2023 Draft Thread (Lottery Drawing 05/08/23 8PM)

[Doggy]

He’s killing it. He might make the discussion for number one overall interesting if he keeps this up. Although Bedard is killing it as well.

 

[Doggy]

Hey Scott, how about a goal and another three assists last night. He now has 5 Goals and 15 Points in six games. That's just silly. Oh, and winning 61% of his faceoffs.

 

[Cowumbus]

Hey Scott, how about a goal and another three assists last night. He now has 5 Goals and 15 Points in six games. That's just silly. Oh, and winning 61% of his faceoffs.

Can’t wait to watch him in Cleveland this year. OSU vs Michigan outdoor game tickets are still pretty cheap.

 

[I3LI3]

wrote this in the dumais thread but..
if I’m jarmo and co. I’m doing what it takes to draft vidicek. him and dumais’ chemistry is surreal even if it is at the CHL level.

sure he’s a smaller centerman, but drafting Vidicek is a must to me.

 

[koteka]

if I’m jarmo and co. I’m doing what it takes to draft vidicek.

I’m on board just to hear Rimer try to say “Vidicek passes to Voracek who gives it back to Vidicek.”

 

[stevo61]

wrote this in the dumais thread but..
if I’m jarmo and co. I’m doing what it takes to draft vidicek. him and dumais’ chemistry is surreal even if it is at the CHL level.

sure he’s a smaller centerman, but drafting Vidicek is a must to me.

He was draft eligible last season wasn't he? Dumais is already a big ? in terms of NHL potential, this kid would be a real long shot and I dont think their chemistry means anything long term.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I’m on board just to hear Rimer try to say “Vidicek passes to Voracek who gives it back to Vidicek.”

Back to the point to Jiricek...

 

[Cowumbus]

wrote this in the dumais thread but..
if I’m jarmo and co. I’m doing what it takes to draft vidicek. him and dumais’ chemistry is surreal even if it is at the CHL level.

sure he’s a smaller centerman, but drafting Vidicek is a must to me.

He would be drafted as an over ager.. he was eligible to be drafted last year (18 years of age before Sept). So maybe 4-7th round pick but IMO should not be counted as part of the “2023 draft class”

However, since we are talking overagers, I like this kid:

2022 NHL Entry Draft: Top 10 Underrated WHL Prospects - The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More

Get to know the Top-10 underrated Western Hockey League (WHL) prospects available in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft,

thehockeywriters.com

 

[majormajor]

Whoever wins the #2 pick is going to have an interesting choice. Michkov won't come over until 2026. But I still think he's a much better player than Fantilli and Leo Carlsson. I expect those two to both be #1Cs but I expect Michkov to be even better. Perhaps it's like choosing between Eric Staal and Patrick Kane, where you have to wait three years for Kane.

If the Jackets are picking second then I think they go Fantilli. They need a 1C now and he has a good chance of reaching that level for a year or two before Michkov becomes available. It might be different if we were at the start of a rebuild but we should be close to the end now, we already have prime age star players ready to go and the D should improve in the next couple years.

If the Jackets are picking third and Fantilli goes second, then I might lean Michkov. Leo Carlsson looks like he'll be a 1C to me but he might need a few years to get to that level anyways.

 

[Cowumbus]

Whoever wins the #2 pick is going to have an interesting choice. Michkov won't come over until 2026. But I still think he's a much better player than Fantilli and Leo Carlsson. I expect those two to both be #1Cs but I expect Michkov to be even better. Perhaps it's like choosing between Eric Staal and Patrick Kane, where you have to wait three years for Kane.

If the Jackets are picking second then I think they go Fantilli. They need a 1C now and he has a good chance of reaching that level for a year or two before Michkov becomes available. It might be different if we were at the start of a rebuild but we should be close to the end now, we already have prime age star players ready to go and the D should improve in the next couple years.

If the Jackets are picking third and Fantilli goes second, then I might lean Michkov. Leo Carlsson looks like he'll be a 1C to me but he might need a few years to get to that level anyways.

I don’t know. Leo Carlsson is already 6’2” 185lbs playing in the SHL, that’s bigger than Elias Petterson now. It is VERY rare for guys to even play in the SHL in their draft year, let alone get the ice time and production that he has.

Petterson stepped in D+2 and had 60 points, I don’t think it’s outlandish to say Carlsson could get 40 in his D+1 year.

 

[majormajor]

I don’t know. Leo Carlsson is already 6’2” 185lbs playing in the SHL, that’s bigger than Elias Petterson now. It is VERY rare for guys to even play in the SHL in their draft year, let alone get the ice time and production that he has.

Petterson stepped in D+2 and had 60 points, I don’t think it’s outlandish to say Carlsson could get 40 in his D+1 year.

Carlsson could get 40 or 50 pts as a rookie center, I'm sure. That doesn't move the needle in the Michkov comparison. If a guy is a 1C as a teenager then I'll take him over Michkov. If he's a 2C and doesn't become a 1C until age 21 or later then we should just take Michkov, we don't have a problem finding 2Cs.

 

[ColumbusTrill]

I don’t know. Leo Carlsson is already 6’2” 185lbs playing in the SHL, that’s bigger than Elias Petterson now. It is VERY rare for guys to even play in the SHL in their draft year, let alone get the ice time and production that he has.

Petterson stepped in D+2 and had 60 points, I don’t think it’s outlandish to say Carlsson could get 40 in his D+1 year.

Aren’t we having a pages long discourse on how we are rushing all of our prospects? Are these guys that good to where they should be in the NHL a few months after they are drafted?

 

[EspenK]

Whoever wins the #2 pick is going to have an interesting choice. Michkov won't come over until 2026. But I still think he's a much better player than Fantilli and Leo Carlsson. I expect those two to both be #1Cs but I expect Michkov to be even better. Perhaps it's like choosing between Eric Staal and Patrick Kane, where you have to wait three years for Kane.

If the Jackets are picking second then I think they go Fantilli. They need a 1C now and he has a good chance of reaching that level for a year or two before Michkov becomes available. It might be different if we were at the start of a rebuild but we should be close to the end now, we already have prime age star players ready to go and the D should improve in the next couple years.

If the Jackets are picking third and Fantilli goes second, then I might lean Michkov. Leo Carlsson looks like he'll be a 1C to me but he might need a few years to get to that level anyways.

I don't agree with the bolded. To complete the rebuild we need to have a top pair D to match with Zach (hopefully Jiricek is that but who knows), a definite 1C & 2C(again maybe KJ & Sillinger fill this but again who knows), goal tending is still an ongoing question mark, Jake & Nyquist are gone in a year or two. I'd be more inclined to say the rebuild(tool) is somewhere in the middle of a work in progress. The prospect pool is strong(supposedly, time will tell).

If there is a true 1C candidate available I'd take him.

 

[majormajor]

Aren’t we having a pages long discourse on how we are rushing all of our prospects? Are these guys that good to where they should be in the NHL a few months after they are drafted?

At least a few of them are, yes. There's at least 4 guys that would easily go #1 in either of the last two drafts.

 

[majormajor]

I don't agree with the bolded. To complete the rebuild we need to have a top pair D to match with Zach (hopefully Jiricek is that but who knows), a definite 1C & 2C(again maybe KJ & Sillinger fill this but again who knows), goal tending is still an ongoing question mark, Jake & Nyquist are gone in a year or two. I'd be more inclined to say the rebuild(tool) is somewhere in the middle of a work in progress. The prospect pool is strong(supposedly, time will tell).

If there is a true 1C candidate available I'd take him.

A completed rebuild doesn't mean every single lineup hole is filled. It means you're close enough that you go for it. And Fantilli himself is the #1C, we have the topline wingers more than sorted. We may or may not have a top pair RD next year, but you have to try and win.

The Bruins are the #1 team in the league at the moment and their D group isn't pretty right now without McAvoy. If they didn't have him should they be rebuilding?

In any case, I think most of the Jackets problems aren't really because of top of the lineup vacancies. We can put out a great 5 man unit. A couple good checking forwards would make a huge difference. Maybe a puckmoving upgrade on D can be found (and they are often found cheaply). Swapping Werenski out at PPQB for a high end PPQB (think DeAngelo or Gostisbehere types, who were cheaply acquired) might also make a big difference. The type of players we need are not actually that costly to acquire. They can be hard to identify but it's feasible and we don't have an excuse not to try to win.

 

[Byrral]

There is a difference between a team rushing prospects to the NHL vs. a team keeping a top young talent who may be close to being NHL ready already and whom they may have limited pro options available to them. It's not a zero sum game.

 

[Cowumbus]

Aren’t we having a pages long discourse on how we are rushing all of our prospects? Are these guys that good to where they should be in the NHL a few months after they are drafted?

Yes. But guys like McDavid, Bedard, Kane are ready year 1.

 

[tunnelvision]

 

[Cowumbus]

In a world where the Jackets draft 4OA, and the top 3 selections are Bedard, Fantilli, Carlson, what do you do at 4? Trade the pick, reach for Yager, take Michkov, something else?

 

[majormajor]

In a world where the Jackets draft 4OA, and the top 3 selections are Bedard, Fantilli, Carlson, what do you do at 4? Trade the pick, reach for Yager, take Michkov, something else?

Michkov.

You think Yager is going to be a superstar before 2026?

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Michkov.

You think Yager is going to be a superstar before 2026?

Yeah agreed. Michkov is still the #2 best prospect in the draft. He'll be a game changer for the team that gets him whenever he enters the league. I'm open to taking Fantilli and Carlson ahead because the team needs 1C asap, but no one else comes close right now

 

[Cowumbus]

Michkov.

You think Yager is going to be a superstar before 2026?

Yes I do.

 

[Toe Pick]

Seems like one helluva year to suck which given the standings, is the one silver lining so far.

However do not EVER underestimate the CBJ way, Jackets fans. They will play themselves just out of the top tier of this draft and lose the lottery. Book it as it's as certain as death and taxes.

 

[majormajor]

Yes I do.

I don't know Yager as well but I can imagine him following an Aho type development curve and popping right around the same time Michkov comes over. Any earlier progression than that would be nuts. Maybe he's that good though, I don't know.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

In a world where the Jackets draft 4OA, and the top 3 selections are Bedard, Fantilli, Carlson, what do you do at 4? Trade the pick, reach for Yager, take Michkov, something else?

I wanna say Michkov but it's so hard to project his availability. He's (imo) the best player in the draft – it's a coin flip between him and Bedard, but I think Michkov's game ends up translating better to playing in the NHL because of his vision.

I think Bedard ends up making more of an NHL impact over the term of their careers, only because he'll have a three-year head start. Everyone saw the impact Kaprizov had in Minnesota, changing the complexion of their team – Michkov is even better.

Personally, I'd lean toward the gamble being worth it, but they'd still have their pick of top-line talent at that spot. Not just Yager, I'd be very interested in a guy like Ritchie or Sale or Dvorsky in that spot.

My dream "I'm going to cope with the miserable start to the season by playing god in NHL 23 GM mode" scenario is this:

1. Add extra picks (mid/late 1st) at the deadline (Gus, Jake, Gavy, Peeke all options to move)
2. CBJ gets a top five pick, takes their franchise center (Bedard, Fantilli, Carlsson, Yager, Ritchie or Dvorsky)
3. Michkov falls out of the top 10 due to contract uncertainty
4. CBJ trades the extra picks + a couple of prospects to move back up to get Michkov too