Hey
@StevenToddIves, people keep on saying its a weak draft and I am wondering if perhaps the lack of scouting sort of cancels that out or not.
2021 is extremely strong at the top with LD and pretty deep throughout. The class is just tremendous at LW in terms of both high-end talent and depth.
However the class is unremarkable at C. The RW depth is far below the 2020 class. And the 2021 class is extremely thin at RD.
I will say that there will be more early "busts" and more late round steals than in recent years, because of the lack of scouting and players playing out of league, or not at all.
For instance, my #11 prospect is Francesco Pinelli. This kid has an elite tool kit, but I've seen him left off first round rankings entirely. Why? Well, no one has f---ing seen him play! Pinelli's OHL season is still in the cooler and he's playing in the AlpsHL. Nobody knows where that is or how to watch it. So, they give up and watch more film of Swedish guys and the QMJHL.
Or how about another higher-than-normal ranking of mine, Isak Rosen? He's a small kid who needs a great deal of strength training, but in normal years that would not be a problem. In normal years, Rosen would be putting up video game numbers playing vs. other kids in the Swedish juniors. But the pandemic caused the J20 to be cancelled, forcing Rosen into the Swedish men's league, where he is physically not equipped to play and barely gets any ice time. It's really hurt his draft stock.
Conversely, the USHL players and SHL players have seen their stock rise. Another of my favorite players -- Mackie Samoskevich -- has been watched intensively by scouts who would usually be more fixated on the OHL. His stock has risen as a result, and deservedly so.
All I can tell you, my friend, is that it's a weird draft year.
