Weylspin
The Swede
HFVHL 2019 Draft Report Card Part 7
Ottawa Senators - Rolo
Drafted:
23rd - Philip Broberg 68th - Matvei Guskov 109th - Michael Vukojevic
148th - Cade Webber
Weyl: Broberg is not a fantasy type of player, same with Vukojevic. I think there were better choices instead of either. Guskov is interesting with good tools however his production at the junior level is concerning. Personally I don’t see how this draft helps Ottawa in the future. Webber is a massive dman and another who is taking the BCHL route before going NCAA. It’ll be curious to see if any of these dmen are able to produce at a pro level however it is unfair to completely write out Broberg yet as he is highly coveted by IRL NHL GMs.
Grade: C
Try: Not a Broberg fan at all. Especially not in a league where points are so important, which brings me to Vukojevic who is also a very defensive oriented player and I don’t really see the offense coming with him where Broberg could still develop some. Guskov is a decent shout in the third round, but not sure what his top end could be, most likely nothing more than a bottom six center. The value in real life would be pretty good for these picks, but in this fantasy league I’m not super big on any of them.
Grade: C-
ED: Ottawa grabs Broberg with their 1st round selection, who is a polarizing prospect to many. While he could be dynamic, the risk associated is fairly high, and he may end up being a better hockey player than fantasy selection. Guskov has the hockey smarts and is a good selection in the third, however his totals for junior are very underwhelming, so next year will be very telling with him. Ottawa needed more picks in this draft, with a very bare cupboard of prospects on hand. Unfortunately, the risk is too high with some of these picks, and this draft could end up being a complete bust for them if Broberg doesn’t pan out.
Grade: C-
Philadelphia Flyers - JayBeagleFanAccount
Drafted:
25th - Ilya Nikolayev 29th - Connor McMichael 33rd - Albin Grewe
59th - Mads Sogaard 90th - Ilya Konovalov 116th - Henri Nikkanen
Weyl: The flyers tore down their team this draft, acquire more picks and kicking off their rebuild. Nikolayev and McMichael were good value and taken right around where they should realistically go. Grewe went way too high, I personally see him as a mid/late 2nd and there were way better players to go right after. Sogaard and Konovalov were solid goalie additions who could look like steals in the future. Nikkanen was another late round pick who many people sought after and could look real nice in a few years. Overall a pretty straight forward draft, while acquiring no defenders they got players who have the potential to be heavy fantasy point contributors.
Grade: B+
Try: The two picks I like here are McMichael and Nikkanen. McMichael has the potential to be a legitimate second line scoring center, a steal at 29 in my opinion. Nikkanen is a player whi already has some pro experience in Finland’s top league and has shown flashes of a solid prospect, a steal so late. Unfortunately I’m just not a fan of his other early picks. Nikolayev is a defensive center who doesn’t have the highest offensive projection, not a player I would touch with a first round pick. He slipped just about as far as I thought he would in real life which says something considering defense matters way more there. Albin Grewe is a very mistake prone forward who dazzles on occasion with some stick skill. I don’t think the IQ is there, but the gritty pest is there and so is the defense. Sogaard and Konovalov are great picks in theory, you’d assume one pans out, but with Luukkonen ahead of them I really would’ve liked a defenseman or two to balance the cupboard as they start to tear down.
Grade: B-
ED: Philly took their team in a different direction this offseason and started their rebuild. With a couple late 1sts and an early 2nd, Philly took a few promising forwards in Nikolayev, McMichael and Grewe. McMichael and Nikolayev have the potential to become top 6ers, while Grewe reminds me a bit of Gallagher, but I feel he was taken a bit too early. Sogaard was a good goalie pickup to be added behind Luukonen. While Philadelphia has some good defensive prospects, their reluctance to draft one in this draft hurts their depth at the position. A solid draft that looks like it can pan out well for Philadelphia overall.
Grade: B
Pittsburgh Penguins - Maticus
Drafted:
15th - Arthur Kaliyev 62nd - Tobias Bjornfot 114th - Riley Damiani
Weyl: Pittsburgh took a heavy risk drafting Kaliyev at 15 however his stats and skills show that he has the potential to be a franchise talent, but everything has to go right. Bjornfot is a great player at 62nd, his offence is lacking however he should easily be an NHLer. Damiani is great value at 114th. Overall Pittsburgh made the most of only 3 picks, I don’t think they could’ve done better however I think they could’ve used some more picks to improve their prospect depth while they’re outside the playoffs
Grade: B
Try: I’m not a Kaliyev fan. All of the red flags pop out for me, but for a team that can still make the playoffs next year, this was a decent risk, there’s obviously potential and he’s a lot more NHL ready than many picked before him. Bjornfot is a defensive oriented team leader, two things that don’t mean anything here, however Bjornfot will make the NHL within the next three years and may be a future captain. His offensive game has a little room to grow so that would be a big pick here. Damiani is a pure offensive foward who is a steal as an overager so late in the draft.
Grade: B+
ED: After consideration of moving their pick, Pittsburgh went ahead and drafted Kaliyev, who has the skills to be a top 10 selection in a future redraft. Bjornfot is a very safe pick in the second round, but has a lower ceiling than most. Hopefully he can grow his offensive game in the next couple years. Damiani has the potential to be a steal. Great value at all of their picks. While they currently lack high end prospects, their core is in their prime and should have a good window to compete if they play their cards right, giving Pittsburgh time to make the most of future drafts
Grade: B