Prospect Info: The 2018 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[PAZ]

I don't think i've seen his name thrown around here, but I would love to see the Avs draft Bulat Shafigullin. I've read up on him a bit, but he's seem to have flown under the radar.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Miller would be an interesting target to maybe try and trade up into the late 1st or early 2nd for.


I wouldn't want to spend our own 1st on him just because I think there's some good forward prospects with huge upside that will be available at 16(And also Wilde who I would take at 16 in a heart beat as well)


But at like 29/30 range.... If the Avs could use 47 + 58 to get into the tail end of the first and get a guy like Miller that'd be a really good move. We can afford to be patient with a D prospect like him because of the depth we've acquired in the position over the last year or so. Between Zads/Girard/EJ/Barrie/Nemeth already at the NHL level. And Makar/Timmins/Meloche in the pipeline still. We could draft a Dman with massive upside and wait those 3-4 years for him to put everything together.



If we came out of the draft with something like Bokk/Kravtsov at 16, traded up to #30 and got Miller, and then grabbed one of the top goalies like Skarek or Gravel at 78(Or I guess Vehvilainen is who the Avs are high on and would probably take instead) that'd be a pretty fantastic draft IMO.

 

[The Kingslayer]

If the Sens pick Zadina is mans NHL ready? Or will he need more time? Will he likely not be on the sens roster? Asking for a friend.

 

[Balthazar]

Not terrible but there is no way that Kotkaniemi is going over Zadina. Especially considering #3 pick is Montreal, they won't take international over a guy who played in the Q. Not to mention Zadina is simply just the better player at the moment.

That'd be no different than Columbus picking Pierre-Luc Dubois over the concensus #3 Puljujarvi.

Also, Zadina played in the Q as an import (and for a team in another province on top of that), there's no local connection with the Habs there.

I find the top of the draft oddly similar to the 2016 draft, especially if Montreal picks Kotkaniemi.

Matthews = Dahlin (concensus #1)
Svechnikov = Laine (became concensus #2 late in the season)
Zadina = Puljujarvi (lost the race for #2, now concensus #3)
Dubois = Kotkaniemi (late rising big center...jumped over concensus #3 on draft day?)

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Montreal's probably going to take Veleno...or is there a Quebec born overager? I could see Montreal taking that guy.

 

[Balthazar]

Montreal's probably going to take Veleno...or is there a Quebec born overager? I could see Montreal taking that guy.

Don't bet money on it. They drafted one guy from the Q in the last 3 years. A 5th rounder in 2015.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Not terrible but there is no way that Kotkaniemi is going over Zadina. Especially considering #3 pick is Montreal, they won't take international over a guy who played in the Q. Not to mention Zadina is simply just the better player at the moment.

people say this exact thing every year, and every year it gets proven wrong. Just because there's a consensus list that would suggest Kotkaniemi doesn't go before Zadina doesn't mean that's how the draft will play out.


Kotka has been a big riser the 2nd half of the season. Plays the more important position(C over W whenever it's close), and fills a massive potential need for the Habs that they have been trying to fill for years now with no success.


If they see Kotka as having legit 1C upside with the size he brings to the table as well, they could easily take him over Zadina in hopes of filling the 2nd hardest position in hockey for them for the next 15+ years.



It's also not just a complete guess from me either. There's been smoke around Kotka to the Habs for a while now from a number of other scouts who believe that's who the Habs will take.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

On an unrelated note, does anyone know the date of the draft combine this year? It's usually held fairly early in June if I'm not mistaken. It was June 1st and 2nd last year I think, wonder if it will be the 2nd and 3rd this year?


EDIT: Nevermind, looks like the combine actually started coverage today

 

[The Kingslayer]

people say this exact thing every year, and every year it gets proven wrong. Just because there's a consensus list that would suggest Kotkaniemi doesn't go before Zadina doesn't mean that's how the draft will play out.


Kotka has been a big riser the 2nd half of the season. Plays the more important position(C over W whenever it's close), and fills a massive potential need for the Habs that they have been trying to fill for years now with no success.


If they see Kotka as having legit 1C upside with the size he brings to the table as well, they could easily take him over Zadina in hopes of filling the 2nd hardest position in hockey for them for the next 15+ years.



It's also not just a complete guess from me either. There's been smoke around Kotka to the Habs for a while now from a number of other scouts who believe that's who the Habs will take.

True every year this happens.

 

[chet1926]

people say this exact thing every year, and every year it gets proven wrong. Just because there's a consensus list that would suggest Kotkaniemi doesn't go before Zadina doesn't mean that's how the draft will play out.


Kotka has been a big riser the 2nd half of the season. Plays the more important position(C over W whenever it's close), and fills a massive potential need for the Habs that they have been trying to fill for years now with no success.


If they see Kotka as having legit 1C upside with the size he brings to the table as well, they could easily take him over Zadina in hopes of filling the 2nd hardest position in hockey for them for the next 15+ years.



It's also not just a complete guess from me either. There's been smoke around Kotka to the Habs for a while now from a number of other scouts who believe that's who the Habs will take.

I'd be stunned if Montreal decided to go that route. Not in the sense that it might work out in the long run, it could very well, but in the sense that you be gambling on potential over a more proven commodity. Zadina had proven a lot already, to pass on him for a raw needs time to develop prospect would be highly risky. And not something you should be doing that high in the draft.

The Avs did this with Makar last year and it might pay off, but Montreal will have to be highly patient if they decide to go that route, something that doesn't always happen in a big market like that.

 

[Balthazar]

I'd be stunned if Montreal decided to go that route. Not in the sense that it might work out in the long run, it could very well, but in the sense that you be gambling on potential over a more proven commodity. Zadina had proven a lot already, to pass on him for a raw needs time to develop prospect would be highly risky. And not something you should be doing that high in the draft.

Were you stunned when Columbus picked PLD instead of Puljujarvi? Because that's the exact same situation. They very badly needed C, not RW. Montreal is in the same boat.

 

[agentblack]

Were you stunned when Columbus picked PLD instead of Puljujarvi? Because that's the exact same situation. They very badly needed C, not RW. Montreal is in the same boat.

So far looks like they were right about that.

 

[Balthazar]

So far looks like they were right about that.

Yes and that's why the "draft the BPA and not for needs" rhetoric is up for debate. No one knows on draft day who will be better on the long run, especially when 2 players are virtually in the same tier such as Puljujarvi/Dubois and Zadina/Kotkaniemi. I was OK with the AVS picking Makar (because we needed D) and if I were an Habs fan I'd be OK with Kotkaniemi as well. If you don't draft your 1C or 1D you'll never get one.

It's OK to draft for needs unless there's a clear cut best player available (aka Dahlin or Svech in this draft).

 

[Ivan13]

They drafted PLD because they rated him the BPA, not because of need. Drafting Kotkaniemi while Zadina is there is dumb beyond belief.

 

[Hasbro]

They drafted PLD because they rated him the BPA, not because of need. Drafting Kotkaniemi while Zadina is there is dumb beyond belief.

I think Zadina (or Tkachuk to a size queen GM) would be enough enticement for a Zona, Detroit or Wancouver to trade up and Montreal to have Kotka available and a little something else.

But then again this is Bergevin we are talking about.

 

[Avs_19]

Anyone know where to get info about the combine? I haven't seen anything on Sportsnet and all I saw on NHL.com was that it started today.

 

[McMetal]

Zadina is really good, and IMO the third best player in the draft. But for one, my opinion doesn't matter, only the opinion of the scouts in the Canadiens office. And for two, Montreal desperately needs a 1C. The difference between the ultimate potentials of Kotkaniemi and Zadina is probably less than the difference in value to Montreal between a goal scoring winger and a 1C. Picking for need at 3 on a player that's close enough is an understandable decision.

 

[Eltuna]

I wouldn’t be surprised if Montreal doesn’t take Zadina, I’m actually expecting it. I think teams are really starting to understand that taking a Center/Defenceman is usually better, even if they’re a little worse prospects. For example, a lot of posters here think we need a goal scoring winger and would like to draft one. I think one could argue the best way to get a great winger would be to draft a Center/Defenceman and later trade them sometime next season or the season after for a winger.

Look at what we were willing to take as the centrepiece in a Duchene trade, a lot of posters here wanted packages around a Gabriel Carlsson/Jacob Larsson or a Girard obviously. Guys that were far from proven at the time and were not even close to being upper echelon d prospects. Another example is Montreal shopping Pacioretty and praying to get a guy like Thomas, or Ottawa shopping Hoffman and wanting a young dman. It’s why if a guy like Smith drops I’d be all over him even though we don’t need his skill set, he’s basically guaranteed to put up a lot of points in junior next year and he would be extremely valuable as a trade chip.

If you take a winger high in the draft, to get a really solid return on your investment it has to be an amazing player. If we were to draft a Hayton/Veleno/Smith, next year, when the inevitable Skinner type winger becomes available, it would be a very easy get. Not that I want to draft or trade assets for a winger since I still think a 1D is our biggest need, but for those who do I think drafting a Veleno and letting him put up big points next year would be the best way to eventually get that star winger. If you want to draft a winger, you better be damn sure they’re the real deal.

 

[Balthazar]

Another thing...some scouts (and Craig Button) think that Kotkaniemi's ceiling is Kopitar. How many wingers in this league would go ahead of Kopitar? I can only think of Ovechkin.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Another thing...some scouts (and Craig Button) think that Kotkaniemi's ceiling is Kopitar. How many wingers in this league would go ahead of Kopitar? I can only think of Ovechkin.

MacKinnon?

 

[Balthazar]

NHL Scouting Combine, Day One: Dahlin remains in spotlight

Dahlin has nine scheduled interviews. What's the point?

 

[Ncit3]

Haven't been lurking much lately. I am curious what people think of Rasmus Kupari? He seems to be a scoring spark plug and could have first line upside. I ended up picking him for the Avs in a Fantasy Mock. Would be interesting to get some input from around here!

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Kupari is probably the last guy I want us to take with #16.


Very unimpressed with him literally all year. Stay away

 

[Ncit3]

Kupari is probably the last guy I want us to take with #16.


Very unimpressed with him literally all year. Stay away

What was it that you saw that made you think he'd be a bad pick? A lot of what I have seen is that when he was given proper linemates and actual time on the ice he did well. Seems to have good hockey IQ and a great shot.

 

[McMetal]

Kupari's all right, but I wouldn't go for him at 16. Kravtsov, Bokk, Denisenko, Ylonen, Thomas, or Kaut would all be better choices (just for forwards) and most if not all of those names will be there at 16.