DaveG
Noted Jerk
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.
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.
And we are welcome to trash that content, when warranted.
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.
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.
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.
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'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.
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'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.
Suzuki makes me wonder why people want to reach for Yamamoto.
Seems like he's the more likely of the two to pan out.
Perfect. He, Skinner and Aho can start their own boy band.
Perfect. He, Skinner and Aho can start their own boy band.
But Skinner has that vaguely beardish thing now!
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.
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!
I have to admit, you are my favorite poster on draft day.
You're mine everyday.
I have to admit, you are my favorite poster on draft day.
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.
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.
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.