Draft and UDFA Thread 2018-19
- Thread starter Pavel Buchnevich
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darko
Registered User
- Feb 16, 2009
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darko
Registered User
- Feb 16, 2009
- 70,269
- 7,797
I would bet on the Yotes finishing above us.
I think Vancouver is a dark horse playoff contender too. They've quietly assembled a really strong foundation of young talent there.
Habs can be better than us if they get a center. Coyotes will be better than us, maybe the Sabres too.
darko
Registered User
- Feb 16, 2009
- 70,269
- 7,797
GeorgeKaplan
Registered User
I don’t think they’re playoff bound, but finishing outside the bottom 10 wouldn’t surprise me
Edge
Kris King's Ghost
Only saw Kakko on an international level last year and was immensely impressed.
Very creative, good frame to grow into, impressive skater, generates offense, drives the play.
Hughes, Kakko and Tucotte head into the season as my top 3. I’ll round out my list as My schedule starts to come into focus and I have a chance to see more guys.
Very creative, good frame to grow into, impressive skater, generates offense, drives the play.
Hughes, Kakko and Tucotte head into the season as my top 3. I’ll round out my list as My schedule starts to come into focus and I have a chance to see more guys.
YoSoyLalo
me reading HF
Edge
Kris King's Ghost
I heard reports that his skating was the main element separating him from being one of very top prospects.
Personally, I thought he was more of a work in progress than most were saying and wasn’t as far along or quite as naturally skilled.
That’s not to say he won’t be one of the top prospects a year from now, but Hughes and Turcotte were clearly more advanced from the North American contingent.
Ghost of jas
Unsatisfied
Ghost of jas
Unsatisfied
LaffyTaffy
Brooklyn-Belarussian
Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
This is a center draft. We need a 1C. Go draft us Turcotte or Zegras, and call it a draft. Gonna need a high pick for that though. Dylan Cozens is another favorite of min. If Gorton continues to try to draft Russians, Guskov is a player who I'm a fan of.
Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
He does this one more time and he can sign with whoever he wants. Quinn coached him for two years.
Irishguy42
Mr. Preachy
It's only his junior year, so not after this coming season, but the season following. UFA come August 15, 2020 if he wants.
Will Nashville want to sign him? I would imagine so. Not sure how Fabbro feels.
Edge
Kris King's Ghost
Keep in mind that we're getting into some players who I haven't had time to watch extensively to this point.
From what I can see, Newhook has that electric feel to him and is capable of making a play every time he is out there. Plays with a lot of energy and can be relentless out there, though we're still more than a year away from seeing what he can consistently do against a higher level of competition.
Byram definitely has the makings of a first pair defenseman. Arguably the best defensive product at this stage of development since Ekblad back in 2014. Plays the transition game very well and is incredibly mobile. He'll get his share of points, but I wouldn't necessarily count on him to leap out at you with crazy offensive numbers at the higher levels. Capable of playing with a nasty edge, though I like him to keep working on picking his spots a little better. The thing with this kid is that there's a ton of room for growth --- physically and within his game. EASILY the best defenseman heading into the 2019 draft.
Cozen finished the season strong and seemed to rise to occasions in big game situations. I like him better as a winger, where I think he can focus more on his shot --- which is among the best in the draft class. Still working on consistency --- there are times he can completely dominate a game, and other times where you're wondering where he is. His game picked up after a trade and that has me wondering, just slightly, whether he might be more of a top-end support guy. At least in comparison to other top names likes Hughes, Newhook, Turcotte, Byram, Krebs and Kakko.
Edge
Kris King's Ghost
Suzuki was a bit hit or miss for me last season.
He looked damn good in the World Under 17, but then left me wanting with some of his play in the OHL --- especially in the playoffs where he was a complete passenger.
It's not that he didn't have a good rookie season, it's that he didn't match expectations. There were times he hesitated and seemed unsure, and other times where it seemed like he wasn't quite ready for the level of competition he was facing. I think everyone expected him to slide right in and it may have come as a surprise when other teams were focusing on him and taking away his time and space to make decisions.
That's going to be a key area to watch this upcoming season --- how he does as the competition plays against him. If he can make adjustments, he'll be fine. If he still struggles with that, it's going to knock him down a couple of pegs.
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