GDT: 2018 NHL Entry Draft

[Opak]

Madden recaps 2018 draft

We added two really skilled kids in the third [round]. We missed on a defenseman we were really looking forward to, but that's all right. We got two longer term development guys there, but really talented, skilled players. We're really happy. Two goalies, obviously. We wanted to add some depth in net. Still very happy with our selection last year, but we still needed some depth there. Both kids are legitimate prospects. Two really good athletes who have performed really well on the international stage.

On Blake McLaughlin's upside
Sometimes red-flag rumors end up messing with a players' rank. In this case, we did our homework. We're really excited with Blake in the third round. He has late first/early second-type talent. Really skilled and really creative. Really competitive. He's 162 pounds, so it's going to take a while to build upon that frame, but he's a hockey player.

The only thing I foung on McLaughlin is this lengthy text, which explains his rather unusual family situation. Nothing red-flag about that though...

 

[Fighter]

I'm reading a lot of bad things about Kupari, make me feel much better about our "safe" pick

 

[Goose of Reason]

Madden recaps 2018 draft

Regarding what you had bolded, I really think K'Andre Miller was the guy we wanted in the first round. Makes sense that the Rangers had to trade ahead of us to get him.

 

[dracom]

I'm completely fine with missing out on Miller. Our center depth is bad, and we didn't really need to get a over-sized offensive D. I think there's a good reason why so many teams were drafting D that were under 6 feet.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Here's an overall take on our draft...

https://thehockeywriters.com/anaheim-ducks-draft-review-2018/

 

[Melvin]

Hi there,

I have been working on a project for some time that I have called the Potato draft. I wanted to establish a baseline for draft performance that could be used to evaluate the performance of NHL teams. The premise is pretty simple: select the best player available based on a very simple formula regarding the player's points-per-game in his draft year, applying a league factor and a few other adjustments. This simplistic (stupid) method of picking players represents who "a potato" would have selected.

I have done this for your team and thought you might like to see the results for 2018.

Here are the players the potato would have selected using your picks and the players available at the time. In all cases the potato takes the remaining player it likes best based on stats with no regard to where the player was ultimately selected (if selected at all.) At the end of the day, you can compare your selections to the potato-selections to measure how much better your team did.

2018 Anaheim Ducks

23 - Isac Lundestrom
54 - Filip Hallander
79 - Justin Almeida
85 - Linus Nyman
116 - Philipp Kurashev
147 - Nathan Dunkley
178 - Kyle Topping

If you would like more information, I have more details on this blog, where you can also see who was selected for your team in prior drafts, and the main thread is on the Canucks forum so feel free to post any questions there.

Lundestrom and Hallander were both ranked very highly by the system based on their production in men's leagues.

Cheers!

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Here's an overall take on our draft...

https://thehockeywriters.com/anaheim-ducks-draft-review-2018/

I don't get the review with respect to Isac. Clearly he was first round talent, but projection is 3rd line center at the NHL level. Then there's Groulx who is raw and has some 1st round talent rumblings. His potential is a 2nd line center.

What exactly am I missing here that the projection of a first round is a third line center and the a second rounder is a 2nd line center? Is it a knock on Isac not putting up a lot of points playing against adults as a teenager?

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

I don't get the review with respect to Isac. Clearly he was first round talent, but projection is 3rd line center at the NHL level. Then there's Groulx who is raw and has some 1st round talent rumblings. His potential is a 2nd line center.

What exactly am I missing here that the projection of a first round is a third line center and the a second rounder is a 2nd line center? Is it a knock on Isac not putting up a lot of points playing against adults as a teenager?

Sounds like they are saying Isac is more of a sure thing to reach his ceiling than Groulx to reach his.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Meh. A boring start to what I presume will be a desultory summer.

Madden recaps 2018 draft :

We added two really skilled kids in the third [round]. We missed on a defenseman we were really looking forward to, but that's all right. We got two longer term development guys there, but really talented, skilled players. We're really happy. Two goalies, obviously. We wanted to add some depth in net. Still very happy with our selection last year, but we still needed some depth there. Both kids are legitimate prospects. Two really good athletes who have performed really well on the international stage.

This draft seems to project a long term approach than an immediate impact. We might be thinking something different a few years from now, though. But the prospect of Steel, Terry, and Jones at the AHL level or more is intriguing. Oh and Kono was fired. Gotta figure out who will man the PP position.

 

[Masch78]

Interestingly they did not have a name badge on the jersey. Much like Cam back then. I guess they did not expect Lundeström at #23.

I don't care so much how exciting they are now. Bergeron wasn't exciting and every team in the league would love him on their team. Zetterberg dto.

I really wonder who the D was Madden mentioned they missed. I understand it like they wanted him with one of the 3rd rounders.

 

[Masch78]

The more time passes by the more satisfied I am with the draft. Lundeström I like a lot and while I expected O'Brien or Dellandrea at #23 Lundeström is a great pickup. I think he may even good enough to play in the AHL at a top 6 role. Groulx to me could be on a similar path like Comtois. Not so great in the draft year but all the tools to be a good one. And I'm really excited about the two goalies. I mean, Durny has good numbers overall but when you consider his team and look at the other goalies there his numbers are not only good, they are great. Madden mentioned the weak Des Moines team but the difference between him and the other goalies is huge. Dostal too, and while it is on the second Czech league, it is still a mens league and his team was somewhere in the middle. And with Ek all of a sudden we have a great pipeline again. Boyle, Redmond, Ek, Dostal, Durny - it has been a long time since we had that kind of depth in goal.

 

[duxfan1101]

According to an Athletic article, we had serious interest in K'Andre Miller with our 1st round pick, and that's why NYR traded up to take him.

 

[Masch78]

So just one spot from the wish, at least it sounded that way. I'm still fine with Lundeström.

 

[dracom]

Much prefer the much needed center over the big defenesmen. I don't see the hype around Miller at all.

 

[Getzmonster]

Much prefer the much needed center over the big defenesmen. I don't see the hype around Miller at all.

I was keen on him, but the fact that the Rangers wanted him so badly almost guarantees he'll bust .

 

[Masch78]

I have to say I'm still surprised our scouting staff rated Groulx higher than Olofsson, Hallander or Gustafsson.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

I have to say I'm still surprised our scouting staff rated Groulx higher than Olofsson, Hallander or Gustafsson.

Groulx is a very ducks pick... a lot of upside with him...a lot like steel and comtois picks

 

[Masch78]

Groulx is a very ducks pick... a lot of upside with him...a lot like steel and comtois picks

As would have been the swedes. Olofsson was listed as a late 1st in a lot of rankings. He had solid numbers in a mens league.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

As would have been the swedes. Olofsson was listed as a late 1st in a lot of rankings. He had solid numbers in a mens league.

Prob had a bit to do with us getting lundestrom in round 1

I wouldnt be surprised if we had groulx pretty high on our board

 

[Masch78]

Prob had a bit to do with us getting lundestrom in round 1

I wouldnt be surprised if we had groulx pretty high on our board

That was for sure the case.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

I really wonder who the D was Madden mentioned they missed. I understand it like they wanted him with one of the 3rd rounders.

Bumping this from awhile back as I've been looking back through the draft for dynasty draft purposes and think I may have figured this out.

It's possible that the comment was referring to Miller in round one, but it sounds like he was talking about a D they were targetting in the third round.

My guess would be that they planned to take said Dman at 79, but were surprised to find McLaughlin still available and took him instead, hoping the D would still be on the board at 85.

That would mean the comment was referring to a D who was selected between 80-84, with the 81st selection RD Seth Barton being the only candidate.

https://thehockeywriters.com/seth-barton-2018-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

He seems exactly like the type of under the radar, late developer/bloomer type that the Ducks tend to target.

 

[kroypuck]

Also heard the Ducks would have taken Miller over Lundestrom. I think this upcoming draft could be a good time to get a good defenseman in the first round, considering all of the centers that will be available.