Prospect Info: The 2018 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[Balthazar]

I'd argue the biggest organisational hole is goaltending.

 

[McMetal]

I agree the biggest hole is on offense. But I dont think it's a huge hole by any stretch. Not when you have Mack, Landy, Rants, Andrighetto, Jost, Compher, and Kerfoot all in the NHL, and all under 25 years old.

We could use a high upside prospect in the pool. But it's not really close to the need we have had for Defense the last couple of years before adding Zads, Makar, Timmins, Girard, and Meloche in the last couple of years.


I'd be fine with us grabbing a forward, like Veleno/Farabee/Kotkaniemi in that #15 slot that we're currently in. Then going Defense with the #46 pick(A chance to grab another "Timmins" type of 1st round talent that just slipped out of the 1st round), and then back to forward or a goalie with the Preds pick at #61/62.

Pick 46 is far from a Timmins pick. The 1st round leftovers will be long gone, and we'll be picking right at the cusp of the top 50 talent dropoff that most drafts see. It will be an interesting test of the scouting staff to see if they can get a diamond out of that.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Pick 46 is far from a Timmins pick. The 1st round leftovers will be long gone, and we'll be picking right at the cusp of the top 50 talent dropoff that most drafts see. It will be an interesting test of the scouting staff to see if they can get a diamond out of that.

It's obviously not as good as pick #32 was last year with Timmins.

But if you look at draft histories, every year you get at least a couple of guys that were projected to be first rounders or borderline 1st round talents, that end up falling into the middle of the 2nd round or slightly later.


Just look at the 2017 draft. Heponiemi(40th), Anderson-Dolan(41st), and Maxime Comtois(50th) were all guys with lots of pre-draft hype to be 1st rounders but ended up sliding into the middle of the 2nd round.

It becomes harder to remember who was projected 1st rounders that slipped once you go further back. But I do know in 2016 Hart(48th), Lindgren(49th), Clague(51st), and I think Hronek(53rd) had expectations of being possible 1st rounders.


It doesn't really mean much and the Avs may not even be looking at those type of fallers with it's pick. But my point was mainly that at least a couple of guys that are ranked in the 25-31 range on consensus lists end up being on the board still in the mid 40s. Like Timmins who I believe was around 28th last year on Bobby Macs list.

 

[Balthazar]

#46 is the perfect spot to pick the best goalie available.

 

[cgf]

I think we still have a pressing need for a high end forward. Our most skilled forwards outside the NHL are Greer, Morrison, Smirnov, and Bowers (not counting Shvyryov as I think the Mironov situation hurts our chances of bringing him over). Not exactly a big pool of surefire top six talent out there on the horizon.

I hope still that we could target Farabee, Kotkaniemi (who is starting to impress me more) or Denisenko with that 1st. I'm not a big fan of Lundestrom or Thomas. Hayton I go back and forth on as far as his offensive upside, but I don't have as much time to watch everybody this year. The later third of the round has Bokk, Noel, Kaut, and Olofsson, but that's not a tier we will be in, nor will either of our seconds allow us to scoop up the leftovers early in the round.

Eh, Andrei was a staple for Dynamo and had played in a KHL allstar game before coming over. Igor is struggling to even get regular KHL pt. If Shvyryov came over he'd be much more comparable to Kamenev. Hell he's said he'd even be open to coming to play in junior, nevermind in the AHL.

 

[Patagonia]

Sportsnet’s 2018 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: March

Sportsnet’s 2018 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: March - Sportsnet.ca

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Eh, Andrei was a staple for Dynamo and had played in a KHL allstar game before coming over. Igor is struggling to even get regular KHL pt. If Shvyryov came over he'd be much more comparable to Kamenev. Hell he's said he'd even be open to coming to play in junior, nevermind in the AHL.

If he is that would be great. Gets him used to the game, and easier environment to start getting adjusted to the NA lifestyle (usually they will billet which will help him adjust a lot easier than living out of a hotel).

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I need us to win one of the top-3 picks so bad if we miss out on the playoffs. Having Dahlin sets up our defense for the future so well, Svechnikov would be hilarious on this team. Zadina would really complete that MacK line for the future.

As a giddy fan boy who likes to imagine the best case scenario...

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Jost-Tavares-Svechnikov

That would be so damn fun to watch.

 

[Spleenless Wonder21]

I need us to win one of the top-3 picks so bad if we miss out on the playoffs. Having Dahlin sets up our defense for the future so well, Svechnikov would be hilarious on this team. Zadina would really complete that MacK line for the future.

As a giddy fan boy who likes to imagine the best case scenario...

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Jost-Tavares-Svechnikov

That would be so damn fun to watch.

*insert Simpson’s I like the cut of your jib gif here, bc I’s apparently not smart enough to know how*

 

[cgf]

I need us to win one of the top-3 picks so bad if we miss out on the playoffs. Having Dahlin sets up our defense for the future so well, Svechnikov would be hilarious on this team. Zadina would really complete that MacK line for the future.

As a giddy fan boy who likes to imagine the best case scenario...

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Jost-Tavares-Svechnikov

That would be so damn fun to watch.

It would be almost as fun to watch as:
Landy - MacK - Mikko
Jost - Draisaitl - Svech

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

It would be almost as fun to watch as:
Landy - MacK - Mikko
Jost - Draisaitl - Svech

I think it's time we be realistic about this...

Draisaitl-Tavares-Svechnikov

 

[cgf]

I think it's time we be realistic about this...

Draisaitl-Tavares-Svechnikov

And at that point we could trade JT for Radu and have the perfect top 6

 

[McMetal]

Sportsnet’s 2018 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: March

Sportsnet’s 2018 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: March - Sportsnet.ca

Interesting to me that Boqvist and Smith ate now both listed at 5'11. Smith was listed at 5'9 to start the season, it will be interesting at the combine what his final height comes to. Part of Makar's jump in the rankings was his late growth spurt that took him to 5'11, if Smith gets a similar boost that might really drive him up. I've always loved his IQ and skating. If you combine that with a body just shy of 6' that's going to be scary to watch in the NHL.

I also thought it was weird Lundestrom was compared to Bergeron, I don't see that at all. Lundestrom strikes me as that "good at everything, great at nothing" kind of forward that I'm leery about taking mid 1st. Too often, those picks look "safe" to scouts, but you end up with a meh player in the NHL.

 

[dahrougem2]

And at that point we could trade JT for Radu and have the perfect top 6

I think you're going to have to be a bit more realistic. Compher isn't getting us Radulov...

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Interesting to me that Boqvist and Smith ate now both listed at 5'11. Smith was listed at 5'9 to start the season, it will be interesting at the combine what his final height comes to. Part of Makar's jump in the rankings was his late growth spurt that took him to 5'11, if Smith gets a similar boost that might really drive him up. I've always loved his IQ and skating. If you combine that with a body just shy of 6' that's going to be scary to watch in the NHL.

I also thought it was weird Lundestrom was compared to Bergeron, I don't see that at all. Lundestrom strikes me as that "good at everything, great at nothing" kind of forward that I'm leery about taking mid 1st. Too often, those picks look "safe" to scouts, but you end up with a meh player in the NHL.

Yeah Smith has an impressive set of tools no doubt. I think the 5'11 listing is generous even for hockey though. I'd say he's still around 5'9.

 

[Congo Jack]

Yeah Smith has an impressive set of tools no doubt. I think the 5'11 listing is generous even for hockey though. I'd say he's still around 5'9.

5'9.75*


But anyways, I'm kinda torn on whether we'll get the Ott 1st this year, as 99.9% of teams would never do that due to the toxic message it sends to the fans/players that they expect the team to be even worse next year....but at the same time, Ottawa is the epitome of toxic right now and clearly don't give a **** what the fans/players think.

 

[McMetal]

Yeah Smith has an impressive set of tools no doubt. I think the 5'11 listing is generous even for hockey though. I'd say he's still around 5'9.

Like I said, it's just interesting to see that number thrown out there. Of course, no number is official until the combine, you can't add half an inch there. It'll be something to watch though.

 

[tigervixxxen]

He might be 5'11 but he has a very small frame

 

[cgf]

He might be 5'11 but he has a very small frame

So does Heiskanen *shrug*

With that level of skating, skill, and intelligence; I’m not worried

 

[McMetal]

He might be 5'11 but he has a very small frame

True, but if he's growing in height, he may fill it out eventually too. With his skating and smarts I'm not sure size will ever hold him back. Even if he just tops out at 5'10 that puts him right there with Girard, and Smith has many of the same tools.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I mean, look for yourself then.

Meet Team Orr WHLers with Luka Burzan – Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Doesn't mean he's undesirable but if you are talking about a kids size it's more than his height.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Interesting to me that Boqvist and Smith ate now both listed at 5'11. Smith was listed at 5'9 to start the season, it will be interesting at the combine what his final height comes to. Part of Makar's jump in the rankings was his late growth spurt that took him to 5'11, if Smith gets a similar boost that might really drive him up. I've always loved his IQ and skating. If you combine that with a body just shy of 6' that's going to be scary to watch in the NHL.

I also thought it was weird Lundestrom was compared to Bergeron, I don't see that at all. Lundestrom strikes me as that "good at everything, great at nothing" kind of forward that I'm leery about taking mid 1st. Too often, those picks look "safe" to scouts, but you end up with a meh player in the NHL.

5'11.25"

 

[cgf]

I mean, look for yourself then.

Meet Team Orr WHLers with Luka Burzan – Sherwin-Williams CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game

Doesn't mean he's undesirable but if you are talking about a kids size it's more than his height.

True that.

Though height does usually coincide with length, and length is nice even if it doesn't come with bulk. I mean can you imagine if Samwise's reach was 3-4 inches longer? So even if Miro & Smith are never going to be Ellis-esque tanks, them being longer than expected is a nice perk for their games.

 

[S E P H]

Smith will eventually get to Tyson Barrie's frame and toughness level, so I wouldn't consider that a negative aspect. Should be better defencively as well.

 

[henchman21]

Smith will eventually get to Tyson Barrie's frame and toughness level, so I wouldn't consider that a negative aspect. Should be better defencively as well.

He's gonna have to eat a lot of Dairy Queen!