Prospect Info: 2018 NHL Entry Draft Discussion: Final Countdown! Tomorrow is the big day!

[WTFMAN99]

I've written off Samuelsson. I like the kids game a lot. Just can't see him being a Dubas pick with how they wrote up McLeod in the Athletic. If you have safe concerns about him (who I don't think is actually that safe), than Samuelsson typifies it even more. But, at least he wasn't mentioned by name.

I caught more video, read up even more etc on him and that Ekholm comp seems pretty damn good, I think we could use an Ekholm, we can't have all puck rushers.

Yeah I really like Kaut, but he’s almost a no draft for me at 25 now. Before the heart issue I would have been completely fine to draft him. I know it’s been disclosed it’s not serious, but he would need to be BPA by a fair margin to take him in 1st round.

It would take some good medical people to sign off on him for me to feel okay.

 

[Kiwi]

It's an unknown. I know scouts were speculating on it, but its really a team doctor issue and something most wouldn't talk about at length due to HIPA. I'd love him at 25, and I would hope that means he passed the tests and standards of our doctors. But, if he starts slipping into the 2nd or even to us something might be up. On the Pipeline Show Mark Edwards was saying prior to this he would have been surprised if he slipped past 20, but also voiced that scouts didn't think it was a serious issue. Although, many worry here about scouts being armchair psychologists, the idea of them being armchair cardiologists scares me more.

Leave this one to the doctors, if they give him the all clear i'd pick him in a heartbeat (pun intended)

 

[DavePoulin4PM]

Dubas should be looking to trade up if Bode Wilde falls past 15. He is physical and can provide offense. He is exactly the fit the Leafs need!! We do not need to add more forwards or soft dmen.

 

[PuckLife]

Doesn't necessarily mean it's a leg up for Sandin. Dubas knowing the team so well means he knows Sandin's weaknesses better than anyone. Just doesn't seem like the type of pick he'd make in the 1st, not enough ceiling and isn't really a steal or an exploitation of the market in any sense. Hopefully he's still around in the 2nd though.

Sandin is going in the top 20. Mark my words

 

[DavePoulin4PM]

Sandin is not a fit here. We do not need any more puck moving dmen who play with zero edge to their game.

 

[93LEAFS]

Dubas should be looking to trade up if Bode Wilde falls past 15. He is physical and can provide offense. He is exactly the fit the Leafs need!! We do not need to add more forwards or soft dmen.

I'd say you are looking at the wrong USNTDP defenders then. You should be hoping for Miller or Samuelsson.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Dubas should be looking to trade up if Bode Wilde falls past 15. He is physical and can provide offense. He is exactly the fit the Leafs need!! We do not need to add more forwards or soft dmen.

93Leafs provided some info he interviewed poorly and had questionable conditioning. Follow that up with his bad decision making all year long I think we have to pass. This is coming from a guy that would have been all aboard the Wilde train at the beginning of the season.

Sandin is not a fit here. We do not need any more puck moving dmen who play with zero edge to their game.

Sandin is a good defenseman but apparently is not good at avoiding contact. If a guy is constantly getting flattened along the boards then you worry about his durability.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Just realized Dellandrea and Berggren are among the youngest in the class (won't turn 18 till July). Pretty impressive what Bergs has done.

Other guys:

Albin Eriksson
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Jett Woo
Serron Noel
Ryan Merkley
Nils Lundkvist

 

[Leaf Rocket]

@93LEAFS what is your overview on the draft and surprise picks?

 

[93LEAFS]

@93LEAFS what is your overview on the draft and surprise picks?

Good to see you back around these parts.

I'm actually expecting Kotkaniemi to end up with the Habs. Which will slightly alter the expected top 10. Also think Kravtsov will be a Ranger.

I think this draft is average. Not great, but decent. Terrible if you want a center at the top, but good D depth, and I really like the Euro wingers.

 

[Leaf Rocket]

Good to see you back around these parts.

I'm actually expecting Kotkaniemi to end up with the Habs. Which will slightly alter the expected top 10. Also think Kravtsov will be a Ranger.

I think this draft is average. Not great, but decent. Terrible if you want a center at the top, but good D depth, and I really like the Euro wingers.

Thanks man. Always lurked & got busy, now that Im slowly getting more into this business. As always, appreciate and value your input hence thought I'd ask.

Well Trevor Timmins is a godsend for the habs, always saves their collective behinds...and their development team then screws them up which is another tale..Sergachev...Gally...so I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case. Not great for us though if he turns out good lol.

If this draft is so-so, do you think we'll flip it for something else for a high risk high reward?

 

[93LEAFS]

Thanks man. Always lurked & got busy, now that Im slowly getting more into this business. As always, appreciate and value your input hence thought I'd ask.

Well Trevor Timmins is a godsend for the habs, always saves their collective behinds...and their development team then screws them up which is another tale..Sergachev...Gally...so I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case. Not great for us though if he turns out good lol.

If this draft is so-so, do you think we'll flip it for something else for a high risk high reward?

I've pretty much always been of the belief outside of outlying drafts (for example 2003 and potentially 2015), that there really is no difference between drafts once you remove the top 10 picks. It is just erratic where the gems are spread out. Sometimes you see franchise guys go right at 11 like Kopitar, other times you see them in the 3rd round or later like Benn or Gaudreau. So, I think we can do well at 25 if we see the right guy. I'm hoping for one of the Euro wingers. Particualy Denisenko or Bokk. I would love K'Andre Miller but I've written off that off as a bit of a pipe dream right now.

I'm not sold on Kotkaniemi as a guy with a high likelihood of being a first line center. I think its more like he's a 1b/2a guy similar to Kadri's current role for us.

 

[Grandrift145]

Isac Lunderstrom or Ty Dellandrea please

 

[TheGoldenJet]

The latest Cam Robinson / Dobberprospects list has Hayton going at #18. This would be an ideal scenario for the Leafs, and one they should definitely trade up in.

I think if Hayton is still there past pick #15 Dubas should get on the phone with teams in the 16-19 range and see if there’s any takers.

 

[LeafChief]

I would prefer not to trade up. If anything, I think we should be looking to trade back (all depends on who is available at 25, obviously).

 

[Smif]

The latest Cam Robinson / Dobberprospects list has Hayton going at #18. This would be an ideal scenario for the Leafs, and one they should definitely trade up in.

I think if Hayton is still there past pick #15 Dubas should get on the phone with teams in the 16-19 range and see if there’s any takers.

Skill wise Hayton should be going around 18 but because he's a good sized two way C he'll be going higher, I could see a team reaching and making him a top 12 pick.

 

[Smif]

I would prefer not to trade up. If anything, I think we should be looking to trade back (all depends on who is available at 25, obviously).

I would trade back if the two picks we were getting were top 44, anything after that and I'm not interested. Maybe in a case where it was just a small drop from 25, like 28 and 47 or something but not much lower.

 

[dangomon]

I think Wise is my guy at this point. More offensive upside than Lundestrom (lower floor I'd assume), but seems like a better chance to stick at C when compared to guys like Akil and others. No way Jake makes it to our 2nd, and I don't think it would be a huge reach to get a C with big upside.

 

[43Kadri43]

K’Andre Miller please

 

[BertCorbeau]

Hard for me to focus on a few prospects that I'd like when we're not really sure who will fall to #25. Lots of solid options though by the sounds of it.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Sandin is not a fit here. We do not need any more puck moving dmen who play with zero edge to their game.

The obsession with Sandin is ridiculous. He’s small and slow.

Highly unlikely he will go in the first round.

 

[67Cup]

To be honest, I haven’t followed the lead up to the draft as closely as in previous years. I guess this is what happens with a successful NHL team and a championship AHL squad. This means I don’t know enough to have even an inadequately thought out favourite draft pick.

Maybe I could safely say, however, that the potential picks who sound most interesting to me this year are both Swedes. On the blueline, it would be Nils Lundkvist. A comparison to the much more highly rated Bogqvist makes for some interesting observations there.

The forward who interests me the most would be Jonatan Berggren. His stats and his video clips make it look as if he has a lot of offensive upside. At least one source says he also plays Centre. If he could do so at the next level, it would make him even more valuable.

Just some I’ll informed thoughts

 

[Mikeyg]

guys just think, our second and third round picks in this draft are from san jose via ROMAN POLAK lmaoooooo, i'd love for us to get a stud there too, it would be amazing.

 

[Cor]

Hard for me to focus on a few prospects that I'd like when we're not really sure who will fall to #25. Lots of solid options though by the sounds of it.

It’s why I’m open to trading down. There’s a lot of solid options, so if someone is willing to give us an extra pick or two to move down, I’m all for it.

 

[BertCorbeau]

It’s why I’m open to trading down. There’s a lot of solid options, so if someone is willing to give us an extra pick or two to move down, I’m all for it.

Multiple teams hold multiple late first/second round picks. This is why I think the Leafs will trade down.

Options I'd look at:

- trade down from #25 to #30 with Detroit and pick up one of their early 2nd's (#33 or #36)
- trade down from #25 to #35 with Montreal and pick up two of their 2nd's (#38 and one of #56/#62)
- trade down from #25 to #28 with the Rangers and pick up their earlier 2nd (#39)

Basically the idea would be to try get an extra pick in the 30th-40th OA range via trading down. That would be my goal.