Draft and UDFA Thread 2017-18

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QJL

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Jan 2, 2014
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Very excited about possibly landing one of these top D - if we can get Boqvist or Hughes at #9, oh man would that be a win.

Question - How would you rank the following as prospects:

-Hughes
-Boqvist
-Dobson
-Bouchard
-Heiskanen
-Makar
-Foote
-Brannstrom
-Liljegren

I’ll take a stab at it:

Heiskanen
Makar
Hughes
Bouchard
Boqvist
Dobson
Liljegren
Foote
Brannstrom
 

Pavel Buchnevich

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Dec 8, 2013
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Very excited about possibly landing one of these top D - if we can get Boqvist or Hughes at #9, oh man would that be a win.

Question - How would you rank the following as prospects:

-Hughes
-Boqvist
-Dobson
-Bouchard
-Heiskanen
-Makar
-Foote
-Brannstrom
-Liljegren

Boqvist
Liljegren
Dobson
Heiskanen
Brannstrom
Hughes
Bouchard
Foote
Makar
 

Pavel Buchnevich

Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Dec 8, 2013
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Hughes is the best skater in this draft, period... Not just among D-men... Among D-men his skating is on a completely different level.

He's the best speed skater. Dahlin is an equal or better skater.

Skating isn't just about how fast you are. Compare Aaron Lennon and Lionel Messi. Lennon is an outright faster dribbler. Messi is a considerably better dribbler. Which is harder to defend? The faster dribbler or the better dribbler.
 

Amazing Kreiderman

Registered User
Apr 11, 2011
44,816
40,285
Very excited about possibly landing one of these top D - if we can get Boqvist or Hughes at #9, oh man would that be a win.

Question - How would you rank the following as prospects:

-Hughes
-Boqvist
-Dobson
-Bouchard
-Heiskanen
-Makar
-Foote
-Brannstrom
-Liljegren

Heiskanen
Boqvist
Liljegren
Brannstrom
Foote
Hughes

After this, it's tricky. I don't think Makar will be a great player. I just don't see him make it in the NHL
 

eco's bones

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Jul 21, 2005
25,987
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Elmira NY
The reason I would like us to move the 26thOA up into the teens is to have a shot at someone like Kravtsov or Bokk and there's a few others too but IMO that's where those two are going to go. My thinking is also kind of predicated on us picking a defenseman at 9OA---then get a forward in the teens. If we get one of Dobson, Hughes, Boqvist, Bouchard at 9 and then one of Farabee, Veleno, Kravtsov, Hayton or Bokk in the teens---that would be a great first round and hopefully we still have the 31 too.
 

GoAwayPanarin

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He's the best speed skater. Dahlin is an equal or better skater.

Skating isn't just about how fast you are. Compare Aaron Lennon and Lionel Messi. Lennon is an outright faster dribbler. Messi is a considerably better dribbler. Which is harder to defend? The faster dribbler or the better dribbler.

Hes not.

Dahlin is a better player, but Hughes is on a different level as a skater. Dahlin has equal (or perhaps better) agility, but that is it.
 

GoAwayPanarin

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Skating is not just speed. Change of direction, elusiveness, back-skating is important for a defenseman, power, acceleration.

Yeah and Hughes has the edge in every single one of those categories aside from elusiveness where I'd give Dahlin a slight edge.

There is more to playing hockey than being a superb skater which is why Dahlin is ranked where he is ahead of Hughes and everyone else. That doesn't mean that guys behind him aren't better at certain things than he is.
 

True Blue

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Feb 27, 2002
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But he never gets burned when he pinches at the college level because he’s that good/smart, but people project him to always do it at the NHL where he ‘won’t be able to get away with it as much’ like he’s not actively identifying when is a good and bad time to do it. He’s also great at separating the puck from the other team in the neutral and defensive with his stick, but since he’s not physically throwing people off of it people think he can’t play defense
The concern about his defense has nothing to do with him being a physical masher. And yes, getting away with things against college grads is quite a bit different than getting away with it against NHL pros.
 

Pavel Buchnevich

Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Dec 8, 2013
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Devils signed Yegor Yakovlev from SKA. Opens up more playing time for Rykov with SKA. I thought a year ago that Yakovlev should've tried his hand in the NHL, but he didn't have a good season. I'm not sure he'll make it. I think its borderline, but the Devils defense sucks, so he has a better chance than on most defenses. He was also asked a few questions about Shestyorkin in an interview he did with Igor Eronko.

 

Ola

Registered User
Apr 10, 2004
34,597
11,595
Sweden
I covered this a bit in my Top 31 ranking. For a D skating and playing offense is all about finding open ice.

There have been many NA PMDs struggling the last years. I think a problem these kids have is that they in junior hockey are rewarded for almost always just setting off offensively at full speed, kinda, you can of course not generalize too much but you get what I mean.

Sometimes that is good, even great, but it’s important to remember that the faster you head up ice the lesser time you get. McDavid buys himself time when heading up ice because Ds have to turn and get a safety margin when he gets going. But on any rush a McDavid has at least a good 45 feet head start on any PMD has when the PMD heads up ice on a rush.

I think it’s very important to think through how a PMD can be successful in the NHL and which kids fits those bills.

In general I don’t think anyone picking Q Hughes will regret picking him, at least if you don’t with the benefit of hindsight focus on the few nuggets picked behind him (there will always be someone). Hughes will be liked, entertaining player. But he also scares me a bit. Left handed shot is not a fit a good fit on many PPs. So much of a Ds offense comes from the PP. He isn’t a threat from distance.

My point is this, I love Hughes and think he will become a good player. But — how great must he be to become a top D? From my POV he must be extremely great with his style and physical tools. He isn’t going to pick up pucks in his zone/the neutral zone and just blow past everyone. His biggest strength will have to be hockey sense and awareness. What scares me is that if he develops really well and does a good job overall — he isn’t going to become a Norris candidate. The kid must go through the roof to get there. And he could, I am not saying anything else. But you got to value that likelyhood against the kids around him. But I would be a little careful projecting QHs top abilities into top performance in the NHL.

Just to chip in on Dahlin, QH could probably top him in a few skating tests. But Dahlin’s strength is that he probably could push anyone out there in those skating tests with a phone in his hand playing candy crush while doing the tests. He is a tremendously effortless and deceptive skater. And his top speed is also something else, don’t think QH gets him going around the ice. He should take his knitting gear with him to the combine and pull it out when it’s time for the skating tests. He could do the lap and throw a sock that he knitted on the way to some fans in the stands, amazing K maybe. ;)
 

Joey Bones

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Give Buchnevich his ice time.

If NYR wants a quick rebuild, the way to do that is to turn him into a young cost controlled asset. Not by pouring money into a declining player.

Also, I don't think they're looking at next year type quick. By the time this team is ready to compete again, my guess is that Zucc is going to be playing at a euro league level.

I think we'll leave this at an "agree to disagree" circumstance....
 
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Joey Bones

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With Quinn on board does that increase the odds that we take Tkachuk with #9 pick, if he drops to us.

Also any of you guys have an idea why Boquist's value is reportedly dropping.

Honestly, no. When I saw BU live this year, he fluctuated between the 2nd and 3rd lines while occasionally getting PP time. I'm not too convinced that Quinn trusted him in scoring situations.

Mind you, I've been saying for months that I think Tkachuk is a reach in the top 10....
 

bl02

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Jan 13, 2014
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Of course wanted first rounder next year as well but The way Tampa was playing most likely they weren't beating Vegas so taking 28th overall feels a little better than 30th. I know probably won't make a huge difference but maybe as trade collateral to move up in the first round it might???
So even if we keep 26 and 28 two really nice prospects should be there in a pretty deep draft.
 

Joey Bones

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The funny thing is that even now, there's not a heck of a lot of actual documentation about the alleged concussions.

In some ways, it's almost taken on a life of its own.

I agree with you. I've been biting my tongue about it, but I'd like to hear his entry interview at the combine before forming an analysis.
 

GeorgeKaplan

Registered User
Dec 19, 2011
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Sambrook, for sure. The other two I think would need a developmental camp tryout before anything.
I might have read it here or heard it on a podcast aside about the Panthers prospect going back into the draft this year that the rule of thumb with players entering the draft tends to be they’re taken a round or two after their original draft round. If that’s the case I wouldn’t mind using a 6th/7th on him
 

Joey Bones

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I might have read it here or heard it on a podcast aside about the Panthers prospect going back into the draft this year that the rule of thumb with players entering the draft tends to be they’re taken a round or two after their original draft round. If that’s the case I wouldn’t mind using a 6th/7th on him

You happen to know who?
 

bl02

Registered User
Jan 13, 2014
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yeah, but Tampa was top team in their division and Jets were not.
Once the final 4 is set its based on total points. Division winner or not the team with the higher point total picks 29. Obviously cup winner picks 31 and loser of finals picks 30.
 
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