2015 NHL Entry Draft

[letowskie]

I've only seen Hanifin twice for BC and at the WJC. His mobility is extremely impressive. All compass smoothness that's out of this world for a D of any size, let alone a kid as big as him. Moves the puck pretty well, has good positioning. Pretty smart.

Nothing really flashy or eye popping, though. I don't see a kid who's ever going to be anyone's best player. Jay Bouwmeester I see. Brayden Coburn I see. Not so much Ekblad or Pietrangelo, though. I haven't seen him flash that dynamic, take a game over ability that elite D have. He's got tools. He could end up doing that.

There's a lot to like.

I think both Strome and Marner are more impressive prospects and I think both will have bigger impacts at the NHL level. I wouldn't hesitate before choosing either over Hanifin. I wouldn't be tempted at all to take Hanifin over either.

I've only seen him a few times too; like you said, impressive, but nothing overwhelmingly great. He's playing with higher QOC compared to vast majority of the draftees this time.

D's are harder to project, as they generally take longer to round out various aspects of their game, as there are a lot more details that are critical to a D's game over the development curve; almost all of them will grasp some areas better than others at first. And it's a bit tough to tell how quickly they can pick up and get comfortable with the remainder. Hanifin is one of those rare specimens that has no real weakness to speak of; so the risk of taking him (versus almost any other D in recent history) is fairly low.

Marner would still be a great pick @ 3rd; but if we were to move Yandle for a top forward, then this pick would make a lot of sense, and allow the Yotes to maintain one of the top D corps for a long time to come.

 

[IPreferPi]

Craig Button's February rankings: http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-provorov-leaps-into-top-5-1.204945

Marner at 3, Provorov ranked ahead of Hanafin at 5.

 

[Vinny Boombatz]

Well, now that Meier has moved inside the top 20, looking like moving inside the top 10...I've got to go pick another favorite, and I've found him.

Really like his game and I think he'll be a steal late 2nd or early 3rd round.

Joel Eriksson Ek

 

[lanky]

Sounds like Rantanen has been stellar since the WJC. I wonder if he can continue his play and if that would bring him into consideration once Eichel is off the board.

 

[BlazingBlueAnt]

We should take Matthews in the 7th round and argue that leap years make him old enough

 

[XX]

We should take Matthews in the 7th round and argue that leap years make him old enough

Florida attempted something like this with Ovechkin. It was hilarious.

Crouse is 6'4, 210+ and he chooses to do this:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/gotta-see-it-crouse-swings-stick-like-a-baseball-bat/

Hope Bernhardt doesn't do something stupid, like draft this kid over Strome or Marner.

 

[Jormungandr]

Florida attempted something like this with Ovechkin. It was hilarious.

Crouse is 6'4, 210+ and he chooses to do this:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/gotta-see-it-crouse-swings-stick-like-a-baseball-bat/

Hope Bernhardt doesn't do something stupid, like draft this kid over Strome or Marner.

I've heard good things about Crouse. Like comparisons to Tkachuk. In my very very limited viewings of him, I haven't seen anything that would make me select him in the top 10. But like I said. Very very limited views...Then I see things like this....

 

[Matias Maccete]

Florida attempted something like this with Ovechkin. It was hilarious.

Crouse is 6'4, 210+ and he chooses to do this:
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/gotta-see-it-crouse-swings-stick-like-a-baseball-bat/

Hope Bernhardt doesn't do something stupid, like draft this kid over Strome or Marner.

Ugh then he skates away like a punk too. You slash a guy at least be ready to throw down after that.

 

[hbk]

I've heard good things about Crouse. Like comparisons to Tkachuk. In my very very limited viewings of him, I haven't seen anything that would make me select him in the top 10. But like I said. Very very limited views...Then I see things like this....

I love Crouse. Not over Marner or Strome but in top 10 without a hesitation.

 

[rt]

Ugh then he skates away like a punk too. You slash a guy at least be ready to throw down after that.

I rhink he looked like he was going to square up but the official got involved. Plus he'd gotten away with it. Solid pest move. It was dirty but not dirtier than moves Tkachuk himself pulled every single game as a Coyote. Hockey used to be pretty violent. It's a lot more like soccer now.

Crouse isn't interesting to me because he doesn't produce offensively and is a LW. He's not dirtier or more of a punk than Max Domi or Henrik Samuelsson. Both are dirty. So are Doan and Hanzal by the way. I prefer my players to have an edge.

 

[Matias Maccete]

I rhink he looked like he was going to square up but the official got involved. Plus he'd gotten away with it. Solid pest move. It was dirty but not dirtier than moves Tkachuk himself pulled every single game as a Coyote. Hockey used to be pretty violent. It's a lot more like soccer now.

Crouse isn't interesting to me because he doesn't produce offensively and is a LW. He's not dirtier or more of a punk than Max Domi or Henrik Samuelsson. Both are dirty. So are Doan and Hanzal by the way. I prefer my players to have an edge.

I like players with an edge too but that slash and skate away crap annoys me as much as its effective. I haven't seen much of crouse but when I have he looks like a big fast guy with not enough skill to be a top player. He'll probably be a top scorer in the league for years to come just to prove me wrong though haha.

 

[hbk]

I rhink he looked like he was going to square up but the official got involved. Plus he'd gotten away with it. Solid pest move. It was dirty but not dirtier than moves Tkachuk himself pulled every single game as a Coyote. Hockey used to be pretty violent. It's a lot more like soccer now.

Crouse isn't interesting to me because he doesn't produce offensively and is a LW. He's not dirtier or more of a punk than Max Domi or Henrik Samuelsson. Both are dirty. So are Doan and Hanzal by the way. I prefer my players to have an edge.

Crouse's blend of physicality, two way play, and skill are a rarity in today's NHL. He's the type of guy that 2 years from now you are drooling over. Keith Tkachuk is great comparison.

The goals are there but Kingstons goal scoring is more anemic than AZ so assists have lagged. Watch if Bennett is returned by Calgary now that he's getting healthy.

 

[rt]

Crouse's blend of physicality, two way play, and skill are a rarity in today's NHL. He's the type of guy that 2 years from now you are drooling over. Keith Tkachuk is great comparison.

Keith Tkachuk with about 1/5 of the production?

 

[hbk]

Keith Tkachuk with about 1/5 of the production?

Goals are there. Assists are not. I watch him frequently. I wouldn't defend him if I didn't think he was a future impact player.

You have no idea the criticism heaped on Jets franchise when they took HS hockey player Tkachuk. Way worse than Wheeler. media was ruthless.

 

[rt]

Tkachuk avaraged almost half a goal per game over his career. If Crouse can do half of that, while being half as mean and maintaining his smart positional play, I'd absolutley take him top ten. Not top five, though.

So I think we agree? I just used the wrong fraction.

 

[hbk]

Tkachuk avaraged almost half a goal per game over his career. If Crouse can do half of that, while being half as mean and maintaining his smart positional play, I'd absolutley take him top ten. Not top five, though.

So I think we agree? I just used the wrong fraction.

We are on same page. Crouse at 0.5 goal per game pace and point per game pace since World Juniors.

Going off Buttons latest rankings there are some D entering conversation in that 5-10 range. Hanifan dropping?

 

[Jormungandr]

Craig Button's February rankings: http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-provorov-leaps-into-top-5-1.204945

Marner at 3, Provorov ranked ahead of Hanafin at 5.

Wow, what happened to Pavel Zacha? He really dropped all the way to the second round? Konecny and Barzal are mid to late first as well. What happened to these guys? I haven't had the chance to watch as many junior or college games as I normally do in years past. It would be nice to add another late first rounder and be able to snatch one of these guys up late.

 

[XX]

Button's rankings are how he projects guys as pros, so there's a catch there with some guys.

 

[Grimes]

Button's rankings are how he projects guys as pros, so there's a catch there with some guys.

So players could have a higher floor but lower ceiling and be a mid-first? IE Barzal has a great shot of being a solid 3rd liner but his upside is only 2nd line so he is a mid round pick.

 

[IPreferPi]

Just wrapped up my first complete mock here on HF.

Did a few trades:
1) Lessio and our 2015 3rd to SJ for Tommy Wingels and 2015 4th
2) Vermette's UFA rights to Colorado for a 2015 4th, Nick Magyar, and Stefan Elliot
3) Chipchura to Winnipeg for T.J. Galliardi's UFA rights + 2015 6th
4) Z's UFA rights to Montreal for a 2015 4th

Results:

Round |

Pick​

|

Player​

|

Pos/Sht​

|

Height​

|

Weight​

|

Birthdate​

|

Current Team (League)​

------|------|-----------------------------|--------|---------|--------|----------|------------------------------
1 |4|Mitchell Marner|

C/RW/R​

|

5’11”​

|

163 lbs​

|

05-05-97​

|London (OHL)
2 |34|Matthew Spencer|

D/R​

|

6’2”​

|

194 lbs​

|

03-24-97​

|Peterborough (OHL)
3 |70|Blake Speers|

C/RW/R​

|

5’11”​

|

185 lbs​

|

01-02-97​

|Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
4 |102|Robin Kovacs|

LW/RW/L​

|

6’​

|

168 lbs​

|

11-16-96​

|AIK (Sweden)
4 |106|Jack Roslovic|

C/R​

|

6’1​

|

183 lbs​

|

01-29-97​

|USNTDP (USHL)
4 |115|Adam Werner|

G/L​

|

6’4”​

|

181 lbs​

|

05-02-97​

|Farjestad J20 (Sweden)
5 |125|Radovan Bondra|

LW/RW/L​

|

6'5"​

|

212 lbs​

|

01-27-97​

|Team Slovakia U18 (Slovakia)
6 |172|Reid Gardiner|

C/RW/R​

|

5'11"​

|

185 lbs​

|

01-19-96​

|Prince Albert (WHL)
7 |185|Adam Parsells|

D/R​

|

6'4"​

|

174 lbs​

|

01-03-97​

|Wausau West High (USHL)

 

[SniperHF]

1) Lessio and our 2015 3rd to SJ for Tommy Wingels and 2015 4th

This seems like highway robbery.

 

[IPreferPi]

This seems like highway robbery.

I agree, SJ's GM really wanted to burn it down I guess.

 

[Jakey53]

I agree, SJ's GM really wanted to burn it down I guess.

Maybe he meant for the Sharks.

 

[SniperHF]

Maybe he meant for the Sharks.

Nope, definitely the Coyotes. I'd think the Sharks in that same sort of deal would want our 2nd at least.

 

[Mosby]

Love that guy's name. "Tommy Wingels" sounds like the host of some kids' TV show.