Prospect Info: STI Top 62 Draft Rankings: May 2019

[StevenToddIves]

2019 Top 62 Draft Rankings, May

1 C Jack Hughes incredible mix of skating/vision/puckhandling/zone entry ability only surpassed in a decade of draft-eligibles by Connor McDavid
2 W Kappo Kakko exceptional in virtually every tool across the board, projects to dominant NHL power forward/perennial all-star
3 LD Bowen Byram physical, two-way defender has top-end skates and compete level, generates offense while providing shut-down D, future Norris-caliber #1D
4 C Alex Turcotte most complete F in the draft and ferocious competitor, lauded for two-way play but also features jersey-flapping speed and elite offensive skills
5 C Trevor Zegras perhaps the Elias Pettersson "should have went top-3" of 2019 — best passer in draft after Hughes, electrifying speed and dynamic offensive tool box
6 C/RW Dylan Cozens no flaws in the game of this shoot-first, power forward who offers tantalizing blend of high-end speed, size and physicality
7 C Kirby Dach huge center is elite puck distributor and two-way beast, very reminiscent of a young Getzlaf
8 LW/C Peyton Krebs best compete level in the draft alongside Turcotte, terrific skater with dynamic skills and vision, future captain in NHL
9 RW Cole Caufield nastiest pure scorer in class of 2019 has underrated supporting skills; diminutive size will not prevent him from scoring at any level
10 W Vasili Podkolzin physical, Tkachuk-style winger has outstanding compete level and is an absolute beast down low, great two-way acumen but when will he come to North America?
11 W Matthew Boldy super-silky winger can pass and score with the best of them, perfect compliment to top center, extremely versatile in terms of position and role
12 C Alex Newhook U18 tourney showed the BCHL star could shine against top competition, skating ability and offensive tools are absolutely elite
13 RD Moritz Seider huge 6’4 German can skate extremely well, plays smart and offers intriguing offensive potential, has been extremely impressive in World Championships
14 LD Cam York the whole is greater than the sum of parts in this kid, not the biggest or fastest but maybe the smartest D in the draft, great hands, top-pairing upside
15 C Philip Tomasino underrated pivot is my top OHL prospect from this class, outstanding skater with penchant for highlight-reel plays
16 W Arthur Kaliyev most divisive winger in the draft? Maybe, but there’s no denying his elite passing vision and a shot which is only challenged by Caufield in 2019 draft class
17 RW Rafael Lavoie huge winger with excellent skating, scoring, smarts and compete level? Yes, please!
18 RW Bobby Brink not as small as criticized at a barrel-like 5’10, and U18 showed better skating than advertised. His shot and passing vision are just as jaw-dropping as we all suspected, though
19 LD Matthew Robertson best defensive-minded D in draft skates extremely well and uses his size to win every physical battle with authority, under-appreciated puck skills and outlet passing make him a top 20 stud
20 LD Thomas Harley huge offensive D can absolutely fly and is one of youngest 2019 draft-eligibles, a bit of a riverboat gambler on rushes but offers steep developmental curve and just humongous upside
21 RD Victor Soderstrom extremely smart and fluid-skating D might be a bit small but offers shut-down D, slick outlet passing and advanced positional play + gap control
22 C John Beecher checking center on stacked US-NTDP would be go-to guy on a CHL team; incredibly strong/physical, underrated hands and skates, reminiscent of young Kesler/Backes with perhaps even greater scoring upside
23 LW Pavel Dorofeyev skilled winger does everything well and draws comparisons to Filip Forsberg; if he slips to the 2nd he will be a huge steal there
24 C Jamieson Rees my pick for “most underrated F in the draft” has speed/passing/compete level comparable to a younger, slightly-less-polished Nico Hischier
25 LW Nick Robertson small forward with a huge heart, not afraid of anything or anyone, can absolutely wire the puck, good-but-not-great skating is only quality keeping him out of the top 20
26 C Ryan Suzuki without a doubt one of the best passers in the draft, very good skates, projects to ideal offensive 2C at the NHL level
27 LW Nils Hoglander smallest power forward in years, incredibly strong for his size and loves the rough stuff, has top-6 skill and plays Brad Marchand-like game
28 LD Tobias Bjornfot nothing flashy here, just a terrific skating two-way D who plays an extremely smart and controlled game, captained Sweden at U18 and was their best defenseman in the tourney
29 LW Robert Mastrosimone easily one of the top prospects in USHL, this kid has high-end offensive tools and can develop into top-6 NHL-er but needs a few years in the NCAA to hone his game
30 RD Lassi Thomson another underrated prospect in my eyes, he does it all; terrific skates, generates offense while playing very good D, loves to play physical
31 C Connor McMichael ideal NHL 2C does not wow in any particular category except perhaps skating (he’s extremely fast), but simply does everything very well
32 RD Kaeden Korczak physical, shut-down rearguard throws forwards around like a grizzly bear, skates well and has very good offensive tools for this type of player
33 RD Case McCarthy physical, shut-down rearguard might be the strongest player pound-for-pound in the draft, future blueline intimidator will be goalie’s best friend
34 RW Brett Leason 6’5 bruiser has enough offensive skill to score 20+ in mid-six role while offering physical presence, overager has exponentially improved his skating
35 LW Samuel Poulin two-way power forward with great shot and compete level will be fixture on an NHL 2nd line
36 LD Ville Heinola another “whole is greater than the sum of the parts” player, doesn’t wow you but just a quietly smooth and outstanding two-way D
37 LW Jakob Pelletier versatile forward with non-stop engine is a coaches dream but can also tickle the twine with a very nasty snipe
38 LD Vladislav Kolyachonk big kid from Belarus can skate the lights out, a bit of a project but U18s proved he has the upside of a two-way force from the blueline
39 RW Maxim Cajkovic Slovakian winger has some of the slickest hands in the draft, played on poor team in the QMJHL which may have hurt his stat totals and draft standing
40 C John Farinacci USHS product from New Jersey can really fire the puck; needs a great deal of development but potential high payoff here down the line
41 RW Nathan Legare power forward with a non-stop engine plays a physical, two-way game and can also snipe a corner if you give him an inch
42 W Yegor Afanasayev huge 6’4 and skilled, this kid dominated the USHL and can play all three forward positions
43 W Albin Grewe power forward from Sweden loves to lay opponents out with crushing hits and is also skilled, but may lack vision for top 6 role
44 LW Nolan Foote son of Avalanche legend Adam, this power forward plays with smarts and two-way savvy, future NHL mid-6 mainstay
45 RW/C Ryder Donovan very raw prospect offers a tantalizing blend of size, skating and shooting, serious upside here
46 RW Bryce Brodzinski Minnesota high schooler is huge and can blast the puck, if he improves his skating could become a big-time NHL power forward
47 RW Michal Teply Czech winger is big and rangy, skates well and has serious offensive skills
48 C Yegor Spiridonov big Russian pivot impressed in the U18 with an advanced two-way game and displayed offensive acumen; perhaps the top face-off man in the draft
49 LW Patrik Puistola top-6 scoring talent for this tall, lanky winger; was the most dangerous offensive player for Finland in the U18
50 C Brett Murray just rare to see an OHL-er so underrated but Murray is 6’3, skates very well, has good offensive skill and plays a physical two-way game, a kid who could fall to the third round and develop into a stud NHL 2C
51 LD Jake Lee incredibly strong, smart and physical; just an intimidating force for opposing forwards who dare to skate through the middle of the ice, also skates well and plays a smart, efficient game with the puck
52 C Igor Nikolayev wildly divergent rankings on this kid, is he a top-line talent or a responsible, third-line grinder?
53 RD Antti Tuomisto projectable huge frame at 6’3-175, excellent skater, likes to play physical and flashes enormous offensive skill, though inconsistently; potentially a very high ceiling here
54 LD Philip Broberg jaw-dropping size/skating gives him the physical tools of a top 10 pick, but questions about hockey sense and upside make him the most polarizing defense prospect in the 2019 draft
55 LW Leevi Aaltonen one of the fastest skaters in the entire draft adds tremendous offensive skill, needs to toughen up for NHL game but tools are undeniable
56 RW/C Shane Pinto Franklin Square, NY native is a powerful player with a heavy shot, North Dakota commit could develop into middle-6 beast
57 LD Alex Vlasic 6’6 D with puck skills who skate well and like to play physical do not come along often, so expect him to go higher than this, with the right development could become an NHL impact player
58 LW Brayden Tracey this kid knows how to score, can dangle with the puck, and is a terrific complimentary player to high-skill linemates
59 LD Marshall Warren speedy but undersized D is slick with the puck, calm in all situations and extremely smart, just a steady, two-way mid-pairing type
60 LW Adam Beckman scoring winger grew seven inches in the past two years and skates extremely well, 30+ goals for Seattle of the WHL, might be late-blooming steal
61 W Simon Holmstrom U18 displayed his big-time offensive ceiling, but litany of major injuries have slowed his development curve
62 RW Judd Caulfield 6’3 physical power forward who skates well and plays an intelligent, two way game; sky’s the limit if his offensive tools develop at North Dakota

Top Goalies (Not Ranked With Skaters)
1 Spencer Knight
2 Pyotr Kotchetkov
3 Mads Sogaard

Click to read more...

 

[Ripshot 43]

Thank you for taking the time to do this STI

 

[MartyOwns]

great read as always. i’m shocked to see how far broberg has fallen

 

[StevenToddIves]

Thank you for taking the time to do this STI

I hope it's useful for all of you. I will try to drop a top 93 list right before the draft. There are several players I feel bad about not being able to include here and feel have the potential to become very good NHL players. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to finish replacing all my windows with bullet-proof glass to protect myself against the anti-Hughes mafia.

 

[StevenToddIves]

great read as always. i’m shocked to see how far broberg has fallen

Oh, that's just my opinion. I've seen him ranked as high as #5 overall (Larry Fisher, thehockeywriters). I don't see him lasting past #20 OA on draft day. If someone wanted to argue my ranking of Broberg (or several other players I've ranked higher or lower than the consensus), they would have a legit argument, for certain. I recommend reading all the rankings, watching film, and then coming to your own conclusions. Here's a few good ones:

Steve Kournianos: The Draft Analyst | 2019 NHL Draft Rankings: The April 500
Cam Robinson: Cam Robinson’s 2019 NHL Draft Rankings – April 2019
Larry Fisher: https://thehockeywriters.com/2019-nhl-draft-rankings-april/
McKeen's: McKeen's April 2019 NHL Draft Rankings - Top 31

I also really enjoy Corey Pronman and Scott Wheeler on The Athletic, but that's a pay only member site. They do let you read sample articles, however.

 

[devilsblood]

Seems that this draft has a lot of big, smooth skating d-men.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Seems that this draft has a lot of big, smooth skating d-men.

Yes, but the question is how many have true top-pairing upside.

While I'm clearly a huge fan of physical, defense-first blueliners like Kaeden Korczak, Case McCarthy and Jake Lee -- none of them are all-situation type players; they're not guys who will ever run a power play or be on the ice with two minutes left and their team trailing by a goal. To me, a true 1D is a guy like Drew Doughty or Dustin Byfuglien -- a go-to player in every conceivable situation.

I think Byram is the one slam-dunk who will fill this role for the team lucky enough to draft him. There are other players on my top-62 list who can become shut-down defenders who also contribute decent offense (Robertson, Soderstrom, Bjornfot) as well as players who can become more dynamic offensive contributors with good defensive acumen (York, Thomson, Broberg).

My wild-cards would be Harley and Seider, in that they both have the potential to develop into true, top-pairing players. Harley needs to work on his defensive game, positioning, gap control and some decision making, but his offensive tools are just dynamic. Seider has the potential to become very, very good both at filling the scoresheet and keeping opponents off of the scoresheet -- which is why I have moved him up to my #2 D after only Byram.

 

[My3Sons]

Yes, but the question is how many have true top-pairing upside.

While I'm clearly a huge fan of physical, defense-first blueliners like Kaeden Korczak, Case McCarthy and Jake Lee -- none of them are all-situation type players; they're not guys who will ever run a power play or be on the ice with two minutes left and their team trailing by a goal. To me, a true 1D is a guy like Drew Doughty or Dustin Byfuglien -- a go-to player in every conceivable situation.

I think Byram is the one slam-dunk who will fill this role for the team lucky enough to draft him. There are other players on my top-62 list who can become shut-down defenders who also contribute decent offense (Robertson, Soderstrom, Bjornfot) as well as players who can become more dynamic offensive contributors with good defensive acumen (York, Thomson, Broberg).

My wild-cards would be Harley and Seider, in that they both have the potential to develop into true, top-pairing players. Harley needs to work on his defensive game, positioning, gap control and some decision making, but his offensive tools are just dynamic. Seider has the potential to become very, very good both at filling the scoresheet and keeping opponents off of the scoresheet -- which is why I have moved him up to my #2 D after only Byram.

In my rich and vivid fantasy world you say awful things about Seider’s offensive acumen and he falls to 34.

 

[OmNomNom]

farinacci is from NJ!

 

[devilsblood]

Yes, but the question is how many have true top-pairing upside.

While I'm clearly a huge fan of physical, defense-first blueliners like Kaeden Korczak, Case McCarthy and Jake Lee -- none of them are all-situation type players; they're not guys who will ever run a power play or be on the ice with two minutes left and their team trailing by a goal. To me, a true 1D is a guy like Drew Doughty or Dustin Byfuglien -- a go-to player in every conceivable situation.

I think Byram is the one slam-dunk who will fill this role for the team lucky enough to draft him. There are other players on my top-62 list who can become shut-down defenders who also contribute decent offense (Robertson, Soderstrom, Bjornfot) as well as players who can become more dynamic offensive contributors with good defensive acumen (York, Thomson, Broberg).

My wild-cards would be Harley and Seider, in that they both have the potential to develop into true, top-pairing players. Harley needs to work on his defensive game, positioning, gap control and some decision making, but his offensive tools are just dynamic. Seider has the potential to become very, very good both at filling the scoresheet and keeping opponents off of the scoresheet -- which is why I have moved him up to my #2 D after only Byram.

From a Devils perspective, I'm not so worried about top pairing potential, or at least not a Drew Doughty level, if the we can get a guy who we can depend on to be a lock down defender while still providing decent puck moving skills, a guy you can use in tough situations but will still hold his own possession wise, I'm very cool with that.

Then we let Smith, or Davies, or Butcher or Walsh handle the more offensive specific situations.

 

[TheDuke93]

From a Devils perspective, I'm not so worried about top pairing potential, or at least not a Drew Doughty level, if the we can get a guy who we can depend on to be a lock down defender while still providing decent puck moving skills, a guy you can use in tough situations but will still hold his own possession wise, I'm very cool with that.

Then we let Smith, or Davies, or Butcher or Walsh handle the more offensive specific situations.

To add on to this you have Serverson who I could easily see topping the 40 point mark. Any new prospects that can come in and let any of our offensive guys play their game instantly makes the back end so much stronger.

 

[StevenToddIves]

In my rich and vivid fantasy world you say awful things about Seider’s offensive acumen and he falls to 34.

In my rich and vivid fantasy world, NHL GMs would listen to me at all. But if Ray Shero is hiring, I'm certain I could find time to help him out between bar shifts.

Seriously though, Seider's impressive performance at the WHC has likely obliterated any chance of him falling to the second round. He's been extremely good, and his physical tools are just undeniable. I had little problem moving him up as my #2 overall defenseman behind Byram in these latest rankings. I'm also clearly a big advocate of York, Harley, Soderstrom and Robertson but I feel Seider's defensive potential is far greater than York or Harley while his offensive ceiling is notably higher than Soderstrom or Robertson. It is not a stretch to project Moritz Seider as an absolutely ideal 2D at the NHL level, and that's a tough thing to pass up in the teens at the draft, much less the 20s.

 

[Forge]

No love for kokkonen? Pretty steep drop compared to general thought seems like. Any particular reason why? Obviously lacks any true elite attributes, but just strikes me as a guy who will eventually come in and be a very solid second puttpai type

 

[StevenToddIves]

From a Devils perspective, I'm not so worried about top pairing potential, or at least not a Drew Doughty level, if the we can get a guy who we can depend on to be a lock down defender while still providing decent puck moving skills, a guy you can use in tough situations but will still hold his own possession wise, I'm very cool with that.

Then we let Smith, or Davies, or Butcher or Walsh handle the more offensive specific situations.

I've been hollering from the mountaintops for some time that the Devils need a physical, shut-down defenseman. The NJ blueline was routinely pushed around all year long by physical forwards and teams with a strong game down low. So, I agree with you completely, and the 2019 draft offers multiple players who can fit this physical stay-at-home role while still offering decent combinations of skating and puck skills. On my top 62 list, Kaeden Korczak, Case McCarthy and Jake Lee all stand out as this ilk of player. I'm also a big fan of USHL RD Will Francis, who should be available until the 5th/6th rounds.

 

[StevenToddIves]

No love for kokkonen? Pretty steep drop compared to general thought seems like. Any particular reason why? Obviously lacks any true elite attributes, but just strikes me as a guy who will eventually come in and be a very solid second puttpai type

Three defensemen narrowly missed my list and all have a chance to move into my final top-62 rankings: Kokkonen, Henry Thrun and Drew Helleson. Ryan Johnson and Billy Constantinou also were strongly considered due to very high upsides, despite some risk.

My love for Kokkonen was displayed in my mock draft (3.0, two weeks ago), when I projected him going to the Devils with the #62 overall pick. I agree with your assessment of the young Finn -- I think he has an extremely high floor as a steady, third-pairing type and, if he can manage to improve his skating and mobility, he has the potential to develop into a second pairing D at the professional level.

But the skating is what dropped Mikko out of my top 62. Though he makes up for it a great deal with his smarts and extremely mature positional game, Kokkonen can be beaten wide by speedy forwards and, at 5'11, lacks the wingspan to make up for it. So the answer is: yes, I very much like Kokkonen. His intelligence and maturity are very advanced, and he's extremely calm and steady on the backline. But, while I would absolutely have his name on my own draft list, I would not take him until the 60-80 range due to the skating concerns.

 

[devilsblood]

I've been hollering from the mountaintops for some time that the Devils need a physical, shut-down defenseman. The NJ blueline was routinely pushed around all year long by physical forwards and teams with a strong game down low. So, I agree with you completely, and the 2019 draft offers multiple players who can fit this physical stay-at-home role while still offering decent combinations of skating and puck skills. On my top 62 list, Kaeden Korczak, Case McCarthy and Jake Lee all stand out as this ilk of player. I'm also a big fan of USHL RD Will Francis, who should be available until the 5th/6th rounds.

In the Devils defense Santini was a guy who fits that mold, but hasn't proven capable to this point. Mueller too, not very physical , but a big guy who can defend, and can also skate. Brain locks with the puck too often though.

I believe Rykov was a pick in that direction, as was Bernard.

So they have tried.

 

[devilsblood]

farinacci is from NJ!

Born in Red Bank. Joakim Ryan from Rumson(maybe born in Red Bank as well?) Vans Riemsdyk brothers from Middletown. That's some serious talent from a general area of NJ.

 

[OmNomNom]

In my rich and vivid fantasy world, NHL GMs would listen to me at all. But if Ray Shero is hiring, I'm certain I could find time to help him out between bar shifts.

Seriously though, Seider's impressive performance at the WHC has likely obliterated any chance of him falling to the second round. He's been extremely good, and his physical tools are just undeniable. I had little problem moving him up as my #2 overall defenseman behind Byram in these latest rankings. I'm also clearly a big advocate of York, Harley, Soderstrom and Robertson but I feel Seider's defensive potential is far greater than York or Harley while his offensive ceiling is notably higher than Soderstrom or Robertson. It is not a stretch to project Moritz Seider as an absolutely ideal 2D at the NHL level, and that's a tough thing to pass up in the teens at the draft, much less the 20s.

Watch rags take seider at 20. They lack D depth

 

[devilsblood]

Watch rags take seider at 20. They lack D depth

They went very D heavy last year. Which is not to say they are done in their efforts to build up the D ranks.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Watch rags take seider at 20. They lack D depth

I no longer think Seider lasts that long.

 

[Offseason Champs]

I no longer think Seider lasts that long.

6'4" dude who can skate and has offensive upside? Yeah, if he's on the upswing he's definitely gonna be gone once those A tier forwards start thinning out.

So you think Caufield - Kaliyev - Brink - Farinacci in terms of best pure goal scorers in the draft? I like Hughes but we need a pure shooter with one of our 2nd round picks or package them to trade back into the first round. However a lot of the guys near the end of the first round on your list are a little less than exciting goal scoring wise. Looks like Farinacci and Legare may be our best bets for the 2nd round?

 

[StevenToddIves]

6'4" dude who can skate and has offensive upside? Yeah, if he's on the upswing he's definitely gonna be gone once those A tier forwards start thinning out.

So you think Caufield - Kaliyev - Brink - Farinacci in terms of best pure goal scorers in the draft? I like Hughes but we need a pure shooter with one of our 2nd round picks or package them to trade back into the first round. However a lot of the guys near the end of the first round on your list are a little less than exciting goal scoring wise. Looks like Farinacci and Legare may be our best bets for the 2nd round?

I'd say Kakko is the third best pure goal-scorer after Caufield and Kaliyev, followed by Cozens and then Brink.

LW/C Robert Mastrosimone also needs to be mentioned as a very talented offensive forward with 30+ goal upside. I'd say his shot is top 5 for all forwards in the 2019 draft. His issue is consistency, not just game to game but shift to shift. But man, when he's on his game? He looks every bit the high-scoring future NHL top-line forward. He's a Long Island native, and the Islanders are certainly a threat to take him with their late first-round pick, but if he slips into the early second round, he's certainly a name for Devils fans to be aware of.

RW Nathan Legare is another player who would be a perfect fit for the Devils with the #34 overall pick. He plays a high-compete, physical power game and can also really score. NJ fans can think of him as a Bastian-type stylistically, but with far more pure offensive upside.

LW Samuel Poulin is an apt comparable to Legare in a sense -- also a big, two-way power forward with good offensive tools. I would prefer Legare in that he is a better pure scorer and a right-shot, which the Devils need more than the left -- even though Poulin is generally ranked a bit higher on most rankings.

LW/C Nick Robertson also warrants attention here. While undersized, he plays a tenacious and fearless game. While not a burner, he has terrific edge work and is very strong on his skates. And his skill is unquestioned -- he has terrific vision and smarts and can downright wire the puck.

As I've stated before, my pipe dream is for Bobby Brink to be available at #34. The Minnesota native has tremendous upside, we're talking a PPG, first-line stud. Of course, I don't see it as likely, but considering his draft range should be between 21-31, the possibility of his slipping to #34 is still a mathematical reality.

So, if you're hoping the Devils get a guy with top-6 scoring upside with the #34 pick, these 5 names (Brink, Mastrosimone, Legare, Poulin, Robertson) will certainly not all be available. But two or three of them should still be on the board.

 

[My3Sons]

I'd say Kakko is the third best pure goal-scorer after Caufield and Kaliyev, followed by Cozens and then Brink.

LW/C Robert Mastrosimone also needs to be mentioned as a very talented offensive forward with 30+ goal upside. I'd say his shot is top 5 for all forwards in the 2019 draft. His issue is consistency, not just game to game but shift to shift. But man, when he's on his game? He looks every bit the high-scoring future NHL top-line forward. He's a Long Island native, and the Islanders are certainly a threat to take him with their late first-round pick, but if he slips into the early second round, he's certainly a name for Devils fans to be aware of.

RW Nathan Legare is another player who would be a perfect fit for the Devils with the #34 overall pick. He plays a high-compete, physical power game and can also really score. NJ fans can think of him as a Bastian-type stylistically, but with far more pure offensive upside.

LW Samuel Poulin is an apt comparable to Legare in a sense -- also a big, two-way power forward with good offensive tools. I would prefer Legare in that he is a better pure scorer and a right-shot, which the Devils need more than the left -- even though Poulin is generally ranked a bit higher on most rankings.

LW/C Nick Robertson also warrants attention here. While undersized, he plays a tenacious and fearless game. While not a burner, he has terrific edge work and is very strong on his skates. And his skill is unquestioned -- he has terrific vision and smarts and can downright wire the puck.

As I've stated before, my pipe dream is for Bobby Brink to be available at #34. The Minnesota native has tremendous upside, we're talking a PPG, first-line stud. Of course, I don't see it as likely, but considering his draft range should be between 21-31, the possibility of his slipping to #34 is still a mathematical reality.

So, if you're hoping the Devils get a guy with top-6 scoring upside with the #34 pick, these 5 names (Brink, Mastrosimone, Legare, Poulin, Robertson) will certainly not all be available. But two or three of them should still be on the board.

Someone surprising will probably make it past 30 and maybe NJ will have a first round talent available at 34.

 

[Nubmer6]

Someone surprising will probably make it past 30 and maybe NJ will have a first round talent available at 34.

I have no doubt about 34. I'm hoping we get a second one at 55 because of how deep this draft is.

 

[thethinglonger]

Just got a chance to read through your rankings. I'm glad you brought up Nikolayev. I was going over footage from the U18 tournament for a report and I got stuck on him. On one hand, his puck skills are really impressive in my opinion. In fact he thinks the game very well too. The only thing that concerned me was his skating. While he was somewhat deceptive and elusive, there's a lot of work that will need to go into his overall speed, acceleration and mobility. First round potential, but it strikes me as a similar situation to that of Jamie Benn when he got drafted. They're different players and Nikolayev's skating is not as worrying as Benn's was, but the rest of the skills and intelligence are there. Will a team take a gamble on the pure skill in the top-62 hoping the skating improves? I think it's likely.