Prospect Info: The Nascent 2020 Draft Thread

The Oilers First Draft Pick in 2020 Will Be From Which League?


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Soli

Supervision Required
Sep 8, 2005
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Never too early to talk draft, right? ;)

This is not a thread to complain about the Oilers standings in the 2019-2020 season. This is a thread to discuss the 2020 NHL Entry Draft from an Oilers-centric view point. We got a good group of draft nerds and it makes us all smarter when we geek out together.

A quick and dirty glance at the prospect pool:

CENTER: C. Marody, R. McLeod, A. Rasanen, G. McPhee, T. Mazura

LEFT WING: T. Benson, J. Gambradella, O. Safin, M. Blumel

RIGHT WING: K. Yamamoto, R. Lavoie, K. Maksimov, P. Russell, C. Hebig,

LEFT DEFENSE: P. Broberg, D. Samorukov, C. Jones, W. Lagesson

RIGHT DEFENSE: E. Bouchard, E. Bear, J. Persson, F. Berglund, J. Marino, P. Kemp, M. Kesselring

GOALTENDER: S. Starrett, S. Skinner, D. Wells, O. Rodrigue, I. Konovalov

  • Netminders - For a team without stability in net, I understand the bullets, but if we use a 3rd rounder on another goalie in back-to-back-to-back drafts, I will be less understanding.
  • Top-6 Offensive Forwards - An organizational drought. Need to improve our stock of forwards that can project as Top-6 Forwards at the next level.
  • The Blueline - The Leftorium was reopened. We could use more projected solid Top-4 RHD stock and it'd always be nice to add a stud top pairing potential calibre defenseman of any handedness to finally fawn over in the prospect pool.
  • Stop Throwing Away Later Round Bullets Rant - You look back at the past 5 years or so of drafts and there's something to be said about sticking to the CHL. We've wasted plenty of bullets on walkabouts in Russia & Europe or players going to college with little promise. Hell, even our college prospects that track well don't want to sign with us (Nash, Desharnais, Hawkey, whispers of Marino). Our most successful picks in rounds 4-7? CHL picks tracking well like Maksimov, Wells, Bear, Jones, Davidson, etc. Sorry Lagesson, I love you.

---

Quick recon of the projected highlights of the 2020 class, we’re looking at a draft with plenty of offensive forward talent. The OHL rebounds in a big way and Sweden looks to have a Tre Kronor of stud wingers. Contenders will emerge from those leagues, but the current projected #1 resides in the QMJHL. If you care about that sort of thing, this is likely the year that a Canadian will be the 1st OV pick, first since McDavid in 2015.


Future Considerations is on top of things and has an early 2020 Rankings:



---

I know absolutely nothing, but I shall share what I know:

LW Alexis Lafreniere (QMJHL) - The projected #1 pick. Left wing, likely not a center at the next level.
LC Quinton Byfield (OHL) - Big complete package center. I think he’ll end up being a challenger for 1OV
RW Lucas Raymond (SHL) - Electrifying dynamic winger can create and finish. Hockey IQ through the roof. Gamebreaker.
RW Alexander Holtz (SHL) - Same boat as Lucas, dynamic winger a threat to score every game, was the cream of the Swedish crop until he was usurped this season.
RW Noel Gunler (SHL) - Gunler’s a pure sniper, a few months older than Holtz and a lil more polish to his game.
LC Anton Lundell (Liiga) - Being compared to Barkov, whispers of being NHL ready come his draft.
LC Cole Perfetti (OHL) Otten: Marner-esque in the way he controls the pace in the offensive end
LC Tim Stutzle (DEL) The German product is garnering massive talk. TBD where he’s playing next season, eligible for import draft?
RD Jamie Drysdale (OHL) 6’0 RHD. Otten: Drysdale has everything you look for in a future number one defender at the next level; tremendous mobility, puck skill, poise, vision, and positioning. Right up there with the likes of Drew Doughty and Ryan Ellis as some of the best 16 year old defenders I've seen in the OHL.
RD Justin Barron (QMJHL) Speaking of defenseman, 6’2 RHD is a fluid effortless skater, puck carrier, hockey IQ, strong on the boards.
LC Marco Rossi (OHL) - Austrian import is undersized, but ripped up the OHL, skilled, creative, dangerous, excellent ES producer
RC Joel Perrault (OHL) - 30 goals as a 16 year old. Quick strike, fearless game.
LC Jean Luc Foudy (OHL) - Brother of Liam, also a speed demon, excellent primary assist playmaker.
LW Antonio Stranges (OHL) - Hands are electric, wizard with the puck, impressive edge work, got a bit lost in the London shuffle. Fun to watch.
LC Connor Zary (WHL) - Was a driving force and Jason Williams clutch down the stretch for the Blazers willing them into the playoffs. Capped off with a strong U18 showing.
RD Braden Schneider (WHL) - 6’2 mobile 2-way defenseman, crisp outlets, good defensive positioning on rush
LD Kaiden Guhle (WHL) - 6’3 LHD Sherwood Park native. Brendan’s brother. Great mobility, poise, hockey IQ.
LC Dylan Holloway (AJHL) - Has been getting press recently with his rights traded to the Savoie & Krebs show in Winnipeg. The trade to the Ice has not made him reconsider his commitment as of now. The Calgarian plays for the Okotoks Oilers.
LC Hendrix Lapierre (QMJHL) - slick playmaker won QMJHL offensive rookie of the year.
RW Dawson Mercer (QMJHL) - Nygard got lifetime mozzarella sticks, can you imagine the side deal Mercer would get in Edmonton? 30G scorer in the Q last year.
G Yaroslav Askarov (MHL) -The next touted premiere goaltender. More highly regarded than Spencer Knight?
LD Jake Sanderson (USDP) - Geoff Sanderson’s kid. Mobile PMD has the strong work ethic of a kid of an NHLer.
RW Kasper Simontaival (Liiga) - Creative & dynamic offense.
RW Daniil Gushchin (MHL) - Top Russian winger shoots left. More than doubled Afanasyev’s point total at the same age with the Lumberjacks (no context of TOI or GP!)
LW Jan Mysak (Czech) - Young for the draft class and already playing against men in the highest Czech league.
LW Jake Neighbours (WHL) - The Edmonton Oil King rub.

---

Going to be keeping an eye on hometown(ish) boy Kirby Dach and Raphael Lavoie.

Something I said last year at this time. A week ago I may have wrote something about being okay with looking at an Oil King with our 2nd rounder in 2020 (Jake Neighbours), but after seeing McLeod and Lavoie fall to us in successive draft years, must dream bigger. Let's put my powers of premonition to good use. Any of Sweden's stud wingers would be an unfortunate dream of a nightmare season, so I'll look on the bright side and keep an eye on Joel Perrault and Jean Luc Foudy. After a down year in 2019, 2020 may boast some top pairing calibre RHD available in the 1st, and I'd love to add Jamie Drysdale or Justin Barron to the prospect pool.

Who are you interested in for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft?

---

Finally, we had about 7 Draft Threads last cycle, so that means we need ~4 names for stages of life to join "Premature" and "Adolescence". Discuss!
 
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Zaddy

Registered User
Feb 8, 2013
13,058
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Zion Nybeck is one of my favorites for this draft. He has everything you want in a prospect except size, he's like a more complete version of Cole Caufield, but maybe not quite as good of a goalscorer, but still has an insane release and like Caufield can score from anywhere, even what would seem to be impossible angles. Great hands, creativity, compete and playmaking too. So assuming the Oilers are not drafting in the top10 next year he'd be one of my favorite targets for the pick.


 

Soli

Supervision Required
Sep 8, 2005
21,690
10,935
Zion Nybeck is one of my favorites for this draft. He has everything you want in a prospect except size, he's like a more complete Caufield, but maybe not quite as good of a goalscorer, but still has an insane release. So assuming the Oilers are not drafting in the top10 next year he'd be one of my favorite targets for the pick.




Didn't make my OP because he didn't fit the "Tre" Kronor narrative and because he shot left, I left him out. :D
 

Cloned

Begging for Bega
Aug 25, 2003
78,946
64,127
cut.jpg

Never too early to talk draft, right? ;)

This is not a thread to complain about the Oilers standings in the 2019-2020 season. This is a thread to discuss the 2020 NHL Entry Draft from an Oilers-centric view point. We got a good group of draft nerds and it makes us all smarter when we geek out together.

A quick and dirty glance at the prospect pool:

CENTER: C. Marody, R. McLeod, A. Rasanen, G. McPhee, T. Mazura

LEFT WING: T. Benson, J. Gambradella, O. Safin, M. Blumel

RIGHT WING: K. Yamamoto, R. Lavoie, K. Maksimov, P. Russell, C. Hebig,

LEFT DEFENSE: P. Broberg, D. Samorukov, C. Jones, W. Lagesson

RIGHT DEFENSE: E. Bouchard, E. Bear, J. Persson, F. Berglund, J. Marino, P. Kemp, M. Kesselring

GOALTENDER: S. Starrett, S. Skinner, D. Wells, O. Rodrigue, I. Konovalov

  • Netminders - For a team with stability in net, I understand the bullets, but if we use a 3rd rounder on another goalie in back-to-back-to-back drafts, I will be less understanding.
  • Top-6 Offensive Forwards - An organizational drought. Need to improve our stock of forwards that can project as Top-6 Forwards at the next level.
  • The Blueline - The Leftorium was reopened. We could use more projected solid Top-4 RHD stock and it'd always be nice to add a stud top pairing potential calibre defenseman of any handedness to finally fawn over in the prospect pool.
  • Stop Throwing Away Later Round Bullets Rant - You look back at the past 5 years or so of drafts and there's something to be said about sticking to the CHL. We've wasted plenty of bullets on walkabouts in Russia & Europe or players going to college with little promise. Hell, even our college prospects that track well don't want to sign with us (Nash, Desharnais, Hawkey, whispers of Marino). Our most successful picks in rounds 4-7? CHL picks tracking well like Maksimov, Wells, Bear, Jones, Davidson, etc. Sorry Lagesson, I love you.

---

Quick recon of the projected highlights of the 2020 class, we’re looking at a draft with plenty of offensive forward talent. The OHL rebounds in a big way and Sweden looks to have a Tre Kronor of stud wingers. Contenders will emerge from those leagues, but the current projected #1 resides in the QMJHL. If you care about that sort of thing, this is likely the year that a Canadian will be the 1st OV pick, first since McDavid in 2015.


Future Considerations is on top of things and has an early 2020 Rankings:



---

I know absolutely nothing, but I shall share what I know:

LW Alexis Lafreniere (QMJHL) - The projected #1 pick. Left wing, likely not a center at the next level.
LC Quinton Byfield (OHL) - Big complete package center. I think he’ll end up being a challenger for 1OV
RW Raymond Lucas (SHL) - Electrifying dynamic winger can create and finish. Hockey IQ through the roof. Gamebreaker.
RW Alexander Holtz (SHL) - Same boat as Lucas, dynamic winger a threat to score every game, was the cream of the Swedish crop until he was usurped this season.
RW Noel Gunler (SHL) - Gunler’s a pure sniper, a few months older than Holtz and a lil more polish to his game.
LC Anton Lundell (Liiga) - Being compared to Barkov, whispers of being NHL ready come his draft.
LC Cole Perfetti (OHL) Otten: Marner-esque in the way he controls the pace in the offensive end
LC Tim Stutzle (DEL) The German product is garnering massive talk. TBD where he’s playing next season, eligible for import draft?
RD Jamie Drysdale (OHL) 6’0 RHD. Otten: Drysdale has everything you look for in a future number one defender at the next level; tremendous mobility, puck skill, poise, vision, and positioning. Right up there with the likes of Drew Doughty and Ryan Ellis as some of the best 16 year old defenders I've seen in the OHL.
RD Justin Barron (QMJHL) Speaking of defenseman, 6’2 RHD is a fluid effortless skater, puck carrier, hockey IQ, strong on the boards.
LC Marco Rossi (OHL) - Austrian import is undersized, but ripped up the OHL, skilled, creative, dangerous, excellent ES producer
RC Joel Perrault (OHL) - 30 goals as a 16 year old. Quick strike, fearless game.
LC Jean Luc Foudy (OHL) - Brother of Liam, also a speed demon, excellent primary assist playmaker.
LW Antonio Stranges (OHL) - Hands are electric, wizard with the puck, impressive edge work, got a bit lost in the London shuffle. Fun to watch.
LC Connor Zary (WHL) - Was a driving force and Jason Williams clutch down the stretch for the Blazers willing them into the playoffs. Capped off with a strong U18 showing.
RD Braden Schneider (WHL) - 6’2 mobile 2-way defenseman, crisp outlets, good defensive positioning on rush
LD Kaiden Guhle (WHL) - 6’3 LHD Sherwood Park native. Brendan’s brother. Great mobility, poise, hockey IQ.
LC Dylan Holloway (AJHL) - Has been getting press recently with his rights traded to the Savoie & Krebs show in Winnipeg. The trade to the Ice has not made him reconsider his commitment as of now. The Calgarian plays for the Okotoks Oilers.
LC Hendrix Lapierre (QMJHL) - slick playmaker won QMJHL offensive rookie of the year.
RW Dawson Mercer (QMJHL) - Nygard got lifetime mozzarella sticks, can you imagine the side deal Mercer would get in Edmonton? 30G scorer in the Q last year.
G Yaroslav Askarov (MHL) -The next touted premiere goaltender. More highly regarded than Spencer Knight?
LD Jake Sanderson (USDP) - Geoff Sanderson’s kid. Mobile PMD has the strong work ethic of a kid of an NHLer.
RW Kasper Simontaival (Liiga) - Creative & dynamic offense.
RW Daniil Gushchin (MHL) - Top Russian winger shoots left. More than doubled Afanasyev’s point total at the same age with the Lumberjacks (no context of TOI or GP!)
LW Jan Mysak (Czech) - Young for the draft class and already playing against men in the highest Czech league.
LW Jake Neighbours (WHL) - The Edmonton Oil King rub.

---



Something I said last year at this time. A week ago I may have wrote something about being okay with looking at an Oil King with our 2nd rounder in 2020 (Jake Neighbours), but after seeing McLeod and Lavoie fall to us in successive draft years, must dream bigger. Let's put my powers of premonition to good use. Any of Sweden's stud wingers would be an unfortunate dream of a nightmare season, so I'll look on the bright side and keep an eye on Joel Perrault and Jean Luc Foudy. After a down year in 2019, 2020 may boast some top pairing calibre RHD available in the 1st, and I'd love to add Jamie Drysdale or Justin Barron to the prospect pool.

Who are you interested in for the 2020 NHL Entry Draft?

---

Finally, we had about 7 Draft Threads last cycle, so that means we need ~4 names for stages of life to join "Premature" and "Adolescence". Discuss!


What are the knocks on Byfield? At first glance, a 6'5" center with an all-around game sounds like a dream.
 

Cloned

Begging for Bega
Aug 25, 2003
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I love Lafreniere's shot. If he gets drafted to a team with a legit playmaking centreman. He could win the Rocket Richard trophy down the road.



The thing about him that would make me hesitant to draft him at #1 is that he does have trouble creating on his own sometimes and his skating isn't plus-plus, and it's very much a skating league now.
 
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ChicagoBullsFan

Registered User
Jun 6, 2015
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Who ever Oilers draft i hope it's not a Finn.
Finnish players and Oilers doesn't work anymore so no more Finns to Oilers ( not even Lundell ).

Case Puljujarvi lost all my faith to this organisations abilities to handle young Finnish players.
My vote goes to QMJHL and i hope Oilers take Alexis Lafreniere or other Canadian player
 

Fixed to Ruin

Come wit it now!
Feb 28, 2007
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The thing about him that would make me hesitant to draft him at #1 is that he does have trouble creating on his own sometimes and his skating isn't plus-plus, and it's very much a skating league now.

Byfield is my number 1 guy. 6'4 centres that can skate and make plays at an elite level is too rare of a skillset to pass up imo. Lafreniere to me is more of a Huberdeau type. Superstar and a very elite complementary player but not necessarily a driver or a franchise changing player.
 
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Soli

Supervision Required
Sep 8, 2005
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What are the knocks on Byfield? At first glance, a 6'5" center with an all-around game sounds like a dream.

I don't know that he has knocks. The worst thing Brock Otten said about him was about playmaking and using his teammates, which were put to rest in his mind.

Coming into the league, there were some that felt his vision and playmaking ability were weak spots, but I've been impressed with the way he uses his teammates. Way less selfishness in his game than I was expecting.

@Zaddy, whatcha know about Helge Grans?
 

Cloned

Begging for Bega
Aug 25, 2003
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I don't know that he has knocks. The worst thing Brock Otten said about him was about playmaking and using his teammates, which were put to rest in his mind.



@Zaddy, whatcha know about Helge Grans?

I guess the question is what makes him worse than Lafreniere? Because generally speaking the 6'5" center will always get drafted first if all else is mostly equal.
 

Soli

Supervision Required
Sep 8, 2005
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I guess the question is what makes him worse than Lafreniere? Because generally speaking the 6'5" center will always get drafted first if all else is mostly equal.

More proflic scoring so far. Lafreniere is putting up 100+ points in 60 some games in the QMJHL where Byfield is PPG in his 60 some games. Perhaps we'll get to see them on the same stage in at the WJC.
 
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Zaddy

Registered User
Feb 8, 2013
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@Zaddy, whatcha know about Helge Grans?

Not a lot personally. From BLOG: Swedish Junior circuit loaded with 2020 talent:
Grans has been one of the few bright spots on a quite weak Malmö team so far this season in J20 SuperElit and is fourth in team scoring with his eight points (four goals and four assists) in 15 games. He is a mobile two-way defenseman, with good puck skills and great lateral movement along the offensive blue line. What really stands out with Grans game is his hockey sense, how calm, confident and composed he is with the puck in his possession, and how well he reads the game before he distributes the puck. You will rarely see him throw pucks away or make a bad pass to put a teammate in a tricky situation. He is the type of player that always seems to have some extra time while handling the puck.

Grans thrives on the offensive blue line, his quick first step and puck handling give him extra time to either find a good option for a pass or to put himself in a position to get his shot past the blocking forward. Grans’ shot from the point is both accurate and powerful and he does not hesitate to use it. Even though Grans has his most notable strengths in his play with the puck in his possession he is still solid in his own end, he reads the game very well while defending and rarely makes big mistakes, his gap control is excellent, and you will rarely see him beat in 1-on-1 situations. Grans game is very mature for his age and sometimes you have to remind yourself that he is only 16 years old when you watch him play. Malmö have already tested him on senior level, and he didn’t even look out of place playing against men in the Champions Hockey League.
 
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Zaddy

Registered User
Feb 8, 2013
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If we're ass again (very likely) then I want Lucas Raymond. Boy that kids electric.

Same here. I really do hope the Oilers aren't ass, but if they are then Raymond is my go-to guy. Incredible player. Watched him since he was 14.
 

Canovin

1% is the new 11.5%
Oct 27, 2010
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Just hoping the Oilers make the playoffs and are still enable to draft their #2C. Preferably right handed
 

Macblender

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May 5, 2014
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While I hope we are competitive I just cant see us cracking the playoffs due to the contract situation we just wont get enough help at forward or G to really push the needle.

Is there any guys in the 10-16 range (pending no lottery win) that would be potential dynamic forwards?

From what I am reading this draft seems disgustingly deep so it seems if we are a bubble team we may get a guy who would be a top 10 talent in another year.
 
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