Prospect Info: 2018-19 Prospects Thread (CHL, NCAA, Junior A, Europe)

[S E P H]

How about Shmakov?

How about Kvaca?

How about Pajpach?

Seriously, I wonder if any of these 5 Euro long shots have a chance in hell of making the NHL.

- CHL wasn't giving us any good goalers either, but I wouldn't blame it on any route. Hepple even mentions in the videos that he isn't a goaler guy and relies a lot of the goaler coach.

- Way too early to judge Annunen like insanely early, he's an 18 year old lad playing against blokes in Finn's AHL.

- Werner is a lot older and has the maturity developed and size you want which is why he's posting solid stats as the backup in the SHL. Wish he was playing more games, but it is what it is. I won't complain since he's playing in Sweden's top league and against top players.

- Shmakov got injured in his first game in the MHL and hasn't played since. My deduction is they liked someone else in the 7th round and was taken before their pick (*cough*Dmitri Zavgorodny at eliteprospects.com*cough*) and he was just a gimmick pick. Not saying he doesn't have talent, but Avs probably saw a big drop between the player they wanted and the rest of players available.

- Kvaca, no update there. Insanely athletic goaler, but questions about his mental game and can't really make that jump into Czech's 1st division.

- We relinquished Pajpach's rights last season, that knee/groin/hip injury he sustained for that entire year really destroyed his career.

If I am going to guess for the future, they're going to get rid of Martin who's on his last legs as of now and showing no signs of development. Sign Werner who will play a bulk of the AHL games next season. Francouz will be in the NHL next season either with us or another team and if he's with the NHL club, we're going to sign an Hammond backup to split the starts in the AHL. Kvaca's rights don't expire until 2021 so Avs will take all their time with him.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

@S E P H Pretty much hit the nail on the head. I will add that Kvaca just got loaned today to HC Ocelari Trinec of the top Czech league. He needs to stick in the top Czech league to show some level of potential and it'd be a relief if he started now. Also the goal with Annunen this year should be improvement through the year and hopefully the results will follow. He's playing on a team that barely escaped being relegated last year so at least he's getting a lot of shots. Just ah, no one look at how Jakub Skarek is doing. It hurts a bit.

 

[PAZ]

I don't even know why we keep drafting goalies, our amateur scouts suck at assessing goalies. Draft one or two in the 5-7th round if they want to try and win the lottery, but it feels like we just throw away picks drafting goalies.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

I don't even know why we keep drafting goalies, our amateur scouts suck at assessing goalies. Draft one or two in the 5-7th round if they want to try and win the lottery, but it feels like we just throw away picks drafting goalies.

As long as WSH keeps drafting good goalies we'll be set.

 

[Makar to MacK]

I don't even know why we keep drafting goalies, our amateur scouts suck at assessing goalies. Draft one or two in the 5-7th round if they want to try and win the lottery, but it feels like we just throw away picks drafting goalies.

Agreed it's not like they are using low draft picks, they used a 2nd rounder on Annunen and wouldn't hurt so bad if they're track record wasnt such crap.

 

[McMetal]

It's just too early to tell what Annunen is going to be yet. Goalies are slow burn prospects in almost all cases, we'll have a clearer picture in 2-3 years.

 

[Pokecheque]

I'm hoping they saw something in Justice that prompted them to pick him higher, nevertheless they got time before they have to sign him. That's one advantage of the "Euro strategy" I guess.

 

[PAZ]

It's just too early to tell what Annunen is going to be yet. Goalies are slow burn prospects in almost all cases, we'll have a clearer picture in 2-3 years.

No doubt, but you want to see them make some sort of progress. Still early in the season, but he isn't going to get much of a chance to continue to develop if he's posting a .825 SV%.

 

[Balthazar]

No doubt, but you want to see them make some sort of progress. Still early in the season, but he isn't going to get much of a chance to continue to develop if he's posting a .825 SV%.

I was already not a huge fan of our last draft, learning that doesn't help much.

 

[LTC Pain]

Agreed it's not like they are using low draft picks, they used a 2nd rounder on Annunen and wouldn't hurt so bad if they're track record wasnt such crap.

Annunen was the 64th pick in the 3rd round. Not a 2nd round pick.

Avalanche Selects Eight at 2018 NHL Draft

 

[MarkT]

Annunen was the 64th pick in the 3rd round. Not a 2nd round pick.

Avalanche Selects Eight at 2018 NHL Draft

I'm glad you posted this because I just assumed I remembered wrong when I read above he was a 2nd round pick.

 

[LTC Pain]

I'm glad you posted this because I just assumed I remembered wrong when I read above he was a 2nd round pick.

I remembered because I started fuming when the Avalanche traded out of the 2nd round wondering WTH they did that!

 

[Tommy Shelby]

The Avs when it comes to drafting goalies.

 

[henchman21]

^Truth

I think we see that very clearly. Hepple's favored strategy is to draft a Euro late so they can have his right for 4 years. He's even said he thinks the 4 years is an advantage, so they find some random Euro goalie they like and pick him with hopes and dreams. Out of the recents, Annunen is the one I've liked the best, but I thought it was a bit too early. It is kinda depressing when you realize Cayden Primeau could be in the system...

 

[S E P H]

I was already not a huge fan of our last draft, learning that doesn't help much.

You're not a fan of any pick it seems like.

 

[Vaslof]

@S E P H Pretty much hit the nail on the head. I will add that Kvaca just got loaned today to HC Ocelari Trinec of the top Czech league. He needs to stick in the top Czech league to show some level of potential and it'd be a relief if he started now. Also the goal with Annunen this year should be improvement through the year and hopefully the results will follow. He's playing on a team that barely escaped being relegated last year so at least he's getting a lot of shots. Just ah, no one look at how Jakub Skarek is doing. It hurts a bit.

Oh no... For some reason I was SURE that Skarek was picked before Annunen. That one hurts already.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

^Truth

I think we see that very clearly. Hepple's favored strategy is to draft a Euro late so they can have his right for 4 years. He's even said he thinks the 4 years is an advantage, so they find some random Euro goalie they like and pick him with hopes and dreams. Out of the recents, Annunen is the one I've liked the best, but I thought it was a bit too early. It is kinda depressing when you realize Cayden Primeau could be in the system...

Don't get me started on Primeau...or that they missed out on Colton Point in 2016. I believe it's far too early to worry about Annunen. In a league where the game speed is going to be a decent jump and he's playing on a pretty bad team, I'm going to give him time to adjust. If Skarek was taken everyone would be happy. The Avs get their Euro goalie and fans get to be excited over his stats.

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

Oh no... For some reason I was SURE that Skarek was picked before Annunen. That one hurts already.

Olof Lindbom first off the board is rather amusing though. I really don't know why the Rangers felt they needed him so early.

 

[Balthazar]

You're not a fan of any pick it seems like.

Not true. I'm a fan of the good picks.

 

[S E P H]

Not true. I'm a fan of the good picks.

Yeah, McDavid at 1st overall type of picks. Hey, you're entitled to your opinion and if you think the draft class was terrible you have every right to say, but I suggest that it's beyond absurd to judge an entire class not even 3 months in, including judging an 18 year old goaler playing against men on a terrible team. That's why goaler numbers are terrible to use in a debate/discussion when there are so many factors that can influence them; LHJMQ for the longest time had the top goalers posting .888 save percentage and those were the best of the best prospects (the league was simply an offencive league and nothing to do with them producing terrible netminders).

 

[Balthazar]

Yeah, McDavid at 1st overall type of picks. Hey, you're entitled to your opinion and if you think the draft class was terrible you have every right to say, but I suggest that it's beyond absurd to judge an entire class not even 3 months in, including judging an 18 year old goaler playing against men on a terrible team. That's why goaler numbers are terrible to use in a debate/discussion when there are so many factors that can influence them; LHJMQ for the longest time had the top goalers posting .888 save percentage and those were the best of the best prospects (the league was simply an offencive league and nothing to do with them producing terrible netminders).

Hey man calm down, you're overreacting quite a bit here. I'm no pro scout, I can be wrong.

With that said, neither Kaut nor Annunen would have been my pick with was was left available. That's just my opinion though, which isn't much.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Yeah I wasn’t a lover of the Kaut pick but that had more to do with me simply not seeing much of Kaut in the same way I knew nothing about Rantanen when we drafted him. So I’m certainly more open minded lol.

I wanted Ty Smith because I thought he was the BPA as soon as Dobson was off the board (of the North American playing prospects since that’s all watched).

 

[The Kingslayer]

Yeah I wasn’t a lover of the Kaut pick but that had more to do with me simply not seeing much of Kaut in the same way I knew nothing about Rantanen when we drafted him. So I’m certainly more open minded lol.

I wanted Ty Smith because I thought he was the BPA as soon as Dobson was off the board (of the North American playing prospects since that’s all watched).

You weren't on the Lawson Crouse boat were you?

 

[Cousin Eddie]

You weren't on the Lawson Crouse boat were you?

I cried when we didn’t select him. He was my favorite prospect in a long time.

 

[McMetal]

Kaut wasn't my first choice in that spot, I wanted somebody with more pure scoring upside (specifically Bokk, Thomas, or Ylonen), but with Farabee and Denisenko gone I was fine with that pick. He's got a lot of attributes that this team needs with his board play and two-way game, and seems like a strong character guy as well.