2018 NHL Draft Discussion

[Dirty Old Man]

I laughed way too hard at this

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Does the Coyotes have scouts in Finland?

Yes - Max Kolu.

 

[rt]

I'm going to have to rewatch a couple Memorial Cup games, I suppose. Dobson's shifts, anyway.

Interesting that the Coyotes are having Tkachuk out to Phoenix (this has been confirmed) but Dobson said that nobody invited him out anywhere (so not Phoenix). I wish we could get a full list of the kids we are flying out. Somebody ask Craig Morgan to find out! Can someone with a Twitter account poke Morgan and see if he can get this scoop for his podcast or for a pre-draft article?

 

[TheLegend]

Craig Button's final list....

 

[hbk]

I'm going to have to rewatch a couple Memorial Cup games, I suppose. Dobson's shifts, anyway.

Interesting that the Coyotes are having Tkachuk out to Phoenix (this has been confirmed) but Dobson said that nobody invited him out anywhere (so not Phoenix). I wish we could get a full list of the kids we are flying out. Somebody ask Craig Morgan to find out! Can someone with a Twitter account poke Morgan and see if he can get this scoop for his podcast or for a pre-draft article?

Done

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Interesting that the Coyotes are having Tkachuk out to Phoenix (this has been confirmed) but Dobson said that nobody invited him out anywhere (so not Phoenix).

There was also a front-page story on the Coyotes' website about the Tkachuk brothers. So I'm guessing that if Tkachuk is there at 5, we're tkaking him. Sigh.

 

[AZviaNJ]

There was also a front-page story on the Coyotes' website about the Tkachuk brothers. So I'm guessing that if Tkachuk is there at 5, we're tkaking him. Sigh.

If Tkachuk is available at 5 will likely mean Zadina is gone, if Tkachuk is picked 3rd or 4th it could mean Zadina is available. Brady would look great in a Habs or Sens jersey!

 

[Gecklund]

Hey guys. Sharks fan here. You seem like you’re in a very interesting position at the draft. Given that both Zadina and Svechnikov are gone, do you see your team leaning toward Wahlstrom or someone like Dobson, Hughes, etc?

 

[hbk]

Hey guys. Sharks fan here. You seem like you’re in a very interesting position at the draft. Given that both Zadina and Svechnikov are gone, do you see your team leaning toward Wahlstrom or someone like Dobson, Hughes, etc?

We plan on taking whatever guy your team likes the most.

Seriously, I think the team will go with a C or D before a winger if those two names are off the board (although I really like Tkachuk). There are a number of posters here who really like Wahlstrom. I don't blame them.

 

[Gecklund]

We plan on taking whatever guy your team likes the most.

Seriously, I think the team will go with a C or D before a winger if those two names are off the board (although I really like Tkachuk). There are a number of posters here who really like Wahlstrom. I don't blame them.

Well I mean I’m a Sharks fan so I doubt any of those guys are available at 21 anyway. I’m just genuinely curious. It seems to me like your team needs D immediately that’s why I have them taking Dobson (who in my opinion is going to end up being the most well rounded D of the draft after Dahlin) as a kind of stabilizer but at the same time Hughes is very intriguing here and also Wahlstrom’s skill is undeniable.

 

[moosemeister]

If Zadina isn’t there, my pick hands down, by a fat Margin is Wahlstrom.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

If Zadina isn’t there, my pick hands down, by a fat Margin is Wahlstrom.

Same. I could live with Dobson or Kotkaniemi too.

 

[moosemeister]

Same. I could live with Dobson or Kotkaniemi too.

I’d be upset for about two hours but in the end I could live with it

 

[RABBIT]

Same. I could live with Dobson or Kotkaniemi too.

I’d be upset for about two hours but in the end I could live with it

He will punch a nun if it's Tkachuk

 

[rt]

There was also a front-page story on the Coyotes' website about the Tkachuk brothers. So I'm guessing that if Tkachuk is there at 5, we're tkaking him. Sigh.

NHL.com content that mentions the Coyotes probably always ends up on the Coyotes splash page. It may not even be manually linked. It could be if NHL.com tags the team when they publish, it automatically pops up in our carousel.

I obviously don’t know how websites work, but I also doubt our web dev team and/or marketing group gets orders from the guys in hockey ops about which prospect stories to feature based on their internal draft boards. It wouldn’t surprise me if the majority of Coyotes hockey ops, including Chayka, has only ever navigated to the Coyotes pace to read content that specifically mentions them by name. They probably give the marketing site next to no consideration of any kind.

EDIT: I should mention that I realize you were just being sardonic. It was dry enough, though, that I can’t help but clarify for the rest of the class. Haha.

 

[BUX7PHX]

It would absolutely not surprise me if Marc Bergevin is telling prospects to leak that he is going C or D, or if he's purposely telling these prospects that in hopes that one of them might tell the media like Zadina did here.

Marc Bergevin is a strange person.

Could also be that he is floating things like this to generate some movement. Kind of like the whole Dougie Hamilton trade - it appears no one knew that Boston was shopping Hamilton and the return was kind of mocked. Maybe the opposite is going on and Bergevin is just putting some noise out there to generate some interest in trade value.

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

I'd prefer to go after prospects with higher upsides vs a higher floor (going for the boom)... but at this point I don't think I'd be upset at whoever the Yotes draft, honestly. Chayka and Co. have done a great job last couple of drafts, imo... so whoever they pick I'd have to assume they have a really good reason to. Still would have to wait and see if they were right again... but I'd be willing to wait to judge haha.

Next 2 and a half weeks is going to feel like forever.

 

[rt]

Hey guys. Sharks fan here. You seem like you’re in a very interesting position at the draft. Given that both Zadina and Svechnikov are gone, do you see your team leaning toward Wahlstrom or someone like Dobson, Hughes, etc?

None of us have any idea. If you held a gun to my head and forced me to guess the Coyotes actual draft list, in the interest of preserving my life so that I can continue to support my family (haha)

I’d go with:
1. Dahlin
2. Svechnikov
3. Zadina
4. Bouchard
5. ....ummm....ummm....*BANG*... dead.

My personal list is:
1. Dahlin
2. Svechnikov
3. Zadina
4. Hughes
5. Wahlstrom
6. Kotkaniemi
7. Bouchard
8. Tkachuk
9. Dobson
10. Boqvist

I don’t expect the Coyotes list looks like that.

 

[IPreferPi]

Well I mean I’m a Sharks fan so I doubt any of those guys are available at 21 anyway. I’m just genuinely curious. It seems to me like your team needs D immediately that’s why I have them taking Dobson (who in my opinion is going to end up being the most well rounded D of the draft after Dahlin) as a kind of stabilizer but at the same time Hughes is very intriguing here and also Wahlstrom’s skill is undeniable.

Dobson will be under consideration but given that he's raw physically he's likely not going to make an immediate impact for us next season. As such if Chayka is prioritizing immediate help on our blueline I'd think he'd have to go with Bouchard.

Hughes and Wahlstrom should be in the mix as well. Chayka will go BPA, but will also take into note premium positions (i.e. C and D) and also handedness.

 

[RABBIT]

We do need to keep in mind that Keller was considered kind of a leap at 7th overall, most scouts had him around 10-15 OV. Chayka and staff look smart for that pick. Also have to consider that his first two 1st round picks are current NHLers which tremendous upside. Too early to tell on POJ but considering the draft position, it looks like a solid pick.

Chayka and our scouting staff seem to have a positive record so far (since JC took over.) I trust who they pick, because they have earned my trust.

 

[hbk]

Well I mean I’m a Sharks fan so I doubt any of those guys are available at 21 anyway. I’m just genuinely curious. It seems to me like your team needs D immediately that’s why I have them taking Dobson (who in my opinion is going to end up being the most well rounded D of the draft after Dahlin) as a kind of stabilizer but at the same time Hughes is very intriguing here and also Wahlstrom’s skill is undeniable.

Here’s our D currently:
OEL, Demers, Chychrun, Goligoski, and Hjalmarsson

Why do we need D immediately?

 

[Gecklund]

Here’s our D currently:
OEL, Demers, Chychrun, Goligoski, and Hjalmarsson

Why do we need D immediately?

Because Demers isn’t very good and if you want to compete you need another top 4 D in my opinion. I don’t know much about your prospects but just looking only one I can see coming out is POJ.

 

[hbk]

Because Demers isn’t very good and if you want to compete you need another top 4 D in my opinion. I don’t know much about your prospects but just looking only one I can see coming out is POJ.

Demers at $3M is fine. POJ is a couple years away but a very good prospect.

We are fine at D w selection of POJ last year. We can go another direction (draft a C or W) if we choose. I’m all for a RD (I like Bouchard) but we aren’t exactly backed into a corner here UNLESS OEL decides he doesn’t want to re-sign in AZ (which I don’t believe will be the case).

 

[IPreferPi]

Because Demers isn’t very good and if you want to compete you need another top 4 D in my opinion. I don’t know much about your prospects but just looking only one I can see coming out is POJ.

Demers had a brutal start but was way better in the second half of the year and helped stabilize OEL's play. He's not a top pairing D but he's still a solid two way puckmover who can play #3/#4 minutes. We still have OEL, Gogo, Hammer, and Chychrun, which has the ability to be a top 10 blueline if healthy.

POJ, Dineen, and Capobianco all have 3/4D upside, while Mayo, Westerlund, Hofenmayer, and Crotty have a decent shot at being 5/6Ds. We lack a top pairing talent (especially at RHD) but our blueline pool has depth.

RHD will be under strong consideration at 5 but this draft has a lot of top 4 RHD talents in Rounds 2-3 as well. We aren't "forced" to pick D at 5.

 

[rt]

Demers was good overall last year. I’m a fan.