GDT: The 2015 NHL Entry Draft | June 26-27, 2015 | 10:00 a.m. ET (NHLN, TVA Sports)

[JFleegs]

No Russians? Wow.

Yans parents are Russian, and he lived there for part of his life. And my favorite pick of the draft, followed by Boko haha

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

The 4 suggested videos that pop up appear to be related to Boko Haram

 

[dbieon12]

6'2" is the tallest player? C'mon Yzerman... remember what got us to the NBA Finals this year.

 

[Lord Stan 2020]

So, this is the first time in years where I look at a draft board and I realistically think "Wow, I don't see a single one of these players making the NHL at any time in their careers." Maybe I'm being a little bit dramatic, but this was a pretty mediocre draft for a group that hardly misses. There's a lot of time to prove me wrong, but theres a lot of different ways they could have gone this draft. A lot of players taken early and some trades that could have been handled better. We will see.

9 picks

Round Overall Player Pos Country Ht Wt Amateur League Amateur Team
2 33 MITCHELL STEPHENS C CAN 5'11'' 188 OHL SAGINAW
2 44 MATTHEW SPENCER D CAN 6'1'' 203 OHL PETERBOROUGH
3 64 DENNIS YAN LW USA 6'1'' 184 QMJHL SHAWINIGAN
3 72 ANTHONY CIRELLI C CAN 5'11'' 160 OHL OSHAWA
4 118 JONNE TAMMELA RW FIN 5'10'' 180 FINLAND KALPA
4 121 MATHIEU JOSEPH RW CAN 6'0'' 166 QMJHL SAINT JOHN
5 151 RYAN ZUHLSDORF D USA 5'11'' 188 USHL SIOUX CITY
6 153 KRISTIAN OLDHAM G USA 6'2'' 203 USHL OMAHA
6 181 BOKONDJI IMAMA LW CAN 6'1'' 214 QMJHL SAINT JOHN

i love stephens myself i think he will be a top six forward maybe not for us we got greatness here is hard for these guys loved joseph and yan

like we got a physical guy dont know about the goalie yet but he has good size all these kids were youngish and yes we went off the board but i am not going to doubt murray ever he finds needles in haystacks every draft i predict stephens goes back to ohl and blows up one of top prospects in ohl by next year have faith in our scouts

dont know how i feel on the d guys but all the d we have drafted seem to perform and keep rising know spencer cause of playing with masin a bit so he has a good head

keep in mind we are going for high skilled guys who can skate and who have qualities on and off the ice character

i like that myself love the system and how we are training kids

did anyone watch nestea a year ago he was terrible not just bad but didnt show what expected then got serious got worked and for argument sake doubt is 3 people on board who would not rather have him full time on ice over barberio and sustr some would rather have him then carle

love the system they know more then me got a little knowledge on a few they watch more pick their guy make sure hes right spend the time i trust this team over any have watched in a long long time they are hardly ever wrong

 

[LightningStrikes]

does anyone have a scouting report on this guy? Player comparison? Really out of nowhere pick, but Al murry and co must have saw something other than toughness. Thought Yzerman wasnt a fan of enforcers anymore? Although he did have Probert in his playing days.

BP has this piece on him:

Scouting Comments:
"He’s what we’re looking for in an enforcer. He’s huge, and he arrives to the dance early and in ill humour." -Red Line Report

Strengths:
Built like a tank. Muscular and an above average skater for a man his size. Big hitter and one of the most accomplished pugilists in this draft class, rated the second best enforcer in this class by Red Line Report. Overage draftee camped with the Montreal prospects last summer.

Weaknesses:
Needs to continue to develop as an overall hockey player and not just as a fighter so he can be trusted with ice time as a pro.

Projection:
Fourth line enforcer

http://boltprospects.com/content/6th-round-180th-overall-lw-bokondji-imama

 

[TheDaysOf 04]

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2015/05/my-final-top-50-ohl-players-for-2015_21.html

Brock Otten's top draft eligible players from the OHL

13. Mitchell Stephens - Forward - Saginaw Spirit
Was already trending upwards before his behemoth performance at the Under 18's. He started exceptionally slow, but in his final 40 games of the OHL regular season, he had 37 points. Then he captained Canada to a bronze medal at the U18's, finishing the tournament 7th in scoring with 10 points (2nd on Team Canada). Let's not forget that he was also one of Canada's top players at the summer Ivan Hlinka tourney too. Stephens is a real heart and soul kind of player. He uses his speed to attack the offensive zone with determination. He's not the biggest, but he's aggressive with the puck and relentless in pursuit. He's also a smart player at both ends, who is able to force a lot of turnovers in the neutral zone by reading passing lanes. He struggled at times in Saginaw, but the team as a whole was young and inconsistent too. Tough being the focal point down the middle in that situation when you're playing a ton in your own end. I think based on the results that Stephens has achieved internationally this year (when he's played with other talented players), you have to believe that his potential is sky high. When you factor in his leadership capabilities, it only strengthens his argument as a selection inside the first 45 selections of the draft.

17. Matt Spencer - Defence - Peterborough Petes
Originally talked about as the top defender available from the OHL this year, but several factors have caused Spencer to slip. Firstly, he didn't have a terrific year, which highlighted some current holes in his game. Secondly, some of the other defenders available from the 'O' had fantastic years and leapfrogged him. It's important to note that Spencer is still a very solid prospect and a guy who deserves to be a 2nd/3rd round draft pick. Early on in the year, he was quite solid at both ends, but he seemed to lose confidence (particularly offensively) in the second half. Late into the year, he had a lot of trouble getting the puck out of his own end and his decision making with the puck did not look strong. This was also evident at the Under 18's, where I felt he struggled with this particular aspect too. I think at this point it's strictly a confidence issue, because as a midget player, he was a fantastic puck rusher and power play QB. As mentioned, he has a lot going for him. Size and mobility are both a plus and he's shown a willingness to play a tenacious brand of hockey in his own end. Keeping things simple will need to be a necessity moving forward until he's able to gain his confidence back offensively.

29. Anthony Cirelli - Forward - Oshawa Generals
A tough guy for me to get a read on this year. When you're watching the Generals, he's not a guy that stands out because he's consistently had the opportunity to play with some fantastic players (like Michael Dal Colle). But he finds a way to reach the score sheet and do things to help his team win. His hockey sense is strong, as is his play away from the puck. I think the thing I have a tough time guaging is his offensive potential, because he doesn't play a ton with the puck on his stick. In 2008, I found it similarly difficult to gauge the potential of a young Windsor forward named Adam Henrique (because of the role he was asked to play). And he's turned out OK. Next year will certainly be telling for Cirelli.

http://ohlprospects.blogspot.ca/2015/06/final-mediascout-top-10-for-2015.html

OHL Prospects media/scout poll

Matt Spencer

"A strong solid defenceman who does his job although he and the Petes struggled this year. Spencer is still the best blueliner in the OHL eligible for the NHL draft. I think he is years away from making the NHL. What ever team drafts him will need patience." - Ambrogio

"Spencer is one of those players that scream potential. A minute eating defenceman that was projected as a two way game player, his defensive game progressed at a higher pace then his offensive game. He is a very good skater that thinks the game very well and plays with poise." - Tiano

"A player who’s draft ranking seems to change depending who you talk to. Some have him as high as a late first rounder while some have him going in the third round. His true spot should likely be somewhere in the middle and the mid second round. Spencer is an excellent skater who plays a very well rounded game. He has added more muscle and a more physical aspect to his game this year. Has been asked to do a lot for Peterborough in a disappointing season on a team that vastly underachieved." - Maloney

Mitchell Stephens -

"The U18s were a real eye-opener for me on Stephens, especially since he also showed well at the Ivan Hlinka too. When he's on a team that can get him the puck he can make a lot of plays. He's also very solid defensively too." - Anonymous

""One of the draft's best forecheckers, Stephens uses his speed and hockey sense to get in on pucks quickly and that trait should make him valuable middle-six attacker capable of playing in all situations. Stephens is a high-character player with a competitive will-to-win and that attribute ensures that he'll likely be an impact player when crunch time strikes. Stephens had a bit of an offensive surge as captain of Canada's Under-18 team, continuing from a strong offensive second half. He was a fantastic scorer in his pre-draft season and he may just be beginning to tap into a promising offensive half. Look for Stephens to be a mid-2nd or early-3rd round pick." - Ross

"Coming out party at the U18s. Brings character, leadership on both sides of the puck." - MacInnis

 

[HoseEmDown]

Definitely not a sexy draft to say the least. Especially when we had 8 picks going into what was supposed to be a deep draft but looking at the draft now the second half of it was pretty weak. When you look at our draft as a whole it was a good one. We didn't reach for anybody, maybe Imama, didn't overpay to move up to pick anybody, got fair value for most of the picks and picked a lot of safe players.

The depth of the prospects in the organization is a bit overrated so this is a draft that will fix that. No real boom or bust players just good players who should at least make the Crunch strong for many years. The Crunch have been a one barely two line team since the mass graduation a few years ago, this is a draft that makes them a well balanced team. This draft is young so nobody should make an impact for at least 3 years but the Lightning roster is set for that time so no issue there, we need these kids to develop fully.

What I don't like about the draft is the top pick is a projected 3rd liner, nothing that gets you really excited. I think he has the tools and style to be a top notch 3rd liner, I just don't see a top 6 player unless it's in the Killorn mold not the typical way. My favorite pick is Yan, think he has top line potential if he puts it all together. Spencer seems to be the safest pick, has the tools to be a bottom pair guy at worst, hopefully his development goes a bit better then Blujus and he can maybe become a top 4 guy. Tameka is another good one, typical good all around Finnish forward, anybody know his plans for coming over? Cirelli really rose up the ranks down the stretch, my only issue is he's another smaller forward which we have started to accumulate an abundance of, with a need, IMO, for size on the wings not sure why we didn't go Dergachov there. The rest I need more research on. With how poor our bottom 6 was in the playoffs this seems like a draft to try to address some of those issues with players who are suited for that role.

 

[Glide5]

9 picks

Round Overall Player Pos Country Ht Wt Amateur League Amateur Team
2 33 MITCHELL STEPHENS C CAN 5'11'' 188 OHL SAGINAW
2 44 MATTHEW SPENCER D CAN 6'1'' 203 OHL PETERBOROUGH
3 64 DENNIS YAN LW USA 6'1'' 184 QMJHL SHAWINIGAN
3 72 ANTHONY CIRELLI C CAN 5'11'' 160 OHL OSHAWA
4 118 JONNE TAMMELA RW FIN 5'10'' 180 FINLAND KALPA
4 121 MATHIEU JOSEPH RW CAN 6'0'' 166 QMJHL SAINT JOHN
5 151 RYAN ZUHLSDORF D USA 5'11'' 188 USHL SIOUX CITY
6 153 KRISTIAN OLDHAM G USA 6'2'' 203 USHL OMAHA
6 181 BOKONDJI IMAMA LW CAN 6'1'' 214 QMJHL SAINT JOHN

i love stephens myself i think he will be a top six forward maybe not for us we got greatness here is hard for these guys loved joseph and yan

like we got a physical guy dont know about the goalie yet but he has good size all these kids were youngish and yes we went off the board but i am not going to doubt murray ever he finds needles in haystacks every draft i predict stephens goes back to ohl and blows up one of top prospects in ohl by next year have faith in our scouts

dont know how i feel on the d guys but all the d we have drafted seem to perform and keep rising know spencer cause of playing with masin a bit so he has a good head

keep in mind we are going for high skilled guys who can skate and who have qualities on and off the ice character

i like that myself love the system and how we are training kids

did anyone watch nestea a year ago he was terrible not just bad but didnt show what expected then got serious got worked and for argument sake doubt is 3 people on board who would not rather have him full time on ice over barberio and sustr some would rather have him then carle

love the system they know more then me got a little knowledge on a few they watch more pick their guy make sure hes right spend the time i trust this team over any have watched in a long long time they are hardly ever wrong

Ya, I'm starting to get this draft the more I look at it haha. It just lacked that sexy factor of the last few years. There isn't a player that jumps out to me and says, "Yes, I will be an NHL'er" like the last few drafts. These guys will develop and some will prove me gleefully wrong. The more I see on Imama, the more I like that pick also. I loved the goaltending pick, thats a system choice you always need and I also love the Yan pick. Just undewhelmed by the second round choices. They feel very Brian Hart/ Dylan Blujus to me.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

I think we really need to temper our expectations right now. We just left the Stanley Cup Final with a team core composed mostly of players between 19 and 25 years old.

 

[The Underboss]

Thanks for allowing the Isles to screw the Rangers twice. Isles country appreciates Tampa's help!

Good drafts by both my favorite teams.

 

[2020 Cup Champions]

Thanks for allowing the Isles to screw the Rangers twice. Isles country appreciates Tampa's help!

Good drafts by both my favorite teams.

Didn't notice until I saw on the Rangers board where someone pointed out that the 1st round picks we got from the Rangers ended up getting traded to the Islanders.

 

[Hockeyfan02]

I think we got some solid prospects, no one that really wows you but if developed properly can help with our depth. That's one key going forward is to keep having guys come up and fill those lower line roles without having to spend a ton of money. One theme I like is that these guys can be a pain to play against. If Yzerman hit a couple of singles or doubles in this draft without a home run, that's not a bad thing. I think we'll get a couple NHLers from this draft.

 

[Crunchrulz]

Imama is an interesting pick. With Dalton Smith apparently not getting offered another contract by Tampa Bay, the protector of the future spot was open. If Imama can skate decently and not be a liability, he appears at this stage to be a much better scrapper than Smith was. Well over half his penalty minutes were the result of his 15 fighting majors last season, so he is not prone to the usual tough guy bone head penalty. Looks like he will have to wait a year to get a shot in Syracuse, but at least we know there is someone on the horizon who seems to be willing and capable of throwing with both hands.

 

[Lucky Luke]

Imama is an interesting pick. With Dalton Smith apparently not getting offered another contract by Tampa Bay, the protector of the future spot was open. If Imama can skate decently and not be a liability, he appears at this stage to be a much better scrapper than Smith was. Well over half his penalty minutes were the result of his 15 fighting majors last season, so he is not prone to the usual tough guy bone head penalty. Looks like he will have to wait a year to get a shot in Syracuse, but at least we know there is someone on the horizon who seems to be willing and capable of throwing with both hands.

Imama is one of the better skaters in the Q.
He can play.

 

[FinnLightning26]

Imama is one of the better skaters in the Q.
He can play.

That's good to hear. I had no clue who he was when we drafted him. I though he was some Asian player.

 

[Todd1a]

Didn't notice until I saw on the Rangers board where someone pointed out that the 1st round picks we got from the Rangers ended up getting traded to the Islanders.

Lol ya that's true lol

 

[wxkid23]

Underwhelmed by our draft but none of the picks sound outright bad except mama. He looks downright worthless until I see more. Everything I read quotes from him says he wants to fight and hockey is an afterthough. Maybe should have gone into boxing? Yan is an interesting player. The rest? Meh

 

[Glide5]

I am a fan.

That is a mature kid. I wonder what he will develop into. If he can skate well he might find his way as a forth liner. Not a wasted pick, but still an interesting one from the Lightning. I like it though. Very off the regular Murray model.

 

[Todd1a]

That is a mature kid. I wonder what he will develop into. If he can skate well he might find his way as a forth liner. Not a wasted pick, but still an interesting one from the Lightning. I like it though. Very off the regular Murray model.

How old is this kid ? He looks like a NHL 4th line enforcer now

 

[Mikeaveli]

Not a big fan of any of our picks, really. I like last year's draft for us a lot more than this one.

 

[berlin]

Both Stephens and Yan sound like solid picks to me.

 

[HoseEmDown]

If Pierre Cedric Labrie can play a game in the NHL this kid Imama can as well. With Smith gone, possibly Paradis, Nielson not playing much and Broll having one year left this kid will slide right into the Crunch tough guy spot in 16-17.

The two American kids are going the NCAA route so they will simmer in the system for 3-4 years before we need to even wonder if they'll get a contract. With these picks DiGiacinto needs to have a big year to get a contract, a lot of these kids bring a similar if not better skillset. Ikonen will be up as a RFA when they are due to hit the A so he needs to be better, Richard needs to continue improving to keep his place. Peca and Darcy will jump into the mix next year and Point after, we will start getting a bunch of 5'11 - 6-1 forwards in the system and it's gonna be a battle to get playing time as well as getting a new contract. On the backend Spencer will be due an ELC when Blujus and Dotchins expire so that's another replacement if one or both falter.

With the way the system is looking it's hopefully a sign of constant competition for playing time and spots. The players on the big club can be replaced from within and we can move them out for picks to keep the cycle going. The prospect depth is finally improving.

 

[Crunchrulz]

Giong to agree with hose. Imama looks like a good pick up for an organziation with little in the category of true enforcing ability in the pipeline. The folks that have seen him play report he can skate well, which is a plus the way Tampa plays. Broll can cover the Crunch protector role next year, then Imama steps in and becomes the Enforcer to Be in the pipeline at the AHL level.
Nielson should be on his way to a front office job with the Crunch next year as he would be a waste of a vet roster spot if he attempts to comeback again. Eric has given his best for the organziation, but there is a time for everyone to say enough is enough. The cheap shot he took a couple of years ago against Norfolk appears to have affected his playing ability more than anyone could have imagined.
As for Paradis, I would like to see him comeback with the organziation. Until his injury, he was one of the most important players for the Crunch, finally playimg up to his First Round Draft Pick potential.
While the Tampa Bay draft was not full of players everyone knows, the SFY led Lightning have an excellent history of finding players that others do not notice. Time will tell but I have to believe there are more than a couple diamonds in the rough in this year's crowd.

 

[Jacko95]

Ya, I'm starting to get this draft the more I look at it haha. It just lacked that sexy factor of the last few years. There isn't a player that jumps out to me and says, "Yes, I will be an NHL'er" like the last few drafts. These guys will develop and some will prove me gleefully wrong. The more I see on Imama, the more I like that pick also. I loved the goaltending pick, thats a system choice you always need and I also love the Yan pick. Just undewhelmed by the second round choices. They feel very Brian Hart/ Dylan Blujus to me.

This is mostly how I feel as well. There was no Point (who I remember everyone here wanted last year) to get super excited about as a 3rd round steal or anything.

- Reading more about Stephens, his stats seem far more healthy than I thought. He just had a seriously bad start. So if he keeps playing on his 2015 pace or gets better, we should soon like this pick.
- Spencer was forced in a defense first role this season. The Petes should be a much better team next year, so I think his numbers will go up a healthy bit, same with his D partner masin by the way. I really like this pick.
- Yan is the high upside guy, so lets hope he can develop properly, but he screams steal, just because he is with us now.
- Cirelli is as unsexy of a pick as Paquette was in 2012. Bad CHL numbers, but a rookie and he got no PP time playing behind this powerhouse of top6 forwards. His offensive numbers could easily sky rock. But I still don't feel comftable with the pick to be honest
- Jonne Tammela is my wildcard. I really like this pick. If his game is already strong enough for the Liiga without producing points, watch out once he does.
- Jospeh will need to add muscle before we can even talk about him. He is way to light for a btóttom 6 guy right now. So lets see what happens after the summer
- I am alright with the Zuhlsdorf pick, he will have plenty of years to develop and his skillset seems good enough to make something with in those years.
- Well Oldham is the kind of goalie I hoped for. Late rounder, long time to develop.
- Imama. I love his name and the guy seems super fun, but this is a guy I sign after training camp and not spend a pick on with guys like Leveille, Salituro, Noel, korostelev and others still on the board. Anyways if he has just a little bit skill in his body, he could end up an interesting pick, cause his skating and physical talent could bring him quiet a bit closer to the NHL than many (including me) likely expect.

Overall I doubt we "find" more than a Killorn in this draft. Excluding Yan who could end up as anything, but a guy like Stephens screams Killorn or if everything works more than perfect maybe even Callahan, but both would be luck. But I fully expect to find two quality bottom 6 guys in this draft, which would still be rather unimpressing compared to our usual expectations.

 

[snowden]

Cirelli is pretty young and has a chance to grow. If his Memorial Cup run is any indication than we are looking good with this pick. Let's see what he does with more years in junior.