2018 NHL Entry Draft Thread (Less then 24 Hours Edition)

[NeptunesTrident]

Smoke screens or not this is down to 3 players. Kotkaniemi, Dobson or Zadina.

 

[Shabutie]

Smoke screens or not this is down to 3 players. Kotkaniemi, Dobson or Zadina.

Hughes over Dobson for us imo.

 

[NeptunesTrident]

Hughes over Dobson for us imo.

Hughes may have screwed himself by not doing anything at the combine.

 

[Price4Prez]

I think we will be drafting Dobson. The sexy pick is Zadina, but with no potential top pairing D in the system-im sure they will try to hit another McDonagh type home run.

Wingers are always easier to get via trade or ufa than top Dmen and centers.

 

[G Man 77]

McCagg/Recrutes was the first to start speaking of Kotkaniemi as the probable Habs pick, a long time before anyone else. Now the rest of the analyst are coming in late to join the party.

I don't scout so have to rely on what I read, also important is who is writing it. I see the "visionary" McCagg who took a stand early, the more mainstream guys from the very reputable like McKenzie/Elliott to the less so like Button/Engels saying Kotkaniemi being BPA at 3 is a real possibility.
Then I see other sites/rankings, that can't seem to get away from the player's early season rankings.. sound a lot like "anchoring" in negotiations, initial proposal (ranking) becomes reference point that influences final result. Can't bring themselves to rank top 5 a guy that ranked much lower not so long ago.

So in Kotkaniemi I see a "riser" prospect, concensus top 10 & more every day saying top 5, a young draftee, already playing with men, a Finn (a plus for me), great combine, great U-18.
Most say the separation from 3-10 is minimal, in that context to me it is a no-brainer to then draft for need if you rate them that close. If that close, I also give more value to a C, then D, then W regardless of need. Both point to taking the center.

I don't want to miss on another potential Kopitar, even if a very good pick like Price is out there.. I want the center. Also, better odds of Timmins finding a top 4 D in the second round than a top 2 C. Better odds of landing a top 4 D in a Pacioretty trade than a top 2 C as well IMO.

There are no guarantees in a draft, but you can guarantee you won't have a #1 C if you never draft one when you have the chance.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I can't believe that anyone who's familiar with this organization at all would think Hughes is their pick lol

He's everything they take a stand against.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Who are they smoke screening? People keep throwing this around. There's two people picking ahead of them and neither of them are taking him. Carolina isn't trading down from two and if someone does that they will take Svech.

So Detroit calls us thinking we want Kotkaniemi and tries to trade for our pick to take him? Once they realize we are willing to do this, they hang up because they realize it's a ruse?

The only logical smokescreen would be if they know there is a team picking behind us desperate for a C who are in love with Kotkaniemi and are hoping that team pulls the trigger to trade up to 2 to take him... thus allowing svech to fall into our laps.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Passing on Zadina certainly makes the Domi/Galchenyuk trade make less sense. We now have no legit snipers on the roster...

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Well then... If Kotkaniemi played centre at U18 and was one of the best players in the tournament but played wing all season in Liiga, why is anyone worried about him becoming a wing instead of C. Also, his "skating issues" are way too overrated. He's just an average skater right now. Not elite but not terrible.

Someone is going to have to explain to me why we are considering picking a player with "average skating" at third overall? Has Lindsay Vallis, Eric Chouinard, Brad Brown, etc,. etc. not thought us anything? They say that the sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. In the case of Montreal's drafting history, it is a sign of incompetency. If it was my decision , my simple question to the scouts would be: can the player under consideration's skating ability allow him to be an impact player at the NHL? If there is any equivocation in the response, then pass, pass. Let some other team spend a high draft selection on an 18 year old player who they hope will one day be able to develop greater skating ability. There are several wonderfully talented skaters in this draft. It would be a shame to waste this great opportunity to add a potentially dynamic player to the team on any player that one can only hope will achieve that impact.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Someone is going to have to explain to me why we are considering picking a player with "average skating" at third overall? Has Lindsay Vallis, Eric Chouinard, Brad Brown, etc,. etc. not thought us anything? They say that the sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. In the case of Montreal's drafting history, it is a sign of incompetency. If it was my decision , my simple question to the scouts would be: can the player under consideration's skating ability allow him to be an impact player at the NHL? If there is any equivocation in the response, then pass, pass. Let some other team spend a high draft selection on an 18 year old player who they hope will one day be able to develop greater skating ability. There are several wonderfully talented skaters in this draft. It would be a shame to waste this great opportunity to add a potentially dynamic player to the team on any player that one can only hope will achieve that impact. .

We are essentially going to be gambling that we can make Kotkaniemi a better skater. The guy is a good athlete, and know how to move, he just has a super choppy stride. There's a chance that with some coaching his skating could go from meh to good considering his length and athleticism.

 

[G Man 77]

Is Kopitar a speedster?.. does it prevent him from being an impact player?
Yes you want speed, but if they check every other box.. and their speed is ok but not great at 17.. maybe that doesn't eliminate him from consideration.

If his skating was actually deficient, that's another story. Not the case from all accounts I've seen.

 

[WeThreeKings]

The only logical smokescreen would be if they know there is a team picking behind us desperate for a C who are in love with Kotkaniemi and are hoping that team pulls the trigger to trade up to 2 to take him... thus allowing svech to fall into our laps.

That makes no sense because Carolina isn't giving up Svech.

 

[BeliveauFan4ever]

Someone is going to have to explain to me why we are considering picking a player with "average skating" at third overall? Has Lindsay Vallis, Eric Chouinard, Brad Brown, etc,. etc. not thought us anything? They say that the sign of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. In the case of Montreal's drafting history, it is a sign of incompetency. If it was my decision , my simple question to the scouts would be: can the player under consideration's skating ability allow him to be an impact player at the NHL? If there is any equivocation in the response, then pass, pass. Let some other team spend a high draft selection on an 18 year old player who they hope will one day be able to develop greater skating ability. There are several wonderfully talented skaters in this draft. It would be a shame to waste this great opportunity to add a potentially dynamic player to the team on any player that one can only hope will achieve that impact.

Have thought the same thing.

It's not a baseless concern but it's possibly overblown...

Our draft history haunts, for sure. For a franchise that built it's rep on Cups and firewagon speed, taking 70s Philly Flyer types over the years has both boggled and burned...

In my world, the No. 3 pick isn't "safe" but free of nitpicking that finds a very basic concern.

Kotkaneimi is no plodder, but I'd be lying if I said I have no reservations.

As a Finnish-Canadian, I'd love to see a dynamic Finn join Arturri in the lineup.

But we've got to nail it with that No. 3.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Xavier Bouchard
Xavier Bouchard Scouting Report: 2018 NHL Draft #80 - Last Word on Hockey

Prospects 81-90
2018 NHL Draft Scouting Reports: 81-90 - Last Word on Hockey

 

[Shabutie]

I can't believe that anyone who's familiar with this organization at all would think Hughes is their pick lol

He's everything they take a stand against.

Not sure what you mean. He plays in the NCAA, he's fast, mobile and creative. Not very different than Mete, who appears to be a favorite of the org.

 

[SquiddFX]

I can't believe that anyone who's familiar with this organization at all would think Hughes is their pick lol

He's everything they take a stand against.

Exactly. It's as if no one was paying attention for 6 seasons

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Not sure what you mean. He plays in the NCAA, he's fast, mobile and creative. Not very different than Mete, who appears to be a favorite of the org.

Plus he's American...

 

[Shabutie]

Plus he's American...

He'd also slot on the Left. Dobson is a right hand shot, wouldn't make sense to draft him unless we move Weber/Petry.

 

[Locks]

"But everything I’ve heard since Friday morning is about Kotkaniemi."

Well, that makes sense from the smoke screen perspective. Habs were exploring a trade down a few spots (Arizona, Detroit) and were setting up a smoke screen to lead the other teams to believe they take someone else (Zadina, dman or even Tkachuk) other than Kotkaniemi. But it is very possible the trade talks did not lead to anything and now with the news from Bob that Kotkaniemi appears to be a top 5 prospect and maybe even a BPA at 3, trading down is no longer an option so they are now telegraphing that Kotkaniemi is the pick just like Carolina did with Svech but in a more subtle way.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Well, that makes sense from the smoke screen perspective. Habs were exploring a trade down a few spots (Arizona, Detroit) and were setting up a smoke screen to lead the other teams to believe they take someone else (Zadina, dman or even Tkachuk) other then Kotkaniemi. But it is very possible the trade talks did not lead to anything and now with the news from Bob that Kotkaniemi appears to be a top 5 prospect and maybe even a BPA at 3, trading down is no longer an option so they are now telegraphing that Kotkaniemi is the pick just like Carolina did with Svech but in a more subtle way.

Maybe but Arizona could also be interested to leap frog Ottawa for their prime target.

It is highly speculative on my part but it's not a given Ottawa select Zadina if available they could definately target a defenseman to replace eventually Karlsson.

 

[le_sean]

Maybe but Arizona could also be interested to leap frog Ottawa for their prime target.

It is highly speculative on my part but it's not a given Ottawa select Zadina if available they could definately target a defenseman to replace eventually Karlsson.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Zadina falls like Forsberg did. A surefire Top 5 pick, no questions asked. Get to the draft and each team has just one player rated higher, which could be the case for Zadina. Teams might be more inclined to take a player that has one or two outstanding attributes, whereas Zadina is just all around good with a great shot.

 

[Locks]

Maybe but Arizona could also be interested to leap frog Ottawa for their prime target.

It is highly speculative on my part but it's not a given Ottawa select Zadina if available they could definately target a defenseman to replace eventually Karlsson.

Sure. But Habs will have to have an assurance from Zona that they don't touch Kotka as part of this swap. And how do they guaranty that Ottawa will not take Kotka? They can't afford to just hope, they will have to have a separate deal with the Sens to make sure they don't take Kotka.

Yes, I would not be surprised if Sens take a Dman, makes a lot of sense for them in view of the Karlsson situation.

 

[G0bias]

Oilers media guy, who was at the combine, sees Zadina dropping to 9. FWIW

 

[The Great Weal]

Oilers media guy, who was at the combine, sees Zadina dropping to 9. FWIW

Ya I seriously doubt it

 

[WeThreeKings]

Not sure what you mean. He plays in the NCAA, he's fast, mobile and creative. Not very different than Mete, who appears to be a favorite of the org.

He's small. He takes chances offensively. He isn't strong defensively. His coach didn't trust him at the WJC and he didn't participate in combine testing because he didn't want to.