Prospect Info: 2018 NHL Draft

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

I wish I knew more about the Euro's. I have heard that Kuparai, Olofsson, Kravtsov, and Hallander are great prospects. But I know virtually nothing about them.

That said, I would probably just prefer to keep the picks we have. There should be some good players available between 29-36. If you want a center that is a great skater and playmaker, I think Ryan McLeod fits that bill and might be there at 29.

No thanks on McLeod. Perimeter player.

 

[newfy]

Have started to come around on Hughes, I had read that post WJC (where he sucked),he really turned it up with Michigan, now hes playingwell in the WHC against some pretty legit NHLers.

Not sure hes the pick I'm hoping for but I'm not dead set against him like I was post WJC. Hes close to Detroit so at least you know theyve done their homework on him if they pick him

 

[masta8]

Have started to come around on Hughes, I had read that post WJC (where he sucked),he really turned it up with Michigan, now hes playingwell in the WHC against some pretty legit NHLers.

Not sure hes the pick I'm hoping for but I'm not dead set against him like I was post WJC. Hes close to Detroit so at least you know theyve done their homework on him if they pick him

I agree, I think he will still be around at 6 and the fact he is American will certainly intrigue Holland.. He would certainly be exciting with his offensive ability.. reminds me a bit of Tory Krug with less grit.

 

[Tatar Shots]

What are thoughts on Berggren in the 28-36 range? Excellent production but has been flying a bit under the radar.

 

[HisNoodliness]

What are thoughts on Berggren in the 28-36 range? Excellent production but has been flying a bit under the radar.

There are some doubts about his offensive upside. He's a smaller, high-energy, quick-skater type. Personally I like him and would be happy with him at any of those 3 picks. He seems like a smart player to me and as you said, his production is good. Whenever you tune into a game to watch someone else, Berggren does a good job grabbing your attention. I hope we pick him up.

 

[Frk It]

There are some doubts about his offensive upside. He's a smaller, high-energy, quick-skater type. Personally I like him and would be happy with him at any of those 3 picks. He seems like a smart player to me and as you said, his production is good. Whenever you tune into a game to watch someone else, Berggren does a good job grabbing your attention. I hope we pick him up.

Really? I thought that was the most appealing thing about him. Definitely looked like an offensive force at the U18's.

No thanks on McLeod. Perimeter player.

Yeah, but he has a good skill set otherwise. Maybe that's something he can work on? A guy in the 29-36 range is going to have some warts.

 

[Frk It]

One guy who doesn't get talked about much because he is an overager is Sean Durzi. I think he's a pretty good offensive defenseman prosepct. Might be a good option with one of the 3rd rounders.

 

[HisNoodliness]

I actually wil

Really? I thought that was the most appealing thing about him. Definitely looked like an offensive force at the U18's.

I actually will retract what I said. After the Hlinka at the beginning of the year and during the season I had seen some reports questioning his top 6 offensive upside. Most seemed to think that he was going to be more of a middle-six, depth scorer. It appears that just about everyone was convinced by the U18 and Superelit numbers to let that fear go. I don't really know what the knock is now besides size and the idea that he is probably better suited as a W than a C.

My personal impression from international tournaments and the odd stream (like I said, you often try to watch a different prospect and Berggren would be the guy that stood out) is that he's a great skater. Very fast and he accelerates to top-speed in very few strides. This gives him a relentless forecheck. He's great at producing off the rush; he puts himself in a good position to score when teammates have the puck. I've never been too impressed by his shot, but he can bury the puck in close where he's great at finding opportunities. He's a good passer and finds teammates in the offensive zone. Has good one-on-one skills to beat a defender. Despite being undersized, he's strong on the puck, and isn't afraid to fight for it in the dirty areas. He's also young for this draft. If that extra development time means he grows a bit more and polishes his game, he could be a great pick. I'm a fan. I'd be happy with him at 29 if he's there. Draft him and Boqvist and we can have a F-D matching pair of young, undersized, offensively talented Swedes that can skate like crazy.

 

[BStinson]

Curious if anyone has thoughts on Jonatan Berggren? I’ve seen a couple Wings poster in the HF thread but haven’t been able to catch a game of his. The main complaint is his size which results in him getting pushed off the puck but eliteprospects lists him at 5’11”.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Curious if anyone has thoughts on Jonatan Berggren? I’ve seen a couple Wings poster in the HF thread but haven’t been able to catch a game of his. The main complaint is his size which results in him getting pushed off the puck but eliteprospects lists him at 5’11”.

Read the previous five posts for my thoughts

 

[NickH8]

No thanks on McLeod. Perimeter player.

Pastrnak and Gaudreau are perimeter players. They aren't bad players.

 

[BStinson]

Read the previous five posts for my thoughts

Darn iPhone didn’t update to the last page of the thread... my bad. Just getting into draft mode the past week or so. Jake Wise, Akil Thomas, Jack Drury, and Berggren peaked my interest for our VGK or second rounders.

 

[jkutswings]

Darn iPhone didn’t update to the last page of the thread... my bad. Just getting into draft mode the past week or so. Jake Wise, Akil Thomas, Jack Drury, and Berggren peaked my interest for our VGK or second rounders.

Thomas in particular would be fantastic, but I think he'll be long gone by the time the Vegas pick rolls around. I'm hearing 20ish for his recent ranking.

 

[ChadS]

What are thoughts on Berggren in the 28-36 range? Excellent production but has been flying a bit under the radar.

I think he's now very much on everyone's radar after the U18's, was great there. Of course he could still be pushed down due to his size (small, not tiny). Reminds me of Jesper Bratt in his draft year, or better at least at the SuperElit level. Would have no problem picking him with Vegas pick, but there are a lot of interesting guys in that range.

His teammate Albin Eriksson is someone I think has good potential, and a guy who might fit well in the smaller rink. Big right-handed winger with skill, good skating and some aggressiveness to his game. Kind of reminds me of Patrik Laine the way he carries and handles the puck. Him and Berggren have played together a lot and are great as a duo. If he's there in the 3rd, pick him.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Darn iPhone didn’t update to the last page of the thread... my bad. Just getting into draft mode the past week or so. Jake Wise, Akil Thomas, Jack Drury, and Berggren peaked my interest for our VGK or second rounders.

No problem. I thought it was funny and was feeling too lazy to redo those impressions.

 

[Oddbob]

Admittedly only seen a little of Hughes at the WHC, but he both looked very good, and definitely not out of place against pro players, so not necessarily a bad choice in my opinion.

 

[Oddbob]

Hilariously bad draft rankings! Considers Dahlin Svechnikov 1A/1B and has Svech listed 1st, Veleno at 5, Hughes at 10 and Bouchard way down at 17.

NHL Draft prospect rankings: Rasmus Dahlin or Andrei Svechnikov? It's 1A vs. 1B atop 2018 class

 

[zman77]

NA Central Scouting‏ @MarkSeidel May 16

It was a pleasure being on ESPN Radio with Mike Miller on his "Drive Time" show to
discuss the upcoming NHL Draft. Mike is a legend in the game & it was great to
give some thoughts on the potential Red Wing picks.
**SPOILER ALERT**
It will be Evan Bouchard or Quintin Hughes.

 

[Mister Ed]

I can't overstate how great the content is on TheAthletic and there's an article that just dropped with the top 74 prospects with write-ups on each one.

I really think that Hughes will be the Red Wings' pick. There's also an outside chance of Kotkaniemi. Dobson and Bouchard dropped quite a bit in Pronman's latest rankings, too. I won't spoil anything, though.

 

[ChadS]

Hilariously bad draft rankings! Considers Dahlin Svechnikov 1A/1B and has Svech listed 1st, Veleno at 5, Hughes at 10 and Bouchard way down at 17.

NHL Draft prospect rankings: Rasmus Dahlin or Andrei Svechnikov? It's 1A vs. 1B atop 2018 class

You never know how a draft turns out 5 or 10 years down the road, so there really aren't "good" or "bad" pre-draft rankings. That list is just another opinion, just like yours or mine.

 

[Go Wings]

NA Central Scouting‏ @MarkSeidel May 16

It was a pleasure being on ESPN Radio with Mike Miller on his "Drive Time" show to
discuss the upcoming NHL Draft. Mike is a legend in the game & it was great to
give some thoughts on the potential Red Wing picks.
**SPOILER ALERT**
It will be Evan Bouchard or Quintin Hughes.

I would rather have Bouchard then Hughes.

 

[Hen Kolland]

I can't overstate how great the content is on TheAthletic and there's an article that just dropped with the top 74 prospects with write-ups on each one.

I really think that Hughes will be the Red Wings' pick. There's also an outside chance of Kotkaniemi. Dobson and Bouchard dropped quite a bit in Pronman's latest rankings, too. I won't spoil anything, though.

Keep in mind with Pronman that he evaluates prospects 110% different than teams do. He has even said as much. Anyone still ranking Merkley that high has basically put logic and reasoning aside when it comes to how teams view players. He is ranking them purely on skill and not even widely agreed upon skill, but skills that he perceives to be most important. He doesn't care about intangibles like inner drive or character or leadership qualities, which we obviously are aware that the Red Wings have made a priority recently; he just throws together a list of names of who he thinks might be the next superstar. That being said, I love reading his scouting reports because he does deliver a lot of insight on the players and what they excel at, what they struggle with, but I refuse to look at his rankings as anything close to expectations.

I think we will make a pick that will not cause anyone to come away with a ton of frustration, but with all the volatility of who is ranked where, and by which expert, and why, it will be something that we never really get to feel comfortable with. If you aren't walking away with Dahlin, and to a lesser extent Svechnikov, this draft has the feeling of one that we won't be able to begin to assess until 7-10 years from now...granted that should be the case with all drafts, but this one has that feel more so than others, IMO.

 

[Frk It]

Keep in mind with Pronman that he evaluates prospects 110% different than teams do. He has even said as much. Anyone still ranking Merkley that high has basically put logic and reasoning aside when it comes to how teams view players. He is ranking them purely on skill and not even widely agreed upon skill, but skills that he perceives to be most important. He doesn't care about intangibles like inner drive or character or leadership qualities, which we obviously are aware that the Red Wings have made a priority recently; he just throws together a list of names of who he thinks might be the next superstar. That being said, I love reading his scouting reports because he does deliver a lot of insight on the players and what they excel at, what they struggle with, but I refuse to look at his rankings as anything close to expectations.

I think we will make a pick that will not cause anyone to come away with a ton of frustration, but with all the volatility of who is ranked where, and by which expert, and why, it will be something that we never really get to feel comfortable with. If you aren't walking away with Dahlin, and to a lesser extent Svechnikov, this draft has the feeling of one that we won't be able to begin to assess until 7-10 years from now...granted that should be the case with all drafts, but this one has that feel more so than others, IMO.

The write-ups are good, if nothing else.

I asked him if he could explain ranking Bouchard and Dobson at #18 and #20, hopefully he answers that... because that makes no sense to me.

Really overrating the Euro forwards this year, IMO. Maybe because he was off on Petterson last year, not sure. Having Bokk, Ylonen, and Kratvsov in the top 15 is definitely a bold move.

 

[Hen Kolland]

The write-ups are good, if nothing else.

I asked him if he could explain ranking Bouchard and Dobson at #18 and #20, hopefully he answers that... because that makes no sense to me.

Really overrating the Euro forwards this year, IMO. Maybe because he was off on Petterson last year, not sure. Having Bokk, Ylonen, and Kratvsov in the top 15 is definitely a bold move.

He just looks for the dynamic skill sets of players. He isn't interested in making safe picks, or needs, or positioning. His perfect draft is all about each consecutive pick having the highest chance of being a home run. But to his credit, he does frequently say things along the lines of: "this isn't how I expect or think draft day should play out, just my opinion on who the best prospects are." I guess if you look at it through his lenses, Dobson and Bouchard will never be the high flying, game breaking Erik Karlsson style of defenseman because they aren't equipped or wired to be that style of player. I think we, and a lot of teams, view this as a flawed perspective because there's more than one way to get the job done. Players like Dobson and Bouchard will always have value in the league.

 

[Frk It]

He just looks for the dynamic skill sets of players. He isn't interested in making safe picks, or needs, or positioning. His perfect draft is all about each consecutive pick having the highest chance of being a home run. But to his credit, he does frequently say things along the lines of: "this isn't how I expect or think draft day should play out, just my opinion on who the best prospects are." I guess if you look at it through his lenses, Dobson and Bouchard will never be the high flying, game breaking Erik Karlsson style of defenseman because they aren't equipped or wired to be that style of player. I think we, and a lot of teams, view this as a flawed perspective because there's more than one way to get the job done. Players like Dobson and Bouchard will always have value in the league.

I mean look at all the defenseman who are incredibly effective but do not play like Karlsson does. There are a ton. I get valuing skilled forwards, I usually agree with him there. But I really do not get his defenseman rankings at all this year.