2019 Draft Talk

[Kevin Musto]

i was looking at the list and i see some other players not on that list. but you are right Newhook and for me the d-man Honka who i had higher than 27. i had him in the mid teens. i am seeing a liking for the d-men of the 1st rounders.

btw everyone knows of my liking for the sniper Arthur Kaliyev . well he is listed at 22

I can't quite shake Honka yet, but I understand why many are dropping him

 

[LDF]

i had to go and check on my thought process.... ok i like him and i like him higher than some of these mock draft...... now my disclaimer i am a fan with a fan's pov. so in other words what in hades do i know ??

the point that got me is he is a RHD, yeah he is a smurf d-men (fiddy word). but he is purely offensive d-man and he is responsible for his position.

he is dropping mainly he is not physical enuf ??? when has that matter.

 

[Kevin Musto]

i had to go and check on my thought process.... ok i like him and i like him higher than some of these mock draft...... now my disclaimer i am a fan with a fan's pov. so in other words what in hades do i know ??

the point that got me is he is a RHD, yeah he is a smurf d-men (fiddy word). but he is purely offensive d-man and he is responsible for his position.

he is dropping mainly he is not physical enuf ??? when has that matter.

He's very gifted offensively, but he didn't make the leap this year that was expected. Prior to this year he looked like a top 5 lock.

He just hasn't improved much over this year which is why many feel like his ceiling isn't as high as they initially thought.

 

[LDF]

He's very gifted offensively, but he didn't make the leap this year that was expected. Prior to this year he looked like a top 5 lock.

He just hasn't improved much over this year which is why many feel like his ceiling isn't as high as they initially thought.

that is another point and very good to you Sir for hitting on it. i was saving that part for a later post, very good.

now for my thoughts on this, it was these mock experts who hasn't seen the production side of him..... point is, they are gauging him on the production of STATS .... there is more to a performance than stats production. yet his line mates are scoring b/c of plays he set up, of rushes he has done, of being in the right position.

but then again what the hell do i know.

 

[hawksfan50]

If Hawks cannot get Kako via lottery wino move up ,and while I like Podkolzin,I still feel our top target after Kakko should be:

Alex Turcotte of the USNTDP...

Checks more boxes for me than surf Jack Hughes...

Turcotte was hurt for a long stretch in the first half of this season...but he has been terrific since coming back .....just comparing the games the older USNTDP squad plays vs.USHL competion this season so far:

Jack Hughes 13GP 2g 18 a 20 pts
1.53 PPG

Alex Turcotte 8GP 6g 8a 14 pts
1.75 PPG


The last 2 games they have played vs. USHL competition:

Jack Hughes 2a

Alex Turcotte 2g 4a

Sure ...small samples ..but it still indicates Turcotte has a lot of talent and of course is a lot bigger..and if Hughes is a 6/5 star skater =exceptional...Turcotte not far behind as a slater 5/5 stars as a skater).

I think Turcotte is a better goal scorer ...more physical. ..a better 200 ft player ...and a lot bigger ...

I think Turcotte a better fit for the Hawks needs ..plus of course he is a local Illinois product ...just a lot of boxes checked.

He could be our 3C once he hits the show but with ability to be a 1C when Toes gets to old in a few years to maintain that roll ..

Turcotte in the shadow of Jack Hughes the past 2 seasons ..but he may have the better pro career ..
My concerns on Hughes are his surf size and weight...his compete level ....especially defensively ..and his goal scoring which to me is not exceptional though his playmaking at speed is ...

It is just that to me Turcotte is a more rounded overall player ..

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Lose a lot for Turcotte

 

[Toews2Bickell]

 

[migi]

I don’t see Turcotte there with 10th pick.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Yeah no way Turcotte falls to 10. I'd love to get him though.

 

[giza]

Lot of injuries.....could result in him falling to 10. He and Boldy are my 4-10 preferences.

 

[pvr]

Lot of injuries.....could result in him falling to 10. He and Boldy are my 4-10 preferences.

Add Zegras.

 

[Blue Liner]

I don't think Turcotte falls that far but if he does I'd be 100% on board with that pick.

 

[borednow]

Just read an interesting draft article by Scott Wheeler of the Athletic where he ranks Podkolzin at #14. Here is the relevant section:

"But the trouble with [Podkolzin's] game is how instinctual it is. He just tries to make things happen. Sometimes, when they work out, it lingers with you. When they don’t, he grabs your attention another way. Mix in a constant visible effort and excellent international showings at Hlinka and the World Jr. A Challenge and you have the kind of circumstances that result in Podkolzin landing inside most top fives. My ranking differs because I believe the skills he lacks are the kind that you don’t see, the kind that work ethic can disguise. I don’t love his vision and I don’t love his decision making (he forces a lot of plays, to the detriment of his linemates). Both of those things could hold him back, especially once the defenders get stronger and more talented."

Any thoughts on Wheeler's reasoning? I don't know how accurate Wheeler's assessment of Podkolzin is, but his argument seems valid to me.

Article Link: Wheeler: Midseason ranking for the 2019 NHL draft’s top 62...

 

[ColdSteel2]

All aboard the Bowen Byram train. 2-way smart left handed D with leadership skills. Sounds like the missing ingredient.

 

[migi]

All aboard the Bowen Byram train. 2-way smart left handed D with leadership skills. Sounds like the missing ingredient.

He is definitely a top-5 pick for me.

Hughes
Kakko
Turcotte
Podkolzin
Byram

Imo this is the top-5. Cozens and Dach are meh to me.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Kane with his new teammate

 

[AmericanDream]

Kane with his new teammate

yep, Moynihan should do well here....lol

 

[clydesdale line]

yep, Moynihan should do well here....lol

I was just about to say Zegras might still be around our pick but that depends if we stay top 10 or not (unless he slips).

 

[TheDachKnight]

Long-time lurker on here and finally decided to recover my old password lol. I'm hoping to contribute to the forum on a more regular basis. Anyway, I'm a big fan of Cozens, Turcotte, Zegras, and Byram. I know a lot of people on here aren't overly high on Cozens, but I love his size, speed, shot, and the fact that he's a RH C. Currently, my preferences for if we are a top-10 pick (not looking likely the way we've been playing lately):

Hughes
Kakko
Cozens
Turcotte
Podkolzin
Zegras
Byram
Dach- Not an amazing skater but neither is Strome. His hockey sense is really good)
Boldy
Krebs/Broberg- This one's more of a toss-up for me but I like both of these players just to a much lesser extent than my top-7 picks.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Not sure how I feel about this draft.

I've got some favourites like Hughes, Turcotte, Krebs, Pelletier, Boldy, Soderstrom, Caufield, Hoglander, Sheshin, Strondala, Alexandrov, and Nussbaumer

But overall I'm not thrilled about a lot of the players in this class.

Hope we come away with at least one of the ones I listed.

 

[AmericanDream]

Not sure how I feel about this draft.

I've got some favourites like Hughes, Turcotte, Krebs, Pelletier, Boldy, Soderstrom, Caufield, Hoglander, Sheshin, Strondala, Alexandrov, and Nussbaumer

But overall I'm not thrilled about a lot of the players in this class.

Hope we come away with at least one of the ones I listed.

not sure how the depth will play out, outside of the top 45 not seeing a ton to be excited about, but who knows...

a name that many are not talking about that I really like is Bobby Brink...kid has torched the USHL in a manner not seen since Kyle Connor. Keep an eye on him, battled back from injuries and is tearing it up again.

 

[Kevin Musto]

not sure how the depth will play out, outside of the top 45 not seeing a ton to be excited about, but who knows...

a name that many are not talking about that I really like is Bobby Brink...kid has torched the USHL in a manner not seen since Kyle Connor. Keep an eye on him, battled back from injuries and is tearing it up again.

Yeah Brink is good. He's in my top 25.

 

[LDF]

for me and i know i am spitting into the wind here but i see a huge need for snipers or players who can put up points. this is the draft to make that happen.

1. Arthur Kaliyev

2. Alex Newhook

3. Raphaël Lavoie

4. Nathan Légaré

yeah they will be drafted either in the 1 or at worst 2nd round.

 

[TheDachKnight]

Went back and watched some Cozens game tape. Wasn’t as impressed with him. He seemed kind of sloppy with the puck and didn’t have nearly the puck skills of say a Zegras type player. Speaking of Zegras, I came away very impressed with him after watching some more game tape of his. He has very good vision and playmaking. I think he’ll be the player that gets drafted in the 5-10 range that ends up being better than some of the guys in the 2-4 range.

I’d probably have Cozens a lot lower than 3 and Zegras sneaks into the top-5 for me. Hughes, Kakko, Turcotte, Podkolzin, Zegras is my current top-5 but this will probably change a million times before draft day. Cozens would be just above Dach for me and just below Byram.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Went back and watched some Cozens game tape. Wasn’t as impressed with him. He seemed kind of sloppy with the puck and didn’t have nearly the puck skills of say a Zegras type player. Speaking of Zegras, I came away very impressed with him after watching some more game tape of his. He has very good vision and playmaking. I think he’ll be the player that gets drafted in the 5-10 range that ends up being better than some of the guys in the 2-4 range.

I’d probably have Cozens a lot lower than 3 and Zegras sneaks into the top-5 for me. Hughes, Kakko, Turcotte, Podkolzin, Zegras is my current top-5 but this will probably change a million times before draft day. Cozens would be just above Dach for me and just below Byram.

That's exactly what I come away with when I see Cozens. No puck control.

This board is going to hate me when I release my final rankings. Where I have Cozens is going to be very controversial.