StevenToddIves
Registered User
1 Detroit Red Wings
Highlights: Despite the criticism of the pick in the draft media, I actually liked the 6th overall selection of RD Moritz Seider. I had him at #12 overall, the second-best D in the draft. He's big, physical, strong defensively, and has the offensive upside to become a top-pairing guy, which he displayed for Germany with an excellent World Championships despite being the youngest defenseman in the tournament. The Wings really shone in the mid-rounds; LW Robert Mastrosimone was a terrific pick in the second round -- he's got 30+ goal upside and a non-stop motor. LD Albert Johansson (60) is a potential home run pick -- his skating and hands are outstanding and the only knock on him is his slight frame, but this kid does not play a soft game. Winger Albin Grewe (66) is the Claude Lemieux of the draft class -- he can fly and wire the puck and hits anything that moves. The Wings used 4th round picks to take one of the smallest Fs in the draft in 145-pound LW Ethan Phillips and then one of the biggest in 6'7 C Elmer Soderblom; both offer intriguing potential.
Lowlights: I like Antti Tuomisto a ton, but after taking a big RD at #6 over several top forwards, best available player was the way to go with the #35 pick. The Red Wings could have had several players with first-round caliber potential at that spot, such as Lavoie, Hoglander, Korczak or Rees -- all of whom went in the ensuing 10 picks.
The Skinny: Steve Yzerman certainly has a plan, and the Red Wings are on the upswing. After having one of the top three drafts in the NHL in 2018 (alongside the Islanders and Sabres), Detroit once again trumped the division with a deep and talented crop. They enter the 2019-20 campaign with a top-5 prospect pool in the NHL.
2 Montreal Canadiens
Highlights: Cole Caufield falling to the 15th pick was cause for celebration -- he's essentially mini-Brett Hull. LD Jayden Struble (46) and LD Matthias Norlinder (64) both come with some risk but offer tremendous upside -- Struble is one of the best athletes in the draft and Norlinder's skating ranks top 10 in the class of 2019. Like the Devils, the Habs addressed an organizational need for physical, defensive defensemen with savvy selections of Gianni Fairbrother (77) and Jacob Leguerrier (126). One of my favorite picks in the draft was the Rhett Pitlick in the 5th round -- sure he's small, but he also ranks as one of the top skaters in the class of 2019 and has a great scoring touch.
Lowlights: the Canadiens dropped the ball in the late rounds. Taking a 21 year old Russian in Arsenal Khisamutdinov (170) seems like almost throwing away a pick, and so does trading up to take Rafael Harvey-Pinard (201), an undersized winger with skating difficulties. It's tough to criticize a 7th round pick, but Kieran Ruscienski could not crack a BCHL line-up and played essentially midget hockey as an 18 year old.
The Skinny: Caufield at #15 alone would make this class a success for Montreal, but the Habs really fortified the future of their blueline with four solid prospects and took a nice sleeper in the speedy Pitlick.
3 Buffalo Sabres
Highlights: The Sabres draft class was assured to be in the top portion of their division with the selection of C/RW Dylan Cozens at 7th overall -- you don't often find power forwards with this elite combination of size/skating/shot. He lacks any weakness in his game and is just a tremendous, top-line power forward prospect. With a second first-rounder at #31, the Sabres took LD Ryan Johnson, one of the top skaters in the draft class; he needs a ton of development but is one of the few defensemen in the class of 2019 with top-pairing upside. LW Aaron Huglen was a great grab at #102 -- his hands are first round caliber, he's just a magician with the puck. If he can improve his skating a bit, this 5'11 dangler could be a big scorer on the Sabres' second line.
Lowlights: Pick #67 was far too early to roll the dice on Swedish netminder Eric Portillo -- the Sabres need wingers for Eichel and Cozens, and big scoring talents were still on the board like Dorofeyev, Puistola, Legare and Beckman. 5th round selections of Filip Cederqvist (143) and Lucas Rousek (160) felt almost like "token Swedes"; neither offer high floors or high upsides.
The Skinny: Cozens alone will assure this draft class is a success -- if Johnson reaches his enormous potential in time, the class of 2019 will be considered a bonanza. One only wonders what could have been if the Sabres had better utilized their final four picks.
4 Florida Panthers
Highlights: Spencer Knight at #13 raised a ton of eyebrows in the hockey world; goaltenders just don't get drafted so high anymore. But Knight is considered the best goalie prospect since Carey Price, whom he is most often compared to. Many think he will be ready for the NHL by 2020-21, in which case this is just an outstanding pick. Vladislav Kolyachonok was one of the best picks in the second round -- the defenseman is big, fast and skilled and showed terrific two-way acumen for Belarus in the U18 tourney. He's a lock for a mid-airing role, and with an overflowing tool-box it's possible he can improve his offense enough to become a top-pairing stud at the NHL level. C Cole Schwindt (81) has the moxie and physicality to excel as a bottom six banger. LD Carter Berger (106) dominated the BCHL with his tremendous offensive output and has the size and skates (6'0-200) to develop his defensive game to NHL-speed. C Greg Meireles (168) offers explosive skating to a checking line, while C Owen Lindmark (137) offers upside as a future shut-down pivot in addition to being one of 46,309 players drafted from the US-Development program.
Lowlights: LD John Ludvig at #69 was baffling. He's an overaged defensive defenseman without appreciable upside -- an overaged D was taken three picks later in Ronnie Attard who offers greater physicality and defense and a bomb of a shot. The very next pick in the draft had the Devils taking Daniil Misyul, who plays better defensively, hits harder, offers more offensive skill and is a full year younger. The Panthers likely could have had Ludvig in the 7th.
The Skinny: If Knight is as good as advertised, he can singlehandedly change the way goaltenders are evaluated at the draft and vault the Panthers into contention... and very quickly. Kolyachonok was an absolute coup that late in the second round, he would have been a good pick late in the first!
5 Boston Bruins
Highlights: C John Beecher at #30 was just what the doctor ordered. After being physically bullied into a pulp by the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals, they found a power center who is as strong as any forward in the draft. Beecher is also a lightning fast skater who can score -- he compares to a young Ryan Kesler or David Backes, but with far superior skating. LD Roman Bychkov (154) is one of the smartest D in the draft; despite being smallish, he has mid-pairing upside and was a great grab in the 5th round. C Matias Mantykivi (185) is certainly a project in need of much development, but he is an outstanding playmaker.
Lowlights: With no 2nd or 4th round picks, the Bruins reached in the 3rd for power LW Quinn Olson -- another pure banger and obvious attempt to alleviate the sting of being knocked around like ping-pong balls by the Blues. The Bruins would have been better off using their 3rd rounder on a higher upside F like Spiridonov, Teply or Donovan.
The Skinny: The Beecher pick was tremendous -- I believe he was one of the three most underrated prospects in the entire 2019 draft class. He will be an impact player at the NHL level. The Bychkov pick was also quite savvy. The Atlantic Division, as a whole, had the weakest draft of 2019 -- so despite a modest overall haul, the Bruins find themselves in the middle.
6 Toronto Maple Leafs
Highlights: With no first round pick, the Leafs knocked it out of the park with a second-round selection of Nicholas Robertson (53). This kid has some of the softest hands in the draft and can shoot the lights out. He has more upside than several players drafted in the first round. They nailed it again in the third round with LD Mikko Kokkonen (84), a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none two-way player who was terrific in the Finnish men's league this past year. One of my favorite picks in the draft was LD Michael Koster (146) -- his elite combination of skating, puck skills and vision make him a big-time prospect. To me, he compares favorably to similar-styled third rounders Zachary Jones and Anttoni Honka.
Lowlights: The Leafs lacked a first-round pick, and although they made up for it with a terrific pick in the second, the best three players they drafted are all under 6'0 tall. The Leafs were bullied out of the playoffs by a far tougher Bruins team, and they did nothing to address the fact that they may be too soft for an extended run in the NHL postseason.
The Skinny: Despite no first-round pick, the Leafs still worked enough magic to get a top-6 caliber winger in Robertson and two potential mid-pairing LD in Kokkonen and Koster, so props to the Toronto scouting department.
7 Tampa Bay Lightning
Highlights: Though not a sexy pick by any means, LW Nolan Foote plays a physical, two-way power game which will transfer quite well to a middle-six role on an NHL team. Goaltender Hugo Alnefelt (71) looked simply astounding at the U18 tournament. Tampa's shrewdest grab of the draft was likely RW Maxim Cajkovic -- the Slovakian combines terrific hands, skating and scoring and was an absolute steal at #89 overall. LD Quinn Schmiemann (182) combines ideal NHL size with high-end smarts and was the Kamloops Blazers' best defenseman as a 17 year-old.
Lowlights: In perhaps a desire to get their prospects ready early while their championship window is still open, the Lightning went a bit overboard with over-agers, taking a pair (Maxwell Crozier, Mikhail Shalagin) in a draft where they picked late and lacked a second-round selection.
The Skinny: Will the Lightning continue to routinely find top-end talent in the later rounds now that Steve Yzerman has departed the front office? They picked conservatively but prudently with their top two picks, but then may have landed another gem with Cajkovic.
8 Ottawa Senators
Highlights: RD Lassi Thompson (19), RW Shane Pinto (32), and G Mads Sogaard (37) are all very good prospects...
Lowlights: ...unfortunately, they were all drafted far ahead of where they could have been found. Want to play What If? Well, what if the Senators took potential top-line C Phil Tomasino at #19. They potentially still could have had Thompson at #32, then taken Sogaard at #37, then used the #94 pick they threw away on Ivan Lodin to take Pinto. Now, that would have been a good draft. Unfortunately, they come away from 2019 without a top-end talent, despite three picks in the top 37.
The Skinny: Just be glad if you're a fan of any team that's not the Ottawa Senators. They had to watch Colorado use their should've-been #4 overall pick on a franchise defenseman in Bowen Byram, then repeatedly reach all over the draft.
Highlights: Despite the criticism of the pick in the draft media, I actually liked the 6th overall selection of RD Moritz Seider. I had him at #12 overall, the second-best D in the draft. He's big, physical, strong defensively, and has the offensive upside to become a top-pairing guy, which he displayed for Germany with an excellent World Championships despite being the youngest defenseman in the tournament. The Wings really shone in the mid-rounds; LW Robert Mastrosimone was a terrific pick in the second round -- he's got 30+ goal upside and a non-stop motor. LD Albert Johansson (60) is a potential home run pick -- his skating and hands are outstanding and the only knock on him is his slight frame, but this kid does not play a soft game. Winger Albin Grewe (66) is the Claude Lemieux of the draft class -- he can fly and wire the puck and hits anything that moves. The Wings used 4th round picks to take one of the smallest Fs in the draft in 145-pound LW Ethan Phillips and then one of the biggest in 6'7 C Elmer Soderblom; both offer intriguing potential.
Lowlights: I like Antti Tuomisto a ton, but after taking a big RD at #6 over several top forwards, best available player was the way to go with the #35 pick. The Red Wings could have had several players with first-round caliber potential at that spot, such as Lavoie, Hoglander, Korczak or Rees -- all of whom went in the ensuing 10 picks.
The Skinny: Steve Yzerman certainly has a plan, and the Red Wings are on the upswing. After having one of the top three drafts in the NHL in 2018 (alongside the Islanders and Sabres), Detroit once again trumped the division with a deep and talented crop. They enter the 2019-20 campaign with a top-5 prospect pool in the NHL.
2 Montreal Canadiens
Highlights: Cole Caufield falling to the 15th pick was cause for celebration -- he's essentially mini-Brett Hull. LD Jayden Struble (46) and LD Matthias Norlinder (64) both come with some risk but offer tremendous upside -- Struble is one of the best athletes in the draft and Norlinder's skating ranks top 10 in the class of 2019. Like the Devils, the Habs addressed an organizational need for physical, defensive defensemen with savvy selections of Gianni Fairbrother (77) and Jacob Leguerrier (126). One of my favorite picks in the draft was the Rhett Pitlick in the 5th round -- sure he's small, but he also ranks as one of the top skaters in the class of 2019 and has a great scoring touch.
Lowlights: the Canadiens dropped the ball in the late rounds. Taking a 21 year old Russian in Arsenal Khisamutdinov (170) seems like almost throwing away a pick, and so does trading up to take Rafael Harvey-Pinard (201), an undersized winger with skating difficulties. It's tough to criticize a 7th round pick, but Kieran Ruscienski could not crack a BCHL line-up and played essentially midget hockey as an 18 year old.
The Skinny: Caufield at #15 alone would make this class a success for Montreal, but the Habs really fortified the future of their blueline with four solid prospects and took a nice sleeper in the speedy Pitlick.
3 Buffalo Sabres
Highlights: The Sabres draft class was assured to be in the top portion of their division with the selection of C/RW Dylan Cozens at 7th overall -- you don't often find power forwards with this elite combination of size/skating/shot. He lacks any weakness in his game and is just a tremendous, top-line power forward prospect. With a second first-rounder at #31, the Sabres took LD Ryan Johnson, one of the top skaters in the draft class; he needs a ton of development but is one of the few defensemen in the class of 2019 with top-pairing upside. LW Aaron Huglen was a great grab at #102 -- his hands are first round caliber, he's just a magician with the puck. If he can improve his skating a bit, this 5'11 dangler could be a big scorer on the Sabres' second line.
Lowlights: Pick #67 was far too early to roll the dice on Swedish netminder Eric Portillo -- the Sabres need wingers for Eichel and Cozens, and big scoring talents were still on the board like Dorofeyev, Puistola, Legare and Beckman. 5th round selections of Filip Cederqvist (143) and Lucas Rousek (160) felt almost like "token Swedes"; neither offer high floors or high upsides.
The Skinny: Cozens alone will assure this draft class is a success -- if Johnson reaches his enormous potential in time, the class of 2019 will be considered a bonanza. One only wonders what could have been if the Sabres had better utilized their final four picks.
4 Florida Panthers
Highlights: Spencer Knight at #13 raised a ton of eyebrows in the hockey world; goaltenders just don't get drafted so high anymore. But Knight is considered the best goalie prospect since Carey Price, whom he is most often compared to. Many think he will be ready for the NHL by 2020-21, in which case this is just an outstanding pick. Vladislav Kolyachonok was one of the best picks in the second round -- the defenseman is big, fast and skilled and showed terrific two-way acumen for Belarus in the U18 tourney. He's a lock for a mid-airing role, and with an overflowing tool-box it's possible he can improve his offense enough to become a top-pairing stud at the NHL level. C Cole Schwindt (81) has the moxie and physicality to excel as a bottom six banger. LD Carter Berger (106) dominated the BCHL with his tremendous offensive output and has the size and skates (6'0-200) to develop his defensive game to NHL-speed. C Greg Meireles (168) offers explosive skating to a checking line, while C Owen Lindmark (137) offers upside as a future shut-down pivot in addition to being one of 46,309 players drafted from the US-Development program.
Lowlights: LD John Ludvig at #69 was baffling. He's an overaged defensive defenseman without appreciable upside -- an overaged D was taken three picks later in Ronnie Attard who offers greater physicality and defense and a bomb of a shot. The very next pick in the draft had the Devils taking Daniil Misyul, who plays better defensively, hits harder, offers more offensive skill and is a full year younger. The Panthers likely could have had Ludvig in the 7th.
The Skinny: If Knight is as good as advertised, he can singlehandedly change the way goaltenders are evaluated at the draft and vault the Panthers into contention... and very quickly. Kolyachonok was an absolute coup that late in the second round, he would have been a good pick late in the first!
5 Boston Bruins
Highlights: C John Beecher at #30 was just what the doctor ordered. After being physically bullied into a pulp by the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals, they found a power center who is as strong as any forward in the draft. Beecher is also a lightning fast skater who can score -- he compares to a young Ryan Kesler or David Backes, but with far superior skating. LD Roman Bychkov (154) is one of the smartest D in the draft; despite being smallish, he has mid-pairing upside and was a great grab in the 5th round. C Matias Mantykivi (185) is certainly a project in need of much development, but he is an outstanding playmaker.
Lowlights: With no 2nd or 4th round picks, the Bruins reached in the 3rd for power LW Quinn Olson -- another pure banger and obvious attempt to alleviate the sting of being knocked around like ping-pong balls by the Blues. The Bruins would have been better off using their 3rd rounder on a higher upside F like Spiridonov, Teply or Donovan.
The Skinny: The Beecher pick was tremendous -- I believe he was one of the three most underrated prospects in the entire 2019 draft class. He will be an impact player at the NHL level. The Bychkov pick was also quite savvy. The Atlantic Division, as a whole, had the weakest draft of 2019 -- so despite a modest overall haul, the Bruins find themselves in the middle.
6 Toronto Maple Leafs
Highlights: With no first round pick, the Leafs knocked it out of the park with a second-round selection of Nicholas Robertson (53). This kid has some of the softest hands in the draft and can shoot the lights out. He has more upside than several players drafted in the first round. They nailed it again in the third round with LD Mikko Kokkonen (84), a jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none two-way player who was terrific in the Finnish men's league this past year. One of my favorite picks in the draft was LD Michael Koster (146) -- his elite combination of skating, puck skills and vision make him a big-time prospect. To me, he compares favorably to similar-styled third rounders Zachary Jones and Anttoni Honka.
Lowlights: The Leafs lacked a first-round pick, and although they made up for it with a terrific pick in the second, the best three players they drafted are all under 6'0 tall. The Leafs were bullied out of the playoffs by a far tougher Bruins team, and they did nothing to address the fact that they may be too soft for an extended run in the NHL postseason.
The Skinny: Despite no first-round pick, the Leafs still worked enough magic to get a top-6 caliber winger in Robertson and two potential mid-pairing LD in Kokkonen and Koster, so props to the Toronto scouting department.
7 Tampa Bay Lightning
Highlights: Though not a sexy pick by any means, LW Nolan Foote plays a physical, two-way power game which will transfer quite well to a middle-six role on an NHL team. Goaltender Hugo Alnefelt (71) looked simply astounding at the U18 tournament. Tampa's shrewdest grab of the draft was likely RW Maxim Cajkovic -- the Slovakian combines terrific hands, skating and scoring and was an absolute steal at #89 overall. LD Quinn Schmiemann (182) combines ideal NHL size with high-end smarts and was the Kamloops Blazers' best defenseman as a 17 year-old.
Lowlights: In perhaps a desire to get their prospects ready early while their championship window is still open, the Lightning went a bit overboard with over-agers, taking a pair (Maxwell Crozier, Mikhail Shalagin) in a draft where they picked late and lacked a second-round selection.
The Skinny: Will the Lightning continue to routinely find top-end talent in the later rounds now that Steve Yzerman has departed the front office? They picked conservatively but prudently with their top two picks, but then may have landed another gem with Cajkovic.
8 Ottawa Senators
Highlights: RD Lassi Thompson (19), RW Shane Pinto (32), and G Mads Sogaard (37) are all very good prospects...
Lowlights: ...unfortunately, they were all drafted far ahead of where they could have been found. Want to play What If? Well, what if the Senators took potential top-line C Phil Tomasino at #19. They potentially still could have had Thompson at #32, then taken Sogaard at #37, then used the #94 pick they threw away on Ivan Lodin to take Pinto. Now, that would have been a good draft. Unfortunately, they come away from 2019 without a top-end talent, despite three picks in the top 37.
The Skinny: Just be glad if you're a fan of any team that's not the Ottawa Senators. They had to watch Colorado use their should've-been #4 overall pick on a franchise defenseman in Bowen Byram, then repeatedly reach all over the draft.
