GDT: 2018 NHL Draft Lottery

[WingedWheel1987]

The silver lining to Buffalo and Montreal picking top three means that the Wings should lose even more next year.

 

[Orthodox Caveman]

Thats great and all but can he project to be that top guy, that horse who plays a ton in all situtions against the best players?

Fair enough...maybe Bouchard and Dobson project to be that type of player but Hughes has an absolute motor and provides a crucial need....moving the puck. Bouchard will blast shots from the point and pass the puck...but is he going to provide that ability to transition the puck to our forwards more effectively than Hughes? Hughes is the best skater in the draft and has the IQ has well.

 

[Henkka]

Fair enough...maybe Bouchard and Dobson project to be that type of player but Hughes has an absolute motor and provides a crucial need....moving the puck. Bouchard will blast shots from the point and pass the puck...but is he going to provide that ability to transition the puck to our forwards more effectively than Hughes? Hughes is the best skater in the draft and has the IQ has well.

We have Cholowski for the skating transition. This draft it's time to pick the PP point blast master. The guy who shoots for Rasmussen to screen/tip-in.

I could bet Hughes is not gonna go in TOP6.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Fair enough...maybe Bouchard and Dobson project to be that type of player but Hughes has an absolute motor and provides a crucial need....moving the puck. Bouchard will blast shots from the point and pass the puck...but is he going to provide that ability to transition the puck to our forwards more effectively than Hughes? Hughes is the best skater in the draft and has the IQ has well.

I prefer Bouchard above all else because I think he could be an all round minute muncher type guy.

 

[Orthodox Caveman]

We have Cholowski for the skating transition. This draft it's time to pick the PP point blast master. The guy who shoots for Rasmussen to screen/tip-in.

I could bet Hughes is not gonna go in TOP6.

No disrespect to Cholowski (I have barely seen footage of him even now) but Hughes is wayyyy faster. Seems like he projects to be more of a Rafalski on steroids. Isn't Choloswki looking more like a 2 way guy who likes to shoot from the point.

 

[FireBird71]

Did he decommit? I haven't heard about that.

 

[FireBird71]

Did he decommit? I haven't heard about that.

 

[FireBird71]

It just makes 0 sense for a top 10 pick to go to Harvard. He will go to another D1 program or the Q next year.

Sounds like it’s NCAA only

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

There is a really good chance U of M has the best team in the NCAA next year. I think both Jack Hughes and Wahlstrom end up there and it is likely Quinn spends one more year there. That is going to be a devastating team to play in the NCAAs.

 

[Claypool]

Thats great and all but can he project to be that top guy, that horse who plays a ton in all situtions against the best players?

The only defenseman in this draft that's projected to do what you're asking is going #1.

 

[Winger98]

Good for them for being lucky and getting #2 then. I don't think a team should automatically get rewarded for being incompetent for years on end ala Buffalo/Edmonton.

Yes, because being lousy for 82 games, losing a bunch, and missing the playoffs is just part of this great reward thing they have going on.

 

[Sparty]

There is a really good chance U of M has the best team in the NCAA next year. I think both Jack Hughes and Wahlstrom end up there and it is likely Quinn spends one more year there. That is going to be a devastating team to play in the NCAAs.

This makes me sad

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

This makes me sad

Me as well. I root for the same school that you do.

I was alright with Larkin being there in terms of the constant feedback we got. I mean if Wahlstrom or Hughes is our guy we would at least get to see a lot of them.

I still hope MSU beats them.

 

[DatsMagic]

Me as well. I root for the same school that you do.

I was alright with Larkin being there in terms of the constant feedback we got. I mean if Wahlstrom or Hughes is our guy we would at least get to see a lot of them.

I still hope MSU beats them.

Doubtful, the MSU hockey program has been trash for years.

 

[Reality Check]

The silver lining to Buffalo and Montreal picking top three means that the Wings should lose even more next year.

Don't forget Ottawa. For all intensive purposes, they have to win next year.

While it would have been nice to win the lottery, it's still going to take time here. BPA and let everything sort out.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Fair enough...maybe Bouchard and Dobson project to be that type of player but Hughes has an absolute motor and provides a crucial need....moving the puck. Bouchard will blast shots from the point and pass the puck...but is he going to provide that ability to transition the puck to our forwards more effectively than Hughes? Hughes is the best skater in the draft and has the IQ has well.

No disrespect to Cholowski (I have barely seen footage of him even now) but Hughes is wayyyy faster. Seems like he projects to be more of a Rafalski on steroids. Isn't Choloswki looking more like a 2 way guy who likes to shoot from the point.

Cholo is pretty fast. He's not Hughes fast, but considering he's like 4 inches taller and 40 lbs heavier, he doesn't have to be. He's still a very good puckmover. I actually consider him a two-way puckmoving specialist more than any kind of offensive force in the making.

Hronek is a very good puckmover as well, as is Saarijarvi. Both skate really well and pass the puck quite well.

So, I mean, I don't really see the burning need for Hughes from a pure puckmoving standpoint. The NHL team definitely sucks in that department, but it's been a focus in terms of the prospect pool for a couple of years now. That's not to say they're done drafting puckmovers, but they don't need to draft a guy just because he moves the puck better than the others.

Besides, in my opinion all 4 of those guys move the puck really well. You mention Bouchard, but I think Bouchard is actually a better passer than even Hughes, who is a very good passer himself. And Bouchard is still a very good skater.

 

[Frk It]

So, I mean, I don't really see the burning need for Hughes from a pure puckmoving standpoint. The NHL team definitely sucks in that department, but it's been a focus in terms of the prospect pool for a couple of years now. That's not to say they're done drafting puckmovers, but they don't need to draft a guy just because he moves the puck better than the others.

Besides, in my opinion all 4 of those guys move the puck really well. You mention Bouchard, but I think Bouchard is actually a better passer than even Hughes, who is a very good passer himself. And Bouchard is still a very good skater.

The gap in skating between Hughes and Bouchard is big... very big.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

The gap in skating between Hughes and Bouchard is big... very big.

But in absolute terms, Bouchard is not a bad skater. Being a 7/10 isn't shameful just because you're in a room full of 10/10 skaters.

And when you pass like Bouchard does, you don't need to rush the puck as much.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

The only defenseman in this draft that's projected to do what you're asking is going #1.

Strange I have heard boqvist, Bouchard and Dobson all have top pairing potential.

Now among them and Hughes they all have different skill sets.

Dahlin is a franchise player that' why he is going #1.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

As I have watched these guys more closely in terms of some tape, I have to tell you Bouchard is falling for me. He isn't as dynamic as Hughes, Boqvist and Dobson are for me. Dobson is the guy who I really love watching him play the more I watch the more impressive he gets.

 

[Frk It]

But in absolute terms, Bouchard is not a bad skater. Being a 7/10 isn't shameful just because you're in a room full of 10/10 skaters.

I know you’ve disputed this but I would call it average, personally.

It’s not bad overall, but in comparison to Hughes, Dobson, and Boqvist...? Relatively speaking, compared to those guys it kinda is to me.

 

[Sparty]

Doubtful, the MSU hockey program has been trash for years.

Maybe Cole can turn it around, Anastos was trash, jury is still out on Cole

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

As I have watched these guys more closely in terms of some tape, I have to tell you Bouchard is falling for me. He isn't as dynamic as Hughes, Boqvist and Dobson are for me. Dobson is the guy who I really love watching him play the more I watch the more impressive he gets.

You don't think Bouchard has dynamic PP QB ability? I really do. I was so underwhelmed when I finally got to see Hughes at the point. So much hype, but I really didn't like his decisionmaking or puck distribution (or lack thereof...). He strikes me as more of a very good option that the QB uses than a guy who QBs it himself.

Boqvist is good, but I still think Bouchard is better at it. Dobson, I dunno. I didn't see much of that when I saw him play.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I know you’ve disputed this but I would call it average, personally.

It’s not bad overall, but in comparison to Hughes, Dobson, and Boqvist...? Relatively speaking, compared to those guys it kinda is to me.

But what I'm saying is, just because they're good doesn't make him bad. And even then, it kinda comes across like we're saying skating is all that matters here. I think framing it that way ignores the fact that Bouchard is amazingly good in a number of other areas. Not every defenseman needs to rush the puck to be successful. And I'm not even convinced that this team needs a guy to rush the puck like a Hughes or a Boqvist does. I don't know how it happened, but somehow "moving the puck" has become synonymous with "skating super deep into the offensive zone and never coming back."

But my other thing is, when we agree that Boqvist is going to be a good defenseman, we put an asterisk on it. And that asterisk stands for: if he continues to develop. I really like Boqvist, but that's definitely what we do, and I think it's reasonable to do that for a player so raw. But what I don't get is we assume Boqvist can develop all these different areas in his game if given the chance, but we somehow assume that Bouchard could never improve his skating. But by all accounts, improving skating is, next to improving defensive play, one of the easier things for a prospect to do. Why are we assuming Bouchard cannot improve?

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

I just dont see a 5'9 den aa dynamic a skater as he may be, being capable of being any teams best Dman.

A guy who can log thr big heavy minutes against the leagues best.

Anytime someone points to a successful small dman they fail to mention the top guys who play ahead of them in their teams.

I would rather a 40pt guy who can play in all situations and log more than 25mins a game against top lines vs a 50pt guy who plays more sheltered mins who racks up pp points

This isnt to start a fight just my preference for a skill set