Prospect Info: All-Purpose Caps 2016 NHL Draft Thread

[ALLCAPSALLTHETIME]

Are there any generally accepted explanations for why the Caps tend to draft more European players and seem to have good success with both getting them over and how they perform in the NHL?

I must admit my first instinct is to hope for them to snag some super talented Russian or Swede or even a Finn in this draft.

GMGM seemed to hate Finns. He rarely drafted them.

It'd be nice to see them draft one again.

 

[CapInSask]

It hasn't really been said much (other than comments about Laine), but who would be against potentially moving up? I wouldn't mind shipping out Mojo if it meant moving into top 15 range. Is that a realistic expectation?

 

[usiel]

It hasn't really been said much (other than comments about Laine), but who would be against potentially moving up? I wouldn't mind shipping out Mojo if it meant moving into top 15 range. Is that a realistic expectation?

Considering this team is loaded up for good playoff runs with their best players in their prime, etc., I do believe that is a realistic expectation. I can however see Mojo getting traded in the off season if looks like Burra is ready for top 6 full time.

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

I don't see us having our 1st round pick, and we're already without our 3rd, so I'm not really paying any attention to the draft or the prospects this year.

 

[hockeyfan88]

Not having a 1st sucks on draft day. Boring stuff

I remember the Redskins drafts after the RGIII trade...

 

[trick9]

Not having a 1st sucks on draft day. Boring stuff

I remember the Redskins drafts after the RGIII trade...

Not having a Cup yet eats your soul every single day, though.

 

[hockeyfan88]

Not having a Cup yet eats your soul every single day, though.

True.

 

[Langway]

Considering this team is loaded up for good playoff runs with their best players in their prime, etc., I do believe that is a realistic expectation. I can however see Mojo getting traded in the off season if looks like Burra is ready for top 6 full time.

I think the cap would be the biggest factor in dealing Johansson and I'd guess they'd mostly want a cheap NHL-ready young player coming back that can help next season. That's unless they believe they could move up to take someone ready to step in at 18 or something. To do that they'd probably have to move up to somewhere around 10 to 12, if not higher (for a Gauthier or McLeod).

My guess is if they absolutely had to they'd deal Orlov first. Johansson's so versatile, not to mention quick and young, that they really should find a way to keep him around. If that winds up costing them Chimera & Orlov next year then so be it.

 

[Langway]

The CHL Top Prospects Game is on NHL Network tonight at 9pm eastern. (Rosters.)

Some candidates for the Caps first pick:

Team Cherry: Clague, Niemelainen, Abramov, DeBrincat, Steel
Team Orr: Bean, Stanley, Bastian, Bitten, Raddysh

Orr:

7 Tkachuk - 21 Howden - 92 Nylander
12 Katchouk - 89 Somppi - 17 Raddysh
23 Stansky - 41 Bitten - 14 Bastian
52 Kopacka - 9 Laberge - 18 Dubois

71 Stanley - 31 Sergachev
2 Bean - 55 Green
4 Juolevi - 25 Hajek

70 Hart
30 Wells

Cherry:

49 Jones - 21 Brown - 25 Kyrou
26 Gettinger - 9 McLeod - 14 DeBrincat
22 Gregor - 19 Dube - 12 Gauthier
13 Ronning - 23 Steel - 11 Abramov

5 Chychrun - 10 Clague
56 Niemelainen - 94 Girard
7 Johansen - 4 Day

1 Fitzpatrick
31 Sawchenko

 

[Langway]

Game's about to start. Rosters listed above.

 

[CapInSask]

A late round steal could be Rhett Gardner of UND. Big center, power forward. 4 goals in his last 2 games. Winning over 50% faceoffs. I believe this is his last year of eligibility.

 

[hb12xchamps]

A late round steal could be Rhett Gardner of UND. Big center, power forward. 4 goals in his last 2 games. Winning over 50% faceoffs. I believe this is his last year of eligibility.

From what I've dug up on him he definitely is intriguing. Big kid who plays a physical game, wins faceoffs, and is putting up decent numbers as a freshmen on UND.

According to this blog post he's a free agent but have no idea how accurate that is. They easily could have misinterpreted his draft eligibility.

 

[Langway]

Gardner's definitely still eligible. Central Scouting didn't rank him in their mid-terms but he's still got a chance of being selected.

Pretty good first period for Raddysh among that target group but a fairly quiet game thereafter. Sean Day showed pretty well in the spotlight. Not that one game would change much but I still struggle to come up with 30 first round grade players this year. That can change in the second half but to me even the pool of players you could imagine having huge second halves is fairly thin. There are a lot of project type players after a certain point.

Benning was interviewed in the first intermission and mentioned the first round thinning after 15. That might short-change forwards a bit since he stated he's partial to taking a defenseman but it's understandable. Worst-case to round out the first round may be to lean on their organizational strength and take a defenseman they believe they could coach up long-term. I'm not sure Stanley, Niemelainen, Day, Johansen or Hajek are first rounders on talent/upside alone but in time they may be able to get more out of them than a somewhat fringy forward all things considered.

 

[Langway]

February ISS top 30. McKenzie's mid-season rankings are due out on Monday.

Juolevi moved up four spots from last month. Dubois moved up six. Gauthier down five. Kunin up eight & Tufte up six.

I'm coming around on Stanley being a first rounder.

 

[Cush]

TSN's Midseason Rankings: http://www.tsn.ca/tsn-mid-season-draft-rankings-topped-by-big-three-1.435206

There is a really unpredictable element to this year’s draft outside of the top 20.

It’s quite fair to say many of the players ranked between 31 and 50 are, to varying degrees, interchangeable with those ranked between, say, 23 and 30.

A few really good examples of that are Vancouver Giant forward Tyler Benson, Brandon Wheat King defenceman Kale Clague and Regina centre Sam Steel.

Benson was ranked 14 on TSN’s pre-season Top 15 in September and is No. 34 on the mid-season list; Clague was ninth in the pre-season and is No. 39 at mid-season; Steel went from being a Top 15 honorable mention to No. 41.

Benson’s fall has been largely injury-related. He’s only played 28 games because of a variety of ailments that have effectively derailed his season. Clague and Steel have played a lot for Brandon and Regina, respectively, but have seen their consensus ranking slip considerably.

That said, and this is where the volatility outside of the top 23 or so comes into play, Benson, Clague and Steel do have varying degrees of support as first-round picks. A few scouts have each of those prospects as potential late first-round possibilities, but more scouts have them outside the first round and some even outside of the top 60.

So it makes the slotting process difficult for these wild cards. As the old saying goes, it only takes one team to turn a second-round prospect into a first-rounder.

 

[Langway]

Rubtsov at 23. Huge trade up possibility there if he slides past 20. Those first 23 players plus Asplund & Laberge I'd give solid first round grades. Grundstrom I'd put pretty close. Benson can't stay healthy or else he might be there. Hajek & DeBrincat aren't too far off. If Clague finishes strong he should be considered. Overall, though, the 30-50 group is underwhelming. There aren't that many threats to make a strong case for the first round.

Abramov is down at 52, which I'd guess in part has to do with his skating not being tremendous. It's decent and he does battle. Still, it seems a bit low considering a weak early second round. Dineen & Stransky probably should be top 60.

 

[trick9]

Chychrun and Juolevi seem to be the case Nurse-Ristolainen all over again. One has all the elite tools but lacks the toolbox (to the degree where he doesn't become elite #1) and the smarter one with good size surpasses him within a year or two.

Agree with Langway. If Rubtsov is there 20-25 then i'd atleast hope that they do anything to move up. Or if the salary cap forces their hand then around that (+ possibly something) pick would be a solid return for Johansson. Obviously getting rid of Laich would be the preferred way so we don't lose useful asset for futures, but i can live with great prospect, and possibly seeing Vrana in the NHL next season.

 

[Langway]

Sergachev should also rightfully compete with Chychrun. Both him and Juolevi want to make a difference offensively when games are tight. So does Chychrun to his credit. He's not that lacking in the toolbox. He can lead rushes and pass pretty well. He's just not Ekblad. That expectation level may be disappointing some and those other two play with a little more sizzle generally. Sergachev at 12 might be the single most surprising ranking. A case can definitely be made he's the best defenseman. His shot on the PP is pretty special.

There are a few players I'd consider moving up for. The top 10 probably isn't realistic but after that Keller, Rubtsov, Gauthier, Brown and Tufte could be worth the price. None of those bigger NA wingers ranked toward the end of the first round appeal to me. Raddysh is the probably the best of them but still not a first rounder IMO. DeBrincat and Benson could be worst-case type scenarios. That's not too bad but there's still tons of movement/opportunity left before the season ends.

 

[trick9]

Sergachev should also rightfully compete with Chychrun. Both him and Juolevi want to make a difference offensively when games are tight. So does Chychrun to his credit. He's not that lacking in the toolbox. He can lead rushes and pass pretty well. He's just not Ekblad. That expectation level may be disappointing some and those other two play with a little more sizzle generally. Sergachev at 12 might be the single most surprising ranking. A case can definitely be made he's the best defenseman. His shot on the PP is pretty special.

There are a few players I'd consider moving up for. The top 10 probably isn't realistic but after that Keller, Rubtsov, Gauthier, Brown and Tufte could be worth the price. None of those bigger NA wingers ranked toward the end of the first round appeal to me. Raddysh is the probably the best of them but still not a first rounder IMO. DeBrincat and Benson could be worst-case type scenarios. That's not too bad but there's still tons of movement/opportunity left before the season ends.

Yes Sergachev is definitely in that mix too, but i wonder if the scouts don't see his potential as high as those other 2. Right now he seems to be on the same level as Chychrun and Juolevi so there must be something. I didn't mean exactly that Chychrun is the next Luke Schenn but Zach Bogosian was a good comparable there. Bogosian also had all the tools to become elite D but i don't consider him as one of the smartest D's out there either. He's had injury issues too (Bogo) so the comparable obviously isn't 100% as it never is. I threw Juolevi's name out there because i think he has the most upside from that group. Smartest player of the 3, and he's not physically as mature as the other 2. He is still 6'2 and has lots of room to grow. His first pass out of his zone reminds me alot of Drew Doughty (Doughty isn't his comparable as DD is defensively superior).

I don't think top-15 is that realistic really. Rubtsov is a good target but if that's not an option and the pick is around 26-30 then i would strongly consider moving back some spots and getting another pick back. Logan Brown sounds intriguing with that size down the middle but i won't say anything on that as i haven't seen him play even once yet.

 

[Langway]

Chychrun is a very good skater and that helps further underline his physical skill set. The tool box isn't great but it's not bad. He had a poor Top Prosects Game but typically he's much better. Not great but consistently good. No idea what the reason is for Sergachev's ranking. He's active but not overly so. He's got to be taller than TSN has him listed.

Unless they move their second and fourth rounders at the deadline, making the first their only pick until the fifth, I wouldn't move back. Generally if Asplund, Stanley or Laberge are still available I'd just make the pick. They could maybe get Abramov or a real project like Niemelainen later but it's not really their style. If the cap's an issue maybe they could move Johansson or Orlov to restock a bit, though more NHL-ready talent would be sensible.

Brown has very soft hands. He doesn't use his size much but his offensive game is starting to really take off. I haven't seen a ton of Tufte but he's one of the other truly skilled big body guys. Rubtsov is a top 12 type talent but after the U18s in the spring he'll likely have too many scouts banging the table for him to drop. He should definitely be top 15.

 

[CapsYeti12]

What's your opinion.. Let's suppose, Caps will finally win the Cup in June, would you make this offer for 2nd overall (to pick Laine) at Draft day? And, would be this offer interesting for any teams (BUF, TOR, EDM..)?

Johansson (RFA) + Samsonov + Bowey + 1st round pick

 

[Johannes de Silentio]

What's your opinion.. Let's suppose, Caps will finally win the Cup in June, would you make this offer for 2nd overall (to pick Laine) at Draft day? And, would be this offer interesting for any teams (BUF, TOR, EDM..)?

Johansson (RFA) + Samsonov + Bowey + 1st round pick

Would you envision Laine starting with the Caps from Day 1?

 

[Langway]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport.../?hootPostID=bd1b0d63bc24419eaec2d51df83a39fd

Okay, let’s get right down to brass tacks: This year’s NHL draft depth is bad.

There, we said it. Don’t get us wrong — we love the grouping in the top 10; even the next dozen or so down to No. 22 on Red Line Report's list list offer considerable promise.

But there’s a steep decline in talent in the mid-20s, and then things drop off a cliff around the middle of the second round.

Kind of funny that three months ago RLR said this year was deeper than expected but this is what I've been saying for a while now. There are a few interesting projects as far as ~60 goes--how many real sure things are there in that range typically?--but overall it's not a group picking up pace and really impressing.

I haven't seen any of Mattson but if his upside is as legit as RLR says there's no reason why he can't play his way into the back of the first round at least. The first round depth seems to be improving very slightly but the playoffs (and U18s for a guy like Bitten) will be the main test for many.

 

[trick9]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport.../?hootPostID=bd1b0d63bc24419eaec2d51df83a39fd

Kind of funny that three months ago RLR said this year was deeper than expected but this is what I've been saying for a while now. There are a few interesting projects as far as ~60 goes--how many real sure things are there in that range typically?--but overall it's not a group picking up pace and really impressing.

I haven't seen any of Mattson but if his upside is as legit as RLR says there's no reason why he can't play his way into the back of the first round at least. The first round depth seems to be improving very slightly but the playoffs (and U18s for a guy like Bitten) will be the main test for many.

The hidden gems are still there. Some guys just take a huge leap in development. Just look at Sebastian Aho for example from last draft. Early 2nd round pick with very little hype around him, now his draft+1 season he's rivaling Barkov's numbers in FEL and absolutely dominant at the WJC, like Kuznetsov. He got slightly overlooked there because of his line-mates but he was a huge piece of that line. Very smart player and should be a very good NHL player as soon as next season. I wish Caps could find C like him in the 1st or 2nd round from this draft.

 

[Langway]

@ZenonHerasymiuk: Top draft prospect Tyler Benson has reportedly been shut down for the rest of the season. #WHL #NHLDraft

You can probably scratch him off as being a late first round option given all of the developmental time lost and the injury questions.