NHL entry draft

[BigFatCat999]

Well we won't be signing Hall so find someone for that slot.

I disagree but I have been wrong a lot lately. LOL

but back to the draft. I don't think the Preds will draft at 11

 

[Gnashville]

Lol what was he supposed to say? “I would hate being picked by the organization that produces star blue liners like a production line”

 

[GoldOnGold]

I'd rather a forward but if BPA at our pick is a d-man I won't be too unhappy.

 

[herzausstein]

How soon is Sanderson NHL ready? Draft Sanderson, trade Ekholm for another 1st and prospects, profit?

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

I am increasingly confused with some of the approaches to roster building around here.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

How soon is Sanderson NHL ready? Draft Sanderson, trade Ekholm for another 1st and prospects, profit?

Sanderson you have to give him at least 2 years to finish junior. Then it's a bell curve... maybe he is ready sooner than usual and ready in 2023, maybe he takes a year or two in the minors. It's impossible to really say. It's also possible he goes the way of Blum or Parent... not likely, but it happens.

Replacing Ekholm with Sanderson is simply not an option.

 

[Soundgarden]

Yeah, we shouldn't move Ekholm unless we're blowing it up or we just get something stupid for him.

 

[OldFan]

Yeah, we shouldn't move Ekholm unless we're blowing it up or we just get something stupid for him.

Trade the only big fairly tough D-man on the team? Preds need more like him. Any other team would happily welcome him. He is valuable and the kind of D-man you can only hope to find. Nope!

 

[Scoresberg]

I think what we're hearing about teams in front of us willing to trade down just tells that the top-10 or so in this draft is so even that it essentially might not matter whether you draft 7th or 11th.

Good spot for us to be in.

Also, Friedman doesn't expect us to be in on Askarov.

 

[BigFatCat999]

I think what we're hearing about teams in front of us willing to trade down just tells that the top-10 or so in this draft is so even that it essentially might not matter whether you draft 7th or 11th.

Good spot for us to be in.

Also, Friedman doesn't expect us to be in on Askarov.

Buuuuuuuuut.....Preds could make a trade if Askarov goes to 11.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Buuuuuuuuut.....Preds could make a trade if Askarov goes to 11.

Would you trade #11 and both 2nds for #5?

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Buuuuuuuuut.....Preds could make a trade if Askarov goes to 11.

To me it still depends on who else is on the board, really. What if Jarvis/Quinn are available too? How far can you trade down and miss out on the scoring forward you want just because some other team might covet Askarov?

These are the kinds of things that you can't really evaluate very well in advance. Who is available at #11, what is the offer for a trade-down, etc. You can't exactly rule anything out, but at the same time I think our default mindset should be to plan on using the #11 pick.

 

[Porter Stoutheart]

Would you trade #11 and both 2nds for #5?

I wouldn't.

I'm not sure that whoever is available at #5 is a true slam-dunk. I mean, it does GUARANTEE you could get somebody like Jarvis if that was your guy, but then instead you'd be looking at Perfetti, Rossi, Drysdale, all those guys. But they all have a few warts and aren't sure bets.

I'm not at all convinced Ottawa would even be willing to part with #5 at that price. But supposing they were, I still don't think our prospect pool has evolved enough that we should take it. We still benefit more overall from getting the 3 prospects than just 1. In another year or two when our cupboards are stocked a little better, maybe it's a different story.

 

[Armourboy]

If Poile does go strictly with the young guys he can't really afford to do that, he would need players in the system. He might go down but I don't see him going up.

 

[King Weber]

Pronman did a full 7-round mock draft for the Athletic.

The Predators picks:

11. Nashville Predators: Yaroslav Askarov, G, SKA-KHL
Trying to figure out where Askarov lands has been the most difficult part of this mock draft and will ultimately shape how the first round unfolds. I’ve already mentioned his name four times to teams in the top 10. I slotted him at No. 11 because I think it makes sense talent-wise. I’ve heard sources mention him to Nashville as a possibility and Pekka Rinne is nearing the end of his deal. I’ve also heard Nashville is high on Seth Jarvis.

37. Nashville: Jan Mysak, C, Hamilton-OHL

42. Nashville: Shakhir Mukhamadullin, D, Ufa-KHL

70. Nashville: Theodor Niederbach, C, Frolunda-J20 SuperElit

73. Nashville: Thimo Nickl, D, Drummondville-QMJHL

135. Nashville: Alex Cotton, D, Lethbridge-WHL

166. Nashville: Nick Malik, G, Sault Ste. Marie-OHL

 

[Predsanddead24]

Pronman did a full 7-round mock draft for the Athletic.

The Predators picks:

So Askarov will bust and Nick Malik will end up being our long term starter then?

 

[Armourboy]

I don't buy it. I just don't believe Poile will use another 1st round pick on a goalie, and one that is Russian to boot.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

I don't buy it. I just don't believe Poile will use another 1st round pick on a goalie, and one that is Russian to boot.

Just reading the blurb doesn't seem like he put much thought into it other than the guy is highly touted and should slot in around there.

 

[Armourboy]

Just reading the blurb doesn't seem like he put much thought into it other than the guy is highly touted and should slot in around there.

Which means his mock anything isn't worth reading if that's all the effort he put into it.

 

[Scoresberg]

I hope we can snatch G Joel Blomqvist from Kärpät, the same organization where Rinne developed and the Avs pick Annunen is now the 1G. Picked up his first win in Liiga today as an 18-year-old. Kärpät has a really strong goalie developmental system and I think Blomqvist possesses some NHL talent. He looks really mature for his age.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

Which means his mock anything isn't worth reading if that's all the effort he put into it.

I agree. He wrote 4 sentences on Askarov there, 3 of them specifically about the player, 1 about he's heard him "as a possibility" for the Predators, which isn't ground-breaking stuff considering any team picking in that range would have him "as a possibility."

I think that even if he is THAT good, one of my concerns is:
Vasilevsky
Binnington
Holtby
Murray
Fleury
Crawford
Quick
Crawford
Quick
Thomas
Crawford
Fleury
Osgood
Giguere
Ward
Khabibulin
Brodeur

You have to go back to 2003 for the last "generational talent" goalie that won a Cup. I don't even know that you have any goalies on this list that, aside from Brodeur, could even be considered "elite" for longer than a 2-3 season stretch. Meanwhile, Luongo, Price, Lundqvist all with very limited post-season success outside of 2 Finals appearances (the Canucks were legitimately the best team in hockey for a couple of years, the Rangers Finals appearance was a fluke).

Really hoping we go best skater available.

 

[Scoresberg]

Pronman did a full 7-round mock draft for the Athletic.

The Predators picks:

Would be really glad if Mukhamadullin fell into our laps in the 2nd round. Kid looks really good early on in the KHL.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Would be really glad if Mukhamadullin fell into our laps in the 2nd round. Kid looks really good early on in the KHL.

Scouts are mixed about him. I was listening to a prospect podcast and they asked 6 scouts 'Who's most likely to bust?' He was the pick for all 6.

 

[BigFatCat999]

Less than 5 days

 

[nashpreds]

I know everybody is excited/nervous about our 11th overall, but I’d just like to bring up a few guys I’d like to see taken by us with our two seconds. Let me know if you guys have any more info on these players, I try to catch as many junior games as I can and have watched some highlights, but am definitely no expert:

Jan Mysak: Caught him a couple of times in Hamilton, kind of reminded me of an Arvidsson type, defensively responsible, great in puck battles, fast but a little on the smaller side. Apparently he’s great defensively and has a solid shot. I’d expect him to be moved to wing in the NHL but I do think he has a ceiling similar to Arvidsson. Maybe a 30 goal, 60 point, two-way, puckhounding winger.

Tyson Foerster: Has an amazing shot, especially his one timer, could really help our powerplay in the future. I doubt he falls to 37 unless a bunch of teams reach for defensemen but I’d would love to move up 5-7 spots to take him, especially if we don’t draft Quinn in the first round

Ryan O’Rourke: A pretty safe pick and projected to go somewhere in the 30s. Doesn’t seem to really stand out in any area, just a good defenseman all over the ice, kind of like a poor man’s Ryan Suter.

Roby Jarventie: May be a slight reach at 42 but he’s 17, already 6’2 and was over a PPG against men in Finland’s second league while being really good defensively.

William Wallinder: Don’t really know much about him but I know Mackenzie has him listed pretty high and likens him to Ekholm. Plus Poile has a thing for Swedes