GDT: U18s - CAN/USA @ 7:30AM, RUS/SWE @ 11:30 AM

5 14 6 1

We are the 11.5%
Sep 15, 2010
14,214
15,080
Alberta
Canada has not had as much top end talent as the americans, swedes, and sometimes even fins the last few years. Might forecast future challenge for the mens team.

Does anyone think Canada will win against USA for the bronze?

I mean Canada has McDavid, MacKinnon, Point, Marner, and Barzal as top end NHL talent who are all 23 or under.

Supposed to have the #1 overall pick next year in Alexis Lafreniere out of the Q (61GP 37G 68A 105P)

Im not to worried about it.

We have some other nice players like Stone, Schiefle, O'Reilly, Hall, Seguin, Couturier, Tavares and more who are all on the right side of 30 as well.
 
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alphahelix

Registered User
Feb 15, 2007
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I mean Canada has McDavid, MacKinnon, Point, Marner, and Barzal as top end NHL talent who are all 23 or under.

Supposed to have the #1 overall pick next year in Alexis Lafreniere out of the Q (61GP 37G 68A 105P)

Im not to worried about it.

We have some other nice players like Stone, Schiefle, O'Reilly, Hall, Seguin, Couturier, Tavares and more who are all on the right side of 30 as well.

We've never really been behind on talent in the past, its just the past few years that other nations have been caught up. It takes a while for that to have a serious impact, as we are still loaded in the past generation. If it keeps trending this way, when this upcoming group are the veterans and McD is nearing the end of his career, there will be alot more parity...
 

bobbythebrain

Registered User
Jul 30, 2016
13,447
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I'm going to guess that Byram, Dach, and Turcotte are for sure off the board.

It looks like one of Cozens, Krebs, or Zegras would be available. All are fantastic picks. I'm not sure how you could look at them and go "they ain't ****, just trade the pick".

Caufield & Boldy are nice picks as well. Podkolzin worries me.

I'm not saying they aren't NHL players. I'm just saying the class on a whole might produce Matthews level prospect while most will top put around the Kellar level or lower.
Likely lower at around 8.

Kellar is a good player...but not good enough I wouldn't consider trading for immediate help.
 

ImmuneEH

Registered User
Apr 2, 2017
1,198
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I'm not saying they aren't NHL players. I'm just saying the class on a whole might produce Matthews level prospect while most will top put around the Kellar level or lower.
Likely lower at around 8.

Kellar is a good player...but not good enough I wouldn't consider trading for immediate help.

This is going to sound like such a cop out, but this isn't the year to do it. Next year is a very deep draft, so I'd prefer not to trade next year's 1st unless it's too good a deal to pass up.

Why not this year?
  • Trading our 1st isn't going to put us over the hump. Personally, I like the idea of trading the 1st if we have a lot of the right pieces in place, and we could use that last piece to put us over the top.
  • To expand on that first point, we don't have an established 3C (sucks that R. Strome couldn't get going with us), we need at least one legit top 6W to help drive offense on Nuge's line, our starter isn't an ideal starter, we lack a 2RD (Russell is less than ideal).
  • The player drafted is expansion exempt.
  • We're still too tight on the cap to fix all the holes I mentioned, I just think trading the 1st is jumping the gun a bit.
We'll have an influx of prospects coming in 2020/21 + plenty of cap opening up. I'm not sure if Benson, Marody, Yamamoto, Puljujarvi, 2019 #8, or McLeod have much of an impact next year, but I feel safe in saying that 2 of those names will have an impact in 2020/21.
 
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5 14 6 1

We are the 11.5%
Sep 15, 2010
14,214
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Alberta
My biggest issue with trading the pick is the expansion draft and salary cap. Young ELC players are SO valuable in today's game. Say we move the pick for a roster player, well thats one more player we have to protect in the expansion draft and that is going to be a headache with guys like Russell and Lucic having NMC's.

Exempt are all first- and second-year NHL players, and all unsigned draft choices.

This means whomever we draft assuming they take at least one year of development will be off limits for the expansion draft.
 
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bobbythebrain

Registered User
Jul 30, 2016
13,447
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This is going to sound like such a cop out, but this isn't the year to do it. Next year is a very deep draft, so I'd prefer not to trade next year's 1st unless it's too good a deal to pass up.

Why not this year?
  • Trading our 1st isn't going to put us over the hump. Personally, I like the idea of trading the 1st if we have a lot of the right pieces in place, and we could use that last piece to put us over the top.
  • To expand on that first point, we don't have an established 3C (sucks that R. Strome couldn't get going with us), we need at least one legit top 6W to help drive offense on Nuge's line, our starter isn't an ideal starter, we lack a 2RD (Russell is less than ideal).
  • The player drafted is expansion exempt.
  • We're still too tight on the cap to fix all the holes I mentioned, I just think trading the 1st is jumping the gun a bit.

To you 4 points
-Not about a hump. It's about the playoffs. While I most almost agree that building through the draft is the best approach, too many missed years will take it's toll. Last thing we want is Drai and McD to go through what Hall/RNH did
-Agree, we don't have an established 3 C. But Marody is that guy imo. He had a wonderful season and has little more to learn in the AHL
-Expansion means absolutely nothing imo. Fans go back and forth over the logic of this to death, but GM's have already admitted it has little to do w/ their yearly plans. Sacrificing a year of playoffs for 2 years down the road is pointless imo. I can't stress enough how much fans mauled over this last time w/ their theories and logic yet no GM's really cared. Only a couple GM's got caught w/ their pants down like ANA. A good GM should be able to set himself for minimal damage next year
-Agree on that, but hopefully a good GM can make some nice moves. You don't need an allstar roster as last years Vegas and this years Car and NYI are showing us. A good dump could give us enough players to compete, a new coach can do wonders

I'll add, good drafting in the latter rounds will be key
 

ImmuneEH

Registered User
Apr 2, 2017
1,198
873
To you 4 points
-Not about a hump. It's about the playoffs. While I most almost agree that building through the draft is the best approach, too many missed years will take it's toll. Last thing we want is Drai and McD to go through what Hall/RNH did
-Agree, we don't have an established 3 C. But Marody is that guy imo. He had a wonderful season and has little more to learn in the AHL
-Expansion means absolutely nothing imo. Fans go back and forth over the logic of this to death, but GM's have already admitted it has little to do w/ their yearly plans. Sacrificing a year of playoffs for 2 years down the road is pointless imo. I can't stress enough how much fans mauled over this last time w/ their theories and logic yet no GM's really cared. Only a couple GM's got caught w/ their pants down like ANA. A good GM should be able to set himself for minimal damage next year
-Agree on that, but hopefully a good GM can make some nice moves. You don't need an allstar roster as last years Vegas and this years Car and NYI are showing us. A good dump could give us enough players to compete, a new coach can do wonders

I'll add, good drafting in the latter rounds will be key

I just think we have fundamentally different approaches/values. I'm just not into mortgaging the future unless I'm pushing for the stanley cup. I'd rather build a team that can sustain long-term success, such as the Caps, Penguins, Lightning, and Predators who are a shoe-in to make the playoffs every year. Yeah, I'm aware they were all bounced in the first round this year but that's beside the point.

McLeod has the makings of a potential 3C for us. Great skater, vision, 2-way ability, and has size. I think he's NHL bound after a year in Bakersfield.

We have a decent stable of wingers in Benson, Yamamoto, Puljujarvi, Maksimov, and Marody (is he a C in the NHL? Idk). I doubt they have much impact next year, but I think we see a couple step up in 2020/21.

Bouchard looks like a gem, but I'd prefer he spend a year in the AHL. When he hits his stride in the NHL he'll have a major impact. I'd give it a couple years until that happens though.

We have Benning, Gagner, Kassian, Brodziak, and Manning coming off the books at the end of next season. That's a decent amount of cap opening up, and we have internal pieces to replace them. Not to mention, Sekera & Russell become very tradeable because they will have one year remaining on their contracts.

A little patience goes a long way. I don't think we can do much next season, but I think we have a lot of potential in 2020/21. The player drafted at #8 overall may be able to play in that season.
 

ConnorMcMullet

#12 Colby Cave
Jun 10, 2017
10,290
18,008
So many potential picks at 8 are playing right now in the USA/Canada game.

Krebs, Cozens, Newhook, Turcotte, Zegras, Caufield, and Boldy.
 

Llamamoto

Nice Bison. Kind Bison. Yep.
Sep 5, 2018
8,855
12,207
I really like Krebs and Newhook so far. Cozens, not so much.


As I speak, Cozens holds on to the puck for a second too long when Krebs is wide open for the one-T in the high slot.
 

Soli

Supervision Required
Sep 8, 2005
21,690
10,934
If those are the kinds of PIM that are being levied onto Zegras, I'm not to interested in those 92 PIM anymore.

Zegras got 2 mins for poking at a puck Maier may have had a glove on.
 
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McDoused

Registered User
Feb 5, 2007
16,171
12,735
Katy <3
Cozens going around guys with speed and ties it up 1-1.

Still no issue with this guy at 8 despite having a rough tournament... even though he had 4 goals and 9 points.
 

ConnorMcMullet

#12 Colby Cave
Jun 10, 2017
10,290
18,008
Cozens scores on the PP!

He's good on the man advantage, I'll give him that. I still don't like his even-strength play, but he has tools for sure.

He's a very polarizing prospect.
 

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