2019 NHL Draft

[Crusader1969]

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think they want Turcotte first and Zegras second but neither falls.

I hope their love for Cole is a smokescreen, but it is out there. Did you see Duff’s bedroom eyes? I wouldn't hate the pick, but I can think of four or five other names that might be available that I’d rather have, for exactly the reasons you describe.

And I admit that Botterill grabbing Cozens and stunning @Thorny would almost be worth letting a more interesting prospect slide.?

If Caufield was a right wing for the Guelph Storm, is he a 1st round draft pick ?   That’s the impossible question the scouts have to figure out   How much was he helped by playing on the wing of the best 17 year old player in the world? 

 

[Thorner]

15 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I think they want Turcotte first and Zegras second but neither falls.

I hope their love for Cole is a smokescreen, but it is out there. Did you see Duff’s bedroom eyes? I wouldn't hate the pick, but I can think of four or five other names that might be available that I’d rather have, for exactly the reasons you describe.

And I admit that Botterill grabbing Cozens and stunning @Thorny would almost be worth letting a more interesting prospect slide.?

Agree, I will be a little disappointed if we get Caufield, but I think it’s really quite likely Zegras or Caufield is their pick. 

I’d honestly love to see them pick a CHL player just to confirm it’s actually possible for Botterill to pick from there, and that he’s not essentially anchoring an entire league with his bias. 

Acting like he truly considers the CHL, except for maybe in EXTREME circumstances, already seems a little dicey on the math side of things, with him not having selected a single CHL player in two full drafts (only GM to do that). 

If he goes 3 straight years without a CHL guy, it’s safe to say the CHL is functionally off limits WRT drafting, for all intents and purposes. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Thorny

[Taro T]

34 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

If we are offered a 2nd line C or W to move down from 7 to 9 or 10 would you do it?  I think I would.

Yep.

There's at least 4 guys that will be available at 7 that make sense at that pick.  Filling a huge hole on this current roster at the cost of not having 1st choice of those 4-5 seems a no brainer.  (Unless something wild like Turcotte sliding to 7 happens.  In which case, that'd be an emphatic no.)

[sabresparaavida]

35 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

If we are offered a 2nd line C or W to move down from 7 to 9 or 10 would you do it?  I think I would.

I would happily do that. I would even move down a bit further. I kind of want Newhook, and so if I think he'll fall to 13 or so, I would be willing to go there.

[Crusader1969]

35 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Agree, I will be a little disappointed if we get Caufield, but I think it’s really quite likely Zegras or Caufield is their pick. 

I’d honestly love to see them pick a CHL player just to confirm it’s actually possible for Botterill to pick from there, and that he’s not essentially anchoring an entire league with his bias. 

Acting like he truly considers the CHL, except for maybe in EXTREME circumstances, already seems a little dicey on the math side of things, with him not having selected a single CHL player in two full drafts (only GM to do that). 

If he goes 3 straight years without a CHL guy, it’s safe to say the CHL is functionally off limits WRT drafting, for all intents and purposes. 

Don’t forget Newhook, he’s a BCHL guy and will go NCAA route 

[Thorner]

7 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Don’t forget Newhook, he’s a BCHL guy and will go NCAA route 

Ya, I could definitely see Botterill calling his name because of his development route. Still wouldn't count as a CHL selection though. 

[Thorner]

8 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Also Craig Button is truly a dinosaur when it comes to player evaluation and a major reason why his list every year is so bad. 

In the video here, https://www.tsn.ca/alex-newhook-centre-1.1301984, Craig spends a minute talking about Alex Newhook. During those 60 seconds he says the following: "The skating is good. If it was a little bit quicker and a little bit faster I think (Newhook) would be much higher up the draft boards. But considering he does have room to improve in that area and if he does take that skating up a notch, he could be a really good strong centerman. He might find his way to the wing as time goes on because receiving the puck if you are not a great skater allows you now to take advantage of your playmaking from the wing."

Wut. I don't even know what he's trying to say here. Not being a great skater is what allows him to play-make from the wing? Good skaters can't playmake from the wing?

Edited June 20, 2019 by Thorny

[dudacek]

Interesting stuff from the Athletic’s ScottWheeler:

These are players who, if all goes well, have a chance to be first-line forwards

Forwards:
Jack Hughes: 80-90 point centre. Potential second team All-Star.
Kaapo Kakko: 70-80 point winger. Perennial All-Star.
Alex Turcotte: 60-75 point centre. Dominant two-way forward. Can run PP1.
Dylan Cozens: 60-70 point centre. Coveted size and speed.
Kirby Dach: 60-70 point centre. Coveted size and puck protection.
Peyton Krebs: 60-65 point forward. First-line winger or second-line centre.
Matthew Boldy: 60-65 point first-line winger.
Cole Caufield: 40-plus goal scoring winger. Dominant powerplay threat.
Alex Newhook: 60-65 point centre. Borderline world-class skater.
Trevor Zegras: 60-70 point forward. Powerplay reliant playmaker. Pest.
Long shots: Bobby Brink (potential 60-point winger) and Arthur Kaliyev (potential 35-goal scorer).

Edited June 20, 2019 by dudacek

[PalmTreeMafia]

1 hour ago, Crusader1969 said:

I was about to congratulate Sabrespace for not falling into the Caufield trap as Sabres twitter definitely has.  Disappointed to see this mock draft and 3 picks of Caufield    Don’t want to say it’s a bad pick but I’d much prefer a center and a guy that can skate  and drive a line   Caufield can’t do anything without help from someone else 

 

 

I would not be at all comfortable choosing Caufield over Cozens. 

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Interesting stuff from the Athletic’s ScottWheeler:

These are players who, if all goes well, have a chance to be first-line forwards

Forwards:
Jack Hughes: 80-90 point centre. Potential second team All-Star.
Kaapo Kakko: 70-80 point winger. Perennial All-Star.
Alex Turcotte: 60-75 point centre. Dominant two-way forward. Can run PP1.
Dylan Cozens: 60-70 point centre. Coveted size and speed.
Kirby Dach: 60-70 point centre. Coveted size and puck protection.
Peyton Krebs: 60-65 point forward. First-line winger or second-line centre.
Matthew Boldy: 60-65 point first-line winger.
Cole Caufield: 40-plus goal scoring winger. Dominant powerplay threat.
Alex Newhook: 60-65 point centre. Borderline world-class skater.
Trevor Zegras: 60-70 point forward. Powerplay reliant playmaker. Pest.
Long shots: Bobby Brink (potential 60-point winger) and Arthur Kaliyev (potential 35-goal scorer).

"Powerplay" basically reads like shade to me. 

"Powerplay reliant" sounds downright negative.

Is Zegras too similar to Mittelstadt?

Edited June 20, 2019 by Thorny

[Thorner]

7 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

One of the reasons I like Newhook is that he does something simple yet very smart, his first touch with most pucks is into space. A lot of guys just worry about receiving the pass, I see this with Cozens sometimes. Newhook will actively make a small play when he receives a pass to put that 1st touch into space so he can do something with his second touch. 

There's a perfect example of what I mean here: https://youtu.be/vz9gGeoEdGg?t=302 he just accepts the pass and his first touch is away from the backside pressure into space and that allows him to turn. 

 

 

Reinhart-esque. 

[dudacek]

It’s been said by some that Zegras doesn’t have what it takes to make plays in traffic.

Casey is a much-more full-speed-ahead-to-the-net-or-the-puck hound, Zegras has a craftier game and is probably the best passing touch in the draft.

[Thorner]

6 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

Liger has me convinced on that Newhook guy. Newhouse. I forget his name. 

Newhook. it's Newhook, got it. 

I also like Krebs a LOT. And Turcotte. 

But I don't really know anything so whoever they pick is fine

As long as it's not Cozens 

It's pronounced Thrillhouse. 

4 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It’s been said by some that Zegras doesn’t have what it takes to make plays in traffic.

Casey is a much-more full-speed-ahead-to-the-net-or-the-puck hound, Zegras has a craftier game and is probably the best passing touch in the draft.

I don't really see Casey like this at all. He doesn't strike me as particularly fast, and seems to thrive most as a playmaker, by far. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Thorny

[Curt]

9 minutes ago, Thorny said:

"Powerplay" basically reads like shade to me. 

"Powerplay reliant" sounds downright negative.

Is Zegras too similar to Mittelstadt?

Is Mittelstadt a PP specialist?

I don’t know if it was meant as shade.  Saying that someone can be a 60-70 point forward who puts up tons of points on the PP isn’t really a negative.  Zegras truly is fantastic on the PP.  With the extra time and space available, he is really in able to use his skating, passing and offensive awareness to pick apart the D and create some great chances.  He is better on the PP than he is at even strength.  Is that bad?

[Thorner]

4 minutes ago, Curtisp5286 said:

Is Mittelstadt a PP specialist?

I don’t know if it was meant as shade.  Saying that someone can be a 60-70 point forward who puts up tons of points on the PP isn’t really a negative.  Zegras truly is fantastic on the PP.  With the extra time and space available, he is really in able to use his skating, passing and offensive awareness to pick apart the D and create some great chances.  He is better on the PP than he is at even strength.  Is that bad?

The Mittelstadt comment was separate. 

Saying they are reliant on the PP is certainly a bad thing. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Thorny

[Curt]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

Saying they are reliant on the PP is certainly a bad thing. 

I took it as reliant on PP production to get to that 60-70 points, moreso than the normal top-6 forward.

How did you take it?  He is reliant on the PP to do what?

[Crusader1969]

22 minutes ago, Thorny said:

"Powerplay" basically reads like shade to me. 

"Powerplay reliant" sounds downright negative.

Is Zegras too similar to Mittelstadt?

I’d take every player on this list over power play specialist 

[dudacek]

21 minutes ago, Thorny said:

It's pronounced Thrillhouse. 

I don't really see Casey like this at all. He doesn't strike me as particularly fast, and seems to thrive most as a playmaker, by far. 

I’m not saying he’s a fast skater per se - more that he processes and executes quickly. And I’m more referring to pre-NHL Casey.

When he is at his best, his feet and hands never stopped moving, he was always pushing the play on the forecheck and the backcheck and being deadly quick with his stick. He was the opposite of a Reinhart type who can slow the game down and find seams, even though they are both good thinkers. He had a lot of success catching opponents unawares by pushing the pace and he was always pointed toward the net on O and where the puck was going on D.

I think his struggles in the NHL were related to the fact that what was overdrive against teens was just game speed in the NHL and he wasn’t surprising anyone, He has to find another gear for his A game to succeed up here.

Edited June 20, 2019 by dudacek

[Thorner]

4 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

I’d take every player on this list over power play specialist 

I feel like I'm missing something. In what universe is being reliant on the PP a good thing? PP specialist/reliant sounds like the same thing to me. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Thorny

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I’m not saying he’s fast per se and I’m more referring to pre-NHL Casey.

When he is at his best, his feet and hands never stopped moving, he was always pushing the play on the forecheck and the backcheck and being deadly quick with his stick. He had a lot of success catching opponents unawares by pushing the pace and he was always pointed toward the net on O and where the puck was going on D.

I think his struggles in the NHL were related to the fact that what was overdrive against teens was just game speed in the NHL and he wasn’t surprising anyone, He has to find another gear for his A game to succeed up here.

I still see Casey as the 2C of the future but this does worry me a tad, that he wasn't able to find separation at the NHL level in his rookie year. You can improve speed to a degree, but by how much?

[Thorner]

10 minutes ago, Curtisp5286 said:

I took it as reliant on PP production to get to that 60-70 points, moreso than the normal top-6 forward.

How did you take it?  He is reliant on the PP to do what?

Well it said "Powerplay reliant playmaker." full stop. Not, "reliant on PP to reach 70", so I just took it as such. 

Of course the two are not mutually exclusive, but the first bit seemed pretty specific. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by Thorny

[Curt]

44 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Well it said "Powerplay reliant playmaker." full stop. Not, "reliant on PP to reach 70", so I just took it as such. 

Of course the two are not mutually exclusive, but the first bit seemed pretty specific. 

So on the PP his a playmaker and 5-on-5 he is not?  Is that what you were thinking?

I think you are trying to read too deep into it.  He is a playmaker and he is especially good on the PP.  

[Thorner]

8 minutes ago, Curtisp5286 said:

So on the PP his a playmaker and 5-on-5 he is not?  Is that what you were thinking?

I think you are trying to read too deep into it.  He is a playmaker and he is especially good on the PP.  

I'm not reading into anything. I'm reading the words. It said PP reliant, not "especially good on the PP". 

Take it how you want, I'm reading what is there. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by Thorny

[Curt]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

I'm not reading into anything. I'm reading the words. It said PP reliant, not "especially good on the PP". 

Take it how you want, I'm reading what is there. 

I’m reading the words too and telling you what I believe they mean.

So what do you think “PP reliant” means?

[Thorner]

29 minutes ago, Curtisp5286 said:

I’m reading the words too and telling you what I believe they mean.

So what do you think “PP reliant” means?

I think it means he's reliant on the PP. 

According to the author. 

To be honest it seemed an odd comment, haven't heard that about Zegras before. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by Thorny