Draft 2020 Draft & Undrafted Free Agent Thread: Part VII

[TheBloodyNine]

At this point, it wouldn't surprise me if whoever they eventually took got packaged in a deal for someone before they even played for us.

 

[Polar Bear]

Can someone still explain to me the Greig logic if he isn't seen as a C? Is the expectation then for him long term to just be a very good third line winger (which there is nothing wrong with)?

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Can someone still explain to me the Greig logic if he isn't seen as a C? Is the expectation then for him long term to just be a very good third line winger (which there is nothing wrong with)?

He has the skill set to play higher than that and he's a nasty prick to play against. Even if he doesn't stay at C, everyone is looking for players like this.

In a lot of ways, he is what people think Dylan Holloway is. He isn't as big or fast, but he's more abrasive and skilled. Dude is a little bit crazy and actually needs to tone it down a bit but I'd rather have someone who I have to rein in than someone who I need to light a fire under to get going.

 

[Edge]

Can someone still explain to me the Greig logic if he isn't seen as a C? Is the expectation then for him long term to just be a very good third line winger (which there is nothing wrong with)?

So I preface this by saying it really depends on how your scouts view him. Some people see him as more of a top-six compliment player.

Based on what others posted, The Athletic article alluded to this, and I've talked to more than a few people who would agree with it. Not unlike some of the names he's been compared to, you could have a kid who plays as a top six wing, alongside teammates who bring more of a finesse game to the table.

Those differences in opion are important to keep in mind as we get closer to the draft.

Just because we view the debate as a third line support player vs. high-ceiling offensive catalyst doesn't mean all teams necessarily feel the same.

 

[Polar Bear]

So preface this by saying it really depends on how your scouts view him. Some people see him as more of a top-six compliment player.

Based on what others posted, The Athletic article alluded to this, and I've talked to more than a few people who would agree with it. Not unlike some of the names he's been compared to, you could have a kid who plays as a top six wing, alongside teammates who bring more of a finesse game to the table.

Those differences in opion are important to keep in mind as we get closer to the draft.

Just because we view the debate as a third line support player vs. high-ceiling offensive catalyst doesn't mean all teams necessarily feel the same.

I'm not against the pick even if the view of him is a VERY skilled and effective third line winger. I just question need to a degree (since it's much later in the first round and need can play a bit more of a role) if he isn't viewed as a sure thing at C and we know wings are going to even more so be our strength once we draft Laf.

 

[Edge]

I'm not against the pick even if the view of him is a VERY skilled and effective third line winger. I just question need to a degree (since it's much later in the first round and need can play a bit more of a role) if he isn't viewed as a sure thing at C and we know wings are going to even more so be our strength once we draft Laf.

It'll be hard to say prior to the draft how the Rangers view Greig. They could view him as a center, or they could view him as a kid who starts out in a bottom six role and maybe finds himself in a top six role 6 years from now.

When you start getting that far out, you're talking about about a 35 year old Panarin and Kreider, so it's a very different landscape.

If the Rangers like a guy enough, even if he plays wing, I don't think they'll hesitate too much. With that 22ns pick, the focus shifts away from 2020 or even 2022, and looks further out to 2026 or 2027.

The appeal for Greig could very well be a player who grows with the team, can play a couple of positions, and serves as a player with an evolving role.

Again, this assuming he's the pick. There very well could be 3 or 4 guys head of him on the Rangers list that are on the board.

 

[Polar Bear]

It'll be hard to say prior to the draft how the Rangers view Greig. They could view him as a center, or they could view him as a kid who starts out in a bottom six role and maybe finds himself in a top six role 6 years from now.

When you start getting that far out, you're talking about about a 35 year old Panarin and Kreider, so it's a very different landscape.

If the Rangers like a guy enough, even if he plays wing, I don't think they'll hesitate too much. With that 22ns pick, the focus shifts away from 2020 or even 2022, and looks further out to 2026 or 2027.

The appeal for Greig could very well be a player who grows with the team, can play a couple of positions, and serves as a player with an evolving role.

Again, this assuming he's the pick. There very well could be 3 or 4 guys head of him on the Rangers list that are on the board.

I didn't view it like that, I appreciate the explanation. Safe to say then they are likely looking at players that will mesh well with Laf 5+ years down the line versus the current core of Panarin/Kreider, right?

 

[Edge]

I didn't view it like that, I appreciate the explanation. Safe to say then they are likely looking at players that will mesh well with Laf 5+ years down the line versus the current core of Panarin/Kreider, right?

It sounds cliche, but I think they're generally looking for the BPA. Not what constitutes BPA is subjective and that's where sometimes there are disagreements.

If we're using someone like Greig as a case study, the Rangers are determining what position they think he plays, what the final product looks like, and when they think he might start to resemble that final product. They could be looking at a 6'0, 200 pound, two-way winger with an edge, who plays a top six role behind someone like Lafreniere.

If Greig ends up being the Rangers pick, it will be in part because they think he's going to leapfrog guys who are considered "better" prospects now by many observers.

If the Rangers don't trade the 22nd pick, I expect their approach to more closely resemble 2018 where they took prospects who projected a bit further out, as compared to 2017 where there was a desire (and belief) that getting the picks in-house sooner was the better approach.

 

[nsvoyageurs]

From NHL dot com:

 

[Heckler81]

Shayna provides much more informative and nuanced articles about the team for the Athletic. Carp has an interesting nugget of info once every 10 articles maybe.

If they're still having the 1$ a month sale, and you're interested in NHL stuff in general, having access to articles from guys like Lebrun, Wheeler, Custance, Pronman is worth the subscription.

But if you literally only care about the Rangers stuff, it probably isn't worth the subscription if I'm being honest. And I'm saying this as someone who is paying full price btw (mainly because I'm too lazy to go turn off auto-renew)

I signed up a couple weeks ago. $1 per month for an entire year is a great deal.

 

[Mikos87]

When you have a grinder that is really coveted, it's almost always because of some intangible skillset, or how they land on psychological factors.

It's a completely different game, and the socioeconomic and skill requirements in hockey, along with cultural advances around concussions, really keeps the hockey world from getting guys that are highly differentiated in who they are and what they are willing to do. Both to their own bodies... and most importantly... to the bodies and minds of the competition.

 

[GAGLine]

NHL staff mock draft 2020: Changes in the top three, plus an audit by NHL scouts

Several scouts thought Greig went too low. “In the public, Greig seems to have this perception as a projected-bottom-six type. To me, he’s one of the most skilled players in the draft. I think he’ll go closer to 20 than 30,” said one NHL scout.

 

[Joey Bones]

I don’t usually like smaller guys that play too big for their size. They usually break down quick.

Meh, it's tough to gauge. Just like all prospects. But if a smaller guy becomes a Gallagher type, all the more to them.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I feel like this draft is full of guys who "play center but project to be a winger at the NHL level" . Like who are the stone cold Centers outside of Byfield and Lundell?

 

[Fireonk]

I feel like this draft is full of guys who "play center but project to be a winger at the NHL level" . Like who are the stone cold Centers outside of Byfield and Lundell?

I believe Lapierre counts there as well.

 

[Edge]

I feel like this draft is full of guys who "play center but project to be a winger at the NHL level" . Like who are the stone cold Centers outside of Byfield and Lundell?

Zary and Lapierre. Beyond that I really think you start drifting into prospects who have decent chances of being moved to either wing. And there's actually a surprising number of people who think Lundell might end up at LW too someday. I don't necessarily agree with them, but they do exist.

NHL staff mock draft 2020: Changes in the top three, plus an audit by NHL scouts

I have to admit that my friends in the sport have made me okay with the possibility of Greig at 22 --- and I think he's a very real possibility there.

 

[Edge]

No change to the Rangers mock picks over at ESPN. Still have Lafreniere at 1 and Lapierre at 22.

1. Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski (QMJHL)
22. Hendrix Lapierre, C, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
As long as the Rangers don't shock the world and take someone not named Lafreniere first overall, they are getting an 'A' in my draft grades. Adding that type of talent means you got what you came for, even if it was via the luck of the draw. Everyone knows what Lafreniere can do, and he's going to be an impact player as early as Year 1 in the NHL.

Given the depth of the Rangers' prospect pool, they were the first team I felt comfortable taking a first-round stab at Lapierre, who was injured for most of last season. There's a lot of unknown there, but what we did see of Lapierre last season when he was healthy was a player with some higher-end playmaking abilities. The Rangers can be patient with him.

Other names available that this board has talked about:

Bourque 23 to the Flyers
Gunler 27 to the Ducks
Greig 29 to Vegas
Mysak 31 to San Jose
Khusnutdinov 41 to Carolina.


Puck Prose has our mock as Lafreniere and Gunler at 1 and 22.

 

[Ghost of jas]

No change to the Rangers mock picks over at ESPN. Still have Lafreniere at 1 and Lapierre at 22.

1. Alexis Lafreniere, LW, Rimouski (QMJHL)
22. Hendrix Lapierre, C, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
As long as the Rangers don't shock the world and take someone not named Lafreniere first overall, they are getting an 'A' in my draft grades. Adding that type of talent means you got what you came for, even if it was via the luck of the draw. Everyone knows what Lafreniere can do, and he's going to be an impact player as early as Year 1 in the NHL.

Given the depth of the Rangers' prospect pool, they were the first team I felt comfortable taking a first-round stab at Lapierre, who was injured for most of last season. There's a lot of unknown there, but what we did see of Lapierre last season when he was healthy was a player with some higher-end playmaking abilities. The Rangers can be patient with him.

Other names available that this board has talked about:

Bourque 23 to the Flyers
Gunler 27 to the Ducks
Greig 29 to Vegas
Mysak 31 to San Jose
Khusnutdinov 41 to Carolina.


Puck Prose has our mock as Lafreniere and Gunler at 1 and 22.

I would be thrilled with either outcome. And his reasoning is the same as mine.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

I don't know what to make of NHL scouts saying Greig is among the most skilled in this class. Can't really say I agree with that haha

 

[Edge]

I don't know what to make of NHL scouts saying Greig is among the most skilled in this class. Can't really say I agree with that haha

So, as it's been explained to me (by his bigger supporters) is that he's balanced. Whereas some people don't see any one attribute or skill that is elite, others see a bunch of very good skills that make for a very good player.

They like the IQ, they like decision making, they think the wheels are very good and the hands match the feet. They don't see a guy who is going to dangle past the opposition, nor a guy who is going to shoot the puck between his legs in a shootout, but someone who will be play an effective game that delivers results.

There's also a lot of praise for his growth as a player, including as the season progressed. Again that's what his bigger supporters are saying.

 

[Edge]

I would be thrilled with either outcome. And his reasoning is the same as mine.

I think I've been talked into/talked myself into this being the outcome that intrigues me most.

If someone asked which scenario I've been thinking about most, and/or would be most interested to see, it would be moving up for Mercer, or landing Lapierre at 22 (because Mercer will not be there).

 

[Trxjw]

Still not sure I buy the "neck injury" thing with Lapierre but if the Rangers were convinced, who am I to argue?

 

[Edge]

Still not sure I buy the "neck injury" thing with Lapierre but if the Rangers were convinced, who am I to argue?

We'll find it in a few weeks if teams think its a deal breaker.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Zary and Lapierre. Beyond that I really think you start drifting into prospects who have decent chances of being moved to either wing. And there's actually a surprising number of people who think Lundell might end up at LW too someday. I don't necessarily agree with them, but they do exist.



I have to admit that my friends in the sport have made me okay with the possibility of Greig at 22 --- and I think he's a very real possibility there.

The way our mock is shaking out, I strongly suspect I’ll be picking him for 22. Would not have been on my radar at ALL a month ago.

 

[Trxjw]

We'll find it in a few weeks if teams think its a deal breaker.

Can't believe it's nearly October already. Sheesh.

I have a hard time seeing him fall to us regardless. If he slips by the Habs and he's there at 20 there's no way he makes it by the Devils with their 3rd selection, IMO.