Early look for 2021 draft

[Rzombo4 prez]

I’m warming up to Johnson, I just don’t see him as a center

The only reason for questioning him as a center is his skating in my opinion. That said, I think the people who are somehow expecting this draft to produce a first line center are setting themselves up for disappointment.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Wings finish #28 overall and win the draft lottery and select Owen Power.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Wings finish #28 overall and win the draft lottery and select Owen Power.

I've cooled considerably on Owen Power after being bullish during his USHL season last year. I'm seeing a lot of mistakes in his game that a player of his caliber shouldn't be making with and without the puck. They look like bad hockey sense or bad habit mistakes and that makes me worry a bit.

Could he become that top pair guy? A big maybe. He'll be a player for sure but now I'm wondering what his true upside is.

 

[Killerjas]

Hughes > Power. I know even have Edvinsson and Clarke before Power

 

[Marky9er]

Anyone get to see Lambos in Finland? I see he's doing well but Ottavainen undrafted in 2020 from Kitchener also doing well, maybe it's too easy. Hope Lambos gets up to the big team for a look.

Edit: Found this shift by shift (for anyone interested)

 

[GoBoltz56]

Anyone get to see Lambos in Finland? I see he's doing well but Ottavainen undrafted in 2020 from Kitchener also doing well, maybe it's too easy. Hope Lambos gets up to the big team for a look.

Edit: Found this shift by shift (for anyone interested)

The Finnish Junior season was cancelled a month or 2 ago and he returned back to Canada then.

 

[Marky9er]

The Finnish Junior season was cancelled a month or 2 ago and he returned back to Canada then.

I can't keep up but that game was 10 days ago?

 

[ChadS]

The Finnish Junior season was cancelled a month or 2 ago and he returned back to Canada then.

Finnish junior leagues are not cancelled, Lambos played just yesterday in the U20 league. Swedish leagues were cancelled recently after being postponed since early November.

Actually another 2021 draft prospect Brett Harrison was just loaned to Finland, will probably play U20 with KOOVEE but possibly Mestis too.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Hughes > Power. I know even have Edvinsson and Clarke before Power

I can still get behind drafting Power even though I have questions about his offensive upside and think he is further away in his development than some probably thought. He needs a lot more lower body strength but is still super projectible as an NHL player. I personally like how he moves the puck. He shows a good inherent understanding of where his teammates are before he gets the puck and where pressure is coming from. This allows him to move it quickly. The prospects who struggle to transition up are those who hold onto the puck too long. This is the first thing I look at when watching a defensemen. Anyways, he is still logical in my eyes in the top 5 of the class even though he doesn't play a super sexy game.

I too like Hughes, but most of that evaluation is based upon random viewings from last year. How much Hughes have people actually been watching this season? The NDTP has a very atypical schedule of DIII schools and NAHL teams rendering most statistical comparisons to prior years pretty meaningless.

 

[simonedvinsson]

I too like Hughes, but most of that evaluation is based upon random viewings from last year. How much Hughes have people actually been watching this season? The NDTP has a very atypical schedule of DIII schools and NAHL teams rendering most statistical comparisons to prior years pretty meaningless.

i've seen him quite a few times this season, and i've walked away thinking he was the best player on the ice every time. his defensive game is solid. great gap control. good at breaking up plays. elite skater. offensively, he's much better than he's been billed. i think people, or bloggers anyway, get too hung up on the Quinn Hughes comparisons. Quinn put up 0.77 points per game in the NHL his rookie season. it's not a totally fair comparison and not one that any other defenseman in this draft is being burdened with. that doesn't mean Luke Hughes isn't an offensive threat either. what Luke Hughes has over the other defensemen in the draft, at least for me, is that there are no particular weaknesses in his game. he's a solid, two-way player.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I can still get behind drafting Power even though I have questions about his offensive upside and think he is further away in his development than some probably thought. He needs a lot more lower body strength but is still super projectible as an NHL player. I personally like how he moves the puck. He shows a good inherent understanding of where his teammates are before he gets the puck and where pressure is coming from. This allows him to move it quickly. The prospects who struggle to transition up are those who hold onto the puck too long. This is the first thing I look at when watching a defensemen. Anyways, he is still logical in my eyes in the top 5 of the class even though he doesn't play a super sexy game.

I too like Hughes, but most of that evaluation is based upon random viewings from last year. How much Hughes have people actually been watching this season? The NDTP has a very atypical schedule of DIII schools and NAHL teams rendering most statistical comparisons to prior years pretty meaningless.

He's playing this year and is playing pretty well. His skating speed is looking pretty damn good from what I've seen so far and his agility looks to have improved. Like people have been saying, almost as good as Quinn. I'd rank Quinn's overall skating as top 20 in the whole league so that's pretty good company to be in. This makes Luke pretty easy to project as a player as well.

Luke needs to work more on getting his passes on the tape while moving at top speed though. When he gets up to stride he whiffs a bit on his pass attempts. I also haven't seen him use his shot much so I can't really say if it's a muffin or not.

I'm still holding to my earlier projection that Luke ends up in-between Quinn Hughes and Jake Sanderson. Luke will probably end up a very balanced defenseman who is your #2 D on the top PP unit, and can also use his speed effectively on the PK.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Also of note, Brandt Clarke is playing in Slovakia right now but no points in 8 games. I'm not able to locate any footage on his play so far. Anyone else see how he's been playing? The earlier projections this year had him as a potential top 3 pick.

 

[GoBoltz56]

Finnish junior leagues are not cancelled, Lambos played just yesterday in the U20 league. Swedish leagues were cancelled recently after being postponed since early November.

Actually another 2021 draft prospect Brett Harrison was just loaned to Finland, will probably play U20 with KOOVEE but possibly Mestis too.

Guess I was wrong. That is so odd..I read on the prospects forum a while back that the season was cancelled and he would likely be returning back to Canada. It's possible I'm remembering wrong and the season was just postponed for an extended period, but I swear I read that his time over there was likely done. My bad.

 

[Christien]

I’m thinking Luke Hughes or Matt Beniers

 

[HoweFan]

I hope we draft Bobby Orr from Halifax. Not necessarily with our first pick

 

[YpsiWings]

Wish there was a consensus can’t miss #1 prospect this year, but still thrilled that there will be an elite LD or C at the top of the draft, by far Detroit’s biggest needs. LD this year and a center next year and there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but getting excited about the playoffs is way more enjoyable than getting pumped about the draft.

 

[lilidk]

I've seen some videos Johnson and Beniers playing same line, I wish I saw a game. Between those 2 , who is center, do they share responsibilities?

 

[NickH8]

I haven't watched anybody from this draft, but Jesper Wallstedt's numbers in the SHL are great. Could this be the year we fill our massive need in net?

 

[Hen Kolland]

I've seen some videos Johnson and Beniers playing same line, I wish I saw a game. Between those 2 , who is center, do they share responsibilities?

Beniers is way, way more advanced as a center than Johnson is, but you really are talking about two very different play styles.

 

[Killerjas]

I hope we draft Bobby Orr from Halifax. Not necessarily with our first pick

We have multiple 2nd round picks, we can get him there because I don't see him going in the 1st round.

 

[lilidk]

Beniers is way, way more advanced as a center than Johnson is, but you really are talking about two very different play styles.

Is Beniers simulator to Larkin as Johnson similar to Cozens?, Or I should not bring those 2

 

[Whoshattenkirkshoes]

Pretty shitty draft....

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Is Beniers simulator to Larkin as Johnson similar to Cozens?, Or I should not bring those 2

Cozens and Johnson are nothing alike as players. There's a lot more flash to his game, not nearly as much hustle and 2-way play as Cozens. The Hockey Writers have compared him to Mitch Marner but I don't see that. He is more of a shooter than Mitch. He's listed as a C/W but will more likely end up as a LW in the NHL. Maybe a poor man's Pastrnak? Dual threat offensively. I'm not sure if he's more likely to end up a 50 point guy or a 70 point guy.

Here's a pretty in-depth look at Johnson from November 11 on The Prospect Network.

I think Larkin and Beniers are very similar and can see Beniers becoming a similar player. Speedy, non-stop motor, tenacious on the puck. Ryan Kesler, Couturier, Rod Brindamour. He's got matchup center potential.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Is Beniers simulator to Larkin as Johnson similar to Cozens?, Or I should not bring those 2

Larkin is an adequate comparison for Beniers. Beniers is a good skater, relentless motor, two way, controlled entry/exit monster. The areas he doesn't shine are the more offensive areas. His shot isn't beating anyone by itself, and he isn't the greatest playmaker.

Cozens, however, is not the name to use for Johnson for a variety of reasons. Cozens has the frame (currently 6'3 190lbs) of what could become a power forward center with fantastic goal scoring abilities. I've said it previously, as a comparison from that same draft class, Trevor Zegras is the guy I see in Kent Johnson (listed at 6'1 165lbs). I don't think either of them were/are superb skaters in terms of explosiveness, they have a little bit of wiggle and agility that helps them, but they are billed for high octane offense. Johnson is dynamic in creating offense, a very good playmaker who seems to be drawn to the dramatics or highlight reel plays. I also believe that his shot is more of an asset than Beniers' is, but that's not really saying much, nor does it seem to be a difference maker at the NCAA level at this point.

 

[Gniwder]

Pretty shitty draft....

I dunno, looks pretty deep to me, just no elite generational talent.