2019 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[tooji]

I always wondered why there wasn't a Canada team, I wonder if its because the CHL team have too much power there ? It would either mean 3 teams, one team that plays the three leagues or a single league that is unified or what ever.

Probably because the overall talent pool of US high school and Junior leagues is much worse than CHL so they think the best shot to develop these guys is to keep them together. CHL would throw a fit if all the best guys were stuck on one team.

 

[Anardil]

I always wondered why there wasn't a Canada team, I wonder if its because the CHL team have too much power there ? It would either mean 3 teams, one team that plays the three leagues or a single league that is unified or what ever.

The answer is simple. The CHL would never stand for it. Imagine the CHL losing all it's top potential talent to a Canadian NTDP. It would be the death of the CHL.

 

[NotProkofievian]

The answer is simple. The CHL would never stand for it. Imagine the CHL losing all it's top potential talent to a Canadian NTDP. It would be the death of the CHL.

 

[Anardil]

Listen, I'm all for improving Canadian junior hockey, but a National team is not a necessity in Canada, to ensure that it's juniors remain dominant on the World Stage. Tweaking the formula is always positive. Killing the CHL is not required.

 

[Habs76]

I'm gonna look into this CHL vs. KHL argument. Seems like no one has any actual numbers as to which side produces better players, just a lot of examples of players who didn't turn out and who did (which you can find for any league).

 

[Habs76]

Also a Canadian NTDP wouldn't work. Where do these kids go after they're 18? In the U.S., they usually go off to college after they're done with the Program or spend one season in the USHL in between their U18 season and college. My point is, why steal these kids away from their CHL clubs for a few years? To give them a few games versus USports teams? If that's what you're looking for, why not just organize a series where they handpick the top U-18 CHL talent and give them games versus UNB, University of Alberta, etc.? No need to run the smaller teams like Bathurst, Swift Current even further into the ground. It's a business after all.

 

[Andrei79]

Also a Canadian NTDP wouldn't work. Where do these kids go after they're 18? In the U.S., they usually go off to college after they're done with the Program or spend one season in the USHL in between their U18 season and college. My point is, why steal these kids away from their CHL clubs for a few years? To give them a few games versus USports teams? If that's what you're looking for, why not just organize a series where they handpick the top U-18 CHL talent and give them games versus UNB, University of Alberta, etc.? No need to run the smaller teams like Bathurst, Swift Current even further into the ground. It's a business after all.

That last sentence is where the real issue lies. If your business relies on slave labor to survive errr "amateur student athletes", then we should probably take a look at its viability and if it truly optimizes its "goal" of developing the best hockey players.

 

[Habs76]

That last sentence is where the real issue lies. If your business relies on slave labor to survive errr "amateur student athletes", then we should probably take a look at its viability and if it truly optimizes its "goal" of developing the best hockey players.

Slave labour? No one is forcing them to play in the CHL, they choose to do that themselves. Sure, there's a few businessmen and team owners out there profiting off them, but these kids are getting something out of it too. They get a chance to develop and prepare for higher levels of play, and are able to do for free what other kids their age pay good money to do, and also get one free year of tuition for each season they play in the CHL, which is great compensation.

 

[Gravity]

Top 2 C is not good enough. This team needs a #1C or else we'll be right back were we have been for the past 25 years... good but not good enough. Next year's draft is loaded with centers. Do we draft another center if we draft high again next year?

Don't worry, Jack Hughes or Alex Newhook to the rescue.

 

[Gravity]

Are there any comparisons between Newhook and Turris ? Does Newhook project significantly better ?

 

[TheBuriedHab]

Don't worry, Jack Hughes or Alex Newhook to the rescue.

Alex Turcotte

 

[Habs76]

Are there any comparisons between Newhook and Turris ? Does Newhook project significantly better ?

Statistically,
Newhook D-1: 1.47 PPG
Turris D-1: 1.26 PPG

Not sure how much the BCHL has improved, or worsened since Turris's days.

 

[Habs76]

Alex Turcotte

Kirby Dach

 

[Gravity]

Statistically,
Newhook D-1: 1.47 PPG
Turris D-1: 1.26 PPG

Not sure how much the BCHL has improved, or worsened since Turris's days.

Thanks for the info. In case the Habs get him, I'm hoping for a better player than Turris.

 

[Habs76]

Thanks for the info. In case the Habs get him, I'm hoping for a better player than Turris.

Yet another comparable- Tyson Jost was 0.98 PPG in his D-1

 

[NotProkofievian]

Also a Canadian NTDP wouldn't work. Where do these kids go after they're 18? In the U.S., they usually go off to college after they're done with the Program or spend one season in the USHL in between their U18 season and college. My point is, why steal these kids away from their CHL clubs for a few years? To give them a few games versus USports teams? If that's what you're looking for, why not just organize a series where they handpick the top U-18 CHL talent and give them games versus UNB, University of Alberta, etc.? No need to run the smaller teams like Bathurst, Swift Current even further into the ground. It's a business after all.

The overall point would be to regain Canadian hockey dominance at the Junior levels, and maintain it at the senior level. I think the CHL is no longer a good model to do this, so I wouldn't mind seeing it go the way of the dodo bird.

The CHL can always become an honest to goodness pro league. Oh, but then they'd have to pay their players.

 

[Habs76]

The overall point would be to regain Canadian hockey dominance at the Junior levels, and maintain it at the senior level. I think the CHL is no longer a good model to do this, so I wouldn't mind seeing it go the way of the dodo bird.

The CHL can always become an honest to goodness pro league. Oh, but then they'd have to pay their players.

Yeah, the CHL isn't working like it once was. Could just be a result of other countries catching up to us though, not us slowing down. I really like how the US development program is set up with the NCAA, giving kids the opportunity to play against older competition soon after being drafted.

Anyways, I can't imagine the NTDP would work here, we just have too many good players. It works well in the U.S., and I also think it's done wonders in Belarus and looks to be having some good results in Slovakia, but Canadian hockey needs a whole league to support the huge talent pool.

I think countries around the world should look at what Finland is doing. A country with a mere 5,500,000 people, but they know how to develop hockey players. Swedish hockey development seems similar as well. Teach skills first, then all those "intangibles" second. I like how there are junior systems for each area, so the same kids will play with and against eachother the whole way up. I also like how it's actually the best players making each team. A 15-year-old isn't held off a U-18 team because he's young.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Yeah, the CHL isn't working like it once was. Could just be a result of other countries catching up to us though, not us slowing down. I really like how the US development program is set up with the NCAA, giving kids the opportunity to play against older competition soon after being drafted.

They even get to play against NCAA kids before being drafted. If pressed on it, I would say this is what I don't like about the CHL. Unless a kid is exceptional enough to make the jump to the NHL directly before his CHL obligations are fulfilled, it forces a kid to play at the exact same level for 4 years. That's just stupid. Every other hockey nation can provide their kids varying levels of play throughout their development, even within a given season. Somehow Canada is the only country who has their prospects chained to relatively small time business interests.

Anyways, I can't imagine the NTDP would work here, we just have too many good players. It works well in the U.S., and I also think it's done wonders in Belarus and looks to be having some good results in Slovakia, but Canadian hockey needs a whole league to support the huge talent pool.

I think countries around the world should look at what Finland is doing. A country with a mere 5,500,000 people, but they know how to develop hockey players. Swedish hockey development seems similar as well. Teach skills first, then all those "intangibles" second. I like how there are junior systems for each area, so the same kids will play with and against eachother the whole way up. I also like how it's actually the best players making each team. A 15-year-old isn't held off a U-18 team because he's young.

I think Finland sort of has a de facto national training and development program. First, they participate in way more international friendlies than Canada does. For example, Jesperi played in at least 24 international games last season between all his tournaments (not sure if U18 interational all includes the U18s). Ty Dellandrea played 10. Barrett Hayton played 5. If you read what the really tuned in finnish posters like @FinPanda say about their national teams they paint a picture like each birth year is an ongoing national project. They were saying that ''this U18 team,'' as in the one that won gold, didn't win a single game at the U16s or something, and therefore nothing was expected of them, but as time went on it improved.

I really don't get that impression from our national program. It really feels like ''right then, whoever's doing good in the CHL at the moment, go fetch us a gold medal. Except those who are in the playoffs, daddy needs some more revenue.''

 

[Habs76]

They even get to play against NCAA kids before being drafted. If pressed on it, I would say this is what I don't like about the CHL. Unless a kid is exceptional enough to make the jump to the NHL directly before his CHL obligations are fulfilled, it forces a kid to play at the exact same level for 4 years. That's just stupid. Every other hockey nation can provide their kids varying levels of play throughout their development, even within a given season. Somehow Canada is the only country who has their prospects chained to relatively small time business interests.



I think Finland sort of has a de facto national training and development program. First, they participate in way more international friendlies than Canada does. For example, Jesperi played in at least 24 international games last season between all his tournaments (not sure if U18 interational all includes the U18s). Ty Dellandrea played 10. Barrett Hayton played 5. If you read what the really tuned in finnish posters like @FinPanda say about their national teams they paint a picture like each birth year is an ongoing national project. They were saying that ''this U18 team,'' as in the one that won gold, didn't win a single game at the U16s or something, and therefore nothing was expected of them, but as time went on it improved.

I really don't get that impression from our national program. It really feels like ''right then, whoever's doing good in the CHL at the moment, go fetch us a gold medal. Except those who are in the playoffs, daddy needs some more revenue.''

Yeah- players need to be playing against challenging competition. You don't learn if you can do the same thing over and over again and get the same results, but at a higher level, players need to learn to adapt.

I don't know if we should focus so much on the U18 team though. We have so many great U18 players, that we could make up 2-3 teams filled with prospects who are draft-worthy. For that reason i think it's better to focus on a larger, more spread out league rather than just to ignore 40+ decent prospects each year. Come to think of it, the poster who mentioned dividing the Canadian NTDP into 3 different teams (West, Ontario, East) made some sense

 

[NotProkofievian]

I don't know if we should focus so much on the U18 team though. We have so many great U18 players, that we could make up 2-3 teams filled with prospects who are draft-worthy. For that reason i think it's better to focus on a larger, more spread out league rather than just to ignore 40+ decent prospects each year. Come to think of it, the poster who mentioned dividing the Canadian NTDP into 3 different teams (West, Ontario, East) made some sense

On a purely practical level, at least two teams would be absolutely necessary. Team West, Team East.

But the national program itself doesn't solve Canada's major issue that we discussed: we don't have our own internal development program beyond the U20 level, and our prospects are forced to either play there or the NHL. I think Junior should be Junior should be Junior: forget this big business stuff. If it's such big business make a pro league where Canadian prospects can play the pro game.

 

[Habs76]

On a purely practical level, at least two teams would be absolutely necessary. Team West, Team East.

But the national program itself doesn't solve Canada's major issue that we discussed: we don't have our own internal development program beyond the U20 level, and our prospects are forced to either play there or the NHL. I think Junior should be Junior should be Junior: forget this big business stuff. If it's such big business make a pro league where Canadian prospects can play the pro game.

I agree to an extent on the business bit- but if it doesn't hurt the players, who cares if some folks are making money off it.

I wish USports were a viable option for young players straight out of high school

 

[Habs Halifax]

Don't worry, Jack Hughes or Alex Newhook to the rescue.

Looks like Newhook will play BCHL again next year? I remember the Halifax Mooseheads drafting him two drafts ago already knowing his intentions were to play NCAA but they were trying to convince him to play in the Q. How good is this kid? I'd like to see him play against better competition before I put him in the same sentence with Hughes.

Why is he not playing in Boston College next season? Too young?

 

[sandviper]

Looks like Newhook will play BCHL again next year? I remember the Halifax Mooseheads drafting him two drafts ago already knowing his intentions were to play NCAA but they were trying to convince him to play in the Q. How good is this kid? I'd like to see him play against better competition before I put him in the same sentence with Hughes.

Why is he not playing in Boston College next season? Too young?

Newhook I think is going to go top-10 next draft, possibly top-5. Or, he may regress and be a second rounder, who knows...

Great speed and dynamic playmaker. He is an incredible talent based on the highlight reels I've seen, but concede anyone can look great in those videos. However, based on scouting reports, my completely unprofessional opinion is warranted.

I know if he plays for Halifax, he loses NCAA eligibility. As to playing in the BCHL, he remains NCAA eligible, but as to why not Boston U this year, maybe it's an age thing or he hasn't finished his application process.

 

[G0bias]

I know if he plays for Halifax, he loses NCAA eligibility. As to playing in the BCHL, he remains NCAA eligible, but as to why not Boston U this year, maybe it's an age thing or he hasn't finished his application process.

Yep. He needed to fast-track through high school, like Poehling did, in order to play NCAA a year earlier.
Which would've been really fun to see had he gotten the chance to play with Wahlstrom at Boston College.

 

[Gravity]

Looks like Newhook will play BCHL again next year? I remember the Halifax Mooseheads drafting him two drafts ago already knowing his intentions were to play NCAA but they were trying to convince him to play in the Q. How good is this kid? I'd like to see him play against better competition before I put him in the same sentence with Hughes.

Why is he not playing in Boston College next season? Too young?

He's not in the same conversation as Hughes. He's a back up consolation prize for Hughes.