Prospect Info: 2018 NHL Draft - Shall We Begin?

[daynus]

With the St. Louis pick, their is an intesrting rhd with Lethbridge Hurricanes, Callin Addison from Brandon. He had a good hilinka tourney, is putting up big numbers in the dub. He gets a few penalties also. But he is really short, 5^9, 179 lbs. he must be built like a fire hydrant

 

[Rebels57]

i Don’t see Ron extending him to a 5 or 6 year deal. He is good now but if he winds up a MacDonald with a contract that is not tradable. You would be going backwards.

These next 3 drafts are very good. Kupari, wahlstrom, Farabee, Thomas, woo, and mcshane. I don’t think this team makes the playoffs. A good year to sell assets.

Why don't they have a shot at the Playoffs?

They need to finish no worse than 5th in the Metro and have more points than whoever finishes 4th in a weak Atlantic Division.

Very doable.

 

[deadhead]

If the goalies hold up!
It really makes a huge difference when they get decent (not great, just NHL average) goaltending instead of Mr Softee nights.
This team can score, and the young defensemen should improve, but they don't make the playoffs unless the goalies can combine for something like .910+ sv %.

I think Hextall would like them to make the playoffs, but it's not the priority this season - he's not going to make trades to get them in, in fact, I expect a move or two to clear out bodies and maybe pick up another draft pick or two. At some point Morin, NAK, Lindblom, maybe Martel, Vorobyev, Myers, will get promoted to the big club, so someone has to be kicked off the island.

 

[hystyk1921]

Why don't they have a shot at the Playoffs?

They need to finish no worse than 5th in the Metro and have more points than whoever finishes 4th in a weak Atlantic Division.

Very doable.

So they make the playoffs to do what? First round exit, second round exit. This team has holes it still needs to fill. It’s early yet, usually teams not in a playoff spot by thanksgiving, don’t make it.

 

[Rebels57]

So they make the playoffs to do what? First round exit, second round exit. This team has holes it still needs to fill. It’s early yet, usually teams not in a playoff spot by thanksgiving, don’t make it.

You need to walk before you can run.

Making the playoffs will give these young guys a taste of what its like.

You dont go from nonplayoff team to Stanley Cup contender overnight.

 

[deadhead]

There's a difference between making the playoffs as part of the development ladder, learning to play big in March and April games, and making the playoffs because the GM is willing to sacrifice the future to hold onto his job.

Flyers are building something special, if they make the playoffs this year it'll be because young players are stepping up, since Hextall shows no signs of panic.

 

[hystyk1921]

You need to walk before you can run.

Making the playoffs will give these young guys a taste of what its like.

You dont go from nonplayoff team to Stanley Cup contender overnight.

You can add the predators, penguins, and blackhawks to the awful teams list, then in a short period of time cup winners or cup contenders. The playoffs can make or break the young talent coming into the league. They should have made the playoffs last year according to the GM..but failed to do so. Also this team right now can’t stay healthy. Guys are dropping like flies

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I still don’t think they make the playoffs this year.

 

[Rebels57]

You can add the predators, penguins, and blackhawks to the awful teams list, then in a short period of time cup winners or cup contenders. The playoffs can make or break the young talent coming into the league. They should have made the playoffs last year according to the GM..but failed to do so. Also this team right now can’t stay healthy. Guys are dropping like flies

The Blackhawks missed by 1 spot in 07-08, then went to the Western Finals in 08-09, before winning the Cup in 09-10.

The Penguins lost in the 1st round in 06-07, the Finals in 07-08, before winning the Cup in 08-09.

The Predators lost in the 1st round in 14-15, and the 2nd round in 15-16, before losing in the Finals in 16-17.

Playoff experience breeds future success.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Noah Dobson seems to be a player rising. He’s a 6’3” RHD playing for Acadie-Bathurst in the Q (possibly Rubtsov’s future teammate?). He’s currently just under a PPG average with 16 points (1G & 15A) in 17 games.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=275797

 

[JojoTheWhale]

Dobson was pretty damn good last year for his age. I thought he was the second best D on play quality alone at Acadie-Bathurst after Boivin (who had 2 years on him), but ahead of Deschenes. I can't speak to this year. Just haven't had the time.

 

[IronMarshal]

It is early, but lets have some fantasy fun.
I am on the fence as far as the playoffs go. They could get in, they might not. Just for fun, let's say, they miss the playoffs (sad for us), but get lucky again (highly unlikely) and win the lottery (Yeah for us). Who do we pick number one? We need a scorer and Svechnikov is there, however so is the dominant dman Dahlin. Who do we choose?

 

[FLYguy3911]

Noah Dobson seems to be a player rising. He’s a 6’3” RHD playing for Acadie-Bathurst in the Q (possibly Rubtsov’s future teammate?). He’s currently just under a PPG average with 16 points (1G & 15A) in 17 games.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=275797

Saw him a couple times. He's very good. Big kid. Active in getting up into the rush.

 

[Magua]

I've spent basically no time this season watching draft-eligible prospects yet, but back to the Hlinka, Dobson kept standing out in a shutdown, depth role that grew as the tournament went on. Checking his stats, his primary point numbers, PP-5v5 point ratio, all seems legit with no red flags. Generating a ton of shots too but shooting 1%.

He didn't strike me as a home run type pick, but there's not many of those, and big, smooth skating, well-rounded, high floor, top 4 potential RHD aren't exactly an over-saturated market. I did think he was more the picture of all-situations efficiency than dynamic; the type of d-man who thrives in this era of 3-zone puck possession, if I'm breaking out the cliches. Stood out as a potential pick in the Flyers range, but if he keeps putting up the numbers, who knows, right? When Rubtsov goes to the Titans, I'll watch him plenty

 

[Chinatown88]

Woo in the first and then Dobson in the second would be legit.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

I doubt Dobson is a second rounder when all is said & done. A well rounded 6’3” RHD is going get NHL teams salivating.

 

[Chinatown88]

I doubt Dobson is a second rounder when all is said & done. A well rounded 6’3” RHD is going get NHL teams salivating.

No doubt. Those are really worth their weight in gold.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

ISS November Rankings:

http://www.isshockey.com/iss-top-31/

Button was recently talking about Wahlstrom being a big riser.

 

[Chinatown88]

Dang he shot up to the Top 5?

Jett Woo at 20. Excellent.

 

[Magua]

Wahlstrom is so the polar opposite of anything the Flyers would draft (shoot first, iffy 2-way game, flashy dangler) that I'm not even worrying about him haha. They'd probably prefer Farabee among the NTDP kids, if one was even available and probably not.

Not a fan of that ISS list, but they're usually pretty bad......though they can get a couple things right against consensus.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

He’s scoring nearly a GPG average against college & USHL teams so far.

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=241370

 

[Stizzle]

November Sportsnet rankings...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/sportsnets-2018-nhl-draft-prospect-rankings-november/

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

Wahlstrom is so the polar opposite of anything the Flyers would draft (shoot first, iffy 2-way game, flashy dangler) that I'm not even worrying about him haha. They probably prefer Farabee among the NTDP kids.

Not a fan of that ISS list, but they're usually pretty bad......though they can get a couple things right against consensus.

It’s been since 2007 since they last selected a NTDP kid & that was a gimme at the top of the draft with JVR. So I’m always skeptical on them drafting NTDP kids in general until I actually see it.

 

[Magua]

It’s been since 2007 since they last selected a NTDP kid & that was a gimme at the top of the draft with JVR. So I’m always skeptical on them drafting NTDP kids in general until I actually see it.

And it's weird because their USHL scouts seem to have a really good handle on things. Just like their Swedish scouting. Yet, they still are reluctant to use anything in the earlier rounds on either, even in the Hextall era (besides Allison in the late 2nd).

They don't draft Finns either, but Kotkaniemi, who ISS doesn't have ranked (which is criminal), is an outstanding player who feels like he's everything they'd want in a pick possibly in their range. I'm curious about where they'd slot him given their tendencies. There's Kupari, though I could see them still preferring Kotkaniemi. But they just don't draft Finns.

 

[Chinatown88]

I would like more Finns on the roster too.