2018 NHL Entry Draft

[Dr Jan Itor]

Did the USDP have much of anything for d-men last season? He looks to have a NHL floor with high upside player right now. Lots of tools, just needs to find the toolbox?

Yes. Both Bode Wilde and Mattias Samuelsson are probable 1st round picks this summer. Last time that happened it was Trouba and Skjei in 2012.

 

[57special]

Did the USDP have much of anything for d-men last season? He looks to have a NHL floor with high upside player right now. Lots of tools, just needs to find the toolbox?

Don't follow them closely enough, but there has to be at least 3 USDP Dmen who have better technique. Miller isn't a dumb player, just is in a position where he is at a disadvantage because of his very late start playing D. I think he would've been a 1st rounder if he was a forward.

If you try sticking most forwards at D, they look awful. Some simply can't do the physical things very well (i.e. skate backwards, transition, poke check, cover), while others can't get a grasp on the vastly different risk/reward scenarios on D when you are the last man between the puck and the goalie, as opposed to being a freewheeling forward looking for goalz and a hot date after the game.

Ideally, you'd want to pick Miller past the first round. Don't think he'll still be around at BUF's 3rd rounder, but if he is then you have to grab him.

I'd have to say that Wilde didn't impress me much.

 

[SML2]

Anyone on board for the 10PM draft on Draftwired?

http://draftwired.com:8888/apps/dwNHL

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Hi guys. I had Minnesota in the Flyers' board's Mock Draft. For better or worse, here's how it went. Good luck in the real thing.

1 (24) Vitali Kravtsov, RW, Chelyabinsk (KHL) Vitali Kravtsov - Elite Prospects
3 (63) Ondrej Buchtela, D, Chomutov (Extraliga) Ondrej Buchtela - Elite Prospects
3 (86) Gabriel Fortier, LW, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) Gabriel Fortier - Elite Prospects
3 (91) Slava Demin, D, Wenatchee (BCHL) Slava Demin - Elite Prospects
5 (148) Adam Samuelsson, D, USNDTP (USHL) Adam Samuelsson at eliteprospects.com
5 (152) Martin Pospisil, C, Sioux City (USHL) Martin Pospisil at eliteprospects.com
6 (179) Brendan Budy, LW, Langley (BCHL) Brendan Budy at eliteprospects.com
7 (210) Dmitry Semykin, D, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL) Dmitri Semykin at eliteprospects.com

 

[Wabit]

Taking a Russian in the 1st round of that mock made me wonder what GMPF's feelings are towards Russian players.

 

[BagHead]

Hi guys. I had Minnesota in the Flyers' board's Mock Draft. For better or worse, here's how it went. Good luck in the real thing.

1 (24) Vitali Kravtsov, RW, Chelyabinsk (KHL) Vitali Kravtsov - Elite Prospects
3 (63) Ondrej Buchtela, D, Chomutov (Extraliga) Ondrej Buchtela - Elite Prospects
3 (86) Gabriel Fortier, LW, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) Gabriel Fortier - Elite Prospects
3 (91) Slava Demin, D, Wenatchee (BCHL) Slava Demin - Elite Prospects
5 (148) Adam Samuelsson, D, USNDTP (USHL) Adam Samuelsson at eliteprospects.com
5 (152) Martin Pospisil, C, Sioux City (USHL) Martin Pospisil at eliteprospects.com
6 (179) Brendan Budy, LW, Langley (BCHL) Brendan Budy at eliteprospects.com
7 (210) Dmitry Semykin, D, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL) Dmitri Semykin at eliteprospects.com

Thanks for posting here. Lots of Eastern European flavor in that draft. Are you usually a fan of drafting players from that region? In any case, I actually love parts of this draft. Namely I love Kravtsov at 24 and Samuelsson at 148th. That'd be insane for those guys to fall that low.

 

[Ghosts Beer]

Thanks for posting here. Lots of Eastern European flavor in that draft. Are you usually a fan of drafting players from that region? In any case, I actually love parts of this draft. Namely I love Kravtsov at 24 and Samuelsson at 148th. That'd be insane for those guys to fall that low.

Thank you.

I think I got a little lucky with Kravtsov at 24; I don't think people realized how good he was, and he's rising on a lot of draft boards since I made that pick at the beginning of May. I doubt he will fall to 24 in the real thing, but you never know.

As for the Eastern Euro flavor, it's partly a coincidence. Only 3 of the 8 picks played overseas this season (Kravtsov, Buchtela, Semykin). Demin and Samuelsson were both born in America, though their parents are European. Pospisil is Slovakian but played in the USHL this year.

However, I do tend to look for players in the middle rounds who may have been scouted less and overlooked, which sometimes leads to Europeans or players from smaller leagues like the BCHL or USHL. I generally like avoiding the 3 major junior leagues in the mid-to-late rounds.

Thanks again for the input!

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Taking a Russian in the 1st round of that mock made me wonder what GMPF's feelings are towards Russian players.

I'm sure it depends on the player. But Russia clearly wasn't a major source for Nashville's drafting after their issues with Radulov. They basically went away from drafting out of Russia until Kamenev in 2014 - and then they buried him and gave him away.

I hope a future Russo piece will talk about the way the Wild's draft prep has been happening. Confusing times. The scouts and Brent Flahr are under contract but with an uncertain future it has to be hard to invest in the process.

 

[57special]

Only one C in the draft, and in the 5th round, at that? NO,no,no,no,no

 

[Wabit]

I'm sure it depends on the player. But Russia clearly wasn't a major source for Nashville's drafting after their issues with Radulov. They basically went away from drafting out of Russia until Kamenev in 2014 - and then they buried him and gave him away.

I hope a future Russo piece will talk about the way the Wild's draft prep has been happening. Confusing times. The scouts and Brent Flahr are under contract but with an uncertain future it has to be hard to invest in the process.

I was thinking they had a similar aversion to Russians as the Wild had for years, but I wasn't sure.

I don't worry about the scouts for this upcoming draft. They spent the last year looking at this draft class, so I'm guessing they have a vested interest. Next year might be a different story.

 

[dBoon]

Only one C in the draft, and in the 5th round, at that? NO,no,no,no,no

That's the kind of thinking that gets you James Sheppard and Zack Phillips ;-)

 

[BagHead]

That's the kind of thinking that gets you James Sheppard and Zack Phillips ;-)

Oh-ho! You just wait until he grows into his paws!

I mean... feet.

 

[57special]

That's the kind of thinking that gets you James Sheppard and Zack Phillips ;-)

Oh, that's fine then. We'll just play Granlund at C, right?

 

[2Pair]

Oh, that's fine then. We'll just play Granlund at C, right?

I bet you could trade Granlund for a better center than either Phillips or Sheppard.

 

[TaLoN]

I bet you could trade Granlund for a better center than either Phillips or Sheppard.

Granlund already IS a better center than they were.

We shouldn't just blindly draft a center just because he's a center. Grab the player who will be better. They won't be here for several years anyway, there will be other center opportunities.

 

[Digitalbooya]

I’m not necessarily convinced it should be a center. If there’s a group of players all on the same level then sure, be picky. If there’s one clear cut guy and say he just happens to be a defenseman then you’ve got to take him.

 

[nickschultzfan]

That's the kind of thinking that gets you James Sheppard and Zack Phillips ;-)

Maybe Sheppard, but Phillips had about 40 points on the next guy, so hard to say he wasnt BPA.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Maybe Sheppard, but Phillips had about 40 points on the next guy, so hard to say he wasnt BPA.

If you're scouting, the point total is one of the last factors you should consider (especially when a teammate is a lottery guy - Gagner/Kane another example but especially in the Q). Secondly, we know now that Gerard Gallant makes ordinary players look amazing - should have knocked ZP down another round on that factor too.

 

[nickschultzfan]

If you're scouting, the point total is one of the last factors you should consider (especially when a teammate is a lottery guy - Gagner/Kane another example but especially in the Q). Secondly, we know now that Gerard Gallant makes ordinary players look amazing - should have knocked ZP down another round on that factor too.

Not saying Phillips was a good pick. Obviously he never had the drive to fix his skating and puck protection issues. But he was drafted 28th, not top-10. And he was playing at center.

He was not the horrible pick at the time that everybody makes him out to be.

Also, the Wild's error was compounded by taking a player who failed for similiar reasons, Lucia, in the 2nd round.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

Not saying Phillips was a good pick. Obviously he never had the drive to fix his skating and puck protection issues. But he was drafted 28th, not top-10. And he was playing at center.

He was not the horrible pick everybody makes him out to be.

It was a reasonable pick, as I've said, based on his skill level, the consensus rankings, the team needs. It was a bad pick based on the amount of red flags on factors I personally like to use: age, skating, size, teammates, league strength.

Fenton and the Preds I think have largely demonstrated a coherent draft philosophy that works pretty well. Add that to Flahr's skill running drafts (last few seasons - probably NOT 2011) I expect to see some value adds in June.

 

[57special]

So lout of 7 picks, you guys think it's fine that only one C is drafted? And a 5th rounder, at that? How long do you think Staal and Koivu are going to be effective? Ek is the only young C that we have that is a sure fire NHL'er.

 

[2Pair]

So lout of 7 picks, you guys think it's fine that only one C is drafted? And a 5th rounder, at that? How long do you think Staal and Koivu are going to be effective? Ek is the only young C that we have that is a sure fire NHL'er.

I think anyone who goes into a draft thinking that they need to draft x amount of any position, has already failed.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

When you don't have first round picks, it's hard to find guys who can play center in the NHL. Lots of guys look great in junior, and have to switch to wing. So if you narrow your focus you might end up picking the worse player. But should they reach for a Groulx? Or hope that a guy like Kyle Topping is there in the 3rd? Obviously, I'd prefer they take the better player in the first round even if he plays defense. And stop trading 1sts and 2nds for mediocrities.

 

[Bazeek]

So lout of 7 picks, you guys think it's fine that only one C is drafted? And a 5th rounder, at that? How long do you think Staal and Koivu are going to be effective? Ek is the only young C that we have that is a sure fire NHL'er.

I don't think we're likely to be pulling Staal- or Koivu-caliber players out of any of our picks. It's not impossible, but I don't think it warrants prioritizing centers over non-centers.

And for any center we do draft it's going to take enough time to develop them that it'll be hard to consider them a replacement for Staal/Koivu. Eriksson-Ek was drafted 3 years ago and still has a ways to go before he's considered a top-6 center. If we drafted someone this year that develops at a similar rate we're looking at them maybe being ready for top-6 center duties around 2022 or 2023. The center issue is probably going to need a solution sooner than that, either via trade or some combination of Eriksson-Ek and Coyle (maybe Kunin or Greenway?) stepping into those spots.

 

[HollaHaula]

Always go for BPA when drafting. Focusing or having a quota on a certain position causes a team to tunnel-vision and pick worse players. When a team has too many good prospects at a certain position, they can use them to make trades for similarly valued prospects that do fill their needs.

A very good prospect that is not of positional need for your team is still more valuable than an average prospect that is of need.