2018 Caps NHL Draft Thread

[Langway]

Combine top 25 results from each test. Foudy's athleticism is very apparent. Miller also tested pretty well.

 

[Langway]

Pretty neat having the Caps still playing in June with the draft less than three weeks away. Combine heights & weights. Curtis Douglas: 6'8.5'' 247.7 Big kid. Kevin Bahl & Mattias Samuelsson, too. Very large wingspans with those three.




Haven't read too many reports on who the Caps interviewed but Kotkaniemi mentioned the bus question in an interview and Dellandrea & O'Brien both mentioned who they didn't talk to and Washington wasn't among them. Of course, at least as it concerns Kotkaniemi they do interview 65-75 players and do their homework on everyone just in case players become available down the line. @EdmontonOilers has a number of interviews up, including the aforementioned Kotkaniemi one.

 

[bags92]

If You look at goalscoring at U18, five players has score 8 goals since 2013, McDavid,Vrana,Matthews,Laine and Nordgren this year.

Hoping he falls to the Caps in the second

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

Curtis Douglas and how high he goes is one of the more interesting story lines of this draft for me. Is that size worth the two-round bump he's likely to get? I'd take him at 93. I mean, at that point the risk is well worth it.

Rooting for the Caps to pick Jett Woo and Blade Jenkins. That'd likely secure the Caps the best name draft of all time.

Seriously though, I know it's a weak draft for centers, but please take a couple and start loading up down the middle for once.

 

[Langway]

I might opt for one of Gustafsson, Groulx, McBain or Khovanov with the Florida pick as initial two-way wingers that could eventually switch back to center (or start at 4C) but I wouldn't mind Nordgren. He needs to get faster but lots of skill there. Lauko or Hallander could be other Euro winger options. Douglas probably should go anywhere from the early third round on. Anything before that seems a bit optimistic since he's mostly a bottom sixer I think but by 93 that could could be good value. I might prefer Back or Madden to him if available.

The thing I'm most curious about with this draft is the degree to which they deviate from their BPA upside approach toward something more identity-based. There's a danger to buy too much into the floated notion that this was an inferior team on paper when they're the best defensive group they've had and it really matters. Will defense, leadership and all-around maturity be prioritized to a greater extent compared to raw (predominantly offensive) upside/tools? Vrana & Burakovsky have had their moments that have helped them get where they are but this run should at least make it less likely to draft a lower effort, higher maintenance, questionable character player unless they drop significantly and make for no-brainer value. Maybe this group could get someone like Merkley to maximize their talents and stick with a team game but even then there are defensive hockey IQ questions regardless. He probably shouldn't be an option until 46. It's just not worth it in the first round compared to a more motivated, mature player...even at the back-end. McLeod doesn't have the attitude questions but I wonder if the combination of him being one of the oldest players in the draft and some questions about his competitiveness cause him to fall out of the first round entirely. I'd probably opt for Berggren, O'Brien or Denisenko over him.

My list is pretty well whittled down and it's increasingly being reshaped in part by the sorts of things we're seeing a real contender do on a nightly basis. It does take some players time to figure that out but without amazing flashes when they're on I'd shy away from higher maintenance floater types. If they get two more wins I'd be fairly tempted to just go make picks predominantly based on speed, character and defensive maturity and not sweat the rest nearly as much. Not to entirely discount finesse ability because every team is a mix and they may need that in the regular season in a few years but I'd be tempted to just select the players I most want to have in battle putting on that sweater in the playoffs before too long. You want offensive upside on top of that if you're taking them relatively early and there's always a projection that needs to be made but those intangibles and that sort of mental maturity and passion would be bigger priorities after seeing them on full display. At least they should be IMO.

 

[hawkeerox]

Pretty neat having the Caps still playing in June with the draft less than three weeks away. Combine heights & weights. Curtis Douglas: 6'8.5'' 247.7 Big kid. Kevin Bahl & Mattias Samuelsson, too. Very large wingspans with those three.




Haven't read too many reports on who the Caps interviewed but Kotkaniemi mentioned the bus question in an interview and Dellandrea & O'Brien both mentioned who they didn't talk to and Washington wasn't among them. Of course, at least as it concerns Kotkaniemi they do interview 65-75 players and do their homework on everyone just in case players become available down the line. @EdmontonOilers has a number of interviews up, including the aforementioned Kotkaniemi one.

McBain tied for second overall at the combine for wingspan, yet is 4.5" shorter in height than Douglas. That's a heck of an orangutang

 

[peterthegreat12]

Don’t be surprised if the Caps look to move up in the first round via a Grubauer trade.

 

[Langway]

Sportsnet's Marek & Cosentino at the combine talking draft, touching on a lot of players. At around the 2:28:00 mark they touch on Thomas/McLeod as the enigmas of this draft. Not sure I'd agree Thomas is a really good shooter given his OHL goal production (21 goals a year ago and 22 this year). Granted, he did net five in ten OHL playoff games but I wouldn't call it a strength. They talked with a few of the prospects, including Wahlstrom earlier on where he said he's been catching all of the Caps playoff games and likes how the Caps and Blackhawks play.

 

[Cush]

If only Vegas still had their first round pick. Would McPhee have offered congratulations from the podium? Guess we'll never know.

 

[Melkor]

Kravtsov and Denisenko are the guys the Caps should go after at the draft. Kravtsov is projected right within the range the Caps' first pick is in and Denisenko is a 1st rd raw talent that could slide to the 2nd due to 2 years remaining on his current KHL contract and russian factor.

 

[Cush]

Larry Fisher's 7 Round Mock: 7th Annual NHL Mock Draft: 2018, Round 1

 

[Langway]

I haven't mentioned this guy a whole lot but I could see him being a sort of leftfield pick ala Johansson in some ways at 31. I've had him more in the early-to-mid thirties but his combination of experience/production playing against men, strong work ethic and upside make him a player that could be in the mix at the end of the first round. You see the good active stick without the puck and that's a real asset to have on top of everything else. I've bumped him up to 26 with Bokk, Denisenko, Olofsson, Hallander, Sandin & Berggren as the prime European options should they again go in that direction. He may fly a bit under the radar since he was injured and unable to play at the U18s.

 

[islandersdynasty]

The draft is one of my favorite events of the year. I can't wait until the 30 other teams congratulate the Capitals on winning the cup.

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

They should really go for the home run at 31. Don't want to see a "pretty good at everything, not great at any one thing" type. Find an outstanding trait and develop the prospect around that.

Similarly at 45, kind of rooting for Khovanov. Elite MHL production is his 16 year old season (and showed out at the international level with Svechnikov in the U17s). Decent, but not great production in Moncton this year where he flashed some elite play making but didn't consistently bring it. BUT, that deserves some serious context. He got frickin hepatitis and missed the beginning of the season. No way was he playing at full strength/speed.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

I’m really excited about this draft.

Draft
Wilde/Kravtsov/Khovanov/ Veleno at 31 if we don’t do anything else.

If we trade Grubauer for day NYI 12th. There’s a chance Boqvist could fall and if we could grab him oh man. Young mike green.

2 years down the line


Ovi Kuz Wilson
Vrana Nicky Oshie
Burakovsky Eller(Kravtsov/Wilde/khovanov
Fjallby Stephenson Gersich

Niskanen Orlov
Carlson Boqvist
Djoos/Bowey/Johansson/Kempny

Holtby
Samnsonov

Drool

 

[PB12]

Question. Lets say we do trade for Isles 12th pick. Thoughts on a guy like Brady Tkachuk. I'm guessing he won't be there at 12 but maybe use the devils 2nd round pick to trade up again.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

Question. Lets say we do trade for Isles 12th pick. Thoughts on a guy like Brady Tkachuk. I'm guessing he won't be there at 12 but maybe use the devils 2nd round pick to trade up again.

Don’t think he goes past 5th. And I don’t think a 2nd would move us up that high

 

[peterthegreat12]

I’m really excited about this draft.

Draft
Wilde/Kravtsov/Khovanov/ Veleno at 31 if we don’t do anything else.

If we trade Grubauer for day NYI 12th. There’s a chance Boqvist could fall and if we could grab him oh man. Young mike green.

2 years down the line


Ovi Kuz Wilson
Vrana Nicky Oshie
Burakovsky Eller(Kravtsov/Wilde/khovanov
Fjallby Stephenson Gersich

Niskanen Orlov
Carlson Boqvist
Djoos/Bowey/Johansson/Kempny

Holtby
Samnsonov

Drool

Boqvist isn’t dropping out of the top ten , or probably even out of the top 7 for that matter.

 

[Barry Amsterdam]

Boqvist isn’t dropping out of the top ten , or probably even out of the top 7 for that matter.

Dahlin
Svechnikov
Kotkinemi
Zadina
Tckachuk
Dobson
Wahlstrom
Bouchard
Hughes

Are guys probably ahead of him due to his concussions
That’d be 9 and it’s not crazy for him to drop 3 spots

 

[Cush]

Would be great if they could swing a deal with the Isles to move up. Not sure if Grubauer alone is enough. Maybe Grubauer and Burakovsky? Grubauer and the 31st or 46th pick?

Edit: on second thought, Grubauer and Burakovsky is probably an over payment

 

[peterthegreat12]

If Merkley is available.31, do you take him? (regardless of the rumors about him)

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

If Merkley is available.31, do you take him? (regardless of the rumors about him)

I mean, the rumors are a pretty important part. Can't disregard potential work ethic issues.

 

[Langway]

They should really go for the home run at 31. Don't want to see a "pretty good at everything, not great at any one thing" type. Find an outstanding trait and develop the prospect around that.

I'd prefer to simply take the player that most wants to be great and is already clued into competing like it. You're never going to find an Ovechkin at that spot but I think more along the lines of his 'my weapon isn't my shot, it's me.' It's more of a cumulative thing where it all adds up in their competitive spirit. Some players have physical maturity limitations that impact their ability to do that in full but there are a lot of ways for a player to assert their will. A sturdy projection needs to be taken into account but it's where IMO a well-rounded player with the right drive and IQ to continually improve certainly could end up being a home run pick in time. It just may not be obvious the night of the draft because they're more industrious than flashy. Certainly some more one-dimensional players do mature and turn into strong NHLers but many don't and only have themselves to blame regardless of organizational support. Generally, the Caps are able to find players in that range that possess both a relatively decent floor with appealing upside beyond that so I'm confident they'll find a player. They also have an approach that does foster a complete competitive spirit so perhaps they could take a finesse type. But that's going to be more of a project and such players will face a battle to earn Trotz's trust. As much as he's relaxed and been open to more pace and youth--and I'm assuming he's here to stay for a while--there's still a baseline level of competence required in some areas with weaknesses largely unacceptable regardless of whatever strengths may be present. Particularly in the context of maximizing their chances within the next three seasons to win another Cup I think they do need to take those cultural values into greater consideration in the draft. It can greatly impact the ETA of players at a time when that may be an important factor for them. Or not. They have shown a disregard for that in the past so they may just go straight upside. Both have their merits. It's more about priorities.

The staff does their homework...more homework than us in the general public can do between watching games and digesting all sorts of scouting assessments. I'm less wrapped up in who they'll take--though I have my personal favorites throughout-- than the thinking and values behind it. That's especially true in a draft where they could end up with more top 50 selections than they've had in over a decade depending on what trades happen. It could be a defining draft and their thought process when it comes to positions and player types may be just as revealing and interesting as anything. One can't count on the draft to replace glue player vets like they may lose in short order perhaps but I do think they should factor it in a bit more than they have at times in the past. They need to stick to their board, maximize their position and not reach for it but it should be a bigger part of their organizational identity. They're at the point now where they may not be desperate for any particular position in the near-term if they play their cards right and are able to do some good work with their FAs and trades. That less boxed in and more confident and open approach to things could perhaps lead to an organizational shift in some respects. Not that they should veer away from what has been working entirely but the process can always stand to be tweaked here and there. If they do wind up with three or four top 50 picks then I'd at least expect a varied mix.

 

[hockeykicker]

is there any chance the caps can use that florida second rounder with a few other picks and jump into first round?

 

[peterthegreat12]

is there any chance the caps can use that florida second rounder with a few other picks and jump into first round?

You mean jump up in the first round?

Islanders have two first round picks (11/12), I could see packaging Grubauer + their current first round pick (31).