Prospect Info: NHL Entry Draft Discussion Thread - Looking Ahead

[Kiwi]

Jeremie Poirier is an interesting draft option if we trade down from 15. He might be the most skilled offensive defenceman in the draft, he can really handle the puck. The reason he’s not ranked higher is he’s bad defensively, it’s a lot easier to teach a prospect defence than it is offence.

I hear that saying a lot but I'm not sure how applicable that is when it comes to NHL level hockey, defending top 6 players for 20+ minutes a night at a competent level is extremely difficult

Let's be honest here, we haven't exactly been great at producing strong defensive players (forward or defense) over recent history and we sink plenty of resources into development

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I hear that saying a lot but I'm not sure how applicable that is when it comes to NHL level hockey, defending top 6 players for 20+ minutes a night at a competent level is extremely difficult

Let's be honest here, we haven't exactly been great at producing strong defensive players (forward or defense) over recent history and we sink plenty of resources into development

We've actually done a pretty good job improving the defensive acumen of guys like Trevor Moore, Dmytro Timashov, Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen, Pierre Engvall, etc. in recent years. If you look at their defensive games before they hit the Marlies vs. now, it is night and day, even if they are not quite like those prototypical shutdown guys you hear about on other teams.

The main thing is that the Leafs like guys who can score and provide offense, but still have the IQ and work ethic to develop the defensive side of the game. It does not always work, but we've been relatively successful if those aforementioned names mean anything.

The guys who were drafted with more of a defensive game already developed (McGregor, Stotts, Gordeev, Middleton, Mattinen, Desrocher, etc.) have all gone unsigned because they did not bring enough defensively to make up for their lack of sufficient offense (I presume).

 

[Kiwi]

We've actually done a pretty good job improving the defensive acumen of guys like Trevor Moore, Dmytro Timashov, Andreas Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen, Pierre Engvall, etc. in recent years. If you look at their defensive games before they hit the Marlies vs. now, it is night and day, even if they are not quite like those prototypical shutdown guys you hear about on other teams.

The main thing is that the Leafs like guys who can score and provide offense, but still have the IQ and work ethic to develop the defensive side of the game. It does not always work, but we've been relatively successful if those aforementioned names mean anything.

The guys who were drafted with more of a defensive game already developed (McGregor, Stotts, Gordeev, Middleton, Mattinen, Desrocher, etc.) have all gone unsigned because they did not bring enough defensively to make up for their lack of sufficient offense (I presume).

Most of those guys are either depth or average defensively, they aren't exactly outstanding examples of defensive ability or our ability to produce better than average defensive players

I don't want to draft plugs who can't move the puck or skate but I do want players who at least show some ability to defend at lower levels, if you can't defend now it's going to take some serious progression for you to do that against top 6 forwards at the NHL level on a couple of years

The best defensive player we've produced recently is Holl, great story but that ain't good

 

[mydnyte]

Really I can't say I'm tied to anyone at this point.

Askarov, who at first I was indifferent on, is now very tantalizing, but let's be real, he probably doesn't even make it out of the top 10, let alone close to our pick.

I'm still really intrigued by Seth Jarvis. May not seem like a "need" at all, but really seems like he is going to be a great player. Would love to see us draft him, but again, I'd bet he's gone.

At this point, I trust Dubas with the BPA in that range. I'd hope to not go off the board, if they do, they would just trade down anyway based off trends, so I wouldn't worry about that either.

I'm just going to go in with excitement and an open mind. Not going to be one of those posters who throws a fit about passing on a certain player or one of those posters that spams the thread with a "Nyaaaaa (loud mouth breathing) I don't know anything about this player but I see he is under 6 feet. Bust. Waste. Fire chart boy and smash his glasses."

Who is the highest ranked SSM player?

 

[mydnyte]

I know it was a shitty contract. Difference between us is I can see faults of both people. Just because Lou signed it doesn't mean it's all on him. Just because Kyle traded the 1st and gave all that money straight to Mitch doesn't mean it's all on him either.

Just because someone broke a glass on the floor doesn't mean you have to spread it all over the floor.

blame covid then ...without it, we make the playoffs, and the pick is way lower

 

[RoadWarrior]

Who is the highest ranked SSM player?

LD Ryan O'Rourke. He's probably gone by pick 44 though.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Jeremie Poirier is an interesting draft option if we trade down from 15. He might be the most skilled offensive defenceman in the draft, he can really handle the puck. Led all draft eligible Dmen in goals. The reason he’s not ranked higher is he’s bad defensively, it’s a lot easier to teach a prospect defence than it is offence.

He's a future winger. Not a D man.

I would call him a poor mans Jake Gardiner. His defense is atrociously bad. Ryan Merkley bad.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Most of those guys are either depth or average defensively, they aren't exactly outstanding examples of defensive ability or our ability to produce better than average defensive players

I don't want to draft plugs who can't move the puck or skate but I do want players who at least show some ability to defend at lower levels, if you can't defend now it's going to take some serious progression for you to do that against top 6 forwards at the NHL level on a couple of years

The best defensive player we've produced recently is Holl, great story but that ain't good

They do show that we can develop defensive talent though. We just need guys who have more defensive upside than some of the others.

 

[stickty111]

Who is the highest ranked SSM player?

Why are you asking for that? What makes you think he would take a SSM player? He didn't take one last year.

 

[aingefan]

Why are you asking for that? What makes you think he would take a SSM player? He didn't take one last year.

Old passive aggression never dies, I guess, despite the fact that the most recent SSM player drafted by the Leafs is fast tracking nicely and widely considered one of the best picks of his draft.

 

[Morgs]

Old passive aggression never dies, I guess, despite the fact that the most recent SSM player drafted by the Leafs is fast tracking nicely and widely considered one of the best picks of his draft.

I think Hollowell is developing nicely too, but I wouldn't consider him one of the best picks of the draft

 

[aingefan]

I think Hollowell is developing nicely too, but I wouldn't consider him one of the best picks of the draft

Haha, I forgot....that pick did end up a couple hours more recent, didn’t it?

 

[Judas Tavares]

I'm starting to feel if we don't see one of the top 13 fall (I know there is a consensus top 12, but I'm adding Jarvis), we could move back. Now in saying that, all it takes is for 2 "reaches" to have a top 13 player fall to us, which actually seems more likely than not.

But if not and the next let's say 10ish players are in a similar tier, I could see something like:

#15 to the Flyers for #23 + #54
#15 + #122 to the Sens for for #28 + #33 (though this is quite a drop)

But essentially, if they keep a 1st, add a 2nd to their current pick at #44 and combine that with Hallander, Sandin and Robertson, all of the sudden you would have 6 fresh top 60 picks in your system, which would help stabilize the system a bit (even if Sandin and Robertson graduate this year, you would still have 4).

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I think Hollowell is developing nicely too, but I wouldn't consider him one of the best picks of the draft

We'll see about that

 

[Morgs]

Team Board Mock Draft Results Thread

So far here's how it's gone:

#1 - New York Rangers - Alexis Lafreniere - LW 6'1" 193
#2 - Los Angeles Kings - Quinton Byfield - C 6'4" 214
#3 - Ottawa Senators - Tim Stuetzle - C 5'11" 187
#4 - Detroit Red Wings - Cole Perfetti - LW 5'10" 185
#5 - Ottawa Senators - Lucas Raymond - RW 5'10" 183
#6 - Anaheim Ducks - Marco Rossi - C 5'9" 179
#7 - New Jersey Devils - Jamie Drysdale - D 5'11" 170
#8 - Buffalo Sabres - Anton Lundell - C 6'1" 187
#9 - Minnesota Wild - Alexander Holtz - RW 6'0" 183
#10 - Winnipeg Jets - Jake Sanderson - D 6'1" 187
#11 - Nashville Predators - Jack Quinn - RW 5'11" 176
#12 - Florida Panthers - Kaiden Guhle - D 6'3 187

Right now Carolina has voted Askarov as their easy favourite, so he's going to be gone at 13.

Edmonton picks next at 14, then it's coming towards us. The best players left in my opinion are:

------------ potential star
1. Seth Jarvis
------------
2. Dawson Mercer
3. Noel Gunler
4. Marat Khusnutdinov
5. Rodion Amirov
------------
6. Connor Zary
7. Lukas Reichel
8. Jacob Perrault
9. Mavrik Bourque
10. Dylan Holloway

Basically if this is how the draft played out, unless Jarvis is there I'm moving down.

 

[Judas Tavares]

Team Board Mock Draft Results Thread

So far here's how it's gone:

#1 - New York Rangers - Alexis Lafreniere - LW 6'1" 193
#2 - Los Angeles Kings - Quinton Byfield - C 6'4" 214
#3 - Ottawa Senators - Tim Stuetzle - C 5'11" 187
#4 - Detroit Red Wings - Cole Perfetti - LW 5'10" 185
#5 - Ottawa Senators - Lucas Raymond - RW 5'10" 183
#6 - Anaheim Ducks - Marco Rossi - C 5'9" 179
#7 - New Jersey Devils - Jamie Drysdale - D 5'11" 170
#8 - Buffalo Sabres - Anton Lundell - C 6'1" 187
#9 - Minnesota Wild - Alexander Holtz - RW 6'0" 183
#10 - Winnipeg Jets - Jake Sanderson - D 6'1" 187
#11 - Nashville Predators - Jack Quinn - RW 5'11" 176
#12 - Florida Panthers - Kaiden Guhle - D 6'3 187

Right now Carolina has voted Askarov as their easy favourite, so he's going to be gone at 13.

Edmonton picks next at 14, then it's coming towards us. The best players left in my opinion are:

------------ potential star
1. Seth Jarvis
------------
2. Dawson Mercer
3. Noel Gunler
4. Marat Khusnutdinov
5. Rodion Amirov
------------
6. Connor Zary
7. Lukas Reichel
8. Jacob Perrault
9. Mavrik Bourque
10. Dylan Holloway

Basically if this is how the draft played out, unless Jarvis is there I'm moving down.

If this is purely a board vote, I thiiiiink we are penciled in for Schneider.

 

[Morgs]

If this is purely a board vote, I thiiiiink we are penciled in for Schneider.

I sure as f*** hope not, especially if Jarvis is on the board.

Fingers crossed Edmonton takes Schneider so I don't have to watch our board make that mistake.

 

[kk87]

Guhle at 12 is uuuuugly.

 

[Morgs]

Guhle at 12 is uuuuugly.

Him and Schneider were the two highest votes.

Imagine picking either with Askarov or Jarvis on the board? Yikes.

 

[RoadWarrior]

Guhle at 12 is way too high. With his limited puck skills and first pass rate he might only be a 3rd pairing guy in the NHL.

 

[kk87]

Him and Schneider were the two highest votes.

Imagine picking either with Askarov or Jarvis on the board? Yikes.

The very thought makes me shiver... if we still had Hunter/Lamoriello at the helm for draft day I don't think I'd make it through alive

 

[Morgs]

The very thought makes me shiver... if we still had Hunter/Lamoriello at the helm for draft day I don't think I'd make it through alive

Schneider would be all but guaranteed. On the bright side if Dubas actually did draft him at 15 I'd be 100% confident they know something we don't. Weird having that confidence in a GM.

Tbf to Florida fans, Guhle is a very Dale Tallon pick. Probably shell shocked after all these years.

 

[Fogelhund]

I'd love to add Schneider to the organization, we absolutely could use a player like him... fits a main need... but if Jarvis is on the board... you've got to take Jarvis.

 

[RoadWarrior]

I'd love to add Schneider to the organization, we absolutely could use a player like him... fits a main need... but if Jarvis is on the board... you've got to take Jarvis.

Askarov, Jarvis, Lundell, Schneider, Reichel, Mercer in that order.

 

[Mess]

Dubas draft history:

Of the 3 drafts 2015 & 2018 & 2019 (skaters only) of the 24 players selected 23 were <= 6 feet tall.