Prospect Info: 2017 NHL Draft Part II

[SteveCangialosi123]

If we're not top 2 I think I want Vilardi or Mittelstadt. If we come out of the draft with Patrick, Nico, Vilardi, or Mittelstadt, I'm happy.

 

[Billdo]

If we're not top 2 I think I want Vilardi or Mittelstadt. If we come out of the draft with Patrick, Nico, Vilardi, or Mittelstadt, I'm happy.

I'm in this boat.

 

[devilsblood]

Mid to late round d-man option. Finnish born Henri Jokiharju. Plays with Cody Glass in Portland. Listed at 6' 170, June b-day, right handed shot. 9-39-48 in 71 games. First year in the WHL.


Welp, just dug a little further, seems to be rated pretty highly on a couple boards. Possible in the 2nd rnd maybe?

 

[BomaLightDevils]

That's certainly possible, a future #1 workhorse defenseman.

But, Castron will keep things close to the vest as he should, we really won't know until post-draft.

This is the type of draft that will separate the men from the boys in the scouting world.

I really agree with the last part and I think their could be a lot of good value picks later in the draft. But I could also see the 1 round being very interesting with the way prospects gets bump up and down for this draft.

 

[Monsieur Verdoux]

Devils Daily just had Button on and he LOVES Makar and Heiskanen. Even more so than any forward not named Patrick or Hischier

And here is the link if somebody wants to listen it:
https://soundcloud.com/devilsdaily/episode-162-interview-with-tsns-craig-buttonreport-cards-bennettsantini

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

Button should not be compared with McKenzie/Dreger. Button is a scout who gives his own opinion on players, not the general consensus. McKenzie is a reporter who simply consolidates the information he gets and relays the general consensus.

THIS. Button is in the rinks more than anyone. I respect that he doesn't conform to the generic lists that people/sites are influenced by and goes off his own evaluations. Dmitry Sokolov was ranked in the top 10 by a lot of people last year and Button had him out of the top 200 or something like that. Sokolov went in the 7th round. There's examples that go both ways but he can really drop knowledge on any prospect like Mike Mayock can with the NFL.

 

[RememberTheName]

Don't forget that Castron was the one who drafted Ryan Johanson, the best comparable for Glass

 

[StevenToddIves]

This right here i Think Castron goes D and pick heiskanen.

I know the Devils need D, but good scouts/GMs take the best player available, especially early in the first round. And there is no way that Heiskanen will be the best player available anywhere in the to 5-6 overall range where the Devils will likely pick. Some organizations amp the value on defensemen when ranking players in the draft (notably Nashville and Anaheim), but even then it's a stretch.

We're not talking about an Erik Karlsson or a Drew Doughty or an Ekman-Larsson here, folks. We're talking about a Hampus Lindholm. Do you take that over the PPG upside of a Mittelstadt or Necas or Tippett or #1 C upside of Vilardi or Glass or Rasmussen because you need D today? I think it's short-sighted.

 

[StevenToddIves]

With our 5th pick we're guaranteed one of these 5 players. Unless we drop or the Devils are planning to trade down.

Nico Hischier
Nolan Patrick
Gabe Vilardi
Casey Mittelstadt
Cody Glass

Devils fans should stop ruling out Martin Necas -- maybe the best skater in the 2017 draft, and Castron/Shero drafted big-time for speed in 2016. Also, Necas is extremely skilled and displays impressive competitiveness and grit.

 

[MichaelJ]

Devils fans should stop ruling out Martin Necas -- maybe the best skater in the 2017 draft, and Castron/Shero drafted big-time for speed in 2016. Also, Necas is extremely skilled and displays impressive competitiveness and grit.

I like a lot of what I've read/seen about Necas. Can he develop into more of a scorer? The Devils need guys who can bury the puck

 

[devilsblood]

Can we just draft Necas's Czech team mate Zadina?

 

[StevenToddIves]

button is kind of an idiot. still more hockey knowledge than anyone on this board (myself very much included) but i would trust mckenzie/dreger more.

this lottery needs to happen. right now, the speculation without knowing our positioning is maddening and futile

In 2016, Button took a lot of heat for ranking Clayton Keller #6, ahead of similar-styled players who were always ranked higher in Nylander and Jost. Keller went #7 ahead of Nylander and Jost.

He also took a lot of heat for ranking Chychrun lower than anyone, at #17 and McAvoy #15, higher than most scouts. Chychrun went #16, lower than anyone expected, two picks after McAvoy went at #14.

Right now Keller is generally regarded by scouts well above Jost or Nylander while McAvoy is generally regarded over Chychrun.

Craig Button's rankings are actually extremely relevant, as they ignore the major scouting bureaus and he thinks like a GM.

For instance:
Right now Button has Martin Necas (a player I have been pumping on this thread) ranked #3 overall, ahead of Vilardi, Glass, Heiskanen et al. I guarantee you that there are GMs out there who have Necas ranked similarly high.

If Necas were drafted third overall, the media pundits would call it shocking. But Button would not be surprised in the least, and neither would I.

I still say Patrick is the top pick in this draft. But at #2? I have yet to find a convincing argument anywhere that Hischier is a superior prospect to Necas or Mittelstadt or Vilardi or Glass at the same position of C. So we need to face the reality that any one of those guys could be drafted #2 depending on what the drafting team's rankings look like.

It is for this reason that Button's rankings deserve attention.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Mid to late round d-man option. Finnish born Henri Jokiharju. Plays with Cody Glass in Portland. Listed at 6' 170, June b-day, right handed shot. 9-39-48 in 71 games. First year in the WHL.


Welp, just dug a little further, seems to be rated pretty highly on a couple boards. Possible in the 2nd rnd maybe?

I would love the Devils to get Jokiharju in the 2nd. Kid can really play. P-O Joseph and Vaakanainen would also be good 2nd round D picks. Robin Salo is a very good D prospect who could last into the third round.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I like a lot of what I've read/seen about Necas. Can he develop into more of a scorer? The Devils need guys who can bury the puck

In my opinion, if Necas played in the Q this year his stats would be similar to Hischier. If he played in the USHL, his stats would be similar to Mittelstadt. I think those three players are very close in style and talent.

I am not alone. Craig Button has Necas at #3 overall, while one of the best in the biz in Steve Kournianos (thedraftanalyst.com) has stated Necas is right near the top of some teams' draft boards.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Funny thing is unless we win 1st overall we still won't be any closer really to knowing who we end up picking.

The draft board seems very volatile.

 

[MadDevil]

Funny thing is unless we win 1st overall we still won't be any closer really to knowing who we end up picking.

The draft board seems very volatile.

I can't wait for the prospects board to pick apart whoever we take.

 

[devilsblood]

In my opinion, if Necas played in the Q this year his stats would be similar to Hischier. If he played in the USHL, his stats would be similar to Mittelstadt. I think those three players are very close in style and talent.

I am not alone. Craig Button has Necas at #3 overall, while one of the best in the biz in Steve Kournianos (thedraftanalyst.com) has stated Necas is right near the top of some teams' draft boards.

Except Hischier's international #'s are significantly better.

 

[devilsblood]

Mittelstadt was also pretty dang impressive in the U18 WJC last year. 4-5-9 in 7.

Necas this year in the WJC 0-3-3 in 5. 7 guys on his Czech team scored more.

 

[Mike27Devils]

In 2016, Button took a lot of heat for ranking Clayton Keller #6, ahead of similar-styled players who were always ranked higher in Nylander and Jost. Keller went #7 ahead of Nylander and Jost.

He also took a lot of heat for ranking Chychrun lower than anyone, at #17 and McAvoy #15, higher than most scouts. Chychrun went #16, lower than anyone expected, two picks after McAvoy went at #14.

Right now Keller is generally regarded by scouts well above Jost or Nylander while McAvoy is generally regarded over Chychrun.

Craig Button's rankings are actually extremely relevant, as they ignore the major scouting bureaus and he thinks like a GM.

For instance:
Right now Button has Martin Necas (a player I have been pumping on this thread) ranked #3 overall, ahead of Vilardi, Glass, Heiskanen et al. I guarantee you that there are GMs out there who have Necas ranked similarly high.

If Necas were drafted third overall, the media pundits would call it shocking. But Button would not be surprised in the least, and neither would I.

I still say Patrick is the top pick in this draft. But at #2? I have yet to find a convincing argument anywhere that Hischier is a superior prospect to Necas or Mittelstadt or Vilardi or Glass at the same position of C. So we need to face the reality that any one of those guys could be drafted #2 depending on what the drafting team's rankings look like.

It is for this reason that Button's rankings deserve attention.

From the sound of it button will have heiskanen above necas in his final rankings. Necas didn't have a great U18s. You could see the skill and speed but it wasn't translating positively in the teams favor as he overpassed and didn't read the play well at times. I only saw middlestadt play at the U18s last year and was very impressed but I think Hischier has the edge based on my viewings. I would have picked him 3rd overall in the 2015 or 2016 draft. Whenever I watch him i'm blown away with his smarts, agility, and hands.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Except Hischier's international #'s are significantly better.

Mittelstadt is tough to compare, having played far fewer tournament games.

But you're correct that Hischier played in 28 tournament games this season and tallied 35 points, while Necas played in 32 international games and tallied 28 points.

But I do feel that Necas has gotten better during the course of the season while Hischier's play has seriously leveled off. And Hischier plays a stronger all-around game, but Necas is a far superior skater (although Hischier is a very good skater, Necas is an unbelievable skater).

All I'm saying is that it is hairsplitting between Hischier/Necas/Mittelstadt. This is where the scouts earn their salaries.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Mittelstadt is tough to compare, having played far fewer tournament games.

But you're correct that Hischier played in 28 tournament games this season and tallied 35 points, while Necas played in 32 international games and tallied 28 points.

But I do feel that Necas has gotten better during the course of the season while Hischier's play has seriously leveled off. And Hischier plays a stronger all-around game, but Necas is a far superior skater (although Hischier is a very good skater, Necas is an unbelievable skater).

All I'm saying is that it is hairsplitting between Hischier/Necas/Mittelstadt. This is where the scouts earn their salaries.

Do you think Makar has played against good enough competition to call him elite?

I've heard comparisons to Keith and Leetch.
That is hard to pass up.

 

[Devils Dominion]

And here is the link if somebody wants to listen it:
https://soundcloud.com/devilsdaily/episode-162-interview-with-tsns-craig-buttonreport-cards-bennettsantini

An outstanding interview, Button makes a ton of great points.
A must listen for anyone interested in this draft.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Grant's blog is always interesting, a former amateur scout, solid insight and is not a sheep like other bloggers

https://recrutes.ca/

 

[Ripshot 43]

Wow yea Button is super high on Makar. Said if the Devils are drafting 3rd that he would pick him over any of the forwards left (who he really likes, Glass, Necas and Peterson mentioned).

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

In my opinion, if Necas played in the Q this year his stats would be similar to Hischier. If he played in the USHL, his stats would be similar to Mittelstadt. I think those three players are very close in style and talent.

I am not alone. Craig Button has Necas at #3 overall, while one of the best in the biz in Steve Kournianos (thedraftanalyst.com) has stated Necas is right near the top of some teams' draft boards.

If Necas is so good, why didn't he put up more points, especially in goals at the u18? Points in the u18 isn't everything but he wasn't really dominant at all.