2021 NHL Draft Thread: Brackett and Friends

Depending on what the health issues are, Carson Lambos could potentially be a huge value pick for us if he falls far enough. A top 10-15 talent that might fall into the mid 20s?

 

I definitely wouldn't mind a high upside LHD in this draft.

I wonder how many 1st round picks are going to move at the deadline, with the draft being perceived as a little weak + scouting issues, teams might be a little more willing to give them up.

 

I honestly think this is overblown by posters here. I wouldn't expect it to be any more than normal. Firsts are still firsts, and there are still top 6 and top 4 players available. If anything, I would be less willing to deal a first personally, especially as a fringe playoff team, because that 16th-19th pick might end up getting you a top 10 quality player due to the uncertainty and inability to properly scout.

 

He’s giving me Chycrun vibes with him falling from a consensus top 5, potential number one pick, to the back half of the 1st in most mocks. I don’t get it. He’s the best defensive-defenseman in the draft and has more offensive skill than he’s given credit for. A lock to be a top 4 guy for me.

 

It really depends on what his injury is, doesn't it? As much as I think we MUST draft as many Centers as possible, if Lambos is still there when we pick we have to pick him, probably. Having him and ROR phase in when Suter is phasing out of the team would be going from strength to strength.

 

I think we must draft as many BPA's as possible. Trust your scouts. Lately, they've been pretty damn good.

 

So we must draft as many centers as possible- unless a better player at another position is available when we pick?

That is what taking BPA means.

 

Unless an obviously better player is there, as opposed to a player who is only marginally better. Or is that too nuanced for you?

 

Lambos doesn’t have an injury, he’s just falling due to uninspiring play in Finland.

I do agree adding some depth at LD to the prospect pool would allow us to continue to have our defense as our strength, which I like.

I feel pretty good about Brackett’s recent picks, so I’m excited to see where he goes this year. Daemon Hunt and ROR looking like good value picks as LDs rn.

 

I don't know about "nuanced", I do know that you still don't understand the draft process.

 

Pretty sure players that are marginally close, end up ranked pretty much the same by scouts.

I think they are separated in ranking, when they see clear separation in quality.

 

He has something, because he's done for the rest of the year.

 

The article said something something medical procedure April 28 something something. Very curious what it could be that would not be getting addressed until a month from now.

 

Yes, please explain the nuance of when you take the worse center vs. when you just take the better prospect.

 

Ah I must’ve missed this.

 

Pronman's 2021 ratings from March 29 (so we can make fun of them)

Guenther shot up to #1 and is the only player in the "bubble NHL all star/top of lineup player" category

Luke Hughes
Owen Power
Matt Beniers
Kent Johnson

round out the top 5.

Some interesting (to me) guys he has in the 16 or later range for our two picks:

Fedor Svechkov
Simon Edvinsson (at #21, yes the same Edvinsson a lot of people had top 5 at the start of the year)
Cole Sillinger
Sasha Pastujov
Zach L'Heureux
Xavier Bourgault
Carson Lambos

 

Carson Lambos is on the roster

 

O'Rourke? The Wild can only skate so many left-handed defensemen and they have two long term - Brodin and Suter. Unless Guerin somehow tricks Suter in getting traded to like Detroit or Winnipeg, I don't see the need for a few years to grab a leftie if it's going to be just a depth player.

 

Suter has four years left, which means any defenseman we draft this summer is only going to be 22 when Suter retires. For reference, Cale Makar turns 23 this fall, Quinn Hughes turns 22 this fall, and Calen Addison turns 21 this month. I think we can make it work.

And the idea that we can stop drafting LD now that we have one potential top 4 LD in the entire system is pretty funny coming from the guy who wants to take 21 centers in the next 3 drafts.

 

^...and there's no guarantee that O'Rourke becomes what we hope he might.

Brackett is going to choose the player he feels in the best player available when the Wild select, whether that be forward or defense.

 

That's fair, but left and right defense is the least of his concerns. Left defense last season was a little bit of a concern, but with him drafting O'Rourke and Hunt, they shored up the left side pretty good.

Right: Spurgeon, Dumba, Addison, Mennell, S. Johansson, F. Johansson
Left: Brodin, Suter, O'Rourke, Hunt, Warren

 

Best not to have blinders on going into a draft.

 

IMO, Warren's ceiling is AHL, and Hunt's ceiling is a bottom-pairing NHLer. I wouldn't consider that "shored up" at all. Then you need to factor in that Suter is getting long in the tooth and his best playing days are well-behind him.

 

No, I mean if you have a left defense that you rate in the top 15 and a winger in the top 25, you're going to pick the defenseman. But if you have a left defenseman in the top 10 and a center in the top 15, they are probably going to pick the center.

I mean would you have picked Drysdale over Rossi last season?

We don't know what their ceilings are. I'd agree that Warren looks like an AHLer at this moment and Hunt maybe a decent bottom pairing. Then again Spurgeon was a 5th round pick, Soucy was a late round pick as well.

The day that Suter is dropped down to a bottom pairing guy like Parise is going to be the last season of his contract. I'm hoping sooner than later they confront him about waiving his NMC like they did with Parise.

 

Probably not, but now we have Rossi, so the equation has changed a little since then. But this is also based on both of them having ~top line/top pair upsides.

But yeah, going back to my post that you quoted, I also wouldn't mind a high upside center in this draft either. I just also wouldn't mind a high upside LD as well, if the alternative is reaching for a center/forward. None of this is abnormal draft talk.