Pre-Game Talk: 2014 NHL Entry Draft (for non-6th overall pick discussion) - Part IX

[The Iron Goalie]

The bolded is a very pertinent point. With guys who might be mired in the AHL for a significant stretch of time, the appeal of "going home" and making substantially more money can be a tough one to overcome. It really depends on the player though.



Yeah. Aho to me, is just not big enough to overcome the lack of a defining offensive game. Small guys who make it to the NHL on the blueline are a rare breed to begin with...small guys who make the NHL without an extremely dynamic offensive game are even more of a rarity.

Agree with others suggesting this isn't a very strong year for Swedish defencemen.

Ya this year there's not alot to get excited about when it comes to Swedish D...

And on the subject of the Russian factor...I believe Kamenev said, or there was a rumour of his being willing to play over here if he could get out of his KHL contract early...I'll see if I can find the article, but if true he vaults up my draft board!

Edit. His agent said at the draft combine that he's working to get out of his contract, and wants to play in NA next season. I'm of mobile right now , so if someone wants to link the article for me it's on NHL.com. thanks.

 

[Snatcher Demko]

It would be a score if we could nab the 24th as well as the 10th. Even if we gave up Hansen or the 36th along with Kesler.

I'm quite intrigued with what I've read and saw about Honka. This teams needs a skilled PMD and potential PP QB in the worst way.

 

[PhilMick]

It would be a score if we could nab the 24th as well as the 10th. Even if we gave up Hansen or the 36th along with Kesler.

I'm quite intrigued with what I've read and saw about Honka. This teams needs a skilled PMD and potential PP QB in the worst way.

Agreed, I've been hoping we could somehow finagle a late teens pick to get Honka, I really like him. It's a lazy comparison because they're both Finnish, but I get a Kimmo Timmonen vibe from him.

 

[Igor Larionov]

Agreed, I've been hoping we could somehow finagle a late teens pick to get Honka, I really like him. It's a lazy comparison because they're both Finnish, but I get a Kimmo Timmonen vibe from him.

You'd think that because they're both Finnish and under six feet, but it's an excellent comparison that you can't really argue with.

Ryan Ellis may have been the more offensive D man when he was drafted, but Honka plays a much better all around game at 17. You could even compare him to Torey Krug, but just with a little more jam to his game and lesser elusive puck skills.

He's got excellent hockey IQ as well. I don't think you could go wrong with Honka if you acquired Philly's first round pick.

 

[skyo]

Benning talked about them having discussions about who to pick near 36th overall, wonder who they have on their radar?

 

[boredmale]

Ya, a D in the 2nd round would have been ideal but I guess not.

You are more likely to find a star players in the 2nd round+ drafting a defensemen or goalie or forwards from lower teir leagues then you are drafting a forward from the CHL

Their is always exceptions to the rule but just look at any draft and see who all the best players picked in the 2nd+ round and where they came from.

 

[Iridescent*]

Scouting report on Honka

Honka is a small offensive-minded blueliner who skates very well with strong lateral movements and agility. He's extremely elusive and hard to contain or catch. He possesses good recovery speed and quick on the transition from defense to offense.

A tremendously gifted skater possessing four-way dynamic mobility, Julius Honka gets up and down the ice more efficiently than any other defender in his class. Athletically gifted, Honka utilizes his elite hockey sense, ability to read the play quickly and poise in possession to control the tempo of the game. It’s his swift skating that allows him to pounce on turnovers and quickly turn the play up the ice for a scoring chance.

When asked who he models his game after and looks up to, he said "Erik Karlsson"

Does this not sound like, to a T, exactly the type of player this franchise needs? Really hoping we find a way to grab this kid. He very well could be the late steal of the draft. Honestly, I'd seriously consider taking him with the 10th pick if we get it from Anaheim.

 

[huntison]

Scouting report on Honka

Honka is a small offensive-minded blueliner who skates very well with strong lateral movements and agility. He's extremely elusive and hard to contain or catch. He possesses good recovery speed and quick on the transition from defense to offense.

A tremendously gifted skater possessing four-way dynamic mobility, Julius Honka gets up and down the ice more efficiently than any other defender in his class. Athletically gifted, Honka utilizes his elite hockey sense, ability to read the play quickly and poise in possession to control the tempo of the game. It’s his swift skating that allows him to pounce on turnovers and quickly turn the play up the ice for a scoring chance.

When asked who he models his game after and looks up to, he said "Erik Karlsson"

Does this not sound like, to a T, exactly the type of player this franchise needs? Really hoping we find a way to grab this kid. He very well could be the late steal of the draft. Honestly, I'd seriously consider taking him with the 10th pick if we get it from Anaheim.

Seems good. Smaller D always worry me though..

 

[Iridescent*]

Seems good. Smaller D always worry me though..

Karlsson, Ellis, Enstrom, Krug, etc.

The game is changing, and I like him so much in large part because he is small. He is extremely mobile and fast, and can transition plays at high speeds and turn a loose puck on the boards to a scoring chance rushing the other way.

In 5-10 years, every team in the NHL will have a defenseman like this. We need this. We have no transition at all from our defense. We're old and slow. At best we have D who can make one move and outlet. That's it.

This is the type of player we need. We don't need a guy like this to play like Kronwall, we need it to be positionally sound in the defensive zone, break out and create rushes from the D zone, for zone entry even strength and the PP, etc etc.

 

[GrogZilla]

Scouting report on Honka

Honka is a small offensive-minded blueliner who skates very well with strong lateral movements and agility. He's extremely elusive and hard to contain or catch. He possesses good recovery speed and quick on the transition from defense to offense.

A tremendously gifted skater possessing four-way dynamic mobility, Julius Honka gets up and down the ice more efficiently than any other defender in his class. Athletically gifted, Honka utilizes his elite hockey sense, ability to read the play quickly and poise in possession to control the tempo of the game. It’s his swift skating that allows him to pounce on turnovers and quickly turn the play up the ice for a scoring chance.

When asked who he models his game after and looks up to, he said "Erik Karlsson"

Does this not sound like, to a T, exactly the type of player this franchise needs? Really hoping we find a way to grab this kid. He very well could be the late steal of the draft. Honestly, I'd seriously consider taking him with the 10th pick if we get it from Anaheim.

Yeah I really like Honka. The kids a buzzsaw out there, always involved in the play.
Coming over from europe & putting up almost a point a game season as a CHL rookie D is pretty impressive.
Every time a new list comes out I'm always checking to see where Honka is ranked & he's all over the place in rankings, from middle of the 1st round to middle of the 2nd round.
I guess he's a high risk high reward type of pick, but I'd be pretty happy if the Canucks found a way to pick him.

 

[biturbo19]

Yeah I really like Honka. The kids a buzzsaw out there, always involved in the play.
Coming over from europe & putting up almost a point a game season as a CHL rookie D is pretty impressive.
Every time a new list comes out I'm always checking to see where Honka is ranked & he's all over the place in rankings, from middle of the 1st round to middle of the 2nd round.
I guess he's a high risk high reward type of pick, but I'd be pretty happy if the Canucks found a way to pick him.

Yeah. Honka may be on the small side for blueliners, but he doesn't really "play small". Kid's got some snarl to his game.

I've used the comparison before, but to me...Honka is like a weird hybrid of Kevin Bieksa + Toby Enstrom. Like if you gave a small but gifted skater with a good stick and pretty good puck mover like Enstrom some of that patented Bieksa "Swashbuckler" mentality on the ice.

I really have a hard time seeing Honka there at #36. He's a guy i'd be happy to look at if we happen to acquire a pick later in the 1st round somewhere though. I just don't think size scares teams off quite as badly as it once did. We're seeing more and more "smaller" defencemen in that narrowly sub-6ft range selected in the 1st round, and making their mark on the NHL.

 

[Aphid Attraction]

How small is he? Not giving the figures and just saying on the smaller side makes me wonder...

What dose he look like next to Jordan Subban?

Because at this point I would rather hope that Jordan plays like PK then this other guy playing like Karlsson, If it costs a 2nd round pick...

 

[Ryp37]

At 36 there's bound to be a faller they can scoop up

In the 3-4 based on what I've read I'd take a flyer on Noah Rod a blurb on him from future considerations
Rod is a physical, hard working winger who likes to get his nose dirty and get under the skin of his opponent. He drives the net and stands up for his teammates. Willing to do whatever is needed to get the win, he is a tireless fore checker and defensively responsible. Does not possess high end offensive upside. (November 2013)

Had 6 points in 5 games at the world juniors for Switzerland and 4 points in 12 NLA playoff games this year

 

[thefeebster]

At 36 there's bound to be a faller they can scoop up

In the 3-4 based on what I've read I'd take a flyer on Noah Rod a blurb on him from future considerations
Rod is a physical, hard working winger who likes to get his nose dirty and get under the skin of his opponent. He drives the net and stands up for his teammates. Willing to do whatever is needed to get the win, he is a tireless fore checker and defensively responsible. Does not possess high end offensive upside. (November 2013)

Had 6 points in 5 games at the world juniors for Switzerland and 4 points in 12 NLA playoff games this year

I share your enthusiasm about Rod, but he seems to be ranked right in between our 2nd and 3rd, or closer to our 3rd. Definitely one of my candidates for our 3rd, if he makes it there. He threw perhaps the biggest hit of the U18s against Team Canada IIRC, i'll have to find it, surprising explosive strength for such a lean body. Definitely the next best Swiss forward to Fiala, those two stood out immensely. Plays a pro agitating game that would translate very well to NA. It's hard not to notice him when he is playing, always plays with energy and is fearless. Personally think his offensive game is under-rated, enough to be a good middle six kind of a player.

Maybe this is one of the guys Benning meant regarding finding players from all over the world regarding our later picks.

 

[biturbo19]

How small is he? Not giving the figures and just saying on the smaller side makes me wonder...

What dose he look like next to Jordan Subban?

Because at this point I would rather hope that Jordan plays like PK then this other guy playing like Karlsson, If it costs a 2nd round pick...

For all intents and purposes, Honka is ~5'11" and uses a pretty long stick to add a bit more reach. He's in that sub-6ft range that starts to become a questionmark, but he's worlds removed from the sort of short, compact build of a guy like Jordan Subban. For me, Honka is out of that "danger zone" for defencemen where it's really hard for me to see them succeeding in the NHL. Far from ideal, but with his height and frame i think it's probably enough to get by at the next level...others may disagree, some teams will undoubtedly pass on him for it.

Comparing him to Karlsson also isn't really very accurate or fair though, imo at least. Despite Honka listing him as his "favourite player", that doesn't at all mean he projects similarly. As i said above, i'd compare him more to a guy like Tobias Enstrom, but more feisty/gritty, and with a bit of a Bieksa mentality on the ice...both in the nasty streak and the risk-taking at times, offensively and in things like pursuing the big hit.

 

[Iridescent*]

For all intents and purposes, Honka is ~5'11" and uses a pretty long stick to add a bit more reach. He's in that sub-6ft range that starts to become a questionmark, but he's worlds removed from the sort of short, compact build of a guy like Jordan Subban. For me, Honka is out of that "danger zone" for defencemen where it's really hard for me to see them succeeding in the NHL. Far from ideal, but with his height and frame i think it's probably enough to get by at the next level...others may disagree, some teams will undoubtedly pass on him for it.

Comparing him to Karlsson also isn't really very accurate or fair though, imo at least. Despite Honka listing him as his "favourite player", that doesn't at all mean he projects similarly. As i said above, i'd compare him more to a guy like Tobias Enstrom, but more feisty/gritty, and with a bit of a Bieksa mentality on the ice...both in the nasty streak and the risk-taking at times, offensively and in things like pursuing the big hit.

Heh, please don't misinterpret me. I'd never say I think Honka will be anywhere near as good as Karlsson. That's crazy talk. Just that they sort of play a similar style, and that Honka strives to become just a fraction of what Karlsson is now.

Nobody for many years is gonna be as good as that kid.

 

[arsmaster*]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl-draft/ekblad-an-easy-no-1-for-florida-in-nhl-draft/

Mock Draft from Patrick King at Sportsnet. Instead of getting dragged into the 6th overall debate, lets look at the bottom half of this mock and how it plays into our potential at 36.

Best I can tell from a quick scan of our boards Mock Draft: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1669785

Is that Ho-Sang, Pastrnak, Goldobin are not in the 1st round for Sportsnet in place of Doughtery, Demko, and DeAngelo.

So lets run with these 6 as 28th to 33rd overall.

So by our teams mock, we're looking at:

34. Bleackley
35. Point
36. Karlsson
37. Pollock
38. Glover
39. Cornel

Lets start debating this selection like we have, to the 6th. I honestly feel this is where the fall off starts in the draft. For me, I'm hoping teams fall in love with Karlsson and Glover, pushing the Goldobin, Ho-Sang, Pastrnak group back. I'd prefer to have one of these 5: Ho-Sang, Bleackley, Pastrnak, Pollock, and Goldobin.

 

[CanaFan]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl-draft/ekblad-an-easy-no-1-for-florida-in-nhl-draft/

Mock Draft from Patrick King at Sportsnet. Instead of getting dragged into the 6th overall debate, lets look at the bottom half of this mock and how it plays into our potential at 36.

Best I can tell from a quick scan of our boards Mock Draft: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1669785

Is that Ho-Sang, Pastrnak, Goldobin are not in the 1st round for Sportsnet in place of Doughtery, Demko, and DeAngelo.

So lets run with these 6 as 28th to 33rd overall.

So by our teams mock, we're looking at:

34. Bleackley
35. Point
36. Karlsson
37. Pollock
38. Glover
39. Cornel

Lets start debating this selection like we have, to the 6th. I honestly feel this is where the fall off starts in the draft. For me, I'm hoping teams fall in love with Karlsson and Glover, pushing the Goldobin, Ho-Sang, Pastrnak group back. I'd prefer to have one of these 5: Ho-Sang, Bleackley, Pastrnak, Pollock, and Goldobin.

Any of those 5 would be _amazing_ value at 36, heck Id take Bleackely at 24 if we swung for Anaheim's own 1st. Pastrnak would also be a great find in the second while Pollock would be a solid (and much more likely) pick as well.

Ho-Sang would be interesting and I'm sure if he ended up being there at 36 you'd take him and hope a couple years in the AHL can mature his game.

Goldobin's a superb talent but reports on his low compete away from the puck suggest an unlikely match for Benning and Co.

 

[arsmaster*]

Any of those 5 would be _amazing_ value at 36, heck Id take Bleackely at 24 if we swung for Anaheim's own 1st. Pastrnak would also be a great find in the second while Pollock would be a solid (and much more likely) pick as well.

Ho-Sang would be interesting and I'm sure if he ended up being there at 36 you'd take him and hope a couple years in the AHL can mature his game.

Goldobin's a superb talent but reports on his low compete away from the puck suggest an unlikely match for Benning and Co.

I'm a huge Ho-Sang fan. I really think there is very little separating him and some of the similar type guys ranked in the top 10. I think there are parts to his game that make ME think his skills are more translatable, but that's not a popular opinion.

I think a lot of the scouting community that is sour on him, are also the guys who've been comparing him to his teammates since bantam (McDavid, Bennett).

 

[The Iron Goalie]

I'd stay away from Glover, and Karlsson personally

 

[cc]

What if the canucks draft nedeljkovic? My brother seems to think he'll be like Quick

I'd be happy with a lot of players at the 36 spot. Goldobin would be a great pick. If ritchie is picked by the nucks, I'd like to grab cornel

 

[thefeebster]

I'd prefer to have one of these 5: Ho-Sang, Bleackley, Pastrnak, Pollock, and Goldobin.

Let's hope it pans out this way. Only one more week to Bobby Mac's final list, then i think we can get a rather realistic picture of who will be available at 36.

I'm a huge Ho-Sang fan. I really think there is very little separating him and some of the similar type guys ranked in the top 10. I think there are parts to his game that make ME think his skills are more translatable, but that's not a popular opinion.

I think a lot of the scouting community that is sour on him, are also the guys who've been comparing him to his teammates since bantam (McDavid, Bennett).

Yay! As i argued previously, I do not see a lot separating him and the other top "skilled" guys in this draft.

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Nav097 ‏@Nav097 8m

Benning: We will take forwards with our first two round picks. #CanucksTownHallRichmond @blakeprice1040 @BradZiemer @RJHenderson7

From the other thread, but i feel it pertains to more of what we've been discussing here since i think we all know we are taking a forward at 6. So we are taking a forward at 36 per Benning. Argued as much earlier! And then wait and see what is there at 66, i wouldn't mind another forward or a D.

 

[arsmaster*]

Let's hope it pans out this way. Only one more week to Bobby Mac's final list, then i think we can get a rather realistic picture of who will be available at 36.

Yay! As i argued previously, I do not see a lot separating him and the other top "skilled" guys in this draft.

-------------------



From the other thread, but i feel it pertains to more of what we've been discussing here since i think we all know we are taking a forward at 6. So we are taking a forward at 36 per Benning. Argued as much earlier! And then wait and see what is there at 66, i wouldn't mind another forward or a D.

Usually I'd be annoyed they're being so forthcoming with information (especially with the local slant etc, but that's more catering to the fanbase, just like the Linden hire, but I digress...) but the D depth is pretty bad this year. I doubt the best available prospect at 36 is a dman. Certainly, Deangelo could be the most skilled, but that doesn't make him the best.

 

[Vankiller Whale]

Mmm...the only defenseman I'd have really strong feelings if we passed over at 36 would probably be Honka, and that's a huge long shot.

 

[Vankiller Whale]

http://futureconsiderations.ca/fcs-draft-countdown-30-26/

FC's 26-30 ranked prospects. Decent write-ups, decent chance some of them are available where we pick.

Am shocked they have Kapanen so low, though.