NHL Entry Draft 2020 NHL Draft Discussion - PART IV

[RAFI BOMB]

In USHS-Prep Jackson Kunz might be worth taking a look at. He is a forward listed at 6'3 209 lbs and he is leading the league in goals. His stats are: 43 GP 40 G 26 A 66 PTS

He is playing on Shattuck's St Mary's. Two of his teammates that were also recognized by CSS mid term rankings were:
Artem Shlaine C 6'1 174 lbs 44 GP 24 G 52 A 76 PTS and Winter Wallace F 6'3 201 lbs 42 GP 19 G 31 A 50 PTS

Here is a recent game of theirs. Winter Wallace (#8), Artem Shlaine (#13) and Jackson Kunz (#16).

Click to read more...

 

[DJB]

I've seen the Doughty comparison before. I think as far as impact on the game offensively and defensively it makes sense. I think Drysdale skates better and is smoother; Doughty has better size

I'm not a fan of the Doughty comparison. He's not as big or physical as Doughty. The best comparison I've been able to think of is Dan Boyle.

If it's a Doughty comparable we're after, Brandt Clarke for 2021 is much more similar to Doughty. He's a more physical defender and an explosive open ice hitter, with all the offensive skills to go along. He's likely top five though, maybe even top three or better. But he's an Ottawa native, so if we have another very high pick next year it would be pretty cool if we could get him.

I'll go with Morgan Reilly but likely not the same offensive ceiling for Drysdale

As far as Clarke goes he looks like an absolute stud in the making. Let's hope hes more Doughty than Ekblad however

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I'm not a fan of the Doughty comparison. He's not as big or physical as Doughty. The best comparison I've been able to think of is Dan Boyle.

If it's a Doughty comparable we're after, Brandt Clarke for 2021 is much more similar to Doughty. He's a more physical defender and an explosive open ice hitter, with all the offensive skills to go along. He's likely top five though, maybe even top three or better. But he's an Ottawa native, so if we have another very high pick next year it would be pretty cool if we could get him.

Scott Neidermeyer is who comes to mind for me

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Kyle Mandleur LW 6'6 245 lbs OA1 after having a very slow start to the season has climbed his way to being tied for 2nd in goals on his team and 30th in the NCDC. In his last 11 games he has scored 9 goals and 5 assists for 14 points. His season totals are 38 GP 14 G 10 A 24 PTS. So he has scored 64% of his goals, 50% of his assists and 58% of his points over his last 11 games.

He is a notable for me because of his size and his production in USHS-Prep in 2017-2018 where his stats were 21 GP 38 G 21 A 59 PTS.
Divisions
Kyle Mandleur at eliteprospects.com

 

[Alfie11]

Ok...so let's say that the lottery gods look favourably upon us and we get 1OA. Lafreniere.

How far down is the next pick before you take Drysdale?

Getting the clear cut best OA and best D in a draft would be something else

5th.

To me he would be a great pickup but the other top end forwards seem to have more upside.

 

[R2010]

5th for me too. Love to get any two of 1-9.

1) Lafreniere
2) Byfield
3) Rossi
4) Sturtz
5) Drysdale
6) Lundell
7) Raymond
8) Quinn
9) Perfetti
10) Holtz
11) Sanderson

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Ok...so let's say that the lottery gods look favourably upon us and we get 1OA. Lafreniere.

How far down is the next pick before you take Drysdale?

Getting the clear cut best OA and best D in a draft would be something else

4th the idea of having Chabot-Drysdale-Brannstrom is really ridiculous. Defense wins you championships.

Laferniere
Byfield
Raymond
Drysdale

However, I think id take Rossi cause I think Laferniere can bring out the best in him.

 

[Johnny Hanson]

Anybody got any info on Jack Finley? 6’5 right handed centre. One of the youngest players in the draft and already noted for his polished defensive play. He’s almost PPG for Spokane and the son of former NHL’er Jeff Finley. Could be a target for one of our 2nds

 

[GCK]

Ok...so let's say that the lottery gods look favourably upon us and we get 1OA. Lafreniere.

How far down is the next pick before you take Drysdale?

Getting the clear cut best OA and best D in a draft would be something else

Raymond, Stutzle, Byfield, Perfetti, Rossi, Lundell then Drysdale. This is specifically from a Sens perspective.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[MatchesMalone]

Rodion Amirov may be the most underrated or overlooked player for the early part of the draft. Understandably so though, as he spent the first half of the season struggling in the KHL. It's easy to have forgotten about his outstanding U18s performance last spring, when for much of this season he was playing 8-10 minutes and was physically in over his head in the KHL, and now being 18 he was too old for Hlinkas but didn't make Russia's World Junior team loaded with 6'2, 200 lb 19 year olds, and then when he was sent down to one of the top teams in MHL he got off to a slow start; presumably they didn't want to just hand him top opportunities taken from the players that had been so good for them to that point. So yeah, it is easy to see why so many fans have been sleeping on him. Now that he's starting to pile up points in the junior league, I expect folks are going to start to take notice, but anyone who has watched him much at all is already on full alert.

Thanks to this YouTube channel Rafi pointed out, I just checked out one of his most recent games. This was the first time I watched him in junior this year, I'd previously only watched him in the KHL. I remembered how skilled he was from international competition last year, and could tell from seeing him in KHL that he'll make an outstanding pro player, but now back in junior he's added a dynamic element to his game that wasn't there last year. He's starting to look like he knows that he's too good for that league and that he can impose his will on the game. When you consider how drastically he improved from last year's Hlinkas to U18s, and again from then to now, I expect he's gotta be soaring up NHL team's draft boards.

I included links to the shifts where he scored each of his three goals in that game - #27 in green:


20:50 - 21:30


1:01:00 - 1:02:05


2:00:40 - 2:01:05

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Anybody got any info on Jack Finley? 6’5 right handed centre. One of the youngest players in the draft and already noted for his polished defensive play. He’s almost PPG for Spokane and the son of former NHL’er Jeff Finley. Could be a target for one of our 2nds

Here is a clip of him:

I don't know a ton about him but from what I have seen I am not overly excited about him as a prospect. Finley could get drafted in the 2nd to 3rd round. If we are targeting a big forward from the WHL who has intriguing upside I much prefer Matthew Rempe who is more likely to go in rounds 4 to 7. Here is a quick comparison of the two based on some of the numbers:

Jack Finely C 6'5 205 lbs (he has also been listed at 6'6)
DOB: 2002-09-02
2019-2020: 54 GP 17 G 35 A 52 PTS 108 SOG 646 FOW 1216 FOA
2018-2019: 63 GP 9 G 10 A 19 PTS 71 SOG 364 FOW 686 FOA

He is on the Spokane Chiefs, ranked 7th overall in the league, and on his team he is ranked 3rd for points and 4th for goals.
WHL Network

Matthew Rempe C 6'8 205 lbs (he has also been listed at 6'8.5)
DOB: 2002-06-29
2019-2020: 40 GP 10 G 18 A 28 PTS 71 SOG 254 FOW 551 FOA

He is on the Seattle Thunderbirds, ranked 16th in the league, where he is ranked 7th in both goals and points on his team. He missed a chunk of games to start the season but his points per game and goals per game are right up near the top of his team.
WHL Network

Finley has the better faceoff win percentage (53.1% to 46.1%). There shooting percentage is comparable (Finely: 15.7% vs Rempe: 14.1%) so if Rempe had comparable SOG he could only be a few goals off. It is worth noting that Rempe is in his first season in the WHL and so far he is performing better than Finley's first full season in the WHL.

Here is a clip of Rempe:


I think there is value in the fact that Rempe could likely be available in a later round than Finley and as a consequence we could get more value for our pick. But even if it came to choosing between those two in the same round I prefer Rempe. From what I know at this point Rempe is 3 inches taller, has more offensive creativity, is more physically imposing/intimidating and potentially is faster.

Maybe Finley is better than I am giving him credit for but I am not fully convinced he has high upside and I have yet to read any reports raving about his upside or advocating for why he should be ranked higher. If you come across anything on him, I would be interested to learn more and to find out what is his big selling point.

You also mentioned that he could be a target with one of our 2nd round picks. You may want to consider whether he is a better option than other big forwards that could be available in the 2nd or 3rd round like: Jaromir Pytlik (6'3 196 lbs), Will Cuylle (6'2 201 lbs), Carson Bantle (6'4 201 lbs), Dylan Peterson (6'4 190 lbs), Egor Sokolov (6'4 240 lbs), Brandon Coe (6'3 205 lbs), Maxim Groshev (6'2 194 lbs), Sam Colangelo (6'2 205 lbs), Luke Tuch (6'2 203 lbs), Carsen Richels (6'3 209 lbs), Maxim Beryozkin (6'2 201 lbs)

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Ok...so let's say that the lottery gods look favourably upon us and we get 1OA. Lafreniere.

How far down is the next pick before you take Drysdale?

Getting the clear cut best OA and best D in a draft would be something else

Honestly, it depends on how patient the Sens organization is going to be. He definitely has enough skill and hockey IQ to be picked in the top 5 but....he's also the kind of player that you could ruin if you toss him in the NHL at 18. If we're really committed to doing right by our kids and slow cooking them and making damned sure we're putting them in a position to succeed, I'd take him as early as 4th. If we're just going to toss him to the wolves as a teenager, he'd be long gone before I'd even think of drafting him.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Do you think he's the best pure goal scorer of this draft?

I'm not sure about that. Here is a video where that topic was discussed.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[MatchesMalone]

I'm not sure about that. Here is a video where that topic was discussed.

Dunno who this guy is and I don't want to make assumptions, but I get the feeling that in many cases people are making the crucial mistake of comparing a player as a junior vs. another player as a pro. Quinn vs. Holtz in this case, but I see it all over. Um, yeah, Holtz controlled play and created his own offense at the junior level too. Granted, SuperElit is slightly weaker than OHL, but Holtz was 16 at the time to Quinn's 18.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Scouting Report

A slick and cerebral forward with excellent hands, Jarvis has all the tools required to be a dominant player in major junior. He can dish the puck with flair but also play the role of a sniper thanks to an excellent shot and release. Jarvis keeps his feet moving at all times and tracks the puck like a hawk, and when he takes control of it, he’ll button-hook or curl to change the plane of attack and improve his angle. Compounding issues for defenders is his strong balance, as Jarvis darts inside with consistency and doesn’t seem deterred by traffic or a potential double team. He also provides his coaching staff with the necessary intangibles to contribute in other areas such as special teams, and he communicates well with his linemates while trying to execute set plays.

There’s a ton of finesse to Jarvis’s game. Not only is he a silky-smooth skater with grace and fluidity, but he can also unleash a quick first step and accelerate into open ice as if he were shot out of a cannon. Jarvis is as elusive and slippery as they come during attempts to bypass the neutral zone, and his agility helps him drop rapid directional changes to the inside or out. He may not be listed as a power forward, but Jarvis is well balanced and fearless when attacking the net at full speed and seems to have the utmost confidence in his ability to gain the zone and create scoring chances. One of the major advantages Jarvis’s speed gives him is the ability to keep defenders well off the line, thus giving him room to either stickhandle closer to the goal or wire a heavy wrister aimed at the upper half of the net. Jarvis is a deadly-accurate shooter via the wrist shot and he does not require optimal or standard conditions to blister the puck off a quick release; corralling bouncing pucks is not a problem.

Jarvis is a highly-intelligent forward who properly times his movements away from the puck in order to get open for a clean look at the net His poise under pressure allows him to receive passes in congested danger areas where he can unload a shot towards the net or delay for that critical split second that fakes the goalie well out of position. Jarvis’s hands and puck control already are at an elite level, and few in this draft are as clean and capable at executing near-perfect odd-man rushes as he can. His passing skills are excellent, not only for his vision and accuracy but also for the methods he uses to deliver the puck on the tape. Jarvis is beyond capable in making plays on his backhand.
Versatility is the first thing that comes to mind when analyzing the intangibles Jarvis can bring. Not only is he deployed as either a center or wing, but Jarvis also plays the point on the power play and is used as a primary penalty killer. He brings a great attitude to the ice and shows a lot of enthusiasm towards his teammates’ successes.

 

[Larionov]

2020 Draft: Sourdif getting all the answers he needs from Byram

Apologies if this kid has already been discussed, but I found myself at the Langley Events Centre last night for the Vancouver Giants - Calgary Hitmen game. (Out in BC seeing family for a few days.) Justin Sourdif got himself a hattie, and was one of the best players on the ice for either team. (I'm just going to overlook what a stud Bowen Byram looks to be for the sake of my mental health.) I'll just say this - if in fact Sourdif is ranked 34th heading into June, then this is a ridiculously deep draft. I'd be totally down with using one of our extra seconds to move into the bottom of round one to make sure we land him. Man, what a nice hockey player - explosive, great hands, great instincts, and a bit of swagger to go with it...

 

[MatchesMalone]

2020 Draft: Sourdif getting all the answers he needs from Byram

Apologies if this kid has already been discussed, but I found myself at the Langley Events Centre last night for the Vancouver Giants - Calgary Hitmen game. (Out in BC seeing family for a few days.) Justin Sourdif got himself a hattie, and was one of the best players on the ice for either team. (I'm just going to overlook what a stud Bowen Byram looks to be for the sake of my mental health.) I'll just say this - if in fact Sourdif is ranked 34th heading into June, then this is a ridiculously deep draft. I'd be totally down with using one of our extra seconds to move into the bottom of round one to make sure we land him. Man, what a nice hockey player - explosive, great hands, great instincts, and a bit of swagger to go with it...

Yeah I've quite liked Sourdif from what I've seen too. Not sure if he's a first rounder, but possibly. Like you said it's a ridiculously deep draft.

Jarvis and Sourdif are my two favorite WHL '02 forwards, followed by Ryder Korczak. I haven't been much of a fan of Jake Neighbors.

(And yeah, I've seen Bowen Byram a few times in person over the past couple years and holy shit he looks like he's gonna be a player)

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Saturday stats update:

USHS-MN (Playoffs):
Cole Hansen (1G), Grant Slukynsky (1G, 4A)

USHL:
Trevor Kuntar (1G), Dylan Peterson (1A), Landon Slaggert (1A), Stephen Halliday (1G), Ryan Kirwan (1A), Carson Bantle (2G), Sam Colangelo (1G), Brendan Brisson (2A), Adam Klapka (1G), Nick Capone (1A)

NAHL:
Lincoln Hatten (1A)

AJHL:
Carter Savoie (1G, 1A)

QMJHL:
Egor Sokolov (2G,1A)

OHL:
Tag Bertuzzi (1G), Jan Mysak (2A), Will Cuylle (1A), Jamie Drysdale (1A)

WHL:
Connor Zary (1G, 1A), Ozzy Wiesblatt (1G, 1A), Jake Neighbours (1G), Cade McNelly (1A), Matthew Rempe (1G)

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[FightLikeMike]

Any of the top 5 are impactful. Perfect world is Byfield. Centre is the hardest to find and he projects as a game changer. I’m also a huge fan of Rossi. And if someone would bite I’d do Brown and a 2nd to draft Jack Quinn as well.
Having a centre depth around Byfield, Norris, Quinn, Pageau in two years, plus the likes of Chlapik, Kastelic, Pinto, etc would be outstanding. Brown to me is the odd guy out and would return good value to the right buyer. Targeting a Quinn return.

I would trade Brown and a 2nd for some pucks and water bottles but that would be a waste of a 2nd rounder.