Prospect Info: 2015 NHL Entry Draft Talk

[Hull Fan]

I think it would be a mistake to take any of the non top 3 d-men at 12. If someone falls to you like S. Jones did Nashville you take him but otherwise I'd be throwing **** if Chabot is the choice with guys like Zacha, Connor, and Svechnikov are all still on the board.

 

[BigG44]

It's honestly hard to tell the difference from one fit to the next at the draft. The years have sort of just blended together.



You had a nasty streak going until Nill showed up and selected Nichushkin. Hard to argue with much of the disappointment though ... not that many of the guys anyone else wanted really blew up other than that guy from 2010 ... .

 

[LT]

To be fair to GMJN 1.0, Faksa was considered a steal at #13 (most everyone had him in the top 10, primarily at #8 to Carolina before they traded the pick), and Oleksiak was picked where most thought he should've gone.

Campbell was a wildcard and Glennie was a reach.

None have really panned out like they should, although three still have potential to reach the NHL.

 

[BigG44]

Just now reading Pronman's case for Crouse being a Top 10 player in this draft and basically why production should never be the end all be all decision maker when it comes to prospects. Nothing earth shattering, but it did make me reconsider what I've heard about Conner. I can see even more why Satan is high on the guy.

 

[BigG44]

I'll be vague to respect the paywall (seriously though ... it's worth the money even if you're ONLY a hockey fan, but it's amazing for all the other sports as well ... I don't get the anger for the paywall from Twitter followers and other places in this forum) ....

This is Pronman's Mock

I won't talk about who went elsewhere, but his logic for Dallas was he took the high end forward (Pavel Zacha) over a defender because he feels like Lindell's development has put them in a positive position.

It was not the defender I'm most interested in though so I am curious if he'd say the same thing should Werenski fall (a guy he has in the Top 10).

 

[Satan]

Interesting. I'd place my money on the defenseman being Werenski and I tend to agree we're much better off going for the home run at #12.

At a managerial level, there's a big decision to be made. Would Zacha be able to slide into the AHL similar to Honka? I'm not 100% on how it worked out... they ruled Honka was on loan?

 

[BigG44]

Any European with a pro contract from a European country is potentially eligible for the Honka rule the way I understand it. Zacha has a very good chance IMO. His agent made a huge stink about being under contract in the Czech league, and there's no way he'd come to the OHL. He even went so far as to pretty much call Sarnia idiots.

Bad manners aside, that is the Honka situation minus a jerk of an agent. Honka had a pro contract in Finland, but his team allowed him to come to NA for the WHL. Zacha had a pro contract in the Czech Republic, and his pro team allowed him to come to the OHL. The long and short seemed to be that the IIHF ruled Honka was not drafted out of the WHL because he was officially only on loan to the WHL.

Nill claimed that the IIHF would not permit Honka to return to the WHL after he signed a pro contract with Dallas. The team sold it IMO as they had no choice in the matter about him returning to the WHL. Europe was the only other option.

With that in mind, if Dallas or his drafting team didn't sign Zacha, he could return to the OHL. However, if they immediately gave him a contract, it would seem like that immediately opens up the loophole for him to play in the AHL. The fact Honka was late birth doesn't seem to matter.

 

[BigG44]

FWIW ... Provorov has been in NA since he was at least 14 years old so I doubt he'd have even a remote chance at the loophole.

I was surprised Pronman is one of the few that is lower on him.

 

[Morry83]

The more I watch and read about Konecny the more excited I'm getting at the potential of drafting him. The kid can flat out play. Soft hands, ridiculous shot (probably one of the best in the draft), good skater, and he has a lot of heart. I love that he throws the body as much as he does. He doesn't at all play like he's 5'10", 170. That aspect of his game almost certainly won't translate to the NHL until he gains more weight, but he has all the skills in the world to be successful.

For me, at 12, it's realistically going to be between Konecny and Connor.

 

[OttMorrow]

Konecny!

I'm fine with Connor or Svechnikov as well.

 

[Satan]

Craig Button's final rankings has Noah Hanifin at #12

Button's lists are always interesting. Kyle Connor #6 and Brock Boeser at #9- two guys he's been high on all year long.

Ilya Samsonov as his top goalie, Joel Eriksson-Ek in the top 15.

He's got Mitch Vande Sompel above Jakub Zboril and Jeremy Roy, which isn't something I agree with at all.

 

[masinaLFC]

Craig Button's final rankings has Noah Hanifin at #12

Button's lists are always interesting. Kyle Connor #6 and Brock Boeser at #9- two guys he's been high on all year long.

Ilya Samsonov as his top goalie, Joel Eriksson-Ek in the top 15.

He's got Mitch Vande Sompel above Jakub Zboril and Jeremy Roy, which isn't something I agree with at all.

I always don't know what to think about his rankings.. everybody thinks that he is a moron, but when you look at his older rankings you can see that sometimes he was right when everybody was wrong.. i would say his success ratio with these controversial player rankings are something like 40:60 or 30:70.. Hanifin at 12, Barzal at 15, Rantanen at 16, Zacha at 24, and Konecny at 33 are definitely controversial and only time will tell if he is right but I think it is pretty possible, that Hanifin pans out as 3rd best Dman from this draft..

 

[Satan]

He's definitely not a moron. He just ignores the people who call him a moron and does his own thing. He's not scared to break the "consensus" and actually ranks players.

I'd rather hear and read his opinion over most other scouting resources. He watches a ton of puck.

 

[BigG44]

Satan correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like most "scouts" take a fairly generic, close to consensus list and just shuffle a few names up or down a few spots, but he's more willing to just go with his guys like a team would.

The only list that really matters IMO is McKenzie's anyway. 10 is a small sample, but his polling of legitimate team scouts makes for the most interesting info.

 

[Timani]

Satan correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like most "scouts" take a fairly generic, close to consensus list and just shuffle a few names up or down a few spots, but he's more willing to just go with his guys like a team would.

The only list that really matters IMO is McKenzie's anyway. 10 is a small sample, but his polling of legitimate team scouts makes for the most interesting info.

That's how Goose Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News always did his NFL draft list. It was the most respected because he talked to the actual people who were doing the drafting. I didn't know that's how McKenzie did it but if so, he's got to be up there in accuracy.

 

[Satan]

Satan correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like most "scouts" take a fairly generic, close to consensus list and just shuffle a few names up or down a few spots, but he's more willing to just go with his guys like a team would.

The only list that really matters IMO is McKenzie's anyway. 10 is a small sample, but his polling of legitimate team scouts makes for the most interesting info.

Basically. His list is his list. No influences from what other people think.


McKenzie's list is interesting but there are always surprises on draft day.

 

[Satan]

I'm doing draft coverage at FrozenFutures.com all month if you guys are interested. Should kick off after tomorrow's Memorial Cup final.

 

[BigG44]

Found a different quote from Connor's former coach I don't think I've seen before:

Head Coach Anthony Noreen is well aware of the impact had on both the franchise and the city of Youngstown.

His message to NHL teams that are considering him in the draft?

“I mean, I tell them first and foremost you’re getting a great kid,” said Noreen.. “You’re getting a competitor, someone who’s humble, someone who doesn’t say a lot, but when he does he means it. He’s got passion. he’s got heart, he’s got a soul to him. You look at him and you can instantly trust what he’s saying and that’s the start. from a skill set standpoint, you’re getting a elite skate, a guy that can shoot on the move, a guy that plays the game at such a high pace in everything he does, which is something we’re all trying to do in games these day is do things at a high speed. He’s able to do things with skill and execute at such a high speed level, that it’s hard to keep up with him for competitors. So i think when you combine the skill along with the personality and character, i mean, what else you looking for in a hockey player.”

http://wkbn.com/2015/04/23/connor-leaves-mark-on-phantoms-franchise/

 

[LT]

That definitely sounds like the kind of guy Nill wants on his team (although any smart GM would).

 

[Satan]

It's a shame he won't be falling to us in late June.

 

[Timani]

It's a shame he won't be falling to us in late June.

Who does fall then?

Zacha
Rantanen
Crouse
Meier

 

[OttMorrow]

Found a different quote from Connor's former coach I don't think I've seen before:

http://wkbn.com/2015/04/23/connor-leaves-mark-on-phantoms-franchise/

I like what it says about his attitude.

 

[BigG44]

Kirk use to be one of my favorite draft guys to follow. For a while, he was in the Central Texas area after getting stationed at Fort Hood. I think he then spent some time overseas. Seems like he might be back in the New England area, and he's still a scout for Red Line.

He was down at Hood when Owen Newkirk was calling Texas games.

 

[Satan]

My top prospects from the OHL will be dropping all week long on FrozenFutures.

http://frozenfutures.com/2015/06/01/nhl-draft-ohl-showcase-30-26/


My convocation is on Thursday, I've scheduled the rest of the list to drop each morning with the last one on Saturday.

 

[masinaLFC]

https://bluebulletreport.wordpress.com/2015/06/04/rethinking-how-to-draft-goalies/

nice article about drafting goalies