Who are some 2023 3rd-7th round picks that have out played their draft position this year?
Said a different way, if the 2023 draft was happening tomorrow instead, who would be the risers?
Well, it doesn’t get much better than Emmitt Finnie..
Think about this. If he were 3 months younger, he would likely be a 1st Round Pick in this year’s draft. Especially with the lack of pure skill depth in this draft, and his ability to drive a line from the wing.
Detroit took Finnie, one of the youngest players in the 23’ draft, in the 7th Round..
What’s funny is, Finnie is a natural C, but this is where scouts make their money, and others show how bad they are.
First of all, Kamloops was loaded last year because of hosting the Memorial Cup. So Finnie was buried down the depth chart most of the season. They had 8-9 NHL draft picks. Couple that with Finnie playing a lot of bottom 6 minutes at C. On the 4th line a lot. Not exactly your NHL draft eligible prospect.
There was stretch though mid season, where Finnie was moved to the wing, and played up with some older players. I can’t even remember why they moved him up, and to the wing for those games. During that short stretch of 7-8 games, he was actually driving the line, with skilled NHL draft picks.
A lot of people thought his 10 game point streak to end the season, extending it to 15 games in the playoffs, was why Detroit took a flier on him.
Nope. It was those 7-8 games earlier in the season. Where he showed he could drive a scoring line with very talented players, from the wing. During the 15 game streak btw, he was also playing mostly wing, but he was back in the bottom 6, and Demek was driving that line.
So a lot of scouts really weren’t looking at him much. Mostly because the team was so loaded, and he wasn’t getting opportunities other draft eligible players were getting, but they also thought he was benefiting from playing with all those NHL draft picks, and he wasn’t producing at C..
Let’s be honest. They missed those stretch of games, where he proved what type of player he was.
Anyway, he comes to rookie camp with Detroit, and plays mostly left wing. Same thing. He’s just a completely different player. Then he comes to NHL camp, and here’s some random 18 year old kid making plays with NHL players.
Then he returns to Kamloops, back to C, but then they make the Minten trade early in the season, ending up with Jordan Keller in return. At this point, someone got smart and decided it’s time to move Finnie to the wing for the season.
The rest is history. He just started blowing up. Driving a scoring line from the wing.
Finnie is just a different player on the wing, playing a top roll. Whether he ends up back at C at any point, time will tell, but when a winger is able to drive a line, good scouts take notice.
So this isn’t an overager situation. He’s still only 18 years old. He’s just that guy, like a Huberdeau type, who’s a natural C, but he can drive a line much better with less responsibilities, for whatever reason.
So you gotta think Detroit seen that stretch of games last year, and that’s why they took a flier on him in the 7th Round. In fact, I can tell you they actually talked to him prior to the draft about drafting him, because they think he can drive a line.
At 18 years old, as a 7th Round Pick, he already has an NHL contract, and is playing ATO games in the AHL, to finish out his season before returning to Juniors for his 19 year old season.
Not sure any other 7th rounder recently, has seen his stock skyrocket like Finnie. Especially still being only 18 years old.