Prospect Info: The 2019 Entry NHL Draft Thread - Part II

[The Abusement Park]

Crazy talk. Kirby Dach is an all time likely-bust name.

Get off his Dach. Kids gonna be great.

 

[Murzu]

It's all about the name for me...


Kaapo Kakko sounds cooler then Jack Hughes so Kakko is better. SIMPLE.

Werenski > Rantanen

 

[Makar to MacK]

What strong opinions? Has anyone here even said anything negative about Kakko?

He is a troll so I dont even bother anymore. It'll just raise my blood pressure or give me an aneurysm or something.

 

[Pokecheque]

I dunno, Zarley Zalapski, Kari Takko, Zenon Konopka--and my personal favorite, Zenith Komarniski--all had some of hockey's most awesome names, and none of 'em ever really amounted to much in the National Hockey League.

 

[UncleRisto]

I dunno, Zarley Zalapski, Kari Takko, Zenon Konopka--and my personal favorite, Zenith Komarniski--all had some of hockey's most awesome names, and none of 'em ever really amounted to much in the National Hockey League.

There's frankly nothing funny about Kari Takko's name. I don't see what the big deal is.

 

[henchman21]

I dunno, Zarley Zalapski, Kari Takko, Zenon Konopka--and my personal favorite, Zenith Komarniski--all had some of hockey's most awesome names, and none of 'em ever really amounted to much in the National Hockey League.

I have a feeling you like the letters Z and K.

 

[UncleRisto]

I have a feeling you like the letters Z and K.

Marek Zidlicky just missed the list. Now, if it was Zarek Zidlicky...

I won't add K's to that. I don't know about the last name.

 

[Pokecheque]

I have a feeling you like the letters Z and K.

Of course I do. Drop either one of those on a triple-score square in Scrabble or Words with Friends and

 

[Avs_19]

A name y'all should be keeping an eye on is Bobby Brink.

5'10" 165 lbs and from Minnesota. Kid has a lot going against him.

He good?

 

[henchman21]

5'10" 165 lbs and from Minnesota. Kid has a lot going against him.

He good?

5'10" is pretty damn generous.... maybe 5'9"

Some scouts are big, big fans. He's likely to find his way into the first for somebody. I'm less enthralled than a number of people I know. He's an incredible worker with high end smarts. Plays a very solid 2 way game, and has a good amount of offensive skill though I wouldn't say he screams high end there for me (passing holds him back a touch, very good shot though). Average to below average skater... if you think that is fixable, you end up high on him. If you don't, he's a 3rd/4th rounder. I don't know where I fall on that yet. He has a weird hitch that I think can be corrected and his ankle bend needs a lot of work... so possible it can be fixed. Think TJ Oshie.

 

[Avs_19]

5'10" is pretty damn generous.... maybe 5'9"

Some scouts are big, big fans. He's likely to find his way into the first for somebody. I'm less enthralled than a number of people I know. He's an incredible worker with high end smarts. Plays a very solid 2 way game, and has a good amount of offensive skill though I wouldn't say he screams high end there for me (passing holds him back a touch, very good shot though). Average to below average skater... if you think that is fixable, you end up high on him. If you don't, he's a 3rd/4th rounder. I don't know where I fall on that yet. He has a weird hitch that I think can be corrected and his ankle bend needs a lot of work... so possible it can be fixed. Think TJ Oshie.

Good to know. I see he has already cracked both Button and Hockey Prospect's most recent lists for whatever that's worth. Are the Avs fans of his?

 

[S E P H]

Kakko has looked better IMO

Kappo Kakko is better than Hughes simply because people are not happy with Hughes in Jack's HFB thread? That is by far the weirdest nonsense I have ever heard. I mentioned like two months ago that Kappo-pro trolls have absolutely destroyed that thread. Don't judge the guy from a random thread where people are just stat whacking. Now, that doesn't mean that someone can prefer Kakko, it is a free world out there.

Taller generally means heavier. A taller athlete has a larger frame and generally can put on more muscle.

Taller and heavier absolutely makes it harder to be knocked around. I'm not sure why that guy is arguing with me about this.

Not that you're wrong and I think Ivan could've said it nicer, but you're out to lunch on this one. Height is absolutely useless when it comes to hockey because it matters more how well built you are or how you use it. Crosby is only 5'11, but weighs 201 lbs while Wolski is 6'3" and 220 lbs, but who uses their size better? Answer is obviously easy here. DeBrincat is built like a freakin' truck at 165 lbs when he's 5'7", while Ryan Miller is 172 lbs for being 6 inches taller at 6'3". He only weighs seven pounds heavier with the height disparity.

Five of the NHLers top 10 leaders in points, 50% are at or less than 6'0".

Forsberg, Orr, Gretzky, Sakic, Crosby, Datsyuk, MacKinnon, and Landeskog are 6'0" and under and didn't have a problem playing the game. Height is overrated. McDavid himself is only 6'1". Cam Atkinson is 5'8" and 178 lbs which is heavier than a lot of players in the 6'0" range.

Kucherov: 5'11"
Gaudreau: 5'9"
Point: 5'11"
Marner: 5'11"
MacKinnon: 6'0"

Has anyone seen Nolan Foote play? Does he play like a LW version of his father?

Not at all, he's fairly soft for a big man. Fantastic shot, reads the game fairly well, and has enough talent I like to go somewhere between 14 and 24. Not sure he's a player who elevates his game when the series on the line though.

I'm throwing a bone out here

It should be known by now that I'm not the biggest fan of smaller players with poor skating. Brink is an absurdly smart 2 way winger though, and that goes a long ways to covering up for his physical faults.

Jack Hughes has never played in a best on best tournament that he finished worse than 1st in scoring ever. Not a single time. WJC this year is his biggest challenge for that, but there isn't any reason to think he can't dominate that tournament like he has other tournaments in the past. It is always funny when you get to these ''not impressive" high end players. Hughes has a 1.92 points per game average right now and 10 more points than his next highest teammate in only 25 games played. The only player to have a better PPG average on the USNDTP is Matthews at 1.95... that is one extra secondary assist away for Hughes. If you watch the games routinely, there are normally one or two prime chances per game flubbed by his teammate per game. A touch better puck luck and he is over 2 quite easily. It will be very interesting to see him play this year in the WJC and if he can handle the pressure and lead the US.

Absolutely yes to all of this. For the people who haven't seen the USNTDP play, Hughes is making at least four prime scoring chances per game (I consider it more than two ) which just isn't being capitalized on. I remember one day where I was scouting just Zegras, but since he was on Jack's line I ended up focusing all my attention on Jack and just blew me away. Don't get me wrong, that he has McDavid type of flashiness to his game so it's hard not to notice him, but holy smokes impressive players just do that.

McDavid had a 50 goalscorer in DeBrincat on his wing in juniors. Hughes had Wahlstrom, but his point total might not be super impressive because this year's USNTDP class doesn't have a pure sniper besides Caulfield.

 

[S E P H]

Good to know. I see he has already cracked both Button and Hockey Prospect's most recent lists for whatever that's worth. Are the Avs fans of his?

To continue Hench's remarks, his shot has the potential to be just as lethal as Oshie's, but as I said in the past he's far too raw for my liking.

Marcus Kallionkieli at eliteprospects.com has more potential IMHO, better offencive skill set, tools, frame, skating, and vision even though he doesn't work as hard as Brink. Doesn't have the two-way game as good as Silfverberg, but same quality of player.

 

[Balthazar]

I dunno, Zarley Zalapski, Kari Takko, Zenon Konopka--and my personal favorite, Zenith Komarniski--all had some of hockey's most awesome names, and none of 'em ever really amounted to much in the National Hockey League.

Slater Koekkoek for me. I hear he's available.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Best name in hockey was Miroslav Satan....was always a shame he never played for the Devils. Yahoo, ESPN and others used to use 666 in the URL linking to his player profile. I always got a kick out of that.

 

[S E P H]

Seriously guys, you missed my post a couple weeks back? Best name I have ever seen period.

Boogie Blackwater at eliteprospects.com

 

[MikeC]

Nice article about Broberg

A call to arms – Broberg gets the chance to show he belongs at...

 

[Freudian]

The luxury of having two first round picks is that it allows for a team to swing for the fences with the second one. Hepple and Avs don't really seem like the type to do so, but at least the option is there.

 

[PAZ]

The luxury of having two first round picks is that it allows for a team to swing for the fences with the second one. Hepple and Avs don't really seem like the type to do so, but at least the option is there.

I mean, we took the 'safe' option with Rantanen

 

[Piestany88]

Jack Hughes has played 9 games against NCAA competition this year. He has 13 points in those 9 games for a 1.44 points per game average. That would put him 8th in the whole NCAA as a draft eligible player. There are only 2 u19 players averaging a point per game (Drury and MEP, both in their +1 seasons).

Hughes is ~5'10.25" ~170lbs now... not sure why there is crazy debate on that. His frame probably tops in the mid 180s. He is never going to be a big player. It isn't purely size that holds back players from center... skating, mindset, defensive ability, etc all play a role too. I keep throwing out Point here, but Point is smaller and less skilled than Hughes and is one of the best 2 way centers in the league. Hughes is small, but his skating and mind are absolutely elite. He could be in the NHL today and be a top 5 level skater... his skating is on the McDavid/Point level right now.

We will, see now big he is at the combine , not everone has to brlieve everything you say , he's puny .

 

[Piestany88]

I bet you guys haven't even seen Kakko play this season outside youtube clips. Still making strong opinions about him. That's really funny

I am pretty sure that Kakko will have a better NHL career than small soft but flashier Hughes.

Me too . Rather another Rantanenesque type player than a Gaudreau

 

[avsfan09]

Seriously guys, you missed my post a couple weeks back? Best name I have ever seen period.

Boogie Blackwater at eliteprospects.com

We drafted a pretty cool name ourselves in Shamil Shmakov.
Shamil Shmakov at eliteprospects.com
Btw are these good MHL numbers?

 

[S E P H]

We drafted a pretty cool name ourselves in Shamil Shmakov.
Shamil Shmakov at eliteprospects.com
Btw are these good MHL numbers?

Those are fantastic numbers, however he's on a pretty good team and if you saw his numbers last year he should definitely be on a VHL team (or get some games with them at least).

 

[Postanin CB Ting]

Who are the best skaters out of the top C's? I think that's who we will target

 

[henchman21]

Who are the best skaters out of the top C's? I think that's who we will target

Avs typically forgive some skating issues... I don't see that as their top priority. Hughes is the best skating center by far.