would be amazing to get both for SSM.
 

BackWithaVengeance

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Jan 19, 2008
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It's just a rumor right now. Their GM said they're close with an import but didn't specify which one.

So either way they're getting a good player who will be 17 if just one signs. If both were sign then that would a huge pull given the talent they already have

Regardless of what happens, 1 or 2 imports, it should further boost Frost's developement and point production. A 100+ point season and deep play-off run is not far fetched for Morgan.
 

LegionOfDoom91

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They're going to be a deep team again so 100+ points might actually be hard with a lot mouths to feed. They really spread their usage around last year it seems & I don't really see that changing with all the players they have again. I think he'll make a jump but it might be in the 80-90 range assuming he stays healthy for the most part.

They should be one of the best teams in the league though regardless. Erie & Windsor are likely selling off what's left of their teams from last year. So them, London, Owen Sound, & Kitchener should be the top teams in that conference & league next year.
 

BackWithaVengeance

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Jan 19, 2008
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They're going to be a deep team again so 100+ points might actually be hard with a lot mouths to feed. They really spread their usage around last year it seems & I don't really see that changing with all the players they have again. I think he'll make a jump but it might be in the 80-90 range assuming he stays healthy for the most part.

They should be one of the best teams in the league though regardless. Erie & Windsor are likely selling off what's left of their teams from last year. So them, London, Owen Sound, & Kitchener should be the top teams in that conference & league next year.

What is it with Senyshyn, Katchouk and Speers? Who is going to stay with the Greyhounds?
 

LegionOfDoom91

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What is it with Senyshyn, Katchouk and Speers? Who is going to stay with the Greyhounds?

Katchouk will be back. The other two have graduated & will be playing pro next year. They still got Tim Gettinger, Jack Kopacka, & Barrett Hayton (2018 draft eligible) up front as well. Kupari would add another higher end 2018 draft eligible upfront. If they get the Sandin you have him & Connor Timmis on the backend that would likely command PP time as well.
 

BackWithaVengeance

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Jan 19, 2008
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Katchouk will be back. The other two have graduated & will be playing pro next year. They still got Tim Gettinger, Jack Kopacka, & Barrett Hayton (2018 draft eligible) up front as well. Kupari would add another higher end 2018 draft eligible upfront. If they get the Sandin you have him & Connor Timmis on the backend that would likely command PP time as well.

Gotcha. Thanks.

Holy ****, I forgot about Gettinger. They have him too :amazed:

Timmins will be a horse on the backend. Unfortunately for him he's an Avalanche prospect :laugh:
 

Magua

Entirely Palatable Product
Apr 25, 2016
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As a follow-up to my post from a couple weeks ago, I compiled what I thought about various non-Canadian prospects at the Ivan Hlinka:


RUSSIA


Dmitri Zavgorodny made some noise having led the tournament with 10 points in 5 games. One of the youngest players in the class too. He's a skilled winger, though I'm not sure he is quite as high-end skilled as that stat line indicates. Don't get me wrong: he's very skilled and very quick, though they are both maybe not what I'd label consistently "dynamic," though he can flash it with his hands. But he catches your eye because, while 5'9, he's not an undersized perimeter type, and he plays above size. He's a buzz saw: forechecking, hitting, strong boards/cycle work, fully engaged all over the ice driving his team's play forward. You knew when he hit the ice because he was all over the place virtually every shift. Spent a good amount of time PKing as well. Smart and detailed in his decision making on and off the puck, so none of his buzz saw play felt like wasted energy. He has great feel and got stuff done -- beyond the points. Want to emphasize that because his shifts were consistently solid, whether he scored or not, and my praise is not a case of stat watching. He could've scored 4-5 points, and I'd sing the same tune, though finishing plays never hurts. But he reminded me more of, say, Dillon Dube than someone truly dynamic like Konecny. It is a compliment though......I really like Dube and think he is underrated as prospects go.

It's possible I am underselling his puck skills somewhat because he didn't force them, often choosing to make the smart play instead (the all-around skating I'd stick to saying is "good," not "great," and he's more quick than speedy). Now, for example, I don't think Kirill Kaprizov is someone with truly standout tools as an undersized player, not to downplay his talent. To me he's more a whole is greater than the sum of his parts type -- with his compete and instincts being his linchpin. I think a lot of what I wrote about Zavgorodny would fit into Kaprizov's profile, not that I'm saying he'll be Kaprizov. But his compete and instincts, on top of the skill bedrock, feel like what make him go. Now, being Russian + undersized + QMJHL (he will play for Rimouski) will probably drop him more than he should because that's the trifecta of scouts looking at you funny. But he looks like a real player and potential steal candidate when you know he goes later than he should. The Q will provide ample viewings.



SWEDEN


In the same mold as Zavgorodny, I must mention the Swedish winger, Jonatan Berggren. He doesn't have much buzz and is under the radar compared to Zavgorodny, but this kid looks like a big potential sleeper. Another undersized (5'10) player, with a summer birthday, who doesn't play small. He was a lot more than the flash he'd showcase, and he'd show a little more of it than Zavgorodny. I think he's slightly more dynamic, or at least faster than him. But also intelligent and a worker. Berggren is quite stocky, so he was a handful along the wall too.

Berggren played in the bottom 6 with grinders, saw no PP time (he was THE most skilled/dynamic forward on the team, so it was baffling), and had weird usage in general but kept on scoring and generating at ES. I only noticed him -- and had to look him up -- because he blew me away, even though I was paying more attention to others at first. Wherever the play was, there he was, making stuff happen, even on the forecheck or off puck. He just knew how to read the play. Drew a lot of penalties too. He oddly got benched for a period+ in the bronze medal game for (as was told to me) trying to skate into the middle of the ice with the puck too much instead of playing it safer. He wasn't turning it over more than anyone else, and it wasn't remotely effort related. He was just making skilled plays and using space to my eye. Mixed messages considering the coach let Boqvist go on adventures, and others were making more egregious mistakes, and Berggren was very much having consistent tangible results. Bottom 6 must play like bottom 6, I guess? The coach stopped being a moron, put him out again in the 3rd, and he sparked the team to victory with their first goal and was used in the top 6, for the first time in the tournament to my knowledge, the rest of the game. Even started OT. Truly, it was all ripped right out of the Hakstok playbook. Regardless, Berggren impressed me a heckuva lot. Could have fooled me that he wasn't on the radar as a 1st-2nd round talent.

Filip Hallander, on the wing, and Jacob Olofsson, at center, were used as the top two forwards for Sweden, though on different lines (mostly). Given they are both in Hockey Prospect's Top 31, I paid close attention to them. Thought they were intelligent players, with honest and mature 2-way games, good size. Hallander especially could separate off the rush skating down the wing in stride. They looked relatively high floor and played pro games......offensive ceiling was my concern. Nothing deficient but also nothing stand-out in the skills/creativity. They played meat and potatoes hockey, but I think Olofsson had better awareness in the o-zone and was more patient with the puck -- likely why he's a center. Hallander was more of a handful along the wall/forecheck, but I got some 3rd line checker vibes from him, though he had decent enough hands and could make plays from the boards too. Wondered if Olofsson was more a 3C type as well. My gut feeling was they both seemed more like safe-ish 2nd rounders. I expected a bit more to be honest, though they both appear to be solid, useful players for what they bring.

Adam Boqvist was as advertised. He does play a Karlsson-lite game, as many of his fans like to point out. The style/mannerisms are pretty eery. No one is perfect though, and I thought his game, at times, could stray into structureless. Talent like his always will walk the line in terms of playing with risk -- and I love that -- but there still is a middle ground, even for someone like Karlsson. Boqvist did things consistently like playing too deep for too long, racing with or even ahead of his forwards as soon as his partner touched the puck, not using his partner enough in transition, and making too many unnecessary home run pass attempts (though he made some beauties). And in the o-zone, sometimes he would get impatient and shoot muffin wristers from the blue line instead of letting a play develop (his shot might be something he could improve on). But his talent and offensive IQ is immense, and he wasn't making any egregious mistakes out there hurting his team while doing these things *cough* Merkeley *cough*. Boqvist had good feel for when to ramp it up; just trying a little too hard to be dynamic at times. Defensively he held his own, though his gaps were too loose through the NZ. I simply would like to see him play a bit more mature/structured, specifically in transition. Still amazingly one of the youngest players in the class.

Tangentially, making a case for Hughes v. Boqvist will be interesting, each having some things he does better than the other, but also similarly needing to inject more maturity into their games, most notably in transition (Hughes's problem more dangerously skating -- "hogging," if I'm looking for a harsher word -- too many pucks). But Boqvist is 11 months younger. Could write more about comparing them some other time because they are two very interesting players.

I'll mention that Filip Johansson and Adam Ginning, who were used as the 2nd pair/PP2 defensemen for Sweden left a pretty poor impression, despite having great box score numbers, each with 4 points in 5 games. Ginning has very good size and is an above average skater, and Johansson is an excellent skater. But I thought both had really poor hockey IQs, and Johansson was downright sloppy in his own end in coverage. But also as puck movers, they left a lot to be desired. Ginning would wilt under pressure when he had to move the puck and couldn't simply skate around a forechecker, and Johansson could be forced into plenty of mistakes under pressure too. Again, really iffy hockey senses that showed as indecisiveness as puck movers. Also of note, Rasmus Sandin, captain of the Swedish team, had to fight for attention partnered with Boqvist. But when I did watch him, I thought he played a respectable game and showed good poise with the puck in his zone exits. At the very least his game didn't call any bad attention to it while I was focused on Boqvist.



FINLAND


Thought some of the same things about Hallander/Olofsson as I did about Jesperi Kotkaniemi (ranked 24 for HP) of Finland. Same kind of smart, high floor, 2-way kid with good physical tools. Looks like he could be even bigger than his 6'2 listing. But I liked him more than the two Swedes; thought he did what they did well, while bringing more to the table and having a higher ceiling. He looked like a certain 1st round talent to me, maybe even a sizable riser if he flashes more offensively. He played mostly center, and I could definitely see him playing center long-term, with wing versatility. He didn't play on a line with Rasmus Kupari, so he was driving his own line. Read the play well, more a give-and-go guy or space creator, but he has good hands and can make skill plays too. Played right half-wall on the PP, where he at times showed indecisiveness but still was fine. At ES, he's a strong cycle player, and he always seemed to make the right decision with the puck. Safe and calm with it but not too safe; efficient and effective are better descriptors. Pretty quality shot, knew how to use his body and go to scoring areas. Excellent off puck player too. I think he is one of the most cerebral players I've seen in this class, in all 3 zones. He's a very mature, pro-style player, yet also a summer birthday. Maybe similar to Groulx in his physical package and game, but I think he has more polish. We'll see if one has more potential over the other. I enjoyed Kotkaniemi's all-around detailed game, and with each viewing, he's the kind of player who grows on you with his consistency and subtleties. Struck me as a quintessential Hextall-type pick......that is if they ever draft a Finn.

Rasmus Kupari has been a name discussed here and very well could be a top half 1st rounder. Might add that he reminds me of a bigger Joni Ikonen, with less bite to his game off-puck and without the all-around shooting tool (though I liked his quick wrist shot). He would certainly work off-puck, but I'm not sure I'd call him a high energy player either. Pretty smart, but I'm not sure I'd rave about it like I did for Kotkaniemi. You can find a highlight video of him pulling off slick moves against Slovakia (where he scored 5/7 points, which bears mentioning). But I watched him against better teams like Russia and Canada, and for a player with excellent puck skills and quick feet and burst, Kupari didn't force the fancy stuff too much and played mostly sound hockey. Could create a lot off the rush. I actually thought that in the half of the Slovakia game I saw, where he scored in bushels, he was playing too loose/selfish with the puck and his overall game wasn't as strong. But he seemed to fix that in the later, more difficult games, which I actually saw first. I do expect him to be a future winger, though he's a natural center. The slick and creative puck handling is plain as day, and so is his hidden gear skating that can surprise d-men off the rush. But there were a few inconsistencies I'd like hammered out to get a better read on him. I'd really like to see more of him. I'll get that and then some if he joins the Soo -- which is still up in the air -- and if not, I'll have to wait a while.



CZECHIA


Then there's the two main Czechs, Jakub Lauko (ranked 14 by HP) and Jan Jenik (#2 among forwards in scoring at the Hlinka). Jenik, interestingly, was born on September 15, 2000. That's the very last day of draft eligibility for 2018. Lauko, who I think is a lot smaller than his 6'1 listing, was feisty (at times stupidly so), relatively speedy, and had solid skill, but he didn't impress me as much as I'd like shift-to-shift. A lot of the time, while he was giving max effort, he struggled to make a consistent offensive impact. Knocked off too many pucks, playing off it too much, chasing a lot. His play was frenetic in a bad way. Jenik was playing on the puck a lot more, especially off the rush. Bit skinny, but he does have good physical tools and pretty decent hands. Thought he was better than Lauko, and the plays came easier, but he also left me a bit unsure how to read him overall. Usually when I'm vaguely uncertain that tends to be a hockey sense thing, not that Jenik's was bad.
 

Curufinwe

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Feb 28, 2013
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I got a course of Twinrix which covers Hep A & B as part of immigrating into the US. If I was just visiting, I wouldn't have had to get it.

At this time,* vaccines for these diseases are currently required for U.S. immigration:

Mumps
Measles
Rubella
Polio
Tetanus and diphtheria
Pertussis
Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib)
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Rotavirus
Meningococcal disease
Varicella
Pneumococcal disease
Seasonal influenza
 

Tripod

I hate this team
Aug 12, 2008
78,823
86,175
Nova Scotia
Look at all those beautiful right-hand defensemen rated around the 20's. :)

It's funny, before I looked at the list I wanted to look at picks 15 and 24...roughly where Philly could be picking(just missing playoffs). If we missed the playoffs, I would be happy with those picks.

And I keep thinking that Hextall is going to work his magic and move up with his 2nd rounder too.

Or ****ing trade Simmonds for a prospect +another 1st.

:laugh:
 

Rebels57

Former Flyers fan
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How is that Keith Tkachuk was able to create two clones of himself? He must have went to one of the genetics labs before conceiving with his wife :laugh:
 

JK2K

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Mar 13, 2017
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Button has McBain at #11 which is about right, but 4th ranked Centre. Not sure I agree with that.
Hayton had a good Hlinka, but I put McBain ahead.
 
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