@StevenToddIves:
Philip Tomasino is a player of interest for me. He checks off most of the boxes that the Devils brass is seemingly looking for with its players. I see you love the kid and have him ranked 14. I’ve read other outlets’ projections and mock drafts that estimate he’s a selection from 20–32. Do you think there’s any way he falls into round 2? If he does start to slide into the 20s, would you like to see the Devils trade up for him? I wonder what kind of ammo would be needed to jump 5-12 spots to get back into round 1. Glad Shero accrued those two extra second rounders and third round pick.
Another prospect which seems to be divisive in the scouting community is Brett Leason. I’ve read he had a phenomenal year but was a “C Level” prospect and there are dissenting opinions due to the fact he is an overage player who will be 20 in April. This could indicate he is closer to his ceiling already than other prospects but I am certainly no expert. Are there any players from the last 10 years who can be compared from an overage standpoint- both guys who “made it” and those who didn’t? I’m trying to educate myself as this player is quite interesting to me. Sounds like he could be a good fit and may be available early second round.
Obviously, I love Tomasino. I have him ranked higher than anyone else I have seen. I do believe that, as with Bowen Byram, other scouting bureaus/writers will catch up with me and start rating Tomasino higher. His skating and vision are just outstanding, and many of his highlights are absolutely electrifying. Though his likely draft slot will be in the 20-30 range, I see him as this year's Ty Dellandrea, the type of kid that a team will jump on in the teens seeing his huge upside. If he were to fall to the late 20s, he is certainly the type of player that Ray Shero loves -- fast, smart, competitive. However, Shero's draft history has shown him far more likely to trade down than to trade up, so I would not get my hopes up of Tomasino winding up on the Devils. Like you, I would love to see it, though.
There is no way I can see Brett Leason falling to the second round. I really like him even though I left him out of my top 40 -- I think he will be an outstanding and physical middle-6 F. I do not see his scoring upside as higher than 25-25-50, but he contributes in every other way and is just a huge kid (6'5-210, I'd guess). Many teams in the NHL still covet size inordinately, so I fully expect him to be gone by the 20s.