Draft and UDFA Thread 2018-19

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Mac n Gs

Gorton plz
Jan 17, 2014
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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.
Agreed to an extent, but I’m also viewing him in the scope that he’s 1.5 years younger than most of his team last season. He’ll still be on the younger end in the 19 class and will be given the keys to lead Barrie this season. He’s gonna have a good opportunity, without Svech there, to carry the offense.
 

Edge

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Agreed to an extent, but I’m also viewing him in the scope that he’s 1.5 years younger than most of his team last season. He’ll still be on the younger end in the 19 class and will be given the keys to lead Barrie this season. He’s gonna have a good opportunity, without Svech there, to carry the offense.

Without a doubt, it's way too early to dismiss his talent.

It's more in the context of looking at the kids who are starting the season at or near the top.

To some extent there's going to be a bit of pressure on Suzuki to prove he's indeed one of the top tier prospects. If he stumbles a little, it's going to be hard to regain ground.
 

Edge

Kris King's Ghost
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@Edge how do you think the top ten of this upcoming draft compares to 2018?

I have very fringe knowledge of 2019, but the top of the class seems very strong.

It's a solid draft, probably the flip-side of 2018 in terms of it leaning heavier on forwards at the top.

I don't know if it quite has as much depth as 2018, especially as you venture out of the first round, but it's looks to be above average.

If you were to nail me down on a bold statement, I think the top 6 in this draft is filled with elite talent, and there's really good talent through the top 10 or so. But that top 6 is where I want to be.
 

Ghost of jas

Unsatisfied
Feb 27, 2002
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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.

Thank you...do you see Kakko as a center or wing? Regardless, unless the Rangers completely exceed even the most optimistic of expectations, once again they will getting a chance at a high end player.
 

Edge

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Thank you...do you see Kakko as a center or wing? Regardless, unless the Rangers completely exceed even the most optimistic of expectations, once again they will getting a chance at a high end player.

From what I've seen, I like Kakko as a wing. I think he's flat out DANGEROUS in that role.
 

Amazing Kreiderman

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Apr 11, 2011
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Kakko is a more complete player than Laine, but lacks that elite snipe. I think Kakko could go 1st overall if he has a good year in Liiga. He was flat out dominating the Jnr A SM-Liiga (an u20 league) at the age of 16
 

JimmyG89

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May 1, 2010
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Kaapo Kakko - 17 years, 6'4" and 207 lbs .... big guy. Played 6 games in Liiga against men.

I want to know what they fed him as a child in order for him to be this size at 17. Could end up at 6'6?
 

Lone Ranger

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Jan 31, 2009
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Which just means that if the Rangers get a lottery pick, the next out of the box, off the board choice will be a goalie And probably not the top ranked one.

There's a goalie named Richter Lundqvist playing in a lower level Swedish league who is draft eligible next year. He has Rangers' 1OA written all over him.
 
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True Blue

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There's a goalie named Richter Lundqvist playing in a lower level Swedish league who is draft eligible next year. He has Rangers' 1OA written all over him.
Something like that is right. I was away during the draft and could not get on here to see. But I can only imagine the blood bath that had to take place. I could hear the howling from a ways away.

I fall somewhere between "Look at all these hidden gems that Clarke found" and "Gorton should be fired now as we just blew a deep drafts by getting a team of Jessimans". Or at least I hope that the truth is in the middle. That said, Clarke has a tendency to fall in love with this off board stuff. He got cute. I have no confidence that if the Rangers secure a lottery pick next year, he would not get cute again.
 
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Polar Bear

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May 15, 2018
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I ain't talking about any top prospects until the draft lottery plays out next year. I'm not doing this to myself. Lol
 

Leetch3

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Jul 14, 2009
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I ain't talking about any top prospects until the draft lottery plays out next year. I'm not doing this to myself. Lol

whats the point of this site if not to get your hopes up and then punch you in the gut?
 

GeorgeKaplan

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Dec 19, 2011
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I ain't talking about any top prospects until the draft lottery plays out next year. I'm not doing this to myself. Lol
You can talk about them, just don’t fall in love with a specific guy and be more open to a range of guys. The only guys I didn’t want to see with the #9 were Tkachuk and Hayton, so I was thrilled to see them gone at 4 and 5

Edit: Also the Rangers drafting strategy is more clear: good skaters that play a well rounded game with good-great upside, not very interested in specialists
 
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McRanger

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There’s so much top end offensive talent in ‘19. The top 10 is going to be very interesting.
 

Ola

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Apr 10, 2004
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Kakko is a more complete player than Laine, but lacks that elite snipe. I think Kakko could go 1st overall if he has a good year in Liiga. He was flat out dominating the Jnr A SM-Liiga (an u20 league) at the age of 16

I don’t have a good track of Kakko, but the SM liiga, financial resources of the teams, depth etc — results that there every now and then are some really young bigger players playing there. I think of almost 10 examples of guys who were talked about as top 1-5 players when they were 15-16 but never amounted to anything, not even fringe NHLers. Wanna see him keep it up next season too.
 

Ola

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Apr 10, 2004
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Did I make a post about him the other day? Sorry if I repeat myself, I like Leevi Aaltonen a lot. He needs to grow a lot to be a 1st rounder, but if he does he could be one of the bigger risers!
 
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