I'd be really into going forward/goalie in rounds 1 and 2. We definitely could use more talent up front, and a goalie prospect with projectable NHL potential would be nice.
I don't get the idea that we need a goaltender in Rounds 1 or 2. Look at the top-11 in SV% last year and their draft round and overall selection:
Of the top-11, two were drafted in the 1st round. Lehtonen is oft-injured and, generally, a mid-tier goaltender. Schneider is solid, but still a bit unproven. Throw in what is often a depressed UFA market for goaltenders, and you can get starters there, as well.
I think the organization can vastly improve its top-6 depth at forward in this next draft. I'd rather not see a goaltender picked in the top-3 rounds.
Of the top-11, two were drafted in the 1st round. Lehtonen is oft-injured and, generally, a mid-tier goaltender. Schneider is solid, but still a bit unproven. Throw in what is often a depressed UFA market for goaltenders, and you can get starters there, as well.
I think the organization can vastly improve its top-6 depth at forward in this next draft. I'd rather not see a goaltender picked in the top-3 rounds.
I get that. But also Miller won't be around forever and we have no one exciting in the pipeline (at least to me).
I get that. But also Miller won't be around forever and we have no one exciting in the pipeline (at least to me).
Then I think we can sign one in free agency. The supply of goaltenders has been exceeding the demand in recent years. I think they should keep drafting one per year somewhere in Rounds 4-7 and wait for one or more to pan out. The book is far from closed on guys like Ullmark, Knapp, Makarov, and Lieuwen, anyways.
I haven't watched as much of other leagues as I have in the past, but I've made sure to watch the top guys from other leagues.
Right now it'd probably look like this:
C Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax, QMJHL)
LW/C Jonathan Drouin (Halifax, QMJHL)
C Aleksander Barkov (Tappara, SM-l)
C Sean Monahan (Ottawa, OHL)
C Elias Lindholm (Brynäs, SEL)
D Seth Jones (Portland, WHL)
C Hunter Shinkaruk (Medicine Hat, WHL)
D Ryan Pulock (Brandon, WHL)
G Zachary Fucale (Halifax, QMJHL)
C Curtis Lazar (Edmonton, WHL)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zip15
I don't get the idea that we need a goaltender in Rounds 1 or 2.
Regularly I'd agree, but this year has quite a few top notch goalies at the top.
Comrie, Fucale, Martin, McAdam, and maybe Högberg look like top two round candidates right now and two of those (Fucale and either Comrie or Martin) are likely to go in the first round.
I haven't watched as much of other leagues as I have in the past, but I've made sure to watch the top guys from other leagues.
Right now it'd probably look like this:
C Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax, QMJHL)
LW/C Jonathan Drouin (Halifax, QMJHL)
C Aleksander Barkov (Tappara, SM-l)
C Sean Monahan (Ottawa, OHL)
C Elias Lindholm (Brynäs, SEL)
D Seth Jones (Portland, WHL)
C Hunter Shinkaruk (Medicine Hat, WHL)
D Ryan Pulock (Brandon, WHL)
G Zachary Fucale (Halifax, QMJHL)
C Curtis Lazar (Edmonton, WHL)
Regularly I'd agree, but this year has quite a few top notch goalies at the top.
Comrie, Fucale, Martin, McAdam, and maybe Högberg look like top two round candidates right now and two of those (Fucale and either Comrie or Martin) are likely to go in the first round.
Holy crap. You really like Fucale. Any particular reason? A goalie has to be a sure fire star (which almost no goalies are in junior) for me to put him in my top 10.
1) N MacKinnon
2) S Jones
3) E Lindholm
4) J Drouin
5) A Barkov
6) S Monahan
7) H Shinkaruk
8) R Pulock
9) R Ristolainen
10) V Nichushkin
11) A Erne
12) C Lazar
13) M Domi
14) R Hagg
15) D Nurse
16) J Morrissey
17) N Zadorov
18) A Burakowski
19) P Buchnevich
20) A Duclair
21) Z Fucale
22) S Martin
23) A Lehkonen
24) A Mantha
25) W Carrier
26) J Dickinson
27) J de la Rose
28) B Horvat
29) K Rychel
30) S Santini
Holy crap. You really like Fucale. Any particular reason? A goalie has to be a sure fire star (which almost no goalies are in junior) for me to put him in my top 10.
Well, if you look at the first eight players on the list, I think they're all likely to be top line forwards or defenseman.
My next best player, Curtis Lazar, is not as likely to be a top line forward.
I thought about putting Nurse at nine instead and bumping Fucale down to ten, but I'm not completely sold on him yet.
He looks like a completely different player this season and I'm not going to buy into him that much just yet.
I also see Fucale a bunch, having seen a good chunk of his games from last season and every game this season, so perhaps I'm just a homer.
However, others seem to agree that he's the top goalie prospect to come along in the past few years, perhaps since Carey Price, who he's similar to in many ways.
I don't usually like ranking goalies that high either, but if anyone is deserving of it, it's a guy who was an absolute workhorse, starting 70+ games straight as a 16 year old and winning numerous games for his team that they had no business winning.
Even though you can look at the Moose now and say that they have three top prospects in Drouin, Fucale, and MacKinnon, they still should not have went as far as they did.
The team was still fairly poor and was carried by those three 16 year olds, which is a rarity and why I think all three of them are special players.
I went with my gut on Drouin before anyone gave him respect (had him seventh in my pre-season rankings and I even remember telling you on Twitter early on that it's plausible he outscores MacKinnon this season and that he may have more pure offensive upside).
I'm surprised that everyone else picked up on him this quickly, but I'll stick with my gut on Fucale too.
Well, if you look at the first eight players on the list, I think they're all likely to be top line forwards or defenseman.
My next best player, Curtis Lazar, is not as likely to be a top line forward.
I thought about putting Nurse at nine instead and bumping Fucale down to ten, but I'm not completely sold on him yet.
He looks like a completely different player this season and I'm not going to buy into him that much just yet.
I also see Fucale a bunch, having seen a good chunk of his games from last season and every game this season, so perhaps I'm just a homer.
However, others seem to agree that he's the top goalie prospect to come along in the past few years, perhaps since Carey Price, who he's similar to in many ways.
I don't usually like ranking goalies that high either, but if anyone is deserving of it, it's a guy who was an absolute workhorse, starting 70+ games straight as a 16 year old and winning numerous games for his team that they had no business winning.
Even though you can look at the Moose now and say that they have three top prospects in Drouin, Fucale, and MacKinnon, they still should not have went as far as they did.
The team was still fairly poor and was carried by those three 16 year olds, which is a rarity and why I think all three of them are special players.
I went with my gut on Drouin before anyone gave him respect (had him seventh in my pre-season rankings and I even remember telling you on Twitter early on that it's plausible he outscores MacKinnon this season and that he may have more pure offensive upside).
I'm surprised that everyone else picked up on him this quickly, but I'll stick with my gut on Fucale too.
Gotcha, that makes sense. I've had very limited viewings of Fucale. Unfortunately, I read everything I can get my hands on in regards to draft eligible guys but have very limited time to actually sit down and watch games...and I think we can agree, highlights don't do a whole lot in the way of player/talent evaluations.
Thoughts on Ryan Hartman? The size isn't ideal, but there is a lot of fight in that little dog. Winger with sand and some skill...
I like him. I have seen him live twice now and he impressed me in both games. He tries to do a bit to much at times when he has the puck on his stick and as you said the size is not ideal, but he certainly has game. I wouldn't pick him in the first round, but if he is there in the second I would have no problem with it.
I like him. I have seen him live twice now and he impressed me in both games. He tries to do a bit to much at times when he has the puck on his stick and as you said the size is not ideal, but he certainly has game. I wouldn't pick him in the first round, but if he is there in the second I would have no problem with it.
Yeah, I don't see him as a first rounder right now either -- I've only caught him live once but liked what I saw. They need to think about getting skill and sand combo forwards... he's one.
Thoughts on Ryan Hartman? The size isn't ideal, but there is a lot of fight in that little dog. Winger with sand and some skill...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chainshot
Yeah, I don't see him as a first rounder right now either -- I've only caught him live once but liked what I saw. They need to think about getting skill and sand combo forwards... he's one.
Hartman's someone I wish I've seen more of this year. I've only seen him live once as well and that was over the Thanksgiving holiday all liquored up. I have no problem drafting a "smaller" two-way forward with his combination of skill, grit and motor; and I do remember him reading that he could be a late bloomer like his dad. Right now, I see him going somewhere in the 25-35 range.
He's on the preliminary roster for the WJC and had a good track record internationally as a right winger with the USNDTP, but I think it's worth noting that he's been asked to play center between Mistele ('14) and Wilson in Plymouth, which may or may not have caused a drop in stock. I haven't seen or heard enough to comment further on that and can only speculate.
However, in the game I attended, IIRC Mistele had a hat-trick and Hartman assisted on at least one with a nice tic-tac-toe pass between the three linemates. He also found Wilson for a point-blank chance in the third that was saved but then Kingston countered and netted the last goal in a 7-6 Plymouth loss. Kujawinski was relatively quiet on the night, which explains his slide in rankings.
For those who pay some attenion to the OHL, what are your feelings about Kerby Rychel? Being an October birthday, he's one of the older kids in this draft, but he did score 41 goals last year, too, which would've been one of the higher numbers among last year's draft eligibles if he was only a few weeks older. He's on pace for 40 this year, too. Thoughts?
For those who pay some attenion to the OHL, what are your feelings about Kerby Rychel? Being an October birthday, he's one of the older kids in this draft, but he did score 41 goals last year, too, which would've been one of the higher numbers among last year's draft eligibles if he was only a few weeks older. He's on pace for 40 this year, too. Thoughts?
Completely unnoticeable the one time I saw him live this year. Outside of a misconduct (I cannot remember if it was a game misconduct or not) he did absolutely nothing to impress me and he plays on that Windsor top line which has Brady Vail and Ho-Sang (2014 I believe. Also he is the best skater I have seen live at the junior ranks since Cam Fowler, guy is smooth). He can be a good player, but I wouldn't touch him in the 1st round. There are much better guys to be had there.
Right now I think the Sabres could use Defenseman DARNELL NURSE in the upcoming draft. They have several top defenseman prospects that are undersized and lack enough physicality (Pysyk, Guthier Leduc, Brennan, McCabe)
Darnell Nurse would bring size, toughness and athleticism on the back end to create a better mix of defenseman prospects. Pronger comparisons are very intriguing to me.
Completely unnoticeable the one time I saw him live this year. Outside of a misconduct (I cannot remember if it was a game misconduct or not) he did absolutely nothing to impress me and he plays on that Windsor top line which has Brady Vail and Ho-Sang (2014 I believe. Also he is the best skater I have seen live at the junior ranks since Cam Fowler, guy is smooth). He can be a good player, but I wouldn't touch him in the 1st round. There are much better guys to be had there.
You probably watched the same game I did. Windsor vs. Kitchener about a couple weeks back on nhl network. Rychel didn't do much of anything that game, just sorta blended in. Vail played well, and had a couple great scoring chances and Ho-Sang was all over the ice, I think he assisted on 3 goals that game. Walked away REALLY impressed by Ho-Sang in that game. Based on my limited viewing of Rychel I would agree that I would pass on him in the 1st round. I'll have to watch some more Windsor games though and see if my opinion changes.
That's a fun site to play around with. It simulates the draft lottery if the season is cancelled using the odds each team would have. It gives you the option of doing a slow draft, where it goes slot by slot; a quick draft, where it shows the order at the click of a button; or, my favorite, the Bettman draft, where...well, just click it once.
That's a fun site to play around with. It simulates the draft lottery if the season is cancelled using the odds each team would have. It gives you the option of doing a slow draft, where it goes slot by slot; a quick draft, where it shows the order at the click of a button; or, my favorite, the Bettman draft, where...well, just click it once.
Honest, I only did one slow draft and got trolled hard...
1. Pittsburgh
2. Detroit
3. Edmonton
4. Boston
5. Toronto
...
13. Buffalo
1. Nashville
2. Pittsburgh
3. WPG
4. Tampa
5. Colorado
17. Buffalo
18. Edmonton
29. Columbus lol
wow this is unreal, I got Pitt 1st my second try, Buffalo 13th
got Buffalo at 2 back to back to back after 15+ trys
Buffalo got 1st after 20 trys
Right now I think the Sabres could use Defenseman DARNELL NURSE in the upcoming draft. They have several top defenseman prospects that are undersized and lack enough physicality (Pysyk, Guthier Leduc, Brennan, McCabe)
Darnell Nurse would bring size, toughness and athleticism on the back end to create a better mix of defenseman prospects. Pronger comparisons are very intriguing to me.
Seriously?
Even though he's big, he's not some hulking physical defenseman.
This sure would be a nice year to have more than 1 first rounder. Hmm who can we trade?
Part of the reason I'm hoping there's a season is so that we can move some assets for more picks. One needn't look further than the haul Jonny Oduya brought the Jets (2013 2nd, 2013 3rd) to understand that Leopold would have serious value at the deadline. If there's no season, that's a wasted asset. Ditto for Regehr--who I think would pull a very nice package given that he has a playoff air about him--if the team decides it isn't going to re-sign him. Now, Leo won't net a 1st rounder, and I don't know if Regehr would, either--much would depend on how he played to that point--but they'd be nice assets to put on the market.
To your point, CBJ has three 1st rounders in the upcoming draft: their own, LA's, and NYR's. Based on the draft formula in the event of a cancelled season, CBJ would have a 10% chance at getting the #1 pick. If there's a fanbase who may be rooting for a cancelled season, it may be Columbus' considering both NYR and LA would likely be picking in the 20's if there's a season. Then again, with Columbus' draft lottery luck, or lack thereof, they'd probably have three picks late in the 1st round.
I'd be all for taking him if we're picking in the mid-10s range (could see him going anywhere between 12-18). I'm hoping we'll get some lottery luck and be picking top 10 though.
