HFNHL Jackets 2021 Draft Results

[Ohio Jones]

After several moves to secure roster talent in a push for the playoffs this coming season, the Columbus Blue Jackets went into the HFNHL 2021 Entry Draft with no picks in the first three rounds. (That 6th overall for Carter Hart feels a lot less gratifying when Hart does not even have useable ratings this year, but we tell ourselves it was a long term investment…).

But what we lacked in early draft position, we made up for in late volume. Columbus added a whopping total of 11 prospects in rounds 4-7. But these rounds are administered by list, and that has left us with a somewhat unfortunate imbalance in player positions (and player types, if I’m being honest). Anybody in need of some big, mobile two-way blueliners?

THE PICKS

4/114 LD Evgenii Kashnikov, Gatineau (6-4/196)
- drafted into the Q as a thin puck mover, has blossomed into a powerful blueliner with size, strength, mobility and very good hands

5/134 RW Jake Chiasson , Brandon (6-1/165)
- long and lean, should add strength as he fills out to improve his burst, but plays with hustle, hands and hockey sense

5/135 LW Alex Geci , Sarnia (6’2/180)
- big-bodied scorer one of the youngest in the draft, Slovak missed the 2020-21 season with the OHL shut down

5/141 RD Gannon Laroque , Victoria (6’2/196)
- another very young pick, right-shot D is solid, physical and mobile in all three zones, Victoria’s top defender (as a rookie) and a great hockey name!

6/166 LD Taige Harding , Ft McMurray (6’7/236)
- monster is no gentle giant, but a high-character kid who can move, defend and handle the puck as well as most 6’2” blueliners

6/170 W Marcus Almquist , Rødovre (5’7/167)
- if NHL teams believe there’s room in the game for small, talented finishers who can skate, think, shoot and move the puck faster than those around them, then there’s a chance for this guy who is the youngest in the draft

6/178 LD Gustavs Ozolins , Riga (5’10/180)
- smallest D in our group at only 5-10, but plays much bigger and commits to every inch of the ice, with and without the puck

6/183 RD Ethan Samson , Prince George (6’2/194)
- big, mobile blueliner plays a calm, efficient game at both ends, but may be overlooked in PG

7/193 RW Alexander Palchik , Minsk (6’1/178)
- big winger works hard at both ends of the ice, strong on his skates and strong on the puck; should star with the Colts next season

7/198 LD Tyson Galloway , Calgary (6’4/193)
- big and mobile, late bloomer starting to add toughness, puck skills to his game as his confidence grows

7/201 LD Nikolai Makarov , Krasnaya (6’4/233)
- big, mobile blueliner (sensing a theme here?) plays a calm, stifling defensive game with some decent puck management

Click to read more...

 

[MatthewFlames]

We usually have a lot of the same sleepers and this year was no different. I was sure I'd drafted Samson and I had to stop Brock at 184 because I thought he'd missed picking him for me - only to find out that you'd taken him and that your famous autouncorrect had added that extra 'p' in the spelling of his name and he didn't show on my search (I'd also had a mini nap in there during the 5th round and 6th round....) Sorry, Brock. Geci was on my list pretty high and I think Almquist is a much better player that he showed when he went back to Denmark - could surprise. Considering that you had no day 1 picks, you've still managed to snag some genuine NHL prospects here.

 

[Ohio Jones]

We usually have a lot of the same sleepers and this year was no different. I was sure I'd drafted Samson and I had to stop Brock at 184 because I thought he'd missed picking him for me - only to find out that you'd taken him and that your famous autouncorrect had added that extra 'p' in the spelling of his name and he didn't show on my search (I'd also had a mini nap in there during the 5th round and 6th round....) Sorry, Brock. Geci was on my list pretty high and I think Almquist is a much better player that he showed when he went back to Denmark - could surprise. Considering that you had no day 1 picks, you've still managed to snag some genuine NHL prospects here.

Yep, sorry for the typo, but glad I came away with Samson! I ended up with three big WHL blue liners, joining guys like Woo and Schneider from that circuit in my system.

I think Almquist is this year’s Brett Berard for me, we’ll see if his skill is enough to get him drafted. He and Geci (and maybe Palchik) are my long-shot bets to somehow get some offence out of this draft.

 

[Lord Stanley]

I like the Almquist pick, he was inside my top 100. It will be interesting to see how he develops.

 

[Ohio Jones]

I like the Almquist pick, he was inside my top 100. It will be interesting to see how he develops.

Apparently the NHL GMs lack our vision, but why not gamble on a kid with that much skill?

 

[Fan.At]

Good job imo. Considering you had no high picks you got a few guys who have a lot going for them. I especially like Geci and Harding.

 

[Hossa]

Kind of a fascinating group of players, Doug, and in an NHL draft where teams were chasing size and skating all over the place, not surprising several jumped up.

I'll be honest that most of these guys weren't on my list, although Chiasson was - Brandon is a great place to develop, I think - and Harding was as well, at least as a fascinating project. There's a non-zero chance he hits the ground running at Providence and is a significant prospect very quickly.

 

[Ohio Jones]

Kind of a fascinating group of players, Doug, and in an NHL draft where teams were chasing size and skating all over the place, not surprising several jumped up.

I'll be honest that most of these guys weren't on my list, although Chiasson was - Brandon is a great place to develop, I think - and Harding was as well, at least as a fascinating project. There's a non-zero chance he hits the ground running at Providence and is a significant prospect very quickly.

You’re not alone, I’m sure - this is my least well-scouted draft class in quite some time, and a lot of these names didn’t show up that highly in many lists. Plus you ghouls kept pillaging my list of more well-known prospects ahead of me (comes from drafting so late, I suppose…).

Funny thing was that while NHL GMs may have been targeting size, I wasn’t - at least not specifically. I was mostly looking for guys who had two or three core assets to build around, and one in particular that stood out, whatever that was. But defenders with size who can skate and move the puck out of trouble will always catch my eye, and that ended up being most of these guys.

As long as I manage to get one or two players out of the group, I figure I’ll have done okay.