Great job man. Do you think Frolik has as much talent as Kessel but has yet to put it all together? Why do some people have him so high if he hasnt produced much the last year and a half? I know he has nothing to do with this years draft but what is your opinion on Anze Kopitar?Frolik is ranked where I would place him if I hadn't heard the hype or knew of his rating when he was a 15-16 year old- in other words an honest assessment. His upward curve is questionable but in terms of his actual play I see difficulties in meshing with his teammates. He overhandles the puck and steers himself into nowheresville. He looks good on the rush and comes back with energy but actually seems to achieve or produce very little (unlike Tlusty).
MS said:I'd rate Frazer McLaren of Portland ahead of Lucic as McLaren's skating is a better projection to pro IMO. Plus he has more size and outright heavyweight potential. CSS has Lucic 43 spots ahead of McLaren however. CSS has Lucic as the #13 player from the WHL and McLaren as #23 while I have Lucic at #26 and McLaren at #23.
steblick said:Seppanen I saw in Vancouver and in Russia and I felt (and apparently so did CSB) that he had improved greatly on his draft year and was the most effective, consistent Finnish shutdown guy on the U20 team, ahead of captain Leinonen. But there's always a big question mark with players who went undrafted last year. How was he with IFK?
Rabid Ranger said:I'm not sure what the differance is between a pro scout and a 16-year-old autistic kid with a big obsession.....
This is a popular myth (made more popular by movies) but it's not reflective of reality, and it's not a particularly helpful myth either for autistic people or for their families.BobMarleyNYR said:. . . Autistic people, as you probably know, are often geniuses - . . .
Kveton is highly-skilled but smallish and doesn't get involved or seem to like fighting through traffic too much, a perimeter player. I think his progress has stalled this year- and that seems to be the consensus from the Czech Republic. Someone will probably take him in the mid or late rounds.reffree said:Steblick, where do you see David Kveton ?
Could he be a 2nd, 3rd rounder ?
thanks !
steblick said:Kveton is highly-skilled but smallish and doesn't get involved or seem to like fighting through traffic too much, a perimeter player. I think his progress has stalled this year- and that seems to be the consensus from the Czech Republic. Someone will probably take him in the mid or late rounds.
You may see bits of what I've said written therestocker said:Good job Steblick.You should go write for the Hockey News.
steblick said:Here are my first two rounds (ratings, not a mock), plus a few extra “compensation picksâ€, for the 2006 draft.
The ranking is based upon a number of factors. Primary are my own reactions upon seeing the players play both live (preferable) and on TV (passable). Second is from scouts’ (and other hockey people’s) talk, often taken with a grain of salt. Third are ranking services, such as CSB, Redline, ISS, McKeen’s, Top Guns. The less I’ve seen a player, the more I rely on the latter two factors. Some of the players listed, I have not seen.
By the way, the Russians playing within their hockey federation have an * by their names. I put them where they should go in an ideal world but with no IIHF agreement, they could all actually go much later.
1st round
1. Kessel- Dynamic upside. Has that “special†quality.
...
75. Marcinko- Top Slovakian prospect is in the same boat as Lagerstrom but has too much upside to ignore.
Did I miss anyone? I don’t think so. After this it’s a free-for-all.
Ooops. Nyholm. And I didn't forget Nystrom either- yup his OT goal won the Islanders their first Cup.TinCanCommunications said:Nyholm?
steblick said:Ooops. Nyholm. And I didn't forget Nystrom either- yup his OT goal won the Islanders their first Cup.
BTW- I like Foligno because he's a well-rounded, consummate pro-type player. He plays hard in all 3 zones and is very, very hockey smart. I've seen him stickhandle through opposition, powerskate his way to the net, knock his man down along the boards to gain control and take the puck out of a crowd (he's particularly good in crowds and in tight). He's intense and emotional (even dirty)- the latter quality being his biggest weakness right now, a bit of on-ice immaturity and lack of discipline at times. Other players really hate to play against him (i've heard it said on many occasions).