Draft talk

[Manimal]

It's less than a month to the NHL Entry draft. Who do you guys see as going number one? Edmonton holds the pick.
Will they take Western boy Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Memorial cup MVP Jonathan Huberdeau? Or will it be one of the Super Swedes, Adam Larsson and Gabriel Landeskog? RNH is my guess

Do you have any other favourite players in the draft? I like Mika Zibanejad of Djurgården. He won't be the top pick, but he'll be a great player and probably picked in the top 10.

Who do you want your team to pick? The Rangers hold the 15th pick and I am hoping they use it on a big strong centre like Mark McNeill.

Let's hear your opinions!

[Jypfan92]

I think Nuget-Hopkins will be drafted 1st, Adam Larsson and Landeskog are next ones.

I want Joel Armia to be drafted in Top15. He is big, strong, goalscoring rightwinger, who has hard, right-handed shot. This season he break into Ässät's line-up (only 17-years-old) and take the place in 1st line and 1st pp-line from guy's a la Patrick Yetman and was 3rd best goalscorer (18) on Ässät and 6th best in points (18+11=29 in 48 games). He scored most pp goals in Ässät.

Other Finn is Jyp-goalie Samu Perhonen, who won Finnish A-juniors championship this season. He is ranked 1st overall on goalies and he is possible 1st rounder, but we have to remember that goalies are rarely choosen on top number.

[bruins72]

The top 8 or 9 are very interesting. The Bruins pick 9th but the top 8 rankings vary from person to person, so the B's could have a guy they valued higher drop into their lap at 9th. I'd love Larsson or Landeskog but they're not dropping that far. Mika Z would be a good one for the Bruins. They could really use a defensive prospect though. Murphy could be interesting.

[philou21]

I think that Couturier is overrated in the ranking. Huberdeau will probably be in the top 5 picks, I wish him luck.

[batdad]

Oilers will make a mistake and take Larsson. Why do I say this? Because..they have so many undersized forwards that have skills. They will be worried that RNH is just another one of those and will pass on him. Having seen each of the top 5 play at least 5 games each...RNH in my opinion will be the most dynamic player taken in this year's draft. I hope WInnipeg gets him. But they won't. Landeskog is next in my mind, then Larsson and Couturier. Huberdeau is rising rapidly in my mind, but he was only average in Mem Cup when you see all 4 of his games there.
PROJECtiON from me
RNH-Top line star player--will take him til he is 23-24 to get there because needs to get stronger and bigger. With him this will take awhile. He is still going to play in the show as a 2 liner up til then. Possibly a slow starter like the Sedins. However...will be the best of this year's draft.
Larsson- 3-4 Dman. He is going to be like Hedman. Lots of Pub early..lots of potenial. He will settle into a 3-4 role and be a solid solid player for many years to come. Not going to be a #1 dman
Huberdeau-Wild card. SKILLLS...Mad skills. Could be a top line scorer, but may end up as a bust. Not that strong, and skating is only average. Needs to work on all aspects of game. But this guy could be something HUGE...if he figures it out about all parts of the game
Couturier--I agree with Philou. Solid guy. Manny Malhotra. Lots of pub..but will be a career 3rd line guy.
Landeskog-CLosest of the forwards to having an outcome like RNH. Quick shifty skilled. Unreal. Could be a top line guy. Will need someone to help him get the points. RNH...will make other players better than they really are.

Duncan Siemens-Eligible this year right-Wow. This kid is something. Big, mobile, moves puck hits. Love everything about him. He is going to be a real strong player..3-4 guy. (See those who are peeved at my Larson comments above read this--being a 3-4 guy is awesome!!)

Ty Rattie- Kid is a scorer, who has learned how to become a playmaker. Alot think that playing with Bartschi and Cunningham made him so good. Nope. This kid has a bit of a mean streak. He has a wicked shot. He skates well and moves the puck. Sees the ice incredibly well, and is capable of spectacular playmaking. He is going to be a 30 goal 30 assist guy in the NHL.

Sven Bartshci--Needs to get stronger, and realize there is a zone that is the one closest to his goalie. However...he makes things happen by himself. Creates chances for himself and has a wicked wicked release on his shot. Shifty and smart. Another guy from Portland Winterhawks who could end up as a top notch 2nd line guy in the show. Going to take some time with him. Unless of course gets picked by a horrible team.

Joe Morrow--Yet another winterhawk (writing about them as I have seen them the most recently)-Smooth, smart, physical but somewhat undersized dman. He needs to work on alot of things. Project guy but will turn out as a solid 2nd pp unit QB for a team in the NHL. 4-5 dman

[IceTimer]

Oilers will make a mistake and take Larsson. Why do I say this? Because..they have so many undersized forwards that have skills. They will be worried that RNH is just another one of those and will pass on him. Having seen each of the top 5 play at least 5 games each...RNH in my opinion will be the most dynamic player taken in this year's draft. I hope WInnipeg gets him. But they won't. Landeskog is next in my mind, then Larsson and Couturier. Huberdeau is rising rapidly in my mind, but he was only average in Mem Cup when you see all 4 of his games there.
PROJECtiON from me
RNH-Top line star player--will take him til he is 23-24 to get there because needs to get stronger and bigger. With him this will take awhile. He is still going to play in the show as a 2 liner up til then. Possibly a slow starter like the Sedins. However...will be the best of this year's draft.
Larsson- 3-4 Dman. He is going to be like Hedman. Lots of Pub early..lots of potenial. He will settle into a 3-4 role and be a solid solid player for many years to come. Not going to be a #1 dman
Huberdeau-Wild card. SKILLLS...Mad skills. Could be a top line scorer, but may end up as a bust. Not that strong, and skating is only average. Needs to work on all aspects of game. But this guy could be something HUGE...if he figures it out about all parts of the game
Couturier--I agree with Philou. Solid guy. Manny Malhotra. Lots of pub..but will be a career 3rd line guy.
Landeskog-CLosest of the forwards to having an outcome like RNH. Quick shifty skilled. Unreal. Could be a top line guy. Will need someone to help him get the points. RNH...will make other players better than they really are.

Duncan Siemens-Eligible this year right-Wow. This kid is something. Big, mobile, moves puck hits. Love everything about him. He is going to be a real strong player..3-4 guy. (See those who are peeved at my Larson comments above read this--being a 3-4 guy is awesome!!)

Ty Rattie- Kid is a scorer, who has learned how to become a playmaker. Alot think that playing with Bartschi and Cunningham made him so good. Nope. This kid has a bit of a mean streak. He has a wicked shot. He skates well and moves the puck. Sees the ice incredibly well, and is capable of spectacular playmaking. He is going to be a 30 goal 30 assist guy in the NHL.

Sven Bartshci--Needs to get stronger, and realize there is a zone that is the one closest to his goalie. However...he makes things happen by himself. Creates chances for himself and has a wicked wicked release on his shot. Shifty and smart. Another guy from Portland Winterhawks who could end up as a top notch 2nd line guy in the show. Going to take some time with him. Unless of course gets picked by a horrible team.

Joe Morrow--Yet another winterhawk (writing about them as I have seen them the most recently)-Smooth, smart, physical but somewhat undersized dman. He needs to work on alot of things. Project guy but will turn out as a solid 2nd pp unit QB for a team in the NHL. 4-5 dman

I doubt that the Oilers will pass on N-H.

Larsson could be a 1-2 D man if he's getting Lidstrom comparisons.

Huberdeau is still a teen, and like many his age they need to bulk up, so it's not really an issue, N-H has the same issue.

Landeskog will be a 2-way guy in the NHL, so not as much skill as the other guys he will be drafted near, probably a 2nd liner, but if he has nice wingers could be a 1st.

Glad you like Siemens, as do I, I support the western players, however the scouts seem to have maybe gone off him a bit lately, I had him pegged as possibly going as high as the top 10, will now be interesting to see where he lands if what I've been hearing is true.

I think both Rattie and Bartschi have big time NHL potential, not just 2nd line, I have a feeling at least 1 if not both will be top liners, maybe Rattie for now as his skating is better, but man do I like to watch Bartschi.

Morrow I can see as a 3-4 guy.

[IceTimer]

As for Zibenejad he sounds to me like Landeskog, perhaps not quite as good though?

[batdad]

Ice timer--When evaluating guys I am careful not to over rate them. Lets go back through alot of people and alot of players. They get hyped up over and over as top line and top pair dmen. Then they are just okay 90% of the time when they are 25. They only get to those top spots on weak teams. RNH to me is the only guy out there this season that once he gets stronger will become a top line guy. As long as his NHL team is patient with him. Unless you have shown you are a star in your junior ranks like RNH has done this season...I cannot pump you to a top line guy. Because I see weak teams top lines as a 2nd line or 3rd line in some cases (FLORIDA). Grabner may play on the top line in NYI...but to me..at best is a 2nd liner. In Vancouver...he would AT BEST play 3rd line, and may not even get that. He would be nowhere near 30 goals on a good team as the ice time not there. So..many who projected Grabner as a 1st line guy when he was drafted are saying they were right. Yep...1st line on a dog**it team. Not really first line...

I personally feel the Oilers cannot pass up on him. But with Hall, Eberle, and all those "bust" munchkins (bust in quotes cause these guys are still young) like Cogliano, Brule, and several others...they may make a mistake and go after a dman cause they desperately need one.
IMHo in order for Edmonton to take RNH--they are going to have to KNOW they can move some of the little munchkins for a decent dman who is young and has a ton of upside. I don't see them being able to do that.

Honestly, I think that if they get an offer of an exchange of picks, plus a 2nd round or 3rd rounder AND a 3-4 dman in the league already (a Bieksa type) they should jump on the deal to move down a slot or two and grab Larsson. But...at #1 it is a mistake to take Larsson and I Think they will.

[Danny]

Who do you think would/could be a wise joice at #9 ? Bruins would probably look to add a mobile puck moving (love that phrase heh) Dman as their top priority. Bruins D prospects are awful. Don't see any NHL regulars there, Kampfer aside, but I'm not sure I'd consider him a prospect anymore. Maybe Alexandrov, but he's softer than Kaberle at the moment. But that's it really.

[bruins72]

I know a lot of people are hoping Murphy falls to 9th but I don't see it happening. Hamilton won't be there at 9th. I've heard some talk of Beaulieu being available at 9th.

[batdad]

ISS has Siemens ranked 8th. He is a WHL guy. Stud with the Blades. Skates so well. He dropped a bit because the Kootenay Ice made the Saskatoon Blades look like total fools in the playoffs. That had alot more to do with guys like Schenn who thought it would be a cakewalk than Siemens. IMHO he was their best player and he is only 18.

Big, skates, moves the puck, hits, heavy shot. What more do you want in a dman at age 18? Duncan Siemens..Boston Bruins. They are peas in a pod like Cam Neely, Stan Jonathon, and Milan Lucic. Take Siemens.

I have not seen enough of the other guys to say for sure, but to me Duncan Siemens is worth every penny of a 9th overall pick.

[gunitdotcom]

As a bruin fan i hope they pick a dman in the draft. Like Danny said our D prospects are Kampfer and Alexandrov. It will be between Beaulieu/Hamilton/Murphy depending on who's available.

[bruins72]

There's been talk of the Flyers trading Carter for the 8th pick and a PP quarterback. Who has the 8th pick? Anyhow, with the Flyers trading into the 8 slot, that might lessen our chances of snagging one of these d-men you mentioned.

[batdad]

Flyers will not be trading for a player. THey need to dump salary big time and now. They need to get Bryzgalov deal done. They will only be dealing player for pick and prospect.
My guess...Carter will be the odd man out. Hmm..what team could use a strong centre who scores a ton? I don't know...all 30 in the league?

Hartnell may also be on the move. Hmm...what team in the league could use a big strong, punishing nasty winger who scores?
Coburn or Carle will be on the move as well.
At bare minimum...Carter and one of the dmen goes, or Hartnell another player and one of the dmen
But..they will not be looking for a player, unless that player makes less than 2.5 mill.

[gunitdotcom]

Columbus got the 8th pick this year and can see Carter playing with Nash. They need a top C

[bruins72]

There you go! Carter to Columbus for the 8th overall and maybe a younger offensive defenseman?

[gunitdotcom]

Yea something like that Carter for 8th pick + mid range prospect ( John Moore, David Savard, Theo Ruth)

[batdad]

None of those three guys you mention will amount to much. Maybe mid range for Blue Jackets, but not for an NHL team. Well..Moore maybe.

[gunitdotcom]

Maybe mid range for Blue Jackets, but not for an NHL team.

Oh yea i forgot, Columbus is not an NHL team anymore....

[batdad]

Totally off topic now. But you are correct. CBJ is no doubt an NHL team They are every bit as much of an NHL team as the Toronto Maple Loafs, Atlanta Thashers, New Yuk Islanders. and Floriduh Panthers. Shows by where they are picking in the draft. They pick that low all the time, why don't they have any better D-men prospects than the three you mention, who are likely career AHLers? AHL management leads to AHL standings leads to AHL draft picks. Rick Nash will be one happy camper when he gets out of Columbus.

[philou21]

[bestrafer7]

It's less than a month to the NHL Entry draft. Who do you guys see as going number one? Edmonton holds the pick.
Will they take Western boy Ryan Nugent-Hopkins? Memorial cup MVP Jonathan Huberdeau? Or will it be one of the Super Swedes, Adam Larsson and Gabriel Landeskog? RNH is my guess

I believe Edmonton will go with one of the CHL centerman RNH or Huberdeau. They are both left hand shots, which I think is a disadvantage because Taylor Hall is a leftie on the left wing side and a right handed center would be a better set-up man. They will have Eberle on the right side with a right hand shot to set-up RNH or Huberdeau. I have to believe after everything I've read that the Oilers believe Nugent-Hopkins has the best upside of any player in the draft. Both of them have some bulking up to do before they are NHL stars. The Oilers pick will probably be RNH. They may explore drafting Larsson, but I believe they will go with a center to try and replace Horcoff/Gagner as the top line centerman.

Who do you want your team to pick? The Rangers hold the 15th pick and I am hoping they use it on a big strong centre like Mark McNeill.

There will still be some very talented players on the board when the Red Wings pick 24th. I would like to see them go with a Goaltender or a D-man, there depth in the net is poor at best. Traditionally the Red Wings do not draft goaltenders high in the draft, but after two really sub-par years in the AHL, I don't see Thomas McCollum as the future of the Red and White. They still own the rights of Daniel Larsson, but I see him finishing out his career in Sweden. They took Petr Mrazek in the 5th round last year and he has looked solid in his first year since the draft, but is still a long way from an NHL role. Petr will get one more development year with Ottawa in the OHL before signing a pro deal with Detroit. The problem is this year's draft is rather soft on high level goaltending prospects. I don't believe we will see a goalie drafted until the 2nd round, which means Detroit can probably steal a good prospect like Benjamin Conz or Tadeas Galansky late in the draft.

That opens things up for the Red Wings to go after a Defenseman or a Right Winger, both positions lacking any real depth (oustide of Brendan Smith on Defense). I can definitely see a nice puck moving/skilled d-man like David Musil, Scott Harrington or Adam Clendening being a good fit in Detroit's system, but with Kindl and Smith in this same mold I would really like them to get a strong, physical d-man with good hockey sense and a monster shot like Scott Mayfield (Who I believe will develop into a top pairing d-man in a few years) or Ryan Sproul. Stuart Percy's stock has really raised over the past few months and has the attributes that the Red Wings like in a prospect (good hockey IQ, good first pass out of the zone and good defensive awareness), but they might be able to get him at 55 rather than 24th.

As for Right Wing, Tyler Biggs has recently dropped off from being a top 10 pick, but will be a steal at 24. He plays strong on the puck and has good defensive skills. Just the type of player the Red Wings need protecting Datsyuk and Zetterberg in the future. I've watched him play a few games in Ann Arbor this year and he has been the best player on the ice and he does it through hard work and shear will. Biggs is the type of player you build your team around because he makes everyone on your team better. If he even gets close to 24th, I don't think he will, the Red Wings could use a player of his character.

I don't really want another small, playmaking European-style forward like Joel Armia or Ty Rattie. If they go the European route, Dmitrij Jaskin and Miikka Salomaki (who's stock is really rising fast) would be great additions. Salomaki is a gritty player who battles in the corners and is very strong in the defensive zone. Miikka had some of the best strength scores at the NHL Scouting Combine and played as one of the youngest players in Finland's top league. Another top European player Tomas JurcoI may drop to the 2nd round, in which he would be a rather good pick at 55. Jurco has great hands and a quick release, but can be overly flashy and turn the puck over even with his larger frame. I believe he had some major help with Huberdeau centering him on Saint John's top line, but the bottom line, if you want to win a shootout, put this kid in. Stefan Noesen of Plymouth will probably be around at 55 and maybe even the 3rd round and his physical play and scoring ability is very interesting. Richard Rakell on the same Plymouth team probably has the bigger upside of the two, but either would be a good RW addition later in 2nd or 3rd round.

[bestrafer7]

The top 8 or 9 are very interesting. The Bruins pick 9th but the top 8 rankings vary from person to person, so the B's could have a guy they valued higher drop into their lap at 9th. I'd love Larsson or Landeskog but they're not dropping that far. Mika Z would be a good one for the Bruins. They could really use a defensive prospect though. Murphy could be interesting.

I know a lot of people are hoping Murphy falls to 9th but I don't see it happening. Hamilton won't be there at 9th. I've heard some talk of Beaulieu being available at 9th.

LMAO at Larsson or Landeskog dropping that far! They could use Murphy's Offensive skills on the blueline. The top of this draft is Center heavy, the B's are probably hoping that they all get taken 1-8. Hamilton will be gone within the Top 5-6, but I see one or even two of either Siemens, Beaulieu or Murphy being available at 9.

Larsson- 3-4 Dman. He is going to be like Hedman. Lots of Pub early..lots of potenial. He will settle into a 3-4 role and be a solid solid player for many years to come. Not going to be a #1 dman

Larsson will need more time to develop in the NA game, but I see his skill set leading to NHL success for many years. Hopefully he lands on a team where he doesn't have to be the #1 for a few years. Colorado would be ideal, developing alongside Eric Johnson.

Huberdeau-Wild card. SKILLLS...Mad skills. Could be a top line scorer, but may end up as a bust. Not that strong, and skating is only average. Needs to work on all aspects of game. But this guy could be something HUGE...if he figures it out about all parts of the game

If he lands on a team with good prospect development (not the Island for example) he will learn the game and continue to get better. If he lands on a team like New York (Isles) or Florida, I see him not reaching his potential. He won't drop out of the top 5.

Landeskog-CLosest of the forwards to having an outcome like RNH. Quick shifty skilled. Unreal. Could be a top line guy. Will need someone to help him get the points. RNH...will make other players better than they really are.

If Landeskog lands in Colorado or New Jersey, watch out! He is going to develop rapidly as both teams are looking for young forwards. If New Jersey loses Parise (which is more likely than some believe), Landeskog will be a good fit on those top two lines because he will get the chance to play next season, I believe he is the most NHL ready player in the draft. I think he would be better off in Colorado possibly playing with Paul Statsny and Matt Duchene in 2-3 years.

Duncan Siemens-Eligible this year right-Wow. This kid is something. Big, mobile, moves puck hits. Love everything about him. He is going to be a real strong player..3-4 guy. (See those who are peeved at my Larson comments above read this--being a 3-4 guy is awesome!!)

Morrow might have bigger upside than Siemens, but Duncan has all the tools to be an NHL player in shorter time. If he lands with Ottawa, Columbus or Minnesota I could see him playing next season in the NHL.

Joe Morrow--Yet another winterhawk (writing about them as I have seen them the most recently)-Smooth, smart, physical but somewhat undersized dman. He needs to work on alot of things. Project guy but will turn out as a solid 2nd pp unit QB for a team in the NHL. 4-5 dman

He has a strong upside and I could see him dropping later in the draft and being a nice addition to an already well built team.

There's been talk of the Flyers trading Carter for the 8th pick and a PP quarterback. Who has the 8th pick? Anyhow, with the Flyers trading into the 8 slot, that might lessen our chances of snagging one of these d-men you mentioned.

Columbus is at 8, personally, Carter is the type of player Columbus needs to push them back into playoff contention. At 8, you are not necessarily getting a top player and Rick Nash has been longing for a true #1 Center in a Blue Jackets uniform for a very long time. That's a win-win for the Flyers because it gives the Flyers the cap space to sign Ilya Bryzgalov (who turned down a 9 year, 60 million dollar deal with Phoenix) and draft another top center prospect like Strome, Courtier, Zibanejad or even McNeill (who would be a very good fit on that Flyers team).

Flyers will not be trading for a player. THey need to dump salary big time and now. They will only be dealing player for pick and prospect.

My guess...Carter will be the odd man out. Hmm..what team could use a strong centre who scores a ton? I don't know...all 30 in the league?

The problem is Carter is too valuable to just trade without getting significant pieces back in return. They would probably get a 1st and a top prospect and not many teams are willing to part with two essential building blocks in the future for a "right now" return. I can see Columbus and maybe even Carolina making such a move, but who is the prospect they package in the deal? Does Columbus part with the disappointing Filatov? What about Johansen? I don't think they would unless they were looking to win now. I honestly see them moving Versteeg or Carle's almost 4 million a year before parting with one of their best player's in Carter.

I will say this now and sound crazy, but Ken Holland has been hinting at a draft day deal and Carter would be the asset that could push the Wings into Stanley Cup contention. I've heard so many rumors surrounding the Wings, I believe almost none of them.

[batdad]

Carter--I hate to tell you this, but I am sure you know anyway. Jeff Carter is not a true number one type centre. There is no playmaker in him at all. None. He is a scorer. Which is why when the Flyers have 25 centres, Carter is the one they always settle on moving to the wing. He is virtually the same type of player as Rick Nash. Those two are bookends for a good C. Carter not the guy to play as a C with Nash.

Oh and if the Canucks lose tomorrow and the FLyers don't get a Bryzgalov deal done....hmm.....Plus the B's are going to eiher have to find Rask play time or move him. So either Rask or Thomas will be out there as well.

Columbus--If they make a deal for Carter, you really think they are going to deal their young up and coming star playmaking centre? I don't think Ryan Johanson is going anywhere. This is the guy they see with Nash down the middle in 2 years time.

Carter is the way out to get Bryz done. Easy way out. High paid, but we have lots in that spot to fill in. Any other move is one where there is a combination moving which is more difficult to pull off in a short time frame. It is possible they make another move with two or three guys going out, but Carter solves the problem immediately on his own.

[Danny]

Timmeh has a NTC which he will not waive because he wants to stay near his parents, who are seriously ill (unless something changed that I'm not aware of), are getting the best treatment possible in Boston and don't want to move. And the Bruins sure as hell are not trading Rask. Not gonna happen, not now anyway. Maybe when he's due an extension and wants too much $, or someone is willing to ridiculously overpay in a trade, but seeing what Halak has yielded I don't think that's realistic. Not under normal circumstances. How many great seasons does Timmeh have left in him anyway ? I think two is being optimistic.
Keep in mind the Bruins absolutely do not have any proper goalie prospect in their system. Except for Khudobin, but I have my doubts about him willing to stay in the AHL for a while instead of taking KHL money and run.