Official 2016 NHL Draft/College & Europe FA Thread

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I'm referring to the fact that he has games where he looks invisible in a rather weak Finnish league and was awful in the Champions Hockey League. He also struggled to put up big points this season, beyond certain stretches, although he was definitely better towards the end of the season. You can contrast that to Patrik Laine who just about every game was making dangerous plays, and he lead his team to the Championship, a team with much less talent. Even though Laine got better later on like Puljujarvi, he was considerably better early on, and was still having a respectable season before he made improvements later on. Puljujarvi was a passenger on Karpat a lot of the time. I don't think his finishing skills are where they need to be to play a big scoring role in the NHL yet. He'll have to get quicker with his release on his shot, and if he can do that, I think he can become a really big threat as a perimeter goal scorer because he has a really hard shot. With the puck, I think he needs to make quicker decisions, whether thats a shot or pass. At times I really question his hockey sense, and how quickly he thinks the game. The NHL is a complete different level from Liiga, there's a lot less time and space. I just don't think he's as offensively ready for the NHL as a #3 pick should be. Usually there's a good chance a 3rd overall pick could start in the NHL. I don't think thats a fair question about Puljujarvi yet. I think he still needs a dominant season in Liiga before he's NHL ready.

Also, whether you think this kind of thing matters or not, Puljujarvi has barely made an improvement in his season to season stats from last season to this season. Most high picks are making big improvements from one season to next. Some people might say he's a much better player now than he was at this point last season, and I think he's definitely improved, but I question how much he's improved in his draft year compared to some other players.

 

[Bluenote13]

Contrast that to Laine ?? I am, that's why Laine is #2 and JP is #3.

You keep harping on this 3rd overall pick tradition. What tradition, that most of the forwards/dmen, going back 21 years to Aki Berg have been disappointing? Or the fact only 4 or 5 of those players out of 21 have gone straight to the NHL ?

I don't think JP stats tell the whole story. That's actually true for most 17 yr olds, maybe some people put too high a standard on such things when it comes to prospects. Drafts tend to have one, maybe two players who are completely ready for the NHL.

And just to add, I don't think anyone in Europe ranks higher, I'm curious to know who in North America you think is so ready and deserves a spot ahead of JP ?

 

[FLYLine27*]

I'm with BN on this one, Puljujarvi is going to be a stud IMO and should easily be the 3rd player picked in the draft.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Contrast that to Laine ?? I am, that's why Laine is #2 and JP is #3.

You keep harping on this 3rd overall pick tradition. What tradition, that most of the forwards/dmen, going back 21 years to Aki Berg have been disappointing? Or the fact only 4 or 5 of those players out of 21 have gone straight to the NHL ?

I don't think JP stats tell the whole story. That's actually true for most 17 yr olds, maybe some people put too high a standard on such things when it comes to prospects. Drafts tend to have one, maybe two players who are completely ready for the NHL.

And just to add, I don't think anyone in Europe ranks higher, I'm curious to know who in North America you think is so ready and deserves a spot ahead of JP ?

PLD for starters. Likely will play center in the NHL, two way player already, could be NHL ready, will put up points in the NHL. Then I think you have to consider defenseman because defenseman are more valuable than wingers, and I'm not taking a winger over a center or defenseman, unless there's a difference in quality of the players, like there is with Laine and Matthews.

I'd take Chychrun and Sergachyov over Puljujarvi. All three are project players with similar upside at their positions, but defenseman over winger.

Also, I'm probably the only person who has him this high, but Rubtsov is very underrated because he didn't have the chance to play in big showcase games that other players had. I'd probably take him as well over Puljujarvi. Neither is a finished product, so I'll take a player with an excellent defensive game and 1st line point production upside, also considering he plays center, and Puljujarvi plays wing.

A few days ago Friedman came out with some news that Columbus might not want to take Puljujarvi at 3 because they don't think he'll be a center in the NHL. While I still think he goes 3rd, he's a winger and he's a project pick. I understand why Columbus might not take him at 3.

I've had this argument on the Prospect board before with some people about Puljujarvi. We aren't going to agree on this, and thats not a big problem. In 5 years it'll be known whether Puljujarvi deserved to be the third pick or not.

 

[Joey Bones]

Just to throw my two cents in on this, I wasn't knocking Puljujarvi. He is absolutely the 3rd best player in the draft. I was just thinking that with others scoring at higher rates that he was, a bold move could see him dropping due to that alone. Otherwise, he has the size and speed to compete for an NHL roster spot next season and, depending on who selects him, will probably be in the NHL next season anyways. He is relatively young, yet, and could definitely see his scoring drastically change under the right circumstances.

 

[Joey Bones]

PLD for starters. Likely will play center in the NHL, two way player already, could be NHL ready, will put up points in the NHL. Then I think you have to consider defenseman because defenseman are more valuable than wingers, and I'm not taking a winger over a center or defenseman, unless there's a difference in quality of the players, like there is with Laine and Matthews.

I'd take Chychrun and Sergachyov over Puljujarvi. All three are project players with similar upside at their positions, but defenseman over winger.

Also, I'm probably the only person who has him this high, but Rubtsov is very underrated because he didn't have the chance to play in big showcase games that other players had. I'd probably take him as well over Puljujarvi. Neither is a finished product, so I'll take a player with an excellent defensive game and 1st line point production upside, also considering he plays center, and Puljujarvi plays wing.

A few days ago Friedman came out with some news that Columbus might not want to take Puljujarvi at 3 because they don't think he'll be a center in the NHL. While I still think he goes 3rd, he's a winger and he's a project pick. I understand why Columbus might not take him at 3.

I've had this argument on the Prospect board before with some people about Puljujarvi. We aren't going to agree on this, and thats not a big problem. In 5 years it'll be known whether Puljujarvi deserved to be the third pick or not.

Agreed with your concern over Puljujarvi, but he is absolutely going to be a dynamic winger, if not center, prospect. He won huge faceoffs at worlds which ultimately led to some of Laine's success, too. I could see the distinction between selecting Dubois over Puljujarvi, but I think that Puljujarvi has a lot more potential and learning curve than that of Dubois simply because Puljujarvi played in a higher league, and succeeded, at 17. He was nearly a PPG in the playoffs for Karpat at season's end. Both will be very good players in the long run, though.

Absolutely agree that Rubtsov is underrated. But not over Puljujarvi or Dubois.

 

[Bluenote13]

I agree with you guys about Rubtsov, like his playmaking, true centerman.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

The actual picks never mirror the rankings. Maybe the top 5 or 6, but teams keep their intentions sealed.

In 2013, four NA players ranked in the top-10 didn't get picked until after 20. Last year, Barzal, Sprong and Kylington fell surprisingly low, while Gurianov and Senyshyn vaulted into the lottery.

I don't see any lottery team trading their first round pick. It's way too risky to begin with. You can really screw yourself by trading out of the top-5.

I tweeted the stats - from 1998-2004, at least one top-5 team every draft day traded down. Since 2004, only Snow did it in 2008, and we roasted him for not taking Filatov.

Smoke and mirrors. No team will trade out of the top 5.

 

[Joey Bones]

The actual picks never mirror the rankings. Maybe the top 5 or 6, but teams keep their intentions sealed.

In 2013, four NA players ranked in the top-10 didn't get picked until after 20. Last year, Barzal, Sprong and Kylington fell surprisingly low, while Gurianov and Senyshyn vaulted into the lottery.

I don't see any lottery team trading their first round pick. It's way too risky to begin with. You can really screw yourself by trading out of the top-5.

I tweeted the stats - from 1998-2004, at least one top-5 team every draft day traded down. Since 2004, only Snow did it in 2008, and we roasted him for not taking Filatov.

Smoke and mirrors. No team will trade out of the top 5.

You don't think Edmonton will trade the No. 4?

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

You don't think Edmonton will trade the No. 4?

They better be! They are supposed to be trading the #4 with Drai for McD!

 

[Edge]

Puljujarvi is a great prospect.

One of the knocks on him is that he started neck and neck with Laine, who is now viewed as being closer to Matthews at this stage in the game.

 

[Charlie Conway]

Team rights expire tomorrow for undrafted players, right? Anyone we should be looking to sign?

 

[Steve Kournianos]

You don't think Edmonton will trade the No. 4?

No.

It's not 1996. Chiarelli made a massive blunder with Seguin. He will never let that happen again.

No team will trade a franchise/cornerstone NHL player under contract for 4th overall. So then what is he trading down for? More picks?

They need to draft an elite defenseman and screw what the fans think.

 

[Joey Bones]

No.

It's not 1996. Chiarelli made a massive blunder with Seguin. He will never let that happen again.

No team will trade a franchise/cornerstone NHL player under contract for 4th overall. So then what is he trading down for? More picks?

They need to draft an elite defenseman and screw what the fans think.

I would think they'd get a top 4 NHL defender with the 4th overall pick. I would absolutely take offers just like Chiarelli is

 

[Steve Kournianos]

I would think they'd get a top 4 NHL defender with the 4th overall pick. I would absolutely take offers just like Chiarelli is

A top-4 NHL defender who'll be old and grey when that top-4 pick is in his prime.

How the Rangers got some of their top-4 dmen:

UDFA - Girardi
Trading Scott Gomez - McDonagh
Trading MDZ - Klein
UFA - Stralman

Chiarelli traded Barzal for Reinhart. He traded Seguin for Louie Eriksson.

At some point, this moron needs to be put in time out.

No way the Oilers let him trade that pick. He can get a top-4 dman trading useless Eberle or frail RNH

 

[Mac n Gs]

We should probably get a new thread going considering we'll start seeing prospect signings and the draft is only 3 weeks away.

 

[Charlie Conway]

Anyone know anything about Otto Koivula?

Big kid at 6'4" and 220, and he's certainly putting up points in the Jr. Liiga. Granted, he's probably playing against smaller kids and, from what I read, isn't the lightest on his feet, but could be an interesting pick around the late 3rd/early 4th round.

98 F Otto Koivula (Ilves) was slightly inconsistent, but he has great size, above-average offensive skills and solid net drive; skating could improve…

http://overtheboards.net/prospect-reports-from-u20-tournament-in-espoo-finland/

Lesser-known d-men that caught my eye:

Lukas Kalble - over a ppg d-man on the championship DNL team. Not much to read into given the skill of the league, but could be an interesting late-round gamble.


Filip Berglund - I haven't really heard much of anything about him, supposedly had an injury a few years ago he's since recovered from, but a PPG in the junior SHL during an overage year looks intriguing. Could be another late-round gamble, and we'll see how he does in the SHL next year.

Bernhardt's brother, David, looked like he had a good season. Might we have eyes on him?

Hardy Haman Aktell had a good little run for the Skelleftea J18 team this season. Late round gamble?

 

[Joey Bones]

A top-4 NHL defender who'll be old and grey when that top-4 pick is in his prime.

How the Rangers got some of their top-4 dmen:

UDFA - Girardi
Trading Scott Gomez - McDonagh
Trading MDZ - Klein
UFA - Stralman

Chiarelli traded Barzal for Reinhart. He traded Seguin for Louie Eriksson.

At some point, this moron needs to be put in time out.

No way the Oilers let him trade that pick. He can get a top-4 dman trading useless Eberle or frail RNH

Good Point

 

[Joey Bones]

Anyone know anything about Otto Koivula?

Big kid at 6'4" and 220, and he's certainly putting up points in the Jr. Liiga. Granted, he's probably playing against smaller kids and, from what I read, isn't the lightest on his feet, but could be an interesting pick around the late 3rd/early 4th round.



Lesser-known d-men that caught my eye:

Lukas Kalble - over a ppg d-man on the championship DNL team. Not much to read into given the skill of the league, but could be an interesting late-round gamble.


Filip Berglund - I haven't really heard much of anything about him, supposedly had an injury a few years ago he's since recovered from, but a PPG in the junior SHL during an overage year looks intriguing. Could be another late-round gamble, and we'll see how he does in the SHL next year.

Bernhardt's brother, David, looked like he had a good season. Might we have eyes on him?

Hardy Haman Aktell had a good little run for the Skelleftea J18 team this season. Late round gamble?

On Otto Koivula.... Big guy, uses his size to create chances, cleans up rebounds, wicked wrister. Really bad on his feet. He needs to do a lot of foot work to make it. His cellies are hilarious, he gets so amped when he scores.

On Lukas Kalble.... Don't know much on him, but he's an offensive defenseman who has decent IQ. That's all I really know on him. Played in Germany, I don't really know too much about the German prospects.

On Filip Berglund.... Big defender, both height and weight wise, and is righty. Was really offensive in the J20 Skelleftea team, which notched him a few games for SHL's Skelleftea. I think he could be a solid two-way defender in the NHL, because I don't really think his offensive upside is all that good yet. Solid pick-up, IMO.

On David Bernhardt.... Definitely an offensive defenseman with good speed, but won't blow you away with it. His hockey IQ makes up for it though, very good at creating plays. Is big and can use his body well to protect the puck. Out of the brothers, think he'll have the better chance in the NHL.

On Hardy Haman Aktell.... Never heard of him. From what I read up on him, he couldn't even crack the J20 team for Skelleftea. Big guy on defense, though.

 

[Trxjw]

Chia is under pressure to turn the team around, and do it fast. I could definitely see them trading the pick.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

1000 posts. Continue here: http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=2085189