Draft Pick #158 - NOLAN VESEY, LW

[highslot]

prefer euros simply because bergmann has the best record of all of our scouts imo.

 

[Stephen]

Agreed, we should pick equally irrelevant Canadian kids. Armchair GM's out in force for the later rounds.

The CHL and Swedish junior leagues are higher calibre leagues, so it makes sense to be taking players from that level than high school house leagues...

 

[91Stammer*]

I'm just happy that we seem to be using our picks on players that can pan out to be top 6 forwards and top 4 d-men. I'm sick and tired of going after the high character third line scrubs year after year.

And Don Cherry is gonna be irate. A Swede, a Russian, and 3 Americans.

Don Cherry isn't gonna help this team win SC.

 

[ULF_55]

Hard to get mad in the later rounds, basically;

Pumped about Nylander,

Didn't know much about Rinat, but seems good.

Dakota Joshua seems good from what I read.

Guys like Vesey etc though I just have no clue on and i'll leave it, but you can see it's not just "Let's draft a good fighter who can check a bit"

These later rounds, you hope it happens, only thing I can say is I hope we hit Europe for our last pick, just feel like there is better chances of a gem out there in the later rounds.

Only if you think they will ready for a contract in 2 years.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Only if you think they will ready for a contract in 2 years.

See what they do in Europe, if they've made progress and you like what you see, you bring them over, get them a couple of years in the AHL and go from there.

Sweden/Russia would have appeal to me at this point.

Especially with Russia, I think we have enough pull as a hockey market to get a Russian guy over here.

 

[bigdirty]

If he's anything like his brother, it could be a nice pick. Though it would've been nice if he had been playing in a better league this past season, considering he's already 19.

 

[Tucker93]

Don Cherry isn't gonna help this team win SC.

I'm not saying he would. I can't stand the guy. The sooner that xenophobe is off the air the better.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

The CHL and Swedish junior leagues are higher calibre leagues, so it makes sense to be taking players from that level than high school house leagues...

The Leafs have scouts that go out and see these players play, just because you want Canadian players doesn't mean picking a Canadian kid would have better results. You got your Swedish pick in the 7th round. Have you seen Swedish jr. hockey enough to know it's much better than the USHL? Our first two American picks came from there, not 'high school house leagues' (PS. high school hockey in the states is more competitive than in Canada, and low-level high school hockey in Canada is far higher level than House League having played and seen both. It's certainly a lower level of competition, but calling it house league makes you sound a little silly/uninformed).

 

[showtime8]

I'm not saying he would. I can't stand the guy. The sooner that xenophobe is off the air the better.

How are people on here any better?

Some people are legit mad because the Leafs didn't get a Canadian and they are ripping apart some picks.

Like people have mentioned on here, I'm glad that some of these players will have time to develop in college or another year in the USHL.

 

[JB51Hockey]

I see a lot of USPHL games and can give some insight on this pick.

It was his second draft year and I think he's a good player. Definitely a 6th or 7th round pick. Will be interesting to see how he pans out. Really dominated juniors and will play at a good UMaine team in the winter. He could get 20 points. He's a decently sized forward and has all the basiic fundamentals. Would not be complaining about this pick especially since it's a 6th-rounder.

 

[Warden of the North]

Another pick wasted on an obscure American player

Isnt every pick after about 45 obscure?

 

[SprDaVE]

I see a lot of USPHL games and can give some insight on this pick.

It was his second draft year and I think he's a good player. Definitely a 6th or 7th round pick. Will be interesting to see how he pans out. Really dominated juniors and will play at a good UMaine team in the winter. He could get 20 points. He's a decently sized forward and has all the basiic fundamentals. Would not be complaining about this pick especially since it's a 6th-rounder.

Thanks.

 

[Number13]

This draft is had the highest percent of American born players ever drafted. So those of you whining about our American picks, it was a strong draft for Americans, everyone drafted them. So.. ya know.. shut up.

 

[doncherrysgrill]

I think JB51 and I are really the only USPHL guys on this board so I figured I would stop in too.

Vesey was extremely impressive this past year, one of if not the best player in the USPHL-Premier which is going to be a league that sends a lot of guys to the draft in the next few years. Really good two-way player with offensive upside, definitely a project and could use the 4 years in the NCAA. Kind of kid who after a few years of growing into his body and developing his game could be a nice 3rd line forward professionally. I don't know if he'll stay at U of Maine because of the coaching change but I also haven't heard anything to the contrary. This is definitely a #158 pick though, don't expect anything huge out of the kid.

 

[Jack Bauer]

I don't agree with our logic of getting extra development time from these players just entering the NCAA as a way to help our rebuild.

At this point these Americans have played at levels well below where the Canadians and top Euro's have played at.

If anything going NCAA may expose flaws in their games that we already know those other kids have so why lean so heavily on the NCAA players?

Anyone that follows the CHL regularly can probably throw out 2-3 names from each league that they've seen over the last 2 years be more then worthy of a mid-round pick.

It's very frustrating watching Canadian talent be ignored because of playing against better talent and more polished players.

 

[Johny Drama]

Have to admit, was a little underwhelmed when I saw who we picked in the later rounds but there is no doubt our scouts have done a really good job in recent years uncovering players with potential in mid rounds (Leivo, Connor Brown, Bibeau and Herzog just some examples). Still early, but those 4 look far better than where they were originally drafted. Problem hasn't been our scouting and drafting, its been the trading away of the picks.

 

[CalgaryLeaf*]

I can't remember the last time one of these drafted US college players has worked out for the Leafs..They seem to be a farm system for AHL players...I'd prefer to go after the UDFA US players like Bozak or Danny DeKeyser et al and draft CHL or Euro prospects.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

I can't remember the last time one of these drafted US college players has worked out for the Leafs..They seem to be a farm system for AHL players...I'd prefer to go after the UDFA US players like Bozak or Danny DeKeyser et al and draft CHL or Euro prospects.

Matt Frattin was solid for a 4th round pick, didn't even have to think back that far. Going after UFA college prospects worked for us with Bozak, but as we saw with Dekeyser, not every one of them is going to want to come here when they have many options to choose from. I don't get the uproar over taking some US players with our later picks, especially in a weak draft. Canadian kids bust just as much in the later rounds as these USHL kids (some of whom may end up in the CHL if Leaf management wants them there, as their rights are owned by CHL teams).

 

[Jack Bauer]

Matt Frattin was solid for a 4th round pick, didn't even have to think back that far. Going after UFA college prospects worked for us with Bozak, but as we saw with Dekeyser, not every one of them is going to want to come here when they have many options to choose from. I don't get the uproar over taking some US players with our later picks, especially in a weak draft. Canadian kids bust just as much in the later rounds as these USHL kids (some of whom may end up in the CHL if Leaf management wants them there, as their rights are owned by CHL teams).

The uproar is when you pick 0 Canadians as a Canadian based franchise in a year when Canada wins Olympic Gold and has gone 21 years without one of its franchises winning the Stanley Cup.

Any NHL team should look twice if they go through a draft and manage to not pick a Canadian.

A team like the Leafs with its putrid recent history should be ashamed of themselves but will take the arrogant high road whether hindsight proves them right or wrong.

Matt Frattin was a Canadian kid who just happened to play NCAA after a 49 goal season in Jr A. Much different then picking American high school kids.

 

[Coaches Coroner]

The uproar is when you pick 0 Canadians as a Canadian based franchise in a year when Canada wins Olympic Gold and has gone 21 years without one of its franchises winning the Stanley Cup.

Any NHL team should look twice if they go through a draft and manage to not pick a Canadian.

A team like the Leafs with its putrid recent history should be ashamed of themselves but will take the arrogant high road whether hindsight proves them right or wrong.

Matt Frattin was a Canadian kid who just happened to play NCAA after a 49 goal season in Jr A. Much different then picking American high school kids.

The uproar is silly and most of the Americans we picked were from the USHL. Pretty sure none were from high school, stop making things up to try and legitimize your complaining.

Most of the complaints come from people who know nothing about the draft or prospects, other than what the CHL leagues are.

 

[T_Cage]

The uproar is silly and most of the Americans we picked were from the USHL. Pretty sure none were from high school, stop making things up to try and legitimize your complaining.

Most of the complaints come from people who know nothing about the draft or prospects, other than what the CHL leagues are.

It's not even about Canadians.... The guy I wanted with this pick is a Russian (Tkatchev)

I don't like the Burke/Nonis game of choosing American over Talent. Been happening for years...

Vesey isn't a bad prospect, but there was better on the board. If he had been Canadian or Euro he would have only gotten a camp invite at best...

 

[Coaches Coroner]

It's not even about Canadians.... The guy I wanted with this pick is a Russian (Tkatchev)

I don't like the Burke/Nonis game of choosing American over Talent. Been happening for years...

Vesey isn't a bad prospect, but there was better on the board. If he had been Canadian or Euro he would have only gotten a camp invite at best...

It really hasn't, but people seem to think if they say things enough they will become true.

 

[dwanmaster*]

23 pts in 35 games at Maine this year. 6'2 209lbs.

 

[LolungoReboundo]

23 pts in 35 games at Maine this year. 6'2 209lbs.

but but but american high schooler!

 

[NotSince67*]

At this point aren't all the picks pretty obscure?

His stat line looks good, I like we aren't drafting Ruperts with these picks.

Yeah, Ryan Rupert is having a terrible transition to pro.... I heard he's fallen down the depth chart to later round picks Tyler Biggs and Brad Ross.