2016 NHL Entry Draft (Part IV)

[Marre]

Despite money Swiss league's overall quality depends mainly of homegrown players. Teams can only dress 4 foreigners and while many of those are big names, 4 players can only do so much. Finnish league hasn't have quota for foreign players in few years, but some teams still have only very few foreigners. Mostly because it seems to be extremely difficult to guess how even very good players will transfer. 'AHL lottery ticket' is the often used phrase in Finnish Liiga. For every David McIntyre and Corey Elkins, who end up doing great, you have five Corey Lockes, who simply don't do well at all.

When Liiga and NLA teams play against each other and other European teams in CHL, Liiga teams tend to do much better. Last season there was one NLA team in top 8 among 3 SHL teams and 4 Liiga teams. Year before no NLA teams made that far but again 4 Liiga teams did. But NLA teams do indeed pay better and those foreigners they do have tend to be bigger names.

 

[CaptainChef]

My own current top 15:

1. Auston Matthews - C
2. Patrick Laine – W
3. Jesse Puljujarvi – RW
4. Pierre-Luc Dubois – LW/C
5. Tyson Jost - C
6. Matthew Tkachuk - LW
7. Jakob Chychrun – LD
8. Mikhail Sergachev – LD
9. Clayton Keller – C
10. Logan Brown – C
11. Alex Nylander – RW
12. Olli Juolevi – LD
13. Dante Fabbro - RD
14. German Rubstov – C
15. Kieffer Bellows - LW

Pronman's top 100 (now available to all) sure has some surprises -- http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/top-100-prospects-2016-nhl-draft/story?id=39091742

Beyond Laine at 1, he has Keller at 4!, Jost at 9, Fabbro is the second D picked at 10 (after Juolevi) , Rubstov moves up to 13, Sergachyov finally at 17, Bean at 19, and Clague & Girard up to 22 & 23.

Among other D he mentions before Stanley at 55!, McAvoy makes 26, Fox at 31, Lindgren 38, Dineen 41, Mete 42, Moverare 45, Hajek 46, Greenway 50, Aho (51), Hronek 52 & Allard 54. Other big droppers are Niemelainen at 68, Johansen at 72, and Sean Day at 79.

For the Tage Thompson lovers, he barely gets on at 93.

 

[Aavco Cup]

Pronman's top 100 (now available to all) sure has some surprises -- http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/top-100-prospects-2016-nhl-draft/story?id=39091742

Beyond Laine at 1, he has Keller at 4!, Jost at 9, Fabbro is the second D picked at 10 (after Juolevi) , Rubstov moves up to 13, Sergachyov finally at 17, Bean at 19, and Clague & Girard up to 22 & 23.

Among other D he mentions before Stanley at 55!, McAvoy makes 26, Fox at 31, Lindgren 38, Dineen 41, Mete 42, Moverare 45, Hajek 46, Greenway 50, Aho (51), Hronek 52 & Allard 54. Other big droppers are Niemelainen at 68, Johansen at 72, and Sean Day at 79.

For the Tage Thompson lovers, he barely gets on at 93.

Posted this with the Jet slots last night

ABC made Pronman's top 100 public so can share it here now

2. Matthews
22. Clague
36. Polunin
96. Doudera

http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/top-100-prospects-2016-nhl-draft/story?id=39091742

 

[Aavco Cup]

Will this affect anything?

 

[CaptainChef]

Will this affect anything?

May affect Columbus's decision but not likely. If our scouts had any interest in him, hopefully this dampens it.

 

[Aavco Cup]

May affect Columbus's decision but not likely. If our scouts had any interest in him, hopefully this dampens it.

I'm guessing he skips the fitness testng at the combine now. I also doubt he falls because of it.

 

[KingBogo]

Will this affect anything?

Unless it was a type of injury where there is long term concern, which is quite doubtful, this probably changes little. I think 1-2 has been solidified Matthews-Laine, and I wouldn't think this is enough to drop Pulju out of #3.

 

[scelaton]

Will this affect anything?

It could potentially affect a lot. IIRC, Puljujarvi was ranked ahead of Laine until fairly recently. If he has been hobbled by a completely reversible injury (eg simple hernia), scouts may rate him based on his larger body of work before the injury, including MVP at WJC.

I still would not be completely surprised to see him picked ahead of Laine.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Most people including most Europeans I've ever talked to say that the Swiss League might have a few more high end players but the teams in Liiga are far and away better overall.

Is there an authoritative answer to this question? Not knocking anybody's opinion but has anyone really analyzed the Euro leagues?

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

I know it's just Eklund but he claims teams are calling the Jets enquiring about Laine http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eklu...g-Through-the-Roof-Teams-Calling-Jets/1/77007

I could write that. Of course Winnipeg is getting calls. So is Toronto. Everybody has to try.

 

[Aavco Cup]

I could write that. Of course Winnipeg is getting calls. So is Toronto. Everybody has to try.

All GM's talk to teams about moving up and moving down this time of year. Guaging the market. Those draft day deals are not done in 5 minutes. They are talked about long in advance.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

not sure why he chose that word either. regardless ehlers is not a better puck handler than laine. everyone here should be able to agree on that. guys hands are just pure silk. very datsyuk like

Do any of us know Laine well enough to say that? Laine has great hands. So does Ehlers, really great. Ehlers has a great shot too but there I think I can safely say Laine is better.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

What? Ovi is a brick **** house. Laine has pencil legs.

Yeah but Ovi is only 6'3".

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Teemu kept us waiting due to military obligations as I recall.

That was part of it. Might have been all of it but by my recollection he was in no hurry.

 

[Aavco Cup]

That was part of it. Might have been all of it but by my recollection he was in no hurry.

Mandatory military service was a big deal during that era when your country borders the Soviet Union

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Wonder if Jets would reach a bit and go for Clague?

Not sure that is a reach at 36.

 

[nobody important]

Here's Babcock talking a bit about Matthews and Laine:
http://www.tsn.ca/hockey-canada/video/sneak-peek-babcock-talks-matthews-laine~870947

Is it just me, or does he seem a bit more enthusiastic when he starts talking about Laine? And what was that comment about selling tickets in Jersey about?

 

[allan5oh]

And what was that comment about selling tickets in Jersey about?

When NHL stars are on road trips ticket sales usually have a bump in markets that aren't selling as much.

 

[DEANYOUNGBLOOD17]

Not sure that is a reach at 36.

I have seen Cllague rise on pre draft lists as high as 22 and 28 th.

Www.draftsite.com

If he has a great memorial Cup.... Does he keep rising???

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

All GM's talk to teams about moving up and moving down this time of year. Guaging the market. Those draft day deals are not done in 5 minutes. They are talked about long in advance.

Exactly. Those deals where a team waits to see if a player they want is available at a certain spot were discussed well in advance. Chevy will have put out feelers to NJD, Sens and Canes on what he might have to add to 22 if player x is available. There would probably be more deals like that actually happen except that when push comes to shove the other team decides that they would like player x for themselves. But occasionally there is a fit.

 

[nobody important]

When NHL stars are on road trips ticket sales usually have a bump in markets that aren't selling as much.

So he picks Jersey as the example of where sales are lagging? Wouldn't have been my first choice, or second, or third, or...

 

[Lempo]

Mandatory military service was a big deal during that era when your country borders the Soviet Union

It's hasn't gone anywhere and by default applies to Laine, Pulju and all our 18-29 y.o. youngsters. The world class sportsmen like the NHL folks usually do theirs in the Defence Forces Sports School where the individual sportsing needs can be taken care of and the military training doesn't hamper sportsing.

 

[Aavco Cup]

So he picks Jersey as the example of where sales are lagging? Wouldn't have been my first choice, or second, or third, or...

Hockey jersey sales.... Not ticket sales in New Jersey

 

[Lempo]

Will this affect anything?

"Shouldn't affect", says the man himself.

http://yle.fi/urheilu/3-8883185

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Mandatory military service was a big deal during that era when your country borders the Soviet Union

I know that. He could have gotten out of it IIRC but took it seriously and did his duty. Good for him. That isn't the point. You will see that he managed to play a full season of Liiga in 3 of the 4 years after he was drafted. I think the other one he was injured. I'm going by memory and it was almost 30 years ago but I recall that he could have expedited the military service and come here sooner. I'm not saying that he didn't want to come here but he was content to take his time. He was in no hurry.