Speculation: 2020 NHL Entry Draft (June 26th-27th, 2020)

[puck stoppa]

There's a group of forwards that I have a hard time ranking...

Jarvis
Quinn
Lundell
Holloway
Mercer
Zary
Amirov

Seems that lots of draft analysts have them bunched together starting at around #10.

Lapierre is intriguing but I think he's too risky for #12. I'd consider him if the Jets traded back several spots and picked up another pick in the early 2nd to hedge their bets.

I see some separation based on my opinion.
I have Lundell Quinn top 10. Then:

Holloway Zary
Mercer Jarvis
Amirov

I’d have Sanderson top 10-11 too. Guhle would be in with Holloway Zary.
And I don’t see a lot of places that have Jarvis Amirov rated that high lumped in with those guys. Jarvis is regularly in the 20s.

 

[puck stoppa]

I’ll post my top 20 again later.

 

[Whileee]

Just because HF Jets lumps players in same tier doesn’t make it true. My guess is a guy slides that has Chevy running to the podium or they have a separation from one or two of the players ranked 11-20. Keep the pick, and pick a good one.

I would also bet that the Jets have some strong preferences, and there's a high likelihood that at #12 there will be a player they really like and won't risk missing him by trading down. They've generally done a good job with first round picks, so I'm interested to see how they approach this. But on the surface, it's hard to see a big separation between players likely to be available at #12, which is why trading down seems like a rational option this season.

 

[puck stoppa]

The more I see of Mercer the more I like:

• Very projectable size
• Solid defensively
• Good tenacity and forecheck ability
• Excellent hands and stickhandler
• good instincts both ways
• Plus shot
• Good passer

The added bonus is that he has apparently played a decent amount of center as well as RW. Could be a player that can be converted to the C position as he has a lot of transferable skills.

He is definitely on my list of players I would be happy with at 12.

I think I would rate him slightly higher than Jarvis now. I think he has more projectable tools and size.

On the flip side the more I see of Zary the less I like. He seems to be your prototypical jack of all trades master of none type player. He does everything well but but nothing elite.

• Average skater
• Solid but not amazing playmaker
• good but not great shot
• Good puck skills
• Good defensively
• Average offensive hockey IQ

Given his average skating I question if its wise to pick him at 12. I don't see a lot of transferable skills offensively. At least with a guy like Holloway he has high end skating to go with good puck skills that might allow him to create seperation at the pro level which will give him a leg up on Zary.

My ideal list for players at 12 I like:

1) Mercer
S) Sanderson
3) Lappierre
4) Jarvis

Next tier

4) Lundell
5) Holloway
6) Zary

Players I would be happy to grab if they slipped in no particular order:

Raymond
Quinn

Our tiers are flipped
Lapierre has potential but I don’t want to include him as he’s risky with injuries.
I will add that Holloway’s offensive potential is under rated, tough to gauge from last year but his numbers and play year before were outstanding.

 

[puck stoppa]

I would also bet that the Jets have some strong preferences, and there's a high likelihood that at #12 there will be a player they really like and won't risk missing him by trading down. They've generally done a good job with first round picks, so I'm interested to see how they approach this. But on the surface, it's hard to see a big separation between players likely to be available at #12, which is why trading down seems like a rational option this season.

There will be one or two on their list that they rank quite higher for sure. There is always separation, you just have to pick the right one. You could get Zboril Senyshyn vs Connor Barzal.

 

[surixon]

Our tiers are flipped
Lapierre has potential but I don’t want to include him as he’s risky with injuries.

Lol, this draft is pretty fluid.

May I ask what it is about Zary, Lundell and Holloway that would have them placed a tier above my tiers?

I personally don't see high end skill in either of the three players and imo they seem like the proverbial safe picks.

Always interested in hearing other opinions as I may have missed something watching them.

 

[puck stoppa]

Lol, this draft is pretty fluid.

May I ask what it is about Zary, Lundell and Holloway that would have them placed a tier above my tiers?

I personally don't see high end skill in either of the three players and imo they seem like the proverbial safe picks.

Always interested in hearing other opinions as I may have missed something watching them.

I mentioned a bit on Holloway above, offense underrated. I like his hands and shot. Hard worker, great skater, I think he can be a second line centre. Think Copp with offense. He works hard and is smart.
I really think hockey IQ is important and I rank it high. It’s why I like Holloway, and especially Zary and Lundell as their hockey IQ stands out. I also like their work ethics, I think they don’t get out worked very often.
Lundell has very high IQ, his shot and offensive numbers don’t get enough appreciation. He’s so well rounded and his knock is offensive ceiling, I’m not as worried. He’s a beast on the wall and plays an unbelievable two way game. He is complete player.
Zary works extremely hard both ways and has great hockey brain as well. He won’t be spectacular but he reminds me of Little, does a lot of little things right. Good two way player that is as good a passer as he is scorer.
All three of these guys are team guys, I think they would compliment our wingers well. The knock on Zary and Lundell is skating. I’ll admit Zary is not a pretty skater but I don’t find him slow. Lundells skating I’m not worried about either, that’s one area he can work on as rest of his game is NHL ready.
I like them, smart, hard working, make team mates better, good hands, good two way games, under rated offense. That’s the similarities I see.
Zary and Lundell don’t get enough love on HF Jets.
We have elite wingers, I think well rounded two way centres with high IQ will compliment them well.

 

[Whileee]

I see some separation based on my opinion.
I have Lundell Quinn top 10. Then:

Holloway Zary
Mercer Jarvis
Amirov

I’d have Sanderson top 10-11 too. Guhle would be in with Holloway Zary.
And I don’t see a lot of places that have Jarvis Amirov rated that high lumped in with those guys. Jarvis is regularly in the 20s.

I have been vacillating on that group.

I think Amirov belongs in the conversation, but I wonder if the Jets might steer clear because of uncertainty around development and signing as a Russian prospect.

Lundell seems like a really solid option, and is a true C. His shot metrics and production in Liiga are really impressive. He reminds me of a more skilled version of Copp or Gustafsson. He might not have that top end offense, but he's so smart that you wonder if he might have some traits like Bergeron. He has a very nice shot with a good release.

Quinn is a bit of a wild card. His leap forward this season was pretty remarkable. I think he has high end scoring talent with very good hands. I've seen some reviews praising his play in all zones. Having another high skill RW wouldn't hurt, considering Wheeler's career stage and Roslovic's potential to either get traded or shifted to C.

Jarvis seems very likely to go higher than 20. He is a riser on every list, based on a huge second half. It's hard to deny his production, but I still wonder if it translates to the NHL. Ehlers was a tier above him in terms of speed and dynamism, in my view.

Zary is appealing because he's played a lot of C, and he has produced. I like his aggressive attitude and swagger, and he does have some nice skills. I'm quite wary of his skating, and how he would produce in other settings (he's on a top WHL line with comparable production to his two linemates). I question his ceiling, but like the idea of adding a skilled C who plays with that jam.

I think Mercer has a really nice skillset. He has very good hands and a nice shot, and good skating mobility. He doesn't shy away from playing the boards or slot areas, and has some intensity. I am not sure he has the same upside as Quinn, but if he could develop into an intense and skilled C, that would be a good addition.

Holloway is really hard to evaluate because of his jump from AJHL to a bad NCAA team. I see good hands and hockey sense on a big, fast, aggressive player. But he might lack the offensive potential of a Jarvis or Mercer or Quinn.

I would be higher on Sanderson and Guhle if I thought they had better offensive skills, or the Jets didn't have Samberg and Heinola in the pipeline.

 

[ps241]

The more I see of Mercer the more I like:

• Very projectable size
• Solid defensively
• Good tenacity and forecheck ability
• Excellent hands and stickhandler
• good instincts both ways
• Plus shot
• Good passer

The added bonus is that he has apparently played a decent amount of center as well as RW. Could be a player that can be converted to the C position as he has a lot of transferable skills.

He is definitely on my list of players I would be happy with at 12.

I think I would rate him slightly higher than Jarvis now. I think he has more projectable tools and size.

On the flip side the more I see of Zary the less I like. He seems to be your prototypical jack of all trades master of none type player. He does everything well but but nothing elite.

• Average skater
• Solid but not amazing playmaker
• good but not great shot
• Good puck skills
• Good defensively
• Average offensive hockey IQ

Given his average skating I question if its wise to pick him at 12. I don't see a lot of transferable skills offensively. At least with a guy like Holloway he has high end skating to go with good puck skills that might allow him to create seperation at the pro level which will give him a leg up on Zary.

My ideal list for players at 12 I like:

1) Mercer
S) Sanderson
3) Lappierre
4) Jarvis

Next tier

4) Lundell
5) Holloway
6) Zary

Players I would be happy to grab if they slipped in no particular order:

Raymond
Quinn

There's a group of forwards that I have a hard time ranking...

Jarvis
Quinn
Lundell
Holloway
Mercer
Zary
Amirov

Seems that lots of draft analysts have them bunched together starting at around #10.

Lapierre is intriguing but I think he's too risky for #12. I'd consider him if the Jets traded back several spots and picked up another pick in the early 2nd to hedge their bets.

Good posts boys

I am a Mercer fan too. I know Dax has his reservations about Dawson’s ability to drive play and how he might have struggled with his transition to Chicoutimi but I less worried.

I think he has all the tools offensively, I love his compete, and also how he reads the game defensively.

Going into draft day I am going to creat my top 12 and break it into the buckets I see with my “fave fallers” I am hoping for. After I get my Black a book I will probably creat my wish list for our pick in the 2nd round. Last time I was hugely passionate about the 2nd round pre-draft was for a raw high school kid named Dylan Samberg I had my eye on.

 

[puck stoppa]

I have been vacillating on that group.

I think Amirov belongs in the conversation, but I wonder if the Jets might steer clear because of uncertainty around development and signing as a Russian prospect.

Lundell seems like a really solid option, and is a true C. His shot metrics and production in Liiga are really impressive. He reminds me of a more skilled version of Copp or Gustafsson. He might not have that top end offense, but he's so smart that you wonder if he might have some traits like Bergeron. He has a very nice shot with a good release.

Quinn is a bit of a wild card. His leap forward this season was pretty remarkable. I think he has high end scoring talent with very good hands. I've seen some reviews praising his play in all zones. Having another high skill RW wouldn't hurt, considering Wheeler's career stage and Roslovic's potential to either get traded or shifted to C.

Jarvis seems very likely to go higher than 20. He is a riser on every list, based on a huge second half. It's hard to deny his production, but I still wonder if it translates to the NHL. Ehlers was a tier above him in terms of speed and dynamism, in my view.

Zary is appealing because he's played a lot of C, and he has produced. I like his aggressive attitude and swagger, and he does have some nice skills. I'm quite wary of his skating, and how he would produce in other settings (he's on a top WHL line with comparable production to his two linemates). I question his ceiling, but like the idea of adding a skilled C who plays with that jam.

I think Mercer has a really nice skillset. He has very good hands and a nice shot, and good skating mobility. He doesn't shy away from playing the boards or slot areas, and has some intensity. I am not sure he has the same upside as Quinn, but if he could develop into an intense and skilled C, that would be a good addition.

Holloway is really hard to evaluate because of his jump from AJHL to a bad NCAA team. I see good hands and hockey sense on a big, fast, aggressive player. But he might lack the offensive potential of a Jarvis or Mercer or Quinn.

I would be higher on Sanderson and Guhle if I thought they had better offensive skills, or the Jets didn't have Samberg and Heinola in the pipeline.

We mostly agree I think. Mercer I’m unsure about, he was inconsistent in my viewings, but lots of people like his game so I trust those opinions too. He fits the Jets mold of leadership hard work etc. I just don’t have the best gauge on him.
I will add that I’m a huge fan of Quinn as I posted long ago. And Sanderson would be a steal a little bit so to speak at 12.

 

[puck stoppa]

Okay, back Inside after playing with the kids, I should add:
Lundell is a top 10 player in this draft, the best description I saw of him was a 25 goal scorer Selke winner if he reaches his potential. I’m not sure why he’s sliding on HF Jets or being lumped in with the others in the teens. His numbers are quite good in that league at that age, not sure why everyone thinks offensive ceiling is low? Is it cause he’s so good defensively that people think that?
I think Holloway would be a fan favourite here. And Zary is just such a complete player, I can’t help but keep bringing up Bryan Little type of guy coaches love to use in any situation.

 

[ps241]

We mostly agree I think. Mercer I’m unsure about, he was inconsistent in my viewings, but lots of people like his game so I trust those opinions too. He fits the Jets mold of leadership hard work etc. I just don’t have the best gauge on him.
I will add that I’m a huge fan of Quinn as I posted long ago. And Sanderson would be a steal a little bit so to speak at 12.

I really like Quinn and Sanderson too.

 

[ps241]

Okay, back Inside after playing with the kids, I should add:
Lundell is a top 10 player in this draft, the best description I saw of him was a 25 goal scorer Selke winner if he reaches his potential. I’m not sure why he’s sliding on HF Jets or being lumped in with the others in the teens. His numbers are quite good in that league at that age, not sure why everyone thinks offensive ceiling is low? Is it cause he’s so good defensively that people think that?
I think Holloway would be a fan favourite here. And Zary is just such a complete player, I can’t help but keep bringing up Bryan Little type of guy coaches love to use in any situation.

My challenge with Lundell is I don’t love what I see with his edge work, stride, or his hands. That being said maybe just maybe he is an ROR type who was never a burner and didn’t look slick either. I love Lundell’s strength and his positioning/defensive game.

 

[puck stoppa]

My challenge with Lundell is I don’t love what I see with his edge work, stride, or his hands. That being said maybe just maybe he is an ROR type who was never a burner and didn’t look slick either. I love Lundell’s strength and his positioning defensive game.

He’s got a good shot, hands aren’t an issue for me. Skating can be improved and with his work ethic I bet he works hard at improving that. Sometimes being quick and always on wrong side of the puck is far worse. He’s not slow, but he’s always on right side of puck too.

 

[ps241]

He’s got a good shot, hands aren’t an issue for me. Skating can be improved and with his work ethic I bet he works hard at improving that. Sometimes being quick and always on wrong side of the puck is far worse. He’s not slow, but he’s always on right side of puck too.

Well if he is there at #12 and we grab him I will be cheering him on for sure.

 

[surixon]

My challenge with Lundell is I don’t love what I see with his edge work, stride, or his hands. That being said maybe just maybe he is an ROR type who was never a burner and didn’t look slick either. I love Lundell’s strength and his positioning/defensive game.

This is what I see as well. Not sure he has the hands or that next gear to excel offensively. I like his smarts and his play without the puck a lot though. I just think we have a lot of that on the team and in the system as well. My preference would be to got for a player with a high ceiling.

 

[puck stoppa]

This is what I see as well. Not sure he has the hands or that next gear to excel offensively. I like his smarts and his play without the puck a lot though. I just think we have a lot of that on the team and in the system as well. My preference would be to got for a player with a high ceiling.

I think his hands are great and his shot is very good. Not sure we have a Selke type centre on this team.

 

[puck stoppa]

Well if he is there at #12 and we grab him I will be cheering him on for sure.

What’s your initial list for top 15?
Mine changes so don’t worry if it’s not a concrete list.

 

[surixon]

I think his hands are great and his shot is very good. Not sure we have a Selke type centre on this team.

Well I think Lowry and Copp are pretty darn good defensively, Gus also has the defensive chops. I think the Selke award is a popularity contest to tell you the truth and don't put much stock in it.

 

[ps241]

What’s your initial list for top 15?
Mine changes so don’t worry if it’s not a concrete list.

I am working on it. The last piece I need is the Black Book which gives me access to more scouting reports from games. That should help solidify my list.

I am taking my time for sure lol.

 

[ps241]

What’s your initial list for top 15?
Mine changes so don’t worry if it’s not a concrete list.

One thing is for sure. I have never been more indecisive on the top 15. Seems like I like but don’t love anyone around that #12 mark.

hell I don’t even love the top 2 as far as traditional top 2 go. Everything comes with an asterisk this draft for me.

 

[surixon]

I mentioned a bit on Holloway above, offense underrated. I like his hands and shot. Hard worker, great skater, I think he can be a second line centre. Think Copp with offense. He works hard and is smart.
I really think hockey IQ is important and I rank it high. It’s why I like Holloway, and especially Zary and Lundell as their hockey IQ stands out. I also like their work ethics, I think they don’t get out worked very often.
Lundell has very high IQ, his shot and offensive numbers don’t get enough appreciation. He’s so well rounded and his knock is offensive ceiling, I’m not as worried. He’s a beast on the wall and plays an unbelievable two way game. He is complete player.
Zary works extremely hard both ways and has great hockey brain as well. He won’t be spectacular but he reminds me of Little, does a lot of little things right. Good two way player that is as good a passer as he is scorer.
All three of these guys are team guys, I think they would compliment our wingers well. The knock on Zary and Lundell is skating. I’ll admit Zary is not a pretty skater but I don’t find him slow. Lundells skating I’m not worried about either, that’s one area he can work on as rest of his game is NHL ready.
I like them, smart, hard working, make team mates better, good hands, good two way games, under rated offense. That’s the similarities I see.
Zary and Lundell don’t get enough love on HF Jets.
We have elite wingers, I think well rounded two way centres with high IQ will compliment them well.

Thank you for the reply.

I wouldn't have any issue with a good two-way center, I just question if either Zary or Hollowy have the skill to be true two-way top 6 centers in the NHL.

Given that most of our wingers are pure finishers I think we need a good skating center that can hold the puck and has the ability to get the puck to our wingers in prime scoring areas. Stastney worked so well here due to his ability to successfully get the puck into the slot with a pretty high degree of frequency.

With regards to the players you mentioned:

I have yet to see high offensive IQ from a player like Holloway. As the video pointed out, matched by my viewings he takes an awful lot of low percentage shots from far out. He also prefers to make the easy high percentage pass which is fine but he also really shied away from trying to put the puck into the high dangerous scoring areas. Nor was he particularly effective at it the few times he tried. I have no issue with his skating, hands and play without the puck but given his reluctance or inability to get the puck into those high dangerous scoring areas I just don't see how he is going optimize the wingers we have here.

Zary shows the ability to win puck and to put the puck into the areas he needs to as a junior allbiet not with the level of frequency I would like to see given the talent he plays with. My main issue is that he isn't quick enough to be the primary puck carrier at the NHL level. His zone entry data isn't great as a junior and will likely not translate that well in the NHL with his current skating ability. I like the Little comparison, but as we have seen our scroring wingers don't really mesh well with Little.

I wouldn't be at all unhappy with Lundell just think he is a bit redundant with Gus already in the system.

 

[puck stoppa]

Well I think Lowry and Copp are pretty darn good defensively, Gus also has the defensive chops. I think the Selke award is a popularity contest to tell you the truth and don't put much stock in it.

Lundell has more offense than all the players mentioned above. Which is where I see him separate from guys you mentioned. We have a lot of good defensive centres but not a defensive centre that can score which is what I think he is. I really like his shot, I think he can finish. Selke trophy example aside, that’s what I see him becoming, we don’t have that, Little was closest thing to that here maybe in his prime.

 

[puck stoppa]

Thank you for the reply.

I wouldn't have any issue with a good two-way center, I just question if either Zary or Hollowy have the skill to be true two-way top 6 centers in the NHL.

Given that most of our wingers are pure finishers I think we need a good skating center that can hold the puck and has the ability to get the puck to our wingers in prime scoring areas. Stastney worked so well here due to his ability to successfully get the puck into the slot with a pretty high degree of frequency.

With regards to the players you mentioned:

I have yet to see high offensive IQ from a player like Holloway. As the video pointed out, matched by my viewings he takes an awful lot of low percentage shots from far out. He also prefers to make the easy high percentage pass which is fine but he also really shied away from trying to put the puck into the high dangerous scoring areas. Nor was he particularly effective at it the few times he tried. I have no issue with his skating, hands and play without the puck but given his reluctance or inability to get the puck into those high dangerous scoring areas I just don't see how he is going optimize the wingers we have here.

Zary shows the ability to win puck and to put the puck into the areas he needs to as a junior allbiet not with the level of frequency I would like to see given the talent he plays with. My main issue is that he isn't quick enough to be the primary puck carrier at the NHL level. His zone entry data isn't great as a junior and will likely not translate that well in the NHL with his current skating ability. I like the Little comparison, but as we have seen our scroring wingers don't really mesh well with Little.

I wouldn't be at all unhappy with Lundell just think he is a bit redundant with Gus already in the system.

I’m not in love with Holloway but I think he will be a good centre. Last year wasn’t the best for him but he’s better than that.
I think Zary is the perfect centre that can get scoring wingers the puck, great play maker with high IQ. He’s not slow, just not a pretty skater. He would fit very well with our wingers.
Plus Lundell is better than Gus. More offense for sure.

 

[puck stoppa]

One thing is for sure. I have never been more indecisive on the top 15. Seems like I like but don’t love anyone around that #12 mark.

hell I don’t even love the top 2 as far as traditional top 2 go. Everything comes with an asterisk this draft for me.

Can’t wait to see it. Not sure how you don’t like the top 2. Laf is elite elite talent. Byfield will be a beast, heck I have Stuztle right up there too.