Prospect Info: The 2020 Entry NHL Draft Thread

[Spirits]

I wonder if Joe can trade Jost for the Red Wings 1st this year? If anyone can make it happen it would be him.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I wonder if Joe can trade Jost for the Red Wings 1st this year? If anyone can make it happen it would be him.

Y0u mean the 1OA pick...?

There's only 2 players who could be traded for that pick. I'll let you guess if Jost is one of those 2.

 

[Spirits]

Y0u mean the 1OA pick...?

There's only 2 players who could be traded for that pick. I'll let you guess if Jost is one of those 2.

Yes, that was obviously a serious post...

 

[Balthazar]

70th point for Lafreniere (in 32 games).

 

[Cousin Eddie]

70th point for Lafreniere (in 32 games).

Lol

 

[Avs_19]

I keep reading good things about this draft so just how deep is it? This might be difficult this far out but what I really want to know is how do prospects projected to go in the 20-30 range compare to Newhook?

 

[Balthazar]

I keep reading good things about this draft so just how deep is it? This might be difficult this far out but what I really want to know is how do prospects projected to go in the 20-30 range compare to Newhook?

I've read people saying it's the best draft in the last 10 years, which means that it would be better than 2015.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

I've read people saying it's the best draft in the last 10 years, which means that it would be better than 2015.

Hopefully the Avs can find a gem in the later rounds.

 

[S E P H]

I keep reading good things about this draft so just how deep is it? This might be difficult this far out but what I really want to know is how do prospects projected to go in the 20-30 range compare to Newhook?

I am not a believer of the defenders in this draft, but forward wise it looks to be extremely strong in the top 12-15. Then, I suggest it drops considerably with a lot of wildcard prospects between 15th to 23rd-ish with the likes of Zary, Gunler, Mysak, Amirov, Nybeck, Smilanic, Stranges, and Hirovanen. What I mean by wildcard is risky prospects who can turn out to be gems, but have one red flag or another. Finally, is the last 6-8 or so prospects which seem to be pretty NHL safe like Martin Kauts'.

I've read people saying it's the best draft in the last 10 years, which means that it would be better than 2015.

Lol, no....

 

[McMetal]

70th point for Lafreniere (in 32 games).

I mean, neat moves, but that defending would embarass a pee wee coach.

 

[henchman21]

I keep reading good things about this draft so just how deep is it? This might be difficult this far out but what I really want to know is how do prospects projected to go in the 20-30 range compare to Newhook?

Similar. There are a few that may have higher ceilings that go in that area, but they have their own issues.

 

[Pokecheque]

I am not a believer of the defenders in this draft, but forward wise it looks to be extremely strong in the top 12-15.

Translation: There will be a massive run on defensemen in the first round of this draft.

 

[Balthazar]

I'll never forget HF in 2017 when everyone was saying it wasn't a draft for dmen, to draft a forward in the top 5, and any team picking a D is reaching.

Turns out 2 of the top 3 players of that draft are dmen. The difference between Heiskanen/Makar vs Mittelstadt/Glass/Tippett/Vilardi/Rasmussen.....yikes.

 

[henchman21]

Translation: There will be a massive run on defensemen in the first round of this draft.

For some reason, and I don't get this, in down years there tends to be a run on defensemen and teams reach in the first. In 2018 when Merkley was selected, it was almost like teams panicked and just grabbed the best defensemen on their board. After Merkley, JBD was the only guy I really felt was worth a first... the others were more early to mid 2 round grades (at best), yet 8 of the next 11 picks were defensemen. Some look good in hindsight (Miller, JBD, Lundqvist and Sandin)... some look rather poor.

 

[Balthazar]

For some reason, and I don't get this, in down years there tends to be a run on defensemen and teams reach in the first. In 2018 when Merkley was selected, it was almost like teams panicked and just grabbed the best defensemen on their board. After Merkley, JBD was the only guy I really felt was worth a first... the others were more early to mid 2 round grades (at best), yet 8 of the next 11 picks were defensemen. Some look good in hindsight (Miller, JBD, Lundqvist and Sandin)... some look rather poor.

JBD was a reach even at the end of the 1st round wasn't he?

 

[henchman21]

JBD was a reach even at the end of the 1st round wasn't he?

I think to most, but I was a tire pumper on him.

 

[S E P H]

Translation: There will be a massive run on defensemen in the first round of this draft.

For the record I haven't watched a lot of the Euro defenders yet, but it just seems like lists are forcing them in the top 31 for the sake of having defenders there. Drysdale is also pretty overrated to me, people think he's going to be Byram 2.0, but the lad has no physical prowess whatsoever.

Poirier, Walliander, Cormier, Viro, O'Rourke, Mukhamadullin, Ratzlaff, Thompson, Andrae, Grans, and Nikishin have all come out of nowhere and I don't buy all of them being first round quality.

The only defenders I kept seeing ranked high consistently is Drysdale, Sanderson, Kleven, Barron, and Schneider. Besides Schneider who I think is actually the best of the bunch, I would not draft any of those players as they're all going to go at least ten spots too high.

 

[Pokecheque]

For the record I haven't watched a lot of the Euro defenders yet, but it just seems like lists are forcing them in the top 31 for the sake of having defenders there. Drysdale is also pretty overrated to me, people think he's going to be Byram 2.0, but the lad has no physical prowess whatsoever.

Poirier, Walliander, Cormier, Viro, O'Rourke, Mukhamadullin, Ratzlaff, Thompson, Andrae, Grans, and Nikishin have all come out of nowhere and I don't buy all of them being first round quality.

The only defenders I kept seeing ranked high consistently is Drysdale, Sanderson, Kleven, Barron, and Schneider. Besides Schneider who I think is actually the best of the bunch, I would not draft any of those players as they're all going to go at least ten spots too high.

Cool, and just so you know, my remark was not any sort of snark directed your way, just that the last two drafts the pundits said one thing and the GMs did something else. 2018 was supposedly where you go and get a franchise defender, a bunch of them went for forwards instead. 2019 was all about the forwards, we saw a run on defensemen. Just...weird. Understandable to a point, but, weird.

 

[S E P H]

Cool, and just so you know, my remark was not any sort of snark directed your way, just that the last two drafts the pundits said one thing and the GMs did something else. 2018 was supposedly where you go and get a franchise defender, a bunch of them went for forwards instead. 2019 was all about the forwards, we saw a run on defensemen. Just...weird. Understandable to a point, but, weird.

Don't worry I never took it as such, I was in agreement with you. As of now, if Avs did draft a defender that was not name Sanderson or Schneider, I would be pretty disappoint because there should be some higher potent forwards that could drop due to character issues or beating up ex-boyfriends before draft.

Also do not draft Guhle either, he is all brawn no brains defender.

 

[henchman21]

I really like Poirier and Grans personally. I don't know where I'd rank them yet, but they are the two out of the next group I really like. Grans is a Broberg that doesn't take as many chances, looks a bit less dynamic... but a better defender especially off the rush. Big, can skate, bomb of a shot... two way upside. If he has a big U18 like I expect, he will shoot up the boards.

 

[S E P H]

The First Overall Pick

It’s no longer a question if Sudbury center Quinton Byfield will insert himself into the No. 1 overall conversation – he’s in it. I’ve talked to scouts who think Rimouski winger Alexis Lafreniere is solidly their top guy, but I’ve talked to many scouts who think it’s a coin flip and many scouts who think Byfield is solidly the top guy.

Pronman: Guide to the 2020 world juniors

It's Pronman, so I would've taken it with a grain of salt, however, he mentions that he has talked to NHL scouts.

 

[henchman21]

Byfield could be down a half step and be in the conversation. Wing vs center means an awful lot to scouts.

 

[McMetal]

At the beginning of the season, I thought that if anybody could make a challenge for #1 it would be Byfield. And while he is having an excellent season and looks like he'll be a real star, at this point I think Lafreniere has really started to pull away from him. I get the C vs. W factor, but if I'm picking BPA today it's got to be Lafreniere.

He almost reminds me of Mario Lemieux from the wing, with his blend of speed, skill, and power. Obviously not as dominant as that but stylistically I keep coming back to that as a comparison.

 

[Foppa2118]

I mean, neat moves, but that defending would embarass a pee wee coach.

Yeah, not to take away from Lafreniere, but Robidas (#19) had himself a pretty good General Guenin pointing moment there.

 

[Metallo]

Watching Spengler. UFA got 2 kids that are highly touted, #27 (Amirov) and #85. Hard to get a read on them with their team being overmatched, bad stream and minimal icetime.

TPS #77 Sund looks good. SJS property.#48 Pajuniemi 2018 NYR unsigned draftee is a shooter.

BTW Sean Burke invited his son to be the 3rd string goalie. Talk about nespotism.

Edit: Amirov just scored.