Prospect Info: 2019 Draft

[Canes]

I am a big proponent of drafting a goalie every single year. Why not. Rounds 4 through 7, just get someone new in the fold.

Regarding the goalies we already have, it’s still impossible to say. Goalies are so, so weird. Jonathan Quick was in the ECHL at 22. Jack Campbell may now finally be an NHL regular at 27. To me, the tremendous unpredictability is a great reason to just keep throwing darts every year.

Just from some real quick research, it seems like the vast majority of NHL goalies are taken within the top 100 picks. There's a handful or two of guys drafted later or UDFAs though.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

Just from some real quick research, it seems like the vast majority of NHL goalies are taken within the top 100 picks. There's a handful or two of guys drafted later or UDFAs though.

In the latest stats I had seen it was actually far more likely to find a quality starting goaltender in the lower rounds than a top 6 forward or top 4 dman. I had this discussion last offseason and went through every starting goalie and found a ton in the bottom rounds.

Off the top of my head, Lundqvist, Quick, Murray, Andersen (the first time), Rinne, Holtby, Bishop, Bobrovsky, and Hellebuyck are all 3rd round or later (or undrafted). I’m all for using a 2nd (preferably our own) or 3rd rounder on a goalie, but there’s enough examples of starting goalies from the lower rounds in the league that I’m also comfortable throwing our arms in the air, proclaiming that goalies are voodoo, and selecting our favorite late rounder every year.

 

[emptyNedder]

I looked at 2008, 2009, and 2010 drafts:
Goalies picked in in 1st or 2nd round: 10
Goalies picked in 1st or 2nd round in NHL: 4 (the best of the bunch is Markstrom or Lehner based on this year)
Goalies picked in rounds 3-7: 57
Goalies in the NHL: 11 (the best are Holtby picked in the 4th, Grubauer picked in the 4th, Mrazek picked in the 5th, and F. Anderson picked in the 7th).

The odds are twice as high in the 1st and 2nd rounds, but for these 3 drafts the quality was from the later rounds.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Maybe a dumb question, but do the Canes have an amateur "goalie scout"? Goaltending is so different than the rest of the positions that I would think having a specific goalie scout is key.

Here are their scouts
Tony MacDonald - Director of scouting
Sheldon Ferguson - Head North American Scout
Robert Kron - Head European Scout

Amateur Scouts:
Bob Luccini
Bert Marshall
Don Elland
Rob Beatty
Mike Dawson
Daniel Eklund
Joby Messier
Ville Virta

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Maybe a dumb question, but do the Canes have an amateur "goalie scout"? Goaltending is so different than the rest of the positions that I would think having a specific goalie scout is key.

Here are their scouts
Tony MacDonald - Director of scouting
Sheldon Ferguson - Head North American Scout
Robert Kron - Head European Scout

Amateur Scouts:
Bob Luccini
Bert Marshall
Don Elland
Rob Beatty
Mike Dawson
Daniel Eklund
Joby Messier
Ville Virta

It used to be Greg Stefan, I’m fairly certain. He also worked briefly as a goalie coach for us but went back to scouting when he was dismissed from that role.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

It used to be Greg Stefan, I’m fairly certain. He also worked briefly as a goalie coach for us but went back to scouting when he was dismissed from that role.

I know he went back to be a goaltending coach in Flint so not sure if we have anyone right now.

 

[emptyNedder]

Goaltending is so different than the rest of the positions that I would think having a specific goalie scout is key.

I have no experience playing as a goalie--so my perspective is purely as a thought exercise.
It appears that goalie development is a much longer process. I take that to mean it is not nearly as important to get the right talent as to get a player who has the physical attributes and can be taught. With Bales the Canes have one of the best coaches at the NHL level--and the coaches working with goalies in Charlotte and Florida are doing well. For me the priority of development over raw skill again shifts the balance toward using later round picks.

 

[NotOpie]

Tough crowd.
Ned = AHL goalie of the year.
Helvig = ECHL goalie of the month of March due to 3 shutouts in 4 games.
Booth = 7 games (6-1) 1.14 GAA and .960 in ECHL playoffs.

I still suggested picking two goalies in the coming draft due to the "darts" concept. But I am not sure spending a second on a goalie makes sense because with goalies there are as many bullseyes in the 5th as the 2nd.

We all probably agree that goalies are voodoo. Some of the best have come in the later rounds, but there are good Top 50 pick goalies as well. All that said, I say just keep throwing darts from the 3rd round on. There are some very solid guys ranked in the 100 - 150 range - Dustin Wolf, Isaiah Saville, Roope Taponen, and Trent Miner.

Also, everybody seems to forget about our friend Jake Kucharski, who bombed out pretty bad in the USHL but is getting a pretty nice shot at redemption at Providence College.

Finally, Nedeljkovic, Booth, and Helvig are three pretty solid guys to have under development right now. I'm less concerned than I once was.

 

[spockBokk]

Really good read on a guy likely available with 1 of the team’s 3 2nds this year:



(Man, does it feel weird to not be intimately knowledgeable about the top 15 draft prospects this year...)

 

[Navin R Slavin]

We all probably agree that goalies are voodoo. Some of the best have come in the later rounds, but there are good Top 50 pick goalies as well. All that said, I say just keep throwing darts from the 3rd round on. There are some very solid guys ranked in the 100 - 150 range - Dustin Wolf, Isaiah Saville, Roope Taponen, and Trent Miner.

Also, everybody seems to forget about our friend Jake Kucharski, who bombed out pretty bad in the USHL but is getting a pretty nice shot at redemption at Providence College.

Finally, Nedeljkovic, Booth, and Helvig are three pretty solid guys to have under development right now. I'm less concerned than I once was.

Koooooooch

 

[Unsustainable]

So 28th? Who we taken?

 

[GoldiFox]

So 28th? Who we taken?

I have a feeling that a couple or all of the #28, #36, #37 picks will be off the board.

Last Canes picks in that range (versus Bob McKenzie Rankings)

Player	Ranking	Taken	Diff
Drury	65 (3rd)	42 (2nd)	-23
Loustarinen	56 (2nd)	42 (2nd)	-14
Martin	69 (3rd)	52 (2nd)	-17
Kuokkanen	43 (2nd)	43 (2nd)	0
Aho	75+ (HM - 3rd)	35 (2nd)	-40

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Canes trusting their scouts and picking guys generally ranked 15+ picks beyond their slot. Canes appear to put a premium on motor and 3-zone ability.

Trying to prematurely stave off my initial disappointment when a mid-1st ranked guy like Kaliev falls and the Canes opt to take Robert Mastrosimone out of the USHL instead.

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

So 28th? Who we taken?

I like LW Foote. Solid pedigree and plays a smart game. Seems like a very safe pick to get value out of the 28th pick.

 

[My Special Purpose]

So 28th? Who we taken?

Still could be 29th, right? If San Jose wins the West, St. Louis finished behind us and gets 28th.

BTWs, how's this for a bad break. As part of the Montour trade, ANA got to choose between the Blues first rounder (BUF acquired in the Ryan O'Reilly deal) or the Sharks first rounder (BUF acquired in Evander Kane deal). They had to feel good since *anything* other than a SJS/STL conference final got them a mid-first rounder.

 

[The Jerk Store]

Connor McMichael

 

[DaveG]

I have a feeling that a couple or all of the #28, #36, #37 picks will be off the board.

Last Canes picks in that range (versus Bob McKenzie Rankings)

Player	Ranking	Taken	Diff
Drury	65 (3rd)	42 (2nd)	-23
Loustarinen	56 (2nd)	42 (2nd)	-14
Martin	69 (3rd)	52 (2nd)	-17
Kuokkanen	43 (2nd)	43 (2nd)	0
Aho	75+ (HM - 3rd)	35 (2nd)	-40

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Canes trusting their scouts and picking guys generally ranked 15+ picks beyond their slot. Canes appear to put a premium on motor and 3-zone ability.

Trying to prematurely stave off my initial disappointment when a mid-1st ranked guy like Kaliev falls and the Canes opt to take Robert Mastrosimone out of the USHL instead.

He would be an outstanding pick. Though yeah if we take him over say Kaliev, yeah that's even going to cause me to go full on wtf mode

 

[GoldiFox]

He would be an outstanding pick. Though yeah if we take him over say Kaliev, yeah that's even going to cause me to go full on wtf mode

Just looking at the list there are a ton of forwards that fall into the "High upside with questions (size, buried on team, Euro pro with limited play time, injury, lesser competition, etc.)" category.

Tomasino, Suzuki, Brink, McMichael, Pelletier, Leason, Hoglander, Beecher, Afanasyev, Grewe, Puistola, Teply, Cajkovic, Rees, Legare, Mastrosimone, Aaltonen, etc.

Could go through each and probably make a case for #28 down to #59. I'm excited to see what the Canes come out with. 4 picks that could add a lot of talent to the pipeline.

 

[GoldiFox]

Pronman released his final rankings.
Pronman's 2019 NHL Draft Board: Top 107 prospects

One that caught my eye who I hadn't seen:

#57 - Tuukka Tieksola, RW, Karpat-Jr. A Liiga
June 22, 2001 | 5-foot-10 | 157 pounds

Tieksola was a riser this season, from not being on the Finnish U18 team in the summer to becoming one of the best players at their junior level and the Finnish U18 team. He’s an exciting playmaker with an intriguing offensive toolkit. Tieksola can make plays and do so at a quick pace. He’s fast. He can flash high-end speed, but it’s not consistent. He uses edges to create separation well and makes plays while moving. His combination of speed and edge work make him very difficult to check. He’s got high-end vision, with the ability to hit seam passes routinely and run a power play due to his vision, skill and decision making. Tieksola is a small, slight winger, which might limit him versus men. He’s not overly physical, but he competes OK for pucks. There may not be top-six NHL talent in his game, but there are legitimate tools that could translate with good development.

Out of Karpat and sounds a lot like Aho's draft profile. More of an unknown quantity spending all of last year in Karpat Jrs.

Pronman was the only draft ranking to have Sebastian Aho in his top-30 at the 2015 NHL draft. The guy can recognize skill among the best of them.

 

[GoldiFox]

I have a feeling that a couple or all of the #28, #36, #37 picks will be off the board.

Last Canes picks in that range (versus Bob McKenzie Rankings)

Player	Ranking	Taken	Diff
Drury	65 (3rd)	42 (2nd)	-23
Loustarinen	56 (2nd)	42 (2nd)	-14
Martin	69 (3rd)	52 (2nd)	-17
Kuokkanen	43 (2nd)	43 (2nd)	0
Aho	75+ (HM - 3rd)	35 (2nd)	-40

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Canes trusting their scouts and picking guys generally ranked 15+ picks beyond their slot. Canes appear to put a premium on motor and 3-zone ability.

Trying to prematurely stave off my initial disappointment when a mid-1st ranked guy like Kaliev falls and the Canes opt to take Robert Mastrosimone out of the USHL instead.

I try to make a joke about Mastrosimone being reached for in the 1st and then Pronman ranks him at #26. I named him originally as he is a consensus 2nd/3rd round guy who sounds exactly like someone the Canes would pick. Every report talks about his compete level.

#26 - Robert Mastrosimone, LW, Chicago-USHL
Jan. 24, 2001 | 5-foot-10 | 170 pounds

Mastrosimone had a fantastic 16-year-old season in the USHL, following it up with a good 17-year-old season as one of the best wingers in the USHL and a great postseason. He also performed well in international events. I love his skill level and hockey sense. When Mastrosimone has the puck, he’s looking to make a play. He always had the high-level creativity and offensive instincts, and as the season went along his playmaking developed into a real weapon. He can set up his teammates, but he also has a hard, accurate shot and can score from a distance. He’s small but competes well and gives it his all each shift. His main issue is his skating. For a small player, he lacks a true separation gear, and his technique isn’t the best. He flashes average speed but not consistently. His production may not have been fantastic for a U18 in the USHL, but I’m a big believer in the skill level.
Chicago Steel coach Greg Moore on Mastrosimone: “He’s got a great compete level. He empties the tank every night. He has a knack for creating. He also has an unbelievable shot.”

 

[emptyNedder]

#26 - Robert Mastrosimone, LW, Chicago-USHL
Jan. 24, 2001 | 5-foot-10 | 170 pounds

I haven't seen any video of Mastrosimone. However, if the Canes are going to go for a smallish high-motor forward at 28 I have liked what I have seen from both Pelletier and Hoglander.

The truth is looking at the last 8 drafts anything after about 12 looks mostly random. We could end up with a Rakell/Teravainen/Konecny or a Gaunce/Ho-Sang.

 

[Cane mutiny]

Dorofeyev, Tomasino and Puistola interest me the most of those most probably in our range.

 

[Lempo]

Ha, read a Finn media article worrying about if Kakko can manage to make it to the Combine. It starts on Monday, but Kakko will still on Sunday be playing in either of the WHC medal games, and there's the travel and he needs to pass a physical before he can participate in the tests.

As if they really are gonna be like: sorry dude, you're too late, can't have you here, you shouldn't have been playing the men's international tournament to the final day of it when you got a Draft Combine.

 

[Cardiac Jerks]

Ha, read a Finn media article worrying about if Kakko can manage to make it to the Combine. It starts on Monday, but Kakko will still on Sunday be playing in either of the WHC medal games, and there's the travel and he needs to pass a physical before he can participate in the tests.

As if they really are gonna be like: sorry dude, you're too late, can't have you here, you shouldn't have been playing the men's international tournament to the final day of it when you got a Draft Combine.

It’s not uncommon for top guys who have played a lot of games to only partially participate in the combine.

What more can he possibly prove?

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

Wonder if the Canes can find another gem like the last time they picked in the late 20s range of the first round.

 

[KILLger]

Wonder if the Canes can find another gem like the last time they picked in the late 20s range of the first round.

You are referring to Philippe Paradis?