Bob McKenzie's top tier group of 2011 NHL draft prospects

Hemsky4PM

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Dougie Hamilton is the best prospect I've seen this season.

Complete package. Size, skating, offense, defense, physical. Everything.

He will be a no.1-2 defenseman in the NHL and I wouldn't blame any team for taking him in the top 3.
 

Dread Clawz

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Nov 25, 2006
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little concerning but not surprising...he had 9 points all year


our center depth is atrocious...if the Oilers are picking #1, I think they take RNH. The guy is a flat-out stud at 166lbs..imagine when he's 185??

if the Oilers pick #2 then it could get interesting....I'm sure they'd pick whoever is left of RNH/Larsson but Landeskog intrigues me cause of his all-around package...he's gritty AND a beast on the wing

I don't care if we need a center or d-man...if Landeskog is BPA, take him

With the scouts saying that Larsson doesn't have outstanding offensive skills, then I think the Oilers have to take RNH, despite any lack of size. He should get up to around 185-190 lbs. and that's fine. I don't think the Oilers will pass him up for a d-man who doesn't look like he'll be elite.
 

Paulinho

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Oilers: Larsson
Avs: Landeskog
Sens: Hopkins
Panthers: Strome
Islanders: Couturier

Moulson Tavares Okposo
Grabner Couturier Nino
 

FolignoQuantumLeap

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Mar 16, 2009
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mckenzie has a pretty good read on the scouting community. if he left couturier out of the conversation (which he did because i just saw the same thing you did), the free fall of this young man is very real. perhaps red line report and craig button were not far off when they lowered couturier's ranking.

I'd hardly say Couturier is in "free fall". Yes, he was a top 2 pick coming into this year but he's not going to pull an Angelo Esposito. He's still going top 10, most likely top 6. He's just on the same ground as Huberdeau and Strome at this point. Nothing wrong with that.
 

4thliner*

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With the scouts saying that Larsson doesn't have outstanding offensive skills, then I think the Oilers have to take RNH, despite any lack of size. He should get up to around 185-190 lbs. and that's fine. I don't think the Oilers will pass him up for a d-man who doesn't look like he'll be elite.

Lets no forget, Larsson is 17 year old and playing on the same team as David Rundblad who has skill coming out of the wazoo, and also Tim Erixon who is also another talented 1st round pick. Not much of a chance to shine on the PP in a notorious defensive league.

Next year, it would not shock me if he put up huge numbers offensively when Rundblad leaves for the NHL, along with his outstanding defensive game.

I think everyone already know Larsson isn't a flashy puck rushing guy, just a cerebral great passing dman with a good point shot. That is what Lidstrom is, not flashy.
 

Dread Clawz

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Lets no forget, Larsson is 17 year old and playing on the same team as David Rundblad who has skill coming out of the wazoo, and also Tim Erixon who is also another talented 1st round pick. Not much of a chance to shine on the PP in a notorious defensive league.

Next year, it would not shock me if he put up huge numbers offensively when Rundblad leaves for the NHL, along with his outstanding defensive game.

I think everyone already know Larsson isn't a flashy puck rushing guy, just a cerebral great passing dman with a good point shot. That is what Lidstrom is, not flashy.

I know the reasons for the decline in his offensive production this season, and like you said he doesn't have standout puckrushing abilities like a Doughty or Green, but relies more on positioning and cerebral play to rack up points. But it's a stretch to expect him to become anything close to Lidstrom, that would be a huge bonus. It's likely that he becomes just what the scouts said. I'm not trying to take away from his offensive accomplishments the past couple seasons in the SEL, but the SEL is one thing, the NHL is another. Without that dynamic element to his offensive game I think it'll be hard to translate that high level offensive production to the NHL. It's all about projection, after all.
 

arsmaster*

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I know the reasons for the decline in his offensive production this season, and like you said he doesn't have standout puckrushing abilities like a Doughty or Green, but relies more on positioning and cerebral play to rack up points. But it's a stretch to expect him to become anything close to Lidstrom, that would be a huge bonus. It's likely that he becomes just what the scouts said. I'm not trying to take away from his offensive accomplishments the past couple seasons in the SEL, but the SEL is one thing, the NHL is another. Without that dynamic element to his offensive game I think it'll be hard to translate that high level offensive production to the NHL. It's all about projection, after all.

Lidstrom doesnt have a single dynamic element about his game either.
 

SuperSaiyanBeastmode

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Unless larsson was just on fire at wjc, he looked like he could be a 1st pairing pp guy, he was dictating the flow of the game from the backend. Doesn't really matter though I see RNH going to the oilers, Larsson to the avs, and Landeskog to the sens.
 

Bjorn Le

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Murphy is not better than Larsson, RNH, Landeskog, Couturier, Strome, Huberdeau or Hamilton.

Skill and hockey IQ wise no player in the draft is better than Murphy, even RNH. If Murphy was 6'1 190 lbs, would he be in first overall contention? He definitely would be. Does that make him better? Yes i think it does. Is he riskier? Sure but the way you make it out to be he's not as talented. If Hamilton was 5'11 Murphy would be above him in 100% of the rankings.

Teams who skip out on him are going to regret it guarenteed.
 

SDig14

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Feb 19, 2010
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Skill and hockey IQ wise no player in the draft is better than Murphy, even RNH. If Murphy was 6'1 190 lbs, would he be in first overall contention? He definitely would be. Does that make him better? Yes i think it does. Is he riskier? Sure but the way you make it out to be he's not as talented. If Hamilton was 5'11 Murphy would be above him in 100% of the rankings.

Teams who skip out on him are going to regret it guarenteed.

You can argue he might have similar skill and hockey IQ, but better than everyone in the draft is a little bit of an exaggeration.

Unfortunately, his size makes him probably go 6-10, but that doesn't mean he isn't as talented as anyone else, just the fact he may have more risk in reaching his NHL potential, because guys like Hamilton can do it all and have the size to go along with it.
 

R S

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Sep 18, 2006
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Not exactly shocked by what Bob had to say. Confirms what I have been thinking for the last 2 months, that SC is MAYBE the 4th overall guy right now.

I could see a team taking someone like Huberdeau or Hamilton ahead of him. Hell, even Strome.

SC could slide out of the top 6. I still think he's a good player and that someone will be happy to grab him, but he might be the epitome of a player that has somewhat plateaued.
 

thrillhous

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And again, it's folly to expect that Larsson will become Lidstrom. Lidstrom isn't dynamic offensively, and neither is Larsson, so Larsson=Lidstrom?

Problem is he didn't say Larsson = Lidstrom. While I know he wasn't saying that I think he was trying to convey that you shouldn't beat up a player on the basis that they lack dynamism in one particular aspect of the game when they are more of a well-rounded player.
 

DuklaNation

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I like Fowler as a player but we're talking about winning the stanley cup here not putting up stats short term. Thats why some of those other guys went ahead of him. Different philosophy.
 

Stephen

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Feb 28, 2002
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Is Couturier's falling a sign of future trouble to come as far as development/ceiling is concerned? Just seems like with his size and numbers you'd have people drooling over him like a Thornton/Lecavalier, but it seems like others are surpassing him. He certainly fell out of that potential number one spot...
 

R S

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Sep 18, 2006
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Unless larsson was just on fire at wjc, he looked like he could be a 1st pairing pp guy, he was dictating the flow of the game from the backend. Doesn't really matter though I see RNH going to the oilers, Larsson to the avs, and Landeskog to the sens.

Yeah, playing against people his own age....

That's why you have to see what the scouts see, when he plays in a men's league. To see how well that will translate into the NHL.

He will be a top pairing NHL defenseman and WILL play the powerplay. It might not be for 2-3 years, but it will happen.
 

Bryanbryoil

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If Murphy falls that low, we need to trade up with LA's pick to get him. He could be a dynamite player for someone and I hope it's us. We could use a guy who can QB a PP and complete a pass out of our zone. RNH + Murphy would make me very happy come draft day.

Our team would be smaller :help: but the skill level would be through the roof. If we got those 2, we'd really need to get bigger from then on out and start ditching smurfs.
 

Bryanbryoil

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Dougie Hamilton is the best prospect I've seen this season.

Complete package. Size, skating, offense, defense, physical. Everything.

He will be a no.1-2 defenseman in the NHL and I wouldn't blame any team for taking him in the top 3.

He fights like crap. That said I could see a team liking his upside more than Larsson's.
 

puckfan13

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Jan 18, 2010
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Dougie Hamilton is the best prospect I've seen this season.

Complete package. Size, skating, offense, defense, physical. Everything.

He will be a no.1-2 defenseman in the NHL and I wouldn't blame any team for taking him in the top 3.

I think the difference between Hamilton and Larsson is A LOT smaller than everybody is making it out to be (Hamilton is a year younger). They are both poised, big d-men who can skate. Both are going to be all-around beasts, I think they will both be great #2 defensemen. Sorry if I'm not on board with labelling every top prospect as a franchise saviour but that is very high upside for both d-men. Big minute-munchers who can contribute offensively, sort of like Pitkanen/Whitney/Redden-in-his-prime types. Anywhere from 35-50 pts on a given year.
 

Handlanger

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Oilers: Larsson
Avs: Landeskog
Sens: Hopkins
Panthers: Strome
Islanders: Couturier

Moulson Tavares Okposo
Grabner Couturier Nino

Hell no!!!! I don't want any piece of Couturier....

Tavares is great, but not the fastest guy, Moulson and Nino are not extremely fast too. And Couturier is plain slow - I don't want him.
 

Tom Brady

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Dougie Hamilton is the best prospect I've seen this season.

Complete package. Size, skating, offense, defense, physical. Everything.

He will be a no.1-2 defenseman in the NHL and I wouldn't blame any team for taking him in the top 3.

I compare him to Jay-B.





Menn, WTF is happening to my man Couturier lately but I'd be still happy if the Oilers draft RNH
though.
 

Ola

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Apr 10, 2004
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Larsson is a guy who will play on your 2nd PP unit and can do a lot of things, not outstanding offensive skills.

I understand that its hard for Bob M and co to get a great read on Adam Larsson, he played all of the WJC's with a sore groin and they do not see him on a regular basis -- but he will certainly become more then a 2nd PP unit guy offensively.

I agree that Larsson do not have outstanding offensive abilities -- for a top 3 draft pick. He is not even as flashy as Jack Johnson. Especially his register isn't that wide.

But he has a ton of quality in everything he does. He has lateral movement (although he doesn't dance along the blueline like say a Brian Leetch in his prime). His shot is very good, and he can use it in all situations. He reads the game well and makes a strong first pass.

He is also strong physically, he has the -- pretty unusual ability for a 17 y/o -- to lay out world class hits against pro's, something that he undoubtedly will build on when he grows stronger.

When Adam Larsson was labled as almost a sure-fire nr 1 pick for this draft a year ago I've several times questioned if that was the case:
http://hfboards.com/showpost.php?p=24353061&postcount=42
Whats so amazing with Adam Larsson is not the unique abilitys he is showing, whats unique about him is how good he is at such a young age.

Now, just to put in a reminder, players like him tends to fall as other catch up.

If Adam Larsson was 2 years older, and "only" as good as he is right now -- I still think he would go like top 10-15. He is that good, and natrually will never (unlike he likes break a leg) fall more then that.

But I still wonder if he will be top 2 in in the summer of 2011. I don't think its a given.

I just don't think he have any "elite" ability, not at the level most top 2 picks have. Like Hedman was 6'7. Larsson isn't a elite elite skater. He doesn't have elite hockeysense. He is 6'2, not 6'4. Normally, players without that "elite" ability goes like 4th overall, not 1st overall. With that said, he sure have elite potential.

What he have is a great ability to work a PP. He is extremely mature for his age. He can move the puck laterally, and he have a really good shot. He is physical. He can take the body. He plays a heads up game. He makes a good first pass. I would bet a lot on that he will become a Nr 1 D in the NHL, he have all it takes. But I have not seen that typical franchise player potential yet, that most 1st overallers have.

But I wouldn't be shocked if he didn't go 1st overall in 2011.

And as always, when things turn they tend to go overboard. He have now gone from being labled as the next Nik Lidström to being labled the next Edler or something.

You never know, but I have a hard time seing Adam Larsson not becoming a very solid top 20-25 D in the NHL. And when it comes to D's, most is about putting everything together (look at Letang for example), and if Larsson does that, nothing would hold him back. He is good at everything, D's like him just do not grow on trees.

I think its very misleading to label him as a "2nd unit PP guy" offensively. He won't be the guy you build a top 3 PP in the NHL around, but he is the type who you could give a role on a top 3 PP and he wouldn't hurt it.
 

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