HF Habs: So who would you like Habs to draft @ 15?

So which would you draft at 15?


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Apeironic

Registered User
Jan 10, 2019
144
216
That one timer is ridiculous. It's Laine-like, but from the right circle on the PP instead of the left. You know it's coming, but there is nothing you can do about it.
His shot tends to squeak through, it has that Ovechkin like character where it just overpowers net minders. There is also a great analysis that explores his work at even strength, as he tends to be boxed in to a "PP" specialist type read. The guy is not so one dimensional, there are 51 A to go along with those goals, and the kid produce at even strength. The more I watch replays of his games, and the more I think about his ceiling, the more I consider it a "steal" to grab him at 15. It'll be tough considering anyone of Heinola, York, or Newhook would be great pickups, but I can't help but salivate at Kaliyev's ridiculous ceiling. I believe he could be a 80 point kind of guy, maybe more.
 

Michoulicious

Registered User
Dec 9, 2014
6,679
6,995
His shot tends to squeak through, it has that Ovechkin like character where it just overpowers net minders. There is also a great analysis that explores his work at even strength, as he tends to be boxed in to a "PP" specialist type read. The guy is not so one dimensional, there are 51 A to go along with those goals, and the kid produce at even strength. The more I watch replays of his games, and the more I think about his ceiling, the more I consider it a "steal" to grab him at 15. It'll be tough considering anyone of Heinola, York, or Newhook would be great pickups, but I can't help but salivate at Kaliyev's ridiculous ceiling. I believe he could be a 80 point kind of guy, maybe more.

Players like him get overscouted, in a sense that people focus on things like his play without the puck, his "drive", etc. and forget what makes him special.

The guy has by FAR the best shot and the best one-timer in the draft. He can make great passes on the PP, has decent size, skates well and is not afraid to cut to the net at the junior level. He scored more than 50 goals in the OHL as a 17 y old, and the last guys to do something like that were DeBrincat (playing with McDavid) and Jeff Skinner (former 3rd OA). The only players in the last 20 years to have better goal per game production (0.761) as a 17 y old are Svechnikov, Stamkos, Skinner, Seguin, McDavid, Fabbri and Spezza. That's it.

If he's not a complete *** during the interviews and looks like a kid that wants to learn and get better, just draft him... Especially (!) at #15 OA. That is the kind of gamble you have to make... if we can even call that a gamble.
 

Apeironic

Registered User
Jan 10, 2019
144
216
Players like him get overscouted, in a sense that people focus on things like his play without the puck, his "drive", etc. and forget what makes him special.

The guy has by FAR the best shot and the best one-timer in the draft. He can make great passes on the PP, has decent size, skates well and is not afraid to cut to the net at the junior level. He scored more than 50 goals in the OHL as a 17 y old, and the last guys to do something like that were DeBrincat (playing with McDavid) and Jeff Skinner (former 3rd OA). The only players in the last 20 years to have better goal per game production (0.761) as a 17 y old are Svechnikov, Stamkos, Skinner, Seguin, McDavid, Fabbri and Spezza. That's it.

If he's not a complete *** during the interviews and looks like a kid that wants to learn and get better, just draft him... Especially (!) at #15 OA. That is the kind of gamble you have to make... if we can even call that a gamble.
Could not agree more. I would add, that I don't think were blind to his weaknesses: we realize that he does tend to float a bit, but with so much potential I don't think you pass considering the ceiling. I think we will look back at this draft in disbelief if we pass on him. All things considered there are still great picks at 15 other then Kaliyev that would make me happy, but I cannot stress enough my desire to fetch this kid without looking back.

Imagine a line with Kotka feeding that cannon. It makes me giddy.
 
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dackelljuneaubulis02

Registered User
Oct 13, 2012
11,395
6,606
Could not agree more. I would add, that I don't think were blind to his weaknesses: we realize that he does tend to float a bit, but with so much potential I don't think you pass considering the ceiling. I think we will look back at this draft in disbelief if we pass on him. All things considered there are still great picks at 15 other then Kaliyev that would make me happy, but I cannot stress enough my desire to fetch this kid without looking back.

Imagine a line with Kotka feeding that cannon. It makes me giddy.

Finally watched his highlights. He looks like the game is WAY too easy for him. Might have to take a real hard long look at him.
 
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Michoulicious

Registered User
Dec 9, 2014
6,679
6,995
Could not agree more. I would add, that I don't think were blind to his weaknesses: we realize that he does tend to float a bit, but with so much potential I don't think you pass considering the ceiling. I think we will look back at this draft in disbelief if we pass on him. All things considered there are still great picks at 15 other then Kaliyev that would make me happy, but I cannot stress enough my desire to fetch this kid without looking back.

Imagine a line with Kotka feeding that cannon. It makes me giddy.

Yes, on 5on5 they would complement each other very well.

If he can make the NHL while Weber is still on the first/2nd PP, I would really like to see Drouin at the top/RD have the choice to feed him at the right circle or Weber at LD on the PP.
 

Kotkaniemi15

Registered User
Sep 18, 2018
2,563
2,664
Montreal
Caufield is so small. Look at what happened to Gaudreau in the playoffs. He did nothing. Look at what happened to Tampa. They were soft and CBJ, the bigger team, took advantage. Caufield will put up good numbers in the regular season but he won’t ever do anything in the playoffs. Everyone loves Debrincat but he would get destroyed in the playoffs when it matters most. No one cares about the regular season. Size DOES matter.
 

FF de Mars

Registered User
Mar 2, 2002
9,521
1,574
42 rue Fontaine
Caufield is so small. Look at what happened to Gaudreau in the playoffs. He did nothing. Look at what happened to Tampa. They were soft and CBJ, the bigger team, took advantage. Caufield will put up good numbers in the regular season but he won’t ever do anything in the playoffs. Everyone loves Debrincat but he would get destroyed in the playoffs when it matters most. No one cares about the regular season. Size DOES matter.

I strongly disagree, Caufield's goalscoring is what you need in the playoffs, as a screwdriver.
 

BehindTheTimes

Registered User
Jun 24, 2018
7,067
9,294
Caufield is so small. Look at what happened to Gaudreau in the playoffs. He did nothing. Look at what happened to Tampa. They were soft and CBJ, the bigger team, took advantage. Caufield will put up good numbers in the regular season but he won’t ever do anything in the playoffs. Everyone loves Debrincat but he would get destroyed in the playoffs when it matters most. No one cares about the regular season. Size DOES matter.

Like Panarin, you mean? Or remember a guy named Cammalleri? Size is not what matters.
 
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Apr 28, 2010
17,622
6,782
Caufield is so small. Look at what happened to Gaudreau in the playoffs. He did nothing. Look at what happened to Tampa. They were soft and CBJ, the bigger team, took advantage. Caufield will put up good numbers in the regular season but he won’t ever do anything in the playoffs. Everyone loves Debrincat but he would get destroyed in the playoffs when it matters most. No one cares about the regular season. Size DOES matter.

Agreed. Caufield would be nice if the Habs have a big lineup. But we already have Gally, Domi, Suzuki.. thats enough for me.

Habs need a Josh Anderson or Tom Wilson type of players.
 

Andrei79

Registered User
Jan 25, 2013
14,851
26,111
Caufield is so small. Look at what happened to Gaudreau in the playoffs. He did nothing. Look at what happened to Tampa. They were soft and CBJ, the bigger team, took advantage. Caufield will put up good numbers in the regular season but he won’t ever do anything in the playoffs. Everyone loves Debrincat but he would get destroyed in the playoffs when it matters most. No one cares about the regular season. Size DOES matter.

Aren't the Bruins one of the smallest ? Without Chara I mean ?

Edit: they 0.03 inches more than Tampa Bay, Chara included. Theyre the same size. And,theyre the smallest if you weigh for TOI and take out Chara.
 
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Ebony Mackenzie

Lurking and liking.
Sponsor
Sep 6, 2006
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I’m a couple degrees removed from Steve Staios, President of the Bulldogs (and former NHL’er for some of you young folk), but my wife won’t text his wife about Kaliyev for me (us).

Sorry, that’s all I can offer scouting wise this year fellow posters.
 

Anardil

Registered User
Nov 25, 2012
518
336
West of Chalet BBQ
You know, I can never get the narrative about empty nets goals and assists. The last time I checked, they are worth the same as any point scored with a goalie in the crease. In fact I regard it as a positive since it clearly implies that the coaching staff has confidence in said player's defensive abilities to put him out on the ice with a one goal lead.

And no, this does not mean that I want the Habs to pick Lavoie at #15.
 
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ProspectsSTC

Registered User
Jul 12, 2014
3,474
2,021
Agreed. Caufield would be nice if the Habs have a big lineup. But we already have Gally, Domi, Suzuki.. thats enough for me.

Habs need a Josh Anderson or Tom Wilson type of players.
If you get a guy that size scoring 40 goals then you move one of the other small guys.

And he will score 40 goals.
 

WG

Registered User
Sep 9, 2008
1,693
1,490
His shot tends to squeak through, it has that Ovechkin like character where it just overpowers net minders. There is also a great analysis that explores his work at even strength, as he tends to be boxed in to a "PP" specialist type read. The guy is not so one dimensional, there are 51 A to go along with those goals, and the kid produce at even strength. The more I watch replays of his games, and the more I think about his ceiling, the more I consider it a "steal" to grab him at 15. It'll be tough considering anyone of Heinola, York, or Newhook would be great pickups, but I can't help but salivate at Kaliyev's ridiculous ceiling. I believe he could be a 80 point kind of guy, maybe more.
Mitch Brown does a good job (IMO) on prospects writing in the Athletic. He did a couple of pieces on players who ought to be available for Montreal at 15.

For forwards, he profiled (and roughly ranked) five: Kaliyev > Suzuki, Poulin > Lavoie, Tomasino. He also cited (but didn't profile) Newhook, I think the thought that he would probably be taken before #15.

On defense, he went Harley > Broberg, Soderstrom, Heinola > York. His feeling is that the forward pool offers more value than the D.

I have a bit of a hard time getting excited about those D options, knowing it will be 4 years before any of them might prove useful at the NHL level. And I think the home run swing is in order at 15; that, or package 15 with one or both seconds to move up and get a higher ceiling prospect.
 

The Great Weal

Phil's Pizza
Jan 15, 2015
52,068
64,494
I can still see Caufield falling. Yes he is undersized. Yes playing with Zegras and Hughes helps him out. He is still a phenomenal goalscorer and I can definitely see Domi helping him score a 35+ goals every year.
 

JoelWarlord

Ex-Noob616
May 7, 2012
6,079
9,244
Halifax
Agreed. Caufield would be nice if the Habs have a big lineup. But we already have Gally, Domi, Suzuki.. thats enough for me.

Habs need a Josh Anderson or Tom Wilson type of players.
We already traded the pick used to take DeBrincat for Andrew Shaw, isn't that enough grit?
 

Mackiaveli

Registered User
Nov 24, 2015
1,822
1,502
I would really really like to see the Habs draft Suzuki to unite the brothers.

I don't know why, but I have always felt that having brothers on the same team; and especially on the same line --- its just special.

I think it is great for morale, it is great for keeping players together on a team, and I think it is great for on-ice performance.

Maybe that's just a fallacy; but I have always been a fan of it and we finally have the chance to do it ; hoping we do.
 

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