Prospect Info: 2020 NHL Draft - part II

[MichaelJ]

I just don't think it makes sense for a team to trade their valuable d prospects/players for draft picks. I'm talking guys like Werenski or maybe Sergachev. That's the kind of young d-men we need but they're never going to be available for just draft picks imo. Most likely, they will ship out their older, expensive players first.

There are definitely options (Samberg, Bean, just a few off top my head), I'm just not sure there is a fit. I don't follow other teams at all.

Thinking about it though....there are quite a lot of d prospects i'd do back flips for if they managed to land them.

I wouldn’t expect a deal to be just draft picks? Who would? But, now that the Devils have extra picks, one of their firsts can be used as a base to build a trade offer on.

There are literally no defensive draft prospects Id be that excited about after Drysdale. Sure, there are some talented kids, but who knows? They take years to develop before the organization will even know what they have. I’d be doing backflips over acquiring a young defenseman who has already proven themselves in the NHL.

 

[StevenToddIves]

So... Stutzle, Sanderson and someone else with our three 1sts?

or trade one from immediate help.

OR TRADE THEM ALL FOR LAFFY

Right now I have Sanderson ranked as the #4 defenseman in 2020 after Drysdale, Mukhamadullin and Schneider. He's very good, but might be more of a two-way mid-pairing player than a top-pairing guy.

I hope the Devils go for the best available player with all three of their first round picks and ignore positional bias. The Devils picked a litany of D last year who can be effective mid-pairing guys (Okhotyuk, Misyul, Vukojevic, McCarthy) and already had Reilly Walsh, who can be as well. If high-upside, potential game-breaking Fs like Mysak and Quinn are available with the Arizona/Vancouver picks, it would be unwise to reach for a D with less upside.

 

[StevenToddIves]

This team is going to give Steve more work LOL

Good, keeps me out of the bars.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Unless the devils use the picks to move up in the draft they are going to be drafting all of them. I don’t see them trading for nhl talent with them mainly what nhl talent are they going to be getting for a 1st round pick in the 20 range? Rather just draft the kid and fit in line with the young core they are trying to build.

this would be a great year to have a barzal type fall from someone

Jan Mysak is the biggest opportunity to be that guy. Elite skater, terrific vision and hands, nasty shot -- he's just the complete package. He excels at either C or LW and plays a complete game with a very good compete level. For some reason, some draft writers seem to be lukewarm on him, but I just don't get it. He was great in the Czech men's league, and since moving to the Hamilton Bulldogs has lit up the OHL with 12 goals in 14 games. I will write more about this kid in the future, he's just outstanding.

 

[StevenToddIves]

The issue with this is...the d class is very weak and that's really what they need. Ofc, if there are no trades available, then you just have to deal with what you're given.

This draft is loaded with mid-pairing D, both offensive and defensive minded (and two-way). It's just thin with really high upside, top-pairing guys after Drysdale.

As for forwards? This is an incredibly strong draft. And the top 10 is just very, very good. Here's mine, just in case you missed it:

1 Lafreniere
2 Byfield
3 Stutzle
4 Drysdale
5 Rossi
6 Raymond
7 Askarov
8 Holtz
9 Perfetti
10 Mysak/Quinn

 

[MachoDiablo]

Yep, definitely go best player available; if the club picks 2-3 really good young forwards and they stay on strong development tracks, what's the worst that happens? You'd have a position of strength to deal talent from for, wait for it...a solid defenseman, perhaps?

And yeah, I wouldn't be in a rush to deal excess first rounders, not with a deep draft this year and not when we know the club isn't one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender - they're legitimately going for youth now, so no need to deal for older guys when the core is still a couple years away from taking shape. Obviously I'm down to reconsider that if some GM gets desperate or some club is up against the cap and a great deal comes our way, and especially if such a GM could be convinced to part with a really good young blueliner, but I'm not holding my breath and thinking that'll just happen.

 

[Guttersniped]

This draft is loaded with mid-pairing D, both offensive and defensive minded (and two-way). It's just thin with really high upside, top-pairing guys after Drysdale.

As for forwards? This is an incredibly strong draft. And the top 10 is just very, very good. Here's mine, just in case you missed it:

1 Lafreniere
2 Byfield
3 Stutzle
4 Drysdale
5 Rossi
6 Raymond
7 Askarov
8 Holtz
9 Perfetti
10 Mysak/Quinn

I wonder if Askarov could drop out of the top 9, I looks like he’s been struggling this draft year. The pressure on him has to be immense, “best goalie prospect since Price” means people expect to see something magical at tournaments.

 

[Devils731]

Pronman's NHL prospect impressions: Tim Stutzle's...

“Yaroslav Askarov, G, 2020 eligible

After a poor world juniors, I was very intrigued to see how Askarov would do versus his own age group where he’s been dominant historically. It was a mediocre showing.”

 

[MartyOwns]

If we don't trade any of the picks and we get a late 1st for Vatanen, I'd kill for something like...

Our pick - Jamie Drysdale | RHD | Erie
Arizona pick - Jack Quinn | RW | Ottawa
Vancouver pick - Jan Mysak | C/LW | Hamilton
Vatanen pick - Kaiden Guhle | LHD | Prince Albert

Yeah, I'd probably die.

if we have multiple firsts, we should definitely be targeting askarov with one of them (although not at the expense of drysdale)

 

[Nico Hischier]

The issue with this is...the d class is very weak and that's really what they need. Ofc, if there are no trades available, then you just have to deal with what you're given.

You never really know. Look at Thomas Chabot who was ranked as a low first rounder with potential to be a top 4. Looks like he has exceeded those expectations already.

 

[StevenToddIves]

You never really know. Look at Thomas Chabot who was ranked as a low first rounder with potential to be a top 4. Looks like he has exceeded those expectations already.

Mukhamadullin has the best chance to be that Chabot-type of right-under-your-nose draft steal. Terrific defensively, big and physical, exceptionally good instincts, absolute bomb of a shot. I think he could fall into the 20s, and turn into quite a great pick there.

 

[Figgie]

Would love if we walk away from this draft with Drysdale, Quinn and Mukhamadulin!!

 

[Nico Hischier]

Mukhamadullin has the best chance to be that Chabot-type of right-under-your-nose draft steal. Terrific defensively, big and physical, exceptionally good instincts, absolute bomb of a shot. I think he could fall into the 20s, and turn into quite a great pick there.

I hope we draft him based on his name alone

But in all seriousness he does sound like a steal I’ve seen him ranked mid to late first.

Most mocks I have seen (for dman) have drysdale 1 and Sanderson 2 but then there is a close group in the mid to late first round with Wallinder, Mukhamadullin, Schneider, Guhle, etc...

 

[StevenToddIves]

Would love if we walk away from this draft with Drysdale, Quinn and Mukhamadulin!!

You forgot the first rounder the Devils will get for Vatanen, haha.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I hope we draft him based on his name alone

But in all seriousness he does sound like a steal I’ve seen him ranked mid to late first.

Most mocks I have seen (for dman) have drysdale 1 and Sanderson 2 but then there is a close group in the mid to late first round with Wallinder, Mukhamadullin, Schneider, Guhle, etc...

Right now I'd rank the D thusly:

1 Drysdale
2 Mukhamadullin
3 Schneider
4 Sanderson
5 Guhle

Last year, my top 5 D were Byram, Seider, Robertson, York, Soderstrom with the consensus being (generally) Byram, Broberg, York, Soderstrom, Harley. I'm looking pretty good right now, so much as Seider is clearly a far superior prospect to Broberg. Conversely, I think I undersold Soderstrom -- I'd move him up to third-best in the class today.

 

[Emperoreddy]

You forgot the first rounder the Devils will get for Vatanen, haha.

let’s actually get it first.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

You never really know. Look at Thomas Chabot who was ranked as a low first rounder with potential to be a top 4. Looks like he has exceeded those expectations already.

Of course...but my preference is getting someone a bit more "known". But obviously those kind of d-men are never easy to get.

As for Chabot specifically...you have to wonder how he fell so much. Draft Profile: LHD Thomas Chabot - The Draft Analyst There's nothing negative about him.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

This draft is loaded with mid-pairing D, both offensive and defensive minded (and two-way). It's just thin with really high upside, top-pairing guys after Drysdale.

As for forwards? This is an incredibly strong draft. And the top 10 is just very, very good. Here's mine, just in case you missed it:

1 Lafreniere
2 Byfield
3 Stutzle
4 Drysdale
5 Rossi
6 Raymond
7 Askarov
8 Holtz
9 Perfetti
10 Mysak/Quinn

Well I was talking more about the lower half of the 1st round where our other 1st round picks might be (more likely vancouver's and potentially the one we might get for vatanen). I would have to look again, but I think chances are, BPA is going to be forward and I honestly rather them trade for a D.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I wouldn’t expect a deal to be just draft picks? Who would? But, now that the Devils have extra picks, one of their firsts can be used as a base to build a trade offer on.

There are literally no defensive draft prospects Id be that excited about after Drysdale. Sure, there are some talented kids, but who knows? They take years to develop before the organization will even know what they have. I’d be doing backflips over acquiring a young defenseman who has already proven themselves in the NHL.

And who are they going to offer? Other than Hughes or Hischier, devils don't have anyone that'd be enough to get back a young d-man. Look, I want them to trade for a D because I too am not excited with any of the d prospects after Drysdale in the 1st round, I just don't think it's very realistic.

While Foote is an excellent prospect, why couldn't they get a d prospect back? Something like Coleman for Bean from Hurricanes (just spitballing here). If Coleman couldn't get one back, I doubt Palmieri can and then there's like no one from our prospect pool of interest worth a young d-man.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Yep, definitely go best player available; if the club picks 2-3 really good young forwards and they stay on strong development tracks, what's the worst that happens? You'd have a position of strength to deal talent from for, wait for it...a solid defenseman, perhaps?

Yea...and how many years are we going to wait for this supposed opportunity to come up? They've been "rebuilding" for 4 years now and still don't have anything significant to offer for a young d-man.

 

[My3Sons]

Sakic may be gutless but he was right that you have to draft good defenders

 

[StevenToddIves]

Well I was talking more about the lower half of the 1st round where our other 1st round picks might be (more likely vancouver's and potentially the one we might get for vatanen). I would have to look again, but I think chances are, BPA is going to be forward and I honestly rather them trade for a D.

BPA is most likely to be a F at both of the Devils first two picks. With the Vancouver pick (likely in the 20-23 range), I think that's the spot to take a D. More than one of Mukhamadullin/Schneider/Sanderson/Guhle are certain to be available into the early 20's.

 

[Blackjack]

Sakic may be gutless but he was right that you have to draft good defenders

People keep saying this and it isn't really true at all. Colorado traded for Girard, Tampa traded for Sergachev and Mcdonut. NY traded for DeAngelo, Hamilton was traded twice. Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns were traded, Chara signed as a UFA, and Niskanen signed as a UFA.

You need good pro scouts and good amateur scouts so you can figure out who to get, top 5 picks are not the only way to get great defensemen.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I wonder if Askarov could drop out of the top 9, I looks like he’s been struggling this draft year. The pressure on him has to be immense, “best goalie prospect since Price” means people expect to see something magical at tournaments.

Nashville is a logical destination but if they pass on him, I think he falls to the bottom 10 of the first round.

 

[My3Sons]

People keep saying this and it isn't really true at all. Colorado traded for Girard, Tampa traded for Sergachev and Mcdonut. NY traded for DeAngelo, Hamilton was traded twice. Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns were traded, Chara signed as a UFA, and Niskanen signed as a UFA.

You need good pro scouts and good amateur scouts so you can figure out who to get, top 5 picks are not the only way to get great defensemen.

Meh. I’m right. Sakic is gutless.