Prospect Info: 2019 Draft Thread: Oilers Picking 8th, Would You Take Caufield at #8?

[Zaddy]

You don’t know what the cut off dates are though so right now your just assuming that 99’s are one age group and 00’s are another when most of the time there together as cut off dates usually range from July-December.

It's really simple. Dach was eligible to play the U18 worlds this year, Drai was not in his draft year.

If Drai was born 1 month, 2 weeks earlier he would've been draft eligible in 2013 and he'd only have put up a meager 58 points in 64 games in his draft year.

Also Drai had the experience of both having played the U18's and the U20's in his pre-draft season, both experiences that likely helped him a lot for his actual draft year.

All this extra experience matter, whether you want to admit it or not. Players can make huge leaps in just a few months both physically and on the ice at that age. So when it comes to the draft there really is no point in comparing a guy who was a late birthday in his draft year vs a guy who wasn't because they're at separate stages in their development.

That's also why you often take into account guys that are August or early September birthdays and how much development they have left vs a guy who is also draft eligible but was born in January. Those months matter.

 

[Stud Muffin]

It's really simple. Dach was eligible to play the U18 worlds this year, Drai was not in his draft year.

If Drai was born 1 month, 2 weeks earlier he would've been draft eligible in 2013 and he'd only have put up a meager 58 points in 64 games in his draft year.

Also Drai had the experience of both having played the U18's and the U20's in his pre-draft season, both experiences that likely helped him a lot for his actual draft year.

All this extra experience matter, whether you want to admit it or not. Players can make huge leaps in just a few months both physically and on the ice at that age. So when it comes to the draft there really is no point in comparing a guy who was a late birthday in his draft year vs a guy who wasn't because they're at separate stages in their development.

That's also why you often take into account guys that are August or early September birthdays and how much development they have left vs a guy who is also draft eligible but was born in January. Those months matter.

They matter for sure but it dosen’t equate 30+ points more, Drai was just a better player that’s all there is to it.

 

[Seachd]

I kind of think about those age differences (less than a year) like games in hand in the standings. They can definitely matter, but it all depends what you do with them.

 

[Leon Draisaitl]

They matter for sure but it dosen’t equate 30+ points more, Drai was just a better player that’s all there is to it.

Yeah, especially considering it's not like Dach is young for his draft class.

 

[BlackDogg]

Like what I read about Caufield with a great shot including one timer. Little concerned knowing Boldy has a lot of inconsistency in effort thus his game varies a lot. I haven't really watched either to any degree, but will get up on the limb and vote yes based on this.




If chia was still gm, I see Suzuki taken at 8 though.

 

[McDoused]

They matter for sure but it dosen’t equate 30+ points more, Drai was just a better player that’s all there is to it.

I think the big thing with Dach is that fans need to temper expectations. My point was never to crap on the player but like all players he has some weaknesses he needs to work on and isnt as NHL ready as a guy like cozens. I like Dach but he needs to work on his speed, commit himself to defence, work harder and be more consistent. I love the upside but hes got a lot of work ahead of him.

 

[McDoused]

If chia was still gm, I see Suzuki taken at 8 though.

I hated chia more then the next guy but he never reached for guys in the first round like that.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Since most of you are throwing out your rankings and since I finished mine yesterday I may as well post my top 40.

1. Jack Hughes C - Outstanding hands and hockey sense to go along with world class skating. His ability to weave through defenders creates multiple chances for his team and keeps defenders guessing when he comes over the line. NHL ETA- 19/20
2. Kaapo Kakko W - Big body winger has all the tools with a toolbox to match which has allowed him to break records In Finland this season and helped him to close the gap between 1 and 2 if there is one. NHL ETA- 19/20
3. Bowen Byram LD - Heady two way defender with solid size. Plays a physical game and is known to be a leader. Great mobility and a heavy shot that has enabled him to score 22 goals so far. NHL ETA- 20/21
4. Kirby Dach C/W - Big forward who plays a very Getzlaf like game with excellent vision, puck control, puck protection, and hockey. Improved shot and foot speed over the summer leaves the only concern In his game as consistency. NHL ETA- 20/21
5. Vasili Podkolzin W - The young Russian has drawn some comparisons to Pavel Datsyuk due to his filthy mitts and responsible two way game, Podkolzin also possesses a great shot and is best known for his pace of play/compete level. NHL ETA- 21/22
6. Alex Turcotte C - As complete as a player as there is in this draft. Alex is and intense battler and has soft hands which keep up with his high tempo. Puts himself in the right positions to score. NHL ETA- 21-22
7. Trevor Zegras C/W - Incredibly smooth skater and stick handler, impressed at the 5 nations u-18 tournaments with his vision and dynamic play. . NHL ETA- 22/23
8. Dylan Cozens C/W - 6’3 speedy centre with two way acumen who owns a heavy shot and can push the play up ice. sometimes skates himself into trouble. NHL ETA- 20/21
9. Alex Newhook C - A speedy offensive force with insane puck skills, and good hockey iq. Combine that with his high pace of play and he’s a lot to handle for the opponents. NHL ETA - 21/22
10. Matthew Boldy LW - Strong power forward with a wicked shot, soft hands and the hockey sense to put him in the right positions in all three zone. NHL ETA- 21/22
11. Peyton Krebs C/W - 5’11 Centre who brings great work ethic to the table, Krebs is a smart player who is more passer than scorer and likely has room to grow physically as his brother Dakota is 6’4. NHL ETA- 21/22
12. Cam York LD - Offensive Dman with great skating who passes well and has a knack for getting the puck through from the blue line. NHL ETA- 22/23
13. Philip Broberg LD - Big two way dman with very good straight line speed. Hands and shot are an asset. Decisions with the puck on his stick are questionable at times. NHL ETA- 22/23
14. Victor Soderstrom RD - Smallish two way D who is one of the smartest players in the draft and playing 16+ minutes a night in a men’s league. Great puck rusher and has a good release. NHL ETA- 22/23
15. Raphael Lavoie RW - One of the oldest players in the draft Lavoie is a power forward who has an excellent shot and good speed. NHL ETA - 20/21
16. Pavel Dorofeyev W - 2000 born Russian winger who can put the puck in the net any way you like, but can also make plays. NHL ETA - 22/23
17. Bobby Brink RW - Ultra skilled American who is scoring at a really good clip in the USHL. Skating could use some work. NHL ETA -22/23
18. Arthur Kaliyev W - 50+ goals and 100+ points dosen’t come around often from a draft eligible so regardless of what people think of his compete level and defensive play he still has all the other tools to be an NHL player. NHL ETA- 20/21
19. Philip Tomasino C/RW - Fantastic skating centre who has played great with Niagara after seeing his role increased. NHL ETA- 21/22
20. Nils Hoglander W - Small high tempo swede with filthy mitts who plays much bigger then his height would suggest. NHL ETA- 21/22
21. Connor McMichael C - Another really good prospect from the Knights. McMichael is good skater with good puck skills, determination and a plus shot. Going to need to work on getting stronger but he might not be far away from playing. NHL ETA- 21/22
22. Spencer Knight G - Size, athleticism and good positioning. possibly the best goalie prospect since Carey Price? NHL ETA - 23/24
23. Moritz Seider RD - Huge physical D who moves the puck well and has a solid shot. Skating is a little awkward though his top end speed is good. Could use some work in his own zone. NHL ETA - 22/23
24. Thomas Harley LD - A great skating dman with great offensive skills all in 6’3 frame which has some comparing him to Thomas Chabot. NHL ETA - 22/23
25. Samuel Poulin LW - Good size and great puck protection skills, above average shot. Reminds me of Draisaitl in terms of play style. NHL ETA- 21/22
26. Ville Heinola LD - Puck moving defenceman with great skating technique and poise which often freezes opposition players. NHL ETA- 22/23
27. Cole Caufield RW - Extremely small winger who set the record for goals scored in the USDP, doubts about whether he has enough in his game past the goal scoring to place him in a NHL top 6. NHL ETA -23/24
28. Ryan Suzuki C - small skilled forward with great hands and playmaking ability but only an average skater. NHL ETA - 22/23
29. Jakob Pelletier C/LW - Speed, elusiveness and compete level are Pelletier’s best attributes, resulting in him scoring a lot from in tight. Shot is not strong so he’ll need to work on that to make the next level. NHL ETA- 22/23
30. Matthew Robertson LD - Phisical and steady defenceman who will also chip in a bit of offense while also skating well enough to make the next level. NHL ETA- 22/23
31. Lassi Thomson RD - Mobile Finnish D playing for the defence factory in Kelowna. Good puck moving and heavy shot. NHL ETA - 22/23
32. Ilya Nikolayev C - Skilled centre who handles and passes the puck well and has high hockey sense. Models his game off of Patrice Bergeron NHL ETA- 22/23
33. Yegor Spirdonov C - Great two way centre who battles hard and has shown that he can play with talent. Project. NHL ETA - 23/24
34. Vladislav Kolyachonok LD - Dman with great mobility and really good hockey sense. Put up good numbers for a really bad Flint team and continued the good play with 5 point is 5 games at the U-18’s. NHL ETA- 22/23
35. Brett Leason C/RW - Overager in his final season of Junior put up 89 points in 55 games and made the Canadian WJC team were he played well in a secondary role. Close to NHL ready. NHL ETA - 20-21
36. Simon Holmstrom W - Strong skater with great hands and vision. Could use some work in the goal scoring department. Solid Junior season and U-18s should be a full time SHL Forward next season. NHL ETA- 22/23
37. Jaimeson Rees C/LW - Skating and a insane work ethic are his calling card. Even though he’s a bit undersized he is extremely physical and gets into every battle. NHL ETA 22/23
38. Tobias Bjornfot LD - A two way defender who skates well and makes smart plays in all zones. He will certainly have to improve his offense to take the next step in his game. NHL ETA - 23/24
39. Nathan Legare C - RHC with a very good shot and solid passing ability. Put up fantastic numbers in the QMJHL this season. Needs to work on his skating as it’s just average.NHL ETA - 23/24
40. Artemi Knyazev LD - Dynamic offensive D who commands the game with his excellent mobility and puck moving ability.

Don’t know if this is my final list quite yet but it’s pretty damn close to set. Give me your thoughts. What do you guys like and not like about it?

Not bad. Having Kaliyev over Caufield ..especially by that much is a headscracther bit each to their own

 

[Raab]

Are you referring to an additional season of play for Draisaitl in Germany? Because they both played 2 full seasons in the WHL before being drafted (and Dach actually played 1/3 of another season as well). I'm not convinced that an extra season in Germany would account for the 32 more points Draisaitl had in his draft year.

Don't get me wrong - I am high on Dach. But Draisaitl is probably a top-15 forward in the NHL. I don't think it's a fair comparison at this stage.

If Dach puts up 100+ points in the WHL next season, then it might be fair to compare the two players.

I really don’t understand the Dach Draisaitl comparisons. If you watched them play, ones built like a tank, who’s only issue was skating problems. The other is scrawny and can skate decent although looks unorthodox due to his height. Dach should be compared to a guy like Wheeler as that’s his best case scenario IMO. Although with that wrister he may score more. His release is so quick it’s unbelievable.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Not bad. Having Kaliyev over Caufield ..especially by that much is a headscracther bit each to their own

I have a post on it a couple after it for why, it’s an Obvious choice for me.

 

[CycloneSweep]

I have a post on it a couple after it for why, it’s an Obvious choice for me.

I saw your reasoning and disagree entirely. Kaliyev has tons of issues with his games and his goal and assist output is a lot less impressive than what Caufield did in his league.

They both have huge question marks but Kaliyevs game reminds me so much of Yakupovs. Good chance he is never an NHL player.

 

[Stud Muffin]

I saw your reasoning and disagree entirely. Kaliyev has tons of issues with his games and his goal and assist output is a lot less impressive than what Caufield did in his league.

They both have huge question marks but Kaliyevs game reminds me so much of Yakupovs. Good chance he is never an NHL player.

In what way is Caufield’s more impressive? He’s in a lesser league and had a lot more help.

 

[CycloneSweep]

In what way is Caufield’s more impressive? He’s in a lesser league and had a lot more help.

Lesser league? The a lot more help sure, but it's not a lesser league.

Also what he did at the u18s was incredibly impressive. You might be the only person I have seen with Caufield that low and the only one that has Kaliyev over him.

Kaliyev is Yakupovs 2.0

Either way i think both have a long shot to the NHL but Kaliyevs game is real bad outside of goal scoring. Caufields only knock is size.

Edit: Either way it doesn't matter as its all opinion. I do think there is a 100% chance Caufield is picked before him.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Lesser league? The a lot more help sure, but it's not a lesser league.

Also what he did at the u18s was incredibly impressive. You might be the only person I have seen with Caufield that low and the only one that has Kaliyev over him.

Kaliyev is Yakupovs 2.0

Either way i think both have a long shot to the NHL but Kaliyevs game is real bad outside of goal scoring. Caufields only knock is size.

Edit: Either way it doesn't matter as its all opinion. I do think there is a 100% chance Caufield is picked before him.

I have Caufield ahead of kaliyev, but the USHL absolutely is a lesser league than the OHL

And kaliyev is a much better play maker. There’s a lot more knocks to Caufield than just his size. He plays on an all star team and to only put up assist totals like that?

 

[nafrelio]

I haven't seen much of Kaliyev, but seeing Caufield, I don't think vision, passing, playmaking is a weakness at all. To my eye, he looks very dynamic in those respects. He's just got such an amazing shot and he plays with an elite playmaker that we don't see it as often.

 

[Zaddy]

I have Caufield ahead of kaliyev, but the USHL absolutely is a lesser league than the OHL

The NTDP also plays a lot of college teams, which is a lot harder competition than OHL. The U17 team plays more games in the USHL than the U18 team.

And kaliyev is a much better play maker. There’s a lot more knocks to Caufield than just his size. He plays on an all star team and to only put up assist totals like that?

Huh? The guy scored 72 goals in 64 games and was 2nd in points on the NTDP behind only Jack Hughes (13 points ahead of Zegras). Very weird to critique him for not having big enough assist totals when his goal totals are so incredibly high. To put it into perspective: Caufield scored 72 goals, the next closest to him in goals on his team was Jack Hughes with 34 goals. Caufield had over twice as many goals than the 2nd guy on his team...

 

[CornKicker]

The NTDP also plays a lot of college teams, which is a lot harder competition than OHL. The U17 team plays more games in the USHL than the U18 team.



Huh? The guy scored 72 goals in 64 games and was 2nd in points on the NTDP behind only Jack Hughes (13 points ahead of Zegras). Very weird to critique him for not having big enough assist totals when his goal totals are so incredibly high. To put it into perspective: Caufield scored 72 goals, the next closest to him in goals on his team was Jack Hughes with 34 goals. Caufield had over twice as many goals than the 2nd guy on his team...

so what you are saying is hes a puck hog
- hfoilers

 

[Tobias Kahun]

The NTDP also plays a lot of college teams, which is a lot harder competition than OHL. The U17 team plays more games in the USHL than the U18 team.



Huh? The guy scored 72 goals in 64 games and was 2nd in points on the NTDP behind only Jack Hughes (13 points ahead of Zegras). Very weird to critique him for not having big enough assist totals when his goal totals are so incredibly high. To put it into perspective: Caufield scored 72 goals, the next closest to him in goals on his team was Jack Hughes with 34 goals. Caufield had over twice as many goals than the 2nd guy on his team...

Surprised he’s not going first then with stats like that.

 

[Zaddy]

Surprised he’s not going first then with stats like that.

What an odd response.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Surprised he’s not going first then with stats like that.

His size is why he isn't higher ranked.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

What an odd response.

You don’t think there’s holes in his game beyond just his size?

 

[Tobias Kahun]

His size is why he isn't higher ranked.

And because he’s not a perfect player.

 

[ProspectsSTC]

Lesser league? The a lot more help sure, but it's not a lesser league.

Also what he did at the u18s was incredibly impressive. You might be the only person I have seen with Caufield that low and the only one that has Kaliyev over him.

Kaliyev is Yakupovs 2.0

Either way i think both have a long shot to the NHL but Kaliyevs game is real bad outside of goal scoring. Caufields only knock is size.

Edit: Either way it doesn't matter as its all opinion. I do think there is a 100% chance Caufield is picked before him.

Kaliyev couldn't play less like Yakupov if he tried, and I'm not even a big Kaliyev fan (give me Caufield 8 days a week).

 

[Stud Muffin]

Kaliyev couldn't play less like Yakupov if he tried, and I'm not even a big Kaliyev fan (give me Caufield 8 days a week).

Ya that comparison reeks of just assuming a guy with a Russian name plays in the OHL must be like Yak

 

[McDNicks17]

I'm also in the Kaliyev > Caufield camp.

Similar goalscoring, but better playmaking, puck-carrying and puck protection.

All the "red flags" in Kaliyev's game show up in Caufield's too, but like I've said, there's an issue with perception because they aren't seen as red flags for Caufield because no one expects a 5'6'' player to do what they think a 6'2'' player should.