Prospect Info: Team Board Mock Draft

[MinJaBen]

Vladislav Kolyachonok is my choice for the 'Canes #1 Pick for the 2019 NHL Draft.
Seen him play several times for the London Knights before being moved to Flint.
2018-19 Team: Flint Firebirds (#18); Date of Birth: May 26, '01, Left-D-Man.
Place of Birth: Minsk, Belarus; Ht: 6’2” Wt: 181 lbs.
“Kolyachonok is an intelligent player. His positioning in the defensive zone is very sound. His skating allows him to angle opponents off – difficult to beat one-on-one. He uses a very active stick to defend and closes lanes smartly and quickly. His transitioning from defence to offence is excellent. He has the ability to skate out of danger and out of the zone, but he is also capable of making an excellent first pass. He is also a left shot defender who plays as strong on his off side.” – Dominic Tiano/OHL Writers
https://thehockeywriters.com/vladislav-kolyachonok-2019-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

A left D as our 1st pick? I mean, I don't want to take advantage of a fellow Canes fan and all but....do you want to put some money on that?

 

[zman77]

A left D as our 1st pick? I mean, I don't want to take advantage of a fellow Canes fan and all but....do you want to put some money on that?

no problem MinJerkBen:
we don't have all the info. with these players.
imho, he's going to be a good one with good wheels.
'Canes may look at him with one of those 2 high 2nd round picks.

 

[Unsustainable]

no problem MinJerkBen:
we don't have all the info. with these players.
imho, he's going to be a good one with good wheels.
'Canes may look at him with one of those 2 high 2nd round picks.

Don’t see them taking a D in the first round.

I like the Doro pick for the 28th.

 

[MinJaBen]

no problem MinJerkBen:
we don't have all the info. with these players.
imho, he's going to be a good one with good wheels.
'Canes may look at him with one of those 2 high 2nd round picks.

I mean, we have too many RHD so some are playing left, we have an excess of well performing LHD prospects on the Checkers...two of them 1st rounders, and we have an owner that said in the last 12 months that we won't be drafting defense in the 1st round. I'm 100% sure that all of those things will eventually not be true, but I can't see them all not being true before we draft in two weeks.

Kid looks good, though, so I could see them taking him maybe in the second round if he is still there.

 

[GoldiFox]

Dundon's comment about not taking a D in the 1st round don't mean much at pick #28 IMO. It might have mattered if the Canes stuck at #21.

The Canes have three picks in 10 selections between #28-#37. It wouldn't surprise me to see a D picked with any one of those. I don't see the Canes passing on a D at #28 that they have as the highest rated player just because that pick is a 1st rounder. Not when they have two additional selections within swinging distance.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Dundon's comment about not taking a D in the 1st round don't mean much at pick #28 IMO. It might have mattered if the Canes stuck at #21.

The Canes have three picks in 10 selections between #28-#37. It wouldn't surprise me to see a D picked with any one of those. I don't see the Canes passing on a D at #28 that they have as the highest rated player just because that pick is a 1st rounder. Not when they have two additional selections within swinging distance.

The other good news about having 3 Canes picks in a span of 9 picks, is that if the guy they want at 28 is gone, they will have already identified 3-4 other guys they want because of the picks at 36 and 37 (if they keep them all). Granted, a good scouting staff should do that anyhow, but we've seen cases where the guys a team wants are gone so they trade down (or in the Canes situation in 09, make a bad pick). It was reported that NJ really wanted Aho and then traded their pick as soon as we nabbed him, for instance.

It also gives them much more leverage in moving up in the draft if they really like a guy that is still around at pick 20-25 as well.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

I didn't take Dundon's comments seriously then. I don't take them seriously now. It's important to remember that Nylander, the only Top 6 forward with team control on the market, had re-signed a few weeks earlier and the Canes were in the midst of a 2 month long battle with the 2 GF/G mark. I chalk up his hyperbole to frustration because of that.

 

[emptyNedder]

Don’t see them taking a D in the first round.

I would be surprised if any of the first three picks is used on a D. Though if Kolyachonok or Ryan Jonhson is available at 37 it might make sense.
IMHO (which is not worth the time it is taking me to type this) the best D option is Bolduc at 59. He is ranked closer to 70 so it is a bit of a reach. However, he was the fastest backward skater at the CHL prospects showcase and scored really high on several tests in the recent combine. Bolduc is 6'4' 209. With Bean and Sellgren the pipeline has puck-moving LHD. This would add a Carlo type to the mix.

 

[DaveG]

First I need to know: are there any kids of former players in this draft?

Patrick Poulin's kid is likely to be a solid option at our slot, assuming he's not taken earlier.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Patrick Poulin's kid is likely to be a solid option at our slot, assuming he's not taken earlier.

I guess that works, but can we get a Tanabe or a Weekes in there somehow? Poulin's got some Hartford pedigree, but we need them Canes bloodlines to really make this work.

 

[Unsustainable]

I guess that works, but can we get a Tanabe or a Weekes in there somehow? Poulin's got some Hartford pedigree, but we need them Canes bloodlines to really make this work.

Package something with a pick and get Kap, then it would be like we did draft a good bloodline.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Package something with a pick and get Kap, then it would be like we did draft a good bloodline.

And a Finn. I'm sold.

 

[NotOpie]

I've been noodling with an idea of trading Justin Faulk, our 2019 1st round pick, and one of our two 6th rounders this year to Toronto for Kapanen, their 2019 2nd round pick, and Ian Scott. Thoughts?

 

[spockBokk]

I've been noodling with an idea of trading Justin Faulk, our 2019 1st round pick, and one of our two 6th rounders this year to Toronto for Kapanen, their 2019 2nd round pick, and Ian Scott. Thoughts?

I’d easily do that.

Can’t say I know the prospect on the TOR side, but I’d certainly think you’d need to incentivize TOR to deal Kapanen for Faulk. The guy(s) you get at 36 & 37 really aren’t all that different than the ones at 28, and out of all the potential young players potentially available via trade, Kapanen is almost a perfect fit for the RBA style of play and age range to fit it long term. Additionally you get another dart in the top 62, where the team has been very good at identifying NHL talent over the years.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I've been noodling with an idea of trading Justin Faulk, our 2019 1st round pick, and one of our two 6th rounders this year to Toronto for Kapanen, their 2019 2nd round pick, and Ian Scott. Thoughts?

I don't know, that 6th rounder makes it tough.

 

[emptyNedder]

then it would be like we did draft a good bloodline.

While no Canes connection, this is at least a very small reason to draft Alexander Lundqvist in the 7th--can't get much better than Nik Lidstrom's family.

 

[NotOpie]

I’d easily do that.

Can’t say I know the prospect on the TOR side, but I’d certainly think you’d need to incentivize TOR to deal Kapanen for Faulk. The guy(s) you get at 36 & 37 really aren’t all that different than the ones at 28, and out of all the potential young players potentially available via trade, Kapanen is almost a perfect fit for the RBA style of play and age range to fit it long term. Additionally you get another dart in the top 62, where the team has been very good at identifying NHL talent over the years.

So I'm actually on the other side of that equation. I believe Faulk has a fair bit more value than Kapanen, and I like him a lot. That's really why I've got Toronto adding Scott. He was Prince Albert's #1 this season in the WHL. Had a very good season and a good playoff. In my mind, I would think the Leafs prefer their other goaltending prospect, Joe Woll.

I know Toronto's fans probably don't agree with my assessment, but as much as I like Kasperi Kapanen, there's more risk that he doesn't continue to develop than there is that Faulk takes a step back again. Scott and the 6th rounder are my attempt at evening it all out.

I don't know, that 6th rounder makes it tough.

Yeah, I struggled ... I was reluctant to give up such a valuable selection.... I really wanted to give them one of our 7th rounders next year.

 

[cptjeff]

Danil Antropov and Tag Bertuzzi.

Also this short little fella:

He's a little taller now. I do like what I hear about him, but he should still be available early in the 2nd round.

 

[My Special Purpose]

I'm going to get this right this year. I'm going to do the research and predict out first-rounder. I don't think I've ever really tried, but I don't recall ever being right (except in the obvious cases like Staal, Ladd, Hanifin, Lindholm (puke) and Fleury). Details to follow.

That would be impressive if only because at 28 one or two players who most think will go early are likely to drop. I think both Tomasino and Brink are great picks, but I for one wouldn't predict them because both SHOULD be gone. Likewise, one or two players who are going 30 or after in mocks will be gone in the real draft. Just last year few expected Veleno to be available at 30 or Noel at 34, while O'Brien wasn't in many experts' first round.

OK, I think I have our guy. I'm using the following guidelines:

• Very likely to be a forward.
• Very likely a "boom or bust" type.
• Not likely to push for NHL spot anytime soon (i.e. we can be patient)
• Compete level, skating, shot and hockey IQ will be over-weighted
• Size will be under-weighted
• Slight lean away from players committed to US college route
• Likely available at 28, but not a reach.

My guy checks every box and I officially want him badly or I may cry. I will make the announcement shortly, once we get past the Final and any trades that may affect our first pick.

 

[SlavinAway]

OK, I think I have our guy. I'm using the following guidelines:

• Very likely to be a forward.
• Very likely a "boom or bust" type.
• Not likely to push for NHL spot anytime soon (i.e. we can be patient)
• Compete level, skating, shot and hockey IQ will be over-weighted
• Size will be under-weighted
• Slight lean away from players committed to US college route
• Likely available at 28, but not a reach.

My guy checks every box and I officially want him badly or I may cry. I will make the announcement shortly, once we get past the Final and any trades that may affect our first pick.

But the anticipation....

 

[NotOpie]

OK, I think I have our guy. I'm using the following guidelines:

• Very likely to be a forward.
• Very likely a "boom or bust" type.
• Not likely to push for NHL spot anytime soon (i.e. we can be patient)
• Compete level, skating, shot and hockey IQ will be over-weighted
• Size will be under-weighted
• Slight lean away from players committed to US college route
• Likely available at 28, but not a reach.

My guy checks every box and I officially want him badly or I may cry. I will make the announcement shortly, once we get past the Final and any trades that may affect our first pick.

I'll bite and guess it is one of these 4:

Bobby Brink
Connor McMichael
Jakob Pelletier
Patrik Puistola

There's some question about Puistola's skating, but that seems like very specifics (backward skating and strength of stride). His speed is pretty good. The other three are all bulldogs and play a hard-nosed, skilled game. I'd be happy with any of those guys, but I'd prefer a more boom pick than McMichael.

 

[My Special Purpose]

I'll bite and guess it is one of these 4:

Bobby Brink
Connor McMichael
Jakob Pelletier
Patrik Puistola

There's some question about Puistola's skating, but that seems like very specifics (backward skating and strength of stride). His speed is pretty good. The other three are all bulldogs and play a hard-nosed, skilled game. I'd be happy with any of those guys, but I'd prefer a more boom pick than McMichael.

Yeah, I'll tell you right now it isn't McMichael. And I took Brink off my board for fear he'd be gone. The other two were part of The Process.

 

[MinJaBen]

I'm hoping Nils Höglander falls to us, but I think that ship as sailed at this point.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I'm hoping Nils Höglander falls to us, but I think that ship as sailed at this point.

I mean, can you see the marketing opportunities? Stormy and Nils Hoglander?

 

[DaveG]

Yeah, I'll tell you right now it isn't McMichael. And I took Brink off my board for fear he'd be gone. The other two were part of The Process.

Gonna guess Rees.

I'm hoping for Brink at least, small guys that aren't exceptional skaters tend to fall more than expected.