Prospect Info: STI 2019 Draft Rankings, 1.0

[StevenToddIves]

can't forget our beloved travis zajac came from the BCHL

Oh I remember -- he really tore it up for Salmon Arm in his draft year. I actually had Zajac going to the Devils in my 2004 mock draft and was pretty thrilled when NJ selected him. The difference is that Zajac went #20 overall in a draft which was notoriously thin at center. I'm quite high on Newhook and would never say anything negative about the BCHL, but this draft is different in that it is extremely deep at center. Though I can justify taking Newhook over Tomasino or McMichael, I could not justify taking him over Turcotte or Dach. As I keep saying, however, much can change between now and draft day, which is why I keep updating my rankings.

 

[Nubmer6]

Oh I remember -- he really tore it up for Salmon Arm in his draft year. I actually had Zajac going to the Devils in my 2004 mock draft and was pretty thrilled when NJ selected him. The difference is that Zajac went #20 overall in a draft which was notoriously thin at center. I'm quite high on Newhook and would never say anything negative about the BCHL, but this draft is different in that it is extremely deep at center. Though I can justify taking Newhook over Tomasino or McMichael, I could not justify taking him over Turcotte or Dach. As I keep saying, however, much can change between now and draft day, which is why I keep updating my rankings.

Was Zajac an over-ager or something? I vaguely remember looking his stats up and noticing that he was a year older than expected. Maybe it was a late birthday or something.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Was Zajac an over-ager or something? I vaguely remember looking his stats up and noticing that he was a year older than expected. Maybe it was a late birthday or something.

Zajac had just turned 19 when he was drafted out of Salmon Arm in 2004, and then went on to play at North Dakota. He played on a great UND team that at one time had Zajac, Jonathan Toews, TJ Oshie and Drew Stafford.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Well, I'm going to need to amend this list to put Case McCarthy in my top 30. Thanks, IIHF Tourney!

 

[Billdo]

@StevenToddIves any scenario where we can use the 2nds and prospects to move up and get Caufield too?

 

[StevenToddIves]

@StevenToddIves any scenario where we can use the 2nds and prospects to move up and get Caufield too?

I'm sure Shero has discussed this possibility, seeing as Hughes and Caufield click so well together. But the reality is that Caulfield will be gone by the teens, and he's upping his draft stock with an impressive tourney.

Though I still cannot envision a scenario where Caufield goes top 10, I can see him being gone as early as #11 (Philadelphia) or #12 (Minnesota) and it's tough to see him falling into the 20s. Trading up for a first-round pick in the teens is a huge cost -- it's tough to see it happening.

I could certainly see Shero making Hughes happy by taking a teammate or two with later picks, Marshall Warren and Case McCarthy are certainly strong possibilities. But the US-NTDP right wing most likely to be drafted by the Devils in 2019 is not Cole Caufield, but rather Judd Caulfield.

 

[Billdo]

I'm sure Shero has discussed this possibility, seeing as Hughes and Caufield click so well together. But the reality is that Caulfield will be gone by the teens, and he's upping his draft stock with an impressive tourney.

Though I still cannot envision a scenario where Caufield goes top 10, I can see him being gone as early as #11 (Philadelphia) or #12 (Minnesota) and it's tough to see him falling into the 20s. Trading up for a first-round pick in the teens is a huge cost -- it's tough to see it happening.

I could certainly see Shero making Hughes happy by taking a teammate or two with later picks, Marshall Warren and Case McCarthy are certainly strong possibilities. But the US-NTDP right wing most likely to be drafted by the Devils in 2019 is not Cole Caufield, but rather Judd Caulfield.

One can dream I suppose.

 

[The Wumpus]

Zajac had just turned 19 when he was drafted out of Salmon Arm in 2004, and then went on to play at North Dakota. He played on a great UND team that at one time had Zajac, Jonathan Toews, TJ Oshie and Drew Stafford.

Awesome: there was a guy on that team named Lee Marvin

 

[None Shall Pass]

Cole and Judd's brother Holden is less of a hockey player and more of a Catcher.

Thanks I'll be here all week.

 

[MartyOwns]

Cole and Judd's brother Holden is less of a hockey player and more of a Catcher.

Thanks I'll be here all week.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Probably just me, but I'd trade some assets to try to draft Caufield.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Cole would have to fall to the 20s for us to realistically be able to trade up and get him.

We can’t afford to trade for a top 10-16 pick.

 

[VoidCreature]

Caufield's lack of assists in the program is kind of shocking to me. He's seemed like a pretty good playmaker from what little I've seen of him.

Is this another concern scouts have with him?

 

[StevenToddIves]

Caufield's lack of assists in the program is kind of shocking to me. He's seemed like a pretty good playmaker from what little I've seen of him.

Is this another concern scouts have with him?

No. It's just that smaller players are supposed to be super fast, and Caufield is a good but not great skater.When scouts look at a kid who is 5'8 and not blowing past people, I think they just get nervous. The conundrum with Caufield is that his shot is absolutely elite, not something generally associated with smaller players. It's almost Stamkos-like. He's also a good puck handler, exceptionally smart, and has a Brett Hull-like ability to get open at the perfect moment even when the opposition is keying on him.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

I'd say there's a couple of reasons he doesn't have that many assists. The other players have to actually score for him to get an "assist" and no one else on the team scores nearly as much as he does. Second, he's not really the guy who's going to be carrying the puck up the ice looking to dish it off to people on a regular basis. Finally, he just happens to always be in good scoring spots and ofc he's a shoot first player so yea.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Watching this USA team in the tournament, I don't see how John Beecher is not in every draft writer's top 31. He's just a monster out there.