Hiishawk
Registered User
Long time, no post.
Some people might remeember me as a poster who used to draw up a late season top 60, based on a combination of my own observations (as an ex-NHL sout) and a number of insider chats with scouts and other in-the-pocket hockey people. Now that there are seemingly dozens of scouting sites and services I don't think I can add much to what most draft fans already know or can soon find out.
Instead I offer ten questions. Feel free to post your answers...
1. Who goes #10? Just about everyone seems to agree (and this has been confirmed by Bob Mackenzie) that nine players stand out above the others. So- who goes right after that?
2. Who will be the 2nd goalie taken (assuming that J. Gibson goes first)? My pick: Magnus Hellberg
3. Which REAL sleepers will move up into the top 60 (I mean players you haven't seen ranked in anyone's top 60 yet). My answer: Brennan Serville, from Stouffville (OPJHL) (Ok- Bobby M stole a bit of my thunder by making him the 60th ranked player on TSN's very recent list). Watch for non-American USHSers Eddie Wittchow, Peter Placek and Mike McKee to possibly surprise too.
4. Who are the first round sleepers (not yet on anyone's top 30 picks)? My picks: Philip Danault and, a real outsider, Gregory Hofmann.
5. Who will be the 8th Swede taken? Almost everyone assumes that Larsson, Landeskog, Brodin, Klefbom, Rask, Zibanejad, and Rackell will be the top 7. Who's next?
6. Who will be the 8th WHLer taken? Most people have RNH, McNeill, Rattie, Bartschi, Musil, Morrow, and Siemens as the 7 best. Who goes 8th? My pick: I thought Bob M's Edmundson choice was a good one (damn, I should have posted this message a few days earlier!). Myles Bell would have been this player a month back but...
7. Who will be the first re-entry player taken? It looks to be a toss up between Noebels, Hellberg, or Kichton. Outside shots come from Dahlberg and, as a reach, Notre Dame's Tynan. My pick is Hellberg.
8. Who will be the 2nd NCAA player taken? Oleksiak is pretty much a sure thing for the first round but who goes next? And will any other NCAAers make it into the first round?
9. What are the chances of no Russian, Czech or Slovak players taken in the first round? I'd say it reasonable- Jurco, Musil and Jaskin could each conceivably drop out of the top 30. As for the Russians, Kucherov is a top 10 talent but with the combination of size and grit/effort issues plus the fact that he has no N. American timetable makes him unlikely as a first round pick- unless somebody has some real inside track on his intentions. As for Khoklachev and Namestnikov, they both sit around the end of the first round under normal circumstances. However, with any Russians, if you don't project the player to be a top 6 forward or top 4 defenseman, there's a very good chance he'll be plying his trade in the KHL- reducing their draft value.
10. What are the chances of no USHL, USHS, or USNDTP players being taken in the first round? The first set (USHL) seems quite plausible, the second (USHS) seems probable, but is there any chance of USNTDP players all dropping to round two? Unlikely to be sure, BUT- all the prime suspects have issues. Biggs lacks high end skill. Miller may look more like an up 'n down north-south plugger than a typical first round pick, Murphy has injury issues, Grimaldi has the size thing, and Gibson- well, it's not a great year for goalies.
Some people might remeember me as a poster who used to draw up a late season top 60, based on a combination of my own observations (as an ex-NHL sout) and a number of insider chats with scouts and other in-the-pocket hockey people. Now that there are seemingly dozens of scouting sites and services I don't think I can add much to what most draft fans already know or can soon find out.
Instead I offer ten questions. Feel free to post your answers...
1. Who goes #10? Just about everyone seems to agree (and this has been confirmed by Bob Mackenzie) that nine players stand out above the others. So- who goes right after that?
2. Who will be the 2nd goalie taken (assuming that J. Gibson goes first)? My pick: Magnus Hellberg
3. Which REAL sleepers will move up into the top 60 (I mean players you haven't seen ranked in anyone's top 60 yet). My answer: Brennan Serville, from Stouffville (OPJHL) (Ok- Bobby M stole a bit of my thunder by making him the 60th ranked player on TSN's very recent list). Watch for non-American USHSers Eddie Wittchow, Peter Placek and Mike McKee to possibly surprise too.
4. Who are the first round sleepers (not yet on anyone's top 30 picks)? My picks: Philip Danault and, a real outsider, Gregory Hofmann.
5. Who will be the 8th Swede taken? Almost everyone assumes that Larsson, Landeskog, Brodin, Klefbom, Rask, Zibanejad, and Rackell will be the top 7. Who's next?
6. Who will be the 8th WHLer taken? Most people have RNH, McNeill, Rattie, Bartschi, Musil, Morrow, and Siemens as the 7 best. Who goes 8th? My pick: I thought Bob M's Edmundson choice was a good one (damn, I should have posted this message a few days earlier!). Myles Bell would have been this player a month back but...
7. Who will be the first re-entry player taken? It looks to be a toss up between Noebels, Hellberg, or Kichton. Outside shots come from Dahlberg and, as a reach, Notre Dame's Tynan. My pick is Hellberg.
8. Who will be the 2nd NCAA player taken? Oleksiak is pretty much a sure thing for the first round but who goes next? And will any other NCAAers make it into the first round?
9. What are the chances of no Russian, Czech or Slovak players taken in the first round? I'd say it reasonable- Jurco, Musil and Jaskin could each conceivably drop out of the top 30. As for the Russians, Kucherov is a top 10 talent but with the combination of size and grit/effort issues plus the fact that he has no N. American timetable makes him unlikely as a first round pick- unless somebody has some real inside track on his intentions. As for Khoklachev and Namestnikov, they both sit around the end of the first round under normal circumstances. However, with any Russians, if you don't project the player to be a top 6 forward or top 4 defenseman, there's a very good chance he'll be plying his trade in the KHL- reducing their draft value.
10. What are the chances of no USHL, USHS, or USNDTP players being taken in the first round? The first set (USHL) seems quite plausible, the second (USHS) seems probable, but is there any chance of USNTDP players all dropping to round two? Unlikely to be sure, BUT- all the prime suspects have issues. Biggs lacks high end skill. Miller may look more like an up 'n down north-south plugger than a typical first round pick, Murphy has injury issues, Grimaldi has the size thing, and Gibson- well, it's not a great year for goalies.
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