Prospect Info: The 2018 Draft Thread

[McDNicks17]

And speaking of right-handed defensemen in the OHL, I think Caleb Everett is a real sleeper.

I've only seen him a few times, but he's been super impressive. Playing on a bad small market team(Saginaw) probably hasn't helped his exposure. Has all the tools to be a two-way guy in the NHL. He's an OHL rookie coming from midget last season and been improving like crazy. I love prospects on super steep developmental curves.


Dennis Busby is an another interesting rightie from the OHL.

He'll probably end up going later in the draft because he was hurt in the preseason, came back, played a couple of games and got injured again. Sounds like it might be season ending too. He was really good for Flint as a 16 year old. He's a bit smaller(5'11''), but is a top-end skater.

 

[Soli]

I've kind of avoided this thread waiting for the Oilers dig themselves out of their precarious situation... but that hasn't really happened. Perhaps I'll post this and the Oilers will immediately go on that fabled 5 games winning streak and we'll all laugh at this post whilst sipping champagne from these $9.99 Stanley Cup mini-replicas that Cloned makes behind Rogers Place. But, well, let's be reality.

It already started last night when Duthie and Mckenzie were discussing the SWE/RUS game as it pertains to the 2018 draft (Dahlin/Svechnikov). We're going to be getting a lot of TSN coverage on the draft in the coming months with 4 Canadian teams seemingly bottoming out.

6 months out till the draft, howabout a little mock draft. For the sake of discussion I used the current standings order:

1. Arizona - Dahlin
Obviously. Replace OEL? Haha..

2. Buffalo - Svechnikov
Don't overthink it.

3. Ottawa - Boquist
Draft Karlsson's replacement? Big shoes for the kid to fill. Playing in the SHL now, was getting restricted minutes with Brynas, we'll see with Almtuna. Would it be selfish to hope the limited minutes plummet his draft stock to our pick?

4. Montreal - Zadina
I don't see a big center in the range here

5. Vancouver - Hughes
Consensus on their board is to take a defenseman and a quick scan of HFNuck's members draft thread lists have Hughes high and sometimes ahead of Boquist.

6. Edmonton - Tkachuk
Think he fell in the standings but this WJC has been good for this stock. Think he's playing great down low and by the net, agitating opponents and playing physical but not running around. Had a real bad goal scoring drought early this year and think he's more a distributer. Not sure he'll be equal to or better than his brother, but he's a gamer. Would you be ok if we drafted a 2nd line winger who tops out at 15-25-40pts but has immeasurable intangibles with a 6th overall pick? Would add a fun chapter to the Battle of Alberta.

Whats everyone else thinking at this point in time?

---

Dobson is probably the #2 but Wilde has higher upside, at least offensively while Dobson is a lot more polished.

I'm rather ignorant about Dobson, I don't know much about him other than his stocks rocketing. I know he's on a ridiculous ES assist pace but I read him more as a defensive type rather than a two-way guy who's going to put up points. And the QMJHL doesn't produce defensemen.

 

[Zaddy]

I've kind of avoided this thread waiting for the Oilers dig themselves out of their precarious situation... but that hasn't really happened. Perhaps I'll post this and the Oilers will immediately go on that fabled 5 games winning streak and we'll all laugh at this post whilst sipping champagne from these $9.99 Stanley Cup mini-replicas that Cloned makes behind Rogers Place. But, well, let's be reality.

It already started last night when Duthie and Mckenzie were discussing the SWE/RUS game as it pertains to the 2018 draft (Dahlin/Svechnikov). We're going to be getting a lot of TSN coverage on the draft in the coming months with 4 Canadian teams seemingly bottoming out.

6 months out till the draft, howabout a little mock draft. For the sake of discussion I used the current standings order:

1. Arizona - Dahlin
Obviously. Replace OEL? Haha..

2. Buffalo - Svechnikov
Don't overthink it.

3. Ottawa - Boquist
Draft Karlsson's replacement? Big shoes for the kid to fill. Playing in the SHL now, was getting restricted minutes with Brynas, we'll see with Almtuna. Would it be selfish to hope the limited minutes plummet his draft stock to our pick?

4. Montreal - Zadina
I don't see a big center in the range here

5. Vancouver - Hughes
Consensus on their board is to take a defenseman and a quick scan of HFNuck's members draft thread lists have Hughes high and sometimes ahead of Boquist.

6. Edmonton - Tkachuk
Think he fell in the standings but this WJC has been good for this stock. Think he's playing great down low and by the net, agitating opponents and playing physical but not running around. Had a real bad goal scoring drought early this year and think he's more a distributer. Not sure he'll be equal to or better than his brother, but he's a gamer. Would you be ok if we drafted a 2nd line winger who tops out at 15-25-40pts but has immeasurable intangibles with a 6th overall pick? Would add a fun chapter to the Battle of Alberta.

Whats everyone else thinking at this point in time?

I'm not too high on Tkachuk. Great floor but I'm not sold on his ceiling, plus he's another LW and he doesn't add any speed to this Oilers lineup. If that is how the draft shakes down I'd probably target Oliver Wahlstrom (Great skater, right-handed sniper with some nifty mittens) or Ty Smith (lefty, but incredibly smooth puck-moving defenseman with some offense to his game).

I'm rather ignorant about Dobson, I don't know much about him other than his stocks rocketing. I know he's on a ridiculous ES assist pace but I read him more as a defensive type rather than a two-way guy who's going to put up points. And the QMJHL doesn't produce defensemen.

Frankly, I haven't seen him since the Hlinka tournament myself, and there he looked like your typical #4-6 shutdown defender basically. But he's been rocketing up the draft board since then and his production in the Q looks great. HockeyProspect had him in the 2nd round on their September list and has now climbed all the way up to #6 I believe and I know that Mark Edwards (their director of scouting) and Jerome (their main Q guy) has seen him a ton in the last couple of months and I trust their judgement. They wouldn't put a defenseman that high if they didn't believe he had some offense to his game too. So based on that he looks very intruiging.

 

[Joey Moss]

At this point, hoping for Brady Tkachuk. Would be cool for the BOA.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

Give me Dahlin. If we don't make the playoffs, we need to make the haters cry somehow!

 

[MoneyGuy]

Give me Dahlin. If we don't make the playoffs, we need to make the haters cry somehow!

That would do it.

 

[Soundwave]

How is Brady Tkachuk's game compared to his brother? He sounds like more of a full blown power forward.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

How is Brady Tkachuk's game compared to his brother? He sounds like more of a full blown power forward.

I've heard he's more of an agitator and physical presence then bro but not nearly as gifted offensively

 

[Joey Moss]

Starting to look more into the prospects now.. Boqvist looks pretty damn good too. A lottery win this year in any of the top 3 spots would be big.

 

[McDNicks17]

Brady has a much more punchable face too.

 

[Forgot About Drai]

Would love to have Brady Tkachuck on the team. Hoping Zadina somehow falls to us though.

 

[Hynh]

Seems like the top of this draft is all D and wingers. Convenient, the Oilers need shooters and puck movers. I'm hoping for a Dman personally.

I've warmed up on Evan Bouchard.

I'm not usually a fan of players with late birthdays, but I think he's shown enough growth and a high enough level of play this season to not have any question marks about his upside.

I think you're looking at a possible #3D jack-of-all-trades type with a big right-handed shot for your #1PP. I wouldn't mind him with a mid 1st round pick.

Since the duo of Formenton and Thomas went to the WJHC his stat line is 5-8-13 with 55 SOG in 10 games. That's pretty damn good.

Apparently he plays a ton of minutes in London but I don't see how that's a knock on a defenceman. His team is one of the best in the OHL in goals against (by my math, 4th in GA/G after you remove the goals awarded for winning a shootout). He is over a point per game on a team that is middle of the pack offensively (tied for 11th out of 20 in GF/G after you remove shootouts, again by my math).

He is also producing well at even strength with 0.65 points per game at even strength. By comparison, the last defenceman the Oilers took in the first round was Nurse and he had .60 ppg overall. At 17 Bouchard was 0.65 overall.

Now obviously you can't scout a box score but to me there's nothing numerically wrong with him.

 

[McDNicks17]

Yeah. Bouchard is doing some pretty impressive things, statistically.

He's leading the entire CHL in scoring for draft eligible players right now.


And speaking of the Knights, they traded a couple of their top 20 year olds(Pu and Jones) to Kingston and got one of my favorite OHL draft eligible guys, Nathan Dunkley, in return.

I think he'll end up being one of the higher OHL forwards taken.

A little undersized(5'11'' 185lbs), but he's got plenty of skill and smarts to go with his electric skating. Likes to play physical too. Just a buzz saw on the forecheck.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Starting to look more into the prospects now.. Boqvist looks pretty damn good too. A lottery win this year in any of the top 3 spots would be big.

I think at absolute worst we pick 8th. I don't see us finishing higher than bottom 5 this year, lots of good players on the top 8 of the rankings. All fill a need. Outside of Tkachuk all the top 8 are offensive D or right wingers.

Boqvist, Dahlin or Dobson would be stellar.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

We need to be drafting a high end defenseman this year IMO.

 

[Soundwave]

Is Boqvist really 5'9? That's tiny.

 

[Jepprey]

Is Boqvist really 5'9? That's tiny.

I've only seen reports of 5'11. 170 lbs. That was a few months ago though, so maybe he shrunk.

 

[Canovin]

If Oilers miss out on Dahlin or Bovqist, I'm hoping they draft a scorer and then draft Sean Durzi with the 2nd round pick.

 

[Gordian Knot]

If we don’t get FOA and Dahlin, we should target scoring LW for McDavid.

Zadina - McDavid - Puljujarvi

That would be something.

 

[Forgot About Drai]

I kinda hope a guy like Ryan Merkley falls to the 2nd round. With that much offensive talent from the back end I think hes worth the risk.

 

[Zaddy]

Yah, the good news is that this is a draft with a reasonably strong top end. Even if you miss out on Dahlin and Svechnikov you'll get one of Boqvist, Zadina, Tkachuk, Smith, Wahlstrom, Hughes, Farabee, Dobson with a top10 pick. So Oilers are bound to get either a premier offensive defenseman or a goalscoring forward in this draft if they continue to suck. Both huge needs obviously.

 

[Raab]

We absolutely need to take a offensive dman if we pick top 10. Out side of Dahlin and Boqvist who I havent seen Quinton Hughes is the 3rd guy on my list. I have a feeling if he was 6'1" he'd be going 1st overall.

 

[McDNicks17]

What's the offensive upside of the WHL defensemen(Addison, Smith, Woo, etc.) look like?

 

[Trafalgar Sadge Law]

Man Zadina or Svechnikov are going to look so good in an Oilers jersey.

 

[CycloneSweep]

If we end up drafting Zadina and Benson and Yams work out. .. we could have a potentially very dangerous top 6 in a few years

Benson - McDavid - Puljujarvi
Zadina - Draisaitl - Yamamoto