2018 HF Team Boards Mock Draft -- Pick #6

[Flowah]

Hotlinked in the OP.

Barzal, Connor, Boesser and Konecky all were taken around a half dozen picks before they were in real life

Interesting stuff.

Do you know how the 2016 HFBoards stacked up? Obviously a full season less in terms of talent evaluation but still.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I actually think Dobson could get even faster as he fills out more, which would be scary.

I really think so. Which makes me think: if people want Hughes because he's a great skater, why not take the 6'3 guy who's nearly as good? Sure, he's not quite Hughes offensively, but he's no slouch, either.

Dobson is the closest of those guys to having a physical edge, too. That's got to have some value. You go from potentially worrying that bigger players are going to bully your guy to... your guy is the bigger player bullying other guys.

 

[Frk It]

I really think so. Which makes me think: if people want Hughes because he's a great skater, why not take the 6'3 guy who's nearly as good? Sure, he's not quite Hughes offensively, but he's no slouch, either.

Dobson is the closest of those guys to having a physical edge, too. That's got to have some value. You go from potentially worrying that bigger players are going to bully your guy to... your guy is the bigger player bullying other guys.

Hughes is an offensive dynamo, straight up.

 

[odin1981]

Missed the vote but because of the 2 concussions to the young Swede I'd go with Dobson. Has a good all around skill set and pretty likely too be a minute muncher. Which is what this team needs. While some might score more points we need a good steadfast 2 way type on defense. And Hughes will more than likely turn out to be a defensive liability.

 

[Hen Kolland]

I think the decision for me on the defensemen in this draft has a lot to do with looking at the best case comparison that these players have received. You hear names like Pietrangelo for Dobson, Carlson for Bouchard, Karlsson for Boqvist, and the new wave of smallish offensive Dmen for Hughes like Gostisbehere. I look at those names and I see two names that have found themselves in the conversation for the Norris trophy multiple times in Karlsson and Pietrangelo, and that's the criteria that I used to develop my preferences.

Dobson
Boqvist
Bouchard
Hughes

I'm more for Dobson because of the type of player he is as an all situations guy, and I see a better chance of him being able to achieve a level like Pietrangelo than I see Boqvist being able to achieve a level like Karlsson. Flat out, I want to have a player that is widely regarded as one of the best defensemen in the league, and Dobson looks like the safest bet to eventually be that. He won't be flashy, he won't be the 70 point defenseman some of us all wish we had, but he is equipped to quietly be the number one that every team wishes they had.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

I can't get on board with comparing Boqvist to Karlsson and then Hughes to Ghost.

 

[Frk It]

I can't get on board with comparing Boqvist to Karlsson and then Hughes to Ghost.

Hard to find a better comp for Hughes for a guy his size. Although I would agree that Boqvist becoming Karlsson is not very likely. He is the best offensive defenseman we have seen in some time.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Hard to find a better comp for Hughes for a guy his size. Although I would agree that Boqvist becoming Karlsson is not very likely. He is the best offensive defenseman we have seen in some time.

I am actually not sure that distinction doesn't actually belong to Merkely. He drives offense at an insane rate, though he is a negative defensive player. Just saying on pure offensive abilities Merkely reminds me most of Karlsson right down to stretch passes that make you rewind and still go how in the world did he do that?

 

[Hen Kolland]

I can't get on board with comparing Boqvist to Karlsson and then Hughes to Ghost.

Nor should you. Hughes probably has a ceiling higher than what Ghost is, and Boqvist probably has a ceiling lower than Karlsson is. The names were just that people compare them to stylistically and build wise. There's something to be said about the style of play and make up that determines the potential value of a player.

 

[Frk It]

I am actually not sure that distinction doesn't actually belong to Merkely. He drives offense at an insane rate, though he is a negative defensive player. Just saying on pure offensive abilities Merkely reminds me most of Karlsson right down to stretch passes that make you rewind and still go how in the world did he do that?

Yeah, I’d probably agree with that. Has that other-world type of vision.

Boqvist actually kind of reminds me of Bench’s boy Zubov a bit.

 

[jkutswings]

Yeah, I’d probably agree with that. Has that other-world type of vision.

Boqvist actually kind of reminds me of Bench’s boy Zubov a bit.

For the sake of argument, let's say Boqvist becomes a clone of Zubov, and Dobson becomes a clone of Pietrangelo. Whose skill set helps this team more in the long run? I'm tempted to say Dobson, but that's not a no-brainer kind of choice.

 

[Tasteslikekevinbacon]

I am actually not sure that distinction doesn't actually belong to Merkely. He drives offense at an insane rate, though he is a negative defensive player. Just saying on pure offensive abilities Merkely reminds me most of Karlsson right down to stretch passes that make you rewind and still go how in the world did he do that?

Is he still pegged to go in the second round?

 

[Ezekial]

Is he still pegged to go in the second round?

He's a hard player to project. You never know who will take a chance on a player with his type of talent.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Is he still pegged to go in the second round?

If Merkley is there when we are drafting with the Vegas pick I sure hope not... I would pick him right there.

 

[DetroitRed]

The Wings have had such hard time finding even one good defensive defender for like the last 5 years. So I’m not real concerned with adding an offensive defender right now unless he can also really defend. So my first choice is Noah Dobson. If Dobson isn’t available, I don’t think the Wings are in any position to gamble on one of the riskier two prospects of the four. Moreover, there’s no need to gamble if Bouchard is still available. Bouchard would be my second choice. After that it gets tough. I feel like Hughes would be the least practical between he and Boqvist if not for Boqvist's head injuries.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

For the sake of argument, let's say Boqvist becomes a clone of Zubov, and Dobson becomes a clone of Pietrangelo. Whose skill set helps this team more in the long run? I'm tempted to say Dobson, but that's not a no-brainer kind of choice.

Absolutely Zubov.

 

[Sparty]

Canucks fans love Hughes if he's on the board apparently.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/2018-hf-team-boards-mock-draft-pick-7.2488017/#post-145695231

"Hughes is ours!"

"Love Dobson but voted Hughes this time cause his WC performance has sold me on his ability to play with and against top notch NHL talent. Not that he’s perfect but he gives me a Scott Niedermayer vibe. Would take Dobson in a heartbeat if Hughes were gone though."

"Voted Hughes and would be pumped if he fell to us, but just not seeing it happen....It'll come down to Dobson, Tkachuk or Walstrom...and Jimbo might go off the board with Walstrom."

"If Hughes is there at 7 you run to the podium as fast as you can and make thatannouncement."

"Easily Hughes."

 

[CanaFan]

Canucks fans love Hughes if he's on the board apparently.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/2018-hf-team-boards-mock-draft-pick-7.2488017/#post-145695231

"Hughes is ours!"

"Love Dobson but voted Hughes this time cause his WC performance has sold me on his ability to play with and against top notch NHL talent. Not that he’s perfect but he gives me a Scott Niedermayer vibe. Would take Dobson in a heartbeat if Hughes were gone though."

"Voted Hughes and would be pumped if he fell to us, but just not seeing it happen....It'll come down to Dobson, Tkachuk or Walstrom...and Jimbo might go off the board with Walstrom."

"If Hughes is there at 7 you run to the podium as fast as you can and make thatannouncement."

"Easily Hughes."

We’re a fickle bunch and scared to death of another Virtanen so Hughes’ strong performance (so far) at the WC has many of us swooning. Second quote from the top is mine btw so I’m as guilty as any of them.