2017 NHL Draft (Mod warning Post #736)

[Josepho]

We have a long and frustrating season ahead of us, let's get this bad boy going.

Below are three of my favourite prospects for the draft. The weight and height are definitely not on point.


Nolan Patrick

Nationality: Canadian
Birthday: September 19th, 1998
Position: C
Handedness: Right
Team: Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 194 Pounds
Upside: Two-Way 1C


Timothy Liljegren

Nationality: Swedish
Birthday: April 30th, 1999
Position: D
Handedness: Right
Team: Rögle BK (SHL)
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 190 Pounds
Upside: Do-It-All 1D


Kailer Yamamoto

Nationality: American
Birthday: September 29th, 1998
Position: C/LW
Handedness: Right
Team: Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 159 Pounds
Upside: Skilled, Offensive-Minded 1st Liner


I'm really hoping we get Liljegren, our defence core, along with Demko between the pipes would make us look scary.

Juolevi - Liljegren
Hutton - Tanev
Anyone - Tryamkin

It would be a very boring defensive core but it'd be really effective.

Click to read more...

 

[NeoCanuck]

Benning trades all 2017 picks for a year long supply of Lobster Rolls from Rogers Arena.

 

[Grub]

Screw tanking...

I don't want to suffer an entire season again and lose to that dreadful lottery.

 

[Reverend Mayhem]

Looking forward to watching this class.

Wonder where Patrick goes from here, he's tracking really well.

 

[Josepho]

Screw tanking...

I don't want to suffer an entire season again and lose to that dreadful lottery.

I'm not going to be particularly interested in watching this abomination of a team either, but I just don't see us being higher than 23rd in the standings and we might as well look at the pros of sucking next season. It's also nice to see that this year has far more Western talent than last season. I'll definitely attend a Giants game or two in Langley now.

 

[JA]

Looking forward to watching this class.

Wonder where Patrick goes from here, he's tracking really well.

Patrick is only three months younger than Pierre-Luc Dubois and missed the 2016 NHL Draft by four days.

He looked unimpressive at the Memorial Cup, and in the one game I saw of him in the WHL Finals, he looked rather average as well. I like Dubois more than Patrick. It's quite probable that others will challenge Patrick for the first overall position over the course of the year.

 

[Horse McHindu]

We have a long and frustrating season ahead of us, let's get this bad boy going.

Below are three of my favourite prospects for the draft. The weight and height are definitely not on point.


Nolan Patrick

Nationality: Canadian
Birthday: September 19th, 1998
Position: C
Handedness: Right
Team: Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 194 Pounds
Upside: Two-Way 1C


Timothy Liljegren

Nationality: Swedish
Birthday: April 30th, 1999
Position: D
Handedness: Right
Team: Rögle BK (SHL)
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 190 Pounds
Upside: Do-It-All 1D


Kailer Yamamoto

Nationality: American
Birthday: September 29th, 1998
Position: C/LW
Handedness: Right
Team: Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 159 Pounds
Upside: Skilled, Offensive-Minded 1st Liner


I'm really hoping we get Liljegren, our defence core, along with Demko between the pipes would make us look scary.

Juolevi - Liljegren
Hutton - Tanev
Anyone - Tryamkin

It would be a very boring defensive core but it'd be really effective.

Big Rings,

I have a couple questions for you as your knowledge of prospects seem to be quite sound:

1) How does Nolan Patrick compare to the likes of Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel? (i.e. similar level, slightly below, slightly better?).

2) Olli Juolevi - how high are you on this guy? I know Clayton Keller was your dark horse of the draft, but where do you put a guy like Juolevi? Did Juolevi's performances at the WJC's and Memorial Cup convince you that this guy could be a potential top pairing defenseman or even a franchise guy?

 

[kanucks25]

Kailer Yamamoto is just an amazing name.

We desperately to finish bottom-3 again... desperately.

 

[JA]

Kailer Yamamoto is just an amazing name.

We desperately to finish bottom-3 again... desperately.

Yamamoto and Patrick are both September 1998 born. They are among the oldest players of their draft class.

There's a 6'5'', 203 lb center named Michael Rasmussen from Surrey, BC playing for Tri-Cities in the WHL. He is an April 1999 born player. He scored 18 goals, 43 points in 63 games in his rookie WHL campaign this past season as a 16-year-old.

6'5 now and still growing, seems to be this year's Logan Brown except he plays with an edge as well and more consistent in his intensity level. Liked him at the u18 camp moreso than Vilardi/Comtois/Tippet; really intriguing prospect and it'll be fun to watch how much more he'll progress in this upcoming season

A hometown 6'5'' centerman with elite skill, consistent intensity and a physical edge? That sounds like a dream for the Canucks.

When Tri-Cities first signed him:

http://www.whl.ca/article/americans-sign-prospect-michael-rasmussen

AMERICANS SIGN PROSPECT MICHAEL RASMUSSEN
Thu Jan 15

KENNEWICK, WA – Tri-City Americans Governor/General Manager Bob Tory announced today that the team has signed 15-year-old prospect Michael Rasmussen to a standard WHL Player Contract.

Rasmussen was drafted in the 1st round (7th overall) of the 2014 WHL Bantam Draft.

“Michael is an elite player in the 1999 age group in Canada,” stated Tory. “He is a big, skilled forward with tremendous leadership capabilities. We are pleased that Michael and his family have chosen our organization and the WHL for his future hockey development and the pursuit of his goals.”

...

"I first saw Michael play early last season when he arrived at the Okanagan Hockey Academy,” Rasmussen’s agent, JP Barry said. “I liked what I saw the first few shifts. Michael is an intelligent young man who leads by example. He has terrific size, elite skills, great skating ability and he does this while playing a physical, power forward game. The Americans now have another top prospect to prepare for the future."

...

I just stumbled upon this post:

He's my dark horse #1 OA. Doubt it'll happen, but you heard it here first!

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/jrhockey-buzzing-the-net/tri-city-americans-rookie-michael-rasmussen-on-path-to-stardom-005118476.html

Tri-City Americans rookie Michael Rasmussen on path to stardom
Kelly Friesen By Kelly Friesen
4 December, 2015 8:49 AM

The Tri-City Americans hockey brass has appeared to hit a homerun with the seventh overall selection of Michael Rasmussen in the 2014 WHL bantam draft. He has the makings of a star while looking anything but a freshman this year. He not only looks older than 16 years old with an imposing 6-foot-4, 180-pound stature, but he also plays well beyond his years with a potent blend of a strong skating ability, high-end vision and an edge to his game.

“Michael has made the jump to the WHL a seamless transition due to his approach to preparing for practices and games,” says Americans general manager Bob Tory. “He is a very mature and serious, but also enjoys the day-to-day struggles that make you a better player and person. He has learned at a young age that the journey is much more important than the destination. He is focused on constant and never-ending improvement.”

The left-handed centre, who has scored seven goals and 17 points in 23 games, points to the work he put in last offseason as a major reason why he’s hit the ground running in Tri-City.

“I think a hard offseason is paying off,” says Rasmussen. “I worked hard to get stronger and faster and get ready for this season.”

In addition, with the 11-16-1-0 Americans going through a retool period, the Surrey, B.C., native feels he’s been given an opportunity to succeed and has been eased into the league by the organization.

...

Rasmussen’s impressive play hasn’t caught too many onlookers by surprise based on his 2014-15 season at the Okanagan Hockey Academy. He was a dominant force at the midget prep level, netting 27 goals and 50 points in 28 contests.

“I developed a lot there,” says Rasmussen. “Definitely seeing how many guys from there play in the WHL, it shows they have really good development. They helped me a lot to develop into a better player.”

When taking into account Rasmussen’s size, elite skill set and pro upside, it is easy to think of former Calgary Hitmen and Anaheim Ducks centre Ryan Getzlaf when looking for a reasonable comparison. He clearly has a long road ahead of him before he's in the same company as a legitimate NHL superstar, but the shared characteristics are quite visible. Moreover, considering Getzlaf only netted 18 points in his WHL rookie season, Rasmussen appears to have a head start on the major junior side of things.

“It’s a big complement to be compared to him (Getzlaf),” he says. “Those big centres, I study and watch them and see how they play in the NHL. I have the size and can use that to help me with my reach and to play physical in the tough areas. I’m lucky my dad and my uncles are all tall because my size is an advantage.”

#15 for Tri-Cities.

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/sports/other-sports/tri-city-americans/article84977997.html

Tri-City’s Michael Rasmussen invited to Canada’s U18 selection camp
June 20, 2016 9:42 PM

Tri-City Americans forward Michael Rasmusssen was invited to Team Canada’s U18 select team camp July 29-Aug. 2 in Calgary.

Of the 44 players invited to camp, 22 will be selcted to play for Team Canada in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament from Aug. 10-15 in Breclav, Czech Republic, and Piestany, Slovakia.

“This is a tremendous opportunity and accomplishment for Michael,” said Americans gerneral manager Bob Tory in a news release. “Michael established himself as an elite player with our hockey club last season as a 16-year-old.”

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound Rasmussen had 18 goals and 43 points in 63 games during his rookie season.

The Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament will include teams from Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. Canada has won eight consecutive Hlinka Memorial Cups.

 

[banme*]

Patrick is only three months younger than Pierre-Luc Dubois and missed the 2016 NHL Draft by four days.

He looked unimpressive at the Memorial Cup, and in the one game I saw of him in the WHL Finals, he looked rather average as well. I like Dubois more than Patrick. It's quite probable that others will challenge Patrick for the first overall position over the course of the year.

You don't like Patrick because of his tweets when he was like 10.

 

[kanucks25]

Yamamoto and Patrick are both September 1998 born. They are among the oldest players of their draft class.

Gabriel Vilardi of the Windsor Spitfires is an August 1999 born player. Many have stated that this is a player to watch, as he is 11 months younger than both Patrick and Yamamoto.

Yamamoto is 5'8'' while Vilardi is 6'2''. Most draft rankings already rank Vilardi ahead of Yamamoto.

I don't know anything about these guys.

I'm just saying in general, we need to tank. Don't care who we draft as long as he's a top-3 pick.

 

[Horse McHindu]

Yamamotto?!

Lol, I don't know about this guy. 159 lbs? Unless he's got the skills of a Johnny Gudreau, this kid's going to be eating some serious strudel in the big's.

This kid looks like he should be barefoot, pregnant, and in a kitchen, but that's just me.

 

[tantalum]

Looking forward to losing the lottery again....

 

[JA]

You don't like Patrick because of his tweets when he was like 10.

I don't like him because he doesn't exhibit a very dominant presence on the ice. In the games that I have seen, he has been rather invisible. Considering how old he is, I would consider him to be nearly as developed as some of the younger players in the 2016 NHL Draft. He had a poor Memorial Cup tournament. He doesn't look like he belongs in the same class as the top five forwards of the 2016 draft.

As I mentioned, keep an eye on Michael Ramussen, the 6'5'' center from Surrey, BC. He'll probably be a Top 10 pick. If Vancouver lands in the vicinity of his placement in the draft rankings, I'm sure he'll be a favorite to be taken by the Canucks.

 

[Horse McHindu]

You don't like Patrick because of his tweets when he was like 10.

What did he say?

Let me guess. He supported the Bruins over the Canucks in 2011.

 

[JA]

What did he say?

Let me guess. He supported the Bruins over the Canucks in 2011.

He did actually post a tweet saying that he hated the Canucks.

At the age of 13, he said a lot of inappropriate things and made use of homophobic slurs in his public tweets. I've given him the benefit of the doubt, although I think that 13-year-olds should be above that. The same language resulted in a fine of $5000 and a one-game suspension for Andrew Shaw. One hopes that Patrick has matured past that, although it's pretty clear that even some NHL players have not.

That's something that I'm sure teams look for in their Combine interviews.

My evaluation of this player, however, is strictly focused on his play. He has not been impressive relative to others in his age group. The personality issue is more of a secondary concern that will be studied by NHL scouts next June.

 

[BB88]

Kristian Vesalainen is a forward to look at from Europe, he's one of the youngest prospects on that draft,
6'3, 203lbs already, Lw/Rw, will play for Frölunda next year, great team for development.

Who knows if he gets into Pulju range.

 

[Nuckles]

Barrage of tweets incoming












I think this guy hit the nail on the head. That last tweet was quite interesting.

 

[LeftCoast]

^^^ I like this guy.

You first and foremost draft skill.

Size is factor, but should not be a major concern as long as the player is between 5'10" and 6'4". If he's too big, there is a chance his numbers are inflated by playing against smaller, weaker players. If he's too small, he's too small and his skill has to be off the charts.

Fighting and 'truculence' are not skills you consider. You prefer a player who plays with an edge between the whistles, but dropping your gloves does not win hockey games.

Don't draft players who 'project' to be bottom 6F or bottom pairing D. If they don't have the skill to dominate in Junior their transition to the pro game is going to be tenuous.

Stay at home defensemen for the #4, 5, 6 and 7 on your depth chart shouldn't be drafted. You can pick them up cheap as 28 year old UFAs.

In the top 10 to 15 you take the Best Player Available.

In the back half of the first and in the second you prioritize players who will become NHL players because you have to get an NHLer in every draft.

In the third round and later, you prioritize potential over safe picks.

 

[thefeebster]

Interesting. I certainly don't mind guys who were passed over once, but once you get to two time passed over and you are at their 3rd go, there is likely slim chance they become successful.

For draft strategy, I would target maybe one depth pick to be used for re-entry players, two if there are some extraordinary ones available. But I don't particularly like when nearly the whole depth of the draft is focused on passed over players like we did in 2012.

But I agree with what he has said. Target upside, guys who can be more valuable than replacement level!

 

[Josepho]

Kristian Vesalainen is a forward to look at from Europe, he's one of the youngest prospects on that draft,
6'3, 203lbs already, Lw/Rw, will play for Frölunda next year, great team for development.

Who knows if he gets into Pulju range.

Vesalainen was someone I felt really tempted to post about. I think he's going to climb up the rankings. Finland has been great at producing big, strong wingers as of late.

 

[Josepho]

Big Rings,

I have a couple questions for you as your knowledge of prospects seem to be quite sound:

1) How does Nolan Patrick compare to the likes of Auston Matthews and Jack Eichel? (i.e. similar level, slightly below, slightly better?).

2) Olli Juolevi - how high are you on this guy? I know Clayton Keller was your dark horse of the draft, but where do you put a guy like Juolevi? Did Juolevi's performances at the WJC's and Memorial Cup convince you that this guy could be a potential top pairing defenseman or even a franchise guy?

I'm far from a prospects whiz, but I can answer these questions.

1) Patrick is definitely not on Matthews or Eichel level at the moment. There's a definite gap between Patrick and those two. Matthews and Eichel have superior defensive games than Patrick.

2) I was pretty disappointed with the pick originally, but I've come to accept it. I still definitely would have preferred Tkachuk or Keller though. However, I definitely think Juolevi is the best defenceman in the draft. I don't put a lot of stock in the Memorial Cup and especially not the World Juniors, so his performances in those tournaments doesn't mean an awful lot to me. I think his ceiling is Hampus Lindholm, which would be our best defenceman of all time, but I think he'll pan out as one of the many 2D we've had over the years, which isn't exactly a bad thing at 5th overall.

 

[pitseleh]

Barrage of tweets incoming

...

I think this guy hit the nail on the head. That last tweet was quite interesting.

Great stuff. Thanks for that. Nice when data is consistent with what you think.

 

[Horse McHindu]

He did actually post a tweet saying that he hated the Canucks.

At the age of 13, he said a lot of inappropriate things and made use of homophobic slurs in his public tweets. I've given him the benefit of the doubt, although I think that 13-year-olds should be above that. The same language resulted in a fine of $5000 and a one-game suspension for Andrew Shaw. One hopes that Patrick has matured past that, although it's pretty clear that even some NHL players have not.

That's something that I'm sure teams look for in their Combine interviews.

My evaluation of this player, however, is strictly focused on his play. He has not been impressive relative to others in his age group. The personality issue is more of a secondary concern that will be studied by NHL scouts next June.

Meh - playing ability aside, I think we should forgive and forget comments he made as a 13 year old kid.

I'm 35, and 10+ years ago, I used to constantly make jokes with my friends about Michael Jackson giving head, and Graham James playing "find the rainbow road" with Sheldon Kennedy and Theoren Fleury.

Most of us are/were immature at one point, and all of us mature at different stages in life. If Patrick is a stud and where in a position to draft him, I say we do.

 

[Horse McHindu]

I'm far from a prospects whiz, but I can answer these questions.

1) Patrick is definitely not on Matthews or Eichel level at the moment. There's a definite gap between Patrick and those two. Matthews and Eichel have superior defensive games than Patrick.

2) I was pretty disappointed with the pick originally, but I've come to accept it. I still definitely would have preferred Tkachuk or Keller though. However, I definitely think Juolevi is the best defenceman in the draft. I don't put a lot of stock in the Memorial Cup and especially not the World Juniors, so his performances in those tournaments doesn't mean an awful lot to me. I think his ceiling is Hampus Lindholm, which would be our best defenceman of all time, but I think he'll pan out as one of the many 2D we've had over the years, which isn't exactly a bad thing at 5th overall.

Thanks BR,

Yeah man, if Juolevi hits Lindholm level, I'd be estatic. I see him becoming Edler/Ohlund level at minimum, but lets hope Benning's 'eagle eye' for amateur scouting comes into play here.