2021 NHL Draft Thread

[Bojack Horvatman]

It will be a really different year with no CHL

There are a lot of good Dmen at the top of the draft this year. I personally like Edvinsson the best. He reminds me a lot of Thomas Chabot, and think his defensive side of the game will be better than Hughes and Clarke, and better offensively than Lambos and Power.

If we don't draft a defencemen I am high on Beniers, Eklund, and Wallstedt

Click to read more...

 

[VanJack]

Lol!....Six games in, and it's not too early to be studying the draft rankings. A lot of Canucks fans probably never thought the team would in the draft lottery, but breaking down this current roster, that's a distinct possibility.

And you have to feel for the scouts, because it could be even tougher to assess emerging talent than it was even last season. At least the scouting fraternity could attend games in person and get a book on players right up until mid-March when the world and hockey came to a crashing halt.

This year, a lot of leagues never got going. Heck, the WHL is talking about a 26-game schedule; half of the NCAA is shut down for the season; and some of the European junior leagues started up on time but then got shuttered for COVID-related reasons.

I guess the scouts can watch a few games on YouTube from the few leagues that are still playing....or squint into their computers to study the highlight reels. But that hardly represents a credible alternative to showing up at the rink in person.

So I guess for obvious reasons, the draft rankings won't change much all season long....just not enough games for players to move up or down.

All you can do is pray that Benning and the Canuck scouts have enough of a book on these players that they can unearth some serious overlays in later rounds. But then I guess every NHL team will be hoping for the same thing.

 

[y2kcanucks]

The top end of the draft is D heavy. I'm particularly interested in Brandt Clarke, Luke Hughes, and Carson Lambos. A bit further down I like Aiden Hreschuk who I see as a mobile puck moving defenseman.

I wouldn't at all be against drafting Jesper Wallstedt assuming the top defensemen are gone (and Hreschuk is also gone). I think we should consistently be looking to replenish our goaltending prospects, and Wallstedt has looked very good so far (also being able to play this year helps).

For now I don't have any strong feelings on any of the forwards, though that could change. Intrigued by Aatu Raty because of his pre-draft year hype, but he may be falling for a reason. Kent Johnson also looks very good so far in his freshman year in Michigan.

 

[HedonisticAltruism]

Lol!....Six games in, and it's not too early to be studying the draft rankings. A lot of Canucks fans probably never thought the team would in the draft lottery, but breaking down this current roster, that's a distinct possibility.

And you have to feel for the scouts, because it could be even tougher to assess emerging talent than it was even last season. At least the scouting fraternity could attend games in person and get a book on players right up until mid-March when the world and hockey came to a crashing halt.

This year, a lot of leagues never got going. Heck, the WHL is talking about a 26-game schedule; half of the NCAA is shut down for the season; and some of the European junior leagues started up on time but then got shuttered for COVID-related reasons.

I guess the scouts can watch a few games on YouTube from the few leagues that are still playing....or squint into their computers to study the highlight reels. But that hardly represents a credible alternative to showing up at the rink in person.

So I guess for obvious reasons, the draft rankings won't change much all season long....just not enough games for players to move up or down.

All you can do is pray that Benning and the Canuck scouts have enough of a book on these players that they can unearth some serious overlays in later rounds. But then I guess every NHL team will be hoping for the same thing.

Lol I pretty much said the same thing in the management thread... this is an awful year to be a lottery team. Even if the scouting from previous years is perfect, all of these players are missing significant development time right before they hit the bigs. The variance is incredibly high - it'll be better to have a lot of picks than necessarily fewer high picks.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

Fabian Lysell would be a good pick if we don't pick outside the top 10. Too bad he is a winger, and we absolutely need a blue-chip D.

 

[Icebreakers]

Canucks might pick top 10 this year. There are no easy wins in our division. Not even Ottawa. They arent going to be gifted games against LA, ANA, and SJS. Too bad there are so many holes in our line up though. Top 6 W, Two top 4 D if Edler leaves.

 

[Canucks LB]

No superstars this year, but a Ton of depth around the 5-15 Range

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

@y2kcanucks Here is the video of Edvinsson. He actually has explosiveness, and clearly isn't an example of a bad skating big guy, but is a "good skater for his size"

According to Bob Mckenzie two scouts have him #1, but other scouts don't have him in the top 10. It looks like there will be very little consensus this year.

 

[Bojack Horvatman]

I'm really liking William Eklund, it's just too bad we need D desperately. 7g and 7A in 23g in the SHL so far as an 18yo. Unfortunately he missed the world juniors because of Covid.

 

[Tonystretcher]

Would be nice to grab a two-way C like Beniers or Eklund. Ease them in at 3C and let things play out however they may with Horvat and Pettersson. I really like Lysell, Hughes, Sillinger, and Wallstedt aswell. So many good options.

 

[The Vasili Jerry]

Gotta get Luke Hughes so we can have a Hughes on the ice for like 80% of the game.

 

[canuckfan75]

Elliot Friedman just said there may not be draft in 2021. and they may just do two in June of 2022

 

[Icebreakers]

Elliot Friedman just said there may not be draft in 2021. and they may just do two in June of 2022

That sounds kind of...insane? Trying to scout two draft classes at once sounds like a nightmare. These players for the 2021 draft will be still playing next year in junior/college, and we know that 17-18 year olds have a high fluctuation in play. Someone being scouted as the #1 pick in July this year might not be next year.

 

[Jack Burton]

A little early for the Tank thread boys

 

[Breakers]

NCAA and international players are going to go high in this draft

Brandt Clarke is the highest rated "Rightie"

 

[Icebreakers]

Looks like the entire top 5 of this draft might be Dmen.

Power, Clarke, Edvinsson, Hughes and Lambos

Forwards after, Johnson, Beniers, and Eklund.

 

[Bubbles]

This would have been the perfect opportunity to change the draft age to 19.

 

[Icebreakers]

This would have been the perfect opportunity to change the draft age to 19.

I wonder if they would make an exceptional status for some players. Obviously guys like McDavid could go to Europe, but he would be losing millions as his ELC would be a year later.

 

[NoShowWilly]

I wonder if they would make an exceptional status for some players. Obviously guys like McDavid could go to Europe, but he would be losing millions as his ELC would be a year later.

I'd hope not. There are so few players that are really ready. You'd have to make that decision before the season started.

 

[The Iron Goalie]

So, which of the top D prospects would you want if we end up with a top 10 pick? I have Luke Hughes 1st atm (out of the D prospects), but Power has come on in the last couple weeks and Clarke, Lambos, and Evidsson are all very solid contenders as well. Good draft if you need a defenseman.

 

[xtra]

Based on nothing but the name I want Power

 

[CpatainCanuck]

Drafting Luke Hughes would open up the possibility of a Hughes trio with the Canucks at some point in the future. Otherwise they would likely choose some other city to reunite in if they so chose.

Luke Hughes is 6'2" now btw.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

I want Owen Power purely for the fact that every time he scores I’d want him to yell:

 

[Breakers]

Last time you are going to see Michigan for a bit was last night

entire school sports department shutdown.
So 3 kids who are going to go in the top 10 are going to be done for awhile.

 

[Catamarca Livin]

That sounds kind of...insane? Trying to scout two draft classes at once sounds like a nightmare. These players for the 2021 draft will be still playing next year in junior/college, and we know that 17-18 year olds have a high fluctuation in play. Someone being scouted as the #1 pick in July this year might not be next year.

I agree why delay it? The league does not need draft excitement? An limited scouted draft is better than no draft. Players should have rights as well. If no draft would they be free agents that would be fun.