Goomba
Mario is a Devils fan
- May 7, 2021
- 730
- 491
Prospect Info: 2021 NHL Draft Prospects - part II
- Thread starter Goomba
- Start date
NJDevs26
Once upon a time...
- Mar 21, 2007
- 67,377
- 31,642
Doesn't seem like a new general thread ever got created aside from the mock drafts and STI ranking ones so I'll start one and merge this thread
Captain3rdLine
Registered User
- Sep 24, 2020
- 6,765
- 7,979
Vancouver still has to pass us. Guaranteed top 7 pick as of now tho.
Raty should not even be in the conversation. He’s a conversation for the Islanders pick. Lysell and Mctavish are names that should be in well before him. We need to get one of the top 3 d(or edvinsson if our scouts really believe in him). I’m okay with us moving up to do that but I don’t think we’ll have to as I think one of them will get to 5 or 6 where we’re likely to be picking.
I really want Hughes but Clarke has absolutely impressed me and fills a greater need being a righty. I will be so happy with either one.
if we miss and get a forward I am leaning towards eklund but Johnson is very skilled and I know guenther is also but he didn’t impress me that much during u18s
if we miss and get a forward I am leaning towards eklund but Johnson is very skilled and I know guenther is also but he didn’t impress me that much during u18s
Guenther had a very productive tournament and played "well" without jumping off the page in every single game. However, I agree you generally want your top 5 pick to jump off the page.
The Eklund vs. Johnson argument is interesting. I currently have displayed my own preference by ranking Eklund at #4 and Johnson at #7. They are both C/LWs who most scouts feel will be full-time LWs at the NHL level. I feel if they both hit their ceilings, Johnson will be the higher scorer while Eklund the superior all around player -- and also a guy capable of 70+ point scoring. However, Eklund has the highest floor of any forward in the draft save Matt Beniers, and there is some risk with Johnson due to his all-offense mindset and sub-high-level skating.
Personally, if the Devils are drafting -- and this is still possible -- 5th or 6th overall and the Big 3 D of Power/Hughes/Clarke was off the board, Eklund would be my pick right now. I think he'd look great on the LW alongside Hughes or Hischier, and his high IQ/high compete/high skill game will really play up at the NHL level. Johnson's elite-level offensive skill would be ridiculous on the PP with Hughes, and this would be tough to pass on, but Eklund would still get the nod.
I agree Guenther had a solid all around tournament looked good on boards showed his all around game away from puck as well.
Clarke, Power, Hughes...in that order. I would be disappointed if we are unable to grab one of the top 3 D after narrowly missing out on Drysdale last draft.
Let’s say we pick 5th. Which teams are mostly likely to draft a forward in the top four? After Beniers, which forward is most likely to be coveted? Seems very dicey that one of the D-men will be there 5 and lower. Ideally, no teams jump us with a lottery ball but one may be most probable...if two do....say goodbye to one of the big 3 D. I doubt one will be available at 6 but would love to be wrong.
I’m also curious what teams would likely go Hughes over Clarke.
Let’s say we pick 5th. Which teams are mostly likely to draft a forward in the top four? After Beniers, which forward is most likely to be coveted? Seems very dicey that one of the D-men will be there 5 and lower. Ideally, no teams jump us with a lottery ball but one may be most probable...if two do....say goodbye to one of the big 3 D. I doubt one will be available at 6 but would love to be wrong.
I’m also curious what teams would likely go Hughes over Clarke.
Last edited:
MartyOwns
thank you shero
- Apr 1, 2007
- 24,208
- 18,007
yeah i'm going to be pissed if we don't walk out of the first round with one of those defensemen. i'm sure if we get eklund or whoever he'll be good, but we need a top pairing defenseman and the draft is basically the only way to get one.
i was so bummed we didn't get drysdale or sanderson, i don't want that to happen again.
I felt the same way. Really wanted Drysdale. Of course if Holtz becomes a player and we can land a D here, all will be forgotten....it is so vitally important we land one of these big 3 D. This is not considered the draft to move up but if we are at 5 or 6 and can move a spot(s) to ensure it happens, I have no qualms giving up a second round pick if that gets it done.
Captain3rdLine
Registered User
- Sep 24, 2020
- 6,765
- 7,979
Guenther seems to have a good shot at going top 5. Edvinsson might too but hopefully we aren’t the ones to take him.
How do you think these three forwards rank with holtz? I know they all play different style games but I thought holtz has 40 goal potential. I agree that eklund has the highest floor and safest forward pick after beniers. I would rank them as:
1. Holtz (40 goal potential)
2. Johnson (90 point potential)
3. Eklund (35g 35a all situations player)
4. Guenther (30g 30a good top 6 player)
Buffalo: Beniers seems to be gaining some steam as their likely top choice. The Eichel situation leaves them with a murky situation up the middle, and even if Eichel stays there is a good chance Cozens winds up as a RW in which case they still lack an internal option for 2C. The outside of Eichel, the biggest talent in the organization is a LD in Rasmus Dahlin, so I don't see Hughes as a big priority here. Power might be more attractive, because he is a far different player-type than Dahlin and perhaps they would see a future LD of Dahlin/Hughes as sort of their own version of Niedermeyer/Pronger, which essentially won Anaheim a Stanley Cup.
Anaheim: They are a wild card in the sense that they have huge needs at both LD and C, but they are the opposite of a wild card in the sense that they traditionally covet big + fast players, especially on D, more than any other team in the NHL. The pick of RD Drysdale in the first round last year certainly drops Clarke down on their list of organizational needs. I'd say their top choice would be Power, followed by Beniers. This is also a team I could see taking Edvinsson in the top 3 -- although his skill is not in the same league as Clarke or Hughes and his defense is not in the same league as Power, Edvinsson's combination of size/speed/Swedish is something Anaheim has traditionally up-ranked on their draft boards.
Seattle: traditionally, the best way to start an expansion team seems to be with a young, bluechip center. This would lead us to believe that Beniers would be their top choice. But in terms of Power vs. Hughes vs. Clarke, anyone would be lying if they claimed to know which of the D Seattle would prefer.
Columbus: this is a team desperate for a top center, so again I'd say Beniers would top their list. In terms of prospect D, their organization is pretty thin on both LD and RD, though they have young studs at both positions at the NHL level in Seth Jones and Werenski. But if Columbus picked top 3, I feel they would take a forward no matter what.
Detroit: this is the one team I could envision taking Hughes 1st overall. His speed and offense on a pairing with bluechip RD prospect Moritz Seider would be absolutely incredible. Power's game is actually similar to Seider in several respects. And LD is the thinnest position in the Red Wings organization both at the NHL and prospect levels -- they have a big need here.
Vancouver: the Canucks have built a nice prospect pool and are not desperate at any particular position. However, they are deeper at LD than RD and have no high-upside offensive RD either at the NHL or prospect levels, though they do have one at LD in Quinn Hughes. So, I feel the Canucks would take Clarke over Hughes, but this also is a rather "old school" front office which might prefer Power. So I feel they would prioritize either Clarke or Power over Hughes.
San Jose: the Sharks are another team with needs everywhere in the prospect pool. But their top center Logan Couture is aging. They had an incredible draft last year getting two good young centers in Bordeleau and Robins in the second round, but I still feel they would prioritize Beniers. On the off-chance the Sharks went D I feel it would be Power getting the nod, as most of their prospect D lack size and physicality and the management seems to covet that with their NHL blueliners.
Los Angeles: this is the only team who I feel would consider Wallstedt in the top 3. They have the best prospect pool in the entire NHL and are stacked at every position. They have a very good defense-oriented D on both the left and right side with Bjornfot and Faber, but they lack a high-end offensive D in the organization. Their best offensive-minded D prospect is likely an undersized RD in Jordan Spence. I feel if the Kings won the lottery they would take Hughes 1st overall, call it a hunch.
Ottawa: Beniers is the only choice here. This is the deepest prospect pool in the league at LD, and they are also very deep at RD and on both wings. What they lack is a #1 center. If Beniers was gone, I feel Ottawa's second choice would be Guenther, who also fits their organizational prototype of a big, high-compete, two way player. Ottawa's love of larger bodies would seem to knock Eklund below the other top forwards. In the very remote that Beniers and Guenther were off the table and the Senators had a choice of the Big 3 D, I feel they would take Clarke, as they have a bigger need at RD than LD and they traditionally love drafting locally from the OHL.
Edvinsson's statistical consensus rating was a bit lower than the top 7 players leading into the U-18 tournament. Granted, it is important to add that his consensus is lowered by certain scouts having him significantly out of their top 15 altogether, like Corey Pronman or Steve Kournianos. If we're considering me part of the consensus, it drops further -- as I have Edvinsson ranked at #17.
We will soon see if Edvinsson's so-so U-18 tournament hurt his draft standing. Whereas a prospect like Brandt Clarke was questioned about his skating and defense leading up to the tourney and answered both questions pretty resoundingly, Edvinsson has been questioned for his passing, shooting and hockey IQ and really did not answer any of those questions. But he did play with a nice compete and physicality, so although his draft standing was certainly not helped in the tournament it might not have hurt it too much. We'll soon see -- I'm the only person I've seen put out a new ranking list since the end of the U-18 tournament, but there are more to come in the ensuing month.
Guenther did not help his draft standing either, but he probably didn't hurt it. Though he did not dominate or stand out particularly, he also put up very good statistics and proved a beneficial line-mate to Shane Wright in all aspects of the game for the gold medal winning Team Canada.
Right now, I'd rank them:
1 Eklund
2 Guenther
3 Johnson
4 Holtz
I'd also add that I feel Guenther's scoring upside is at least as high as Eklund and maybe a bit higher.
Captain3rdLine
Registered User
- Sep 24, 2020
- 6,765
- 7,979
It sounds like a lot of Canucks fans on Twitter want Clarke but that doesn’t necessarily mean their management will. Agree that Ottawa, San Jose and Columbus all need Centers and Beniers would make sense for them if they win the lottery. If not I think someone like Mctavish could go higher than expected to one of those teams right after the devils pick. I could also see Detroit taking Beniers or another center depending on where they are.
Captain3rdLine
Registered User
- Sep 24, 2020
- 6,765
- 7,979
I wouldn’t say Clarke answered questions about his skating resoundingly. He certainly isn’t a bad skater but he didn’t look as mobile to me as I’ve previously thought him to be.
Defensively, I really liked his gap control and defending off the rush but he seemed to get out muscled at times around his net and in the corners.
Eggtimer
Registered User
Wallstedt!? No god no not with our pick. Do NOT want a goalie with our first pick .
Rather and Wallstedt are not in the tier where we are picking . I apologize for being clueless regarding this but we have some amazing resident “analysts “ here in Steven ( I don’t even know his real name or if that’s what he wants to be called ) where he invests countless hours writing up prospect analysis and does an excellent job doing so. Check out his lists .There are a few other posters that are very very insightful and knowledgeable here as well
Just out of curiosity, how would you rank the big 3 D compared to Drysdale and Sanderson last year?
Eggtimer
Registered User
I’m too lazy to look, how big is Clarke ? With Smith’s style of game , would we be better off with Power or Hughes for their defensive ability or are those two not that much better than Clarke ? It’s also the RHD vs.LHD that makes me reluctantly want Clarke more than the other two .
If all 3 were RHD , which one would be the best fit in the roster ?
Eggtimer
Registered User
Where is Mercer in there lol. Slightly behind Holtz or slightly ahead yet behind Johnson? All play a different style of game and bring different things to the table but I’m interested on your take .
Eggtimer
Registered User
Worst case scenario is we pick 7th. I cannot realistically see a scenario where the three D make it past 4th pick . Beniers is the only forward I can see go ahead of the 3 D .(in no particular order , just who I feel top 7 is and worst case scenario for us )
1. Power
2. Beniers
3.Hughes
4.Clarke
5.Geunther
6. Eklund
7 Johnson - Devils pick
That to me is worst case, miss the three D and Holtz former line mate in Eklund and a stud in Geunther . Johnson is no slouch and I’d still be pumped to add a player like him , but it would not be the most ideal situation in my opinion .
1. Power
2. Beniers
3.Hughes
4.Clarke
5.Geunther
6. Eklund
7 Johnson - Devils pick
That to me is worst case, miss the three D and Holtz former line mate in Eklund and a stud in Geunther . Johnson is no slouch and I’d still be pumped to add a player like him , but it would not be the most ideal situation in my opinion .
I have read his comments and rankings and appreciate all he does .....My point is BPA if they think the goalie is it fine just take BPA..
Plenty of good dmen in this draft a two is steep price when players had later can be pretty close or better....Depending on how they are developed....
Ad
Upcoming events
-
Pelicans Lahti @ Tappara Tampere - Tappara leads series 2-0Wagers: 4Staked: $15,236.00Event closes- Updated:
-
Ocelari Trinec @ HC Dynamo Pardubice - Series tied 2-2Wagers: 2Staked: $62.00Event closes- Updated:
-
-
-
