Full breakdown for me:
Michael McLeod: B+
Mad at first, then frustrated but I've warmed up to him a lot. He has potential to be an integral part of the team for a long time. With the other big names off the board I was hoping Bellows or Kunin but am very happy with McLeod at this point.
Nathan Bastian: A-
I feel good about this pick. Actually, I feel great about it. Besides his instant chemistry with his boy McLeod he brings a lot to the table and is huge. I mean he's 6'4" and grew during the season. He is projected at a center long term and is a tremendous playmaker. I have a hard time finding anything negative about him except what Cordell says(and honestly Cordell is really getting on my nerves knocking every guy who isn't elite offensively). Remember Burrows with the Sedins? That's what his impact feels like. I honestly think he will be an impact player in the league as a great power forward. If he improves his skating, I kind of like a Ryan Getzlaf comp stylistically.
Joey Anderson: B+
I like this pick a lot too. He got overlooked because he was with two first rounders but is a good player in his own right. He looked great at the U-18 championship and really plays hard. He might not excel offensively but he is an important component of a team. Whoever brought up the Hartnell comp is pretty accurate.
Beau Bennett Trade: B+
Well this is probably the most expected thing we did all weekend. And I like it. Bennett has potential to be a top-6 forward if he's healthy. He's a really good player and is smart, really he sees the ice well and can make plays. He's still only 24 and while he unfortunately has had injury setbacks he has a ton of potential still. At least he has a high hockey IQ.
Brandon Gignac: B+
I'd be lying if I said I knew anything about this kid before the draft. With that said, I love what we're hearing. I'll default to Kourianos and what Steven said about him but with the videos and the potential it's hard not to be excited about this pick. He oozes skill but isn't physical and shies away from contact.
Mikhail Maltsev: B
Also I have no idea about him either. Big winger that plays a complete game. Steven had another great write up on this kid and he is really a great upside player. He put up pretty impressive stats.
Evan Cormier: C
Disappointed in this pick not because we could've had someone else but because Cormier isn't interesting to me. He doesn't stand out at all and I know he had a terrible team in front of him, he did nothing to stand out. I thought this was our worse pick by a longshot.
Yegor Rykov: A
Love this pick. Rykov had an outstanding tournament and is one of the better defensemen in the middle of the draft. He was passed over for his lackluster defense last year but really came around and is a good two way guy. He might be my favorite late pick for us. He played very well in the KHL as a 19 year old.
Jesper Bratt: B+
Who? Seriously, this guy is all skill but struggles on the boards and with physicality. This is the definition of swing for the fences. He could've gone as high as the third round but fell because questions of whether his game can translate. As some mentioned, he's like Tedenby. Maybe he can translate, maybe not but it's a 6th round pick and I like it a ton.
Jeremy Davies: B-/C+
This is an okay pick I guess. Overagers who led the USHL in points. That's promising but this rating is based on passing on Kuznetsov, Sokolov and Quenneville. All guys I really liked and would've been very happy with.
Overall thoughts: B+
This was the first real draft for the new staff and I thought it was very good. We didn't get one of the guys we wanted in the first but McLeod is good and bringing in Bastian is big for me. We made some picks in late rounds with huge potential and while they might be misses, I'm glad we're swinging for the fence. Our Russian picks are strong and Bratt is a high upside player. I liked our emphasis on players from all over. Good mix of CHL, US and European players. Very happy with the draft. I think our second day was among the best in the league and we did a great job at building the pool and adding NHL talent in Bennett.
