Prospect Info: The 2015 NHL Draft Thread VI

[NHL Fanatik*]

The 6th should NOT be traded for anything other than a center. You do not build offenses from the wing inward, failing model.

Second, trading down does NJ almost as little as it would to just draft at 6. We should be looking to trade the pick outright for a player first, center, and young. If that isnt available, then look to move down picks and get a FORWARD prospect out of it, plus the lower 1st. We dont need defense or goaltending, so dont offer it, and we dont want more picks, so dont offer them either.

NJs window to take this team from rebuilding to competing (playoffs not the cup, before everyone jumps down my throat) should be the next 2-3 years. Any longer and you lose guys like Greene, Cammalleri, Zajac (on his way out). They arent the 'core', but the longer we wait for these prospects we take to mature the more players we have to replace and the more we have to pay our young studs. This is the cap era, we can't be waiting forever. Make moves while all our top talent is young and cheap.

This is not rushing, this is perfect timing. Any longer than 3 years and you risk ruining the entire rebuild. 2-3 years is the perfect time span.

How it goes:

1C should be our TOP priority
Two top 6 wingers
Vet bottom pairing Dman
Offensive depth (which may come from our abundance of mid-bottom 6 forward prospects)

 

[Tretyak 20]

The 6th should NOT be traded for anything other than a center. You do not build offenses from the wing inward, failing model.

Other teams know this, which is why a young but proven 1C is going to cost us 6th OA plus one of Larsson, Severson or Henrique.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

Other teams know this, which is why a young but proven 1C is going to cost us 6th OA plus one of Larsson, Severson or Henrique.

Lol no? 6th OA+ Merrill/Gelinas+ any of our 2nds

Larsson Severson and Henrique are not available. Please stop undervaluing the 6th OA.

 

[Bologna 1]

latest NHL.com mock drafts from morreale and kimelman have NJ getting marner/ratanen, respectively.

 

[Tretyak 20]

Lol no? 6th OA+ Merrill/Gelinas+ any of our 2nds

Larsson Severson and Henrique are not available. Please stop undervaluing the 6th OA.

If the 6th OA is so valuable, why not just use it?

 

[OmNomNom]

The 6th should NOT be traded for anything other than a center. You do not build offenses from the wing inward, failing model.

Second, trading down does NJ almost as little as it would to just draft at 6. We should be looking to trade the pick outright for a player first, center, and young. If that isnt available, then look to move down picks and get a FORWARD prospect out of it, plus the lower 1st. We dont need defense or goaltending, so dont offer it, and we dont want more picks, so dont offer them either.

NJs window to take this team from rebuilding to competing (playoffs not the cup, before everyone jumps down my throat) should be the next 2-3 years. Any longer and you lose guys like Greene, Cammalleri, Zajac (on his way out). They arent the 'core', but the longer we wait for these prospects we take to mature the more players we have to replace and the more we have to pay our young studs. This is the cap era, we can't be waiting forever. Make moves while all our top talent is young and cheap.

This is not rushing, this is perfect timing. Any longer than 3 years and you risk ruining the entire rebuild. 2-3 years is the perfect time span.

How it goes:

1C should be our TOP priority
Two top 6 wingers
Vet bottom pairing Dman
Offensive depth (which may come from our abundance of mid-bottom 6 forward prospects)

spot on. I hope lou reads this. zajac can slot as a 2C easily, so 1C is def priority. We have serviceable wingers, but not enough to give our top 6 respect. hell, even 1 top 6 winger would be fine with me - I think we could roll with that addition. we might have to use one of our 2nd rounders, but with the other picks, as long as they're impact soon (1-2 years), we could be alright. i can't say i agree with trading the 6 straight up would be good, considering the depth of this draft, but i'm def for trading down a few spots if it lands us a solid prospect. then we can land us, say, kyle connor. if marner's on the board though, i think we snag him right then and there.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

If the 6th OA is so valuable, why not just use it?

As ive stated before, we cannot afford to bust this draft. The safer action, contrary to most drafts, this year is to trade for an established player. Now if a Marner or Strome falls than I think about it, but even then if a trade is available so we can avoid that awful collision with a bust (which would ruin the entire forward restock), we should take a long look at it.

 

[Comparison Ford]

Can Rantanen play in the AHL next year?

I am absolutely in the Rantanen train. Positionally he makes the most sense (center or RW), huge body, supremely skilled, already playing against men, proved he can play on North American ice at the world Juniors and if he can play in the AHL he is essentially the most nhl ready.

We won't have to force him to either play NHL or Junior and he can go to a team in Albany for a while that actually has good coaching and pretty solid linemates to develop him even further.

Maybe it's because I can't stop watching his junior highlights, but this kid is all but guarenteed to be a stud.

 

[SeidoN]

Please stop undervaluing the 6th OA.

that super valuable pick thats sure to bust

 

[glenwo2]

latest NHL.com mock drafts from morreale and kimelman have NJ getting marner/ratanen, respectively.

I like both choices but Marner....ME WANT ALOT.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

that super valuable pick thats sure to bust

Because Nj has drafted so many talented forwards. Oh wait, Josefson and Teddnby sure worked out. And that awesone Quenneville pick over Barbashev. So so talented.

 

[Brodeur]

The 6th should NOT be traded for anything other than a center. You do not build offenses from the wing inward, failing model.

Marner was playing center late during the playoffs for London. It'll be interesting to see where they slot him next year with Domi turning pro.

Can Rantanen play in the AHL next year?

Elite Prospects says Rantanen is signed with his Finnish team through 2016-17, but he might be able to get out of it. Finnish poster noted that Rasmus Ristolainen was able to get out of his contract and played for Buffalo (and their AHL squad) as an 18 year old.

 

[Tretyak 20]

As ive stated before, we cannot afford to bust this draft. The safer action, contrary to most drafts, this year is to trade for an established player. Now if a Marner or Strome falls than I think about it, but even then if a trade is available so we can avoid that awful collision with a bust (which would ruin the entire forward restock), we should take a long look at it.

But the thing you refuse to understand is that the same valuation happens for any other team, too. You inherently say the 6th OA is less valuable than the proven young 1C (otherwise there's no point in trading), but you refuse to see that other teams will see it the same way. A sure thing will always be more valuable than a potential.

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

But the thing you refuse to understand is that the same valuation happens for any other team, too. You inherently say the 6th OA is less valuable than the proven young 1C (otherwise there's no point in trading), but you refuse to see that other teams will see it the same way. A sure thing will always be more valuable than a potential.

SJ fans agreed to 6th OA + Merrill/Gelinas + 2015 3rd + Boucher for Couture

Im not looking for a 1C strictly for the pick, but package the pick for a 1C. Again, if Marner or Strome falls. Take them. Not the other forwards like Crouse or Barzal, who I have a feeling will not pan out to much of anything. And yes I can have feelings about players, just because they are drafted in the first round doesnt mean anything, and our scouting staff cant value forwards for *****

 

[SeidoN]

Because Nj has drafted so many talented forwards. Oh wait, Josefson and Teddnby sure worked out. And that awesone Quenneville pick over Barbashev. So so talented.

right so it doesnt matter who is available, if NJ picks them they bust

what a load of ****

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Lol no? 6th OA+ Merrill/Gelinas+ any of our 2nds

Larsson Severson and Henrique are not available. Please stop undervaluing the 6th OA.

YOU need to stop overvaluing what we have

no one is going to trade a good, proven, young top 6 center for the 6th overall pick. get that thought out of your head.

 

[Zippy316]

SJ fans agreed to 6th OA + Merrill/Gelinas + 2015 3rd + Boucher for Couture

Im not looking for a 1C strictly for the pick, but package the pick for a 1C. Again, if Marner or Strome falls. Take them. Not the other forwards like Crouse or Barzal, who I have a feeling will not pan out to much of anything. And yes I can have feelings about players, just because they are drafted in the first round doesnt mean anything, and our scouting staff cant value forwards for *****

Set's us back too much, in my opinion.

I would love Couture but I just don't think it makes sense for us.

 

[Tretyak 20]

SJ fans agreed to 6th OA + Merrill/Gelinas + 2015 3rd + Boucher for Couture

Im not looking for a 1C strictly for the pick, but package the pick for a 1C. Again, if Marner or Strome falls. Take them. Not the other forwards like Crouse or Barzal, who I have a feeling will not pan out to much of anything. And yes I can have feelings about players, just because they are drafted in the first round doesnt mean anything, and our scouting staff cant value forwards for *****

That's still a huge pricetag. The real problem though, is I just don't buy the argument that the same group of scouts can consistently find diamond-in-the-rough defensemen but can't draft a forward. Makes no sense. You can't tell who the great D's are without judging the forwards they play against, and vice-versa.

 

[JimEIV]

The last "build around" center New Jersey had was Kirk Muller. I wouldn't conider Gomez or Arnott a "build around" center...Really, we never had upper echelon centers...maybe Bernie Nichols? Bobby Carpenter, Joe Nieuwendyk, Neal Broten and Doug Gilmour were at the very end of their careers by the time they played in New Jersey....New Jersey seem to always have decent center depth on their best teams but the real offensive power was always from wings...going back to Verbeek and Maclean, then Richer, Maclean, Lemieux, Guerin, McKay, Rolston, Zelepukin then onto Sykora, Elias, Molginy, Gionta and Langenbrunner...

Really though we never had any offensive players that were true superstars and won anything... we've always done it with balanced scoring, deep teams, defense and goaltending.

 

[44leftncenter]

So if we use the 6th pick, when do you think he will play for the big club? Just looking back at our first rounders, 2 of the last 3 played following their draft year (Larsson and Matteau). So I just wonder if in this talented deep draft, our 6th will contribute this upcoming year. Thoughts?

 

[Dupell6]

Bruins fan here, Id be interested in something around krejci for the 6th pick

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Bruins fan here, Id be interested in something around krejci for the 6th pick

ughhhhhhhh why couldn't Krejci be like 2-3 years younger

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

right so it doesnt matter who is available, if NJ picks them they bust

what a load of ****

Hence we are in this position with forwards. Thanks for finally noticing!

 

[NHL Fanatik*]

This draft cant come soon enough; think Lou makes any moves before the payoffs end?

 

[JimEIV]

Bruins fan here, Id be interested in something around krejci for the 6th pick

Never would happen. An 18 year top 10 prospect cost controlled for the next 7 or 8 years for a guy coming off a major knee injury and a 7.25 million dollar cap hit until 2021???...Come on now, son!