Prospect Info: The 2020 Entry NHL Draft Thread

[Northern Avs Fan]

Lol not even close, Drysdale is going to be a good one, but I don't think his offensive game is as good as Byram's which isn't in the same realm of Makar's. Drysdale will most definitely be the better defensive player of the three easily, but that comparison is as lazy and unthought of as humanly possible - Drysdale is like a top 10 version of Bigras.

Btw, not my comparison. That’s just what the article said haha

Damn, he must have an elite defensive game if he is most definitely a better defender than Makar and Byram.

You had me in stitches calling him a top-10 Bigras lol

 

[S E P H]

Damn, he must have an elite defensive game if he is most definitely a better defender than Makar and Byram.

The more likely scenario is that Makar and Byram aren't truly superb in that category. Byram focuses on offence all the time and Makar has his limitations. Whereas, Drysdale has the patience, hockey IQ to be very good defensively, and pop in some numbers too. Even though I am not the biggest fan of him - not because I hate him, but 2020 is a poor year for defenders overall - he will still be a top-pairing one.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

The more likely scenario is that Makar and Byram aren't truly superb in that category. Byram focuses on offence all the time and Makar has his limitations. Whereas, Drysdale has the patience, hockey IQ to be very good defensively, and pop in some numbers too. Even though I am not the biggest fan of him - not because I hate him, but 2020 is a poor year for defenders overall - he will still be a top-pairing one.

You’re talking about the draft year version of Byram and Makar I assume? Because current Makar defends very effectively.

I went to watch some of Drysdale’s highlights after I saw the comparison and I have to say I was very impressed with his skating. They probably saw the skating ability and decided to make the Makar comp.

It sounds like they are very different players though, from what you’re saying.

It will be interesting to see where he lands.

 

[S E P H]

Lafreniere tops final ranking of North American skaters for 2020 Draft

2020 Draft Prospect Rankings | NHL Draft Prospect Rankings
2020 Draft Prospect Rankings | NHL Draft Prospect Rankings
2020 Draft Prospect Rankings | NHL Draft Prospect Rankings
2020 Draft Prospect Rankings | NHL Draft Prospect Rankings

 

[S E P H]

Did my spring list for the upcoming draft.

SEPH's 2020 Spring List

 

[henchman21]

You stay quiet on Phillips! No more mentions!

 

[Gatorbait19]

I really know nothing about this year’s draft, other than the fact that I desperately want us to draft a player named Mavrik.

That’s 1oa name material right there.

 

[McMetal]

I really know nothing about this year’s draft, other than the fact that I desperately want us to draft a player named Mavrik.

That’s 1oa name material right there.

It's nothing next to Gunnarwolfe Fontaine at eliteprospects.com

 

[Pokecheque]

I really know nothing about this year’s draft, other than the fact that I desperately want us to draft a player named Mavrik.

That’s 1oa name material right there.

Plus, he's a "Bork" so it's kinda destiny that he ends up in Colorado.

But yes, GUNNARWOLFE FONTAINE might be my favorite hockey name ever...even more than Zenith Komariniski.

 

[S E P H]

You stay quiet on Phillips! No more mentions!

Big fan of him, was considering him a 1st rounder. A bit raw and him being a late birthday doesn't do him any favours, but I still love him.

 

[PAZ]

Big fan of him, was considering him a 1st rounder. A bit raw and him being a late birthday doesn't do him any favours, but I still love him.

I'm curious, I know its talked about quite a bit in regards to early/late birthdays, but has there been any studies/analysis on how much of an impact it has for prospects development and ultimately making the NHL?

 

[henchman21]

Big fan of him, was considering him a 1st rounder. A bit raw and him being a late birthday doesn't do him any favours, but I still love him.

I'm in the camp of the birthday thing being overrated, but I love the skill set of the kid. Big, skates like the wind, has solid smarts, shows offensive skill... if he played a more physical game in the defensive zone, he'd be getting a lot more hype. If I'm taking a flyer on a defensemen, I'm most confident in Phillips. He's as projectable of a defenseman as you can get, and he's got so much untapped potential.

 

[S E P H]

I'm curious, I know its talked about quite a bit in regards to early/late birthdays, but has there been any studies/analysis on how much of an impact it has for prospects development and ultimately making the NHL?

I'm on the overrated birthday thing as Hench is on and I think it matters more for a player being younger than older. However, in Phillips case he was like three to four days on the cut off line for the 2019 draft so he's as old as you can get. I consider it a bit more impactful especially when you have a player more on the raw side like him, as he was quite dominant against younger competition in the OHL and didn't post spectacular stat line. With all that said, I am still a believer.

I'm in the camp of the birthday thing being overrated, but I love the skill set of the kid. Big, skates like the wind, has solid smarts, shows offensive skill... if he played a more physical game in the defensive zone, he'd be getting a lot more hype. If I'm taking a flyer on a defensemen, I'm most confident in Phillips. He's as projectable of a defenseman as you can get, and he's got so much untapped potential.

This is what I wrote about him...

Phillips is a Jamaican-Canadian who is a superb skater and I am not even talking about for his frame which is 6'3" and 195 lbs. He beats a lot of players in straight line speed with his skating ability because it is that smooth, that strong, and that good. The next aspect I would like to talk about is his cerebral play, it is outstanding and factoring in this with his skating ability makes him a very intriguing prospect. I would like to see more of that IQ on the offensive side, but I wouldn't call him strictly a defensive-defender currently. I admit that might be all he develops into, but as I said before I think there is a certain level of rawness in his game. He is one of the best 1v1 defenders for 2020 prospects I've seen thus far and he can break up plays looking so effortless. Isaak then skates the puck to the neutral zone and dictates it to one of his forwards.

In that way he plays it safe for majority of the time, but Phillips does have 9 goals on the season showing that he can score, he loves jumping up into the play, and he does like to shoot the puck. He prefers to do quick wristers or wrist shots with power instead of slappers, but he's able to walk back and forth on the blueline giving him the ability to change angles (due to his skating ability). I do question his puck skills and hands, but if there is a lad who could be one of the bigger darkhorses in this draft, I have all the confidence to say that it is this lad. Reminds me of Brett Pesce/Oscar Klefbom.

As you said he's one of the most projectable players and if he's able to develop more offence he's definitely on the path of Oscar Klefbom. I agree more physicality is needed, but I would prefer him to develop his offensive tools more than his defensive ones at the time being. Then if he never ever becomes gifted offensively, then he focus on the defensive zone such as developing a mean streak, etc.

 

[henchman21]

Naturally I think another year in Sudbury is going to force that out of him.. Thompson will get the prime offensive minutes next year, but Loponen going back to Finland pushes him right into an offensive role there. I don't think there is high end in him though and his calling card will be his skating and being the defensive compliment to better offensive players. I don't even care for him to be mean, I just want him to use his natural size advantage. I think he's an unusual breed when it comes to players that go through the growth spurt... he has never lost his skating (actually gotten better), but he can still play the body like an under 6' player more than a 6'3"-6'4" player. If he grasps that, along with his already high end 1v1 ability and skating, he can be a really good shutdown defender who isn't a liability offensively and can contribute some.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I'm curious, I know its talked about quite a bit in regards to early/late birthdays, but has there been any studies/analysis on how much of an impact it has for prospects development and ultimately making the NHL?

Boomer Gordon read out a study on the radio earlier this year and it concluded that earlier birthdays are actually better. I forgot how it was done exactly but I know it was done separately based on career games played and career points but both studies came back to favor those born earlier in the year.

I’d be willing to bet that these numbers were heavily swayed by season one and two of players careers though. A January born 19 year old vs a December born 19 year old has more physical development. That’s not gonna matter by 27.

 

[henchman21]

Boomer Gordon read out a study on the radio earlier this year and it concluded that earlier birthdays are actually better. I forgot how it was done exactly but I know it was done separately based on career games played and career points but both studies came back to favor those born earlier in the year.

I’d be willing to bet that these numbers were heavily swayed by season one and two of players careers though. A January born 19 year old vs a December born 19 year old has more physical development. That’s not gonna matter by 27.

Was it based on this one?
Study: Hockey players born October through December score more and are paid more

In the end, I'm on the side that talent is talent. If a player is good enough, their birthdate simply doesn't matter and any noise we see evens out over time. With that though, there is a pretty strong scouting bias against late (Sep-Dec) birthdays.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Was it based on this one?
Study: Hockey players born October through December score more and are paid more

In the end, I'm on the side that talent is talent. If a player is good enough, their birthdate simply doesn't matter and any noise we see evens out over time. With that though, there is a pretty strong scouting bias against late (Sep-Dec) birthdays.

Interesting. Like I said, the other one was based on totals. This one is based on averages. Earlier birthdays making the jump a year early seems to be screwing the numbers.

I’m sure we can count on 2 hands (maybe even 1) how many players were actually affected by not being able to play in the NHL as an 18 year old due to a late birthday in recent years. Eichel, Hall and Tavares. Maybe Hedman. For almost every single late birthday who was forced to wait an extra year to be drafted, they were never making the NHL as an 18 year old anyway. If anything it may have even helped prevent them from being rushed a year early.

 

[henchman21]

Interesting. Like I said, the other one was based on totals. This one is based on averages. Earlier birthdays making the jump a year early seems to be screwing the numbers.

I’m sure we can count on 2 hands (maybe even 1) how many players were actually affected by not being able to play in the NHL as an 18 year old due to a late birthday in recent years. Eichel, Hall and Tavares. Maybe Hedman. For almost every single late birthday who was forced to wait an extra year to be drafted, they were never making the NHL as an 18 year old anyway. If anything it may have even helped prevent them from being rushed a year early.

Matthews would be another I'd put in the list. IMO it simply goes in ebbs and flows, and long-term birthdates don't matter. They matter greatly when a player is 14-16.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Matthews would be another I'd put in the list. IMO it simply goes in ebbs and flows, and long-term birthdates don't matter. They matter greatly when a player is 14-16.

Yeah forgot about Matthews. He was probably more ready than all the above aside from JT.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah forgot about Matthews. He was probably more ready than all the above aside from JT.

Yeah if there was ever a poster boy for exceptionals, those two are it.

Quant has a nice little birth month totals stats page. If you go by the difference in percentage of points compared to percentage of the league, October is a consistent winner. They typically outperform the numbers they have. First half of the year varies, but typically has more months that underperform than over perform. November doesn't produce NHL players. Those Valentine's babies are weak.

NHL Totals by Birth Month - 2019‑2020 Stats

Anecdotally on the Avs, we have Makar, Rants, and Kadri as our October babies. Landy as our November. Mack is a young September and our hope on right defense is an old September.

 

[avsfan09]

So what do you guys think about Byfield? Where would you draft him, Projection or style. Would you take Stutzle* over him?

 

[henchman21]

So what do you guys think about Byfield? Where would you draft him, Projection or style. Would you take Stutzle* over him?

He's going to be a great player for a long, long time. Not many centers his size can skate the way he can, and dominate on a physical level if he wants to (his biggest flaw is his inconsistency there). He's as physically gifted of a center as we have seen in a while. I think there is some over scouting that has happened with him and teams are looking for ways to discount him. To me, he looks like a high end, franchise level #1C that will be great on both ends of the ice. He's an ideal building piece for a franchise.

It would take some security for a GM to take the risk of taking Stutzle over Byfield IMO. Any GM that has any bit of a hotseat, won't be taking that risk. Now with that, I think there are reasons to take Stutzle over Byfield and Laffs for that matter. Stutzle's offensive upside is very, very high (arguably highest in the draft) and he is one of the most natural skaters in the draft... he has a solid frame and plays good defense too (and can do so at center against men). There is one team I know of that has Stutzle at #1, even over Laffs... but this is still early and larger groups haven't consolidated yet.

 

[PAZ]

How much better is Lafrieniere compared to Hall at the time of the draft?

 

[henchman21]

How much better is Lafrieniere compared to Hall at the time of the draft?

IMO he's a real solid step better. Hall got away and still gets away with immense physical talent. Laffs has that immense physical talent while adding an elite brain and top notch leadership (He will probably be captain in his 2nd or 3rd season).

 

[henchman21]

Since we are all need some hockey talk, anybody got any questions on players from the USHL or Q? I have some insight on OHL and Dub, but not as strong as the other two leagues.