2014 NHL Entry Draft Part 4

[Analyzer*]

As I said, not having a 2nd round made me hope some would fall to the 3rd as we also can't picked them in the 1st.. So whether it's Vanier, Aubé-Kubel or Karlsson or others...that's why I have so many 1st round....and also a few 3rd rounds that won't be there when we talk. And some 1st rounds in there that suits more as 2nd rounders. Besides, I'm taking Gran't words than Karlsson might not be as high in real scouts lists than in ours and that some scouts see him go 2nd/3rd. Maybe not low 3rd...I know.

For Valiev, I never ended up watching a game when he showed some interesting hockey IQ. 2nd season up for draft, he didn't improve, despite what the numbers say, at least to my liking. Yet, like I said, I had him ND as I'm predicting he'll go 4th/5th round and don't want him there. If he goes 7th round...why not. Still wouldn't be my pick...but it would be fine there.

Well, hopefully Grant is right. If we can trade him in the 3rd to land him...

I think Vanier's size at 6'5 is what will likely make him a 2nd rounder. Even a mid 2nd.

Valiyev in the 4th, or 5th is/would be a bad pick at this point in time, so now that I understand your reasoning I agree. Though, I agree with a lot of your prospect info as it turns out right more times than not. Especially for an HFBoards poster.

You should have waited until Monday to reveal your list. Compete with Bob McKenzie to see which HFBoards Habs like more.

I have a similar feeling, or at least, wouldn't be shocked if the Habs did take Hunter. It really depends on who's left on the board and where Timmins sees Hunter on the development curve as compared to someone like say Bleakley whom I like. It's all about upside. There seems to be concerns by posters on here much more knowledgable than I that Bleakley might be close to the top of his development curve and may plateau fairly early and thus have limited upside. Redline (whom I'm not a big fan of) appears to see Hunter as a late riser and seems to suggest he has (or at least might have) considerable upside. If Timmins sees things the same way then he just might take a flyer on Hunter. Again though, depends on whose available and where Timmins sees Hunter on the development curve (ie. whether he has a great deal more upside).

Personally, I think if Ho-Sang is available (and I don't think he will be), I'd take him at 26 (despite the red flags) and never look back, but that's just me.

Edit: I do think the guy Habs take in the 1st is going to turn out to be better than one would normally expect at 26. Just have a "good feeling" about that pick this year for some inexplicable reason. Probably delusional on my part. *lol*

I don't think you'd be delusional. I think it has more to do with players around 12th to players late in the first/early 2nd being so close in skill a player, in retrospect that should have gone 12th might go 26th. However, in the grand scheme of things that player likely won't be a stud by any means, just look like one compared to this draft.

Ho-Sang is likely a no draft for the habs at 26th. From Therrien to Bergevin to Timmins they all like "character" and from reports, Ho-Sang doesn't fit that bill.

DeAngelo doesn't really fit that either.

Who knows, I have about as much experience as the rest of you do.

 

[Whitesnake]

Well, hopefully Grant is right. If we can trade him in the 3rd to land him...

I think Vanier's size at 6'5 is what will likely make him a 2nd rounder. Even a mid 2nd.

Valiyev in the 4th, or 5th is/would be a bad pick at this point in time, so now that I understand your reasoning I agree. Though, I agree with a lot of your prospect info as it turns out right more times than not. Especially for an HFBoards poster.

You should have waited until Monday to reveal your list. Compete with Bob McKenzie to see which HFBoards Habs like more.

Well my list is neither a top 100 and not a mock draft for all the teams so there's no competition. And in the end, I'm not even in the same class as McKenzie in his list as he's going with real scouts opinions. So actually, everybody should go with what McKenzie goes with. Not mine. It's mostly a fun exercice for me, as I hope it is for others.

Vanier should indeed go 2nd round.

 

[Fozz]

I think I said it at the beginning of my list....those are mostly ND,s based on where they are scheduled to go.

Sorry mate. Skiped the intro and went straight to the list (I dislike reading...).

 

[Tinordi Ruxpin]

Im not too high on Bleakley he seems like a bottom 6 player

I think that is just what Bleackley is. Usually, with a 1st round pick, my expectation is t o get a Top 6 forward or a Top 4 defenseman. Usually, we don't have this low of a pick so I think we may all have to temper our expectations.

I really like Kempe, but truthfully, is he anything more than a 3rd line player? Where DLR could crack Top 6, I think Kempe has 3rd liner written all over him. And I would be happy with that.

So, why not Bleackley? Trust me, MB and TT will love everything about him. Bleackley isn't exceptionally high on my list but I don't think I would be devastated if we picked him.

 

[Tinordi Ruxpin]

My wishlist:

Hope and a prayer prospects:
C/LW Adrian Kempe
C/LW Ivan Barbashev
C/RW Alex Tuch
D Travis Sanheim

I've just about given up hope any of these guys will fall to us, but I can still dream. Who knows, if the reports are true, maybe we trade up to get one of these guys. I think Kempe is a straight up 3rd liner, who will excel defensively and may not be too far off developmentally. Barbashev and Tuch are 2nd liners with 1st line potential. I think Sanheim has great Top 4 potential. Walking away with any of these 4 players would make me a really happy guy.

Likely candidates:
C/RW Nick Schmaltz
LW Nikolay Goldobin
LW Nikita Scherbak
C Conner Bleackley
RW David Pastrnak
D Jack Dougherty
D Anthony Deangelo
D Roland McKeown

If he's there, I take Schmaltz because I think he is the best player of the bunch. He has top notch offensive skill and has been on the radar for a long time now. I don't know why, but for some reason, I think we will take a defenseman in this draft. Dougherty seems to be the kind of guy the Habs like. Wouldn't be surprised with that pick at all. Then again Bleackley is exactly w hat MB and TT are looking for. Another very likely scenario.

Leery of:
RW Josh Ho-Sang
LW Brendan Lemieux
C/RW Jakub Vrana

Ho-Sang isn't much different than Goldobin, but there's just something that doesn't sit right with me. I just don't see Lemieux as a 1st round material type of player. Not sure Vrana has the elite offensive tools to compensate for his defensive game.

 

[TT1]

barbashev has 1st line potential? :O
i always saw him as a quality middle 6 2-way guy who had 2nd line potential

 

[Tinordi Ruxpin]

barbashev has 1st line potential? :O
i always saw him as a quality middle 6 2-way guy who had 2nd line potential

I think his floor is 2nd line. I may be slightly biased as he plays for my home team, but he is very much like Thomas Plekanec. I think if he was turned loose offensively he could slot in on the 1st line. I think he ultimately becomes a defensively responsible 2nd line guy with the potential to score 60 points.

 

[bigtimehockeyfan999*]

My Wishlist

Jared Mcann
Travis Sanheim
Jake Virtanen



More Realistic

Connor Bleackley
Josh Ho-Sang
Ryan MacInnis

 

[Draft]

I think that is just what Bleackley is. Usually, with a 1st round pick, my expectation is t o get a Top 6 forward or a Top 4 defenseman. Usually, we don't have this low of a pick so I think we may all have to temper our expectations.

I really like Kempe, but truthfully, is he anything more than a 3rd line player? Where DLR could crack Top 6, I think Kempe has 3rd liner written all over him. And I would be happy with that.

So, why not Bleackley? Trust me, MB and TT will love everything about him. Bleackley isn't exceptionally high on my list but I don't think I would be devastated if we picked him.

Kempe has more offensive potential and skill than DLR IMO. He's not quite as polished physically or defensively but has noticeably better offensive IQ and passing skills. I've watched both play quite a bit and they're quite similar in some ways (grit, size, speed, two-way play) but Kempe comes out on top between the two as a player who could potentially generate offence - not just compliment it.

 

[overlords]

I was also surprised when I found out how young Kempe was. 3 days shy of being a 2015 kid.

 

[Team_Spirit]

I was also surprised when I found out how young Kempe was. 3 days shy of being a 2015 kid.

Virtanen is also really young.

I wonder if it's a big advantage in the eyes of the scouts.

 

[TT1]

Best hockey name after Mike Busto? And he's even a defenseman, a really good one actually

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=147490

 

[Freaky Habs Fan]

What do you guys think about Brandon Lemieux? He seems to be the kind of player that will help any team win.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I was also surprised when I found out how young Kempe was. 3 days shy of being a 2015 kid.

Yep and then he's already produced against men.. I think his offensive game.. Primarily vision.. Don't get enough credit.

 

[Scintillating10]

What do you guys think about Brandon Lemieux? He seems to be the kind of player that will help any team win.

Not even offense for first round

 

[le_sean]

What do you guys think about Brandon Lemieux? He seems to be the kind of player that will help any team win.

I'd be happy with him. He seems to be a player with a 2nd line ceiling, the type of player you can plug into any line to get it going.

However it seems more and more likely that he will be a target for the Avs. Heck I wouldn't be surprised to see the Flyers take him.

 

[Whitesnake]

I was also surprised when I found out how young Kempe was. 3 days shy of being a 2015 kid.

Yep and then he's already produced against men.. I think his offensive game.. Primarily vision.. Don't get enough credit.

There is no way, this year, that this kid passes pick 20. Would makes no sense whatsoever.

I'd be happy with him. He seems to be a player with a 2nd line ceiling, the type of player you can plug into any line to get it going.

However it seems more and more likely that he will be a target for the Avs. Heck I wouldn't be surprised to see the Flyers take him.

The usual suspects for sure. From the Flyers, to Avs, to surely Boston, 1 pick ahead.

 

[le_sean]

There is no way, this year, that this kid passes pick 20. Would makes no sense whatsoever.



The usual suspects for sure. From the Flyers, to Avs, to surely Boston, 1 pick ahead.

Wouldn't that be lovely to deal with if they keep Marchand too?

Do you think there's a slight possibility Lemieux could play in the NHL next year? He seems like the type that can work his way on to the right team (Avs are full of young players).

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

There is no way, this year, that this kid passes pick 20. Would makes no sense whatsoever.



The usual suspects for sure. From the Flyers, to Avs, to surely Boston, 1 pick ahead.

Boston was the first team that came to mind.......

 

[Draft]

Outside of Lehkonen, I'm not sure there's a single forward prospect that I think could be a top-6 player in an offensive role outside of the NHL (Maybe Andrighetto). I think we've seen a fairly uninspiring set of seasons from our top-end offensive prospects.

Hudon, Bozon, Holland, Reway, and Thomas were all underwhelming, are severely one-dimensional/undersized, or took a step back this year.
De La Rose, Gregoire, McCarron, and Crisp all project to be complimentary players or bottom-6 players.

So maybe this is the year that we go fishing for high-end offensive players? There's a lot of talk around here about Goldobin or Ho-Sang - and for good reason. They both have HUGE upside but they also come with HUGE question marks.

In the case of Ho-Sang, these seem to be focused around maturity, attitude, and drive. With Goldobin it's nationality, defensive ability, and effort-level. I go with the player who's issues can be fixed with good coaching (IMO Goldobin). I don't think Ho-Sang will become the player we're looking for. I think a lot of people get sucked in by his outstanding puck handling ability and creativity - this doesn't necessarily translate to effectiveness.

The dark horse IMO is Eric Cornel. He's got a very good offensive skill set and physical attributes. He seems to lack a little hockey sense at times (rushes the play CONSTANTLY) but he's got most of what we'd be looking for at that spot. If he's moved to wing I think he's got a better chance at succeeding, centre responsibilities seem to be hampering his offensive output.

But this is only if we pick at 26 and big, well-rounded players (Scherbak, Kempe, Tuch, McCann, etc.) aren't available. I don't think this is the year we take a Bleakley or a Larkin, I'm sure there's a good chance I'm wrong though.

 

[TT1]

pls make it happen MB/TT



edit: poor kid he lost his dad to cancer :[

 

[Whitesnake]

Wouldn't that be lovely to deal with if they keep Marchand too?

Do you think there's a slight possibility Lemieux could play in the NHL next year? He seems like the type that can work his way on to the right team (Avs are full of young players).

Wouldn't surprise me one bit. He'd have more chance if he could improve his skating though. But I wouldn't rush him.

 

[Whitesnake]

Outside of Lehkonen, I'm not sure there's a single forward prospect that I think could be a top-6 player in an offensive role outside of the NHL (Maybe Andrighetto). I think we've seen a fairly uninspiring set of seasons from our top-end offensive prospects.

Hudon, Bozon, Holland, Reway, and Thomas were all underwhelming, are severely one-dimensional/undersized, or took a step back this year.
De La Rose, Gregoire, McCarron, and Crisp all project to be complimentary players or bottom-6 players.

So maybe this is the year that we go fishing for high-end offensive players? There's a lot of talk around here about Goldobin or Ho-Sang - and for good reason. They both have HUGE upside but they also come with HUGE question marks.

In the case of Ho-Sang, these seem to be focused around maturity, attitude, and drive. With Goldobin it's nationality, defensive ability, and effort-level. I go with the player who's issues can be fixed with good coaching (IMO Goldobin). I don't think Ho-Sang will become the player we're looking for. I think a lot of people get sucked in by his outstanding puck handling ability and creativity - this doesn't necessarily translate to effectiveness.

The dark horse IMO is Eric Cornel. He's got a very good offensive skill set and physical attributes. He seems to lack a little hockey sense at times (rushes the play CONSTANTLY) but he's got most of what we'd be looking for at that spot. If he's moved to wing I think he's got a better chance at succeeding, centre responsibilities seem to be hampering his offensive output.

But this is only if we pick at 26 and big, well-rounded players (Scherbak, Kempe, Tuch, McCann, etc.) aren't available. I don't think this is the year we take a Bleakley or a Larkin, I'm sure there's a good chance I'm wrong though.

TOTALLY agree with you. And I'm not even sold on Lehkonen. As far as Cornel is concerned, still the ceiling that is concerning even if I like the player. I'd take Schmaltz ahead of him. I'd probably even take Quenneville ahead of him. Cornel would be a PERFECT 2nd rounder....which we don't have.

 

[Scintillating10]

There is no way, this year, that this kid passes pick 20. Would makes no sense whatsoever.



The usual suspects for sure. From the Flyers, to Avs, to surely Boston, 1 pick ahead.

Bloodline players generally chosen higher than they are ranked

 

[Whitesnake]

Bloodline players generally chosen higher than they are ranked

For me it's just about being able to do so much so young. One of the youngest player in the draft. For me, it counts A WHOLE LOT.