2023 NHL Entry Draft Thread (June 28-29, Nashville, TN) -- Who is your choice at 3rd?

[majormajor]

On the podcast Pronman cited his source as Portzline, who's main source is "gut feeling". I'm not sure if Pronman heard from anyone on the inside in Columbus, I bet if he did he would have made it more emphatic.

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if they take Smith, as he is a very highly regarded prospect ranked 4th in Bob's poll of scouts. But I bet Porty and Pronman have nothing here.

 

[VT]

Since Jarmo can surprise, I wouldn't be surprised if he did something none of us expected.

 

[majormajor]

His defensive game improved quite a bit , which Wheeler and Pronman have discussed quite a bit . He’s not physical , more of a stick lift defender , but same goes for Carlsson , he doesn’t remotely play a physical game ..

Smith had games this Spring where he played zero defense, so I don't know what you're talking about. I don't insist that he plays defense with a physical edge, I would like to see him play it at all.

 

[stevo61]

Someday we'll watch a behind the battle episode and Jarmo will nudge JD and say watch me get Grier excited thinking he will land Carlsson and then finally lets in slip through the chain to Portzline that Smith is the pick

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[Cowumbus]

On the podcast Pronman cited his source as Portzline, who's main source is "gut feeling". I'm not sure if Pronman heard from anyone on the inside in Columbus, I bet if he did he would have made it more emphatic.

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if they take Smith, as he is a very highly regarded prospect ranked 4th in Bob's poll of scouts. But I bet Porty and Pronman have nothing here.

Yeah I don’t trust Porty much

 

[5th Line Fanatic]

On the podcast Pronman cited his source as Portzline, who's main source is "gut feeling". I'm not sure if Pronman heard from anyone on the inside in Columbus, I bet if he did he would have made it more emphatic.

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if they take Smith, as he is a very highly regarded prospect ranked 4th in Bob's poll of scouts. But I bet Porty and Pronman have nothing here.

To be fair Porty has been saying watch out for Smith since at least January. He mentioned today, when he would say to CBJ front office about what a good draft year it is with 3 Centers, he would repeatedly hear, "there might be another one in there as good as any of them". He was definitely hearing about Smith from the CBJ and very early in the process. I'd guess he's not heard much about anything from them lately.

 

[Marioesque]

There is one thing Smith has over Carlsson, he is very deceptive with his movements so he's very hard to read for any defenseman. If JD and Jarmo evaluate that as more desirable than what Leo brings then I can see that happening.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Portzline is clueless btw

 

[CBJx614]

His defensive game improved quite a bit , which Wheeler and Pronman have discussed quite a bit . He’s not physical , more of a stick lift defender , but same goes for Carlsson , he doesn’t remotely play a physical game ..

One of those players is willing to go below the hash marks and play through contact, the other doesn't/cant

There is one thing Smith has over Carlsson, he is very deceptive with his movements so he's very hard to read for any defenseman. If JD and Jarmo evaluate that as more desirable than what Leo brings then I can see that happening.

I just don't see that as true. Carlsson is every bit as shifty as Smith is.

I truly don't get the Smith hype, he looks good but he doesn't look next level to me.

 

[Marioesque]

One of those players is willing to go below the hash marks and play through contact, the other doesn't/cant


I just don't see that as true. Carlsson is every bit as shifty as Smith is.

I truly don't get the Smith hype, he looks good but he doesn't look next level to me.

. We'll just have to see what the head office decides, they definitely have more familiarity with the players than I do.

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

I really hope Chicago will draft a guy named Kyrpä Otsassa

Omg lol I missed that completely. Wow. The others aren't really offensive but this one is a bit out there, must be some favor to a Finnish fan or something. (Hard to translate too, means being an a**hole in a tongue in cheek way but you'd never read it in a newspaper.) Edit: Seems like Jiri Curak is similar to this in Czech. I don't really care for JFresh but kudos for this, well done.

All this debate about who to take at #3OA had me reading through our 2016 draft thread. Just makes us remember...none of us really know. Some quotes from just the first four pages of a 33 page thread....

• Perhaps the scouts are preferring a more well rounded player [Puljujarvi] than the "next Ovie?"
• I've always thought there was a good chance Winnipeg could take Puljujärvi. He has always been the number 2 draft prospect, IMO. I actually like him more than Matthews, but that is because I like his game more.
• I'll go so far as to say Matthew Tkachuk is exactly what the CBJ needs instead of Puljujärvi [Not Wendell gets major props for this one]
• [Response to last comment] Yeah, that isn't even close...your statement is just flat out wrong. Puljujärvi is SO much better...Bigger, better skater, more skill (IMO), etc....We are about to draft the best player we have ever drafted. Yes, better than Nash or anyone else we have drafted before
• Jesse is a good bit younger and unlike Tkachuk he's been playing against men. And better at what? He's an infinitely better skater, for one. Imagine Jake Voracek with better shooting and finishing
• I'd rather have Puljujarvi because of his playmaking abilities and if not him I think I'd rather have Dubois because of his versatility
• Tkachuk is more like Rychel if Rychel was more talented with the puck
• Puljujärvi is an absolute steal at 3 IMO. We run to the stage, make the announcement and then celebrate the grand larceny we got away with
• Columbus, if you guys manage to mess this up by not taking Pulju, please mess up in such a way that Pulju does not go to Edmonton. That is all. He deserves better
• I never thought there would be this much debate about this third pick and what we will do
• there is a high probability we end up with a top 8 pick next season [we won 50 games, 24th pick]
• If we leave this draft without taking Puljujarvi, it may be time for me to go back to rooting for the red wings

That 2016 draft thread is something. The takes only get better from page 5 onwards. A good reminder to save the overreactions for the future - we're not going to know how this turns out until a few years from now, regardless of whom we choose...

But you know the biggest shock in that thread? majormajor using the name "major major". Feels wrong, just unnatural. I get wanting to distance oneself from those takes though...

 

[CoachWithNoTeam]

Just don’t be too surprised when it’s Leonard and this was all an elaborate smokescreen to make sure that we got our guy. And 25 hours from now we’re hearing Jarmo say, “we see him as a center”.

I don’t think we know any more about teams’ draft preferences than we did 3 weeks ago.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Personally I wouldn't be surprised if they take Smith, as he is a very highly regarded prospect ranked 4th in Bob's poll of scouts. But I bet Porty and Pronman have nothing here.

Yeah Im there with you. Cbj clearly have Smith somewhere in top 4, but I don't think those guys have any real knowledge. Bob probably knows but he'll only leak it as Jarmo walks to the draft stage.

If I had to bet I'd still guess they'll pick Carlsson, but in my head the chances are something like 40/30/30 between the three.

 

[majormajor]

He mentioned today, when he would say to CBJ front office about what a good draft year it is with 3 Centers, he would repeatedly hear, "there might be another one in there as good as any of them". He was definitely hearing about Smith from the CBJ and very early in the process.

It sure sounds like Smith.

It would be funny if they loved Dvorsky or something (McCagg has Dvorsky 3rd - he and our Trevor Timmins are supposedly best buds).

Or Leonard. In my book he's more of a center than Smith is.

There is one thing Smith has over Carlsson, he is very deceptive with his movements so he's very hard to read for any defenseman.

I think that's probably right, but I didn't see much deception going on against Tom Willander at the U18s. It's hard to judge because Carlsson was doing it vs higher level defenders. Maybe someone can find video of Smith juking Brock Faber, that sort of thing would be compelling to me, if it happened.

Omg lol I missed that completely. Wow. The others aren't really offensive but this one is a bit out there, must be some favor to a Finnish fan or something. (Hard to translate too, means being an a**hole in a tongue in cheek way but you'd never read it in a newspaper.)

I tried google translate and it said "duck on the forehead". How lurid can it be?

That 2016 draft thread is something. The takes only get better from page 5 onwards. A good reminder to save the overreactions for the future - we're not going to know how this turns out until a few years from now, regardless of whom we choose...

But you know the biggest shock in that thread? majormajor using the name "major major". Feels wrong, just unnatural. I get wanting to distance oneself from those takes though...

Oh god, can you all stop reading that thread please.

In my defense I did not "scout" the 2017 draft, I didn't start systematically evaluating prospects and watching whole games until 2020. But that didn't stop me from thinking I knew who was best. Whoops.

Anyways, wouldn't the guy who is the potential Puljujarvi be Fantilli?

Another guy who I screwed up with was in 2013, Jonathan Drouin. Incredible dangle ability in juniors. Is Will Smith the next Drouin?

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Anyways, wouldn't the guy who is the potential Puljujarvi be Fantilli?

The guy has a full beard, so wouldnt be shocked if he was an early bloomer like Puljujarvi. But facial hair is probably not a great standard to draft by

 

[majormajor]

The guy has a full beard, so wouldnt be shocked if he was an early bloomer like Puljujarvi. But facial hair is probably not a great standard to draft by

Personally I like the full beard. Draft a man with a wife and kids!

 

[Sdrawkcab321]

Ugh I guess I have to start talking myself into smith

 

[ThirdPeriodTurtle]

^^ At least he'd have played in the men's league!

I tried google translate and it said "duck on the forehead". How lurid can it be?

Well yeah, just that I guess, I just can't think of a proper English equivalent in tone, it's walking a fine line being a little vulgar and yet tongue in cheek. But I digress, seems there was a few more similar ones on the list that needed some Czech and French language knowledge. Love it.

Oh god, can you all stop reading that thread please.

No, we should immortalize the takes from every draft thread and make it a yearly habit a few weeks before a new draft to look back with hindsight.

 

[Marioesque]

I think that's probably right, but I didn't see much deception going on against Tom Willander at the U18s. It's hard to judge because Carlsson was doing it vs higher level defenders. Maybe someone can find video of Smith juking Brock Faber, that sort of thing would be compelling to me, if it happened.

Yeah that's what gives me pause too.

 

[Jovavic]

Some solid posters in that 2016 thread that no longer come around...Samkow, Tulip, RD, miss them all

 

[CBJx614]

 

[614 CBJ]

13:47

"We watched every game Fantilli and Carlsson played at the World Championships."

Would seem to debunk the social media reports that Columbus will take Smith.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

13:47

"We watched every game Fantilli and Carlsson played at the World Championships."

Would seem to debunk the social media reports that Columbus will take Smith.

That statement says nothing of that sort.

 

[DJA]

13:47

"We watched every game Fantilli and Carlsson played at the World Championships."

Would seem to debunk the social media reports that Columbus will take Smith.

Not in the slightest.