2018 NHL Entry Draft Thread

Joe Hallenback

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I thought McBain/Veleno/Fortier were so good at the Hlinka. I think all 3 raised there draft status. Too bad McBain isn't going to the OHL he might be in that top 3 talk if he did. Veleno looked to me for the 1st time a real top 3 player.

I like Woo he was a rock. Vlasic type game. Merkley was up and down, he can pick up up out of your seat one moment and look terrible the next. McIsacc was better as the tournament went along but I was a little underwhelmed. None of them look as good as Dahlin yet.
 

Joe Hallenback

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Not 2018, but I got to watch Justin Sourdif over the weekend. He good.

Sourdif was Vancouvers 3rd overall selection and he is really good. His teammate Payton Mount was selected by Seattle in the 1st round. Sourdif is a bigger kid right now I expect him to play in the WHL above 6 foot.
 

Daximus

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I thought McBain/Veleno/Fortier were so good at the Hlinka. I think all 3 raised there draft status. Too bad McBain isn't going to the OHL he might be in that top 3 talk if he did. Veleno looked to me for the 1st time a real top 3 player.

I like Woo he was a rock. Vlasic type game. Merkley was up and down, he can pick up up out of your seat one moment and look terrible the next. McIsacc was better as the tournament went along but I was a little underwhelmed. None of them look as good as Dahlin yet.

McBain, Kupari, Veleno all looked really solid. Agree with Woo, he plays that shutdown and transition game so well. Merkley has a lot to work on but has massive offensive upside. McIsaac looked bad IMO. Hasn't really taken a step forward.
 

Constable

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veleno/khovanov/mcbain are the only centers we have a chance at that i like

k'andre miller/hughes/bouchard are great defenders
 

Daximus

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veleno/khovanov/mcbain are the only centers we have a chance at that i like

k'andre miller/hughes/bouchard are great defenders

As far as centers go..
In order to get Veleno or McBain I predict we likely have to miss playoffs. Veleno is likely a top 5 pick. McBain is probably going top 15 I bet. Kupari is another who is probably going to be a top 15 pick. Khovanov is apparently out for 6 months so his stock could potentially drop.

If we plan on making playoffs we probably have a shot at Groulx, Burzan, McShane, Kurashev, McLeod, Thomas and Dellandrea that I like so far, all of which are likely middle 6 C types. Though I think Kurashev could be a riser. Though any of them could propel their stock with a good season. Haven't had as long of a look at some of the center prospects in Europe.
 

bogostick

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Why is Merkley ranked so low? I see he is-42 while having a ton of offense. Is he not good in his own end?
 

Daximus

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Craig Button's rankings

Assming we'll draft around 10-24, I'd love me some Merkley, Woo, Wahlstrom or Smith

Buttons always puts a huge amount of stock into international tournaments. This list is basically a who's who of the Hlinka tournament.
He typically levels out a bit before the WJC, where some guys, mostly Euro players get a huge boost (Juolevi).

I think Merkley/Hughes/Boqvist all go high based on their offensive potential.

My top 31 as of now.

1. Dahlin
2. Svechnikov
3. Veleno
4. Zadina
5. Tkachuk
6. Boqvist
7. McBain
8. Kupari
9. Merkley
10. Hughes
11. Smith
12. Khovanov
13. Woo
14. Addison
15. Wilde
16. Kurashev
17. McIsaac
18. Thomas
19. Wahlstrom
20. Eggenberger
21. Kotkaniemi
22. MacDonald
23. Skarek
24. McShane
25. E. Bouchard
26. McLeod
27. Zavgorodny
28. Farabee
29. Burzan
30. Miller
31. Wise

HM: Groulx - not sure yet where to rank this kid.

I expect Khovanov to drop after being diagnosed with Hepatitis. McBain will need a big year in the OJHL to stay high on the rankings. McIsaac is an odd one for me that while I don't like to put a lot of stock into international tournaments he looked really bad at the Hlinka. A good season for Halifax could bump him up.
 

Daximus

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Why is Merkley ranked so low? I see he is-42 while having a ton of offense. Is he not good in his own end?

He's really really bad defensively. Something he definitely needs work on to round out his game. I'd say he has some of the highest offensive potential out of any defender in this draft. Might be the best overall skater as well.
 

DoingItCoolKiwi

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Buttons always puts a huge amount of stock into international tournaments. This list is basically a who's who of the Hlinka tournament.
He typically levels out a bit before the WJC, where some guys, mostly Euro players get a huge boost (Juolevi).

I think Merkley/Hughes/Boqvist all go high based on their offensive potential.

My top 31 as of now.

1. Dahlin
2. Svechnikov
3. Veleno
4. Zadina
5. Tkachuk
6. Boqvist
7. McBain
8. Kupari
9. Merkley
10. Hughes
11. Smith
12. Khovanov
13. Woo
14. Addison
15. Wilde
16. Kurashev
17. McIsaac
18. Thomas
19. Wahlstrom
20. Eggenberger
21. Kotkaniemi
22. MacDonald
23. Skarek
24. McShane
25. E. Bouchard
26. McLeod
27. Zavgorodny
28. Farabee
29. Burzan
30. Miller
31. Wise

HM: Groulx - not sure yet where to rank this kid.

I expect Khovanov to drop after being diagnosed with Hepatitis. McBain will need a big year in the OJHL to stay high on the rankings. McIsaac is an odd one for me that while I don't like to put a lot of stock into international tournaments he looked really bad at the Hlinka. A good season for Halifax could bump him up.

At least Wahlstrom is still there for me. However, I do fear that he'll become a winger on pro level, like Connor did. I also like Farabee but wingers are the last thing Jets need at this point.
 

Daximus

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At least Wahlstrom is still there for me. However, I do fear that he'll become a winger on pro level, like Connor did. I also like Farabee but wingers are the last thing Jets need at this point.

Yeah with all the talent at C and D I hope we opt for them. Their value is higher and they are abundant in this draft. If we managed to get far in the playoffs I wouldn't even be opposed to taking Skarek with a late 1st.
 

Daximus

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Kotkaniemi is a riser to watch IMO

Definitely although he is highly regarded by some. I personally think Kupari is better as a center. Kupari is more of the two-way playmaker type. Kotkaniemi is more of a shooter.

I really think Kurashev will be a big riser. Kid is a great offensive talent and a beast on the faceoff dot.
 

csk

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Definitely although he is highly regarded by some. I personally think Kupari is better as a center. Kupari is more of the two-way playmaker type. Kotkaniemi is more of a shooter.

I really think Kurashev will be a big riser. Kid is a great offensive talent and a beast on the faceoff dot.

Good stuff!

I haven't seen any of kurashev yet, so thanks for the tip!
 

Daximus

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Good stuff!

I haven't seen any of kurashev yet, so thanks for the tip!

Last year he went head to head against Hischier and completely shut him down in the game I watched. Owned him in the dot too. His offensive upside is decent but I think his defensive upside is where he will shine. Could be a great pickup for the Jets in the late 1st.
 

DoingItCoolKiwi

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Think we could trade this first round pick for a playoff boost.

Unless we somehow manage to look like contenders during regular season, I don't think trading the 1st rounder is worth it. 2nd or 3rd rounders would be fine. The Brian Boyle trade Leafs did was brilliant imo
 

Daximus

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Think we could trade this first round pick for a playoff boost.

Unless we somehow manage to look like contenders during regular season, I don't think trading the 1st rounder is worth it. 2nd or 3rd rounders would be fine. The Brian Boyle trade Leafs did was brilliant imo

Yeah I don't think it's worth it yet. Unless we are at the top of the league standings and a crazy opportunity presents itself and even then it would have to be a pretty solid player.
I'm not for mortgaging the future on the present until we are a contender. Last thing we should do is trade a good pick and then miss the playoffs.
 

Mortimer Snerd

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Yeah I don't think it's worth it yet. Unless we are at the top of the league standings and a crazy opportunity presents itself and even then it would have to be a pretty solid player.
I'm not for mortgaging the future on the present until we are a contender. Last thing we should do is trade a good pick and then miss the playoffs.

Even for a contender it is bad asset management. It is only worth it for a cup. Not for a shot at the cup. Every year a bunch of teams make bad TD deals. Only one of them wins it and that is often not helped by the TD deal.

This year is touted as a particularly strong and deep draft. If any year is a good time to part with the first this isn't it.
 

DoingItCoolKiwi

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Even for a contender it is bad asset management. It is only worth it for a cup. Not for a shot at the cup. Every year a bunch of teams make bad TD deals. Only one of them wins it and that is often not helped by the TD deal.

This year is touted as a particularly strong and deep draft. If any year is a good time to part with the first this isn't it.

What's your definition of being a contender?

Just confuses me that you said, a contender making a move to have a shot for the cup is bad asset management, when I think every team considered a contender is already at a position where they have a good shot for the cup
 

ps241

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What's your definition of being a contender?

Just confuses me that you said, a contender making a move to have a shot for the cup is bad asset management, when I think every team considered a contender is already at a position where they have a good shot for the cup

Not putting words in Morts mouth here but I have considered the Ducks a contender for the last few seasons and if you look at how the Ducks have approached trade deadline GMBM is very reluctant to part with his first round pick. This year was the first time he did it and even then it was conditional. On the flip side teams like Chicago LA were more aggressive and would trade their first rounds to win now. If a team is going deep in the playoffs that first round pick carries less value to so one has to weigh all factors.
 

heilongjetsfan

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Hoping you're right about the likelihood of not being in a position to select that high but part of me is just expecting the worst. Like the continued parade of dumb penalties coupled with poor penalty killing. A scenario where Mason badly busts here. It's not like it's never happened before where a coveted free agent doesn't work out for one reason or another.

Not to mention poor coaching utilization of players, a sophomore slump from Laine. And I didn't even mention a sequel to Injury Infirmary part 2.

So I guess I'm saying there's still a chance. I'm not buying they're going to make a big enough jump in the standings.
I think a lot of our penalties and injuries are at least partially because of certain players getting too many minutes. Guys are tired and taking shortcuts and we get burned for it. I think we have the depth now to avoid those situations.
 

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