Draft and UDFA Thread 2018-19

[Joey Bones]

No way I’d have Geo before Shestyorkin. The way things are going, I think Lundqvist will have a hard time keeping him out of the starting job.

I meant it as the goalies in the system....

 

[Joey Bones]

If we end up 4-6 and can't grab Hughes, Turcotte or Kakko do we hope for Byram, Cozens, Krebs or Dach?

I think any of them are good options. I think Byram is the best d-man in the draft and that Cozens and Dach are on fire, looking like legit top 6 options in the NHL. Jury is still out on Krebs, but I think he'd be more of a project than to Dach or Cozens.

Despite what the reports were for Podkolzin, he'd be a seriously good option in that range. The only knock on him, IMO, is that he has no pro games yet in the KHL, which isn't really his fault. SKA is loaded up front. Would be nice to see, though. Eventually he'll get some KHL time.

Others could be Matthew Boldy, Ryan Suzuki, Raphael Lavoie, Cam York, and the obvious Alex Newhook. Spencer Knight, amongst what most think, could push himself in that frame, too.

 

[Joey Bones]

I don’t have any first hand viewing information but based on what I’ve read and heard, I think you are a little high on Turcotte. Cozens and Dach seem to be higher and climbing. Both off to fantastic starts.

Turcotte is just injured, ATM. Hasn't had much time to show himself, yet. I think he's a top 10 talent.

 

[Joey Bones]

I'm a bigger fan of Cozens, but Dach has come on strong. I think there is a potential for Cozens to fill out and be a stronger player than he shows at the moment. Both are very good and will probably go top 7.

Cozens is considered the smarter of the two by my guys out west. Not saying he's going to be a Barkov (skills are not elite), but there is a potential for that dominant 3-Zone center with Cozens.

If the Rangers end up with Cozens and Grewe with two 1st round picks this year, I would be very happy.

Keep an eye out on the latter, he will be a riser with more exposure.

Agreed on Grewe, he's slick!! Not sure if he'd be the best option if NYR has No. 31, but he's been looking pretty good in the SuperElit. He does take a lot of penalties, though.

 

[Joey Bones]

I'm slowly changing my mind about Kaliyev.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I'm slowly changing my mind about Kaliyev.

Good or bad?

 

[Joey Bones]

Good or bad?

Good. He always had an excellent shot and good offensive awareness, but I didn't like how he skated. Too upright and acceleration wasn't as consistent, for me.

After watching how he's been this year, he looks more explosive on his feet while always maintaining the puck. Very strong on his feet, too, which was another thing I didn't like last year.

Could become a slide into the top 10.

 

[bobbop]

Turcotte is just injured, ATM. Hasn't had much time to show himself, yet. I think he's a top 10 talent.

Don’t disagree. Most places I have seen have him 8-10, Cozens & Dach a couple of rungs higher. Still early in the season to make a definitive call.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

October List.

1. Dylan Cozens-C
2. Alex Turcotte-C
3. Jack Hughes-W
4. Kaapo Kakko-W
5. Kirby Dach-C
6. Bowen Byram-D
7. Alex Newhook-C
8. Trevor Zegras-W
9. Peyton Krebs-C
10. Arthur Kaliyev-W
11. Ryan Suzuki-C
12. Henri Nikkanen-C
13. Raphael Lavoie-W
14. Vasili Podkolzin-W
15. Matthew Robertson-D
16. Spencer Knight-G
17. Matt Boldy-W
18. Cole Caufield-W
19. Cam York-D
20. Victor Soderstrom-D
21. Jakob Pelletier-W
22. Simon Holmstrom-W
23. Daniil Gutik-W
24. Josh Williams-W
25. Michael Vukojevic-D
26. Nicholas Robertson-W
27. Maxim Cajkovic-W
28. Philip Broberg-D
29. Henry Thrun-D
30. Ben Brinkman-D
31. Michal Teply-W
32. Anttoni Honka-D
33. Ryder Donovan-C
34. Moritz Seider-D
35. Nolan Foote-W
36. Pavel Dorofeyev-W
37. Mikko Kokkonen-D
38. Connor McMichael-C
39. Kaedan Korczak-D
40. John Farinacci-C
41. Ilya Mironov-D
42. Samuel Poulin-W
43. Albin Grewe-W
44. Robert Mastrosimone-C
45. Marshall Warren-D
46. Tobias Bjornfot-D
47. Ilya Nikolayev-C
48. Nikola Pasic-C
49. Jamieson Rees-C
50. Colten Ellis-G
51. Martin Hugo Has-D
52. Yegor Spiridonov-W
53. Trevor Janicke-C
54. Leevi Aaltonen-W
55. Nathan Legare-W
56. Lassi Thomson-D
57. Dustin Wolf-G
58. Maxence Guenette-D
59. Shane Pinto-W
60. John Beecher-C
61. Alex Beaucage-W
62. Luke Toporowski-W

Just Missed: Grant Silianoff, Vladimir Alistrov, Nils Hoglander, Drew Helleson, Bobby Brink, Patrik Puistola, Dmitri Sheshin, Nicholas Porco, Kim Nousiainen, Tag Bertuzzi, Brooklyn Kalmikov, Artemi Knyazev, Graeme Clarke, Sasha Mutala, Phillip Tomasino, Marcus Kallionkieli, Logan Barlage, Ryan Johnson, Billy Constantinou, Cameron Rowe

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

Can't say i agree with much at all in that list tbh.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Cozens ahead of Hughes is cray.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Cozens plays a game against Junior players that should work much better in the NHL compared to the game that Hughes plays. Junior hockey is very different from the NHL. If the NHL was pond hockey, Hughes would be the obvious best player in the upcoming draft, but its not. He's behind others in areas of the game from what I've seen. A lot of people want to ignore parts of the game other than the ability to put up points.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

October List.

1. Dylan Cozens-C
2. Alex Turcotte-C
3. Jack Hughes-W
4. Kaapo Kakko-W
5. Kirby Dach-C

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Cozens ahead of Hughes is cray.

Turcotte ahead of Hughes is even crazier.

If anyone is going to pull a Veleno this year its him.

 

[Mikos87]

Agreed on Grewe, he's slick!! Not sure if he'd be the best option if NYR has No. 31, but he's been looking pretty good in the SuperElit. He does take a lot of penalties, though.

I like him a lot. Discipline issues and all, you need to have a shift disturber, and not too many skill kids have that type of disposition these days. Ideally you end up with 3 firsts this year, but if it's 2 firsts, and 3 2nds, then you're in a good place.

Looking back the 14-16 drafts, outside of Shesty and maybe, the Rangers might not get a single NHLer. That's not a good foundation for a rebuild. So I expect them to really hone in on guys that can fill a role. Grewe, at the low end might be a Roussell, on the high-end might be a poor man's Marchand.

 

[Edge]

Alright, it’s October. I guess it’s time.

My first 2019 Top 31 (Fair warning - This WILL change):

1. Hughes
2. Kakko
3. Cozens
4. Podkolzin
5. Byram
6. Turcotte
7. Dach
8. Newhook
9. Kaliyev
10. Krebs
11. Broberg
12. Boldy
13. Suzuki
14. Caufield
15. York
16. Lavoie
17. Bjornfot
18. Soderstrom
19. Mironov
20. Knight
21. Zegras
22. M. Robertson
23. Korczak
24. Honka
25. Poulin
26.Vlasic
27. Foote
28. Pelletier
29. Soderblom
30. Beecher
31. Williams

 

[I Eat Crow]

Good list Edge, it looks pretty close to mine.

The only exceptions are that I have Knight and Zegras right around 15, while Boldy and Caufield are a bit lower. I would switch Dach and Turcotte's positions as well. I went into the year liking Turcotte better, but Dach has just been a beast so far this year.

 

[Edge]

Good list Edge, it looks pretty close to mine.

The only exceptions are that I have Knight and Zegras right around 15, while Boldy and Caufield are a bit lower. I would switch Dach and Turcotte's positions as well. I went into the year liking Turcotte better, but Dach has just been a beast so far this year.

Dach is a little bit of a wildcard for me. Two years ago he looked like a top 5 pick. Last year, not so much. This year, he looks like a top 5 pick again. Splitting the difference, I put him 7 behind some guys who have been a little more consistent or dynamic for me.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Podkolzin Hype!

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Wait, I thought Hughes was a Center. Am I off or is that PB being PB?

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Wait, I thought Hughes was a Center. Am I off or is that PB being PB?

Pb doesn't think Hughes will be a center at the Nhl level

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Pb doesn't think Hughes will be a center at the Nhl level

He also thought Ryan Graves was better than Brady Skjei and that Sergei Zborovskiy was a future 1st pair D-man

 

[Joey Bones]

Pavel Dorofeyev has gotten some KHL action with Magnitogorsk. Has a plus-1 through 4 games, but has been getting a lot of chances. Here are some highlights....



Also, Nikita Rtishchev (who went undrafted last draft), is almost at a PPG pace in the VHL and has gotten his first KHL goal today with CSKA....

 

[Joey Bones]

Here is Podkolzin man handling the Czechs....

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Here is Podkolzin man handling the Czechs....

FYI: Never EVER refer to the Czech Republic as "Czechia" when talking to Czechs hahahah. They hate it.