Bobby Mac's Midterm Rankings

[SDig14]

You are rarely going to find another Crosby/Ovechkin-type player. The top 5 are damn good players to build a team around. I wouldn't count them short if I were you.

My top 5 would be:

1.Larsson
2.RNH
3.Couturier
4.Landeskog
5.Murphy

Not to mention, NYI have Tavares, the Oilers have Hall, NJ has Parise, etc...guys like Landeskog, RNH, and Couturier may not need to be franchise forwards to be successful as long as they are very good compliments to existing players on these rebuilding teams

That's not saying that they couldn't end up being franchise players, but they will likely be put into a great spot with other young guys that they can grow and develop with

 

[Nalens Oga]

as a sens fan, getting landy/couturier + prince would be an amazing outcome.

Ha I doubt you're gonna get Prince in the 2nd round especially if it's 33 or 34. His Toffoli inflated numbers are gonna be too tempting for some team to pass up on. He might be this year's Joey Hishon, Hishon was ranked around 50 I think but the Avs took him 17th? Although you can see Hishon's skill and it's not just about point totals. He was pretty unnoticeable in the game I saw with Mississauga a few days ago but still, those point totals are probably gonna mean he goes higher than that.

EDIT: Btw, Tavares has the potential to be better than Kane scoring wise (Duchene is more likely to match Kane in terms of being dynamic) so I'd say the worst 1st pick since Fleury was E Johnson but the Blues made up for it by grabbing Pietrangelo in 08. Anyways, I'd take Tavares over all four of these players to the person who said that.

 

[Debrincat93]

fixed

if you're going to fix things, spell right.

Ryan Johansen.

 

[Debrincat93]

Not to mention, NYI have Tavares, the Oilers have Hall, NJ has Parise, etc...guys like Landeskog, RNH, and Couturier may not need to be franchise forwards to be successful as long as they are very good compliments to existing players on these rebuilding teams

That's not saying that they couldn't end up being franchise players, but they will likely be put into a great spot with other young guys that they can grow and develop with

NJ definitely needs defense with Kovy and Parise currently at the helm.

Edmonton could use a dman but could also use another strong centerman or character.

NYI need more playmaking/offensive depth to go along with JT as well as defensive depth.

In an ideal world:

Larsson goes to NJ
Landeskog goes to EDM
Couturier goes to NYI
and RNH goes to OTT

 

[Giggli G]

NJ definitely needs defense with Kovy and Parise currently at the helm.

Edmonton could use a dman but could also use another strong centerman or character.

NYI need more playmaking/offensive depth to go along with JT as well as defensive depth.

In an ideal world:

Larsson goes to NJ
Landeskog goes to EDM
Couturier goes to NYI
and RNH goes to OTT

I guarantee that EDM takes either Larsson or one of the centermen. We have too many good wingers as things stand, and not enough depth up the middle or on the back end.

 

[MXD]

I had a chat with a scout...
During the WJC.

Mutual conclusion : Rickard Rackell is overrated.

 

[SDig14]

I guarantee that EDM takes either Larsson or one of the centermen. We have too many good wingers as things stand, and not enough depth up the middle or on the back end.

Co-sign.

 

[MXD]

Musil, Janskin and Jurco will be great picks if they go in the late 2nd round i hope the wings pick up Musil seems like a nice player to have in the system for when Rafalski goes.

Tomas Jurco will go right where he belongs if he's going mid-to-late 2nd round...

 

[Tiranis]

Kind of shocked that Jaskin is so low... That would be a major steal for whatever team got him in the middle of the 2nd round, but it won't happen, he'll go in the first, IMO.

 

[SDig14]

I had a chat with a scout...
During the WJC.

Mutual conclusion : Rickard Rackell is overrated.

I think inconsistent is a better adjective. The guy can show flashes of dominance and then go invisible a period later.

 

[MXD]

I think inconsistent is a better adjective. The guy can show flashes of dominance and then go invisible a period later.

It's not only about inconsistency. It's about skill level - just don't see 1st round material there.

I'd actually have him behind Jurco. Who is mid-to-late 2nd rounder.

 

[thomast]

Miikka salomäki getting finally notice at NA. he played great wjc:s hes nearly 2012 draftee and has 5'11 and 198 lbs at 17 hes turning 18 in 8 months? He is very gritty player who likes to play at dirty areas, good puckhandling, can score goals and hes a good passer aswell. Overall hes good at everything but isn't outstanding in something.

 

[danishh]

nathan beaulieu

i admittedly havnt seen much of him but:
he's a late 92
he's 6'3 195
he's been playing on some very stacked seadogs teams
playing behind simon despres his entire seadogs career

so yes, his point totals are nice, but is he really a guy that should be going top 15 in this draft?

 

[SDig14]

It's not only about inconsistency. It's about skill level - just don't see 1st round material there.

I'd actually have him behind Jurco. Who is mid-to-late 2nd rounder.

The majority of people may see him in the 25-45 range, but it only takes one team to see him on 3 nights where he dominates to end up taking him in the top 25 or so. I was impressed at times at the WJC but at times was a little underwhelmed. I could see him being a 2nd rounder simply due to other guys with higher upsides or having had better years though.

 

[MXD]

nathan beaulieu

i admittedly havnt seen much of him but:
he's a late 92
he's 6'3 195
he's been playing on some very stacked seadogs teams
playing behind simon despres his entire seadogs career

so yes, his point totals are nice, but is he really a guy that should be going top 15 in this draft?

I really like him, but the fact he's a late 92 kinda scares me a little bit. Not Top-10 material on any circumstances, IMO.

 

[MXD]

The majority of people may see him in the 25-45 range, but it only takes one team to see him on 3 nights where he dominates to end up taking him in the top 25 or so. I was impressed at times at the WJC but at times was a little underwhelmed. I could see him being a 2nd rounder simply due to other guys with higher upsides or having had better years though.

That basically my gripe. Ceiling not THAT high + inconsistency + not cut out for grinder role screams 3rd rounder to me.

 

[Jabba11]

If New Jersey is picking first, Larsson is #1 no doubt

Why would they pick Larsson? They have no more offense at all. Parise could be going and all that is left is Ilya Kovalchuk. Nothing else. They need a 1st line centerman in Sean Couturier. He fits perfectly well with Jacques Lemaire's defensive system. And most importantly, I remember that most of top NJD's scouts are Quebecois: Claude Carrier, assistant director of scouting, and Marcel Pronovost, one of the oldest scout in the NHL and for the Devils and I also remembered from an interview that they're really high on SC. It's stupid too pass on a possible Jordan Staal that will complement well Kovalchuk for the next years. They have no need for Larsson, they need a franchise centerman and a replacement for Martin Brodeur.

 

[member 30781]

Why would they pick Larsson? They have no more offense at all. Parise could be going and all that is left is Ilya Kovalchuk. Nothing else. They need a 1st line centerman in Sean Couturier. He fits perfectly well with Jacques Lemaire's defensive system. And most importantly, I remember that most of top NJD's scouts are Quebecois: Claude Carrier, assistant director of scouting, and Marcel Pronovost, one of the oldest scout in the NHL and for the Devils and I also remembered from an interview that they're really high on SC. It's stupid too pass on a possible Jordan Staal that will complement well Kovalchuk for the next years. They have no need for Larsson, they need a franchise centerman and a replacement for Martin Brodeur.

It's too stupid to pass on a Lidstrom-like player. Id rather have a player who is more similar to Lidstrom than Staal.

 

[Eech]

It's nice to see RNH second

 

[ronnyweed]

3 generals in the first round?

 

[R8Devs]

Why would they pick Larsson? They have no more offense at all. Parise could be going and all that is left is Ilya Kovalchuk. Nothing else. They need a 1st line centerman in Sean Couturier. He fits perfectly well with Jacques Lemaire's defensive system. And most importantly, I remember that most of top NJD's scouts are Quebecois: Claude Carrier, assistant director of scouting, and Marcel Pronovost, one of the oldest scout in the NHL and for the Devils and I also remembered from an interview that they're really high on SC. It's stupid too pass on a possible Jordan Staal that will complement well Kovalchuk for the next years. They have no need for Larsson, they need a franchise centerman and a replacement for Martin Brodeur.

But when there is defense it can spark an offense with breakout passes which Larsson is so good at.

Parise is probably staying anyway.

And wouldn't RNH complement Kovy more than Couturier. Idk but you're right that Couturier is a Lemaire type of guy.

We already have a number one center in Zajac, we need a number 2 center, but our need for a d-man is much greater.

 

[misfit]

One thing I'm noticing, more than other years, is how many late 1992s there are rated in the first round.

Yeah, there were so few late 1992s in past drafts.

 

[SeenSchenn2]

God I hope Catennacci falls to Toronto in the 2nd round, although I see his stock rising and definitely going in the 1st round.

Colin Jacobs would be a nice consolation prize though.

As for the Top 5: It really depends on the team needs IMO. (NJ, EDM, BOS) would probably take Larsson first overall. Just my opinion anyway.

1: Adam Larsson
2: Sean Couturier
3: Gabriel Landeskog
4: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
5: Ryan Murphy

 

[nanzenkills]

He said all of a chance to go #1 tonight, but he said 5/10 had Larsson 1, 3/10 had RNH at 1, and IIRC the last 2 were Couturier.

IMO, Landeskog has almost no chance going #1 right now, but he is probably the safest and most ready of the 4 and will go very high because of that, not to mention he does basically every quite well.

The bolded part is incorrect. Landeskog received 1 first place vote, and Couturier received 1 first place vote.

 

[Czechexpert]

Yea i know musil wont fall into late second round but Janskin and jurco probably will and will be great picks

In Jaskin´s case, it depends on how he performs after his return from knee injury(should be soon). If he plays as well as before that injury, he could be late first rounder.