2019 Draft Prospects: the best of

[Unfriendly Ghost]

There are tons of people asking, "What's soandso like?" And there's a fair amount of "When I saw soandso, they weren't that good."

So the purpose of this thread is post these prospects at their best. We're focusing on demonstrating upside. That way everybody can understand why we'd want each prospect, and hopefully that informs conversation about the #6 pick a little more.

We can have a debate over club play vs tournament play if people want. I think tournament play is less skewed by the sometimes weird team systems and lower quality linemates that can make a prospect look bad.

Click to read more...

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Cozens:

Here's a highlight package I really like. I'll go find a shift-by-shift that I think shows off his game.



Edit: I like this highlight package a little more. 6 min longer. Also Craig Button was totally obsessed with Cozens during the Hlinka-Gretzky broadcast.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Krebs:

This guy doesn't get nearly enough attention.

 

[NickH8]

Great thread idea.
Let's hope it doesn't get derailed by the usual suspects.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Great thread idea.
Let's hope it doesn't get derailed by the usual suspects.

But what about Edmonton?

 

[NickH8]

But what about Edmonton?

Something something meaningless games

 

[Hen Kolland]

Podkolzin:

Similar to Krebs, I think this is a guy that the limited exposure damages his reputation among us. His talent is undeniable, but without the ability to see him play consistently or hear his name consistently, the "Russian factor" or omnipresent threat of the KHL grows legs and runs rampant.

 

[jkutswings]

Podkolzin:

Similar to Krebs, I think this is a guy that the limited exposure damages his reputation among us. His talent is undeniable, but without the ability to see him play consistently or hear his name consistently, the "Russian factor" or omnipresent threat of the KHL grows legs and runs rampant.

I'm far less concerned with him playing in Russia than I am with the logistics of his season. Instead of 60 games against recurring opponents that can learn how to game plan against him - and thus demonstrate how he might handle adversity - he has several 5-15 game tournaments, where he has a much better chance of taking opponents by surprise.

Definitely talented, but a wonky schedule makes it tougher to know how much is the real deal, versus a hot streak against the unprepared.

 

[Frk It]

I like a thread where we can focus on the positives of everyone projected 3-10. They definitely all bring something to the table.

Podkolzin - Kid is a gamer. Creative and instinctual player. Has done nothing but dominate in international tournaments. The famous Ted Lindsay quote is something you won't have to worry about with him ("'If they go into the corner with another guy and don't come up with the puck, they're a horse(bleep) hockey player.')

Byram - Smooth and smart. Reminds me a lot of Roman Josi.

Cozens - Fast, big, and raw (room for improvement). Has one of the best shots in the draft. Can very easily see him becoming a 2 way goal scoring force once he adds some more weight.

Turcotte - Complete player with skill. Great skater. Very little concerns about him other than maybe durability.

Dach - Pure playmaker. Patience and vision for days. Very good hands, and has improved his shot and skating from a year ago already.

Krebs - Makes everyone he plays with better. Drives the bus and is a very good possession player. Fantastic skater.

Boldy - Has some of the best hands in the draft... Might have the best hands in the draft. Big frame and can score goals.

Zegras - Great playmaker and lots of room for growth.

 

[Hen Kolland]

I like a thread where we can focus on the positives of everyone projected 3-10. They definitely all bring something to the table.

Podkolzin - Kid is a gamer. Creative and instinctual player. Has done nothing but dominate in international tournaments. The famous Ted Lindsay quote is something you won't have to worry about with him ("'If they go into the corner with another guy and don't come up with the puck, they're a horse(bleep) hockey player.')

Byram - Smooth and smart. Kind of reminds me of Roman Josi.

Cozens - Fast, big, and raw (room for improvement). Has one of the best shots in the draft. Can very easily see him becoming a 2 way goal scoring force once he adds some more weight.

Turcotte - Complete player with skill. Great skater. Very little concerns about him other than maybe durability.

Dach - Pure playmaker. Patience and vision for days. Very good hands, and has improved his shot and skating from a year ago already.

Krebs - Makes everyone he plays with better. Drives the bus and is a very good possession player. Fantastic skater.

Boldy - Has some of the best hands in the draft... Might have the best hands in the draft. Big frame and can score goals.

Zegras - Great playmaker and lots of room for growth.

I'm damn near positive that you have more exposure to everyone than I do, but do you get similar vibes in play style from Podkolzin to Zadina? I think Zadina has been billed as a high level finisher, while Podkolzin might be a bit more well rounded (less sniper, more playmaker), but the things people say about him mirror what I recall people saying about Zadina last year.

Just as a brief example of what I'm getting at:

Pronman Midseason Rankings for 2018 (Pronman: Midseason 2018 NHL Draft Rankings):
"2. Filip Zadina, LW, Halifax-QMJHL
Nov. 27, 1999 | six-foot | 196 pounds
Zadina, a highly touted prospect for years, is lighting up the QMJHL this season. On a tools level, he’s one of the most dynamic players in the draft. Zadina skates very well and has great, if not elite, hands; and that combination allows him to be quite elusive. He doesn’t try to go through everyone on a shift, though, and makes good decisions at a quick pace. He can create as a playmaker, but he’s more of a trigger man. Zadina loves to use his skill to create space, cut into the slot and wire chances on net. His off the puck play isn’t perfect, but I’ve seen him be a competent penalty killer and a shorthanded threat. He is a highly competitive player who gets high marks for his character. He’s the complete package offensively and a potential difference-maker on any given shift."

Pronman Midseason Rankings for 2019 (Pronman: 2019 NHL Draft midseason rankings):
"5. Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA-MHL
June 24, 2001 | 6-foot-1 | 190 pounds
Podkolzin has been great everywhere he’s played this season. He’s super talented but also an incredible competitor. Podkolzin is very skilled and can make the flashy plays to deke defenders, but he rarely does that off a standstill or along the walls. Instead, Podkolzin is typically full speed ahead to the net. He’s also a very good playmaker and finisher who can take advantage of space if defenders give it to him by making a pass or sniping from a distance. He’s a fine/good skater but hustles so hard that he looks like he’s always going fast."

Pair that with the highlights from my post above, that's the kind of vibe I get. Players that are cut from the same cloth, but use their skills to employ different means to arrive at the same ends.

 

[obey86]

Wasn't too impressed with Cozens or Krebs in those highlight videos. They both looked like they play slow. I like Podkolzin's style of play.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Excuse my ignorance, but what does "lots of room for growth" mean for a prospect? To me it sounds like code for bad. Like personally I am terrible at hockey, so I have a TON of room for growth.

 

[Frk It]

I'm damn near positive that you have more exposure to everyone than I do, but do you get similar vibes in play style from Podkolzin to Zadina? I think Zadina has been billed as a high level finisher, while Podkolzin might be a bit more well rounded (less sniper, more playmaker), but the things people say about him mirror what I recall people saying about Zadina last year.

Just as a brief example of what I'm getting at:

Pronman Midseason Rankings for 2018 (Pronman: Midseason 2018 NHL Draft Rankings):
"2. Filip Zadina, LW, Halifax-QMJHL
Nov. 27, 1999 | six-foot | 196 pounds
Zadina, a highly touted prospect for years, is lighting up the QMJHL this season. On a tools level, he’s one of the most dynamic players in the draft. Zadina skates very well and has great, if not elite, hands; and that combination allows him to be quite elusive. He doesn’t try to go through everyone on a shift, though, and makes good decisions at a quick pace. He can create as a playmaker, but he’s more of a trigger man. Zadina loves to use his skill to create space, cut into the slot and wire chances on net. His off the puck play isn’t perfect, but I’ve seen him be a competent penalty killer and a shorthanded threat. He is a highly competitive player who gets high marks for his character. He’s the complete package offensively and a potential difference-maker on any given shift."

Pronman Midseason Rankings for 2019 (Pronman: 2019 NHL Draft midseason rankings):
"5. Vasili Podkolzin, RW, SKA-MHL
June 24, 2001 | 6-foot-1 | 190 pounds
Podkolzin has been great everywhere he’s played this season. He’s super talented but also an incredible competitor. Podkolzin is very skilled and can make the flashy plays to deke defenders, but he rarely does that off a standstill or along the walls. Instead, Podkolzin is typically full speed ahead to the net. He’s also a very good playmaker and finisher who can take advantage of space if defenders give it to him by making a pass or sniping from a distance. He’s a fine/good skater but hustles so hard that he looks like he’s always going fast."

Pair that with the highlights from my post above, that's the kind of vibe I get. Players that are cut from the same cloth, but use their skills to employ different means to arrive at the same ends.

I think at the end of the day they bring something similar to the table, but they just go about it in different ways. Podkolzin plays a more rugged/power game, and Zadina is more finesse about it. Both of them are opportunists and will kill you off the rush. Both are alright but not high end level skaters. So definitely similar in some ways.

 

[Hen Kolland]

I think at the end of the day they bring something similar to the table, but they just go about it in different ways. Podkolzin plays a more rugged/power game, and Zadina is more finesse about it. Both of them are opportunistic and will kill you off the rush. Both are alright but not high end level skaters. So definitely similar in some ways.

Both have had wonderful things written about their personality/competitiveness. If the Wings were in love with Zadina last year, I have no doubt that they don't feel the exact same about Podkolzin.

 

[obey86]

I know it's stupid to take too much away from highlight videos; but after watching his videos and reading scouting reports about him I think Podkolzin just shot to the top of my list. I really would prefer another center but he just impresses me in a way none of the other guys have.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Excuse my ignorance, but what does "lots of room for growth" mean for a prospect? To me it sounds like code for bad. Like personally I am terrible at hockey, so I have a TON of room for growth.

At this point, the top 10 have already demonstrated their talents that they can bring to the table, some prospects need to focus more on polishing their game, while others need to focus more on developing their game. Look at the difference between Dahlin and Boqvist being the two Swedish defensemen last year. Room for growth in general has a lot to do with the completeness level in their game, physical development, or refinement of their tools, not necessarily growth in talent level.

Think Mantha/Athanasiou for completeness of their game when it comes to engagement and defensive competency. Think Rasmussen for physical development when it comes to needing to put on muscle and strength to be able to play his game to the fullest of its potential. Think Zadina for refinement of his tools (how to implement his abilities in the NHL, improve his skating to keep or set the pace of play, etc.)

 

[Frk It]

Both have had wonderful things written about their personality/competitiveness. If the Wings were in love with Zadina last year, I have no doubt that they don't feel the exact same about Podkolzin.

True... although I could also see that with Turcotte, Krebs, and some of the WHL guys.

 

[Hen Kolland]

True... although I could also see that with Turcotte, Krebs, and some of the WHL guys.

No doubt. I think it depends on the skill set they are looking to address. And who is available at 6.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Wasn't too impressed with Cozens or Krebs in those highlight videos. They both looked like they play slow. I like Podkolzin's style of play.

I don't get this impression at all, but have had my opinions shaped by other viewings as well. The upcoming U18s will give you a better idea of what their games look like currently.

 

[SuperScript29]

Cozens:

Here's a highlight package I really like. I'll go find a shift-by-shift that I think shows off his game.



Edit: I like this highlight package a little more. 6 min longer. Also Craig Button was totally obsessed with Cozens during the Hlinka-Gretzky broadcast.

Here's Cozens shift by shift, I hope we steer away from him. If we're going that route, Dach is a much better pick:

 

[Hen Kolland]

Here's Cozens shift by shift, I hope we steer away from him. If we're going that route, Dach is a much better pick:

Just to continue with the Hlinka Gretzky trend, here is Dach:

 

[SuperScript29]

Just to continue with the Hlinka Gretzky trend, here is Dach:

It's crazy how much Dach plays like Getzlaf.

 

[Hen Kolland]

It's crazy how much Dach plays like Getzlaf.

I definitely see the concerns with his skating; he's certainly not the fleetest of foot, but for someone at his size who primarily thrives in possession and creating plays, his edge work is significantly more important than his speed, and that appears to be rather strong.

Like I mentioned about Hirose towards the end of the season, there's something so appealing about a player who processes the play a step or two ahead of when they actually touch the puck. I can see why Draper seems to be a massive supporter of this one.

 

[SuperScript29]

I definitely see the concerns with his skating; he's certainly not the fleetest of foot, but for someone at his size who primarily thrives in possession and creating plays, his edge work is significantly more important than his speed, and that appears to be rather strong.

Like I mentioned about Hirose towards the end of the season, there's something so appealing about a player who processes the play a step or two ahead of when they actually touch the puck. I can see why Draper seems to be a massive supporter of this one.

If you watch the shift by shift clip for Cozens, you'll notice he's somewhat of a slow skater too, which is odd given that people say speed is one of his strengths. I feel like both Cozens and Dach have similar skating styles, but Dach is more engaged in the play and is more creative and noticeable with the puck. He does not skate like our fast players, but I see his skating skill somewhere along the lines of Mantha.

 

[NickH8]

I like a thread where we can focus on the positives of everyone projected 3-10. They definitely all bring something to the table.

Podkolzin - Kid is a gamer. Creative and instinctual player. Has done nothing but dominate in international tournaments. The famous Ted Lindsay quote is something you won't have to worry about with him ("'If they go into the corner with another guy and don't come up with the puck, they're a horse(bleep) hockey player.')

Byram - Smooth and smart. Reminds me a lot of Roman Josi.

Cozens - Fast, big, and raw (room for improvement). Has one of the best shots in the draft. Can very easily see him becoming a 2 way goal scoring force once he adds some more weight.

Turcotte - Complete player with skill. Great skater. Very little concerns about him other than maybe durability.

Dach - Pure playmaker. Patience and vision for days. Very good hands, and has improved his shot and skating from a year ago already.

Krebs - Makes everyone he plays with better. Drives the bus and is a very good possession player. Fantastic skater.

Boldy - Has some of the best hands in the draft... Might have the best hands in the draft. Big frame and can score goals.

Zegras - Great playmaker and lots of room for growth.

Nice to see some praise for Boldy. He's big and plays with good centers so he's pegged as a "complimentary player" and a net front guy. He's legitimately skilled and can create offense in his own. His playmaking is underrated. Idk if I'd take him at six but he's a fine prospect.