Pre-Game Talk: The 2019 Pre-Draft Discussion Thread

TheDaysOf 04

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Jun 23, 2007
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The Draft is now 1 month away (June 21st)

Here's the latest TSN mock.



They have us taking 5'10'' center Jamieson Rees in the first round

season/teamgpgapts
2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (Canada)5 1 3 4
2018-19 Sarnia (OHL)37102232
2019 U-18 WC (Canada)7268
[TBODY] [/TBODY]




The combine is June 1st
 
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CupsOverCash

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Sucks that we are picking so high after getting knocked out the earliest. I dont know if I like that rule or not :huh:
 

Outl4w

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Nolan Foote.... too bad he won't make it. We need to put a preference on bigger and stronger players that have some skill. We have a plethora of skilled and under-sized players already.
 
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TheDaysOf 04

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another mock



27. Tampa Bay Lightning: Brett Leason

Position: Center
Last Team: Prince Albert Raiders
Age: 20

One of the older players available in the draft, Leason is lethal on offense and is constantly generating scoring chances. He gets to the right areas and has great hands, as well as vision and a good shot. Leason is also an aggressive player who will throw his weight around and engage in battles for the puck.

He's been passed over twice now at the NHL draft, but has established himself as a first-round pick this time around. And all things considered, he's the kind of player that Tampa is looking for.

Elite Prospects profile

Leason is a 6'4'' 200 lb RW. He turned 20 last month.

gpgapts
2018-19 Prince Albert (WHL)55365389
2019 WHL Playoffs 2210 15 25
2019 WJC (Canada)5325
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His team is the WHL Champion in the Memorial Cup tournament going on right now
 

HoseEmDown

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Nolan Foote.... too bad he won't make it. We need to put a preference on bigger and stronger players that have some skill. We have a plethora of skilled and under-sized players already.

He'll be there for sure, his stock is dropping and he's looking like a 35-45 pick. Rees at 27 is bad too, we should not pick him that high. I would pick him at 58 if he makes it there. I would trade up from 27 for Seider or hope Tomasino, McMicheal or Robertson fall. If not I would trade back to the mid 30's where Foote should be there, Vlasic even Rees if we really want.
 

Outl4w

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Rees is 20. The same age as Sergachev and 2 years older than Foote. His numbers are not great for playing against boys. I would draft him later like late 2nd or 3rd though.... Joseph and Anthony C. are younger and better.
 
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Outl4w

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Leason is a 6'4'' 200 lb RW. He turned 20 last month.

gpgapts
2018-19 Prince Albert (WHL)55365389
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Nolan Foote

  • LW
  • Height
    6'3" / 191 cm
  • Weight
    187 lbs / 85 kg


19
3.png
Kelowna Rockets
WHL66362763
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Two years younger and scoring the same amount of goals?
 

TheDaysOf 04

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Rees is 20. The same age as Sergachev and 2 years older than Foote. His numbers are not great for playing against boys. I would draft him later like late 2nd or 3rd though.... Joseph and Anthony C. are younger and better.
Rees is 18.
Leason is a 6'4'' 200 lb RW. He turned 20 last month.

gpgapts
2018-19 Prince Albert (WHL)55365389
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Nolan Foote

  • LW
  • Height
    6'3" / 191 cm
  • Weight
    187 lbs / 85 kg


19
3.png
Kelowna Rockets
WHL66362763
[TBODY] [/TBODY]
Two years younger and scoring the same amount of goals?
In 11 less games, and 26 more assists. Leason was also a WHL First Team Allstar and his 25 points in the WHL playoffs were the 2nd most (only 1 behind the most) leading his team to a Championship. That said, I have no idea how good he really is or who he's better or worse than since I didn't really watch either player this year.

The age thing is curious & something GMs will have to figure out, but we've done a good job at evaluating older players in the CHL. If you want to look at it his age as a positive, he can go Syracuse right away & should have a faster developmental track to being NHL-ready (assuming he's for real) than it would take a normal 18 year old player. That could be a good thing for a team like ours who wants to win now and/or the immediate future.
 

Outl4w

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Rees is 18.

In 11 less games, and 26 more assists. Leason was also a WHL First Team Allstar and his 25 points in the WHL playoffs were the 2nd most (only 1 behind the most) leading his team to a Championship. That said, I have no idea how good he really is or who he's better or worse than since I didn't really watch either player this year.

The age thing is curious & something GMs will have to figure out, but we've done a good job at evaluating older players in the CHL. If you want to look at it his age as a positive, he can go Syracuse right away & should have a faster developmental track to being NHL-ready (assuming he's for real) than it would take a normal 18 year old player. That could be a good thing for a team like ours who wants to win now and/or the immediate future.
I mean't Leason is 20.
 

Ducati Boy

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Feb 7, 2018
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I follow the draft prospects closely and I like Rees. Sure, he’s not big but he has Presence, and more than a touch of Marchand about him, minus the borderline psycho bits. He looks like a crunch time player and was great at the world U18s.

I don’t subscribe to the narrative that our playoff exit was due to a lack of size/physicality (we physically outmatched NJ and Boston with the same players one year before), but we do lack some gritty energy so I’d take Rees.

Leason started off with a bang but was less effective after he got ‘noticed’ and declined in the 2nd half. Not my pick, even if he can step right into Syracuse.

Foote may be available at our spot in the 2nd round, he was quite meh this year.

McMichael didn’t finish well, lack a definitive selling point. I think he goes in the mid 30s.

One guy I’m pretty sure the Bolts are targeting is Samuel Poulin of Sherbrooke. A 6’1 210 lb left-shooting RW with excellent net front presence. He elevated his game as the season progressed and may be available at 27th. Josh Anderson-ish player. I’d grab him at 27.
 

Outl4w

Registered User
Dec 16, 2011
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I follow the draft prospects closely and I like Rees. Sure, he’s not big but he has Presence, and more than a touch of Marchand about him, minus the borderline psycho bits. He looks like a crunch time player and was great at the world U18s.

I don’t subscribe to the narrative that our playoff exit was due to a lack of size/physicality (we physically outmatched NJ and Boston with the same players one year before), but we do lack some gritty energy so I’d take Rees.

Leason started off with a bang but was less effective after he got ‘noticed’ and declined in the 2nd half. Not my pick, even if he can step right into Syracuse.

Foote may be available at our spot in the 2nd round, he was quite meh this year.

McMichael didn’t finish well, lack a definitive selling point. I think he goes in the mid 30s.

One guy I’m pretty sure the Bolts are targeting is Samuel Poulin of Sherbrooke. A 6’1 210 lb left-shooting RW with excellent net front presence. He elevated his game as the season progressed and may be available at 27th. Josh Anderson-ish player. I’d grab him at 27.
I like Poulin. I want him or Foote.
 

TheDaysOf 04

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Sportsnets rankings from earlier this month.

Here are a few players they have in the 25-30 range

25. Philip Tomasino, RW, Niagara IceDogs (OHL), 5-foot-11, 179 pounds: A centre who showed he could be effective on the wing, likely goes back to his natural spot next season.

26. Simon Holmstrom, RW, HV71 (Sweden U20), 6-foot-1, 183 pounds: Somewhat like Turcotte in that he needed to put injuries behind him before proving just how good he is. Scored six points in seven games at the U18s.

27. Lassi Thomson, D, Kelowna Rockets (WHL), 5-foot-11, 190 pounds: Shoots and passes like a pro. Great skating ability allows him to transition well and consistently be a part of the rush.

28. Connor McMichael, C, London Knights (OHL), 5-foot-11, 174 pounds: Responded well when given prime ice time and high-leverage minutes, but stumbled when minutes weren’t as readily available.

29. Samuel Poulin, RW, Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL), 6-foot-1, 208 pounds: Good size, projects to play up and down the lineup. Could use some polish in terms of finishing ability. NHL bloodlines (from father Patrick) always a plus.

30. Nicholas Robertson, LW, Peterborough Petes (OHL), 5-foot-9, 160 pounds: Never takes a day off in trying to improve his game in every facet.
 

Cmac66

Registered User
Apr 18, 2017
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Been keeping a close eye to a few prospects this season, and this is a deep draft. I think Foote would fall into the 2nd round. I wouldn’t mind taking Poulin if he is there when we pick. However there is some great D prospects who we will probably be looking at due to our situation.
 

Ducati Boy

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Feb 7, 2018
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There should be a number of good skating defensemen, mostly with a defensive bent, available around the Bolts’ pick. Two Kelowna players, Lassi Thompson (a Finn known for his heavy shot) and Kaedan Korczak, Matthew Robertson of Edmonton, and perhaps the most enticing, Vladislav Kolyachonok, a Belarusian who played, and played exceptionally well, in the hellhole of Flint.
 

TheDaysOf 04

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NHL teams have the opportunity for 1-on-1 interviews with the invited prospects at KeyBank Center, Monday through Friday. Medical examinations for each player will be Wednesday, and seven of the 11 fitness tests will take place at HarborCenter on Saturday.
...
The breakdown of combine invitations includes 77 of the top North American prospects and 27 top international prospects. There are 56 forwards, 38 defensemen and 10 goalies.
Ethan Phillips, No. 78 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, had 43 points (16 goals, 27 assists) in 50 regular-season games as a rookie for Sioux Falls of the United States Hockey League this season. The 5-9, 148-pound center, who has 17 interviews this week...
Forward Cole Caufield of USA Hockey's NTDP U-18 team has 27 interviews this week after setting the single-season record with 72 goals in 64 games this season.
 
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TheDaysOf 04

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ELITE STATURE
"We kind of say it every year that everybody's going to get a good pick in the first round," the director of NHL Central Scouting, Dan Marr, announced, "but this is a deep draft at the top end for the first 30, 40 players.

"The players at the top end are always going to set that opportunity [to step into the NHL right away], but you always find there's going to be one or two players taken a little later in the draft, that are going to be in the right place at the right time, and they're ready for that opportunity to take advantage of it."


 

TheDaysOf 04

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On the other hand, Philip Broberg is 6-foot-3 and can really move. While he still has elements of his game to put together, it’s impossible not to look at Broberg without seeing some Victor Hedman. NHL squads are certainly intrigued with Broberg: he met with 28 different teams for interviews at the draft combine this week.
Broberg actually looks at Hedman, the Tampa Bay Lightning stalwart and Norris Trophy winner, as a model for his game and loves the NHLer’s puck movement and shot among other attributes.
Broberg has so many great tools to build off and it’s easy to envision a team in the top 10 snagging him in the draft before someone else has the opportunity.
 
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TheDaysOf 04

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27. Tampa Bay Lightning

Kimelman -- Heinola:
Since 2010, the Lightning have selected three defensemen in the first round and only one of them, Callan Foote (No. 14 in 2017 NHL Draft) remains with the organization. Heinola excelled for Finland at the World U-18s and has the hockey sense and vision that should allow him to become a big part of the Lightning's top-four defense pair in the next few seasons.
Morreale -- Pelletier: Pelletier was named the best pro prospect in the QMJHL this season. He has high-end puck skills, the vision to create plays in the offensive end, can protect the puck, win battles along the boards and drive the net.
Lepage -- Nils Hoglander, LW, Rogle (SWE): The Lightning have never hesitated to give small prospects opportunities and Hoglander (5-9, 185) could be the next one. And if you're going to take a flyer, you might as well do it with a player with top-end work ethic.
 

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