Which C should the leafs take with their 1st rd pick

[Halla]

Assuming a pick in the 23-27 range, at least 3 or 4 of these guys should be available. which would you take?

Jacob Olofsson 6'2/190
21pts in 43 games (SWE-1)

Akil Thomas 5'11/170
79pts in 65 games (OHL)

Rasmus Kupari 5'11/165
14pts in 39 games (SM-Liga)

Benoit-Oliver Groulx 6'1/190
53pts in 66 games (QMJHL)

Jack McBain 6'3/195
58 pts in 48 games (OJHL)

Previous thread: which Dman should the leafs take
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threa...leafs-to-take-with-their-1st-rd-pick.2462533/

Click to read more...

 

[A1LeafNation]

Olofsson

 

[ACC1224]

The best one available

 

[Morgs]

I don't expect Thomas or Kupari to make it to us, so they'd be the obvious choice.

Still wouldn't go for any of these guys over Denisenko or Kravtsov. Really really need an "other" choice.

 

[Stand Witness]

Im avoiding Groulx. He screams smart 2nd round pick but poor 1st round pick.

McBain scares me a bit too but there seems to really be some good players coming out of the USHL/BCHL/OJHL to college route the last couple of seasons.

Kupari by all accounts is likely gone by our pick.

That leaves me Olofsson and Thomas as safer high upside picks. I think right now I would lean towards Thomas.

 

[Fogelhund]

Move up, draft Jesperi Kotkaniemi

 

[4thline]

Move up, draft Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Move back, get Dellandrea and Wise

 

[BayStreetBully]

I dunno... I just can’t get excited about people I’ve never heard of, who will probably never amount to anything anyway.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Move back, get Dellandrea and Wise

I'd rather have an A prospect at this point of the rebuild than 2 B prospects.

 

[LeafSteel]

I go off the board and redraft Mckegg.

 

[Fogelhund]

I dunno... I just can’t get excited about people I’ve never heard of, who will probably never amount to anything anyway.

Ultimately that says more about your knowledge, than the prospects in question.

 

[Fogelhund]

Move back, get Dellandrea and Wise

I'd agree with the above posters, rather have one A, than two B's... though I think your choices do have a good chance of becoming more than their draft rankings currently show, so good choices. I still stick with the Finn, though if a reasonable deal for that couldn't be pulled off, I wouldn't be opposed to your idea.

 

[Yamazaki]

I haven’t been following the draft since the leafs became good. Who’s the fastest skater of the centers mentioned?

 

[member 147413]

McBain is gonna be real good, and he’s a Toronto kid.

 

[The Best Leafs Ever]

I dunno... I just can’t get excited about people I’ve never heard of, who will probably never amount to anything anyway.

Lol how did you come up with your conclusion if you don't know who they are? Ignorance at it's best.

 

[member 147413]

I haven’t been following the draft since the leafs became good. Who’s the fastest skater of the centers mentioned?

Akil Thomas, but it’s very likely he ends up a winger imo.

 

[4thline]

I'd agree with the above posters, rather have one A, than two B's... though I think your choices do have a good chance of becoming more than their draft rankings currently show, so good choices. I still stick with the Finn, though if a reasonable deal for that couldn't be pulled off, I wouldn't be opposed to your idea.

I'd rather have an A prospect at this point of the rebuild than 2 B prospects.

Yeah, in theory I agree with one over 2 B's, but IMO it looks to be a very shallow decline in this draft , so I see it as
Trade Up- A
Stand pat A- plus B+
Trade down A- plus A-/B+ plus B+

85 cents vs 82 + 77 type of deal, though I may be entirely wrong. There should seems like there's going to be a lot of guys available in the 2nd that I would not be shocked or mad at taking in the late 1st.

 

[Liminality]

From what I've read Olofsson seems like a player we could use and that Babcock would like. Also read that McBain needs to get more agility and get faster but I think he seems like a decent project center.

 

[LeafingTheWay]

I'd rather have an A prospect at this point of the rebuild than 2 B prospects.

Konecny > Dermott + Bracco ?

I agree with you but moving back does have it's strengths even at this point of the rebuild, it depends on the situation.

 

[TheKingSlayer]

Merge the C and D threads together... trade down, grab a C and a D. Problem solved.

 

[JadedLeaf]

I feel like when teams pick so low in the round that you should always pick the best player available regardless of position.

 

[MattySnipes]

I don't know these guys ...can I just go with.....Matthews FTW! I'll never get tired of us drafting him 1st overall!

 

[MattySnipes]

I say we go BPA, either Swedish centre or Canadian centre

So that leaves us at...

1. Olofsson
2. McBain

 

[realgoodleafs]

Other - Ty Dellandrea

 

[BayStreetBully]

Ultimately that says more about your knowledge, than the prospects in question.

I’m sure you’re right. I guess I just don’t care until they’re farther along on their path to becoming an NHLer. Historically, the vast majority of prospects picked in that 23-27 range don’t amount to anything special.