HF Habs: Draft 2018: What are your immediate draft class feelings?

[No fan fiction]

Early and reactionary I know, but what are your initial feelings?

Thrilled:

Kotkaniemi
Fonstad (great value)

Happy:

Ylonen
Olofsson (not much offensive upside but safe bet)
Hillis
McShane

Meh:

Gorniak
Harris

What?:

Romanov (too early)
Houde

Same as every year. If the 1st rd pick makes it, then you get a grade of competent. Everything after that either moves you up or down b/c same as every year, the 1st rd pick is expected to make it, but per TSN a 2nd pick is not even 50/50 and has about an 85% chance of playing on the 4th line. After that everything is a bonus.

 

[Eastern Shores]

I think the Kotkaniemi, Bobby Smith comparison is a very good one with the note that Jepseri is much better positional player already than Smith ever was. That being said, if he develops into what Bobby became, Kotkaniemi will have been a steal at 3rd OVA. Top line centers with that type of skill don't grow on trees. Once his body fills out and he learns winning faceoffs (something that only reps can teach at this level... and he's progressing nicely) he will be a beast. Yes Dobson will be a great player as will BT but the reward of a top line center like a Bobby Smith+ type talent should not have been passed on ...Luckily management thought the same way.

 

[1909]

Same as every year. If the 1st rd pick makes it, then you get a grade of competent. Everything after that either moves you up or down b/c same as every year, the 1st rd pick is expected to make it, but per TSN a 2nd pick is not even 50/50 and has about an 85% chance of playing on the 4th line. After that everything is a bonus.

Habs should keep an eye on unsigned, undrafted Brett Leason who is leading the team Fonstad is playing with.

 

[Stive Morgan]

Chychrun fell to 16, I think Byram can definitely fall. Draft is always a crapshoot.

Ty f***ing Smith fell to like #17 and I had him at #4

 

[Mrb1p]

Ty ****ing Smith fell to like #17 and I had him at #4

Yeah but you were wrong to have him this high

 

[Stive Morgan]

Yeah but you were wrong to have him this high

On a serious note I bet he at least goes Top 10 in a re-draft.

Dahlin
Kotkaniemi
Svechnikov
Tkachuk
Hughes
Zadina
Miller
Smith
Wilde
Hayton/Boqvist

In my personal opinion. Obviously still very early but that's my view lol

 

[Mrb1p]

On a serious note I bet he at least goes Top 10 in a re-draft.

Dahlin
Kotkaniemi
Svechnikov
Tkachuk
Hughes
Zadina
Miller
Smith
Wilde
Hayton/Boqvist

In my personal opinion. Obviously still very early but that's my view lol

Miller and Wilde? LUL

 

[Stive Morgan]

Miller and Wilde? LUL

Miller's a beauty. Swap 'em out with Dobson and Bouchard if you wish lol.

 

[Mrb1p]

Miller's a beauty. Swap 'em out with Dobson and Bouchard if you wish lol.

Lol Dobson and Bouchard.

Even worse.

Its too early to predict but the first four picks sure do look great.

 

[Frozenice]

Ty ****ing Smith fell to like #17 and I had him at #4

Why would you have him at 4? Players like him shouldn’t go that low in the draft, I can see him just cracking the Top 10. I like that type of player, too but there’s a limit to how much I like him. His biggest problem was he just was lacking elite abilities to go lower.

 

[Stive Morgan]

Why would you have him at 4? Players like him shouldn’t go that low in the draft, I can see him just cracking the Top 10. I like that type of player, too but there’s a limit to how much I like him. His biggest problem was he just was lacking elite abilities to go lower.

Because Dahlin, Kotkaniemi, and Svechnikov are the only 3 players better than him in the draft. Smith is the next Brian Rafalski, could be even better.

 

[dcal64]

Because Dahlin, Kotkaniemi, and Svechnikov are the only 3 players better than him in the draft. Smith is the next Brian Rafalski, could be even better.

He was awful at the U18 tournament, I was surprised he didn't drop even more, I wanted no part of him after that tournament.

 

[Mrb1p]

He was awful at the U18 tournament, I was surprised he didn't drop even more, I wanted no part of him after that tournament.

Terrible way to judge a player.

 

[Andrei79]

He was awful at the U18 tournament, I was surprised he didn't drop even more, I wanted no part of him after that tournament.

I'd get it if he came from a junior A league, but Smith played in the dub all year and he was dominant at both ends. I can't see how 5 bad games changes that.

 

[dcal64]

I'd get it if he came from a junior A league, but Smith played in the dub all year and he was dominant at both ends. I can't see how 5 bad games changes that.

Because most GMs and head scouts are at the U18, how many GMs attend dub games?

 

[Andrei79]

Because most GMs and head scouts are at the U18, how many GMs attend dub games?

Who cares ?

Head scouts and local scouts do.

I was responding to your own comment as well.

 

[dcal64]

Terrible way to judge a player.

So being bad at a tournament of peers is not significant? Good players step up in big games, he was captain and did badly.If you think he didn't drop because of his poor performance at the U18, why did he drop?

 

[dcal64]

Who cares ?

Head scouts and local scouts do.

I was responding to your own comment as well.

Really, how many dub games do you think Ottawa based Trevor Timmins watches a year? I am willing to bet he watched more U18 games with Smith, than dub games with Smith.

 

[Andrei79]

Really, how many dub games do you think Ottawa based Trevor Timmins watches a year? I am willing to bet he watched more U18 games with Smith, than dub games with Smith.

Yes. It might come as a surprise to you, but head scouts watch high profile players in their home leagues.

They also use planes, cars,trains and many other means of transportation. They've even been known to sleep in accommodations outside of their residence.

 

[dcal64]

Yes. It might come as a surprise to you, but head scouts watch high profile players in their home leagues.

Not 5 games for each prospect, that would be impossible.

 

[Andrei79]

Not 5 games for each prospect, that would be impossible.

Ok.

So, when Timmins said he saw Mete and Juulsen play numerous times in the CHL or that he had been following Poehling for two years in high school, that was him grandstanding.

 

[Janne Niinimaa]

So being bad at a tournament of peers is not significant? Good players step up in big games, he was captain and did badly.If you think he didn't drop because of his poor performance at the U18, why did he drop?

Well if it is why he dropped, I'm sure New Jersey is counting their lucky stars to have selected him at #17. He is dominating the WHL compared to his fellow defensemen and almost made the Devils roster straight out of camp.

Judging a player based on 5 games, in a new system, with new teammates when you're the most relied upon player is a poor way of scouting.

 

[dcal64]

Ok.

So, when Timmins said he saw Mete and Juulsen play numerous times in the CHL or that he had been following Poehling for two years in high school, that was him grandstanding.

Mete played for the London Knights, do you know how many players were drafted from his team, he also played in the Memorial cup, what other games was there to scout?

Logistics, Timmins lives in Ottawa, most hockey games are on the weekend, assuming there are 30 weekends available for him to scout . How many players can he see in one year more than twice in their league games?

I am willing to bet he saw more games Poehling played in the U18 tournament, than he did watching Poehling play college games.

 

[Andrei79]

Mete played for the London Knights, do you know how many players were drafted from his team, he also played in the Memorial cup, what other games was there to scout?

Logistics, Timmins lives in Ottawa, most hockey games are on the weekend, assuming there are 30 weekends available for him to scout . How many players can he see in one year more than twice in their league games?

I am willing to bet he saw more games Poehling played in the U18 tournament, than he did watching Poehling play college games.

Timmins is on the road over 200 days a year. Who cares where he lives ?

There is also such a thing as recordings as well. Everything is archived and watchable and, again straight from the horses mouth, he watches the tapes.

It's interesting you also ignore that I even added Juulsen as I knew you'd mention this about Mete. What's also interesting is him finding the time to follow Poehlings high school career for two years, but not his draft year, when we were in a position to draft him.

But carry on believing what you want, senseless as it is.

 

[dcal64]

Timmins is on the road over 200 days a year. Who cares where he lives ?

There is also such a thing as recordings as well. Everything is archived and watchable and, again straight from the horses mouth, he watches the tapes.

It's interesting you also ignore that I even added Juulsen as I knew you'd mention this about Mete. What's also interesting is him finding the time to follow Poehlings high school career for two years, but not his draft year, when we were in a position to draft him.

But carry on believing what you want, senseless as it is.

So we went from going to watch games, to watching tapes, why do the Habs bother having scouts attend games, just watch the tapes?

I am explaining to you how he cannot see every player play more games than he will see them play in the U18 tournament, logistically impossible. Which is why Smith playing badly in last year's tournament affected his draft ranking, and why KK draft ranking shot up.