2015 Draft Thread – "McEichel" – Part One

[Woodhouse]

The 2015 NHL Entry Draft will be the 53rd NHL Entry Draft. The draft will be held on June 26–27, 2015 at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. This is a placeholder for my 2015 tables.

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[Woodhouse]

Now onto some preliminary top ten rankings. Here are DraftBuzz's:

1. Connor McDavid, LW, 6’0’’ 185 lbs, Erie Otters, OHL
Report: High octane, rocket fueled, coast to coast star will be ready to flash in 2014. Does he have enough fortitude to fight overscouting?

2. Noah Hanifin, D, 6’2’’ 201 lbs, USNTDP U17, USHL
Report: Rare, elite puck mover and shutdown defender all in one package. Steep trajectory - performed better at U18 than U17.

3. Mathew Barzal, C, 5’11 172 lbs, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL
Report: Sees the ice on an other level with razor sharp puck movement. Outperformed projected ’14 1st rounders at U18 making them look like benders.

4. Jack Eichel, C, 6’1’’ 190 lbs, USNTDP U18, USHL
Report:Controversial rank as he's considered CM challenger. Mega, different talent than McDavid will rise in an instant if he shows he can care to wake up.

5. Pavel Zacha, LW, 6’3’’ 201 lbs, Bili Tygri Liberec, CZECH
Report: Big, strong, elusive, full package offensively. Has a full men’s league season under belt, and U20 WJC appearance. Kid is for real.

6. Evgeny Svechnikov, LW, 6’2’’ 185 lbs, Bars Kazan, MHL
Report: May be a bit high, but wow is he a heavy offensive threat every shift. Shouldn’t be that skilled. Rumored QMJHL bound.

7. Mitchell Marner, C, 5’10 163 lbs, London Knights, OHL
Report: Competitive, shifty, buttery hands melted cocky OHL D all year. Save yourself the Fabbri-wait; raise him now regardless of height.

8. Travis Konecny, RW, 5’10’’ 170 lbs, Ottawa 67’s, OHL
Report: Explosive in every sense of the word. Exciting, small guy may not be listed size, but no biggie. He will go through you. Great U18.

9. Daniel Sprong, RW, 5’10’’ 161 lbs, Charlottetown Islanders, QMJHL
Report: Understated gem carried his young team as a rookie. Broke ankles consistently with no help. Huge potential riser.

10. Kyle Connor, C/RW, 6’1’’ 170 lbs, Youngstown Phantoms, USHL
Report: American sniper rounded out his game in half of a season. Best US player at U18. Unrelenting offensive zone star puts in the work.

... and Sun Media's:

Sun Media spent the past few weeks canvassing various scouts, NHL execs and junior hockey officials for their opinions on how the Class of 2015 might play out. After compiling the info, here’s a peek into our crystal ball.

1. Connor McDavid C Erie (OHL) 5-foot-11, 170 lbs
2. Jack Eichel C US-Under-18 (USAH-NTDP) 6-foot-1, 185 lbs
3. Noah Hanifin D St. Sebastian’s School (HS-MA) 6-foot-3, 195 lbs
4. Kyle Connor C Youngstown (USHL) 6-foot-0, 160 lbs
5. Colin White C Noble & Greenough School (HS-MA) 6-foot-0, 175 lbs
6. Mitch Marner C London (OHL) 5-foot-10, 163 lbs
7. Travis Konecny C Ottawa 67’s (OHL) 5-foot-9, 162 lbs.
8. Oliver Kylington D Farjestads BK (SEL) 6-foot-1, 178 lbs.
9. Miko Rantanen C TPS Turku (SM-liiga) 6-foot-4, 195 lbs
10. Zack Werenski D US-Under-17 (USAH-NTDP) 6-foot-2†210 lbs.

 

[Woodhouse]

... and FC's:

1 Connor McDavid C Erie OHL 6'0 185
2 Jack Eichel C NTDP U18 USHL 6'2 195
3 Noah Hanifin D NTDP U18 USHL 6'3 195
4 Travic Konecny C Ottawa OHL 5'10 165
5 Colin White C NTDP U18 USHL 6'0 180
6 Oliver Kylington D Farjestad SHL 6'0 180
7 Mathew Barzal C Seattle WHL 5'11 175
8 Dylan Strome C Erie OHL 6'2 175
9 Rasmus Andersson D Malmo Allsvenskan 6'0 210
10 Pavel Zacha C Liberec Czech Extra 6'3 200

... and HockeyProspect.com's:

1 Connor McDavid C Erie OHL 5' 11" 170
2 Jack Eichel C USNTDP U18 USHL 6' 1" 185
3 Noah Hanifin D USNTDP USHL 6' 3" 195
4 Kyle Connor C Youngstown USHL 6' 1" 170
5 Colin White C USNTDP USHL 6' 0" 175
6 Travis Konecny C Ottawa OHL 5' 10" 166
7 Mitchell Marner C London Knights OHL 5' 10" 155
8 Oliver Kylington D Färjestad SHL 6' 0" 181
9 Daniel Sprong RW Charlottetown QMJHL 5'10 170
10 Jérémy Roy D Sherbrooke QMJHL 6' 0" 186

 

[couture23]

It has begun.

dun dun dun

 

[Jame]

Kylington/Andersson = Isles pick

 

[Zman5778]

Kylington/Andersson = Isles pick

So if we get Andersson....

Do we have 2 Rasmus, 2 Rasmii or 2 Rasmuses?

 

[Paxon]

Kylington/Andersson = Isles pick

I'm not holding my breath on that.

 

[dmband]

So if we get Andersson....

Do we have 2 Rasmus, 2 Rasmii or 2 Rasmuses?

Lol. Start a poll. I like Rasmii

 

[Jame]

So if we get Andersson....

Do we have 2 Rasmus, 2 Rasmii or 2 Rasmuses?

A pair of Rasmii

 

[Moskau]

Kylington will challenge Hanifin for 3rd overall.

 

[TehDoak]

2 or more Rasmus is a raggle of rasmus

 

[Fly Boy]

Why do we need to use another high pick on a dman? I highly doubt Ehrhoff ever gets moved like people think.

I mean sure if they are clearly BPA over everyone I can understand the reasoning, but we still need more high end forwards. Really like Pavel Zacha this year as a target with that Isles pick. Or even better Konecney if it's high enough.

 

[Zman5778]

Why do we need to use another high pick on a dman?

I think the best defensive prospect we have once you get past the "Big 4" of Risto, Zads, Pysyk and McCabe is Florentino. If one or 2 of the Big 4 goes busto, we're in trouble.

I could quite easily see one of the first rounders being a defenseman.

 

[Paxon]

Local kids, Sabres ties, sons of any former NHLers?

 

[Moskau]

I could quite easily see one of the first rounders being a defenseman.

I would hope one is unless the forwards there are incredible. I mean... after we take McDavid and Eichel that is.

I also think people need to start looking at the possibility that Zadorov isn't a sure thing. We'll see.

 

[Fly Boy]

I think the best defensive prospect we have once you get past the "Big 4" of Risto, Zads, Pysyk and McCabe is Florentino. If one or 2 of the Big 4 goes busto, we're in trouble.

I could quite easily see one of the first rounders being a defenseman.

Yeah but there will still be vets like Myers, Ehrhoff, Ruh and any UFAs that may be added. It would create an unnecessary logjam.

I could see defense with the STL pick in the second half of the first, but use the top picks for the elite offensive talent.

 

[Jame]

I think the best defensive prospect we have once you get past the "Big 4" of Risto, Zads, Pysyk and McCabe is Florentino. If one or 2 of the Big 4 goes busto, we're in trouble.

I could quite easily see one of the first rounders being a defenseman.

Agreed... Which made passing on D in the 2nd so infuriating.

 

[Sabre the Win]

We need a 1st line center.. Eichel/McDavid and a 1st line winger in the top 10 with Isle's pick.. Use St. Louis pick for a defensemen. The forwards in the top 10 are just too good to pass up if we have two top 10 picks. Barzal is a smaller sized Reinhart.

 

[Moskau]

Yeah but there will still be vets like Myers, Ehrhoff, Ruh and any UFAs that may be added. It would create an unnecessary logjam.

I could see defense with the STL pick in the second half of the first, but use the top picks for the elite offensive talent.

Buffalo should just not draft then because they'll have a logjam at forward too.

I mean god forbid we have to trade Tyler Myers away because we have TOO MANY good NHL defensemen waiting.

 

[joshjull]

Buffalo should just not draft then because they'll have a logjam at forward too.

I mean god forbid we have to trade Tyler Myers away because we have TOO many good NHL defensemen waiting.

I like your thinking. With this pick in the draft the Sabres would like to pass. We just have too much of everything.

 

[Zman5778]

I also think people need to start looking at the possibility that Zadorov isn't a sure thing. We'll see.

It's not Zadorov per se. It's just that one of the 4 could very well not turn out to be what they project to be..............in fact, the odds tell us that one of the 4 not turning out the way we want is likely.

2 out of 4 underperforming expectations isn't impossible either.


If the Isles pick turns out to be #3, I'd have a REAL hard time saying no to Hanifin right now. And if it's somewhere in the 7-10 range and we have the chance to snag Kylington......it's a smart pick IMO.

 

[SabresFan26]

We need a 1st line center.. Eichel/McDavid and a 1st line winger in the top 10 with Isle's pick.. Use St. Louis pick for a defensemen. The forwards in the top 10 are just too good to pass up if we have to top 10 picks. Barzal is a smaller sized Reinhart.

agree with need top center and top winger. Not the Barzal and Reinhart comparison as much.

I want 1 of McDavid, Eichel, Barzal (in that order)

I am a big fan of both Kylington and Hanifin but I doubt we have 2 high picks.

With another 1st I want a top notch winger, 1 of Zacha, Svechnikov, Sprong, Connor

Of course this is all subject to change as the year goes on and we approach the 2015 draft.

 

[Zman5778]

We need a 1st line center.. Eichel/McDavid and a 1st line winger in the top 10 with Isle's pick.. Use St. Louis pick for a defensemen. The forwards in the top 10 are just too good to pass up if we have two top 10 picks. Barzal is a smaller sized Reinhart.

Wings are pretty much the easiest thing to pluck from other organizations to fill holes if necessary.

Top 6 Centers and top-flight defensemen generally need to be homegrown. If everything breaks in our favor, trading a guy like Myers or Pysyk or McCabe for a wing would be relative child's play.

 

[SabresFan26]

Getting a defenseman that transitions the puck well (Kylington) would also help our offense and something that we really don't have right now.

 

[Beerz]

Kylington/Andersson = Isles pick

Scoop on Anderson? He a Risto clone?