Prospect Info: Ives Devils Day One Draft Review

[devilsblood]

To all the people who wanted to trade down and take the Russian.

if the devils did want to take schinder then the Rangers did exactly what another team could’ve done to the devils if they moved down. Someone could’ve traded up and taken this kid before they went at the trade down spot.

so not only would the devils have missed out on their 1 pick schinder 2nd pick Russian then they would have to settle for whoever their third pick is all for an extra third round pick?

All to get a 3rd round pick or something.

 

[NJDevils17]

“Trade down” only works when someone is willing to trade up.

 

[JrFischer54]

I checked his thread on the prospects board and there is a claim there that the points are because Ufa's roster has been decimated by Covid and that moved him up to the top powerplay, which is stacked.

I'm not trying to throw cold water over the optimism here, just posting it because I got excited when I saw his scoring numbers, and that comment did temper it a bit for me. Of course, 6 points in 14 games is still quite a lot, and hopefully this is just an example of a player getting an unexpected opportunity and making the most of it.

that’s not a knock I want a guy that can produce with the top talent if he was out there and couldn’t produce then that’s a knock

 

[devilsblood]

I hate reaching for players ... none of the info out there warranted Mukh at pick #20. Trade down, or take the best player on the board regardless of position. Fitz gets an F on that one. No problem with taking Holtz at #7 .. top shot organizational need who was cemented in that top 10 thru the whole process. I'll give Fitz an A on this one, but I wanted Perfetti or Rossi. Mercer at #18 was good value pick .. I'd give Fitz an A on this one.

Completely disagree, check his stats.

What we saw is the draft analysis community did not do their homework.

 

[JrFischer54]

“Trade down” only works when someone is willing to trade up.

A lot of people think the movie draft day is real

 

[devilsblood]

I checked his thread on the prospects board and there is a claim there that the points are because Ufa's roster has been decimated by Covid and that moved him up to the top powerplay, which is stacked.

I'm not trying to throw cold water over the optimism here, just posting it because I got excited when I saw his scoring numbers, and that comment did temper it a bit for me. Of course, 6 points in 14 games is still quite a lot, and hopefully this is just an example of a player getting an unexpected opportunity and making the most of it.

Seems to be contradicting points. "Ufa's roster is decimated". "Ufa's PP is stacked". I know fwd vs defense but I'm throwing cold water on that statement. The kid's impressive resume started well before the start of this season.

 

[MadDevil]

“Trade down” only works when someone is willing to trade up.

True, but Calgary traded down from #19 and then again from #22, so it's not like nobody else was trading down from around #20.

 

[devilsblood]

You could be right, and I certainly hope so. I have always been high on Mukhamadullin's considerable upside, and I've said at length that the reason he dropped in my rankings had as much to do with his scarce playing time (and resulting inconsistency) in his draft-eligible campaign as his actual skill set.

What scarce playing time? 27 KHL games. 13 MHL games where he produced 10 points. Played in the Hlinka Gretzky. Played in the WJAC.

 

[The Wumpus]

I think two pieces of context are important for the Shak pick:

- We had already taken two solid forwards. If 20 was our first and only pick of the round, we likely would have gone much safer/on-the-board.

- We didn't have a 2nd rounder or even an early 3rd. The argument that we could have gotten Shak later is true, except that we weren't set to pick again until 84. Could we have traded down and gotten a 3rd? Maybe. It seems like they worked the phones and it didn't happen. Losing out on that extra 3rd won't keep me up at night.

 

[Blackjack]

Seems to be contradicting points. "Ufa's roster is decimated".

Yeah, I noticed that too.

 

[JrFischer54]

Does anyone have access to the athletic round 1 grades?

 

[Blackjack]

Does anyone have access to the athletic round 1 grades?

Scott Wheeler didn't give grades but he ranked the drafts. We were like 13th out of 28. On the other hand, he hated Ottawa's draft, and I thought they killed it so who knows.

Edit: should point out that Wheeler really liked Holtz and had him at #6 so that was a big reason for the good grade. He did not like the Muk pick.

 

[Mike27Devils]

I would have been pounding the table for Perfetti at 7, Holtz is a good choice still at 7. I wanted Schneider badly at 18 and then Perrault at 20.

Mukhamadullin has some nice upside and it's very impressive that he even played in the KHL as a 17 year old and this year, like I've stated before, he has got off to a really solid start in the KHL. He may surprise a lot of people at the WJC U20.

I feel like the devils kinda played it safe in the first round with high floor guys in Holtz and Mercer but I wish they would have swung for the fences more. The players they got in Mercer and Holtz should really compliment Nico and Jack nicely. I feel if we weren't set at center, we would have went for higher upside guys like the ones I wanted.

I think with the rest of the picks this year, the devils swing for the fences more. 2021 could be more swing for the fences also as we already got our complimentary guys for Hischier and Hughes this year and we should get our best D man in that draft. We may end up with 3 1st round picks again if we are trading Palmieri, Gusev, or Subban. The future is really bright. One more year of sucking and we'll start to be really good the next year.

Koukkonen Hischier Holtz
Foote Hughes Mercer
Bratt Zacha 2021 1st round pick
Boqvist Mcleod Merkley
Grizyak

2021 Dman - Smith
Mukhamadullin - Severson (if we don't trade him)
Bahl - 2021 Dman
Mysuil
Okhotyuk

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

This draft was a disappointment given what they left on the board at 7 and 20th

Leaving Rossi on the board was a gigantic mistake.

Unless the 20th pick actually comes here to play and turns into a top 2 dman, it will be a bad pick.

so if he turns into a 2nd pairing shutdown type guy, it was a bad pick?

Your hyperbole stinks.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Scott Wheeler didn't give grades but he ranked the drafts. We were like 13th out of 28. On the other hand, he hated Ottawa's draft, and I thought they killed it so who knows.

Edit: should point out that Wheeler really liked Holtz and had him at #6 so that was a big reason for the good grade. He did not like the Muk pick.

Despite many scouts salivating over Sanderson, there are fair share who just don't think he's an elite prospect. I've said all along that he was a mid first round guy for me. Wheeler didn't love Sanderson (and also had Stutzle ranked around 7), which is why he thought Ottawa did not have a good first round. The Greig pick was pretty underwhelming as well.

 

[MadDevil]

so if he turns into a 2nd pairing shutdown type guy, it was a bad pick?

Your hyperbole stinks.

I honestly can't imagine being as miserable and depressed about a sports team as that guy is. Like 99.9% of his posts are nothing but negativity.

 

[Blackjack]

Despite many scouts salivating over Sanderson, there are fair share who just don't think he's an elite prospect. I've said all along that he was a mid first round guy for me. Wheeler didn't love Sanderson (and also had Stutzle ranked around 7), which is why he thought Ottawa did not have a good first round. The Greig pick was pretty underwhelming as well.

I have to say that the Sanderson doubters almost feel like stubborn holdouts to me. The kid flew up the rankings in the public scouting sphere (though not, as you point out, for everyone) and the GMs obviously also had him very highly ranked. But I guess we'll see how he turns out.

 

[New Jersey Devils]

After sleeping on it; I'm fairly happy with the draft. Not over the moon, but happy.

-Holtz: With both defenseman off the board, I was clamoring for Rossi, but it 100% makes sense to grab a sniper in Holtz for Hughes/Hischier. Can't even count how many times Hughes made a pass/play and his wingers couldn't finish. And honestly, I feel like our staff has seen enough 67's games to be comfortable to passing on Rossi.

-Mercer: Really really happy about grabbing him, seems like one of the steals of the draft as every ranking had him from 12-15. Seems like a high-character guy and can play up and down the lineup. Future captain material.

-Mukhamadullin: Obviously Shakir is the wildcard, but I think having 3 picks in the 1st round just enabled the staff to swing for the fences. Still think they could have traded the 20th and gotten a 2nd or 3rd to take him. But I guess if they had him that high up on the board then so be it.

 

[Csonked Out]

Honestly I love what we did. We needed scoring wingers and got 2 of the best. I love love love that we swung for the fences at pick 20. He does have a low floor but he also has an incredibly high ceiling. Taking guys like this and hitting on them is what makes a championship team. A very unsafe and un devils like pick but I love it.

 

[devilsblood]

Honestly I love what we did. We needed scoring wingers and got 2 of the best. I love love love that we swung for the fences at pick 20. He does have a low floor but he also has an incredibly high ceiling. Taking guys like this and hitting on them is what makes a championship team. A very unsafe and un devils like pick but I love it.

There does seem to be this consensus that Shak is a swing for the fences pick and implied in that is he could be a complete whiff of a pick.

But I don't get it. He played in the KHL at 17. He's off to a hot start in the KHL at 18. Are these not signs of a kid with a high floor? A fairly safe pick?

 

[Edmonton East]

My criticism is that the Devils did not take their highest ranked player at #20, but rather their highest ranked defenseman, since they had already taken two forwards. I will stand by that criticism, since it would be very difficult to convince anyone Mukhamadullin was at the top of the board at #20 with some of the forwards who were still out there.

You are talking as if this is the first time in draft history a large, mobile dman with a cannon of a shot already playing pro minutes got "OVeRdrAFTeD".

A guy like this goes higher than the "experts" expect all the time. Also, he was going in the 1st or the first 3 picks of the 2nd. Don't believe me? Fine. If the above isn't persuasive enough, just take a look at what CBJ did (hot start influencing draft position).

This isn't nearly the reach some people are making it out to be and it is VERY possible he actually was their BPA. This is clearly a guy the Devs wanted or they would have traded back or taken a forward.

 

[devilsblood]

I've mentioned this before as well, the fact that he is super fluent in English is a very nice touch imo.

 

[Csonked Out]

There does seem to be this consensus that Shak is a swing for the fences pick and implied in that is he could be a complete whiff of a pick.

But I don't get it. He played in the KHL at 17. He's off to a hot start in the KHL at 18. Are these not signs of a kid with a high floor? A fairly safe pick?

I guess I base it off such a small sample size. The problem with this draft is you have to do a lot more projecting than normal due to covid canceling everything. Is his last 14 games what he truly is or just a hot streak. We may have stolen this kid if he is that player but he also may have fallen if it was just a hot start.

I honestly have no idea which is the correct and thats why I'm saying a low floor, due to just how much of an unknown he is to me.

 

[Merrrlin]

You guys are getting some hate on the main boards but I’ve learned my lesson on that front - 99% of those posts are based on someone not going neatly in order by the pre draft rankings.

I see Mercer as the steal of the draft.

 

[devilsblood]

“Trade down” only works when someone is willing to trade up.

Ya, add in the pure math of it. How much are you willing to drop? 5 picks? Well then you just excluded 26 teams with which you can trade. If you are willing to expand that pool of teams, that means you are willing to drop even more from that 20 spot. The bigger the pool, the further you are willing to drop, the less likely you are able pick the guy(or guys within a tier) you want. All to add 3rd round pick? Amazing that people are sweating it to the extent that they are.