2017 NHL Draft -- General NHL Thread

[LGR4GM]

Just looking at Chytil this morning. The model doesn't like him at all. I looked at all Czech players at age 17. I looked at all Czech-18 players at 16, couldn't see where the program was obviously wrong. Canucks Army likes him more than me, but they didn't sell me either.

Hmm good to know. He passes my eye test but the fact he doesn't track well is a major concern.

 

Does the model have good numbers for the czech league, ik there's less players from there to the nhl

[rakish]

Looking at these, many of these guys are NHL players, so the numbers look a little low.

 

These are the age 17 (draft year, not calendar) Czech forwards and their valuation

 

1 TOMAS HERTL Czech 650
2 TOMAS KANA Czech 443
3 MARTIN NECAS Czech 402
4 DMITRIJ JASKIN Czech 333
5 MICHAEL SPACEK Czech 313
6 FILIP CHYTIL Czech 254
7 JIRI TLUSTY Czech 249
8 ONDREJ KASE Czech 228

9 DAVID KVETON Czech 220
10 MICHAEL FROLÍK Czech 206

 

These are the age 16 Czech-18's

 

1 DMITRIJ JASKIN Czech U18 85
2 DOMINIK KUBALÍK Czech U18 63
3 FILIP CHYTIL Czech U18 61
4 LUKAS SEDLAK Czech U18 53
5 RADEK FAKSA Czech U18 51
6 ONDREJ KASE Czech U18 50
7 MARTIN NECAS Czech U18 48
8 PATRIK HREHORCAK Czech U18 48
9 JAKUB LACKA Czech U18 48
10 DAVID KASE Czech U18 46

 

[LGR4GM]

Maybe worth it in the 2nd then. Thank you.

[Brawndo]

A player I wouldn't mind the Sabres looking at in the later rounds is Kale Howarth LW who has committed to U Conn in the fall.

 

6'5", but he is an over ager as he turns 20.

 

His final ranking was 127th amongst NA Skaters, but the scouts were impressed enough by him to extend a combine invite.

 

Played in BCHL for the Trail Smoke Eaters.

 

Went from 27 Pts in 53 games last year to 53 pts in 51 games this season.

 

Might be worth a look

[LGR4GM]

At some point today if I have time. I will rank my top 10 defenders. It will be the most official list ever but hey why not.

[LGR4GM]

Busy day... What follows is my personal ranking of the top 10 defenders in the NHL draft. I expect all of them to be gone by pick #55 in this years draft if not sooner. I basically compiled this list based off of what I have read and watched. Highlight videos are not the best but they do let you see certain things. Cale Makar is ranked #3 because of his older birthday and the inferior competition he played against but it was close in my mind. Heiskanen I believe is a step above the other two currently but those top 3 are really in a bracket to themselves. The next grouping is 4-6 and maybe could include #7 in there but I won't. I think these guys are a clear level below the first 3 but they are all really good prospects. I think then you have the final 2 tiers. 7/8 and 9/10 are players that def have a lot of promise but need more polish or bulk then the higher guys. The skill level for most of them is really good. Will the draft unfold like this? Nope. But if I were making a draft board this is how it would look. 

1. Miro Heiskanen - 6' 2" 172lbs
2. Timothy Liljegren - 5' 11.5" 188lbs
3. Cale Makar - 5' 11.25" 187lbs
4. Juuso Valimaki - 6' 1.5" 211lbs 
5. Callan Foote - 6' 4" 215lbs
6. Nicolas Hague - 6' 5.5" 207lbs
7. Connor Timmins - 6' 1.5" 184lbs
8. Henri Jokiharju - 6' .75" 188lbs
9. Erik Brannstrom - 5' 9" 179lbs
10. Urho Vaakanainen - 6' 2.5" 188lbs

Honorable mention: Pierre-Olivier Joseph - 6' 2.25" 163lbs

 

edited with official combine height and weights (weights rounded)

Edited June 8, 2017 by LGR4GM

[Randall Flagg]

Busy day... What follows is my personal ranking of the top 10 defenders in the NHL draft. I expect all of them to be gone by pick #55 in this years draft if not sooner. I basically compiled this list based off of what I have read and watched. Highlight videos are not the best but they do let you see certain things. Cale Makar is ranked #3 because of his older birthday and the inferior competition he played against but it was close in my mind. Heiskanen I believe is a step above the other two currently but those top 3 are really in a bracket to themselves. The next grouping is 4-6 and maybe could include #7 in there but I won't. I think these guys are a clear level below the first 3 but they are all really good prospects. I think then you have the final 2 tiers. 7/8 and 9/10 are players that def have a lot of promise but need more polish or bulk then the higher guys. The skill level for most of them is really good. Will the draft unfold like this? Nope. But if I were making a draft board this is how it would look. 

1. Miro Heiskanen
2. Timothy Liljegren
3. Cale Makar
4. Juuso Valimaki 
5. Callan Foote
6. Nicolas Hague
7. Connor Timmins
8. Henri Jokiharju
9. Erik Brannstrom
10. Urho Vaakanainen

Honorable mention: Pierre-Olivier Joseph

I'm going to be interested to follow Brannstrom. I've heard people say he has a shot at being the best defenseman in the draft and others say they wouldn't take him in the 1st.

[rakish]

I would reshuffle the defensemen a bit, but it's not like there is anyone on your list that shouldn't be there. The forwards?  They are a bit of a mess this year. Rasmussen? I've yet to hear anyone that likes him, yet collectively, he's near the top.

[Brawndo]

Craig Button's Final Rankings

 

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-hischier-edges-patrick-in-final-ranking-1.772654

[French Collection]

He's got Tippett at 23, lowest I've seen.

From watching him play, I am not convinced he is top 10, like many lists have him.

I've seen him score but his overall game is, meh.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Looking at these, many of these guys are NHL players, so the numbers look a little low.

 

These are the age 17 (draft year, not calendar) Czech forwards and their valuation

 

1 TOMAS HERTL Czech 650

2 TOMAS KANA Czech 443

3 MARTIN NECAS Czech 402

4 DMITRIJ JASKIN Czech 333

5 MICHAEL SPACEK Czech 313

6 FILIP CHYTIL Czech 254

7 JIRI TLUSTY Czech 249

8 ONDREJ KASE Czech 228

9 DAVID KVETON Czech 220

10 MICHAEL FROLÍK Czech 206

 

These are the age 16 Czech-18's

 

1 DMITRIJ JASKIN Czech U18 85

2 DOMINIK KUBALÍK Czech U18 63

3 FILIP CHYTIL Czech U18 61

4 LUKAS SEDLAK Czech U18 53

5 RADEK FAKSA Czech U18 51

6 ONDREJ KASE Czech U18 50

7 MARTIN NECAS Czech U18 48

8 PATRIK HREHORCAK Czech U18 48

9 JAKUB LACKA Czech U18 48

10 DAVID KASE Czech U18 46

 

 

 

 

Craig Button's Final Rankings

 

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-hischier-edges-patrick-in-final-ranking-1.772654

 

Filip made Button's list.  So far he is the only ranking I've seen with Filip in the top 31.  Granted I'm not a huge fan of Button's rankings, but he is a legit former NHL GM and a good commentator.  Sounds to me like an excellent 2nd rd selection.

[rakish]

Actually I'm a fan of Button's work. If you follow my contest, he had a great 2014 (2015 and 2016, not so much, but it's early). At this point Button is in no danger of being relegated.

[LGR4GM]

The fall of Tippett is very interesting. I wonder if a team in the top 10 will take him. I think someone could reach and do it and I have mentioned that before. His defensive game though is a huge ??? and that is the major issue. Read somewhere that he doesn't seem interested in playing defense.

Edited June 8, 2017 by LGR4GM

[Wyldnwoody44]

I don't have the time (or dedication) to the draft as you guys, but I just wanted to say that this place is awesome!!! I pretty much get an expert insider look on what's going on, and keeps me in the loop just from SS, keep up the good work!!

[LGR4GM]

Height and Weight results for the NHL combine participants. 

http://thehockeywriters.com/2017-nhl-combine-heights-weights/ 

 

A notable jump is Henri Jokiharju. Was listed as 6' 170lbs by EliteProspects, came in at the combine: 6' 0.75", 187.9lbs

 

Owen Tippett was listed at 6'2" 203lbs, came in at the combine: 6' 0.5" 203lbs

Edited June 8, 2017 by LGR4GM

[GASabresIUFAN]

Actually I'm a fan of Button's work. If you follow my contest, he had a great 2014 (2015 and 2016, not so much, but it's early). At this point Button is in no danger of being relegated.

Button always seems to like 4-5 players that the concensus has much further down the pecking order. One example this year is POJ ranked 13th ahead of like Foote, Valimaki, and Liljigren. No way he is coming off the board before those 3 players. I doubt whether he'll even go in the 1st rd. From my reading, I'd say he should slot after the above 3 plus Vaakanainen, Brannstrom, Timmins, Hague, and maybe Jokiharju.

[rakish]

Well yeah, but if you look at the consensii results, either through McKenzie or CSS, their results are terrible. I think you'll find McKenzie taking (from my point of view) a really weak pick at 8, whether is Rasmussen, Tippett, or, to a lesser extent Glass. Button will take Glass or Necas most likely, which I believe is a step up from the consensus. The only way to know is to look back 3 years from now when it becomes evident who made the right choice. I think Button will get POJ at 38, and I think we agree he will regret that in 3 years.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I create a spreadsheet every year to track the rankings and mock drafts from about 15 different sources such as TSN (both Button and McKenzie), Mckeens, ISS, THN, Sportsnet,Future Considerations etc....

 

Right now I have 11 "recent" rankings from these sources (late April through today) and the list is grouped very interestingly

 

Group 1: Patrick and Hischier

Group 2: Heiskanen, Vilardi, Middelstadt & Glass

Group 3: Makar, Tippett, Necas and Pettersson,

Group 4: Liljigren, Tolvanen, Andersson, Vesalainen, & Rasmussen

Group 5: Valimaki, Suzuki, Kostin, Brannstrom, Poehling & Foote

Group 6: Yamamoto, Vaakanainen, Radcliffe, Hague, Thomas

Group 7: Robertson, Jokiharju and Bowers

Group 8: Timmins, Norris, Comtois, Lind, & Oettinger

 

EDIT:  I've updated the groups based on updated rankings.  

 

At 8 we are looking at Group 3 and maybe the first 2 guys in Group 4

 

In this draft, the first 5 groups seem pretty firm to go in the first round is that they were on at least 9 of the 11 ballots so far.  Group 6 & 7 are on 6-8 ballots and Group 8 only 4.  There are another 18 players that have received at least 1 round grade.  

 

if Makar is gone and Jbot wants a D, I'd trade down to get Liljigren or Valimaki and pick up extra assets.  I then try to use the assets (plus our 2nd rd picks) to move back into the top 26 to get a player from group 6.  

Edited June 9, 2017 by GASabresFan

[Thorner]

As long as we don't draft Tippett at 8.

[LGR4GM]

As long as we don't draft Tippett at 8.

I think I agree with you. Something about Tippett is just off to me.

[Thorner]

He reminds me of Jake Virtanen for some reason. 44g-31a-75p for Tippett this draft year, Virtanen had 45g-26a-71p. Haven't liked what I've seen from Virtanen in his admittedly limited NHL showing.

[French Collection]

Virtanen brings some physicality, Tippett does not.

[LGR4GM]

Is Valimaki really a step below that first tier of defenders? I can't decide.

[Crusader1969]

He reminds me of Jake Virtanen for some reason. 44g-31a-75p for Tippett this draft year, Virtanen had 45g-26a-71p. Haven't liked what I've seen from Virtanen in his admittedly limited NHL showing.

 

I still like Tippett as the best option at 8. Probably the best skater - especially of the guys who will be there at 8, best shot, scores big goals.

 

yes, you roll the dice a bit on his reluctance to play D but you hope that will change as he gets older and under NHL coaching. 

 

Any guy at 8 is going to have warts this draft.

[LGR4GM]

I still like Tippett as the best option at 8. Probably the best skater - especially of the guys who will be there at 8, best shot, scores big goals.

 

yes, you roll the dice a bit on his reluctance to play D but you hope that will change as he gets older and under NHL coaching. 

 

Any guy at 8 is going to have warts this draft.

I most certainly do not believe Tippett is the best option at 8. Maybe at 12.