2021 NHL Draft Thread II (R1 July 23rd (ESPN2) 8 PM EST; R2-7 July 24th (NHLN) 12PM EST)

[JacketsFanWest]

The Jackets signed (and didn't draft) Kivlenieks (along with Ivan Kulbakov) out of the USHL. That was the time period when the CHL had banned import goalies and players were coming over to the USHL and then trying to go play NCAA hockey.

With the pandemic, it might have a similar impact on European players staying home and not getting drafted since they didn't have scouts paying attention to them. Or teams playing fewer games and not needing backups or having an injury allowing a younger player to be called up. So there might be opportunities to find overagers next season or even sign a goalie prospect.

 

[majormajor]

The Jackets signed (and didn't draft) Kivlenieks (along with Ivan Kulbakov) out of the USHL. That was the time period when the CHL had banned import goalies and players were coming over to the USHL and then trying to go play NCAA hockey.

With the pandemic, it might have a similar impact on European players staying home and not getting drafted since they didn't have scouts paying attention to them. Or teams playing fewer games and not needing backups or having an injury allowing a younger player to be called up. So there might be opportunities to find overagers next season or even sign a goalie prospect.

Our scouting operation leans European though. Niklas Backstrom is our goalie scout and he presumably spends a lot of time in Europe.

In any case, they might sign an undrafted guy. I was curious about Yegor Guskov, who had stellar numbers in the MHL this year. He's small, but there's going to be another Saros eventually.

 

[majormajor]

It’s never a bad idea to take a goalie for your pipeline. It may not be a need but that doesn’t mean you let it become one.

Elvis and korpi are UFAs after this year. And I don’t think it’s very likely at all, but what if both say no? Then we’re in deep trouble. Even for a rebuilding team.

It’s not a major issue because we do have Tarasov, but it is something to watch imo. Maybe we can entice an undrafted college or European goalie to sign with us.

Our goalie pipeline has thinned, I don't put a ton of stock into Tarasov and who knows where Elvis and Korpi will be in a year. But this isn't something you fix at a whim. Your goalie scouts have to be excited about a guy and they have to like the draft range where the player is available. You're coming off like "honey why didn't you pick up some milk at the store, you knew we were almost out!". Sometimes it is a bad idea to draft a goalie. Sometimes you don't think the player will make it.

 

[Viqsi]

Ben Boyd's new prospect thread with eye-catching scouting report of our 6th round pick. Based on report looks like pretty interesting prospect with misleading numbers.

C Ben Boyd - Charlottetown Islanders, QMJHL (2021, 165th, CBJ)

I mean, I liked the pick, but that's mostly because I'm a part-time Charlottetown fan/follower and so homerism applies. (A few folks here can probably guess why. I'm still a little dissappointed that Desruisseaux went to Laval...)

 

[Viqsi]

So I did a thing - I went through the 2021 Elite Prospects Draft Guide (perk of being a member there) and pulled out their reports on everyone the Jackets picked this year, in order. Makarov and Boyd weren't profiled, but everyone else is there.

Short version/spoiler alert: they probably would have swapped when Svozil and Cuelemans were picked, don't think highly of Richard, and probably think Malatesta was a nice steal as well given his ranking.

 

[Rexor]

Svozil didn't have a good season but to describe him as a low-skilled defensive d-man is simply wrong. He was being mishandled in Brno, and didn't get the opportunity to do his thing on offense. Ironically, one of the reasons for his limited deployment might be that he's often so-so in his own zone (and especially around the crease). He could develop into a Tomáš Kaberle kind of d-man if things go well but some of those scouting reports read as if they were talking about a completely different Svozil than the one I know.

 

[DEF]

Bill got an F? Wow!

 

[Cowumbus]

Johnson
Sillinger
Chinakhov
Foudy
Marchenko
Ceulemans
Voronkov
Tarasov
Svozil
Angle


My first crack at our top 10. Not too shabby.

Foudy too high, Marchenko too low.

 

[EspenK]

My prospect rankings
2021 picks
2020 picks
2019 picks
all the rest

 

[EspenK]

From The Draft Analyst:

Columbus Blue Jackets
Needs: Goalie, Center, Left Wing, Right Defense
Players drafted: 5. Kent Johnson, C; 12. Cole Sillinger, C; 25. Corson Ceulemans, RHD; 69. Stanislav Svozil, LHD; 101. Guillaume Richard, LHD; 132. Nikolai Makarov, LHD; 133. James Malatesta, LW; 165. Ben Boyd, LW; 197. Martin Rysavy, RW
The Jackets haven’t been busy at the draft the last couple of seasons, as they’ve made only 26 picks since 2016 and just 10 combined within the first three rounds. The impact on the farm system has been profound, which partly explains the justification for moving team leaders David Savard and Nick Foligno at the trade deadline and Seth Jones minutes before Round 1 of this year’s draft. The Blue Jackets’ rebuild just got going, so credit to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen for drafting high-impact/high-ceiling prospects with each of his three first-round picks. Both Kent Johnson and Cole Sillinger are skilled forwards who can play center or wing, and the farm system’s lack of a difference maker on the right side of the defense was addressed when Columbus acquired Adam Boqvist in the Jones deal, then drafted shoot-first blueliner Corson Ceulemans at pick No. 25. Although they didn’t fix the need for goalie depth beyond Daniil Tarasov, Columbus bulked up on left defenders in two-way rearguard Stanislav Svozil and defensive-defensemen Guillaume Richard and Nikolai Makarov, with Makarov being a personal favorite of mine. And keep an eye on undersized left winger James Malatesta, who makes up for a lack of size with impressive upper-body strength and a physical brand of in-your-face hockey.
Grade: A+

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

Svozil didn't have a good season but to describe him as a low-skilled defensive d-man is simply wrong. He was being mishandled in Brno, and didn't get the opportunity to do his thing on offense. Ironically, one of the reasons for his limited deployment might be that he's often so-so in his own zone (and especially around the crease). He could develop into a Tomáš Kaberle kind of d-man if things go well but some of those scouting reports read as if they were talking about a completely different Svozil than the one I know.

So you follow Brno's team, it is your local club? I have only watched video clips of Svozil so please expound on his style of play, strengths & weaknesses. As you pointed out being "So-so in his own zone and tentative in the crease is certainly not good. However, even suggesting that he could develop into a Tomas Kaberle on the other hand says something quite different. Also played on Brno correct? multiple All Star appearances, Cup winner with Boston - but was a long term stalwart for the Leafs. close to 1,000 NHL games right? What do you see in Svozil that reminds you of Kaberle?

 

[Rexor]

So you follow Brno's team, it is your local club? I have only watched video clips of Svozil so please expound on his style of play, strengths & weaknesses. As you pointed out being "So-so in his own zone and tentative in the crease is certainly not good. However, even suggesting that he could develop into a Tomas Kaberle on the other hand says something quite different. Also played on Brno correct? multiple All Star appearances, Cup winner with Boston - but was a long term stalwart for the Leafs. close to 1,000 NHL games right? What do you see in Svozil that reminds you of Kaberle?

We have a thread about him on the prospects board that was created in 2019 with various takes on his game, mainly from Czech posters, myself included. I've always thought of him as a cerebral d-man with above-average offensive instincts but he needs to be given offensive minutes and PP time which simply has almost never been the case in Brno. I don't trust him too much around his own net and in tight board battles as he has a tendency to look a bit naive/overpowered in these places but it's difficult as he's been playing against men. I think he'll fix this in the long run. There seemed to be something off with his game this year. He didn't make any progress over the last year in my book, but the circumstances have been strange obviously. The Czech league was heavily hit by covid-19, and he himself went through several quarantines. I still think he should leave Brno, in best case for Sweden or Finland.

LD Stanislav Svozil - HC Kometa Brno, Extraliga Jrs (2021, 69th, CBJ)

 

[Heavy Metal Jackets]

LD Stanislav Svozil - HC Kometa Brno, Extraliga Jrs (2021, 69th, CBJ)

Thanks for the Svozil thread link, didn't know much about him until I read a good portion of that. Still have him at about #12 in our prospects personally, though his possible upside seems tremendous.