HF Habs: Final Team Board Draft Poll - Pick #3

[Anardil]

I went with the general consensus. I must admit that I have had limited viewings of most of the prospects mentioned in the Habs range. I've followed the Draft thread religiously, the Prospects Main Board and mostly the TSN Insiders. And of course the junior games shown on TSN, SportsNet, RDS, and TVA Sports. I still have to get through the games I still have on my PVR, basically from the U-18 onwards.

It's easier at this time to mention who I don't want chosen at #3. Bouchard, Smith, and Brady. As for the rest...

Zadina: My choice today...Consensus must count for something, right?
Kotkaniemi: Wonderful U-18, playing Center. Draft thread has been influencing me. But questions remain: Since he is so young, a lot of projection has to be done. Skating concerns. Liiga production mostly on the wing.
Dobson: Great post season and Mem Cup. Another projection pick. Some doubt offense translating to pros. These are my top three. For the rest:

Boqvist: I have not seen anything from him. Going 100% from reading. Seems like the prototypical New Age d-man. Concussions and unstable draft year concern me.
Hughes: Loads of talent, impressive production against men in NCAA, WC did not phase him. Weak shot worries are overblown IMHO. However, will his rover style work in NHL?
Wahlstrom: Probably most natural sniper available. He will produce. But what about the rest of his game?

Still under 2 weeks to go, so my opinion will probably change again. It would have been so much easier if the Habs would have won the 1st or 2nd pick...

 

[BrendanGallagher11]

Peeps are so sleeping. I dont get it, kid has everything, no actual weakness.

I would take dobson over boqvist
Ainec

Zadin at#3

 

[G0bias]

Jesperi at the combine: "I've played center for 15 years".

hf: NATURAL RW

 

[Giacomo]

Draftsite.com is not the only scouting report you can get.

Last word on Hockey:


HEotP:


DBD:


Dobberprospects:

I think it would be better to trade with detroit than choose kotkaniemi at 3rd. offer galchenyuk and the third pick for larkin and the 6th pick and pick a defenseman at 6th even if they are all rh, you can trade petry for something.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Kotkaniemi, Zadina, or Dobson. Happy with one of the 3 at the 3rd pick.

 

[Rickkins]

Pick the BEST player available, Period.

NO project players who may turn out good, in half a dozen years or so.

Zadina.

 

[1909]

pacioretty isn't worth a 10th pick, edmonton might do it for galchenyuk

?????????????? I will stay polite.....

 

[1909]

If Habs really want a d-man - which I doubt - they have to take Dobson. Size-skills, speed in the same package. I don't want a pint size d-man who is mainly a skater. We have enough with Mete.

 

[G0bias]

Seems like Zadina's still the top dog but he's got some competition this time around.

As of now, 57 of posters would pick him whereas 52 prefer someone else.

 

[waffledave]

So many people who have never seen these kids play will put Zadina cause consensus

Shocking, most people are willing to take the word of numerous professional scounting agencies and journalists.

 

[waffledave]

Bruh Kotkaniemi isn't gonna be there at 10. And I hate to break it to you, but five years down the road the re-draft won't have all three of Zadina, Svechnikov and Dahlin in the top three. Erik Karksson was seen as a reach when he got drafted, I guess that means he was a bad pick huh?

Fair, you are high on Kotka. But it would be stupid to take him at 3 OA regardless of how much you like him. If that's the guy, trade down. We need to manage assets better.

 

[Jabba11]

Noah Dobson
Brady Tkachuk
Filip Zadina

 

[waffledave]

I go with Zadina. If we need a dman, I go with Hughes/Boqvist (pretty much ok with either, maybe like Hughes a bit more) and Dobson far behind. I don't like Dobson, I don't think he's what we need.

My off the board pick would be Wahlstrom, but will be cheesed if they take him at 3 OA. I am impressed with him though.

 

[The Great Weal]

Shocking, most people are willing to take the word of numerous professional scounting agencies and journalists.

Doesn't always mean that they are right. Columbus surprisingly took Dubois and he has been excellent for them.

 

[G0bias]

Fair, you are high on Kotka. But it would be stupid to take him at 3 OA regardless of how much you like him. If that's the guy, trade down. We need to manage assets better.

Could be but there's no way we really know how high he's on other teams' lists. We do know Detroit showed interest.

 

[waffledave]

Doesn't always mean that they are right. Columbus surprisingly took Dubois and he has been excellent for them.

That's why teams have their own scouting experts. But as fans, we presumably do not nor do we have scouting experience or resources to scout these players. So it really shouldn't be shocking that the consensus pick ends up being who we want. And besides, many of us have seen him play and still think he's the right guy.

 

[Whitesnake]

Frankly at this point, I have no idea....lol. Can't wait till the draft happens so that I stop changing my mind. Greatest talent and player who is more ready is Zadina. Greatest ratio talent/need with spectacular qualities is Hughes. Great talent/need radio with the highest possible ceiling is Kotkaniemi. Whoever we will pick, we will be happy...but we will be missing somebody. I guess you can say that for everybody. But it just shows how bad we are at every position.

 

[Be a Hab]

I like Hughes because I believe our team’s biggest needs are speed and offensive creativity/playmakers. I think Hughes excels in both categories and is said by experts to be the best skater of he’s draft year, and it just so happens he plays LD a position of weakness.

I’d also be very happy with Zadina and Kotkaniemi!

 

[Habs76]

Jesperi at the combine: "I've played center for 15 years".

hf: NATURAL RW

You've gotta be pretty f***ing uninformed to claim Kotkaniemi is a RW tbh

It's like the Tkachuk is a center thing

 

[Toene]

Zadina is who I'm hoping for, but I would be ok with Dobson, Kotkaniemi or Hughes.

Zadina, Boqvist or Wahlstrom for me.

 

[Milhouse40]

I vote Zadina from the start.

His shot is NHL ready and goal scoring is one thing the Habs will need especially if they trade Pacioretty.
He's also probably the closest of being NHL ready.
And if i would put Zadina on the trade market tomorrow, he would have the biggest value out of every prospects left at #3

Having said that, the one thing that's scares me it's he's been playing in the Q last year but even then, his shot will translate well in the NHL so that kind of NHLready skills is a can't miss for me

But again, Bergevin never do what i expect him to do.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

They should pick the next Bergeron in Joe Veleno.

 

[G0bias]

I vote Zadina from the start.

His shot is NHL ready and goal scoring is one thing the Habs will need especially if they trade Pacioretty.
He's also probably the closest of being NHL ready.
And if i would put Zadina on the trade market tomorrow, he would have the biggest value out of every prospects left at #3

Having said that, the one thing that's scares me it's he's been playing in the Q last year but even then, his shot will translate well in the NHL so that kind of NHLready skills is a can't miss for me

His ability as a goalscorer goes beyond his shot. If anything it's behind both Wahlstrom and Svechnikov's shots. Boqvist could probably give him a run there too.

What makes him stand out is his natural instincts and ability to sneak behind coverage and find weak spots in defences.

 

[Be a Hab]

They should pick the next Bergeron in Joe Veleno.

Hopefully he drops down as far Bergeron and we get him in the 2nd round. That would be awesome!

 

[Giacomo]

?????????????? I will stay polite.....

I asked edmonton fans about a pacioretty for 10th pick and no one liked it. they don't want a guy who is almost washed up when they can get a young prospect with that pick