Pre-Game Talk: 2019 NHL Draft, Pt. V: Got your ticket? (Mod note in pinned post)
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TruGr1t
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- Jun 26, 2003
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That's basically only been Kuzma. He has a massive crush on Soderstrom and tosses him into all the draft articles despite the fact I've never seen Benning, or anyone from the organization, ever even mention the name.
My guess on the Canucks board (outside of the top 1-4 prospects they won't get):
Zegras
Cozens
Newhook
Boldy
Broberg
Personally i’d want
Zegras
Boldy
Newhook
Zegras is my favorite potentially realistic pick in the draft, but part of me thinks Boldy will be the better player. He was listed at 6’0 just over a year ago and is pushing 6’2 today so he’s had to adjust to a considerable growth spurt this season and has still shown significant improvement in his skating. Given his high-end hands, shot, and hockey IQ, if his feet/legs can catch up the rest of the way he will be an absolute force at this level and a fantastic complement to EP’s game.
y2kcanucks
Le Sex God
I've read conflicting reports about his skating. Some say he's a good skater, others say he's not that good. Because of his size, if he's not a good skater and isn't very slippery, I don't see him having success. With his shot though he could still be useful on the PP.
By the sounds of what you heard on 650 I wouldn't be surprised if they rate Newhook highly. Skating and skill is the name of his game.
Canucks LB
My Favourite, Gone too soon, RIP Luc, We miss you
- Oct 12, 2008
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Yeah, Thanks for that Y2k.
I have received a lot of cool neat information like that, but a lot I can't say for obvious reasons.
But that one I was allowed to mention to you guys.
If I ever get some other cool tidbits ill let you guys know, but other then that I am kinda sworn to secrecy.
y2kcanucks
Le Sex God
What do you think of Cozen vs Dach vs Zegras? I wouldn’t be surprised if one or Cozen or Dach fell in our range. Cozen has the engine and shot vs Dach’s potential and hockey IQ, IMO Dach could be something special given his playoffs.
Bettman Returnz
Why so serious?
Krebs
Zegras
Boldy
Newhook
In that order but really I'd be fine with any of them. Just please no D until the 2nd, assuming no additional 1st pick is acquired. Plenty of intriguing blueliners ranked at around 40.
No to Caufield. Size matters as every discerning long time playoff observer knows and the skating doesn't help.
Don't think the big Canadian WHLers make it past 10 as Button would have it. For better or worse too many pro scouts out there think as I do.
Zegras
Boldy
Newhook
In that order but really I'd be fine with any of them. Just please no D until the 2nd, assuming no additional 1st pick is acquired. Plenty of intriguing blueliners ranked at around 40.
No to Caufield. Size matters as every discerning long time playoff observer knows and the skating doesn't help.
Don't think the big Canadian WHLers make it past 10 as Button would have it. For better or worse too many pro scouts out there think as I do.
Don’t view Cozen’s puck skills being average and he tends to skate himself into a corner a lot as a limit to his potential ( u - 18 this happened a lot)? That being said watching the WHL vs Russia series Cozen was easily the best player.
I’d take Zegras > Dach > Cozens. Wasn’t blown away by Cozens at U18’s and some scouts project him to play wing at the NHL level. Great skater but not great vision or creativity to his game, more a product of his speed + wingspan + heavy shot. Not a terrible prospect and potentially a very good top 6 winger, but not as good as the other two who have much better vision, creativity, and utilization of others on their line. Granted I haven’t watched much of Dach since last summer’s Hlinka but his scouting reports project a better NHL centre than Cozens. Zegras is a passing wizard and possibly the 3rd or 4th most purely skilled forward in this draft. I don’t get why he’s sometimes seen as a faller to 10 but I’ll have my fingers crossed on draft day that it actually happens.
biturbo19
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The thing with Caufield on the PP even, is something that was brought up a fair bit with regard to Wahlstrom last year. A lot of his work, he seems to like to do from a spot that on the Canucks top PP, would essentially be in Brock Boesers lap.
Not a reason to draft a lesser player necessarily, but i think it's at least worth mulling over. If you're thinking the PP is going to be where he really contributes most, especially.
Yeah. I have some real reservations with Dach. There are things to like there, but there's a lot to worry about too. Whether he ends up "falling" or going roughly where people expect, is really just going to come down to whether one of those top drafting teams sees him as a potential Getzlaf and worth the risks or not.
He draws comparisons to guys like Spezza and Draisaitl, but i really haven't seen him consistently dominate the play like those guys did in Jrs. The floating in no-man's-land and standing around puck-watching doesn't inspire a lot of confidence that he's really in control of the play like those guys either. Or that he sees the ice incredibly well as whole. For me, that's one of the biggest things that separates bigger guys with lackluster footspeed between the Spezza and Draisaitls who are able to bring the play to their own speed and use their smarts+anticipation to get to where they need to go...and the less effective big slow guys who in today's NHL, tend to lag behind the play a lot.
Easy to see a big RH Center with nice point totals and think it's an easy slamdunk, and it could well be. But ehhh...there's plenty to be wary of with Dach imo.
Odds seem good it's somebody else's risk to make, before the Canucks pick anyway. But with this draft, i'm not confident of where anyone is going to go past 2.
biturbo19
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I think you just have to decide whether Cozens as a Zibajenad or "less pesty Kesler" type player is worth that Top pick or not. He's probably one of those guys who teams will flirt with moving to the wing at times, but ultimately keep moving him back to Center for his defensive game and size+speed down the middle.
Though for us, i think there's a decent chance any of the forwards we might draft at 10, would be steered toward the wing a bit anyway, with our need for talent to support both Petey and Bo.
In that sort of light, i think you can actually view Cozens and Zegras easy C/W flexibility as a bit of a potential "plus". Whereas Dach...if he doesn't make it as a Top-2 line Center, i have a harder time seeing his game really working as an NHL winger.
True but that is sort of a floor vs ceiling type argument and, within reason, I always believe in prioritizing ceiling since the value of talent (from low->moderate->high->elite) grows exponentially. I also view Cozen’s flaws (vision, creativity, playstyle) as less fixable than Dach’s (consistency, intensity). While Dach’s may ultimately be more “fatal” to having an NHL career at all, I also think it’s much more likely to be “fixable” with time and proper development, whereas I think Cozen’s is more likely to persist regardless of a team’s development efforts.
Just my two cents anyway.
This is probably true, though like I say I don’t think all teams will see Cozens as a Centre at the NHL level. That said, it only takes one team that does ...
Cupless44
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The Iron Goalie
Formally 'OEL for Norris'
I love one of Zegras/Boldy/Newhook/Krebs, and I think it's a safe bet we'll get one of them. Also, I'd love a 2nd 1st to grab one of the mid 1st defensemen (Soderstrom/Sieder/York/Broberg).
Go back to page 12 or so. Lot of people were convinced Benning was prioritizing defenseman ahead of BPA.
DFAC
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- Jan 19, 2008
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Very interesting.
Do you have any guess as to why Broberg wasnt brought in? Do they not like him or do they not expect him to be there when they pick? For all we’re hearing about the Canucks prioritizing speed and skating, this is a bit surprising
lawrence
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biturbo19
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To an extent, maybe it's a floor/ceiling thing, but i don't really believe in that black and white approach. I don't care if a guy has a "4th line grinder floor" with a Top-10 pick, compared to a "total bust". But i think you have to look at players within a realistic spread of potential outcomes. A guy like Cozens still has a serious impact player upside at the top-end of that "limited" ceiling, and probably a bit more focused beam aimed at a Top-6 NHL Forward trajectory. Like, Cozens flaws (vision, creativity, playstyle) just reads like a Ryan Kesler resume. That was huge upside, even if it was often a bit frustrating that there wasn't just a a little bit more vision there.
Dach...like i commented on earlier, i'm not sure his upside is as sky high as some people project, to overshoot Cozens upside. If he was like Draisaitl, i wouldn't give a hoot about the "downside". But i don't see that from Dach in Jrs. The production doesn't back it up. The eye test certainly doesn't back it up for me. The total lack of intensity and pace with Dach are just scratching the surface of issues. It's my questions about the actual vision and awareness of the whole developing play that i'm not sold on. That's not easy to fix.
Contrast: Zegras who i think also has some notable engagement and intensity problems...but i'd easily take him over Dach because of that "upside". I think those issues with Zegras are more easily correctable, because he constantly demonstrates absolutely elite visions and awareness of the ice. Zegras is basically what i think a lot of people want Dach to be...just in a much more compact package.
biturbo19
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If i had to venture a guess, it'd be about the Canucks general inclination to swing for the fences with their 1st pick on particular standout abilities.
Virtanen: elite skater, shooter, hitter.
Boeser: elite shooter, scorer.
Juolevi: elite outlet passer, puck mover.
Pettersson: elite dangler, hockey sense.
Hughes: elite puck mover and PP quarterback.
They've pretty consistently spent their top picks on guys who have identifiable elite traits at the expense of other weaknesses. I'm not sure Broberg really fits that. He's more of a well rounded guy with some weaknesses, who is also tall and a good skater. It doesn't really fit the trend.
It's the same thing that makes me wonder if they're really serious on Krebs.
Canadian Canuck
Hughes4Calder
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