2018 NHL Draft Thread

[saintunspecified]

what would you prefer?

From all I'm reading, here's what I'd do: make a big play to go after Hughes, or pick 11 & 12. NYI need to hit a home run on D without risking striking out, and Hughes is the best only after Dahlin to do that. Nobody I read seem convinced that any of the other D (besides Dahlin and Hughes) are future top pairing players. That probably means trading up to 4th or 5th overall. That's really unlikely, but who knows. (Frankly, it seems possible right now that Hughes becomes the 3rd or 4th overall pick.)

Beyond that, there are enough forwards worthy of picks. If picking at 11/12 I think NYI need to take the best players available. Given the way other drafts have gone, it seems pretty likely that one of the other top-rated D slips. Pick that guy, and then grab the best available forward. I prefer Kotkaniemi and Farabee over the others (Veleno, Heyton). I've mocked out what makes sense to me based on what I've read, and I think we end up with Ty Smith and one of Kupari or Kotkaniemi.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I'm tired of stop gaps while we wait for soderstrom who might never be ready and sorokin who might never come over. we need a real goalie

When have we had stopgaps?

I don't think any pundits out there would list Halak as a stopgap.

Should he be resigned, he'll still be looked at as one of the top 20-25 starters in the NHL.

 

[scott99]

My hope all along was to get one of Bouchard or Dobson. Bouchard seems as much as a pipe dream as getting Dahlin, seems he's definitely going top 5. Dobson ? Well he now seems out of range for 11-12.

So if we aren't trading up for either of them, I say stay put, and take BPA.

 

[IslesNorway]

I'd definitely stay put with 11 and then maybe look to move down a few spots and pick up another 2nd to get back in the tailend of the first.

Maybe try a deal with FLA with 12 for 15 and 34, or PHI for 14 and 50, or even COL for 16, 47 and a late rounder

If we do the 1st deal we can trade 34 and 43 to get into the mid 20s and still keep the 41. Wouldn't be too bad.

 

[Glory Days]

Actually, quite the opposite. I was a huge protractor of him in his draft year, having covered him at the U18 in 2011. I have long felt that he's a very solid #3/4 Dman.

I do however think Pelech has a more all-round game and will be more dynamic than Brodin over the long run. I thought Pelech did an outstanding job being thrown in a role that he was not yet ready for - all of his errors included (yes, there were plenty). It was a real growing year. But for him to collect almost 20 points and go +7 in light of this team's catastrophically terrible team defense is quite an achievement. And I see room for him to be a 30 point guy even without PP time.

Furthermore, Brodin is basically the exact same player as Calvin de Haan and is already earning over 4 million. So, uh, why not just keep Calvin de Haan?

I guess I just looked at your suggestion and felt it smacked a little bit of a mix between "mancrush" and "grass is greener on the other side". Don't really see it furthering this team's cause.

Of course, I liked the part about getting the 22nd overall.

I think if healthy deHaan would also be my first choice. I just don't trust he will stay healthy. So instead I want Brodin. I think Pelech will ultimately be a step down from either deHaan or Brodin. I don't think Pelech skates as well or handles the puck as well. These are 2 skills that I value highly in today's game for D. That is why I don't see Pelech ever becoming a top 4 D on a contending team.

 

[seafoam]

I think if healthy deHaan would also be my first choice. I just don't trust he will stay healthy. So instead I want Brodin. I think Pelech will ultimately be a step down from either deHaan or Brodin. I don't think Pelech skates as well or handles the puck as well. These are 2 skills that I value highly in today's game for D. That is why I don't see Pelech ever becoming a top 4 D on a contending team.

Brodin has only played 27 more games than de Haan has over the past 4 seasons.

@Chapin Landvogt Brodin's contract is likely insured because from the research I did, he has no glaring injury history prior to signing his long term deal.

Now, I don't think it's worth giving up assets to have an insured contract over an uninsured contract, but this is the Islanders we're talking about.

I really think this team gives up a 2nd for Bouwmeester (or another to-be UFA) to be a Toews placeholder and calls it a day. I think they see the defense improving in the form of the progression of Mayfield, Pelech, Pulock, and a healthy Toews. It's the wrong call, but do you actually expect them to do it another way?

Karlsson and Carlson will be too expensive for this team and they will get outbid for Trouba/Myers and Faulk if they become available. They'll see Pelech as too similar to Brodin.

 

[Glory Days]

Brodin has only played 27 more games than de Haan has over the past 4 seasons.

Brodin is 2 years younger than deHaan and has never played less than 68 games in a season (not counting his rookie year). Also Brodin is signed to a reasonable contract for 3 more years. Plus Brodin has not had 3 major shoulder injuries.

 

[islesfan66]

When have we had stopgaps?

I don't think any pundits out there would list Halak as a stopgap.

Should he be resigned, he'll still be looked at as one of the top 20-25 starters in the NHL.

Halak was here for 4 years and 1 was absolutely awful = stopgap... and before him it was a long rotation of stop gaps

 

[islesfan66]

im so torn what id want the isles to ideally do, all these picks gives them options which is really nice. maybe trade up to the dobson/bouchard range then trade down a few spots with the other pick and still land someone like lundstrom and recoup the picks we traded to move up. lots of options if we can find the ideal trading partners

 

[boredmale]

im so torn what id want the isles to ideally do, all these picks gives them options which is really nice. maybe trade up to the dobson/bouchard range then trade down a few spots with the other pick and still land someone like lundstrom and recoup the picks we traded to move up. lots of options if we can find the ideal trading partners

My 2 cents with the 2nd rounders is picking defense in that range is more of a guess so it's probably better having 2 kicks at the can then trading both for a slightly better pick

 

[SI]

Brodin has only played 27 more games than de Haan has over the past 4 seasons.

@Chapin Landvogt Brodin's contract is likely insured because from the research I did, he has no glaring injury history prior to signing his long term deal.

Now, I don't think it's worth giving up assets to have an insured contract over an uninsured contract, but this is the Islanders we're talking about.

I really think this team gives up a 2nd for Bouwmeester (or another to-be UFA) to be a Toews placeholder and calls it a day. I think they see the defense improving in the form of the progression of Mayfield, Pelech, Pulock, and a healthy Toews. It's the wrong call, but do you actually expect them to do it another way?

Karlsson and Carlson will be too expensive for this team and they will get outbid for Trouba/Myers and Faulk if they become available. They'll see Pelech as too similar to Brodin.

I'm not so sure Isles would get outbid - 11 OA and 12 OA are very enticing pieces.

If it were me - I would use one 1st for the future and the other to help the NHL roster.

Bouwmeester for Greiss?

 

[SI]

From all I'm reading, here's what I'd do: make a big play to go after Hughes, or pick 11 & 12. NYI need to hit a home run on D without risking striking out, and Hughes is the best only after Dahlin to do that. Nobody I read seem convinced that any of the other D (besides Dahlin and Hughes) are future top pairing players. That probably means trading up to 4th or 5th overall. That's really unlikely, but who knows. (Frankly, it seems possible right now that Hughes becomes the 3rd or 4th overall pick.)

Beyond that, there are enough forwards worthy of picks. If picking at 11/12 I think NYI need to take the best players available. Given the way other drafts have gone, it seems pretty likely that one of the other top-rated D slips. Pick that guy, and then grab the best available forward. I prefer Kotkaniemi and Farabee over the others (Veleno, Heyton). I've mocked out what makes sense to me based on what I've read, and I think we end up with Ty Smith and one of Kupari or Kotkaniemi.

I like Hughes too.

And I agree trading up is going to be very unlikely.

Not many teams trade out of the top 10 these days. I don't see the Isles and Rangers dealing at all.
I could see the Blackhawks and Isles dealing - (Hawks might be prefer one of the C's) and may be they feel they could get their guy at 11 and are able to grab the 41st.

Whoever the GM is by the end of the month, might look to use the 11th or 12th OA pick to improve the NHL roster, possibly goaltending or upgrading the blue line.

 

[islesfan66]

My 2 cents with the 2nd rounders is picking defense in that range is more of a guess so it's probably better having 2 kicks at the can then trading both for a slightly better pick

if we trade up with 11 using a 2nd then down with 12 we can still have 2 2nds.... ya know providing other teams will deal with us

 

[SI]

if we trade up with 11 using a 2nd then down with 12 we can still have 2 2nds.... ya know providing other teams will deal with us

Like trading the 12 to Ottawa for the 22nd and 33rd?
Then the 11th and 33rd for the 8th?

 

[islesfan66]

ya or 11 and out first to Chicago.... then 12 to the avalanche for 16 and 58.... we can get a better Dman with Chicago pick, still get a good center at 16 then have 2 2nds for swings at players

 

[islesfan66]

2018 NHL Mock Draft - NHL - DraftSite.com

id love this scenario..... if lundstrom falls like that id love to move up and grab him

 

[doublechili]

Re: Dobson, any of you draft researcher types have a handle on the track record of 1st round defensemen coming out of the QMJHL?

 

[seafoam]

Saw this in the Hughes thread.

 

[SI90]

Saw this in the Hughes thread.

Pulock up there as well.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

I'm thinking that we ended the 2nd round with
- Veleno
- Hayton
and any two of
- Lundkvist
- Ginning
- Tychonick
- Merkley
- Addison
- Bernard-Docker
- Alexeyev
- Demin
- Woo
in that order of preference, then we're doing very, very well for ourselves long-term.

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

2018 NHL Mock Draft - NHL - DraftSite.com

id love this scenario..... if lundstrom falls like that id love to move up and grab him

Yep, and you didn't even think to mention that they have Dobson going to the Isles with the 11th pick (Veleno with the 12th).

I say YES, YES, YES to that every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

Sheesh, and then they give us Addison and Olofsson in the 2nd, plus Hrabik and Back in later rounds.

 

[xIsle]

2018 NHL Mock Draft - NHL - DraftSite.com

id love this scenario..... if lundstrom falls like that id love to move up and grab him

Not impossible. I think this scenario is plausible (I'm not saying it's going to happen, of course!)


Here are my predictions on this day:

1.Buf : Dahlin
2. Car : Svechnikov
3. Mtl : Zadina
4. Ott : Boqvist
5.Ari : Wahlstrom
6. Det : Hughes
7. Van : Bouchard
8. Chi : Kotkaniemi
9. NYR : Tkachuk
10. Edm : Smith (Smith or Dobson here but I can see the Oilers going for the western guy)
11. NYI : Dobson
12. NYI (from Cal): Veleno
13. Dal : Farabee
14.Phi (from STL): Hayton
15.Flo : Wilde
16. Col : Denisenko
17. NJD : McIsaac
18. CLB : Miller
19. Phi : Kvartov
20. LAK : Kupari
21.SJS : Sandin
22. Ott (from Pit): Noel
23. Ana : Alexeyev
24.Min : Lundkvist
25. Tor : Lunderstrom
26. NYR (from Bos): Kaut
27.Chi (from Nas): Merkley
28. Was : Thomas
29. Det (from Vegas): Berggren
30. STL (from Win): Bokk
31. NYR (from TBL): Woo

 

[Bill Herlyn]

I would be thrilled if we could draft Dobson at 11!! I would rather draft Farabee at 12 over Veleno though as I think that Farabee has a much higher upside than Veleno.

 

[islesfan66]

Not impossible. I think this scenario is plausible (I'm not saying it's going to happen, of course!)


Here are my predictions on this day:

1.Buf : Dahlin
2. Car : Svechnikov
3. Mtl : Zadina
4. Ott : Boqvist
5.Ari : Wahlstrom
6. Det : Hughes
7. Van : Bouchard
8. Chi : Kotkaniemi
9. NYR : Tkachuk
10. Edm : Smith (Smith or Dobson here but I can see the Oilers going for the western guy)
11. NYI : Dobson
12. NYI (from Cal): Veleno
13. Dal : Farabee
14.Phi (from STL): Hayton
15.Flo : Wilde
16. Col : Denisenko
17. NJD : McIsaac
18. CLB : Miller
19. Phi : Kvartov
20. LAK : Kupari
21.SJS : Sandin
22. Ott (from Pit): Noel
23. Ana : Alexeyev
24.Min : Lundkvist
25. Tor : Lunderstrom
26. NYR (from Bos): Kaut
27.Chi (from Nas): Merkley
28. Was : Thomas
29. Det (from Vegas): Berggren
30. STL (from Win): Bokk
31. NYR (from TBL): Woo

I'm cool with that! I'm not sure if i think tkachuk falls that much but who knows... I'm surprised lundstrom is falling so much I'm a fan of his game

 

[doublechili]

This is just my gut talking, but I have a feeling that whoever drafts Farabee is going to be very happy in a few years. It seems like every year there's some guy outside the consensus top group who gets passed over because they're not quite big enough, or don't score quite enough, or just because the top guys seem to have more going on. And then a couple of years later you say, man, how did they pass up on this guy? Farabee scores, is a ++ skater, is captain (I believe) of his NDP team, etc. etc..