2019 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[Andrei79]

I also expect Lavoie to be a big time riser for the next draft...

Yeah, him and Turcotte.

If Hayton went 5th, can't see them lasting long, either.

If I had to guess, we'll see a 4 centers + Kakko top 5.

 

[The Great Weal]

Anyone know if it's a deep draft for dmen? I want a center with our first but we really do need some good pmd with our 2nds.

 

[yianik]

"The 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on June 21-22 is shaping up to be one for the ages.
... a draft that appears to be chock-full of blue-chip centers": Blue-chip centers highlight 2019 NHL Draft prospects

Funny that. Last year 10 of the first 13 guys picked were centres and 16 went in the 1st round. We loaded up on D.

This year full of D guys and we loaded up at centre.

Curious, no ?

 

[ginomini]

If Lavoie was two weeks older, would he have been picked 5th ahead of Hayton ?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Yeah I'm willing to say that Dach could potentially challenge for the 1st overall pick next season.

He's every bit as skilled as Hughes and he's got that height. Dach reminds me of Malkin when he's going.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Yeah I'm willing to say that Dach could potentially challenge for the 1st overall pick next season.

He's every bit as skilled as Hughes and he's got that height. Dach reminds me of Malkin when he's going.

He does look a lot like a right handed shooting version of Geno when he's skating, same stride and frame. He's more of a pure playmaker than him though, Malkin shoots a ton for a center.

 

[ginomini]

I have not not seen Dach play outside of short highlights.
Why did he only score 7 goals if he is that skilled ?

 

[Goldenhands]

If Lavoie was two weeks older, would he have been picked 5th ahead of Hayton ?

no brainer for me.. was one of the top Canadians players at the u18... I see him as a more skilled Couturier at the same age..

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I have not not seen Dach play outside of short highlights.
Why did he only score 7 goals if he is that skilled ?

It's mostly because of style and mentality, he's a pass first type, he's been this way since bantam. He's got a good wrister though, he could shoot a lot more if he wanted.

 

[Lebowski]

It's mostly because of style and mentality, he's a pass first type, he's been this way since bantam. He's got a good wrister though, he could shoot a lot more if he wanted.

Sounds closer to a Getzlaf than a Malkin.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Sounds closer to a Getzlaf than a Malkin.

A much better skating Getzlaf, sure.

 

[Joey Tavares]

I really want Kaapo Kakko

 

[Geecko]

How would Kotkaniemi stack against the top center prospects of 2019 skill wise and potential wise?

 

[Runner77]

Having too many skilled centers isn’t a problem to me. Like you said, we can move guys to wing, whereas it hasn’t worked out great for us the other way (wings to C).

Dach, Coke and Poehling down the middle though is going to give teams fits to match up against us.

Timmins said exactly that in his post-draft scrum -- he mentioned how Cs have added value and how you can always move them to play wing.

Took what -- 6 years to come to that realization and act upon it? Progress, I suppose.

 

[Habby Patty]

Anyone know if it's a deep draft for dmen? I want a center with our first but we really do need some good pmd with our 2nds.

There is Bowen Byram. 6' LD with a pretty cool name. Has a nice clapper and his skating is pretty fluid. Bjornfoot is another top LD although I don't know much about him.

 

[yianik]

I posted the following results elsewhere but know this thread draws a bit different crowd.

I looked at the Drafts between 2003 to 2008, 6 drafts, and the success of picking top 6 Cs ( about 50 points plus ). I looked at players listed as a C.

1st round: 19/40
2nd round: 8/38
3rd round: 1/43
4th round. 1/38

My thinking is that NHL scouts are efficient enough that top 6Cs are gone by the end of the 2nd. So stop wasting picks on Cs ( and no, they don't turn into top 6 wingers, only Eberle did that) after the 2nd round.

 

[Andrei79]

The Russian 2019 class looks pretty good, too.

Maybe might not have the absolute high end guys like Svech, Kravtsov and Denisenko, but the U17 roster was stacked.

Some guys to watch for:

Podkolzin (Very skilled 5'11" RW, june birthday, thought he had a great U18 for his first go at it) - Vityaz Podolsk (I would think)
Gutik (6'3", just ok U17 stats but made his MHL team) - Loko
Guskov (6'1" center, skilled, good U17 stats, made his MHL team too) - Krasnaya Armiya
Afanasyev - plays for the lumberjacks in the USHL, already committed to Michigan State for 19-20'.
Oleg Zaitsev (6'1", great stats in the U17 and in the MHL for his age) - Dynamo
Nikolayev (June birthday, played in 3 leagues this year, including MHL, scored over ppg in NMHL) - Loko
Cherny (One guy I really want to follow this year, destroyed the U17 and U18 leagues, put up 4 points in 7 games in MHL) - Krasnaya Armiya Moskva
Spiridonov (6'2" winger, played in U18 [was just ok], already scored 10 goals in 30 some games in the MHL) - Stalnye Lisy

Daniil Zaruba (defenseman, good stats, went ppg at the U17) - Seems to be with CSKA (Krasnaya Armiya).
Knyazev (defenseman, already played in MHL this year) - Irbis Kazan (Markov's team's farm club)


And, keep an eye out on Daniil Guschkin. He's still small, but he destroyed the Russian U17 and U18 leagues and had good numbers internationally. He's elligible in 2020.

 

[Habby Patty]

Yeah I'm willing to say that Dach could potentially challenge for the 1st overall pick next season.

He's every bit as skilled as Hughes and he's got that height. Dach reminds me of Malkin when he's going.

I don't see Dach even coming close to challenging Hughes. Hughes is already being called a franchise player and basically the Dahlin of next draft(Consensus 1OA). Dach is someone you pick in the 3-10 range. It's going to be Hughes and Kakko next year.

 

[Andrei79]

There is Bowen Byram. 6' LD with a pretty cool name. Has a nice clapper and his skating is pretty fluid. Bjornfoot is another top LD although I don't know much about him.

I was a big fan of Bjornfoot in the last U18. Thought he played a lot like Boqvist.

 

[montreal]

Not sure where he'll go in the draft but hoping the Habs keep an eye on Arthur Kaliyev. Liked what I saw when watching Bitten play.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Speaking of Russian dmen, Daniil Misyul has to be a first rounder next year...

 

[NotProkofievian]

The Russian 2019 class looks pretty good, too.

Maybe might not have the absolute high end guys like Svech, Kravtsov and Denisenko, but the U17 roster was stacked.

Some guys to watch for:

Podkolzin (Very skilled 5'11" RW, june birthday, thought he had a great U18 for his first go at it) - Vityaz Podolsk (I would think)
Gutik (6'3", just ok U17 stats but made his MHL team) - Loko
Guskov (6'1" center, skilled, good U17 stats, made his MHL team too) - Krasnaya Armiya
Afanasyev - plays for the lumberjacks in the USHL, already committed to Michigan State for 19-20'.
Oleg Zaitsev (6'1", great stats in the U17 and in the MHL for his age) - Dynamo
Nikolayev (June birthday, played in 3 leagues this year, including MHL, scored over ppg in NMHL) - Loko
Cherny (One guy I really want to follow this year, destroyed the U17 and U18 leagues, put up 4 points in 7 games in MHL) - Krasnaya Armiya Moskva
Spiridonov (6'2" winger, played in U18 [was just ok], already scored 10 goals in 30 some games in the MHL) - Stalnye Lisy

Daniil Zaruba (defenseman, good stats, went ppg at the U17) - Seems to be with CSKA (Krasnaya Armiya).
Knyazev (defenseman, already played in MHL this year) - Irbis Kazan (Markov's team's farm club)


And, keep an eye out on Daniil Guschkin. He's still small, but he destroyed the Russian U17 and U18 leagues and had good numbers internationally. He's elligible in 2020.

Is Okhotyuk not good enough for you?

 

[The Great Weal]

There is Bowen Byram. 6' LD with a pretty cool name. Has a nice clapper and his skating is pretty fluid. Bjornfoot is another top LD although I don't know much about him.

Liking what I'm reading on Bowen.

 

[G0bias]

If Lavoie was two weeks older, would he have been picked 5th ahead of Hayton ?

If scouts see him as a center down the road, yes. I'd still have him in front as wing, he's just that more dynamic.

 

[Andrei79]

Is Okhotyuk not good enough for you?

Exactly. Plays in the CHL, not named Alex or Andrei, no f***s given.

But no, I mentioned him both during the 5 Nations and U18s. I liked him quite a bit more in Plymouth. He was all over the place at the U18, but he has upside, just not sure how much yet.

That was more of a list of players I didn't see mention yet, that I'll try to follow more intently during the year. I even mention the U17 roster at the start, which they played for.