NotOpie
"Puck don't lie"
Here's your chance. If you are GMRF what does your draft look like? What is your strategy? I'm going to go through 7 rounds, but you don't have to. Include any proposed trades or other moves that you'd make at the draft. I'm not including broader free agency here and hope to discuss that in a later thread.
My overall strategy would be three-fold. 1) I"m not giving up on 2015-16 and I want to be competitive to the extent that we can make the playoffs, period....not just be a bubble team, 2) Significantly shore up our lack of forward depth, 3) Continue to strengthen our overall defense.
So that being said here goes:
Round 1 (assuming 5th pick overall and 18th pick - from LA)
Pick #5
Dylan Strome - do I have to even state a reason? He's got size, vision, a shot, and is a solid skater. He's either our 1st or 2nd line center of the future....and the future is likely now given what we know about this franchise, although I would not necessarily press him into service...it would potentially be worthwhile seeing what he can do in Jr's without McDavid at his side.
Other options: (in no particular order)
- Lawson Crouse - size, speed, and hands; will only get better
- Mikko Rantanen - true RW power forward, likely ready or close to ready now
- Zachary Werenski, Ivan Provorov - but really don't want to use this pick on D, but...
- longer shots: Pavel Zacha, Timo Meier, Matthew Barzol
Pick #18 (any of Rantanen, Crouse, Meier if they're there)
Paul Bittner - big and fast with big shot; ton of upside. Poor man's Lawson Crouse. This is a chance to get a real power forward that projects to be Top 6 capable. If Lindy ends up being our #2 center in the long run, this guy's at his side for years to come. Laugh if you want but a line of Skinner/Lindholm/Bittner would be a match-up nightmare.
Other Options: (I was torn with the Bittner pick so I'd be fairly happy with any of these guys)
- Brock Boeser - great shot, quick release, superb passer, and capable RW where franchise is weak
- Daniel Sprong - skill, skill, skill, one of the guys that I hope somehow we end up with
- Hintz Roope - fast riser, good skater, very smart and skilled
- longer shots: Jansen Harkins, Joel Eriksson Ek
Round 2
Pick #35
Nicolas Meloche - maybe a pick or 3 early for Meloche, but continuing the Canes propensity to take NHL size, 2 way defenders. And maintain the theme of smooth skating blueliner, but one who isn't afraid of contact. Thinks the game very well.
Other Options: (really want to go Defense if possible with this pick, but, you know, BPA too)
- Matt Spencer - 2-way defender with proverbial "compete level", except with skills too
- Thomas Novak - winger who may be BPA when this pick comes; just a pure scorer
- Ryan Pilon - another silky skater with strong offensive upside, but doesn't sacrifice defensive responsibility
- longer shots: Noah Juulsen, Jacob Larsson, Rasmus Andersson
Round 3
Trade Ryan Murphy and Pick #96 (our original 4th rounder) for Pick #64 and Jordan Binnington
- Blues get a defensive prospect with boom or bust potential and a very high 4th round pick in this year's deep draft. Canes get another 3rd round pick and a very solid goalie prospect in Binnington; face it Murphy, while not a bust, isn't going to be developed by the team we've got down in Charlotte; time to cut our losses
Pick #64 (assuming our guy is there)
Dennis Yan - another very good RW prospect that is really the complete package (the guy I'm trading for)
or
Adam Musil - big, tough, possession monster centerman
Pick #66
Trade this pick, 2nd round pick in 2016, and Trevor Carrick to FL for Erik Gudbranson
- Canes get an NHL ready Top 4 defenseman and Florida gets a defensive prospect with a lot of upside and two picks to replenish their blueline cupboard (don't know if FL would do this, but hey, it's my fantasy, let me roll with it)
Round 4
Pick #94
Toss-up:
Nathan Noel - center with good puck skills and vision; always working
Ken Appleby - huge diamond in the rough goalie; overager for the Hitmen, gives us goalie depth for years
Other Options:
- Keegan Kolesar - grit, hard-working, size - beginning to flash offense
- John Marino - NHL size defenseman, some offensive upside, going to Yale next year
- Yegor Rykov - NHL size defenseman, a bit more offensive upside
Round 5
Pick #126
Erik Cernak - Big, strong, huge reach; crease clearing defender
or
Aleksi Saarela - smallish, highly skilled scoring Finn winger; what's not to love
Round 6
Pick #156
Fredrik Forsberg - Filip Forsberg's younger brother; many of the same characteristics in a smaller package
or
Chris Wilkie - very fast, excellent skater who can dance his way to scoring chances; going to UND next year
Pick #160
Hayden McCool (yes, you read that right) - why? Because of the name....actually he's a tailor made power forward who loves to crash the net; still youngish enough to continue to develop over the next 3 or 4 years
or
Bradley LaLonde - plucky "box" of a defender with some offense
Pick #168
Mark Simpson - another big bodied winger (6'5"/190)
Round 7
Pick #186
Tyler MacArthur - and another big defensive, defenseman with a right shot
So my day ends up with a number of high skill and size forwards, one or two very good defensive prospecs, a restocked goalie pool, and most importantly, an NHL Top 4 defenseman. My assumption is that Strome would likely not play in 2015-16 for the Canes, but never say never. We fill one of the most obvious holes in our lineup while restocking the cupboard with a load of size and talent. This also gives us chips in the big game to get an NHL forward (2nd liner w/size and scoring capabilities....or at least the latter).
Let me hear what you think, or more importantly, what you'd do instead.
My overall strategy would be three-fold. 1) I"m not giving up on 2015-16 and I want to be competitive to the extent that we can make the playoffs, period....not just be a bubble team, 2) Significantly shore up our lack of forward depth, 3) Continue to strengthen our overall defense.
So that being said here goes:
Round 1 (assuming 5th pick overall and 18th pick - from LA)
Pick #5
Dylan Strome - do I have to even state a reason? He's got size, vision, a shot, and is a solid skater. He's either our 1st or 2nd line center of the future....and the future is likely now given what we know about this franchise, although I would not necessarily press him into service...it would potentially be worthwhile seeing what he can do in Jr's without McDavid at his side.
Other options: (in no particular order)
- Lawson Crouse - size, speed, and hands; will only get better
- Mikko Rantanen - true RW power forward, likely ready or close to ready now
- Zachary Werenski, Ivan Provorov - but really don't want to use this pick on D, but...
- longer shots: Pavel Zacha, Timo Meier, Matthew Barzol
Pick #18 (any of Rantanen, Crouse, Meier if they're there)
Paul Bittner - big and fast with big shot; ton of upside. Poor man's Lawson Crouse. This is a chance to get a real power forward that projects to be Top 6 capable. If Lindy ends up being our #2 center in the long run, this guy's at his side for years to come. Laugh if you want but a line of Skinner/Lindholm/Bittner would be a match-up nightmare.
Other Options: (I was torn with the Bittner pick so I'd be fairly happy with any of these guys)
- Brock Boeser - great shot, quick release, superb passer, and capable RW where franchise is weak
- Daniel Sprong - skill, skill, skill, one of the guys that I hope somehow we end up with
- Hintz Roope - fast riser, good skater, very smart and skilled
- longer shots: Jansen Harkins, Joel Eriksson Ek
Round 2
Pick #35
Nicolas Meloche - maybe a pick or 3 early for Meloche, but continuing the Canes propensity to take NHL size, 2 way defenders. And maintain the theme of smooth skating blueliner, but one who isn't afraid of contact. Thinks the game very well.
Other Options: (really want to go Defense if possible with this pick, but, you know, BPA too)
- Matt Spencer - 2-way defender with proverbial "compete level", except with skills too
- Thomas Novak - winger who may be BPA when this pick comes; just a pure scorer
- Ryan Pilon - another silky skater with strong offensive upside, but doesn't sacrifice defensive responsibility
- longer shots: Noah Juulsen, Jacob Larsson, Rasmus Andersson
Round 3
Trade Ryan Murphy and Pick #96 (our original 4th rounder) for Pick #64 and Jordan Binnington
- Blues get a defensive prospect with boom or bust potential and a very high 4th round pick in this year's deep draft. Canes get another 3rd round pick and a very solid goalie prospect in Binnington; face it Murphy, while not a bust, isn't going to be developed by the team we've got down in Charlotte; time to cut our losses
Pick #64 (assuming our guy is there)
Dennis Yan - another very good RW prospect that is really the complete package (the guy I'm trading for)
or
Adam Musil - big, tough, possession monster centerman
Pick #66
Trade this pick, 2nd round pick in 2016, and Trevor Carrick to FL for Erik Gudbranson
- Canes get an NHL ready Top 4 defenseman and Florida gets a defensive prospect with a lot of upside and two picks to replenish their blueline cupboard (don't know if FL would do this, but hey, it's my fantasy, let me roll with it)
Round 4
Pick #94
Toss-up:
Nathan Noel - center with good puck skills and vision; always working
Ken Appleby - huge diamond in the rough goalie; overager for the Hitmen, gives us goalie depth for years
Other Options:
- Keegan Kolesar - grit, hard-working, size - beginning to flash offense
- John Marino - NHL size defenseman, some offensive upside, going to Yale next year
- Yegor Rykov - NHL size defenseman, a bit more offensive upside
Round 5
Pick #126
Erik Cernak - Big, strong, huge reach; crease clearing defender
or
Aleksi Saarela - smallish, highly skilled scoring Finn winger; what's not to love
Round 6
Pick #156
Fredrik Forsberg - Filip Forsberg's younger brother; many of the same characteristics in a smaller package
or
Chris Wilkie - very fast, excellent skater who can dance his way to scoring chances; going to UND next year
Pick #160
Hayden McCool (yes, you read that right) - why? Because of the name....actually he's a tailor made power forward who loves to crash the net; still youngish enough to continue to develop over the next 3 or 4 years
or
Bradley LaLonde - plucky "box" of a defender with some offense
Pick #168
Mark Simpson - another big bodied winger (6'5"/190)
Round 7
Pick #186
Tyler MacArthur - and another big defensive, defenseman with a right shot
So my day ends up with a number of high skill and size forwards, one or two very good defensive prospecs, a restocked goalie pool, and most importantly, an NHL Top 4 defenseman. My assumption is that Strome would likely not play in 2015-16 for the Canes, but never say never. We fill one of the most obvious holes in our lineup while restocking the cupboard with a load of size and talent. This also gives us chips in the big game to get an NHL forward (2nd liner w/size and scoring capabilities....or at least the latter).
Let me hear what you think, or more importantly, what you'd do instead.
Last edited: