Balej's Mock Draft (2 Rounds)

[bigeasy]

question on caps pick?

[QUOTE
04. Washington Capitals: Rostislav Olesz
26. Washington Capitals (Boston): Kirill Lyamin
30. Washington Capitals (Detroit): Sami Lepisto
34. Washington Capitals: T.J. Hensick
56. Washington Capitals (Boston): David Krejci QUOTE]


curious why you have the caps taking 3 centers(and a 5'9" one at that)
they already have aulin - klepis - laich - krestanovich - sutherby

would think they would add another d-man and some wingers

 

[Fighter]

Considering their number one need prospect-wise is an offensive defenseman, and Mike Green's already taken, I wouldd take that bet, if it weren't for Thelen being available as well. BM IMO will take any one of Green, Thelen or O'Neil if they're available. I could really care less which one it is, as there's no clear cut better prospect out of all three.

I don't agree. BM takes in high regard the size, so a guy like O'Neill would be favoured. But currently it seems the rankings of the three is Thelen, Green and O'Neill and I would follow this to pick one of the three. Green btw is one year older and probaby the most ready of the three to have an immediate shot in the NHL; not bad to have an immediate help at the blueline if you think at the lack of d-man we have.

 

[Jshibley]

I don't agree. BM takes in high regard the size, so a guy like O'Neill would be favoured. But currently it seems the rankings of the three is Thelen, Green and O'Neill and I would follow this to pick one of the three. Green btw is one year older and probaby the most ready of the three to have an immediate shot in the NHL; not bad to have an immediate help at the blueline if you think at the lack of d-man we have.

I like o'neill most of the 3. Meszaros is another defenseman I wouldn't mind the ducks getting......and Yes I agree we need a defenseman the most, but don't be suprised if Getzlafs linemate andrew ladd is availible I think theres a good chance the ducks might draft him.

 

[Fighter]

I like o'neill most of the 3. Meszaros is another defenseman I wouldn't mind the ducks getting......and Yes I agree we need a defenseman the most, but don't be suprised if Getzlafs linemate andrew ladd is availible I think theres a good chance the ducks might draft him.

It would be wonderful to pick Meszaros in the second round, but I don't think he will fall so much.
About Ladd I can't see enough room for him. First time I heard the Ducks could be interested in him, but who knows?

 

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Another poster touted Ellis for the Blues' pick. I don't see it. Unless there's some whiz-bang aspect of his game that's not evident from the stats, I don't see any reason why Eliis would go ahead of Martin Houle (Cape Breton) or Michael Wall (Everett).

Trying to judge prospects by stats is an exercise in futility IMO. If you haven't seen them play or haven't read scouting reports by those who have then you've got nothing.

 

[craig1]

The Jackets could very well select Barker, but IMO they'll go with the BPA and IMO at this point that's Malkin.

Agreed. Malkin is the BPA after Ovechkin. There seems to be a gap in talent between him and 3,4,5. I doubt whomever ends up with #2 drafts Barker, unless it is a need, and some other deal is worked out, a la 2002 top 3.

 

[Prussian_Blue]

Trying to judge prospects by stats is an exercise in futility IMO. If you haven't seen them play or haven't read scouting reports by those who have then you've got nothing.

I don't agree. I think you can make some prettty good inferences from statistical analysis... provided, of course, that you're using the stats as a guideline rather than as the be-all-and-end-all, and that you're charting progress or regression based on stats.

For example, at New Year's, Ellis was 19-11-1 for Shawinigan, with a 3.02 GAA and a .893 save percentage. Since then, he's made 18 starts, gone 10-5-1, reduced his GAA to 2.83 and raised his save percentage to .903. So I can see by those stats that there is some basis for Ellis' rise in the esteem of scouts and draft watchers.

Something that escaped me, however, until I started tracking stats for all goalies, was that Gatineau's Gabriel Bouthillette (at 6-04, 200 pounds) has gone undefeated in his last 16 starts since Halloween, going 12-0-1 with a 1.81 GAA and a .924 save percentage (from 2.70 GAA to 2.13, and .889 to .911 save percentage). He's the backup in Gatineau, but that size and those numbers point to him being a better prospect than the 15th (mid-term) ranking in North America would indicate.

Sorry, guys, but I live in Rockford, Illinois, and the amount of hockey information we get through the regular media here is virtually nonexistent. The local UHL team gets very spotty coverage (good one day, a couple of grafs the next), and you never hear about college hockey despite the presence of a pretty good and well-respected UW-Madison club an hour to the north (with Blues' prospect Ryan MacMurchy).

By contrast, the basketball team at UW went to the NCAA tourney, and that got front-page coverage...

Tracking stats, and drawing inferences from them, are almost all I that have to go on. The wife frowns on my spending hundreds of dollars to subscribe to McKeens, RedLine, Russian Prospects, etc., and no one wants to put scouting reports out on the 'Net for free, so what's a draftnik to do?

PrussianBlue

 

[Jshibley]

It would be wonderful to pick Meszaros in the second round, but I don't think he will fall so much.
About Ladd I can't see enough room for him. First time I heard the Ducks could be interested in him, but who knows?

Don't get me wrong, I have not read anywhere that the ducks are intrested in Ladd either. but I would imagine the duck scouts have seen a lot of him when they go to watch to see how getzlafs coming along. They play on the same line, and allready have great chemistry. Like I said before I want a defeneseman because thats what the ducks lack, but if we did get a forward i think Ladd would be a great choice. I am not sure if Meszaros will be around still in the second round, but i guess anything is possible.