Prospect Info: 2019 NHL Entry Draft Part I

[My3Sons]

I'd take you on in my MazdaSpeed 6 that I've tweaked but it's getting old, I'M getting old, and I'm a bad driver

When I first got the car our senior partner was a big car guy but tended to drive big engined heavy luxury cars like E class Mercedes or maybe 7 series BMW or one of those beautiful but flawed Jaguar convertibles. He used to chirp at me about the WRX and eventually I said I’d race him and he can pick any car he wants but I get to pick the course. I forget what the stakes were but I probably suggested something big because I was annoyed. He never took me up on the challenge.

Despite my having driven a number of performance cars I always had a concern I’d wreck the car. I would test every car wish high speed interstate jaunt with my oldest son and once got onto a contactor dirt road with the WRX. That was insane. My wife who has no conscience about flogging a car within an inch of its life would be a better racer than me.

PS - BPA in each round even if that means a goalie

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I think it depends on who picks. Byram is not universally ranked in the top 5 -- I have him ranked higher than anyone I've seen, at #3 overall. The teams which concern me the most are Vancouver and Detroit. Detroit has virtually the same record the Devils do and is desperate for a future top-pairing D. Vancouver is also deep in young forwards and organizationally a bit needy on the blueline (outside of Quinton Hughes, of course), and could be a trade-up candidate.

Let's say the Devils, as suggested, draft 6th. Whomever gets the top two picks are taking Hughes and Kakko, I think we can all agree on that. It is very likely that the next three picks (if NJ, DET, VAN draft later on) are some combination of Podkolzin/Cozens/Dach, all generally ranked above Byram. Also, several teams are likely to have players like Turcotte, Zegras, Boldy and Krebs higher on their draft boards than Byram.

There is a ton of fluidity and all I'm doing is subjectively speculating. That being said, if I'm the Devils, I hang onto a top 7 pick no matter what. Let's face it, Drew Doughty and Seth Jones are not going to be available in trades. I think the Devils should hope Byram falls, but if not I would be thrilled to get a kid like Turcotte or Zegras -- both of whom have dynamic 1C upside.

Agree 100%. It really depends on who's drafting where. I'm also 100% with you with Byram being higher than the other people have him ranked.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Back in the #2 slot. Kakko is ours




For one more day

Edit: #3 slot, numbers are fun.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Back in the #2 slot. Kakko is ours




For one more day

We’re 3. Still have the Kings and Sens below us.

 

[Ripshot 43]

We’re 3. Still have the Kings and Sens below us.

52 is less than 54. 52 is less than 54. 52 is less than 54.

 

[MartyOwns]

@StevenToddIves any thoughts on this guy? second round fodder?

Kniazev moving quickly up ranks as NHL Draft prospect

 

[thethinglonger]

@StevenToddIves any thoughts on this guy? second round fodder?

Kniazev moving quickly up ranks as NHL Draft prospect

Again, can't speak for @StevenToddIves but imo there are a ton of viable players who should be available in the 2nd round. Here's just a few thoughts:
-Billy Constantinou: High potential/relatively high risk defenseman with fantastic skating and mobility. Room to grow in his hockey IQ and decision-making, and could put in more effort in the defensive zone...but his offensive prowess and ability to control the pace of play is undeniable.

-Ville Heinola: All the makings of a modern puck-moving defenseman. Good, not great top-end skating speed. Plays the game at a high speed and makes reads very well.

-Simon Holmstrom: Excellent-skating winger who is almost always involved in the play. Occasionally gets out of position but strikes me as having high potential as a complimentary winger.

-Nolan Foote: Huge power forward who plays a very good North-South game with puck protection, stickhandling, and snarl.

-Ryan Johnson: I keep harping on about this guy, but I would be ecstatic if we snagged him in the 2nd round. Fantastic skating, all around defenseman who is committed to the University of Minnesota for next season. One of my favorite players to watch in this draft class.

 

[DevilsJunkie]

@thethinglonger In the top prospects game I saw Constantinou play on the PK. Granted there are a couple of mitigating factors here. 1. It's the top prospects game so usage isn't necessarily indicative of how a player would be utilized in game situations. And 2., I can't really recall how much he played on the PK.

Still, that would indicate that he has some defensive acumen, yes?

 

[StevenToddIves]

@StevenToddIves any thoughts on this guy? second round fodder?

Kniazev moving quickly up ranks as NHL Draft prospect

Artemi Knyazev is having a terrific season in Chicoutimi. He's a LD with excellent skating/passing/vision, slightly undersized but not too small at (I'd guess) 5'11-180. I'd rank him average to above-average defensively, though he is seen as an offensive-minded D. He's quite smart. What I really like about Knyazev is he seems to have a Brian Leetch-like knack for getting pucks on net through traffic despite not having a particularly hard shot. He has an advanced understanding of the game, and could become a 40+ point D at the NHL level.

I think Knyazev will get a few mentions at the end of the first round, but is more likely to be drafted in the early-to-mid second round. He certainly fits into the Devils philosophy of speed/smarts/compete and will certainly be one of the players on the NJ radar with their second round pick. I personally would not use the Devils early 2nd on him (likely 32-40), because there are D are have ranked slightly higher than Knyazev whom I expect could still be on the board (Lassi Thomson, Alex Vlasic come to mind) and I would also like to use this pick on a C if one falls (John Beecher, Connor McMichael, Philip Tomasino). But if Knyazev falls to the Devils second 2nd rounder (acquired from Nashville in the Boyle trade), he would certainly be worth strong consideration.

I will add that, as much as I like Knyazev's upside, the Devils already have a similar-type player in the fold with far higher upside in Ty Smith. Will Butcher and Jeremy Davies are also comparable on several levels. I agree that BOP is the strongest draft philosophy, but how many left-shooting puck-rushing D does one organization need in the prospect pipeline?

Thanks for bringing up Knyazev, though, he will be a great name for Devils fans (and all NHL fans) to know in the future.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Again, can't speak for @StevenToddIves but imo there are a ton of viable players who should be available in the 2nd round. Here's just a few thoughts:
-Billy Constantinou: High potential/relatively high risk defenseman with fantastic skating and mobility. Room to grow in his hockey IQ and decision-making, and could put in more effort in the defensive zone...but his offensive prowess and ability to control the pace of play is undeniable.

-Ville Heinola: All the makings of a modern puck-moving defenseman. Good, not great top-end skating speed. Plays the game at a high speed and makes reads very well.

-Simon Holmstrom: Excellent-skating winger who is almost always involved in the play. Occasionally gets out of position but strikes me as having high potential as a complimentary winger.

-Nolan Foote: Huge power forward who plays a very good North-South game with puck protection, stickhandling, and snarl.

-Ryan Johnson: I keep harping on about this guy, but I would be ecstatic if we snagged him in the 2nd round. Fantastic skating, all around defenseman who is committed to the University of Minnesota for next season. One of my favorite players to watch in this draft class.

I just want to tell all the Devils fans on this thread that thethinglonger is very, very good at this and you all need to pay more attention to his posts. His constant mentions of intriguing and talented mid-round prospects are informative and well-researched.

 

[Emperoreddy]

It just hit me Ottawa doesn’t have their pick.

 

[Darkauron]

It just hit me Ottawa doesn’t have their pick.

Yep. Colorado is gonna be partying it up with their pick at the draft

 

[BurntToast]

With how many picks the Devils stock piled hypothetically would you rather they use them to move up into top 2/3 (If the Devils fail to win the lottery) or trade to get a late first?

 

[Ripshot 43]

With how many picks the Devils stock piled hypothetically would you rather they use them to move up into top 2/3 (If the Devils fail to win the lottery) or trade to get a late first?

Top 2-3 100%. We need quality over quantity. Being able to pencil in a 2019 draft pick into our top 6 would be huge for our lineup next year.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

kakko or byram and i will be super happy. like really really happy.

 

[NJDevs26]

i'm still convinced that even if they finish last ottawa wont win the lotto. just my guessing thats all dont think it will look good at all if they did and had to give the pick away

I mean they probably won't win it just based on the odds, but fwiw the NBA didn't have an issue with a good Boston team winning the lotto when they had Brooklyn's pick lol

 

[MartyOwns]

@StevenToddIves @thethinglonger

is byram nhl ready? or does he need some seasoning?

 

[Tretyak 20]

Top 2-3 100%. We need quality over quantity. Being able to pencil in a 2019 draft pick into our top 6 would be huge for our lineup next year.

Definitely. We have a good number of prospects with NHL potential. What we could really use is another star player.

 

[Ripshot 43]

@StevenToddIves

Who do you have lined up for sleeper picks in the 5th round ... of the 2022 draft?

 

[StevenToddIves]

@StevenToddIves

Who do you have lined up for sleeper picks in the 5th round ... of the 2022 draft?

I hear the prospects for the 5th round of 2022 are struggling with freshman algebra right now, but they have some upside in sophomore chemistry.

 

[Nubmer6]

I hear the prospects for the 5th round of 2022 are struggling with freshman algebra right now, but they have some upside in sophomore chemistry.

Yeah, but that's typical for prospects that age. They should develop and grow past that.