Always take the BPA but my two favorite and realistic possibility in the draft are Barkov and Monahan.
I'm with you on this although Barkov is a shot in the dark for me because i havent actually seen him play but he's gotta be good if he's killing it in a mens league right
Went to see the hitmen game tonight. I can't express how much I want virtanen to become a leaf! Kid is a monster on the ice, he hits everything that moves. The thing too is that he isn't larger then the other kids and he is still dominating physically. Crushed a guy in the corner and went straight to the front of the net and went back hand shelf for a beauty goal.
Went to see the hitmen game tonight. I can't express how much I want virtanen to become a leaf! Kid is a monster on the ice, he hits everything that moves. The thing too is that he isn't larger then the other kids and he is still dominating physically. Crushed a guy in the corner and went straight to the front of the net and went back hand shelf for a beauty goal.
Went to see the hitmen game tonight. I can't express how much I want virtanen to become a leaf! Kid is a monster on the ice, he hits everything that moves. The thing too is that he isn't larger then the other kids and he is still dominating physically. Crushed a guy in the corner and went straight to the front of the net and went back hand shelf for a beauty goal.
Is this virtanen kid 2013 draft eligible? I haven't heard much of him.
it seems liked the top ~7 players this year are all really promising. i know we all have man crushes on these prospects every upcoming draft but i feel like this draft as a lot of high end forwards and centers specifically. this might be our draft to get our top line center.....as long as there is no shady business with lottery ball rigging.
I'm with you on this although Barkov is a shot in the dark for me because i havent actually seen him play but he's gotta be good if he's killing it in a mens league right
The thing that intrigues me every year is there is always that one darkhorse that rises through the ranks to jump out and take a top 10 pick. Hampus Lindholm and Slater Koekkoek were 2 from last years draft that I didn't expect.
The 2 that dropped a bit that were a bit surprising were Filip Forsberg and Grigorenko.
Now the reason I bring this up is because I think that Barkov will join the Forsberg's and Grigorenko's of the world. From what I've heard on here and seen in highlight videos he looks like a quality player, but I just get a weird feeling that it will happen.
Went to see the hitmen game tonight. I can't express how much I want virtanen to become a leaf! Kid is a monster on the ice, he hits everything that moves. The thing too is that he isn't larger then the other kids and he is still dominating physically. Crushed a guy in the corner and went straight to the front of the net and went back hand shelf for a beauty goal.
The thing that intrigues me every year is there is always that one darkhorse that rises through the ranks to jump out and take a top 10 pick. Hampus Lindholm and Slater Koekkoek were 2 from last years draft that I didn't expect.
The 2 that dropped a bit that were a bit surprising were Filip Forsberg and Grigorenko.
Now the reason I bring this up is because I think that Barkov will join the Forsberg's and Grigorenko's of the world. From what I've heard on here and seen in highlight videos he looks like a quality player, but I just get a weird feeling that it will happen.
Included Sheifele in your list. Kept climbing in the rankings all year, but not many had him pegged as a top 10.
Disagree completely with Barkov...I have a feeling he will challenge for #1 and will go top 3 at least. Player I see maybe dropping a little is Monahan. Seems like he's had an inconsistent season and even though he still looks a great prospect...others around him have been so good this season he may slip outside the top 5. I also feel Domi doesnt get enough credit as a prospect. In the games I have seen he's been very good and very dangerous on the puck. His numbers for his age are VERY good.
it seems liked the top ~7 players this year are all really promising. i know we all have man crushes on these prospects every upcoming draft but i feel like this draft as a lot of high end forwards and centers specifically. this might be our draft to get our top line center.....as long as there is no shady business with lottery ball rigging.
To be honest, I kinda get the feeling that if there were any shady business with lottery results, it would end up in our favour. That's not at all me saying that Burke's the kind of guy who would try to make something like that happen, but given what the Leafs mean to the NHL, and all of the work Burke's done for the League by getting passionately involved in rule changes, and early CBA negotiations (he's been working on this 5-year contract thing for ages now), it wouldn't surprise me at all to see us with a top-5 pick.
Having said that, I like to believe in the ethics of the League that tampering with the draft lottery is something they would never dream of doing.
Included Sheifele in your list. Kept climbing in the rankings all year, but not many had him pegged as a top 10.
Disagree completely with Barkov...I have a feeling he will challenge for #1 and will go top 3 at least. Player I see maybe dropping a little is Monahan. Seems like he's had an inconsistent season and even though he still looks a great prospect...others around him have been so good this season he may slip outside the top 5. I also feel Domi doesnt get enough credit as a prospect. In the games I have seen he's been very good and very dangerous on the puck. His numbers for his age are VERY good.
I would be really on the fence with Domi. You know the skill is there, but the size is going to cause an issue for a lot of teams. Also, what are the thoughts on his speed? Watching a couple of the games on sportsnet, I don't really recall what it was like.
Monahan would be my pick in this draft outside the top 5. I think he's going to be a very good NHL pro. I also feel the same way about Shinkaruk and he's all over the rating boards (from 5-20)
Included Sheifele in your list. Kept climbing in the rankings all year, but not many had him pegged as a top 10.
Disagree completely with Barkov...I have a feeling he will challenge for #1 and will go top 3 at least. Player I see maybe dropping a little is Monahan. Seems like he's had an inconsistent season and even though he still looks a great prospect...others around him have been so good this season he may slip outside the top 5. I also feel Domi doesnt get enough credit as a prospect. In the games I have seen he's been very good and very dangerous on the puck. His numbers for his age are VERY good.
How is Domi underrated. His numbers are INFLATED, playing on what may be the #1 team in the country. He's got mid-late 1st written all over him.
I would be really on the fence with Domi. You know the skill is there, but the size is going to cause an issue for a lot of teams. Also, what are the thoughts on his speed? Watching a couple of the games on sportsnet, I don't really recall what it was like.
Monahan would be my pick in this draft outside the top 5. I think he's going to be a very good NHL pro. I also feel the same way about Shinkaruk and he's all over the rating boards (from 5-20)
Just noticed Shinkaruk is one of the oldest in the draft. Oct 13 1994 birthday. But he was a 49g scorer last year, so that is very impressive. I wish I could see more of these players.
I'd be happy with Lindholm if Monahan, Drouin, Barkov were all taken. Cody franson said that he thinks lindholm will be an NHL star.
Lindholm has drawn comparisons to Backstrom, so that would be wonderful.
Honestly, we gotta get a center this year. I wouldn't even mind if we just drafted centers this year. This position has been neglected. We need to draft one high in the draft, take some European flyers in the 2nd and 3rd and just keep stocking up on them.
All I know is I am not missing hockey too much right now. Those guys have pissed me off. If someone gave me a choice between a 40 something game season and a 6% Lottery pick right now I would choose the pick. The season has been tarnished for me. Let the young guys play their year out in the development leagues and try to make the team next season. It's not like we have a bunch of guys about to turn 34 or 35 and will drastically drop in output after a missed season.
With the World Junior Hockey Championship just days away, International Scouting Services released their December draft rankings with no change in the top five prospects.
In order, Nathan MacKinnon of the Halifax Mooseheads, Portland's Seth Jones, Aleksander Barkov of Tappara in the Finnish Elite League, Jonathan Drouin of Halifax and Ottawa's Sean Monahan remain as the top prospects for this summer's NHL Draft.
"We have to give him a chance to play there," Spott, Canada's head coach, said. "He's a world-class player, a top-six forward and he's a left shot. Ryan Strome has tremendous vision so hopefully it works. These things always look great in practice, but you don't know how they'll translate to game time, but [we'll see what happens in] Finland with the two exhibition games."
On MacKinnon
Quote:
And while MacKinnon, who appears slotted in as the 13th forward at the moment, is the more highly-touted prospect placing second on TSN scout Craig Button's December rankings behind only American defenceman Seth Jones, it is clear Drouin's stock is rising and fast. He catapulted from 13th to fourth on Button's list this month and now has a chance to move up even more with a strong performance on the world stage.
So in Hockey Canada coaches place Drouin as a top 6 forward and MacKinnon as the 13th. forward on the same team.
So Drouin doesn't need MacKinnon and is worthy of a top 5 pick on any team?
It is going to be interesting to watch how the 2013's play out in this tournament.
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Woodlief
using his big frame to create space and his skating ability to find open lanes to drive the net. He stands 6-3 and is a natural goal scorer with plenty of confidence.
He's a scout's dream in the way he prepares himself and plays an unselfish game, making smart decisions with the puck. With his bloodlines, he certainly understands what it will take to make it at the next level.
Drouin isn't really suited to be a bottom six forward, whereas MacKinnon's game is a little more well-rounded. Drouin was either playing in the top 6, or not making the team at all, imo.
Drouin isn't really suited to be a bottom six forward, whereas MacKinnon's game is a little more well-rounded. Drouin was either playing in the top 6, or not making the team at all, imo.
You wonder how close MacKinnon came to not making the team, whereas the thinking is Drouin made (at least for now) the #2 spot in his position?
How is Drouin impacting MacKinnon in the Q? If Connor Brown was MacKinnon's goto guy, would he be doing as well? Could MacKinnon's stats be inflated? Not saying he shouldn't be top 5, but does he deserve to be #1?
Still 6 months before the draft (at least) and likely the Leafs won't be in the top 5 anyway, but we'll get to see many of the draftees in the tournament.
You wonder how close MacKinnon came to not making the team, whereas the thinking is Drouin made (at least for now) the #2 spot in his position?
How is Drouin impacting MacKinnon in the Q? If Connor Brown was MacKinnon's goto guy, would he be doing as well? Could MacKinnon's stats be inflated? Not saying he shouldn't be top 5, but does he deserve to be #1?
Still 6 months before the draft (at least) and likely the Leafs won't be in the top 5 anyway, but we'll get to see many of the draftees in the tournament.
You're really over thinking it. Canada is just much deeper at center than they are at left wing. Drouin is probably their #3 left wing behind Hudon and Hubs. He's just more well suited for an offensive role than Hudon.
MacKinnon is a superior 3 zone player and handles way more responsibility than does Drouin. That said, offensive blue line in Drouin might just be more talented. Less of a shot but incredible hands and vision.
