Brooklyndevil
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I doubt we’re taking 3 forwards. We will draft defensemen in the first.
Prospect Info: Way Too Early Devils-Centric Mock Draft For February
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Brooklyndevil
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I definitely want Kuokk inserted over Hayden in our next game.
Oh my, @longislanddevil -- you ask the best questions, but also the ones with the longest and most comprehensive necessary responses. I will try to get back to this later because I have kind of a full plate tonight, but I will put the top of each category for now:
Shot: Holtz
Two-Way: Rossi
Vision/Creativity: Raymond or Stutzle
Hockey IQ: Perfetti or Lafreniere
Compete Level: Lafreniere or Rossi
Skating: Raymond or Stutzle
Strength: Lafreniere or Byfield
Highest Ceiling: Byfield
Highest Floor: Lafreniere
Lowest Ceiling: Perfetti -- but only because I see him as a complimentary scoring winger more than a play driver
Lowest Floor: I don't want to answer, because I have high hopes for all 8 of these kids
The number one prospect to me is Lafreniere, just because on the "One To Ten Scale", he ranks as a 9 to 10 in every category across the board except for skating, where I'd have him as about a 7. Another category I weigh heavily is hands/puckhandling, and I think all 8 of these kids are elite in that respect.
This is dependent on several factors. If Drysdale is gone with the Devils' first pick, they are certainly not reaching for a D. Then with the Arizona pick, the only way I could see NJ taking a D is if Sanderson is still on the board. If the Devils do go D in the first round it would likely be with the Vancouver pick, and this would of course be dependent on who was available there. Schneider and Guhle would of course be attractive to the Devils, but in a forward-heavy first round like 2020 would the Devils really want to take a higher-risk D if a F they ranked higher were still on the board? I'm not so certain.
The Devils certainly need more top-pairing caliber D, but the only confident bets for that in the class of 2020 are Drysdale and Sanderson. In terms of LD depth -- the Devils organization certainly has a ton of that. Admittedly, the team needs to improve the prospect depth at RD, but outside of Drysdale and Schneider I'm not certain there's a first-rounder in 2020 at the position. Barron is certainly intriguing, but the injuries and his slow start in 2019-20 might drop him into the second round. I'm actually a big fan of Barron, but would I take him with the Vancouver pick at #16-#20 if a high-upside F like Mysak, Amirov or Mercer were on the board? Again, I'm not certain.
The most baffling aspect of the 2019-20 season to me is that Rooney and Hayden, whom I affectionately refer to as the "Crash Test Dummies", continue to receive regular ice time. I fail to see how being "defensively responsible" while being pinned in your zone for 13-15 minutes per game is an asset to the team. I would agree with you wholeheartedly that I'd prefer to see how the kids do, but unfortunately the Devils have an interim coach who is more interested in getting a permanent job than developing the future of the organization.
nugg
NJ Hammerhead Bats!
What about Shakir Mukhamadullin? You said previously that he may have top pair upside.
glenwo2
LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
I think their real purpose is to give the other REAL NHL Lines a rest before coming back in.
Rooney's kind of grown on me a bit. I don't think he's as bad as Hayden.
I'm a big fan of Mukhamadullin's upside. He's very physical with a cannon of a shot and penchant for physical, defensive play. But I think you're looking at a three to four year wait, as he's a KHL-er with a high development curve. I'd be happy if the Devils drafted him with the Vancouver pick anyway, because he's a potential shut-down-type D who can also serve as the trigger man on a 1PP unit. Still, the million dollar question is would I draft him with the Vancouver pick if a high-upside F like Mysak/Amirov/Mercer were available? My scouts would really have to be gaga over any D in this draft to make such a selection.
I'd much rather see McLeod get that ice time as the Devils 4C.
See, this is where you are wrong. I ask the best questions like how fast can a cheetah run? Who’s buried in Grant’s Tomb and why do the aliens insist on visiting our trailer parks for abductees to be probed?
I just finished watching the Winnipeg/Arizona game, essentially a playoff contest for both clubs. I would like to reiterate that the Coyotes are simply not a good hockey team. They had good games from their D-men (especially Ekman-Larsson and Oesterle) and as usual, got a very good game in goal from Kuemper.
But the Arizona Fs as a group are just sub-mediocre, and offensively borderline pitiful. I felt Hall played a decent game, but the only forwards who made a discernible positive impact whatsoever were Nick Schmaltz (who scored both Coyotes goals) and Lawson Crouse (who was noticeably excellent every shift all game despite both his line mates playing like garbage).
I'm going to wager that the Western Conference wild card spots come down to two of Vancouver/Nashville/Winnipeg with Minnesota and Arizona on the outside looking in. And I don't think it's impossible that Arizona's pick winds up in the top 8 overall, as Chicago and Montreal do not have particularly difficult schedules the rest of the way.
But the Arizona Fs as a group are just sub-mediocre, and offensively borderline pitiful. I felt Hall played a decent game, but the only forwards who made a discernible positive impact whatsoever were Nick Schmaltz (who scored both Coyotes goals) and Lawson Crouse (who was noticeably excellent every shift all game despite both his line mates playing like garbage).
I'm going to wager that the Western Conference wild card spots come down to two of Vancouver/Nashville/Winnipeg with Minnesota and Arizona on the outside looking in. And I don't think it's impossible that Arizona's pick winds up in the top 8 overall, as Chicago and Montreal do not have particularly difficult schedules the rest of the way.
glenwo2
LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
Yeah...I once despised Rooney but he's earned his time at Center.
I no longer have much issue with him.
Hayden can go F off, though.
ninetyeight
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I hope so. Arizona has a relatively easy schedule though, but they need more points than the rest. Vancouver still has bunch of games against LA, ANA & SJ, so I think they'll make it . The Jets have a really tough schedule ahead, apart from Arizona all the rest of their opponents are higher in the standings than them, so they're probably out. I predict Nashville and Vancouver gets in.
Scooooooooooooot
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glenwo2
LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
Never heard of anyone on the Devils make that claim.
Perhaps he is but I view Palms, Travis and even PK as great lockeroom guys.
As far as Hayden goes, still bitter about the whole "Daddy" incident so my opinion is a bit biased against him.
Scooooooooooooot
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My take away from that list: At least one person in the world is worse than me in spelling.
glenwo2
LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
Never heard of anyone on the Devils make that claim (great lockeroom guy).
Perhaps he is but I view Palms, Travis and even PK as great lockeroom guys.
As far as Hayden goes, still bitter about the whole "Daddy" incident so my opinion is a bit biased against him.
And the reason I have it in quotes is for emphasis.
Scooooooooooooot
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Listen to the interview with Jack after the Bertuzzi incident. Listen to the podcast with Amanda Stein today and Idk maybe dont make an opinion on a lockeroom you are not in because you're mad Nas made a dumb decision once for John Hayden to play in front of his dad.
I did chuckle at your response because I knew this question would require a long and detailed answer. Lol...appreciate your short answer and no worries...whenever you have time for an in-depth breakdown.
3-8 in this draft class feels like “choose your flavor.” Some people prefer chocolate ice cream where others would choose vanilla or strawberry. Many folks like all ice cream flavors and selecting one could be a matter of what they’re in the mood for. By analyzing all the player attributes, it may help us choose our flavor. For example, some Devils fans may prioritize a goal scoring sniper to ride shotgun with Hughes (Holtz would be a wise choice). Others may be drawn to a two-way beast with a relentless, endless motor in Rossi. While going BPA is always prudent, these prospects are just so closely ranked. Possessing certain attributes that would complement our young core in Hischier/Hughes/Bratt may be a tiebreaker.
I'm not ruling out Winnipeg -- not just because they're my second-favorite team, but also because I think they really improved at the deadline with two under-the-radar bargain deals to acquire an underrated duo in DeMelo/Eakin. I'm going to say that Nashville might be sunk by having a certain coach who insists on giving Colton Scissons and Austin Watson more ice time than Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson. I'm going with Vancouver and Winnipeg as the two wild cards.
Thanks for stating this. I’m sure a number of us share this approach to the draft and you really hit the nail on the head as I read your post.
Look at the Arizona record after the Kuemper injury. Their record was highly inflated at the time of the trade and their cap is in a bad shape. I could easily see them doing worse even when adding a top 3 pick.
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