NHL Entry Draft Future Draft Watch

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

My God does the top of 2023 look absolutely nuts.

 

[MatchesMalone]

I like Alexei Dontsov (White #9) a lot for the 2024 draft. This was from the 2019 World Selects Invitational U13s. Western Canada walked all over the rest of the field, starring the top two (Berkly Catton and Maklin Celebrini) plus four of the top seven (Jordan Gavin and Tomas Mrsic) scorers in the tournament. But then they came up against Alexei Dontsov in the Final.


Some edges and then a hit.


Some powerplay time.


Creates a couple chances and eventually a goal.

https://youtu.be/wpCDfVBz2Y8?t=3005
Welcome to the Alexei Dontsov Show.

https://youtu.be/wpCDfVBz2Y8?t=5015
With some speed, agility, vision.

https://youtu.be/wpCDfVBz2Y8?t=6109
And the overtime Golden Goal.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[saskriders]

My God does the top of 2023 look absolutely nuts.

Part of me wants another year in the tank lol.

 

[MatchesMalone]

Haven't seen much talk about Mikhail Gulyayev yet. At Hlinkas he was the lone defenseman on Russia's top PP unit as a 16 year old. Now he's putting up the best offensive season ever by a U17 defenseman in MHL, by a landslide.

 

[MatchesMalone]

I started scouting the 2023 class in earnest this past week or so. Figured I'd try a ranking, now that I've seen everyone in my top ten at least once.

1. Connor Bedard C - I'll just come right out and say it: I think both of the top two are generational prospects. Bedard's greatest strengths are hockey IQ, explosiveness, and his shot. Parts Teemu Selanne and Joe Sakic the way he can at times explode into and other times seem to suddenly materialize in scoring areas just as the puck is going there.
2. Matvei Michkov RW - The human highlight-reel. Greatest strengths are quickness, skating agility and deceptiveness. But his shooting, passing, speed, IQ are all elite.
3. Leo Carlsson C - Another December birthday, he's a hulking center with a dangerous skillset who can operate at high levels in limited space-time. Already looks physically strong at the SHL level. Currently sits 2nd in SuperElit this year in p/g by a U18, only behind Liam Ohgren. Also 2nd in SHL p/g by a U18, only behind Lekkerimaki.
4. Adam Fantilli C - Not the most astonishing numbers, but this kid is just a real piece of work. Meat and potatoes power forward with major skill and bite. I honestly thought he was Canada's best player at YOGs over Savoie.
5. Dalibor Dvorsky C - Goal-scoring center with lightning-quick hands; uses his teammates well, knows how to find openings and doesn't need much of one to score.
6. Lukas Dragicevic RD
7. Charlie Stramel C
8. Will Smith C
9. Quentin Musty LW
10. Mikhail Gulyayev LD

 

[Cosmix]

I started scouting the 2023 class in earnest this past week or so. Figured I'd try a ranking, now that I've seen everyone in my top ten at least once.

1. Connor Bedard C - I'll just come right out and say it: I think both of the top two are generational prospects. Bedard's greatest strengths are hockey IQ, explosiveness, and his shot. Parts Teemu Selanne and Joe Sakic the way he can at times explode into and other times seem to suddenly materialize in scoring areas just as the puck is going there.
2. Matvei Michkov RW - The human highlight-reel. Greatest strengths are quickness, skating agility and deceptiveness. But his shooting, passing, speed, IQ are all elite.
3. Leo Carlsson C - Another December birthday, he's a hulking center with a dangerous skillset who can operate at high levels in limited space-time. Already looks physically strong at the SHL level. Currently sits 2nd in SuperElit this year in p/g by a U18, only behind Liam Ohgren. Also 2nd in SHL p/g by a U18, only behind Lekkerimaki.
4. Adam Fantilli C - Not the most astonishing numbers, but this kid is just a real piece of work. Meat and potatoes power forward with major skill and bite. I honestly thought he was Canada's best player at YOGs over Savoie.
5. Dalibor Dvorsky C - Goal-scoring center with lightning-quick hands; uses his teammates well, knows how to find openings and doesn't need much of one to score.
6. Lukas Dragicevic RD
7. Charlie Stramel C
8. Will Smith C
9. Quentin Musty LW
10. Mikhail Gulyayev LD

2023 draft would be a great year for the Senators to win the lottery.

 

[MatchesMalone]

2023 draft would be a great year for the Senators to win the lottery.

Lol wouldn't it though. Really thinking/hoping we'll be a playoff team by next year though.

Does look like a hell of a draft, even beyond those top two. Funny how this draft will make up for the major weaknesses in the 2022class. The thing about the 2022 class is that most of the elite skilled players are under 6'0, and especially at center there's a severe dearth of centers with both the skill and projectable size be play that position in the NHL. Cooley is elite but maybe not the guy you want as 1C on a contender. Geekie is the only one. After that the next best 6'+ centers are a pretty significant step down in McGroarty, Gaucher, Belluz, Kasper.

The 2023 draft is stacked with what we used to call "Western Conference centers" (is that still a thing?), led by Carlsson, Fantilli and Stramel. Will Smith and Dvorsky aren't huge but at least 6'0, and I didn't even have room to fit Braden Yager or Calum Ritchie on my top ten.

 

[LeProspector]

The Ottawa area has 2 real good ‘06 players eligible for the 2024 draft, and both should go high in the OHL draft this year.
Nathan Villeneuve and Benjamin Cormier.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Lol wouldn't it though. Really thinking/hoping we'll be a playoff team by next year though.

Yea, worst case for next year should be barely missing the playoffs. Can't afford to miss it anymore. We have all the components for a contender, we shouldn't worry about acquiring more talent.

Elite star talent(in conversation top 5 in their position ability):
Stutzle (1C) (im hoping/confident)
Chabot (1D)

Top line/pairing talent:
Batherson (1R) -- Could be in above group in prime.
Sanderson (2D) -- Could be in above group in prime.
Tkachuk (1 L) -- Could be in above group in prime.

High end top 6ers/top 4:
Norris (1B)
Zub (3D)

Excellent complementary/possible high end top 6:
Brown (2R)
Pinto(2B)
Formenton(2/3L)
Greig(2/3L)
Thomson (4D)

What we should really hope for is winning the lottery this year.

Wright/Slafkovsky/Nemec/Jiri would be final realistic piece

 

[bashbros32]

I know this is a draft thread, and I am hoping we get the lottery win and snag Slafkovsky or Geekie as the final piece to our top 6.

Also, a number of people have been mentioning that our young small offensive ld doesn't have a place on the team... but I beg to differ.

Next year we could have:

Chabot - Zaitsev
Sanderson - Zub
Brannstrom - Holden

Then in 2023 we could have:

Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - Thomson/JBD
Kleven - Zaitsev/Brannstrom

Then when Zaitsevs contract is up:

Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - Thomson/JBD
Kleven - Brannstrom/JBD

That's potentially 7 NHL quality D

And with drafting Slafkovsky or Geekie, we eventually get a lineup of:

Tkachuk - Norris - Batherson
Slafkovsky - Stutzle - Boucher
Formenton - Pinto - Brown
Paul - Kelly/Kastelic - Sokolov

Chabot - Zub
Sanderson - Thomson/JBD
Kleven - Brannstrom

Murray
Gustavsson/Sogaard/Merilainen

Edit: forgot to mention, Brannstrom used to be "more comfortable" on the right side, pairing him with Kleven and swapping him back there in a few years may just work out in everyone's favour.

 

[MatchesMalone]

Leo Carlsson went down to J20, had 6 points the other night. He's now tied with Robert Nilsson for 10+ game p/g by a U18, just ahead of Liam Ohgren this year. A December birthday, Leo Carlsson is a year younger than both of them were/are. And did I mention he's 6'3 and looks like a super mutant?

 

[RAFI BOMB]

2025 Draft Eligible:
Bill Zonnon at eliteprospects.com


Lynden Lakovic at eliteprospects.com