C Leon Draisaitl - Prince Albert Raiders, WHL (2014, 3rd overall, Edmonton)

[vanarchy]

dry-sigh-tl
the "sigh" is short

Danke.

 

[Eisen]

Danke.

Gerne doch.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

We'll see about that...He'll probably go top 3.

That high? I always thought he was a 5-10 pick in the draft. Would be cool to see a German skater being drafted that high

 

[boredmale]

That high? I always thought he was a 5-10 pick in the draft. Would be cool to see a German skater being drafted that high

Rumor is Edmonton(#3) likes him and good chance if they don't pick him he goes 4-6. My guess is Kopitar having a strong playoffs will increase his stock indirectly(ie big Center from a non tradition hockey country)

 

[Bps21*]

Rumor is Edmonton(#3) likes him and good chance if they don't pick him he goes 4-6. My guess is Kopitar having a strong playoffs will increase his stock indirectly(ie big Center from a non tradition hockey country)

It doesn't hurt. But the movement towards possession overall makes his big ass a big asset.

 

[ZeroPT*]

Edmonton might not get the chance to take him. In the event Reinhart goes #1 it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Draisaitl goes #2. Rumor is Buffalo likes him.

 

[5 14 6 1]

Edmonton might not get the chance to take him. In the event Reinhart goes #1 it wouldn't surprise me one bit if Draisaitl goes #2. Rumor is Buffalo likes him.

Oh no don't make us take Ekblad

This draft is perfect for the oilers we are guaranteed one of Ekblad or one of Reinhart/Draisaitl

 

[Kamiccolo]

I have a feeling about this guy. I think he is going to be the Forsberg or Girgorenko this year. Predicted to be a top 5 guy, and slip down to late 10 early teens, and everyone will say he is a steal.

I can see Florida and Buff taking the two Sams, and EDM taking Ekblad like how Jones fell the other year. Then, Islanders, Vancouver, and Carolina will take one of the Ritchie/Dal Colle/Virtanen/Perlini/McCann/Fleury guys as they fill needs for them the most and look to be high end.

Leafs I don't know. They have been known to take the safe picks, and Draisaitl looks to be a book or bust high end center. They either take him hoping he becomes their #1 C or take the last of the group of Ritchie/Dal Colle/Virtanen/Perlini/McCann/Fleury and the ducks or preds take him.

 

[Evolu7ion]

I have a feeling about this guy. I think he is going to be the Forsberg or Girgorenko this year. Predicted to be a top 5 guy, and slip down to late 10 early teens, and everyone will say he is a steal.

I can see Florida and Buff taking the two Sams, and EDM taking Ekblad like how Jones fell the other year. Then, Islanders, Vancouver, and Carolina will take one of the Ritchie/Dal Colle/Virtanen/Perlini/McCann/Fleury guys as they fill needs for them the most and look to be high end.

Leafs I don't know. They have been known to take the safe picks, and Draisaitl looks to be a book or bust high end center. They either take him hoping he becomes their #1 C or take the last of the group of Ritchie/Dal Colle/Virtanen/Perlini/McCann/Fleury and the ducks or preds take him.

No way in hell Vancouver passes on Draisaitl at 6 if a miracle occurs and he's available at that spot.

 

[boredmale]

No way in hell Vancouver passes on Draisaitl at 6 if a miracle occurs and he's available at that spot.

And if he does Toronto probably will grab him(given their need for a Center)

 

[Kamiccolo]

No way in hell Vancouver passes on Draisaitl at 6 if a miracle occurs and he's available at that spot.

And if he does Toronto probably will grab him(given their need for a Center)

We'll see. I think teams will have question marks about him, and might want to take the safer picks and Vancouver might want to take Fleury or Da Colle if he is still there because it addresses a few things. Builds from the net out, or, they get their Lucic/power forward guy to play with Horvat.

No way to Canes take him, they will take a high end winger or D prospect before another center.

Remember what you guys are saying was said in 2012, and Girgorenko was predicted to go 1st overall by some on here. He slipped out of the top 10.

I can honestly see him slipping to the leafs, and the leafs passing on him for a winger/D guy and the board imploding. He has a lot of question marks to be a top guy. His skating isn't great, and he is playing in Europe.

He may not transition well to smaller ice, or may not skate well enough or fast enough for the NHL. He is a boom or bust IMO and like Brule a few years ago, even though the talent is huge, team might pass for a sure thing.

 

[boredmale]

Remember what you guys are saying was said in 2012, and Girgorenko was predicted to go 1st overall by some on here. He slipped out of the top 10.

TSN I believe had Grigorenko rated 12th, and you heard many people say they wouldn't draft Grigorenko if they had a late first. Forsberg might be a better example of a guy whose fall was somewhat shocking.

 

[tony d]

Yeah, Draisatl's not getting past Edmonton at #3.

 

[JoeCool16]

We'll see. I think teams will have question marks about him, and might want to take the safer picks and Vancouver might want to take Fleury or Da Colle if he is still there because it addresses a few things.

He is a boom or bust IMO and like Brule a few years ago, even though the talent is huge, team might pass for a sure thing.

Dal Colle maybe, but I don't think Fleury goes before any of Draisaitl, Da Colle, Reinhart or Bennett. Obviously doesn't go before Ekblad. After them you might get a team that decides on position of need before BPA, or that guys like Ehlers and Nylander have huge question marks, but I'd be shocked if Fleury goes where you're suggesting he could.

Also, I think a Brule-style bust might be a scarier possibility for Bennett than for Draisaitl. Don't see it happening, but if one of the big four forwards can't translate what they do in juniors to the NHL, I feel it's Bennett.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Dal Colle maybe, but I don't think Fleury goes before any of Draisaitl, Da Colle, Reinhart or Bennett. Obviously doesn't go before Ekblad. After them you might get a team that decides on position of need before BPA, or that guys like Ehlers and Nylander have huge question marks, but I'd be shocked if Fleury goes where you're suggesting he could.

Also, I think a Brule-style bust might be a scarier possibility for Bennett than for Draisaitl. Don't see it happening, but if one of the big four forwards can't translate what they do in juniors to the NHL, I feel it's Bennett.

We'll see. No one knows until it happens, but I think he is the highest chance of a bust in the top 10. I would love the leafs to take him because his potential to be a game breaker is huge, but I've watched him and even after the world juniors, there is just something about him I can't put my finger on that tells me he won't work out in the NHL.

I'd like to revisit this in a few years and either shame myself on how wrong I was, or pat myself on the back for having a slight talent with scouting.

 

[CanadianSuperPromise]

I have a feeling about this guy. I think he is going to be the Forsberg or Girgorenko this year. Predicted to be a top 5 guy, and slip down to late 10 early teens, and everyone will say he is a steal.

I can see Florida and Buff taking the two Sams, and EDM taking Ekblad like how Jones fell the other year. Then, Islanders, Vancouver, and Carolina will take one of the Ritchie/Dal Colle/Virtanen/Perlini/McCann/Fleury guys as they fill needs for them the most and look to be high end.

Leafs I don't know. They have been known to take the safe picks, and Draisaitl looks to be a book or bust high end center. They either take him hoping he becomes their #1 C or take the last of the group of Ritchie/Dal Colle/Virtanen/Perlini/McCann/Fleury and the ducks or preds take him.

No way Draisaitl drops down that low. He'll be picked up within the top 5.

I can honestly see him slipping to the leafs, and the leafs passing on him for a winger/D guy and the board imploding. He has a lot of question marks to be a top guy. His skating isn't great, and he is playing in Europe.

He may not transition well to smaller ice, or may not skate well enough or fast enough for the NHL. He is a boom or bust IMO and like Brule a few years ago, even though the talent is huge, team might pass for a sure thing.

Wait, are we still talking about Draisaitl?

 

[mdexm]

Yeah, Draisatl's not getting past Edmonton at #3.

If Ekblad is available I'd like to think they'd take him before Leon. I can see them taking Draisaitl over the Sams though.

 

[Birko19]

I know Draisaitl seems to be the most common number 4 out there in the rankings, but I would not be surprised if he pulls a Barkov and goes second overall to the Sabres.

 

[Bps21*]

I wouldn't be surprised if he goes 2-6.. I'd be shocked if he went anywhere else. I think the only way he gets past 3 is if someone trades up for Reinhart, Buffalo picks Bennett and Edmonton has Ekblad fall in their laps.

 

[Birko19]

I'm thinking Buffalo picks a center so my prediction is either Reinhart or Draisaitl.

Draisaitl's style reminds me a lot of Kopitar, but at times he also looks like Joe Thornton and I can see such style being very appealing for teams looking to draft a top line center.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

No way in hell Vancouver passes on Draisaitl at 6 if a miracle occurs and he's available at that spot.

You mean you hope Vancouver will not pass on him unless you have some inside information...which you don't. Vancouver passed on Nichushkin last year.

 

[Roof Daddy]

Rumor is Edmonton(#3) likes him and good chance if they don't pick him he goes 4-6. My guess is Kopitar having a strong playoffs will increase his stock indirectly(ie big Center from a non tradition hockey country)

I'm not sure that factors in at all, but watching the Kings did change my mind in the Bennett/Draisaitl debate, mainly due to Kopitar, Toffoli and Pearson. All of those guys had skating listed as a weakness/average when they were draft eligible. But Toffoli, and Pearson especially, looked very quick out there. I'm not as worried about Draisaitl's skating as I once was, and he has been praised for his work ethic off the ice. Might take a couple years, but he should be able to erase this weakness.

 

[4EDM14OIL93]

We'll see. I think teams will have question marks about him, and might want to take the safer picks and Vancouver might want to take Fleury or Da Colle if he is still there because it addresses a few things. Builds from the net out, or, they get their Lucic/power forward guy to play with Horvat.

No way to Canes take him, they will take a high end winger or D prospect before another center.

Remember what you guys are saying was said in 2012, and Girgorenko was predicted to go 1st overall by some on here. He slipped out of the top 10.

I can honestly see him slipping to the leafs, and the leafs passing on him for a winger/D guy and the board imploding. He has a lot of question marks to be a top guy. His skating isn't great, and he is playing in Europe.

He may not transition well to smaller ice, or may not skate well enough or fast enough for the NHL. He is a boom or bust IMO and like Brule a few years ago, even though the talent is huge, team might pass for a sure thing.

Yeah, no. Draisaitl is going top 3, guaranteed. Also news to me that he plays in Europe... He plays for the Prince Albert Raiders.

 

[4EDM14OIL93]

We'll see. No one knows until it happens, but I think he is the highest chance of a bust in the top 10. I would love the leafs to take him because his potential to be a game breaker is huge, but I've watched him and even after the world juniors, there is just something about him I can't put my finger on that tells me he won't work out in the NHL.

I'd like to revisit this in a few years and either shame myself on how wrong I was, or pat myself on the back for having a slight talent with scouting.

So you say you've watched him but don't know that he plays in the WHL? Something doesn't add up here

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

You mean you hope Vancouver will not pass on him unless you have some inside information...which you don't. Vancouver passed on Nichushkin last year.

Trevor Linden made it pretty clear the three best forwards in the draft are Reinhart, Bennet, and Draisaitl. If a miracle occurs and teams are dumb enough to let him drop to #6, he won't last til 7th.