I don't really know much about the guys available this year besides the around the top 10 but ive been watching the memorial cup on the nhl network and andrew shaw looks like a really good player, he's fast, physical, and can score. Apparently he has a little steve downie in him though but sometimes thats not a bad thing. I just don't know enough about possibilities for the lightning. Anyone have any draft information, im trying to focus on something other than the playoffs right now, i''m too upset
With 4 weeks until the draft what do you thing we will do before the draft to get picks, and at the draft?
Picking 27th in the first round.
We traded a 3rd for Brewer and a 4th for Gagne I think in this years draft.
I don't see us trading players or prospects for more picks. We could move that extra 2nd rounder we have for next year, or do something like trade our 1st round pick for a 2nd and a 3rd since we lack mid round picks.
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Originally Posted by Textbook Thompson
I'm on the Scott Mayfield bandwagon.
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Originally Posted by stammerhammer91
I don't really know much about the guys available this year besides the around the top 10 but ive been watching the memorial cup on the nhl network and andrew shaw looks like a really good player, he's fast, physical, and can score. Apparently he has a little steve downie in him though but sometimes thats not a bad thing. I just don't know enough about possibilities for the lightning. Anyone have any draft information, im trying to focus on something other than the playoffs right now, i''m too upset
For me, it's Scott Mayfield at #27. Our number 1 need is a top pair/ high ceiling defensman. With our 2 top d prospects gone, (Wishart and Beukeboom) a lack of high potential D prospects, and a number of aging vets on our blueline now, it seems to make the most sense to pick a D first. There are other Defesnemen who are better than Mayfield, but I think he is the most likely to still be on the board at 27. Here are some links.
Really want to take a late round flyer on Joey Laleggia.
A smaller offensive defensemen who posted 82 points in 58 games in the BCHL. Hes commited to New Hampshire starting next season and listed at 5'10 180. Seems like a good kid from everything I read about him. Last year in his draft year he posted 65 points in 54 games, good for 3rd in the league in points. First amoung defensemen. He is a point getter at every level he has been in, his biggest knock...his size.
In a supposeably a weak draft this year, a 6th round pick on this kid is a swing for the fences type of pick, something that seems like a better move than a safe pick in this type of draft.
After having just completed his fourth of 12 team interviews in his initial day at the NHL Scouting Combine, Rocco Grimaldi had a satisfied look on his face.
Despite being listed as the smallest player invited to the Combine at 5-foot-6, 163 pounds, Grimaldi has certainly earned the reputation as a big-game performer. Why else would all 30 NHL teams request an interview with the leading scorer for the U.S. National Team Development Program in 2010-11.
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Grimaldi was asked if those scouts from the Tampa Bay Lightning referred to Martin St. Louis at some point during their discussion.
"They said one of their best players is St. Louis, he's the leader of that group and we don't care about size," Grimaldi said. "Our best player is the smallest guy on the ice and we love small guys and that was a cool thing to hear. That motivates me because playing in the NHL has always been my dream. So whatever it takes to achieve it ..."
Nikita Kucherov in the 3rd or 4th round(if he's there)
I think there's a reason Benjamin Conz has been passed over in the last 2 drafts. However, there's a small chance he could be a classic late bloomer that a ton of scouts and GM's overlooked.
From my knowledge, we have no 3rd or 4th round picks this year.
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Originally Posted by TheDaysOf 04
I don't see us trading players or prospects for more picks. We could move that extra 2nd rounder we have for next year, or do something like trade our 1st round pick for a 2nd and a 3rd since we lack mid round picks.
For me, it's Scott Mayfield at #27. Our number 1 need is a top pair/ high ceiling defensman. With our 2 top d prospects gone, (Wishart and Beukeboom) a lack of high potential D prospects, and a number of aging vets on our blueline now, it seems to make the most sense to pick a D first. There are other Defesnemen who are better than Mayfield, but I think he is the most likely to still be on the board at 27.[/URL]
For me, it's also Scott Mayfield if he's available at 27. Other defensemen warranting consideration are Morrow and C.Murphy, and of course if a higher ranked defenseman falls. Scott Mayfield's offensive game is underrated because it was hindered by the play of Youngstown. I feel as though he'll be one of the big surprises once the draft is reviewed 5 years later.
I think there's a reason Benjamin Conz has been passed over in the last 2 drafts. However, there's a small chance he could be a classic late bloomer that a ton of scouts and GM's overlooked.
I think his size is one of the main reasons(he's 5'10"), but he led his team in the Swiss National League A to their first ever playoff birth.
I could still be wowed by his performance at the WJC last year but I still really like the guy as a player and hope we take him. I was hoping we would grab him last year too.
I don't think that would be a good choice considering the lack of defensive depth in our prospect system. While I admit they are very intriguing and skilled talents, they are the prospects that are high risk, high reward. Unfortunately, we cannot gamble on those type of players right now since we have established ourselves as a cup contender; we're looking to add safer pieces to push us over the top.
Jurco and Namestnikov have plenty of skill and game breaking ability, but they're also known to be inconsistent and disappear during games. Jurco played a huge role in their comeback win in the Memorial Cup against Owen Sound, but his skill set leaves you wondering why he doesn't always produce at that level. However, if they're the BPA at 27 then I couldn't fault SFY for taking them.
We're in the prime spot to take a risk right now. Old guys coming off the books soon, ease people into roles in 2-3 years, if not more.
You don't take risks on skilled players who have trouble finding consistency and disappear/are invisible during games. If by risk you mean drafting a player with high potential, I fully agree. The player we draft at 27 this year will be at least a 2-3 project. Someone like Scott Mayfield fits this description perfectly.
I'd like to see the Bolts take one of Michael St.Croix, Nick Shore, Joseph LaBate, Adam Lowry or Daniel Catenacci with our 2nd round pick.
Nick Shore and Adam Lowry would be ideal as we could use a LW.
Right now our LW prospects are Mattias Ritola, Johan Harju, Chris Durno, Alex Hutchings, and Stefano Giliati.
Harju is going back to Europe, who knows what will happen with Ritola, Hutchings still has a ways to go before he's NHL ready and Durno and Giliati won't be top forwards at the NHL level. So a top 6 left winger would be a good pick up with the 2nd pick.
The other 3 guys are centers, which we are pretty deep in right now at the prospect level. And Stamkos and Lecavalier aren't going anywhere so unless you can convert them to play wing, I don't see us picking a center with a high draft pick.
Nick Shore and Adam Lowry would be ideal as we could use a LW.
Right now our LW prospects are Mattias Ritola, Johan Harju, Chris Durno, Alex Hutchings, and Stefano Giliati.
Harju is going back to Europe, who knows what will happen with Ritola, Hutchings still has a ways to go before he's NHL ready and Durno and Giliati won't be top forwards at the NHL level. So a top 6 left winger would be a good pick up with the 2nd pick.
The other 3 guys are centers, which we are pretty deep in right now at the prospect level. And Stamkos and Lecavalier aren't going anywhere so unless you can convert them to play wing, I don't see us picking a center with a high draft pick.
My rationale is that going past the first two rounds (end of 2nd is basically a third round pick), generally teams start picking BPA opposed to needs. In addition, several center prospects end up converting to the wing. A player like Catenacci imo, is versatile enough to play all three forward positions as he doesn't seem to have a projected, defined role at this point.
I agree that Lowry and Shore would be ideal, but I wouldn't be opposed to going BPA if the center prospects were better than the LW ones available. Though Connolly is listed as a center, I believe he'll be a RW once he makes it to the NHL. We'll probably need to start drafting and developing some centers as a succession plan for Vinny as well. I see all the players I listed above taking 3-4 years before cracking the NHL roster anyway.
Not a big fan of trying to fill prospect needs unless you've got two guys at different positions rated about the same. Draft the best talent and worry about any surplus later. Obviously the team looks pretty good at forward with Connolly, Ashton, Panik, Killorn, etc. but none of those guys are locks to have success at the NHL level.
Not a big fan of trying to fill prospect needs unless you've got two guys at different positions rated about the same. Draft the best talent and worry about any surplus later. Obviously the team looks pretty good at forward with Connolly, Ashton, Panik, Killorn, etc. but none of those guys are locks to have success at the NHL level.
No prospect is a lock to have success at the NHL, there are plenty of good prospects that have only become average pro players or were busts. I agree that BPA should be placed before need, but at 27th overall if we are presented with a scenario where the BPA could be either defenseman or forward, I hope we make defense a priority.
