Prospect Info: The 2018 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[CobraAcesS]

I was envisioning the Barrie trade after the season. It's a lot of futures, but I'd be good with two 2nd line wing prospects, 3 1sts in this stacked draft (likely all top 20), and a 2nd for Barrie & Dutchy.

The only reason that sounds fun is for rosterbating over the future looking at our prospect pool. I've got 82 games to sit through. It's already going to be a long road. So I'd rather not multiply that 82# by five instead of maybe two or three so that I can watch MacKinnon and the rest of Landeskog's contracts wasted as well.

At some point valuing the prospect pool goes a touch too far IMO.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I think the Leafs are a lock for the playoffs.

I'm not opposed to moving Barrie now that Makar is coming up, he should essentially replace him.

Should move EJ but we need him to have a good year and boost his value.

That's pretty silly and some major buying into the hype IMO.


Especially as an Avs fan. Should be very obvious to us Avs fans that the Leafs overachieved last season just like we did in 13/14 after having a similarly awful year prior. One in which we also drafted a supposed to be elite potential top 5 Center as well.


People are being silly if they dont think Matthews/Marner/Nylander are going to suffer from a sophomore slump. The entire league will have a book on these guys now and what to do against them. It wont be anywhere close to as easy as it was for them before to play like they did and they'll have to make some major adjustments.


They're by no means a lock for playoffs and I think it's more likely then end up outside looking in like we did the year after winning the division.




Anyway, back on topic. I think trading Barrie makes sense as well over the next year or so. Especially if Makar dominates the NCAA next year.


I hope the Avs get 2 additional 1st in the next draft. Barrie and Duchene hopefully get us one, perhaps a Landeskog trade as well.

 

[Pokecheque]

I won't accept an outright tank. One, the Avs just proved it doesn't really work. Two, this front office doesn't even know how.

 

[cgf]

I don't see how that significantly changes the team's outlook versus any realistic alternatives. We'd still have one more year of sucking after this season, while we wait for Makar, 2018 1st, Meloche & Bigras to establish themselves around Zads & EJ on D. And by that point Bellows, Kapanen & Greer should be breaking in to join MacKinnon, Rantanen, Jost, Landy & Compher; with Beaudin / Morrison / Henry on the cusp of internally filling those depth roles. If just one of those extra picks ends up becoming an NHL top 6er by then we'll be golden, with a lot of young talent still on the way. So the 2019-2020 season would be a fun one, and we're not gunna win too many games over the next two years either way; so might as well set ourselves up for a fun 2020s over these next two years.

Yes our prospect pool is looking the best it has in years, but it's not yet enough for us to have an advantage over those teams with better core stars. So unless we get Dahlin next spring while MacK n Mikko go all Seguin n Benn on the NHL, we should continue building up our wealth of young talent.

2019-2020 playoff returning Avs:

Bellows - MacK - Rantanen
Landeskog - Jost - Kapanen
Greer - Compher - NYI 1st
Morrison - Beaudin - Nieto

Zads - Johnson
Bigras - Makar
COL 1st - Meloche

With our 2019 picks, CGY & TOR's 2018 1st, the rest of our 2018 class, Timmins, Henry and the depth dmen in the pipeline to ensure that we can make aggressive trades for stars in the 2020s, or shed guys for cap reasons with internal replacements in toe. Two years of slow growth isn't that high a price to pay.

 

[Pokecheque]

That's pretty silly and some major buying into the hype IMO.


Especially as an Avs fan. Should be very obvious to us Avs fans that the Leafs overachieved last season just like we did in 13/14 after having a similarly awful year prior. One in which we also drafted a supposed to be elite potential top 5 Center as well.


People are being silly if they dont think Matthews/Marner/Nylander are going to suffer from a sophomore slump. The entire league will have a book on these guys now and what to do against them. It wont be anywhere close to as easy as it was for them before to play like they did and they'll have to make some major adjustments.


They're by no means a lock for playoffs and I think it's more likely then end up outside looking in like we did the year after winning the division.




Anyway, back on topic. I think trading Barrie makes sense as well over the next year or so. Especially if Makar dominates the NCAA next year.


I hope the Avs get 2 additional 1st in the next draft. Barrie and Duchene hopefully get us one, perhaps a Landeskog trade as well.

There's a difference between the Leafs and those overachieving Avs. The Avs had terrible underlying numbers, whereas the Leafs were good. Will their young superstars possibly take a step back? Maybe. I'm more concerned about their blueline than I am about their forwards regressing. But I don't think they're going to stumble nearly as bad as those Avs teams did.

 

[McMetal]

There's a difference between the Leafs and those overachieving Avs. The Avs had terrible underlying numbers, whereas the Leafs were good. Will their young superstars possibly take a step back? Maybe. I'm more concerned about their blueline than I am about their forwards regressing. But I don't think they're going to stumble nearly as bad as those Avs teams did.

The Avs had a lot father to fall though. The Avs won the central. Toronto barely squeaked in to the 8th seed. It wouldn't have to be a major stumble to slip to 9th.

 

[dahrougem2]

This team will finish last once again due to Sakic's blind faith in Bednar all season

 

[avsfan09]

The only reason that sounds fun is for rosterbating over the future looking at our prospect pool. I've got 82 games to sit through. It's already going to be a long road. So I'd rather not multiply that 82# by five instead of maybe two or three so that I can watch MacKinnon and the rest of Landeskog's contracts wasted as well.

At some point valuing the prospect pool goes a touch too far IMO.

To be fair we can use these assets to acquire roster players. Especially if we draft well with them.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I don't see how that significantly changes the team's outlook versus any realistic alternatives. We'd still have one more year of sucking after this season, while we wait for Makar, 2018 1st, Meloche & Bigras to establish themselves around Zads & EJ on D. And by that point Bellows, Kapanen & Greer should be breaking in to join MacKinnon, Rantanen, Jost, Landy & Compher; with Beaudin / Morrison / Henry on the cusp of internally filling those depth roles. If just one of those extra picks ends up becoming an NHL top 6er by then we'll be golden, with a lot of young talent still on the way. So the 2019-2020 season would be a fun one, and we're not gunna win too many games over the next two years either way; so might as well set ourselves up for a fun 2020s over these next two years.

Yes our prospect pool is looking the best it has in years, but it's not yet enough for us to have an advantage over those teams with better core stars. So unless we get Dahlin next spring while MacK n Mikko go all Seguin n Benn on the NHL, we should continue building up our wealth of young talent.

2019-2020 playoff returning Avs:

Bellows - MacK - Rantanen
Landeskog - Jost - Kapanen
Greer - Compher - NYI 1st
Morrison - Beaudin - Nieto

Zads - Johnson
Bigras - Makar
COL 1st - Meloche

With our 2019 picks, CGY & TOR's 2018 1st, the rest of our 2018 class, Timmins, Henry and the depth dmen in the pipeline to ensure that we can make aggressive trades for stars in the 2020s, or shed guys for cap reasons with internal replacements in toe. Two years of slow growth isn't that high a price to pay.

Part of it is also that I think Barrie's value isn't at a high point right now. I've only ever been ok with trading Barrie if we were getting a guy like Hamonic or Faulk also. That value isn't enough for me for Barrie right now. I'd be more open to it if their pick was for sure #10, and then they were adding a good forward prospect like that at the draft.

 

[cgf]

I'm still hoping we can get Pulju for Barrie, but if Bednar doesn't give him more leash this season we'll have to settle for a lesser prospect + a top 20 but not top 10 pick...which I'd be ok with once Meloche is there alongside EJ and Makar/Timmins are playing pro.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

There's a difference between the Leafs and those overachieving Avs. The Avs had terrible underlying numbers, whereas the Leafs were good. Will their young superstars possibly take a step back? Maybe. I'm more concerned about their blueline than I am about their forwards regressing. But I don't think they're going to stumble nearly as bad as those Avs teams did.

The Avs had a lot father to fall though. The Avs won the central. Toronto barely squeaked in to the 8th seed. It wouldn't have to be a major stumble to slip to 9th.

Exactly. A ~5-10 point regression from Toronto means going from playoffs to a ~10th overall pick exactly like where the Avs picked the year after our great run.

Also, the Avs underlying numbers weren't terrible that year we made playoffs. They weren't amazing or anything either, but they were basically just slightly below average that year. IIRC we were something like 23rd or 24th in Possession stats.

All it takes from the Leafs is for Marner/Nylander to regress by 5-10 points each and they likely miss playoffs next year. Even if we say Matthews is a player who wont have a sophomore slump because of the skill level he has. I dont think the other two will be immune to the slump by any means and when those two slump it'll almost definitely mean Kadri/Bozak regress to the mean for themselves as well. 10-15 goals less for them next year and that's 3-4 less wins and outside of the playoffs looking in.

And that's not even talking about that Defense either. Which IMO looks suspect at best as well. Marincin, Carrick, and Hainsey are expected to all play regular shifts for them. That's pretty similar to our Hejda/Guenin/Holden trio.



My dream season coming up for us would be to finally tear it all down:

- Landy + Duchene to Boston for Pastrnak + BOS 1st before this season even starts up.
- Barrie to New Jersey at the deadline for NJD 1st(Top 5 protected, then becomes 2019 1st) + Michael McCleod.
- Blake Comeau to Pittsburgh for a 3rd. Joe Colborne back to Calgary for a 4th. Mark Barbeiro traded for a 2nd. Bernier traded for a 3rd + 7th.
- Draft Dahlin with our 1st. Draft Tkachuk with New Jersey 1st(That ends up being in the 6-8 range). Draft another LHD with Bostons 1st likely in the 20-25 range.


We'd instantly have our future 1st line set in Pasta - Mack - Rants. Our #1D for the future in Dahlin. As well as a ridiculously good group of complimentary pieces to go along with that core. Led by Makar(#1 or #2 RHD, potential to be an elite #1D like Dahlin though), Jost(2C or 2LW), Tkachuk(2C or 2LW), Compher(3C), McCleod(2RW or 2C), and Meloche(#2 LHD).


I dont even think that team would "suck" so to speak in the 18/19 season. They'd be in the fight for playoffs before just missing out and then by 19/20 I think they'd be ready for a regular playoff appearance for the foreseeable future.

 

[agentblack]

Err, not to nitpick but would BOS take on that much salary? i thought the issue with Pasta was money?

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Err, not to nitpick but would BOS take on that much salary? i thought the issue with Pasta was money?

I thought it was carbohydrates.

 

[UncleRisto]

I thought it was carbohydrates.

This is a fun joke. I appreciate this.

 

[agentblack]

I thought it was carbohydrates.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I'm still hoping we can get Pulju for Barrie, but if Bednar doesn't give him more leash this season we'll have to settle for a lesser prospect + a top 20 but not top 10 pick...which I'd be ok with once Meloche is there alongside EJ and Makar/Timmins are playing pro.

I'd love to understand what happened with Pulju better. Obviously starting in the NHL was a mistake, but how much damage did it do, and how is he progressing now?

His situation just does not seem to have a lot of readily available answers.

 

[agentblack]

I think the oil freaked out/ is freaking out about pool party so they sent his ass down to see if he can get his game on track
Cause all the moves they are making, Mcjesus' contract, trading Ebs they are gonna need him to come through

 

[tigervixxxen]

I'd love to understand what happened with Pulju better. Obviously starting in the NHL was a mistake, but how much damage did it do, and how is he progressing now?

His situation just does not seem to have a lot of readily available answers.

I think he did fine in the AHL, it's not an easy league to score in but I guess you want to see a top 4 pick dominate. I think he'll be ok but I think it's fair to wonder if maybe his hockey sense isn't super high.

 

[henchman21]

It might not be the easiest league to score in, but a high end talent should be able to score at a good pace. U20 players like W. Nylander, Rants, Pasta, and Vrana have all been around PPG paces at similar ages. This is a league where Paul Carey is a PPG guy. I get some kids need development, but a prospect of Poolparty's level should have performed at a higher level. Same goes for Alex Nylander as well.

 

[tucker3434]

Oops voted the opposite of what I meant to. I think we're sitting at 26th at the end of the season. Bad, but not the mess we had last year. Also about the worst possible finish for us as well probably drop another 3 spots, because Avs.

 

[tigervixxxen]

AHL career all-star types are on their own level, I don't like to compare legit prospects to them. But I'm not going to disagree that more was hoped out of Puljujarvi and Nylander.

 

[cgf]

I was never as high on Pulju as most; thought PLD over him was the right pick regardless of position; and there are obvious concerns about his instincts. But he would make a great RW for Landeskog & Jost/Compher/Dubois on a tough minute second line.

 

[henchman21]

AHL career all-star types are on their own level, I don't like to compare legit prospects to them. But I'm not going to disagree that more was hoped out of Puljujarvi and Nylander.

Carey has never been an AHL all star. I'm just stating that high end talent should still have more of an impact. IMO worse that Poolparty's production was his impact. Rarely did he look like the most dangerous player on the ice. Even if he only popped in 20 points, but looked constantly dangerous, I'd feel better about him. There really wasn't many games where Rants didn't look like the most dangerous player on the ice.

 

[agentblack]

I was never as high on Pulju as most; thought PLD over him was the right pick regardless of position; and there are obvious concerns about his instincts. But he would make a great RW for Landeskog & Jost/Compher/Dubois on a tough minute second line.

I feel like there's some nervous energy around both those kids, for right now. Im sure they will turn out fine, but compared to the players drafted around them ...they are gonna ..unfairly...disappoint their respective sides.

 

[cgf]

Which is why we should snap them up before they break through!