Prospect Info: Draft Boards - Specific to our own Member Draft Boards

[Ezekial]

1. Hughes
2. Kakko
3. Turcotte
4. Byram
5. Dach
6. Krebs - pre injury I wouldn't take him at 6 now
7. Zegras
8. Cozens
9. Broberg
10. Pod (would be higher in non-draft board terms)
11. Boldy
12. Caufield
13. Newhook

 

[Hen Kolland]

1. Hughes
2. Kakko
3. Turcotte
4. Byram
5. Dach
6. Krebs - pre injury I wouldn't take him at 6 now
7. Zegras
8. Cozens
9. Broberg
10. Pod (would be higher in non-draft board terms)
11. Boldy
12. Caufield
13. Newhook

Curious about your comments on Podkolzin. You like him more than others but wouldn’t draft him over them? That’s how I read it, but I’m not sure it’s how you meant it.

 

[Ezekial]

Curious about your comments on Podkolzin. You like him more than others but wouldn’t draft him over them? That’s how I read it, but I’m not sure it’s how you meant it.

Because I want a player that can play C or D and prefer more of a play-maker or 2 way hound if we draft a C. I would draft Pod over Cozens for sure if I wasn't worried about position, he might make it as high on 5 on my list, I do like Dach a lot, though.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Because I want a player that can play C or D and prefer more of a play-maker or 2 way hound if we draft a C. I would draft Pod over Cozens for sure if I wasn't worried about position, he might make it as high on 5 on my list, I do like Dach a lot, though.

So it’s like the Zadina situation for a lot of people last year. You believe Podkolzin is among the top 5 talents in the draft, but think position holds a higher value for the sake of building a draft board. Is that accurate?

 

[Ezekial]

You believe Podkolzin is among the top 5 talents in the draft, but think position holds a higher value for the sake of building a draft board. Is that accurate?

Yes. I think the wings are most set up at wing and need a high end center or defensive prospect and don't think the difference between Pod and Dach is large enough as if it were a player like Kakko who I would draft over Turcotte even though I think he is a high end center prospect.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Yes. I think the wings are most set up at wing and need a high end center or defensive prospect and don't think the difference between Pod and Dach is large enough as if it were a player like Kakko who I would draft over Turcotte even though I think he is a high end center prospect.

I follow now. I think we need a center prospect to level out. I like Veleno a lot, but between Larkin and Veleno, we are still short one center prospect to have a trio down the middle of the future.

 

[lilidk]

Hughes
Kakko

Byram
Caulfield
Turcotte
Dach
Boldy
Zegras

Cozens
Broberg
Newhook

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Curious about your comments on Podkolzin. You like him more than others but wouldn’t draft him over them? That’s how I read it, but I’m not sure it’s how you meant it.

I'm turned off by Podkolzin only because I've heard he is slow.

 

[Hen Kolland]

I'm turned off by Podkolzin only because I've heard he is slow.

I think he’s probably right around average. The big concern I’ve read is his stride isn’t clean and it’s holding him back.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

I think he’s probably right around average. The big concern I’ve read is his stride isn’t clean and it’s holding him back.

If I'm taking a forward in the top 10 in the draft the way the NHL is headed he has to be an elite skater IMO.

 

[Marky9er]

1. Hughes
2. Kakko
3. Byram
4. Turcotte
5. Cozens
6. Zegras
7. Boldy
8. Caufield
9. Broberg
10. Newhook
11. Dach
12. Lavoie
13. Harley
14. Podkolzin
15. Soderstrom
16. Seider
17. Krebs
18. York
19. Kaliyev
20. Suzuki

This is the most honest list I can present, representative of how I view upside and also doubts. After 20 there's too many players and it'd take me days to decide. This is my own pecking order, and yes I know about Krebs injury, and I do value size (mostly on defense). I kind of surprised myself with Dach because I was so hyped with him in Nov/Dec but I get a sense of inconsistency that scares me off, 6-11 are basically 6a-6f.

 

[Hen Kolland]

If I'm taking a forward in the top 10 in the draft the way the NHL is headed he has to be an elite skater IMO.

I can stomach an average skater as long as long as I’m getting serious benefit somewhere else. I go back and forth with Podkolzin. I love the competitive fabric that he’s made of. I think he has a good shot, good playmaking tendencies, good puck skills and physicality, and an elite effort level. I won’t complain if he’s the pick, although he wouldn’t be my first choice.

 

[Ulysses31]

1) Hughes
2)Kakko
3)Byram
4)Caufield
5)Zegras
6)Turcotte
7)Dach
8)Podkolzin

 

[DetroitRed]

I try to see what the scouts are talking about with each prospect. However, sometimes I can't reconcile the rankings with what I get to see. So, I have two lists. List One shows what I think the general consensus is. List Two shows how I have them ranked. Areas where I think I differ are in red.

List One
1. Hughes
2. Kakko
3. Byram
4. Turcotte
5. Podkolzin
6. Dach
7. Krebs
8. Zegras
9. Cozens
10. Boldy
11. Caufield
12. Soderstrom
13. York
14. Newhook
15. Seider


List Two
1. Hughes
2. Kakko
3. Byram
4. Turcotte
5. Dach
6. Cozens
7. Krebs
8. Boldy
9. Zegras
10. Podkolzin
11. Caufield
12. Soderstrom
13. York
14. Newhook
15. Seider

 

[Nut Upstrom]

If I'm taking a forward in the top 10 in the draft the way the NHL is headed he has to be an elite skater IMO.

Agree, though I would change "elite skater" to at a least very good skater.
I am not so turned off by Podkolzin's skating to be all that upset if we took him, but I think I would be disappointed about some of the guys we passed on.

 

[ricky0034]

Hughes

Kakko


Byram
Dach
Turcotte

Zegras
Cozens
Krebs
Boldy
Podkolzin
Caufield

kind of an awkward number of players in 11 but i've been hyper focused on the 6th overall and honestly posting anything past that would be me just throwing names out there for the sake of it

groupings and size of the gaps between them are intentional here,basically I view it as there being about a half tier between Hughes and Kakko,about a full tier between Kakko and the Byram/Dach/Turcotte grouping and then about another half tier between those and the rest of my list

edit: just saw the thing about Krebs injury,that's probably enough for me to drop him from 6th to 8th on my list so changed it slightly

 

[drw02]

1. Jack Hughes / C / 5-10 170 / L / USDP (USHL)
2. Kaapo Kakko / W / 6-2 190 / L / TPS (Liiga)
3. Bowen Byram / D / 6-1 190 / L / Vancouver (WHL)
4. Alex Turcotte / C / 5-11 190 / L / USDP (USHL)
5. Alex Newhook / C / 5-10 190 / L / Victoria (BCHL)
6. Trevor Zegras / C / 6-0 170 / L / USDP (USHL)
7. Kirby Dach / C / 6-4 200 / R / Saskatoon (WHL)
8. Vasili Podkolzin / W / 6-1 190 / L / St. Petersburg (MHL)
9. Cole Caufield / W / 5-7 165 / R / USDP (USHL)
10. Peyton Krebs / C / 5-11 180 / L / Kootenay (WHL)
11. Dylan Cozens / C / 6-3 185 / R / Lethbridge (WHL)
12. Matthew Boldy / W / 6-2 190 / L / USDP (USHL)
13. Victor Soderstrom / D / 5-11 180 / R / Brynas (SHL)
14. Bobby Brink / W / 5-8 165 / R / Sioux City (USHL)
15. Philip Broberg / D / 6-3 200 / L / AIK (Allsvenskan)
16. Arthur Kaliyev / W / 6-2 190 / L / Hamilton (OHL)
17. Cam York / D / 5-11 175 / L / USDP (USHL)
18. Moritz Seider / D / 6-4 210 / R / Manheim (DEL)
19. Raphael Lavoie / W / 6-4 200 / R / Halifax (QMJHL)
20. Ville Heinola / D / 5-11 180 / L / Lukko (Liiga)
21. Thomas Harley / D / 6-3 190 / L / Mississauga (OHL)
22. Spencer Knight / G / 6-3 200 / USDP (USHL)
23. Philip Tomasino / C / 6-0 180 / R / Niagara (OHL)
24. Robert Mastrosimone / C / 5-10 170 / L / Chicago (USHL)
25. Nicolas Robertson / W / 5-9 160 / L / Peterborough (OHL)
26. Nils Hoglander / W / 5-9 180 / L / Rogle (SHL)
27. Ryan Suzuki / C / 6-0 170 / L / Barrie (OHL)
28. Egor Afanasyev / W / 6-4 200 / L / Muskegon (USHL)
29. Ilya Nikolayev / C / 6-0 190 / L / Yaroslavl (MHL)
30. Jakob Pelletier / W / 5-9 160 / L / Moncton (QMJHL)
31. Alex Vlasic / D / 6-6 200 / L / USDP (USHL)
32. Samuel Poulin / W / 6-2 205 / L / Sherbrooke (QMJHL)
33. Brett Leason / W / 6-4 200 / R / Prince Albert (WHL)
34. John Beecher / C / 6-3 210 / L / USDP (USHL)
35. Mikko Kokkanen / D / 5-11 200 / L / Jukurit (Liiga)

 

[KasperTheGrittyGhost]

1- Hughes
2- Kakko
----------
3- Byram
4- Turcotte
5- Zegras
6- Podkolzin
7- Dach
8- Cozens
9- Broberg
10- Boldy
----------
11- Soderstrom
12- Krebs
13- Knight
14- Caufield
15- Newhook
16- Seider
17- Lavoie
18- York
19- Suzuki
20- Kaliyev
21- Beecher
22- McMichael
------------
23- Kolyachonok
24- Tomasino
25- Harley
26- Tracey
27- Puistola
28- N Robertson
29- Kokkonen
30- Thomson
31- Rees
32- Brink
33- M Robertson
34- Heinola
35- Vlasic
36- Dorofeyev
37- Holmstrom
38- Hoglander
39- R Johnson
40- Bjornfot

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

1. Hughes
2. Kakko
3. Byram
4. Turcotte
5. Zegras
6. Podkolzin
7. Dach
8. Cozens
9. Caufield
10. Soderstrom
11.Newhook
12.Krebs
13.Broberg
14.Boldy
15.York
16.Knight
17.Seider
18.Sezuki
19.Kaliyev
20.McMichael

That's where I'm at atm.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Kakko put up 22 goals and 38 points in 45 games in the finnish league, a mens league. He was strong at the WJC and dominant at the WC.

If he was a center he would be taken 1st overall. He is one of the best finnish prospects ever. He projects as an even better version of a Rantanen type player.

Turcotte projects as a 2nd line center and would be lucky to develop as Larkin did.

Kakko will be better...significantly better.

As for Broberg here is a guy who had 9 points in the 2nd swedish league. Bryam was over a point a game player and having watched Bryam he is going to be a stud.

Those would be your opinions, I am not required to share them when watching a prospect. End of the day I don't think he is a center nor do I think he can convert. Him not being a center certainly does impact that. I don't feel he is a Kane or Ovechkin caliber player where you would take him as winger at #1 overall either. Especially over a special talent that could play center or even if he converts is a Kane or Ovechkin caliber winger. He isn't in the RNH draft, he is in one with two centers that drive play, one already plays a very complete two way game.

His season and bottom line production is what moved him into my top 5. His trouble transporting the puck and gaining entry is what used to have him outside, but he is a dominant player below the faceoff circles. Like I have said numerous times my issue with Kakko isn't that he won't be a good player. It is that he reminds me a heck of a lot more of Sam Reinhart, Dany Heatley and Rick Nash in terms of wingers. While they were wonderful players and indeed have some dominant seasons they were never players that overly troubled me as opposition. Let them get their goal and beat their team 4-1 or 4-2, you can keep them on the outside of proceedings in the NHL game without impacting you massively. He might be Rantanen, time will tell, I am not as sold on him.

I think Byram is going to bring a ton of offense. I question just how good he will be defensively. He does remind me a lot of Morgan Rielly. I doubt he is there at #6, but to be clear just because guys don't slot in where the industry has them doesn't mean I hate them. I think the two players I actually expected the most heat for were Zegras and Brink. I mean the one guy that really plummeted on my list is I don't think Bobby Brink is more than a superstar AHL player. So in his case he isn't a top 50 player for me as I find him to be kind of a longshot even with all of his skills to make the league. I could see him getting in 100 plus games but he makes me think of Reid Boucher a lot, in fact I like Boucher a little more than I did/do Brink. Guys I am higher on potential wise pass him as a result. Zegras I see as a pure winger and I think so much of what he attempts just isn't going to fly at the NHL level especially with a coach. @Frk It the other day was talking Drouin and that makes a lot of sense as a comparable. I am not sure he has that level of hands in terms of moves around guys and he plays at a slower pace in the junior ranks which gives me more trouble, but when Drouin isn't in one of his hot stretches and shooting the puck enough he goes through pro-longed slumps where he tries low percentage plays and doesn't impact his team for positive stretches.

But we are all going to see things differently, I would love to see your list as a comparison. I have my reasons they might ultimately be wrong but I feel what I feel on a lot of these guys. I stopped caring on the consensus on this a long time ago really. As I have said before you talk to the guys that do this for a living and their draft lists would bend your mind when you look at them versus consensus.

 

[RedWingsfan55]

1. NJD- Jack Hughes
2. NYR- Kaapo Kakko
3. CHI- Alex Turcotte
4. COL- Bowen Byram
5. LAK- Kirby Dach
6. DET- Trevor Zegras
7. BUF- Dylan Cozens
8. EDM- Vasily Podkozlin
9. ANA- Peyton Krebs
10. VAN- Cole Caufield
11. PHI- Matthew Boldy
12. MIN- Victor Soderstrom
13. FLA- Arthur Kaliyev
14. ARI- Alex Newhook
15. MTL- Moritz Seider

O God the one guy I dont want us to get.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Hughes- NJ
Kakko- NYR
Zegras- Chicago
Dach- Colorado
Byram - LA
Podkolzin- Detroit
Turcotte- Buffalo
Cozens- Edmonton
Krebs - Anaheim
Newhook

 

[Marky9er]

Hughes- NJ
Kakko- NYR
Zegras- Chicago
Dach- Colorado
Byram - LA
Podkolzin- Detroit
Turcotte- Buffalo
Cozens- Edmonton
Krebs - Anaheim
Newhook

I can almost see this kind of scenario where we celebrate who is not picked 3&4, then heartbreak at 5 but think we're getting Turcotte and then we get Podkolzin. I don't like to think about Eichel-Turcotte, I much prefer Larkin-Turcotte. However it unfolds it's going to be so dramatic to watch.

 

[Lampedampe]

1.) Hughes
2.) Turcotte
3.) Kakko
4.) Broberg
5.) Dach

What is it exactly you see in Broberg? Not hating, but personally I see a guy with a tools but not enough smarts to go with it.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

What is it exactly you see in Broberg? Not hating, but personally I see a guy with a tools but not enough smarts to go with it.

I think his potential is through the roof. He is very raw, but I see him routinely make good decisions and I think his defensive toolkit is very underrated. For as much as I like Pietrangelo and Dobson for instance Broberg is them on steroids when I watch them a deluxe version if you will. His skating is dynamic, he uses it to angle guys, he has a big long reach. He converted from forward at 15 which explains his comfort level and ability to attack downhill similar to Burns a converted forward. I get the sensitivity with Smith not panning out here.

But I think Broberg flashes that vision often enough and is developing well. His ceiling is pretty flawless and it is important that when he does show up in games with his age group he thoroughly dominates them and is generally the best player on the entire ice. I also think a part of his step up internationally is he is a guy that thrives when the pace actually does increase and his teammates get better. So in a way he is more suited to the NA style of hockey where you make more one read and react plays. He will take the ice given too and constantly stress out the opposition. He has a bomb of a shot, great agility and his top gear allows him to both sink lower into the offensive zone and wait later than almost all d-man can in terms of his recovery abilities at the line. So he should be a force at holding the line and crashing down the boards to continue zone pressure once he develops better understand or when to go and when to stay. He is very much a projection though and I understand those that are wary of him. He still has a ways to go, but the player he is if he develops the enormous gifts he has is incredibly intriguing. I think he flashes those smarts a lot and I am comfortable projecting that out, but I have always said he is risky especially at #6 and I will understand if they pass for a safer player. But I think his ceiling is really intriguing and I disagree that his hockey IQ is as low as some find it currently, I have seen the big things in his game time and again when watching him where he does go cross seam and open lanes for others, I think he is just more comfortable going solo currently but it will round in. If it doesn't he bottoms out as a top 4 defensive D-man for me that can log huge minutes on your second pair and kill penalties. I just believe in the offense as well.