Prospect Info: "Because it's never too early" - 2014 NHL Draft discussion

[Guerzy]

Ya, and final rankings may change after playoffs and under 18 tourney. I even see Bennett going #1 and all top four guys going anywhere, much like when Jones slipped last year. Ekblad could evn fall to #5. There is no lock on the order this year.

Agree. And, maybe a team like Edmonton or the Islanders trade their pick away? who knows. I could see both of these teams wanting to deal those high picks for NHL talent to support their cores and hopefully help finally take a step forward. Lots can happen. I think it could be a pretty eventful draft weekend this year.

 

[ps241]

Quietly?

I fear that Draisaitl will be on the board, and we choose someone else. We'll have to watch GJF closely for signs of severe mental trauma.

At least we will have video footage of GJF that we could title "Chevy's Revenge"! Seriously though with prospects who knows, TNSE may not have Leon in their top 7 because this year is quirky. I like him allot but I do understand we have a draft history of picks that are "our picks" and it has worked out ok.

 

[Rheged]

New NHL.com mocks here.

2 Virtanen's and a Perlini.

 

[Winnipeg Jets]

Not as high on Virtanen. From what I've read he seems like a big body without much hockey sense.

 

[ps241]

Tim Murray Buffalo GM was a solid talent evaluator in Ottawa and here is a nice radio clip where he gives a snippet of the top 5:

Reinhart: Tremendous vision, smartest player on the ice every time I have seen him, does everything right.

Ekblad: "Could" become a franchise defenseman, but not sure if he has the dynamic skating (I think?) for that but either way he is going to be a he11 of a player at the NHL level

Draisaitl: "Best game of the 5 I have seen" (not sure if Tim meant the 5 players or "5" games he has seen from Leon?). Great O zone player, excellent hockey sense, knows where everyone is on the ice without looking, Sticks his a55 out (to shield the puck) and guys roll off it (he says laughing).

Dal Colle; Best release we have seen in a long time at this level. He is going to get allot of goals in the NHL

Bennett: Has allot of what the other two centers have (Leon and Reinhart). Very tenacious, like a bulldog, he will hit, spear, and do what it takes to score and win.

http://d24edc7kaf4agn.cloudfront.net/1268191/41timmurray.mp3?rhihttphost=audio.wgr550.com

some other gems Murray said he wouldn't over rule a scout without seeing a player live and he only uses video as a supplement. He also said although position does matter they get in a room and "as a group" decide who BPA is. He said that because they have allot of D prospects and they may need a centre if a scout didn't have Ekblad at #1 he would ask the question "is this because we are strong already on D and need a centre"?


all in all it is a good listen and only takes a few minutes.

Is it just me or does Bennett sound like a TNSE type guy?

 

[ps241]

At this point getting near or at the 6th overall pick (with a chance at moving up further with the lottery) would be a blessing. The top 5 or so players in this draft appear to be the "prize" players given what we know today. It would be pretty exciting to be in a position to get one of them. Ekblad, Reinhart, Bennett, Dal Colle, Draisaitl, etc. Even after those guys you've still got some exciting young players.

Me personally, I'd love Michael Dal Colle. I think he's got a good nose for the hard areas and doesn't shy away whether it's in front of the net or along the boards, talented, possesses good size for the wing, and could in all likelihood take over for Ladd on LW in a couple years. Dal Colle is just an all around powerful player, I'd love to have him in the organization. He's really showing good tools at this point from his size, speed, scoring ability and dedication to all three zones. And he comes from a strong junior program in Oshawa. He is the player I want, personally.

Good post Guerzy.

A few things "if" we finish 6th I would give it an 80% chance we see one of the guys on your list because I have to think one of Ehlers, Richie, Kapanen, or Nylander could sneak into the top 5 since they all could end up as the best player in this draft (IMHO).

Also here is a quote from a poster from Oshawa where Dal Colle plays on why his is at left wing and not centre.

Forced to be a winger, with Boone, Laughton and Cassels on the team. Looks like he stuck very well at that position - wonder if he tries to go back to C. Have a feeling he stays on the wing, these years in the O have been big in his development; doubt he switches gears.

I am going to have to do a bit more research but is sounds like Dal Colle is a converted C but maybe a hybrid LW-C type. Either way he is a really attractive prospect

 

[Whileee]

Sorry to dampen enthusiasm, but I still have the feeling that the Jets end up with no better than the 7th or 8th pick. Nashville has a brutal schedule, and either Carolina or Ottawa might slide back a bit (though Ottawa has incentive not to tank).

I can't see either the Isles or Flames catching the Jets.

Here's how I think things will shape up in the end.

Top 5 picks (in some order, barring a lottery surprise):
Buffalo
Edm
Fla
Cgy
NYI

Picks 6-10:
Nash
Wpg
Ott
Vcr
Car

 

[ps241]

Sorry to dampen enthusiasm, but I still have the feeling that the Jets end up with no better than the 7th or 8th pick. Nashville has a brutal schedule, and either Carolina or Ottawa might slide back a bit (though Ottawa has incentive not to tank).

I can't see either the Isles or Flames catching the Jets.

Here's how I think things will shape up in the end.

Top 5 picks (in some order, barring a lottery surprise):
Buffalo
Edm
Fla
Cgy
NYI

Picks 6-10:
Nash
Wpg
Ott
Vcr
Car

Although I don't want to get ahead of myself because the Jets have a way of breaking my heart:

I don't like Nashville's schedule but they do have 6 games left to our 4 and they are only 1 point behind and hold the tiebreaker on us. I give them at least a 70% chance of finishing ahead of us (barring a collapse).

Ottawa is tied with us and has 2 games in hand so I give them about an 80% chance of finishing ahead of us barring a collapse. In saying that we both have 27 ROW's so I am not sure who holds the tiebreaker?

Carolina is 1 point up on us with one game in hand and the tiebreaker so I have them about a 70% chance of finishing ahead of us.

If we go on a run right now then all bets are off but short of that I don’t see us finishing ahead of more than 1 of these teams so I think we are 6th or 7th at worse now (before the lottery draw that is).

 

[Channelcat]

What if Chevy goes off the board and picks someone ranked 15th to 20th?
Having a top 5 pick might not make a difference...

Thats pretty much how I see it. May not make a difference whether we pick 6th or 12th. I believe Reinhart, Eckblad and Bennet are a step ahead of everyone else in this draft and after that its a bit of a crapshoot. Would like to see them select Draisaitl, but I have a feeling that would go slightly "off the board" even in the 6th position and go with someone like Fluery, Ritchie, maybe even Tuch or someone else we aren't talking about!

"with the 6th pick, the Winnipeg Jets select out of the US National Development Program, Sonny Milano"

 

[JC Numminen]

It still surprises me to see Ehlers falling so much on the Mock drafts. Looks like he may still be there when we pick

 

[CaptainChef]

Not as high on Virtanen. From what I've read he seems like a big body without much hockey sense.

Absolutely - no to Virtanen. In fact I give those first two guys no credibility with all those big inconsistent guys in the top 10 & Ehlers at 14 & 16. At least Hoffer has Ehlers at 6 and we get Perlini - who I can probably live with.

 

[CaptainChef]

Tim Murray Buffalo GM was a solid talent evaluator in Ottawa and here is a nice radio clip where he gives a snippet of the top 5:

Reinhart: Tremendous vision, smartest player on the ice every time I have seen him, does everything right.

Ekblad: "Could" become a franchise defenseman, but not sure if he has the dynamic skating (I think?) for that but either way he is going to be a he11 of a player at the NHL level

Draisaitl: "Best game of the 5 I have seen" (not sure if Tim meant the 5 players or "5" games he has seen from Leon?). Great O zone player, excellent hockey sense, knows where everyone is on the ice without looking, Sticks his a55 out (to shield the puck) and guys roll off it (he says laughing).

Dal Colle; Best release we have seen in a long time at this level. He is going to get allot of goals in the NHL

Bennett: Has allot of what the other two centers have (Leon and Reinhart). Very tenacious, like a bulldog, he will hit, spear, and do what it takes to score and win.

http://d24edc7kaf4agn.cloudfront.net/1268191/41timmurray.mp3?rhihttphost=audio.wgr550.com

some other gems Murray said he wouldn't over rule a scout without seeing a player live and he only uses video as a supplement. He also said although position does matter they get in a room and "as a group" decide who BPA is. He said that because they have allot of D prospects and they may need a centre if a scout didn't have Ekblad at #1 he would ask the question "is this because we are strong already on D and need a centre"?


all in all it is a good listen and only takes a few minutes.

Is it just me or does Bennett sound like a TNSE type guy?

Either of the Sam's would do just fine but no way they survive the top 5. Sounds like Buff is all over Reinhart actually.

 

[Evil Little]

I realize that no one outside of Jets fans gives a **** about the Jets, but Virtanen doesn't strike me as anything close to a True North pick.

Big? Yes.
Fast? Check.
WHL? Okay.

But, murmurs about his ego, and questions about hockey sense and the consistency of his competitiveness all suggest to me that Cheveldayoff doesn't touch him with Dallas's pick.

 

[Flair Hay]

From a team building standpoint, it's difficult to nail down what our needs will be.

Does Buff get traded, pre or post draft, or at all?

Does Kane get traded? If he does, what is the return we get? Does that affect the type of player we are drafting?

Do we end up trading up or down? That is, on a targeting one player basis, or as part of a bigger deal.

 

[CaptainChef]

Sorry to dampen enthusiasm, but I still have the feeling that the Jets end up with no better than the 7th or 8th pick. Nashville has a brutal schedule, and either Carolina or Ottawa might slide back a bit (though Ottawa has incentive not to tank).

I can't see either the Isles or Flames catching the Jets.

Here's how I think things will shape up in the end.

Top 5 picks (in some order, barring a lottery surprise):
Buffalo
Edm
Fla
Cgy
NYI

Picks 6-10:
Nash
Wpg
Ott
Vcr
Car

Providing we only get 3 of a possible 8 points in our final 4 games, a couple of those teams would have to lose all of their games to beat us out. With 3 points, I say we are a guaranteed 6th or maybe 7th.

However, if we get just one extra point (4 of 8) that a totally different scenario, where we could easily slip to 8-9th.

 

[Evil Little]

Absolutely - no to Virtanen. In fact I give those first two guys no credibility with all those big inconsistent guys in the top 10 & Ehlers at 14 & 16. At least Hoffer has Ehlers at 6 and we get Perlini - who I can probably live with.

True, but his justification for that spot is that Cheveldayoff once again needs Hawerchuk to make his draft pick for him. shakehead)

In any case, I think I'd like Perlini--no issue there.

 

[drumzan]

Although I don't want to get ahead of myself because the Jets have a way of breaking my heart:

I don't like Nashville's schedule but they do have 6 games left to our 4 and they are only 1 point behind and hold the tiebreaker on us. I give them at least a 70% chance of finishing ahead of us (barring a collapse).

Ottawa is tied with us and has 2 games in hand so I give them about an 80% chance of finishing ahead of us barring a collapse. In saying that we both have 27 ROW's so I am not sure who holds the tiebreaker?

Carolina is 1 point up on us with one game in hand and the tiebreaker so I have them about a 70% chance of finishing ahead of us.

If we go on a run right now then all bets are off but short of that I don’t see us finishing ahead of more than 1 of these teams so I think we are 6th or 7th at worse now (before the lottery draw that is).

Tiebreaker is ROW, then games against each other. Ottawa beat Jets both games I believe.

 

[JC Numminen]

Tiebreaker is ROW, then games against each other. Ottawa beat Jets both games I believe.

That is correct.

 

[ps241]

Tiebreaker is ROW, then games against each other. Ottawa beat Jets both games I believe.

That is correct.

music to Jets fans ears

 

[Whileee]

I watch Nyquist play and think that the Jets could really use a player like that - fast, great puck skills, dangerous scorer. There might be a few like that in our range - Ehlers, Kapanen and Nylander.

It might be good to try to nab a couple of top 10 picks this year.

Ehlers / Kapanen / Nylander at #7-8 and then Perlini / Ritchie / Tuch at #9-10.

How? Buff to Anaheim for Ottawa's 1st +.

I would like to keep Kane to play with Scheifele and bring dynamism to the top two lines.

 

[Guerzy]

I watch Nyquist play and think that the Jets could really use a player like that - fast, great puck skills, dangerous scorer. There might be a few like that in our range - Ehlers, Kapanen and Nylander.

It might be good to try to nab a couple of top 10 picks this year.

Ehlers / Kapanen / Nylander at #7-8 and then Perlini / Ritchie / Tuch at #9-10.

How? Buff to Anaheim for Ottawa's 1st +.

I would like to keep Kane to play with Scheifele and bring dynamism to the top two lines.

Interesting thought. I'd really like something more than just the 1st round pick, perhaps a quality depth forward like Kyle Palmieri? Not sure if Anaheim would go for it, or if it's enough coming back to us, but interesting nonetheless.

I could definitely see Anaheim as a potential trading partner or a team who has interest in Kane/Byfuglien, perhaps both..

 

[Whileee]

Interesting thought. I'd really like something more than just the 1st round pick, perhaps a quality depth forward like Kyle Palmieri? Not sure if Anaheim would go for it, or if it's enough coming back to us, but interesting nonetheless.

I could definitely see Anaheim as a potential trading partner or a team who has interest in Kane/Byfuglien, perhaps both..

Sure, Anaheim would have to add something of significance to a 9-10th pick for Buff, I would think.

 

[CaptainChef]

Sure, Anaheim would have to add something of significance to a 9-10th pick for Buff, I would think.

Had so much fun seeing the reactions to the Kane trade proposal, I've put a similar one up for Buff requesting a top 10 plus a quality player/prospect.
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1639347

See what interest there is out there

 

[Flair Hay]

I can't see how Buff and Kane would fetch similar returns.

One is signed for 5 more years, the other 2. One has room to improve, the other is in his prime already with several years of mileage left.

Buff may mean just as much to our team. That doesn't mean someone else will give us the same value in return.

I'd be happy if we got an 8th overall pick alone for Buff. I don't care about what the odds say about players in that range as a whole. I have faith our scouting team would make use of it.

We'd be getting seven years of a cost controlled top ten pick that fits our core's age better.

We'd be giving up two years of a 2D/3RW.

I don't hate Buff at all, but IMO we'd be winning that deal if it was straight up, let alone the Ducks adding. Do the Ducks even want/have a need for Buff? They already have Fowler and Vatanen for their PP.

 

[ps241]

Tonight has got a couple of tough games for our 6th pick.


Montreal is in Ottawa

Nashville is in Anaheim