Speculation: 2017 NHL Draft Thread.

[DaveG]

After last year and my meltdown I think I'm just simply in "trust the process" mode right now. Though can't say I'll be happy if we pass on Mittlestadt for Rasmussen, though thankfully I think Rasmussen goes top 10.

 

[Vagrant]

Yeah the idea that Mittlestadt might fall isn't completely unwarranted. USHL and High School kids are huge question marks. I thought Kyle Connor was a lock for top-10. The real meltdown happens when he falls and the Canes still pass.

I will stake what is left of my reputation that Mittlestadt doesn't fall out of the Top 10. I would say Top 6 if I were feeling frisky, because I think he goes to Vegas at the latest.

Very similar draft process to Sam Bennett in regards to being wholly unimpressive at the combine, but his offensive potential being so high makes him far too attractive of an upside to pass on.

 

[Lempo]

I hate negativity on Mittlestadt. It's like we're ganging up to bully the fat kid, and when they will realize that he's kind of okay in stickpuck we'll all look like the jerks in them films.

 

[tarheelhockey]

And we are welcome to trash that content, when warranted.

Yep.

 

[GoldiFox]

I will stake what is left of my reputation that Mittlestadt doesn't fall out of the Top 10. I would say Top 6 if I were feeling frisky, because I think he goes to Vegas at the latest.

I don't think he makes it past Phoenix. They seems to be all-in on high upside and he's got it.

I'm not too worried though, as you say there will be plenty of forwards there for the Canes to pick their favorite one. Lots of play styles and body types that should give more insight to team direction as well. Pure snipers in Tippett/Tolvanen. Big power forward projects in Vesalainen/Kostin/Rasmussen. IQ-heavy guys in Suzuki/Pettersson. Plenty of speed and all around ability with Necas, Poehling, and Andersson.

 

[NotOpie]

Something about Owen Tippett keeps bringing me back to him. I don't know what the deal with that is, but I'm curious what we'd do if he was still on the board when our selection hit. With as scattershot as this draft is between 3-15, there's really no way to tell. There will be very few picks considered to be reaches in that range.

The issue that I've heard most regarding Tippett is that he hasn't demonstrated much in the way of hockey sense. He's all shot and not much else...not that there's anything wrong with that.

I don't think he makes it past Phoenix. They seems to be all-in on high upside and he's got it.

I'm not too worried though, as you say there will be plenty of forwards there for the Canes to pick their favorite one. Lots of play styles and body types that should give more insight to team direction as well. Pure snipers in Tippett/Tolvanen. Big power forward projects in Vesalainen/Kostin/Rasmussen. IQ-heavy guys in Suzuki/Pettersson. Plenty of speed and all around ability with Necas, Poehling, and Andersson.

If you look across a lot of the rating services and such the disparity is so great that a guy like Suzuki can be ranked at 10 on one and 26 on another. Rasmussen is another guy who is all over the map. Ditto w/Vesalainen (especially after the recent WJCs). That would be the only reason I'd trade down if it looked like a few of my targets were falling.

 

[Navin R Slavin]

I'm getting excited about Suzuki. That's a bad thing. Someone convince me (a) he'll never fall to us, or (b) he's actually real bad, so I won't feel bad when he falls to us and we don't take him.

kthx.

 

[Vagrant]

The issue that I've heard most regarding Tippett is that he hasn't demonstrated much in the way of hockey sense. He's all shot and not much else...not that there's anything wrong with that.

I think at some point, if a kid can rip it he can rip it. Tippett can do it. It'll be interesting to see where he goes. I feel like so much is made of hockey sense and intangibles and sometimes the tangibles are just off the charts. I have very little doubt that his goal scoring ability will travel with him. A lot of his predraft stuff reads like Skinner's did. Great skating, edgework, agility, lethal shot. There's a lot of questions about his defense, but you don't draft Tippett for his defense. With the lack of pure goal scorers in our organization, it would be nice to nab one here. I can understand why some have him ranked lower, because I don't think anyone will argue that Tippett is going to be an 80-90 point forward at his peak the way you could argue that case for guys like Mittlestadt, Glass, Vilardi, Patrick, Hirshier, and a few of the names you mentioned. He's not a playmaker. But I don't think it's unreasonable to say that if you can find a 60 point forward with 30+ goal potential here, it's not something you pass on for a lesser chance of getting that point per game guy.

 

[Vagrant]

I'm getting excited about Suzuki. That's a bad thing. Someone convince me (a) he'll never fall to us, or (b) he's actually real bad, so I won't feel bad when he falls to us and we don't take him.

kthx.

He's a hell of a prospect. I don't know where he goes, but he's one of the younger players in the class and his numbers are video game. He's a little too cute with the puck at times and has a tendency to play east-west too much, which simply will not fly at higher levels, but the basis is there for a really creative offensive game. But when you talk about currently undersized, it's Suzuki. The team that drafts him will have to be content that he might be 2 full years away from being able to contribute, and that's not something you usually see with lottery picks that pan out. Scouts really like his tenacity and work ethic, which are HUGE positives when you're dealing with a player that doesn't currently have the size. But the concern of being too small to play his style as a professional was part of the reason why he was given a "B" prospect grade at the midway point of the year. He's a fine skater, but at his size it's certainly something that you'd want to be closer to elite than fine. Hands are other-worldly in close, but can he get there as a professional or will stronger defensemen negate a lot of what makes him special in the CHL? I think that's the question teams will be asking themselves about him.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Suzuki makes me wonder why people want to reach for Yamamoto.

Seems like he's the more likely of the two to pan out.

 

[cptjeff]

Find it odd you would say you don't see Nic Roy making it and then say Gauthier could make it with size and net presence alone. Nic Roy is huge and exceptional in front of the net. Far better than Gauthier. From what I have seen Gauthier is more likely to try and beat a guy outside with speed than run him over.

I was mostly joking with that comment, but I was talking about skating to crash the net, not working in front of the net once play is established in the zone, which is what net presence usually implies. The Erik Cole move, except just hitting and going through the defender rather than going around him (which is an interference penalty by the rulebook, but rarely called these days, hence the joke about it not being a penalty anymore). That requires a degree of speed that Roy simply doesn't have, but it also doesn't really require a whole hell of a lot of brains, it's just a sheer muscle play. How fast can you go and how well can you protect the puck while the defender is trying to knock you over.

He'd also be a candidate for a guy who could do it the Gordie Howe way- fly down the wing and cut towards the center with a nice high elbow that might just accidentally brush the defender. But they do call that one these days.

 

[geehaad]

I'm getting excited about Suzuki. That's a bad thing. Someone convince me (a) he'll never fall to us, or (b) he's actually real bad, so I won't feel bad when he falls to us and we don't take him.

(c) he's actually 14 years old.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Perfect. He, Skinner and Aho can start their own boy band.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

Suzuki makes me wonder why people want to reach for Yamamoto.

Seems like he's the more likely of the two to pan out.

Yamamoto may be a slight reach, but my prediction is that's exactly who we take. I bet our western scouts saw a ton of him while watching Elyniuk, and from what I understand the kid is a dynamo, albeit small.

I may be wrong, which I probably am, but if even 1 scout goes to the mat for the kid, I bet he's our pick. This is the draft to shoot for major upside, and he's got it.

Trade 12 to STL for 20 & 27 , take Yamamoto and Oettinger. BOOM...winning.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I want Luke Martin in the 2nd round.

I think at one point I wanted him in the mid-first near the beginning of the year.

It looks like his lack of offense is hurting him, but ISS loves him. I want him.

 

[Lempo]

Perfect. He, Skinner and Aho can start their own boy band.

Move over, Nashville, and your scheme to get full house of girls to the arena with the Taylor Swift commercial! Sx3 is here to burn your village, and heart!

 

[cptjeff]

Perfect. He, Skinner and Aho can start their own boy band.

But Skinner has that vaguely beardish thing now!

 

[RodTheBawd]

But Skinner has that vaguely beardish thing now!

He'll be the Joey Fatone of the group. And before I hear any **** from anyone, I did need to google that.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Yamamoto may be a slight reach, but my prediction is that's exactly who we take. I bet our western scouts saw a ton of him while watching Elyniuk, and from what I understand the kid is a dynamo, albeit small.

I may be wrong, which I probably am, but if even 1 scout goes to the mat for the kid, I bet he's our pick. This is the draft to shoot for major upside, and he's got it.

Trade 12 to STL for 20 & 27 , take Yamamoto and Oettinger. BOOM...winning.

I have to admit, you are my favorite poster on draft day.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Move over, Nashville, and your scheme to get full house of girls to the arena with the Taylor Swift commercial! Sx3 is here to burn your village, and heart!

Sx3! I like it.

 

[FlyingSquirrels]

I have to admit, you are my favorite poster on draft day.

You're mine everyday.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

You're mine everyday.

Aw, how nice. I never knew you cared.

 

[Sens1Canes2]

I have to admit, you are my favorite poster on draft day.

For the.......

 

[NotOpie]

I think at some point, if a kid can rip it he can rip it. Tippett can do it. It'll be interesting to see where he goes. I feel like so much is made of hockey sense and intangibles and sometimes the tangibles are just off the charts. I have very little doubt that his goal scoring ability will travel with him. A lot of his predraft stuff reads like Skinner's did. Great skating, edgework, agility, lethal shot. There's a lot of questions about his defense, but you don't draft Tippett for his defense. With the lack of pure goal scorers in our organization, it would be nice to nab one here. I can understand why some have him ranked lower, because I don't think anyone will argue that Tippett is going to be an 80-90 point forward at his peak the way you could argue that case for guys like Mittlestadt, Glass, Vilardi, Patrick, Hirshier, and a few of the names you mentioned. He's not a playmaker. But I don't think it's unreasonable to say that if you can find a 60 point forward with 30+ goal potential here, it's not something you pass on for a lesser chance of getting that point per game guy.

I have to admit, I view hockey sense pretty strongly, but I also believe that if you can rope the puck, you're going to have a place in the league. This kid reminds me a bit of Jeff O'Neil, shot-wise. If he's there at 12, we'd almost have to take him.

He's a hell of a prospect. I don't know where he goes, but he's one of the younger players in the class and his numbers are video game. He's a little too cute with the puck at times and has a tendency to play east-west too much, which simply will not fly at higher levels, but the basis is there for a really creative offensive game. But when you talk about currently undersized, it's Suzuki. The team that drafts him will have to be content that he might be 2 full years away from being able to contribute, and that's not something you usually see with lottery picks that pan out. Scouts really like his tenacity and work ethic, which are HUGE positives when you're dealing with a player that doesn't currently have the size. But the concern of being too small to play his style as a professional was part of the reason why he was given a "B" prospect grade at the midway point of the year. He's a fine skater, but at his size it's certainly something that you'd want to be closer to elite than fine. Hands are other-worldly in close, but can he get there as a professional or will stronger defensemen negate a lot of what makes him special in the CHL? I think that's the question teams will be asking themselves about him.

I'll readily admit that Suzuki is my first choice (as of today) for all the reasons that have been stated. But I don't get the "small" comments. He's 5'11" and almost 185 lbs. My guess is he ends up playing at 195-200 lbs. That's a fairly typical size. Even though he's not "gritty" he isn't afraid to go to the front of the net. It will be an interesting draft.

Yamamoto may be a slight reach, but my prediction is that's exactly who we take. I bet our western scouts saw a ton of him while watching Elyniuk, and from what I understand the kid is a dynamo, albeit small.

I may be wrong, which I probably am, but if even 1 scout goes to the mat for the kid, I bet he's our pick. This is the draft to shoot for major upside, and he's got it.

Trade 12 to STL for 20 & 27 , take Yamamoto and Oettinger. BOOM...winning.

If we don't trade our 1st, I'd try to trade back, but I wouldn't take Yamamoto, probably more like Ratcliffe, Thomas, Comtois, Norris, Timmins, or Robertson should all be there then.

The guy I'd not be surprised if we made a play for is Jaret Anderson-Dolan. He often played on a line with both Elynuik and Yamamoto. Lot's of talk around him lately.

 

[GoldiFox]

Bob's final Draft list has Suzuki at #12.

For reference Bob had Lindholm at #5 (taken by Canes at 5), Fleury at #8 (taken by Canes at 7), Hanifin at #3 (taken by Canes at 5), Bean at #12 (taken by Canes at #13), and Gauthier at #17 (taken by Canes at #21).

He's usually pretty close. *breathing intensifies*