2018 NHL Draft Discussion

[RABBIT]

In light of rt's eagerness, fire away.

Click to read more...

 

[rt]

Dahlin is an incredible talent. LHD but I'd easily take him over Hischier. Svechnikov blew up the USHL and looks pretty amazing too butnis yet another LHS winger. This draft is very rich in RHS D talent after the run away too two guys (previously listed). Merkley is tops. A lot of folks were saying about Makar "He'd never be able to pull that off in the CHL". Well, Merkley does. So much to be excited about there. Then there's Adam Boqvist who's also in that flashy Makar/Merkley mould. Bode Wilde is also probably a first half of the 1st round pick. Jett Woo and Evan Bouchard easily could be too. Calen Addison had a huge year for a tiny rookie D in the Dub too. Trending as a 1st rounder despite his size. Six very promising RHD already projecting as 1st rounders. Very excited about this draft. Was not very excited about the last one.

Forgot about Xavier Bouchard also. Since we're now apparently into Q defensemen.

 

[lanky]

Ty Smith and Quinton Hughes are a couple LD that really impressed me at the U18s in the spring.

Any right shooting forwards on the radar?

 

[rt]

Ty Smith and Quinton Hughes are a couple LD that really impressed me at the U18s in the spring.

Any right shooting forwards on the radar?

Like none. Only 2-3 projecting in the entire first round. Oliver Wahlstrom and Akil Thomas being the two most notable probably.

 

[lanky]

Then we'll have to grab Ylonen in the 2nd round and make him a second generation Coyote.

 

[rt]

Then we'll have to grab Ylonen in the 2nd round and make him a second generation Coyote.

His performance as a 16yo in the last U18 certainly makes him appear to be an excellent potential 2nd rounder at this point. A lot can happen in the next 10 months but he's got an impressive resume.

 

[Summer Rose]

A bit pre-emptive, no?

 

[ck26]

Looking at a couple mock drafts; thrilled to see so many USNTDP kids, disappointed at how few Euros. Will try to make it to Frolunda to see Dahlin.

Jett Woo is a great name.

Is Joe Veleno a contender for 1OA? Or is Hockey Canada giving too many exceptional exemptions?

 

[rt]

Veleno has struck me as pretty darn good. Like a top 10 pick in any draft but kinda unspectacular like maybe only a top five pick in poorer drafts. That could change with a huge draft year. His D-2 was VERY good but his D-1 didn't match the hype for me. He could go 3rd overall or 9th overall and neither would really surprise me. Lot of hockey left to be played.

Jett Woo is a great name. So is Bode Wilde. So is Blade Jenkins. It's a good draft for great names.

 

[Mosby]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Brady Tkachuk.

I hope we're in no position to draft him.

 

[TheLegend]

A bit pre-emptive, no?

rt was on a roll so we went with it......

 

[lanky]

I just had a look through the hockeyprospect.com list to see which highly ranked forwards shoot right. Not many...

#13 - Wahlstrom USNDP
#15 - Kupari Finland
#16 - Thomas OHL
#23 - Dellandrea OHL
#29 - Ylonen Finland 2

12 of the top 31 are D, several of which shoot right. This draft will be very D focused.

With that said, Wahlstrom is a real catch. I expect him to be top five by May. Very fast and slick. He was a standout as an underage player while winning the U18 gold.

 

[Jakey53]

Surprised nobody has mentioned Brady Tkachuk.

I hope we're in no position to draft him.

Why do you say that?

 

[rt]

Why do you say that?

Because he will go top five. Only bad teams pick top five. He wants us to be a good team.

 

[Mosby]

Yup. And Brady is an even bigger ***** than Matthew. I say that as a compliment.

 

[rt]

I want to finish 10th or 11th worst heading into the lottery and win the 3rd overall pick. Take Boqvist or Merkley and forgive the hockey gods for all of our rotten luck in previous lotteries. Also, no fire sale tank job this year. Just stick with it and get lucky at the lotto for once. Boqvist or Merkley. Either one.

 

[SniperHF]

Also, no fire sale tank job this year.

Not really much to sell anyway.

 

[YotesFan47]

I'm just going to predict this now, we will take McIsaac 12OA. Let's see if I was right next summer.

 

[Grimes]

I want to finish 10th or 11th worst heading into the lottery and win the 3rd overall pick. Take Boqvist or Merkley and forgive the hockey gods for all of our rotten luck in previous lotteries. Also, no fire sale tank job this year. Just stick with it and get lucky at the lotto for once. Boqvist or Merkley. Either one.

And if we don't win the lottery I hope we are able to move up a couple spots to the top 8 via picks. I want this team to have one more top ten after trading it away last draft.

 

[SniperHF]

This is more about the '17 draft, but It's interesting anyway. Saw it on the mainboard.

Canucks president Trevor Linden told TSN radio's Matt Sekeres that Hischier, who went first overall, and Patrick, who went second overall, would not have been Vancouver's choices had they been selecting first overall.

http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/nhl/van/

So either Pettersson was their guy the whole time or maybe they'd have taken Makar. Both were rumored as on the Canucks radar before the draft. Don't recall them as tied to Heiskanen on the rumor mill.

 

[Grimes]

Anyway we could put our draft picks in the OP? Then update them as things change.

AZ 1st
AZ 2nd
MINN 2nd
AZ 3rd
AZ 4th
CAL 5th
AZ 6th
AZ 7th

 

[Chootoi]

^^ Coyotes do not have their own 2nd as the 10 game condition was met in the Crowse trade

 

[rt]

^^ Coyotes do not have their own 2nd as the 10 game condition was met in the Crowse trade

Which was an incredible blunder on the part of Tippett and Chayka.

 

[Grimes]

^^ Coyotes do not have their own 2nd as the 10 game condition was met in the Crowse trade

Went off CapFriendly but you are right.

Which was an incredible blunder on the part of Tippett and Chayka.

Ugh...................

This still really annoys me because it was completely avoidable and potentially very negative for Crouse's development.

 

[rt]

The last thing we need is another LHS winger but what we need most is a true star player with an electric skill set. Svechnikov is both what we need least and what we need most, simultaneously.