Prospect Info: The Adolescent 2019 Draft Thread

[ConnorMcMullet]

Continuiation of previous post...



Here Podkolzin is at the right faceoff circle with control of the puck and has all the time in the world to make a simple pass to his defenseman at the blueline which would be the smart play here. Instead he opts to dangle with three opponents surrounding him. He is skilled enough to pull it off the first time, but then he gets the puck again on the other side of the ice, fails to shield the puck and cause instead a turnover.



Last clip. He carries the puck up the ice trying to gain the zone on the power play. Opts for a very dangerous play where he tries to carry it in himself again surrounded by three opponents instead of taking a safer option.

For Podkolzin to be successful playing the style that he is he would need to be a lot more shifty, explosive and elusive of a skater (think Johnny Gaudreau) and/or a lot stronger on the puck. This was a game against kids in MHL and I still saw him get muscled off the puck rather easily a number of times. For a kid who supposedly is 6'1, 190 lbs, he's not very strong.

And it's evident not just in this video but in every other video I've seen with him, whether it's the Ivan Hlinka, the VHL or MHL.

Have you see Pavel Dorofeyev at all? What do you think of him?

He has 1.63 ppg in the MHL vs 0.66 for Podkolzin.

 

[Zaddy]

Have you see Pavel Dorofeyev at all? What do you think of him?

He has 1.63 ppg in the MHL vs 0.66 for Podkolzin.

I started watching some video on him because I saw you mention his name but I got bored quickly and didn't get a good read off him so...in conclusion no

But yeah he's 1 year older than Podkolzin so he's to be expected to have a higher PPG. Although looking at last year he had 0.81 PPG in MHL so he would still be ahead.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

Kakko is probably my pick at #1 as well.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

Am I way off in feeling like this draft feels like it's Marner (Hughes) v Rantanen (Kakko)?

 

[Todd from Leduc]

I think the key of the new NHL is to draft small skilled guys. It’s a skill game nowadays.

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

I think the key of the new NHL is to draft small skilled guys. It’s a skill game nowadays.

I don't think small necessarily. It is more likely that smaller players are faster though. That said, all things equal, any team would still prefer the bigger player.

 

[PKSpecialist]

I think the key of the new NHL is to draft small skilled guys. It’s a skill game nowadays.

I think the key is to draft the player you think will have the best career. I honestly believe the problem most NHL teams have (and ours is no different) is that they are chasing other teams constantly. Sure, today small speedy guys are all the rage, but my guess is 5 years from now, there will be a shiny new idea because some team will win a Stanley Cup with 5 defensive forwards and a bunch of offensive dmen(as an example) and all the GM's of poor NHL teams will start chasing that unicorn.

The one thing that is certain in the NHL is that skill kills. That said, when teams stop drafting the big players because small and skilled players are all the rage, some team is going to get steals in the draft, like Nic Hague in the early second round and Max Comtois in the late second(again, just examples), and the team that recognizes that big and skilled trumps small and skilled will be ahead of the curve.

The point is, just stay true to your draft board. Should draft a variety of players with different skill sets.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Continuiation of previous post...



Here Podkolzin is at the right faceoff circle with control of the puck and has all the time in the world to make a simple pass to his defenseman at the blueline which would be the smart play here. Instead he opts to dangle with three opponents surrounding him. He is skilled enough to pull it off the first time, but then he gets the puck again on the other side of the ice, fails to shield the puck and cause instead a turnover.



Last clip. He carries the puck up the ice trying to gain the zone on the power play. Opts for a very dangerous play where he tries to carry it in himself again surrounded by three opponents instead of taking a safer option.

For Podkolzin to be successful playing the style that he is he would need to be a lot more shifty, explosive and elusive of a skater (think Johnny Gaudreau) and/or a lot stronger on the puck. This was a game against kids in MHL and I still saw him get muscled off the puck rather easily a number of times. For a kid who supposedly is 6'1, 190 lbs, he's not very strong.

And it's evident not just in this video but in every other video I've seen with him, whether it's the Ivan Hlinka, the VHL or MHL.

I see what your saying with some of these but a lot of these his teammates put him in an awful situation, a lot of things your critiquing him for are things that could be said about any player who has the puck on his stick a ton. You gotta remember with these prospects that there raw and no where near a finished product.

 

[thadd]

I hope I'm in the majority when I say this, but even if we somehow end up getting burned and draft 10th overall, I think the idea of us trading our first rounder is pretty crazy.

Kakko is probably my pick at #1 as well.

I want Kakko too. He's the guy I want.
Has good size and I love the look of his shot.
Only thing that sucks about drafting top 3 is I'm very afraid that we'll throw them into a top 6 role in the NHL right away.
Fingers crossed we can convince him to start in the AHL, but at this day in age it's pretty unusual.

 

[Zaddy]

I see what your saying with some of these but a lot of these his teammates put him in an awful situation, a lot of things your critiquing him for are things that could be said about any player who has the puck on his stick a ton. You gotta remember with these prospects that there raw and no where near a finished product.

Sure, but my point being that this is something I see in every game he plays. Not just this one game. He really needs to be making better decisions with the puck on his stick. Even when he has good options he doesn't use them nearly enough. Very immature game if you will. Need a lot of growth in that department. That's why I'm not ready to put him top3 or anywhere close to that. Kid has talent but also a lot to work on. Many guys out there with far fewer and more easily corrected issues in their game that I'd rather take than him.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Sure, but my point being that this is something I see in every game he plays. Not just this one game. He really needs to be making better decisions with the puck on his stick. Even when he has good options he doesn't use them nearly enough. Very immature game if you will. Need a lot of growth in that department. That's why I'm not ready to put him top3 or anywhere close to that. Kid has talent but also a lot to work on. Many guys out there with far fewer and more easily corrected issues in their game that I'd rather take than him.

For me though I think those things are easily fixable through experience if they even are a problem to begin with. He reminds a lot of young Hall. The strength will come as he gets older and it’s probably 2-3 years before he’s ready anyways.

I really like the breakdown of his game in this video

 

[RandomGuy79]

Can we please please PLEASE not draft a guy from Europe? I don't care how good he is.

 

[780il]

Am I way off in feeling like this draft feels like it's Marner (Hughes) v Rantanen (Kakko)?

Bang on imo. I've been using those comparisons for a while now.

 

[780il]

Yes there is the "Finnish red flag" for us with Kakko.

But he's just too damn good to pass up. If we can pick him and he's there when whoever the new GM is goes up to the podium, you jump at the opportunity. He's so f***ing good we can't mess it up. He's so skilled + big + strong + skilled all at the same time. His game is surprisingly refined for a 17/18 year old that is 6'4.

Run up to the stage, scream out Kakko's name. Give him 9 games, if he looks like he doesn't belong in even one of them.... Send him down to the AHL, be patient. That patience will be rewarded. Kakko will be the hands down best player from the draft imo. Hughes a tier below, everyone else a tier below that.

 

[Llamamoto]

Yes there is the "Finnish red flag" for us with Kakko.

But he's just too damn good to pass up. If we can pick him and he's there when whoever the new GM is goes up to the podium, you jump at the opportunity. He's so ****ing good we can't mess it up. He's so skilled + big + strong + skilled all at the same time. His game is surprisingly refined for a 17/18 year old that is 6'4.

Run up to the stage, scream out Kakko's name. Give him 9 games, if he looks like he doesn't belong in even one of them.... Send him down to the AHL, be patient. That patience will be rewarded. Kakko will be the hands down best player from the draft imo. Hughes a tier below, everyone else a tier below that.

Is there a Finnish red flag? Or is Pulju just not good enough for the NHL?

But I agree. Kakko is playing against men and crushing it. His numbers are better than Barkov, Laine, Aho, and his skillset would translate so well to the NHL.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

Yes there is the "Finnish red flag" for us with Kakko.

But he's just too damn good to pass up. If we can pick him and he's there when whoever the new GM is goes up to the podium, you jump at the opportunity. He's so ****ing good we can't mess it up. He's so skilled + big + strong + skilled all at the same time. His game is surprisingly refined for a 17/18 year old that is 6'4.

Run up to the stage, scream out Kakko's name. Give him 9 games, if he looks like he doesn't belong in even one of them.... Send him down to the AHL, be patient. That patience will be rewarded. Kakko will be the hands down best player from the draft imo. Hughes a tier below, everyone else a tier below that.

YES! Others are finally agreeing that Kakko > Hughes. I absolutely LOVE his game.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

I think the key of the new NHL is to draft small skilled guys. It’s a skill game nowadays.

Well Yamamoto hasn't exactly lit the world on fire. IMO high end speed and skill is where it's at. If you lack in the speed department then you need elite skill and hockey IQ. All of this talk about Hughes and Kakko but I think that a guy like Dach could be a high end player for us for many years and he's not a highly touted European which we have flunked out on badly. He adds a skilled RH shot and size as well.

 

[XXIV97]

We are dropping in the standing fast lol

 

[780il]

We are dropping in the standing fast lol

Notice I started talking more about Hughes/Kakko and less about Turcotte/Dach lmao

 

[XXIV97]

Notice I started talking more about Hughes/Kakko and less about Turcotte/Dach lmao

I could see us being bottom 2 by next weekend, which wouldn't be bad since we will get some talent on this team.

 

[Pass the Saitl Sauce]

I’d love to see a line with kakko centred by draisaitl and another big winger cycle the puck down low

 

[Soli]

OHL Prospects: Midseason Media/Scout Poll for 2019

Brock released his midseason media/scout poll. Something he said about a player we've talked plenty about caught my eye. I'll let you find out for yourself in the blog, but an excerpt:

After really thinking about it the last month or so, I've decided to move [redacted] to the top of my OHL draft list. His game has so many different layers to it. You've got an elite skater who plays with an infectious energy and has no fear on the ice. Impacts the game as a forechecker. Impacts the game as a puck carrier. Opens up space for his linemates when he doesn't have the puck. And I haven't even mentioned his hands and how skilled he is with the puck. He's playing with some pretty damn good OHL players and NHL prospects right now and on a lot of nights, he looks like the best of them...as a kid who won't turn 18 until after the draft

Going to be in that zone where he's not high enough for our 1st and possibly too good to still be there for our 2nd.

 

[BB88]

I think the key of the new NHL is to draft small skilled guys. It’s a skill game nowadays.

Skill and speed over size, size+ skill+ speed over skill and speed.

 

[smokersarejokers]

I still think Ottawa will finish last, they'll be in rough shape after dealing Duchene and likely Stone and Dzingel. But, I'd bet on the Oilers finishing in the bottom 3.

Hopefully they end up with Hughes or Kakko, but there are a lot of options at 3. I think I'd lean towards Turcotte. Admittedly, I've only really watched him on Youtube, but his speed, skill and smarts are exactly what they need.

I like Dach a lot, but I'm not sure he's the right pick. I'm not a big Cozens fan.

I like Podkolzin a lot in the few games I've seen at Hlinka-Gretzky and WJC, but the history with Russians certainly makes me nervous. Although, that's not fair to him at all and maybe he's the right pick. He has major star potential for sure.

 

[McDrai]

I could see us being bottom 2 by next weekend, which wouldn't be bad since we will get some talent on this team.

I think we have run out of luck as far as the lottery is concerned (not like we deserve any more luck). I'm fully expecting to move down in the draft if we finish in the bottom 2 of the standings