Speculation: Draft Talk, 2018: Picks 1, 32, 94, 117, 125, 156, 187

[UnleashRasmus]

Woo for Pu? Is that really too early. Rasmus Dahlin looks like a beast, even more so than Makar. His skating and hockey sense are off the charts.

 

[EichHart]

This was FC's list:

1). D RASMUS DAHLIN, FROLUNDA (SHL), 6-1, 165
2). RW ANDREI SVECHNIKOV, MUSKEGON (USHL), 6-2, 190
3). LW FILIP ZADINA, PARDUBICE (CZECH), 6-1, 190
4). C JOSEPH VELENO, SAINT JOHN (QMJHL), 6-1, 180
5). D JARED MCISAAC, HALIFAX (QMJHL), 6-2, 210
6). C BRADY TKACHUK, USNTDP U18 (USHL), 6-2, 200
7). D BODE WILDE, USNTDP U17 (USHL), 6-2, 195
8). D RYAN MERKLEY, GUELPH (OHL), 5-11, 170
9). D QUINTON HUGHES, USNTDP U18 (USHL), 5-9, 170
10). LW ANDERSON MACDONALD, SHERBROOKE (QMJHL), 6-2, 205
11). C OLIVER WAHLSTROM, USNTDP U17 (USHL), 6-1, 200
12). D TY SMITH, SPOKANE (WHL), 5-11, 170
13). C BENOIT-OLIVIER GROULX, HALIFAX (QMJHL), 6-1, 180
14). D ADAM BOQVIST, BRYNAS J20 (SUPERELIT), 5-11, 170
15). C JACK MCBAIN, TORONTO JR. CANADIENS (OJHL), 6-3, 185
16). C ALEXANDER KHOVANOV, IRBIS KAZAN (MHL), 5-11, 180
17). D JETT WOO, MOOSE JAW (WHL), 6-0, 200
18). D EVAN BOUCHARD, LONDON (OHL), 6-2, 185
19). C RYAN MCLEOD, MISSISSAUGA (OHL), 6-2, 190
20). LW VLADISLAV KOTKOV, KRASNAYA ARMIYA MOSKVA (MHL), 6-4, 200
21). C AKIL THOMAS, NIAGARA (OHL), 5-11, 165
22). C JAKE WISE, USNTDP U17 (USHL), 5-10, 185
23). D XAVIER BOUCHARD, BAIE-COMEAU (QMJHL), 6-2, 175
24). C TY DELLANDREA, FLINT (OHL), 6-1, 180
25). C ISAC LUNDESTROM, LULEA (SHL), 6-0, 180
26). LW GRIGORI DENISENKO, LOKO YAROSLAVL (MHL), 5-11, 155
27). LW PHILIPP KURASHEV, QUEBEC (QMJHL), 6-1, 185
28). D GIOVANNI VALLATI, KITCHENER (OHL), 6-1, 185
29). D K'ANDRE MILLER, USNTDP U17 (USHL), 6-3, 195
30). D MATTIAS SAMUELSSON, USNTDP U17 (USHL), 6-3, 205

13 D in the top 30, pretty impressive. Hoping we make playoffs in wildcard and grab a falling D like the Leafs did this year.

 

[DolanPlsGoSabres]

When will all the 'no D-man is worth picking at #(wherever we draft)' posts start this year?

 

[Gabrielor]

When will all the 'no D-man is worth picking at #(wherever we draft)' posts start this year?

Liljegren, Chychrun, and Kylington all fell from a combination of rising forward talent stock, and more importantly, questions regarding their hockey IQ.

#2 isn't happening with Dahlin this year.

#1 is always possible, but I don't see a clear forward challenger yet. I've seen a lot of Veleno, and right now, he's a poor man's RNH. Svechnikov looks like a top 10 pick, but I wouldn't commit to anything further.

Non-Dahlin D could see rising and falling, but I don't see him losing 1st overall.

 

[jcbeze]

All in for Dahlin...


via trade!

 

[Dirty Dog]

Yeah, it's kinda useless without seeing who they have ranked #31.

I like the way you think!

 

[Jim Bob]

How many pull-ups can Dahlin do?

 

[jfb392]

Any strong local prospects to keep an eye on this year?

There are no sure picks, but here are a few guys that could end up as late picks:

F Cole Donhauser - Late 99 from Nichols, solid worker type with good sense. Not sure where he's playing next year but committed to Yale.
F Trevor Peca - Son of Michael. Good skater, decent skill, needs to up the pace of his game. Going to Maine in a few years, not sure where he's playing next year.
F Zach Rehbaum - Similar player to Kuntar. Will play for Avon Old Farms next year before heading to Brown University.
F Kevin Wall - Not overly flashy but smart and just scores wherever he goes. Returning to Salisbury, uncommitted.
D Gabe Blanchard - Average sized, smart, mobile D headed to Trinity-Pawling. Uncommitted.
D Jack Tucker - Son of John. Another smart, mobile D with size. Knock on him is that he is soft. Will play for Oakville (OJHL) next year, uncommitted.
G Josh Graziano - Big goalie from Nichols. Playing for Coulee (NAHL) next season, uncommitted. Really all I can say as I don't try to evaluate goalies.
G Ben Kraws - A transplant from New Jersey, but has played for the Jr. Sabres the last few years. Made the US Ivan Hlinka team. Slated to play for the 18U Jr. Sabres as of the Select 17 camp but I suspect that may change. Uncommitted.

 

[CaseyMitts37]

F Trevor Kuntar - Super skilled, great skater. Youngstown tender (essentially they forfeited their 1st round draft pick to sign him), going to Harvard. Probably has the best chance of being selected.

I believe Kuntar isn't eligible until the 2019 Draft, he just turned 16

 

[jfb392]

I believe Kuntar isn't eligible until the 2019 Draft, he just turned 16

Good catch; guess I should probably double check things, as players have a tendency to bleed together now.

 

[Chainshot]

Good catch; guess I should probably double check things, as players have a tendency to bleed together now.

No worries! Thank you for the list.

 

[krt88]

There's a Jett Woo at my wife's school - but not a 6-0 200 defenseman from Moose Jaw!

 

[Jim Bob]

Not bad for a D...

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

When will all the 'no D-man is worth picking at #(wherever we draft)' posts start this year?

Whatever our record, we will be too low for the good D and too high for which ever bum fell from pre-season expectations. Looking forward to another winger that skates well.

 

[EichHart]

2018 probably has the best crop of defensive prospects that I've ever seen since following the league. I'll list the few that right now look like 1st round picks.

1. Rasmus Dahlin
2. Jared McIsaac
3. Ryan Merkley
4. Bode Wilde
5. Mattias Samuelsson
6. Quinton Hughes
7. Adam Boqvist
8. Jett Woo
9. Evan Bouchard
10. Ty Smith
11. K'Andre Miller
12. Xavier Bouchard
13. Noah Dobson
14. Calen Addison
15. Ty Emberson
16. Denis Busby
17. Giovanni Vallati
18. Danila Galenyuk
19. Nicolas Beaudin
20. Alexander Alexeyev

 

[sabresEH]

Woo for Pu? Is that really too early. Rasmus Dahlin looks like a beast, even more so than Makar. His skating and hockey sense are off the charts.

I know this board got a hard on for Makar but we shouldn't be mentioning these two in the same breath. One showed his talents in Jr.A as an undersized d-man with a late birthday. The other has displayed equal or better talents while playing against men in his draft -1 year and has a more projectable frame for the NHL.

 

[Push Dr Tracksuit]

I know this board got a hard on for Makar but we shouldn't be mentioning these two in the same breath. One showed his talents in Jr.A as an undersized d-man with a late birthday. The other has displayed equal or better talents while playing against men in his draft -1 year and has a more projectable frame for the NHL.

And I'm pretty sure all that has been taken into account by saying he's better than makar. Dude went 3oa, dahlin is going 1oa ATM.

 

[Digable5]

I think we need to look at who is most likely to get mono this season. Should we rank them on looks to show greater chance of contracting "the kissing disease"?

No matter what happens during the season, it is still BPA for me. If every defenseman in the organization (player and prospect) died in a plane crash, it would not change my mind.

Picking a player in the early rounds based on NHL position need is the dumbest thing you could ever do. Fill out your NHL roster needs from trade and free agency. Fill out your organizational depth in rounds 4-7.

When I here people say D no matter what, all I can think of is this, "Cook says Bowie was checked so thoroughly that an admission of pain wouldn't have prompted Portland to rethink its draft strategy — which, according to "Dr. Jack" Ramsay, Portland's head coach in 1984, never focused on Michael Jordan. The Blazers, Ramsay says, were well-stocked at Jordan's position. What the team needed was a center who could pass, block shots and run the floor like the willowy kid from Kentucky."

If you needed a center and were set at D, you would pass on Dahlin?

 

[Rowley Birkin]

I think we need to look at who is most likely to get mono this season. Should we rank them on looks to show greater chance of contracting "the kissing disease"?

No matter what happens during the season, it is still BPA for me. If every defenseman in the organization (player and prospect) died in a plane crash, it would not change my mind.

Picking a player in the early rounds based on NHL position need is the dumbest thing you could ever do. Fill out your NHL roster needs from trade and free agency. Fill out your organizational depth in rounds 4-7.

When I here people say D no matter what, all I can think of is this, "Cook says Bowie was checked so thoroughly that an admission of pain wouldn't have prompted Portland to rethink its draft strategy — which, according to "Dr. Jack" Ramsay, Portland's head coach in 1984, never focused on Michael Jordan. The Blazers, Ramsay says, were well-stocked at Jordan's position. What the team needed was a center who could pass, block shots and run the floor like the willowy kid from Kentucky."

If you needed a center and were set at D, you would pass on Dahlin?

Elite or even very good defenceman can rarely if ever be acquired via trade or free agency.

How much better would the pipeline look if we had an equally rated d instead of Nylander or Mittlestadt?

 

[Sabre the Win]

Elite or even very good defenceman can rarely if ever be acquired via trade or free agency.

How much better would the pipeline look if we had an equally rated d instead of Nylander or Mittlestadt?

Since Guhle and Stephens look like sure things to me and the state of our current D's potential looks promising.. we need all the forward help we can get. We have bottom 6ers filling out top 6 wing positions and the pipeline only has one prospect almost ready and thats Nylander.

 

[Digable5]

Elite or even very good defenceman can rarely if ever be acquired via trade or free agency.

How much better would the pipeline look if we had an equally rated d instead of Nylander or Mittlestadt?

Scenerio:

Here is your lineup:


Eichel-Eichel-Eichel
Eichel-Eichel-Eichel
Eichel-Eichel-Eichel
Eichel-Eichel-Eichel

Bogosian-Bogosian
Bogosian-Bogosian
Bogosian-Bogosian

You have to decide between drafting Middletstadt and Timmons. Who do you choose?

 

[Meichel Kane]

Woo for Pu? Is that really too early. Rasmus Dahlin looks like a beast, even more so than Makar. His skating and hockey sense are off the charts.

If Woo has an incredible season and rockets to #1, teams could start being poo for Woo.

 

[SundherDome]

Yeah Dahlin is tank worthy for whatever team wants to start with a #1D as a building block.

Devils should move Schneider to the Flyers for the St. Louis first and tank this year. They could be dangerous with a top pairing dman.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Should we fire up the tank?