Speculation: All-encompassing Draft Thread

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Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
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I haven’t seen any of these criticisms and most I’ve listened to say Byfield has potential to be better than Lafreniere.

The rumored laziness / attitude BS also comes off as coy racism from scouts tbh.
Scouts have done that to black/bi-racial players for years. Every time I see some reports on players, they go to these weird areas for their critique. Hell, I used to see it from my own coaches about me and my team mates would be like "what? are we talking about and watching the same person?"

Byfield is going to be the better player imo than Lafreniere.
 

Mr. T

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Feb 15, 2003
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Scouts have done that to black/bi-racial players for years. Every time I see some reports on players, they go to these weird areas for their critique. Hell, I used to see it from my own coaches about me and my team mates would be like "what? are we talking about and watching the same person?"

Byfield is going to be the better player imo than Lafreniere.

Or compare said player to Wayne Simmonds...clearly only for the style of game they play. Clearly.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
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Or compare said player to Wayne Simmonds...clearly only for the style of game they play. Clearly.
I remember for our work party, we had a group that were huge basketball fans, they picked me literally because I am black.

I f***ing suck at basketball. They learned a new lesson for stereotyping me. I was picked first in their hearts, but on the courts, I was dead last in basketball talent. Some 5'1" Filipino bloke in accounting was making me look like a chump all day.
 
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SEALBound

Fancy Gina Carano
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If we were to miraculously get the first pick, who would you pick?

Lafrenière. I don't think that's even a question really. That said, I think it's a Hall vs Seguin like selection.

Scouts have done that to black/bi-racial players for years. Every time I see some reports on players, they go to these weird areas for their critique. Hell, I used to see it from my own coaches about me and my team mates would be like "what? are we talking about and watching the same person?"

Byfield is going to be the better player imo than Lafreniere.

I wouldn't say it's exclusive to them though. The "lazy" label has been given a lot of players over the years. How many white Russians have been called "lazy"? I think it's disingenuous to automatically assume a racial bias when you call a non-white player lazy. That's not fair to the scout.

How many times has Malkin been called lazy? Is he? Certainly at times. Even though he's a generational player, he has sometimes given less than 100%. Is it possible Byfield takes a shift off here and there? Entirely. Does it have anything to do with his skin-tone? No. There is something scouts at one point have seen to make them say that. A good scouting report should be giving you the good, the bad, and the ugly. Accepting or dismissing any part of those reports based on skin tone is silly.

That said, I'm sure there are stupid, asshole scouts out there who may do that. I'm just saying don't automatically assume that.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
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For us? Lafreniere obviously. He’d step right in on Sid or Geno’s wing.
I don't know about that, Jake is also a W, to add another young W, you're then hoping this team drafts some C to take over Sid & Geno at some point. They're going to be 33 and 34yrs old. I would love Lafreniere if he was a C, but I would take Byfield all day.
 

Ja Sports

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May 6, 2020
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Fresh hype reel for Marco Rossi - who had the highest PPG of this draft class

Enjoy guys :) and let me know if there's a player you want covered next

 
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Dipsy Doodle

Rent A Barn
May 28, 2006
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I don't know about that, Jake is also a W, to add another young W, you're then hoping this team drafts some C to take over Sid & Geno at some point. They're going to be 33 and 34yrs old. I would love Lafreniere if he was a C, but I would take Byfield all day.

Honestly, there are going to be some dark days after Crosby and Malkin.

Talking about rebuilding while we still have those two playing at an elite level reminds me of Jerry Krause trying to set up the Bulls after Jordan and Pippen in '98. Appreciate what you have and put the best team possible around them, because you're not gonna replace those two, not even close. Rebuild with youth afterwards.

When you have generational talents, you do everything you can to max them out and everything else is back burner.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
77,316
42,447
Honestly, there are going to be some dark days after Crosby and Malkin.

Talking about rebuilding while we still have those two playing at an elite level reminds me of Jerry Krause trying to set up the Bulls after Jordan and Pippen in '98. Appreciate what you have and put the best team possible around them, because you're not gonna replace those two, not even close. Rebuild with youth afterwards.

When you have generational talents, you do everything you can to max them out and everything else is back burner.
I think I would be ok with college bound prospects, etc, giving the team time to develop and slowly bring in guys, it's going to be a dark time for sure, but I think if you build a team by committee you're going to have less of those issues because then you can draft those "cornerstone" types and have a solid team to bring that player up and into.

I really am not worried about when Sid, Geno, and Letang call it a career. The fact that we've seen them this long at the level they've been at? It's a blessing, mate.
 

Honour Over Glory

Fire Sully
Jan 30, 2012
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Byfield is very raw, I would not play him as an 18-year-old... then again, I would because he is too good for juniors. He is VERY young (18 in August). So he has no immediate impact for the Pens IMO.

That being said, I am a big Drysdale fan and maybe I am jumping the gun by saying he could slot right into our third pairing.
Byfield is a guy that needs time to grow into that body of his, he's got so much talent, but that size, if he stayed that extra year, you'd benefit so damn much from it. Imagine a team drafts him, keeps him in Juniors another year and with the pandemic year and training, he's reporting to his first pro year at 6'4" and 220+ of a solid physique ready to tear the NHL up.

He likes to watch Malkin and plays similar to him, that kid is going to be a beast. I do like C's more than W's for the most part with drafting especially where the Pens are going to be losing 2 major pieces, but I do love what I have seen out of Lafreniere. I just think if a team that drafts him doesn't have a damn solid top 6 C already, he's going to be wasted like Hall has been, for years.
 
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Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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Honestly, there are going to be some dark days after Crosby and Malkin.

Talking about rebuilding while we still have those two playing at an elite level reminds me of Jerry Krause trying to set up the Bulls after Jordan and Pippen in '98. Appreciate what you have and put the best team possible around them, because you're not gonna replace those two, not even close. Rebuild with youth afterwards.

When you have generational talents, you do everything you can to max them out and everything else is back burner.

If we're somehow in a position to draft Byfield and he pans out, those dark days largely disappear. I'm not saying do it because of that per se, but the dark days aren't inevitable if somehow you draft a guy like Byfield could be, even if they mightn't be quite as bright as they've been.
 

Dipsy Doodle

Rent A Barn
May 28, 2006
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I think I would be ok with college bound prospects, etc, giving the team time to develop and slowly bring in guys, it's going to be a dark time for sure, but I think if you build a team by committee you're going to have less of those issues because then you can draft those "cornerstone" types and have a solid team to bring that player up and into.

I really am not worried about when Sid, Geno, and Letang call it a career. The fact that we've seen them this long at the level they've been at? It's a blessing, mate.

Oh, I'm not worried about after Sid and Geno. It's been incredible.

I just think we're going to have to tear down a lot for futures when the time comes.

If we're somehow in a position to draft Byfield and he pans out, those dark days largely disappear. I'm not saying do it because of that per se, but the dark days aren't inevitable if somehow you draft a guy like Byfield could be, even if they mightn't be quite as bright as they've been.

While Byfield has a huge ceiling, the combo of his position and the rawness of his talent would make me lean more towards a player like Stutzle who would better help us maximize the end of Crosby and Malkin's careers.

He's a wing, he's played well in a men's league, and he seems more polished.
 

CheckingLineCenter

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Aug 10, 2018
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If I’m JR, I take Stutzle over Byfield. He’s just the better player right now, and it’s not like his ceiling is low either. I also think Stutzle can eventually play center as well.

Most other teams should probably roll the dice on Byfield though. Upside is insane.
 
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Ja Sports

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May 6, 2020
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Fresh new hype reel for Connor Zary - absolute workhorse of a player

Hope you guys enjoy :)

 
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MayorofWBS

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Apr 14, 2015
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There is 0% chance any of the 2020 draft will be ready for any NHL games come next season. Lafreniere is the only one I see having a chance. This class isn't made up of physical specimens and most need time to fill out more. Go with the guy with the best projection down the road....I don't see a generational player in the bunch. That doesn't mean you can't get a good player down the road.
 

HandshakeLine

A real jerk thing
Nov 9, 2005
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How will the extremely late draft and 2021 season start effect eligibility? Are the junior leagues pushing their starts back too?
 

Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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If we lose against the Habs, I hope it becomes the "OMG OMG OMG WE GOT LAFFY!" thread.

Now down to a 12.5% chance!

With Crosby and Malkin getting up there in age, would it be smarter to take Byfield?

Answering this here -

I think there's an argument but the answer is probably no. Lafreniere's ability to contribute immediately is a lot higher. Overall ceiling... arguable. The scouting community are super high on him. to a certain extent the argument is do you want to be good for another 10-15 years, or really great the next 5 and see what happens?

I'll be honest - if we get 1OA, I want them to explore moving it. LW is the last position we need another player in. But my guess is even if explored, nobody would offer better value.
 

Empoleon8771

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Aug 25, 2015
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Idk, I'd just move Zucker to RW and keep Lafreniere on LW. I don't see an issue with Guentzel-Crosby-Zucker and Lafreniere-Malkin-Rust.

But in reality, we should be hoping the Penguins aren't even in a position to get 1st overall.
 

Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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Idk, I'd just move Zucker to RW and keep Lafreniere on LW. I don't see an issue with Guentzel-Crosby-Zucker and Lafreniere-Malkin-Rust.

But in reality, we should be hoping the Penguins aren't even in a position to get 1st overall.

Agreed with bolded but I have nothing better to do than argue about this hypothetical.

Wild fans were pretty unanimous that Zucker wasn't the same player on the right iirc. If we got Laf, I figure either we move Zucker on, or we start looking at how we can create three really gnarly lines again. I suggested using Jake to anchor a third line if we got Byfield - well, if we got Laf, you could do it even easier. Guentzel and Horny would give you a real shot athaving our best third line since HBK.
 
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