Caps 2015 Pre-Draft Talk

[Roshi]

Im actually hoping we are not drafting anyone with that 22. Should be used in a trade scenario.

If we still have it when the clock starts counting though, my favourite is maybe Guryanov (depending who is still there of course). I have faith in our scouts anyways, no matter who they pick. They've done pretty well on the few past drafts.

Propably will be someone from SEL though, thats where our scouting focus seems to have been for few years and it has been working pretty well too. Would be betting on this punch ; Kylington, Carlsson, Larsson, Eriksson Ek.

 

[Langway]

You think Jens Looke will still be around there?

Probably so. The thing that makes ranking all of the Swedes aside from JEE this year so tough to rank is how poorly they played internationally. Typically one expects smooth efficiency from the Swedes in those tournaments, starting from the back-end and in their overall structure and team play, but they really struggled in those events. Looke's WJC was somewhat productive but he's someone that will go later...third or fourth round probably. Kovacs and Ahl are probably closer to going in that area.

I have Foley as a late second rounder or else I'd have listed him. Quality possession winger.

 

[Raikkonen]

I'm really calm after reading what Ross said in that last piece.

Shortly, BPA.

 

[Cush]

Button: http://www.tsn.ca/talent/nhl-mock-draft-button-s-first-round-picks-1.316145

Shocker, the Caps take a Russian

 

[Marshall]

Button: http://www.tsn.ca/talent/nhl-mock-draft-button-s-first-round-picks-1.316145

Shocker, the Caps take a Russian

Seems pretty lazy mocking.

OTOH, I'd love it if that's who the Caps picked.

 

[usiel]

Button: http://www.tsn.ca/talent/nhl-mock-draft-button-s-first-round-picks-1.316145

Shocker, the Caps take a Russian

No problem with that pick.

 

[Langway]

Sportsnet draft profiles.

I'd prefer Merkley in that Button mock scenario but they could certainly do worse. It seems like in a lot of mocks once you get to around the late teens people tend to go all over the place.

 

[strungout]

Merkley!

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Alex Prewitt of the Washington Post: The Capitals best trade asset might be their No. 22 pick in this year’s draft. GM Brian MacLellan told ESPN that he planned on keeping the pick. Assist GM Ross Mahoney: “That whole trading of picks, I think people always think amateur scouts might get upset with that,†Mahoney said. “You work all year to make the picks, but the ultimate goal here is we all want to win the Stanley Cup. If we can provide the general manager with the assets that he needs to make a trade to be able to put us over the hump, to make us be a legitimate contender, how do you say no to that?â€

Must have a few idea up on the bulletin board.

 

[Langway]

How much better does this team look with Burakovsky on the roster? Fast forward two years down the line and is a comparable talent on the cheap for at least three years (and four more of team control) more valuable than someone likely costing them ~$5M and past their prime? That's making some assumptions about the quality of player they can net at 22 but not unreasonably so if spent wisely.

First round picks are just too valuable. If they're going to make a futures trade then make it 62+Carrick/Barber or make a damn hockey trade involving their stale support forwards.

 

[Raikkonen]

1) trade the Leader for 2nd round pick

2) have more variety of picks to trade with

 

[Marshall]

Hiishawk has put up his list of the Top 30 here for those interested.

 

[Langway]

Hiishawk has put up his list of the Top 30 here for those interested.

Hard to disagree with that top 15 group.

Gone|Fall?|Else
McDavid|White|Debrusk
Eichel|Gurianov|Kylington
Marner|Eriksson Ek|Harkins
Hanifan|Svechnikov|Samsonov
Provorov|Boeser|Juulsen
Strome|Chabot|Sprong
Zacha|Zboril|Roslovic
Barzal|JRoy|
Rantanen||
Crouse||
Werenski||
Connor||
Meier||
Merkley||
Konecny||

My top 30 broken down to Washington's picking scenario at 22. The keys are what other six players are off the board by 22. I assume at least two other defensemen will be gone. If so at least one forward from the faller group will be there for Washington at 22. Chabot's the only defensemen I'd seriously consider and I'd try to trade back if someone from the third tier is a target.

Root for a big run on defensemen starting as early as Boston at 14 I guess. From there maybe Calgary, Edmonton, Detroit or Buffalo get in the act. Samsonov going early would help, as would the likes of Bittner, Carlo, Kylington or Sprong.

 

[usiel]

New NHL Mocks..pretty much 'meh' picks.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=771724

 

[BobRouse]

How much better does this team look with Burakovsky on the roster? Fast forward two years down the line and is a comparable talent on the cheap for at least three years (and four more of team control) more valuable than someone likely costing them ~$5M and past their prime? That's making some assumptions about the quality of player they can net at 22 but not unreasonably so if spent wisely.

First round picks are just too valuable. If they're going to make a futures trade then make it 62+Carrick/Barber or make a damn hockey trade involving their stale support forwards.

Absolutely. In a salary cap era these young cheap high end players are going to be the backbone of your team and they are making contributions sooner rather than later.

I wouldn't be surprised if Vrana made the team next year and impressed for example.

We shouldn't trade this pick unless its for a younger player entering his prime on a decent contract and thats not likely as those kinds of guys don't get traded often.

 

[strungout]

Trade it!

 

[Langway]

Trading it only makes sense if it's for the final piece IMO and there are too many anchors and too much uncertainty up front to believe they're at that stage. They also don't quite know what they have between Orlov and Schmidt so to me next season is an evaluation period unless they can do more significant restructuring up front.

I'd much rather make a hockey trade in order to shake the forwards up than skip to one addition/replacement. They could still make a hockey trade later but I don't much like assuming more difficult moves will line up. The time for that is now...before they set their sights on sacrificing some of their longer-term upside in order to spark what should be accomplished by other means.

 

[trick9]

There will be lots of surprises again. Caps pick at #22 and i don't think you can have accurate 15-name list of players that will be gone for sure. Teams have different tendencies and some highly-touted players will always drop. For example there has been years where one team picks a D and then all the other follow suit because of team needs or feeling good about the forwards available in the 2nd round. There are also teams that rather pick NA talent and avoid picking some of Euro's which also leads to players dropping. See: Filip Forsberg who can consensus top-4 pick and when teams started picking D's he was suddenly left @ 11. Teuvo Teravainen is another example of consensus top-10 pick who dropped (propably because teams were scared of his size+skating combo, and felt that he's more of a winger than center in the NHL).

I'll say that for sure atleast one of those players listed in the 'Gone' section will be left @ 22, but i don't know if we'll pick him either.

 

[Langway]

We'll see. I wouldn't say it's a total lock...I'd just plan as though that's likely to be the case. The only European in that group that could maybe slide is Meier and he's played in the Q for two years so it's less of a factor. In the past maybe one of Konecny or Merkley could slide but size is less of a factor than ever.

The breakdowns are tiers more than anything. The labels are just whatever. (There are tiers within that first group as well but for the Caps that's kind of irrelevant.)

 

[NobodyBeatsTheWiz]

If they take another winger, I quit watching the draft. 5 of the last 6 first round picks have been wingers, with Kuznetsov being the (generous) exception. Trade down or out entirely if a winger is the BPA. it's not like this draft is lacking in depth.

 

[Hivemind]

I don't think using "depth" as a decision-maker to trade down is a wise choice. The true "depth" of a draft isn't ever really revealed until several years later. Ironically, the stronger the top 10 is, the more a draft is labeled "deep," IMO. Drafts with mediocre top 10s are rarely labeled deep, even though there's really no difference between the type of player you're going to get in the 2nd/3rd/etc compared to a "deep" draft. I have yet to see a draft described as "deep" than doesn't have a great top few picks or a draft described as "shallow" that has an elite top pick.

This year there's a potential generational talent at #1 and a #2 that would be a consensus #1 in most other drafts. They push everyone else down a spot or two, therefor it's a "deep" draft even though who teams are picking at 30 or 40 aren't any higher quality.

 

[Langway]

If they take another winger, I quit watching the draft. 5 of the last 6 first round picks have been wingers, with Kuznetsov being the (generous) exception. Trace down or out entirely if a winger is the BPA. it's not like this draft is lacking in depth.

You could also put Burakovsky in the "center" category down the line.

If this line of thinking didn't sway them last year, when a strong case could have been made for Larkin or Sanheim, then I'm not sure it will this year either. It depends. As much as I like the second round and think it's better than last year, they also need impact potential. Take it where you can get it if the difference is stark. I generally find it more likely a winger selected in this range, esp. given their history, could provide more immediate impact within the stated three to four year window compared to more demanding positions. There are exceptions...the Caps have selected a couple of impact defensemen in that range but, again, it depends on who's left.

They could love the boom/bust potential of Kylington should he be available or they could really like Chabot's skating. White or JEE could fall. But in a league where scoring is so hard to find I don't mind adding another legit impact potential goal-scoring winger to the mix. If nothing else it puts pressure on Johansson and down the line Vrana to produce and thrive or get passed and made expendable.

Maybe another winger is a luxury but anyone that's picked won't play in the NHL for at least another year anyway and who knows what their needs are down the line.

 

[pman25]

This draft seems to have more skill at the top but the late 1st, 2nd, and 3rd are probably not much different in terms of depth than any other draft

 

[AlexBrovechkin8]

If they take another winger, I quit watching the draft. 5 of the last 6 first round picks have been wingers, with Kuznetsov being the (generous) exception. Trade down or out entirely if a winger is the BPA. it's not like this draft is lacking in depth.

Ironic, then, that our wingers are the biggest position of weakness on the team. And was Johansson drafted as a winger or a center?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Ironic, then, that our wingers are the biggest position of weakness on the team. And was Johansson drafted as a winger or a center?

Pretty sure Johansson was drafted as a center.