The Never-Too-Early 2019 NHL Entry Draft - Were not picking at 31

[SeaOfBlue]

I hope the leafs take a look at Iivari Rasanen, from what I know he looks like a great fit for this team if he plans out.

I liked him early on. More recently, he's kind of fallen off for me. Still a solid prospect, but I think he's more of a 4/5 rounder than a 3rd as I had him at originally.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

An absolute duel between two 00' goalies today in the QMJHL.

Alexis Shank, who stole Bouthillier's job, has made 76 saves on 78 shots. Colten Ellis, someone who could go in the top 3 rounds this year, has 50 saves on 52 shots.

They are currently in 4th OT. They have already played 2 full games in a row today and continue to go.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

Anybody have any thoughts about taking G Jonathan Lemieux with one of our picks? Posted a .902 SV% while facing over 5.5 shots a game more than the league average (36.86 per game vs. LA of 31.20). Not a big goalie but played extremely well considering.

Only other draft eligible goalies to face that kind of workload in Jesse Makaj, and Luke Cavallian posted save percentages of .878 and .864 respectively.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Anybody have any thoughts about taking G Jonathan Lemieux with one of our picks? Posted a .902 SV% while facing over 5.5 shots a game more than the league average (36.86 per game vs. LA of 31.20). Not a big goalie but played extremely well considering.

Only other draft eligible goalies to face that kind of workload in Jesse Makaj, and Luke Cavallian posted save percentages of .878 and .864 respectively.

I think there are a lot better options out there, even later on. He'd be pretty popular if he were bigger or more consistent, but he's neither. The list of quality goalies this year is ridiculous, and the Leafs do not even really need to consider drafting any of them.

 

[justafan22]

They need to draft a centre with their 2nd rounder.

 

[justafan22]

Would love to see them draft Bobby Brink with their 2nd rounder if he's somehow still there

 

[SeaOfBlue]

They need to draft a centre with their 2nd rounder.

Would love to see them draft Bobby Brink with their 2nd rounder if he's somehow still there

Those conflict.

Bobby Brink is a RW.

 

[justafan22]

Those conflict.

Bobby Brink is a RW.

Centres are important, but if a talent like Brink falls in the mid 2nd, I'd trade up.

I know that's a contradiction, but yeah

 

[Morgs]

Would love to see them draft Bobby Brink with their 2nd rounder if he's somehow still there

Brink is in my top-10 atm lol.

Some team is smart enough to grab him before 5x lol.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Brink is in my top-10 atm lol.

Some team is smart enough to grab him before 5x lol.

I think top 10 is a stretch.

I have him in the early 2nd or late 1st. Maybe earlier in the 20's or late teens if someone really likes him. There are guys who are often more talented, and are much larger/play a much more important position, who will go in the top 15. Hughes, Kakko, Dach, Cozens, Zegras, Byram, Turcotte, Podkolzin, Newhook, York, Boldy, Kaliyev, Soderstrom, Broberg, Krebs, etc. Even guys like Harley, Suzuki, Robertson, Lavoie and Vlasic may get some attention early.

 

[Morgs]

I think top 10 is a stretch.

I have him in the early 2nd or late 1st. Maybe earlier in the 20's or late teens if someone really likes him. There are guys who are often more talented, and are much larger/play a much more important position, who will go in the top 15. Hughes, Kakko, Dach, Cozens, Zegras, Byram, Turcotte, Podkolzin, Newhook, York, Boldy, Kaliyev, Soderstrom, Broberg, Krebs, etc. Even guys like Harley, Suzuki, Robertson, Lavoie and Vlasic may get some attention early.

I have him firmly in my top-10, I don't exactly agree with consensus anything.

 

[93LEAFS]

I think top 10 is a stretch.

I have him in the early 2nd or late 1st. Maybe earlier in the 20's or late teens if someone really likes him. There are guys who are often more talented, and are much larger/play a much more important position, who will go in the top 15. Hughes, Kakko, Dach, Cozens, Zegras, Byram, Turcotte, Podkolzin, Newhook, York, Boldy, Kaliyev, Soderstrom, Broberg, Krebs, etc. Even guys like Harley, Suzuki, Robertson, Lavoie and Vlasic may get some attention early.

There are 10 guys in Hughes, Kakko, Krebs, Dach, Turcotte, Podkolzin, Zegras, Byram, Cozens, and Boldy. Those guys will be the consensus top 10 barring a significant change. Now, that doesn't mean all of them will do in the top 10, as seen last year, 2 consensus top 10 guys in Dobson and Wahlstrom were pushed out by the surprising top 10 picks in Hayton and Kravtsov (to the public, I expected Kravtsov to the Rangers). After those 10 guys, the draft will be a free-for-all within the next group. For example, I could easily see Kaliyev being the Veleno of this draft having a range as high as 8, and a chance of slipping to 30. I agree top 10 is a bit rich for Brink, considering his issues staying healthy. I think Brinks likely floor is somewhere in the 30's. I'd be a bit surprised to see him get by the Coyotes and Panthers, who I could both see moving up from the early 40's if he starts to slip.

I'd also think focusing on a position is pointless in the 2nd. Odds are like 20% they become something of value and look how few legitimate top 9 centers there are picked after the 1st. A bunch of the centers in that range end up on the wing anyway.

 

[PromoterDave]

Wouldn't mind drafting David Levin (C), Greg Meireles (C), Austen Keating (C), Brady Lyle (D),
in the draft this year with late round picks. They are all former 1st round picks in the 2015 OHL Priority draft and are having pretty good years this year.

Linus Nyman (W), Mathew Struthers (C), Cole Coskey (W), Kady Landry (D), Owen Lalonde (D), Nick King (D), Liam Ham (D), Riley Mccourt (D) are also other players I would consider with late round picks.

The Toronto Marlies next year needs some AHL ready forwards for their lineup next season

 

[GBLeaf]

Did Keating attend a Leaf camp once?

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Did Keating attend a Leaf camp once?

Yes, and he his skating was not very good. Even now it is still suspect at best.

The guy is a power forward who does not score nearly enough, will not have the size to do it in the NHL (as he barely has the size to do it in the OHL), and really did not turn into anything until he was able to rack up a boat load of assists with a bunch of guys who can score a crap ton. He's not even really a center anymore either... Which was probably his only redeeming quality.

I wouldn't put him on the Leafs board.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

Wouldn't mind drafting David Levin (C), Greg Meireles (C), Austen Keating (C), Brady Lyle (D),
in the draft this year with late round picks. They are all former 1st round picks in the 2015 OHL Priority draft and are having pretty good years this year.

Linus Nyman (W), Mathew Struthers (C), Cole Coskey (W), Kady Landry (D), Owen Lalonde (D), Nick King (D), Liam Ham (D), Riley Mccourt (D) are also other players I would consider with late round picks.

The Toronto Marlies next year needs some AHL ready forwards for their lineup next season

They already have a bunch. IMO, the overage market is not exactly inspiring, and right now the Leafs need to look at younger talent than older.

The one who really stands out for me from that list is Greg Meireles. Fast, feisty, a center with 54.1% faceoff percentage, put up impressive production on a team that was not great, even though they had some pretty talented high-end forwards for him, and he really packed up his smaller frame. That seems like the type of guy Dubas would take a chance on. Even if he did not stick at center, I can see him turning into at least a solid bottom 6 winger in the NHL, and for a late round pick, he's worth a shot.

The other ones were Matthew Struthers and Riley McCourt. Struthers has kind of fallen on my list (not that he was that high in the first place) because he's not going to be a center in the pros, and I think he really rides on Brazeau. He has some size and plays a solid two-way game, but I'd need to see how other guys match up before truly committing to him. McCourt was drew some interest last year, but was injured to start this year. I think if he was a better team with that type of performance, he would go totally unnoticed, but being able to be a solid player on Flint is worth consideration. Once again, I'd need to see how he stacks up against other guys.

The rest I can almost definitively reject. Coskey, to me, is another Piccinich. Not super skilled in anything, but industrious and if things turn out right could be a career bottom 6er. I think you can say that about many prospects, and I'd rather take a shot on a younger guy with more upside than him. You can find undrafted free agents like him all of the time. Keating I think is riding off of skilled guys. His goals numbers have not gone up and while he is a decent play maker, I don't see it translating to the pros unless he plays with really good players again (but I can name many better guys you could say the same thing about). Not a good skater. He plays like a power forward but he would never be an effective one in the pros. He'll probably get drafted, but I don't see anything special coming out of him. Levin is not good. I think the guy has more flaws than attractive qualities, and his attractive qualities are not even NHL level IMO. He could have put up those numbers in his draft year and still gone undrafted. Nyman looked better last year than he did this year, so I do not know how that will work in his favour. Mind you I am going off of his Liiga production, but that is nothing special for the Liiga at his age.

The other defensemen (i.e. not McCourt) are also very common. In fact McCourt is also very similar himself, but that Flint factor and even his overall skill set stands out more to me than any of the others. They are all Puck movers, usually solid all-around but maybe a hole or two in a few areas, guys who may earn an invite to camp and earn a contract if they really stand out, but not someone you'd spend a pick on unless you really identify something you like (i.e. Hollowell and Durzi, but they had much stronger seasons and playoffs, albeit on better teams, than any of those guys). I don't see that in any of them, and some of them I have seen quite a bit of (Lyle and Lalonde were even guys invited to Leafs camps), but I am not a Leafs scout. Let's just say I think there is are options with far superior upside that I would rather take a chance on, even in the later rounds.

 

[justafan22]

Leafs need centres. Point and end.

 

[SeaOfBlue]

“I’ve never come across a guy like him” – Kolyachnok an...

Those are the types of guys the Leafs need to be taking. Skilled, hardworking, students of the game, low-maintenance. Those are the guys who turn into NHLers.

I'd strongly considering Kolyachonok with our 2nd. Definitely with our 3rd and later. No idea if he drops or not, but he put up respectable numbers with Flint last year, and I think he only gets better with that kind of attitude.

Kaliyev is also a guy who should be taken early, but it looks like he could be a steal as well. I still think he's top 10 material, or at least close to it (i.e. top 15).