Prospect Info: 2021 NHL Draft: The Home Stretch, Draft July 23-24

[Frk It]

I can't see Yzerman passing on Edvinsson if he's there at #6. Just seems like his type of player.

I can't see Edvinsson making it to 6.

Hughes doesn't seem like an Yzerman defenseman at all. Decent size but not physical at all. Very weak on defense. More a skate the puck out of trouble type than a passer. I'm just not seeing Luke Hughes as the guy who is going to slide on the ice and block a shot in the final minutes of a game and that's the kind of player that Yzerman filled Tampa's blueline with.

 

[simonedvinsson]

Hughes doesn't seem like an Yzerman defenseman at all. Decent size but not physical at all. Very weak on defense. More a skate the puck out of trouble type than a passer. I'm just not seeing Luke Hughes as the guy who is going to slide on the ice and block a shot in the final minutes of a game and that's the kind of player that Yzerman filled Tampa's blueline with.

I really like Luke Hughes as a prospect, but I agree with this. He doesn't strike me as much of an Yzerman player, and I'll be surprised if Detroit drafts him, if he's even available.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

I can't see Yzerman passing on Edvinsson if he's there at #6. Just seems like his type of player.

Edvinsson scares me. He's like how you would draw up a prototypical defenseman with all the tools except he's never really stood out - he does all the things and he looks good, not great. But someone whose that much bigger, stronger, poised, smooth, etc. - you think you would notice them on the ice more and be wowed on a regular basis. He just feels like a solid Top 4, 20pt a season kind of Braydon Coburn - that just feels uninspiring to me.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I can't see Edvinsson making it to 6.

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

McTavish/Edvinsson/Hughes and I'm happy. In that order

Add eklund to that list and I’m happy as well, Mctavish is my draft darling so if he goes before 6 I’ll be crushed. I find myself heavily agreeing with most of your draft rankings tho.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

Fyodor Svechkov, please publicly announce you'll never leave your beloved Russia so your draft stock will fall to 22! Thank you

 

[simonedvinsson]

Fyodor Svechkov, please publicly announce you'll never leave your beloved Russia so your draft stock will fall to 22! Thank you

I'm game so long as he talks to Yzerman privately and offers up a different story.

 

[lilidk]

Fyodor Svechkov, please publicly announce you'll never leave your beloved Russia so your draft stock will fall to 22! Thank you

I was looking for Svechkov interview , could not found any.

 

[jkutswings]

I'm game so long as he talks to Yzerman privately and offers up a different story.

Let the kid spend a year or two with CSKA Moscow in the KHL. I hear that Yzerman knows the coach.

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

Edvinsson scares me. He's like how you would draw up a prototypical defenseman with all the tools except he's never really stood out - he does all the things and he looks good, not great. But someone whose that much bigger, stronger, poised, smooth, etc. - you think you would notice them on the ice more and be wowed on a regular basis. He just feels like a solid Top 4, 20pt a season kind of Braydon Coburn - that just feels uninspiring to me.

Edvinsson always makes me wonder what "Huge Specimen" is in Swedish.

Since Wright is gone, hopefully our first, second, and third priorities for drafting won't be "size", since I honestly think that is all Edvinsson brings to the table at the NHL level.

Some snippings on Edvinsson:

"The worst aspect of his offensive game is – easily – his shot. For a big, strong, man he does not get much velocity on his shots"

"While Edvinsson (#3, white), can make up ground quicker than most and use his long stick to disrupt plays, I’ve seen some plays at the SHL level where he’s too easily drawn out of position"

"But playing smart, composed hockey off the puck over a full 60 minutes is something he had difficulty doing for most of this season."

"While he conceded that there is “potential to be a dominant force in the NHL,” it is by no means guaranteed and it will take “five to six years” before he could meet it."

In every report I've read on Edvinsson, the primary positives are size and skating. Comments regarding his hockey IQ, play away from the puck, and shooting are all concerning. I hate to say it, but those are things that can't be taught. You can improve a prospect's skating and (somewhat) size, but you can't easily improve shooting and hockey IQ. Yzerman likes big defenseman, but he values hockey sense more, and I just don't see Edvinsson as a "hockey sense" guy. Seider got drafted ahead of expectation based on his IQ, not based on his size.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

I would love to see Edvinsson picked in the top 5, that bumps someone better down. If we got Hughes at 6? God damn.

 

[MBH]

I can't see Edvinsson making it to 6.

I can.
A few of the guides are lower on Edvinsson than others.
I've also seen some guides substantially lower on Hughes than others.
I think the emergency of both McTavish and Sillinger make it more likely that one of these D slip.
Because every year, centers rise in the draft.
So now you have Beniers, McTavish, maybe Sillinger and maybe Johnson.
Plus Eklund, Clarke and Guenther and maybe a goalie mucking things up.

It's pretty easy to imagine that there won't be 3 LD drafted in the first six.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

Edvinsson always makes me wonder what "Huge Specimen" is in Swedish.

Since Wright is gone, hopefully our first, second, and third priorities for drafting won't be "size", since I honestly think that is all Edvinsson brings to the table at the NHL level.

Again, I don't have anything empirically to point at here other than I agree he's big, and strong, looks like he controls a lot of ice, and shoots, handles, and moves well. Despite ALL of those incredible tools against 17 year old competition, his peer group, he looks...fine? If you are so much more physically gifted than all of those kids around you, why aren't you crushing it? What's happening here? I hope our "size above all else" philosophy did go out the door with Wright

 

[Frk It]

I can.
A few of the guides are lower on Edvinsson than others.
I've also seen some guides substantially lower on Hughes than others.
I think the emergency of both McTavish and Sillinger make it more likely that one of these D slip.
Because every year, centers rise in the draft.
So now you have Beniers, McTavish, maybe Sillinger and maybe Johnson.
Plus Eklund, Clarke and Guenther and maybe a goalie mucking things up.

It's pretty easy to imagine that there won't be 3 LD drafted in the first six.

Those guides aren't solely based on the opinions of NHL scouts though, like Bob's ranking is.

NHL teams love defenseman with the size and skating of Edvinsson.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Those guides aren't solely based on the opinions of NHL scouts though, like Bob's ranking is.

NHL teams love defenseman with the size and skating of Edvinsson.

And with what we know about the Wings, Hakan, Yzerman, etc. would it surprise you to find out after the draft that they had Edvinsson ranked #1 on their big board the entire time? Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

 

[Frk It]

And with what we know about the Wings, Hakan, Yzerman, etc. would it surprise you to find out after the draft that they had Edvinsson ranked #1 on their big board the entire time? Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

No, not really.

 

[Holden Caufield]

Good to see McKenzie’s list clears absolutely nothing up.

Scouts are all over the map 2-9…. Remains as clear as mud.
Let the debates rage.

 

[19 for president]

I think already having a guy like Seider in the system might open up Yzerman more to a guy like Hughes. I mean with Seiders size, skating ability, and defensive awareness; he'd be able to help make up for a more offensive minded partner. Edvinsson kinda screams Seider without the elite IQ. I'm not against taking him if he is available as I believe in Yzerman's & Hakan's eval skills, but I prefer to take a shot at toolsy big dman in the 2nd round than use up a 6th overall. You miss on the 6th and you severely set back your development timeline, and it usually takes year to see what you have in terms of dmen.

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

Again, I don't have anything empirically to point at here other than I agree he's big, and strong, looks like he controls a lot of ice, and shoots, handles, and moves well. Despite ALL of those incredible tools against 17 year old competition, his peer group, he looks...fine? If you are so much more physically gifted than all of those kids around you, why aren't you crushing it? What's happening here? I hope our "size above all else" philosophy did go out the door with Wright

That's the thing, Edvinsson's shot is not that great, and most of his scouting reports say he "passes first" at the point.

The fact that he has not absolutely destroyed his age group makes me really, really concerned about wasting a top-10 pick on the guy.

Most of the scouting reports I've read basically say "He's huge and he can skate, he can't really do much else but he'll get there". But those same reports say he can't stay focused for a full 60 minutes and his play away from the puck is suspect. That doesn't scream "smart player" to me. NHL scouts are all size queens.

Edit: To elaborate, I found on another board a statement by an NHL scout that basically said he rates Cossa higher because Wallstedt is so superior that he might not develop anymore, but Cossa is big, even though he's out of position a lot and has weird technique. Being out of position and having weird technique is a good way to not make it as a goalie in the NHL. LoL size lol.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

That's the thing, Edvinsson's shot is not that great, and most of his scouting reports say he "passes first" at the point.

The fact that he has not absolutely destroyed his age group makes me really, really concerned about wasting a top-10 pick on the guy.

Most of the scouting reports I've read basically say "He's huge and he can skate, he can't really do much else but he'll get there". But those same reports say he can't stay focused for a full 60 minutes and his play away from the puck is suspect. That doesn't scream "smart player" to me. NHL scouts are all size queens.

He actually defends very well, especially in transition. I personally think he has a very high floor because of his length, mobility and ability to defend. I think it is reasonable to question his offensive upside, but even if it doesn't come around, you still have the makings of a very solid No. 2 or 3 defensemen who will eat a lot of minutes.

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

He actually defends very well, especially in transition.

The transition game would naturally suit a player so much more developed than his competition because of how much space he controls. At the NHL level, on smaller ice, against faster, bigger opponents, that advantage is gonna disappear.

 

[MBH]

Recruites has Edinvsson at 8.
Questions his upside. They don't see any powerplay ability.
But even if his offensive upside sucks, do I really care?
If he's a PK guy, 21-minute a night, swift-skating top 4 LD.
Whoever - Seider
Edvinsson - Hronek
That's a nice top 4.

Could have a top 6 like.
Johansson-Seider
Edvinsson-Hronek
McIsaac (Wallinder)-Whoever (Tuomisto/Lindstrom/Barton)


Could be the makings of a hard defense to play against.

 

[MBH]

Those guides aren't solely based on the opinions of NHL scouts though, like Bob's ranking is.

NHL teams love defenseman with the size and skating of Edvinsson.

From Bob

In large part because of the pandemic, this year’s draft class is showing signs of greater volatility and unpredictability. That was plainly evident when plotting the prospects ranked from No. 2 to No. 9. There’s very little separating the eight prospects immediately behind Power. It’s difficult to remember when, if ever, the No. 2 spot in particular and the top five to nine in general seems as jumbled as this year.

I've seen enough people question Edvinsson to believe he could be there at 6.
But, on the other hand, I'd still take him there.
It's just too hard to predict this top 10.
Frankly, not even sure Power deserves his top spot.

 

[deca guard]

Good to see McKenzie’s list clears absolutely nothing up.

Scouts are all over the map 2-9…. Remains as clear as mud.
Let the debates rage.

4 more days of fun . one thing im happy about is that it looks like guenther will be there , and hes the guy that caught my eye as a confident , hungry , energized , talented , good skating and sized sniper with killer instinct . i will not be let down if we get this gun slinger . load up 3 lines deep with talented wingers and win on depth even if we dont have star centers . if we go guenther 6 then pinelli 22 to hopefully bring in another non star but blue collar hard working center im happy .

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

The transition game would naturally suit a player so much more developed than his competition because of how much space he controls. At the NHL level, on smaller ice, against faster, bigger opponents, that advantage is gonna disappear.

Nah, reach and mobility (both lateral and front-to-back pivoting) are always advantageous tools for defending transition. They play even better on the smaller surfaces where forwards skate their way out of space more quickly. Players with his tools who close on gaps quickly like he does can really shorten the rink for their team and extend possession by forcing quick turnovers. Again, I think it is reasonable to question how much he has to give offensively. Defensively, however, I don't worry about him at all.

You can go back and watch his full U18s on HockeyTV if you are really interested in actually watching him.