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

[realgoodleafs]

Kravstov probably won't be available at 25. I bet he goes to Philly.

 

[Jeypic]

I don’t see us trading back. I think if hunter thought their might be a plateau around our pick, we would have seen our first rounder moved at the deadline, and we would have stayed with the two 2nds.

I guess things could always change but I’d expect us to pick where we’re at. A move up would be exciting though too.

 

[MyBudJT]

A Trade Down Scenerio:

To DET:
25th OA
4th 2019

To TOR:
35th OA
36th OA
160th OA


35th OA: C Jack McBain
36th OA: RD Ryan Merkley (or Calen Addison)
54th OA: C/LW Filip Hallander
85th OA: LD Toni Utonen
118th OA: LD Alexander Romanov
149th OA: C Aiden Dudas
200th OA: C/RW Austin Wong
211th OA: G Jared Moe

 

[Knies iT]

Akil Thomas please.

This team has no prospect depth down the middle.

I'm on board, even if he can't be a C in the NHL, which is what some of his critics are saying.

Reminds me of Suzuki from last draft. The skill, speed, and smarts are all there at a very high level, but what has me high on Thomas is the reports of his leadership abilities and intangibles. Seems committed to developing his 200ft game which is rare for such a skilled kid at the junior level. Not to mention his father was in the farm system way back when so the bloodlines are there.

 

[highslot]

this is looking like a better draft than 2017; i'm more excited by these prospects.

 

[hawkeerox]

A Trade Down Scenerio:

To DET:
25th OA
4th 2019

To TOR:
35th OA
36th OA
160th OA


35th OA: C Jack McBain
36th OA: RD Ryan Merkley (or Calen Addison)
54th OA: C/LW Filip Hallander
85th OA: LD Toni Utonen
118th OA: LD Alexander Romanov
149th OA: C Aiden Dudas
200th OA: C/RW Austin Wong
211th OA: G Jared Moe

I know some people think McBain won't be available by the second round, but I suspect that he will be. Just not generating the confidence in people, so I think he could be picked up at #35 - adding Merkely would be hilarious, as the Leafs would then have one large 2-way C and 1 smaller but faster one-way D-man! Sort of balance each other out, haha

 

[WTFMAN99]

I know some people think McBain won't be available by the second round, but I suspect that he will be. Just not generating the confidence in people, so I think he could be picked up at #35 - adding Merkely would be hilarious, as the Leafs would then have one large 2-way C and 1 smaller but faster one-way D-man! Sort of balance each other out, haha

I liked @93LEAFS suggestion of Samuelsson. Could be a very complimentary partner for a guy like Liljegren down the line.

 

[Kiwi]

I liked @93LEAFS suggestion of Samuelsson. Could be a very complimentary partner for a guy like Liljegren down the line.

I wouldn't mind going the Samuelsson route either but the defensemen in that range are pretty good

There's quite a few guys I'd be interested in

 

[cookie]

Akil Thomas please.

This team has no prospect depth down the middle.

The Dobber Hockey write-up says that he's projected to be more of a winger than a center

Cam Robinson’s 2018 NHL Draft Rankings : Top 100 – March 2018

 

[WTFMAN99]

I wouldn't mind going the Samuelsson route either but the defensemen in that range are pretty good

There's quite a few guys I'd be interested in

Yeah there is. I know where most people will go and say "go BPA" but I really want to see us get a centre and/or defenseman pipeline going, huge as trade commodities and worst case you have cheap players coming in at key positions.

 

[Kiwi]

Yeah there is. I know where most people will go and say "go BPA" but I really want to see us get a centre and/or defenseman pipeline going, huge as trade commodities and worst case you have cheap players coming in at key positions.

I like the defensemen and wingers more than the centers in the mid 20's

I'm of the belief that you can never have to many good defensive prospects

I like a lot of guys for different reasons

Addison is small but moves the puck really well
Samuelsson is really toolsy just like Miller
Woo plays a really solid 2way game

Some solid options

 

[WTFMAN99]

I like the defensemen and wingers more than the centers in the mid 20's

I'm of the belief that you can never have to many good defensive prospects

I like a lot of guys for different reasons

Addison is small but moves the puck really well
Samuelsson is really toolsy just like Miller
Woo plays a really solid 2way game

Some solid options

Woo might be available in the 2nd, concussion seems to have slowed him down. We could trade back, I do agree that the D and Wingers are stronger in this draft then the centres. Centre might be a 2nd-3rd round type thing.

 

[Kiwi]

Woo might be available in the 2nd, concussion seems to have slowed him down. We could trade back, I do agree that the D and Wingers are stronger in this draft then the centres. Centre might be a 2nd-3rd round type thing.

Unless someone falls unexpectedly I wouldn't get to caught up in drafting a center in the first couple of rounds

In a defenseman heavy draft I'd probably be more inclined that way and try to trade one if you get a surplus for a center down the road

Woo won't get anywhere near our second, he's still a late first early second type talent imo, it doesn't hurt that he plays for a team that develops defensive prospects fairly regularly either

 

[WTFMAN99]

Unless someone falls unexpectedly I wouldn't get to caught up in drafting a center in the first couple of rounds

In a defenseman heavy draft I'd probably be more inclined that way and try to trade one if you get a surplus for a center down the road

Woo won't get anywhere near our second, he's still a late first early second type talent imo, it doesn't hurt that he plays for a team that develops defensive prospects fairly regularly either

We'll see how it all works. Nothing we can do except for draft who is there for us at the time.

 

[Kiwi]

We'll see how it all works. Nothing we can do except for draft who is there for us at the time.

BPA but I've got a feeling it's going to be a defenseman maybe a winger but not a center

 

[WTFMAN99]

BPA but I've got a feeling it's going to be a defenseman maybe a winger but not a center

Yeah, centre maybe in the 3rd round the way the draft looks right now.

 

[realgoodleafs]

Yeah there is. I know where most people will go and say "go BPA" but I really want to see us get a centre and/or defenseman pipeline going, huge as trade commodities and worst case you have cheap players coming in at key positions.

Nylander is looking fine at center so I'm less concerned about that position now. It wouldn't be a bad thing to get a stud winger for Matthews.

 

[4thline]

I don’t see us trading back. I think if hunter thought their might be a plateau around our pick, we would have seen our first rounder moved at the deadline, and we would have stayed with the two 2nds.
.

Completely unconnected unless he thinks the plateau reaches as far as one of the 2nds, which is pretty unlikely. The motivation to move back is capitalizing on the opportunity to get a player we'd be fine with at the original spot + pick up another pick. Trading out of the top 45 three months before draft day would not accomplish that.

 

[4thline]

Yeah, centre maybe in the 3rd round the way the draft looks right now.

Eh, it's funny because I've been the one poo-pooing the idea that we don't need wings in the draft but I'd disagree. I'm not particularly enamored with any usual C suspects talked about in the late 1st, but I think that's because I think that there is little to no gap to some of the guys ranked in the early to mid 2nd. Wouldn't bat an eye if we go up on Day 1 and call out Wise or Dellandrea. That's why I'm so in favour of trading back.

 

[Stand Witness]

Anyone else kinda smile when you realize the Leafs kept SJS picks over the Leafs picks but thats because we are actually better than the consistent top 10 Sharks for once?

Also I am once again on team trade down to an early 2nd + unless we somehow get the lowest pick we are eligible to get.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

I still think the Leafs go defense or wing at our pick but for those who want a centre, Ty Dellandrea and Jake Wise are at least playing themselves into the conversation.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Eh, it's funny because I've been the one poo-pooing the idea that we don't need wings in the draft but I'd disagree. I'm not particularly enamored with any usual C suspects talked about in the late 1st, but I think that's because I think that there is little to no gap to some of the guys ranked in the early to mid 2nd. Wouldn't bat an eye if we go up on Day 1 and call out Wise or Dellandrea. That's why I'm so in favour of trading back.

Haha I literally just posted the same thing before reading this. Good call.

 

[Menzinger]

From a long term POV, one could make a reasonable case that a pure skill winger is one of the orgs bigger needs.

Most of the wingers taken the past couple drafts have been grinders and 4ish years down the line the Leafs will likely need a skill injection

 

[The CyNick]

I don’t see us trading back. I think if hunter thought their might be a plateau around our pick, we would have seen our first rounder moved at the deadline, and we would have stayed with the two 2nds.

I guess things could always change but I’d expect us to pick where we’re at. A move up would be exciting though too.

My understanding is teams rarely go into a draft thinking they will trade down. You look at last draft and Liljigren dropped like a stone, and we liked his value so we picked him. You never know who will drop in this draft.

On the flip side you also never know how Hunter and co sees the rest of the draft when it's our turn to pick. We could really like a guy ranked 45, but might think he won't be there in the 2nd round so you take him with the first. We could also like 3-4 guys equally. That's the scenario where you generally see a trade down. But you need another team to value a different player highlyhigh they don't think will be around much longer.

But I think it's more of a reactionary thing than something you plan going into the day.

 

[dangomon]

Does it lookalike Groulx will be available at our pick? I would consider taking a kid like that, good mind and good tools. Seems like he would stick at C, maybe middle-6 upside.