2019 NHL Draft

[LGR4GM]

8 minutes ago, Derrico said:

@LGR4GM - you’ve advocated for some guys who have hit in the past (barbashev and BB come to mind).  Will be interested in your final rankings once we get close to the draft.  This is such a big pick for the franchise if the pick gets made.  

 

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Yea, gotta see the draft reports and hope for some more vids before the rankings firm up. John Beecher is a guy on my radar. A few other names, Simon Holmstrom, Alex Beaucage, Nathan Legare, Samuel Poulin. I wish we had a 2nd round pick but I wonder if someone will actually slide to the 3rd. Teams get dumb in the 2nd round for some reason. 

 

1 minute ago, Brawndo said:

Fun Fact Beecher grew up as a Sabres Fan 

Just moving this...

Beecher is a really interesting player. He should probably be a first round pick but might slide. He was on a super deep USDP squad that saw him play on the 3rd line behind basically everyone. Hughes, Turcotte, Zegras (when not playing with Hughes). Beecher skates well, good on the backcheck and forecheck. Good size. He is just good. When you play on a team with guys who are great though, kinda keeps you in the shadows. 

[Curt]

27 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

 

Just moving this...

Beecher is a really interesting player. He should probably be a first round pick but might slide. He was on a super deep USDP squad that saw him play on the 3rd line behind basically everyone. Hughes, Turcotte, Zegras (when not playing with Hughes). Beecher skates well, good on the backcheck and forecheck. Good size. He is just good. When you play on a team with guys who are great though, kinda keeps you in the shadows. 

I really like Beecher too.  Wouldn't be disappointed if Buffalo took him with their 2nd 1st rounder.  Or even better if they traded back from 19 for a couple picks in the 25-50 range and snagged him with one of those plus another guy who slides.

Edited April 19, 2019 by Curtisp5286

[LGR4GM]

Tomasino is another guy with that 2nd first. This draft is surprisingly deep in terms of decent talent. It doesn't have the flash of 2015 but still, there is some depth there. 

[Crusader1969]

Watching the US U-18 team is hilarious   So much talent    

Boldy, Turcotte and Caufield all look fantastic in the first period  

 think we are getting close for Caufield to have his own draft page   

 

 

 

 

[LGR4GM]

7 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Watching the US U-18 team is hilarious   So much talent    

Boldy, Turcotte and Caufield all look fantastic in the first period  

 think we are getting close for Caufield to have his own draft page   

Not in my book. He has a great shot, no doubt. But if that is what we want, we might as well put Kaliyev out there at #7. My issue with Caufield is his defensive game which I think needs work. 

Edited April 19, 2019 by LGR4GM

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, Crusader1969 said:

Watching the US U-18 team is hilarious   So much talent    

Boldy, Turcotte and Caufield all look fantastic in the first period  

 think we are getting close for Caufield to have his own draft page   

 

 

 

 

Agree. He should be on our radar far more than someone like Dach, Cozens, or Krebs, as Botterill isn’t going to draft a Canadian out of the CHL there, if at all (0 CHL picks in 2 drafts thus far).

Not when there are guys like Turcotte, Zegras, Boldy, and Caufield available, one of which will be the pick. 

We’ll probably have our pick out of at least 2 of them. Hughes and Kakko, the Russian, at least one of the Canadian group going ahead of 7, leaving probably max 2 chosen from those 4 Americans Botterill will be targeting. 

Could have 3 to chose from if both Dach and Cozens go top 6. 

Edited April 19, 2019 by Thorny

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

Not in my book. He has a great shot, no doubt. But if that is what we want, we might as well put Kaliyev out there at #7. My issue with Caufield is his defensive game which I think needs work. 

I should delete this but... I still worry about his defensive game. 

[Crusader1969]

Caufield has to be included now in that mishmash of players from 3 -10.   Now a blender of 8 players   

I think there is even a possiblity that he could be off the board before the Sabres draft , if team has Centers and is looking for a scoring winger.  

I don't think Sabres go that direction because they are in dire need of centers and a high end one will, more than likely, be available at 7. 

Im still in the Zegras or Turcotte camp but both Boldy and Caufield are more than impressive wingers

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I should delete this but... I still worry about his defensive game. 

I don't think you are wrong.  The difficult part is predicting how much he would produce without Hughes? His skating isn't "elite".  Will he be able to create time and space vs NHL dmen?   Caufield could be a grand slam pick there is a chance that he's only a solid double.   Where you could draft  Turcotte or  Zegras and be confident the pick is at least a home run.  

 

Edited April 19, 2019 by Crusader1969

[French Collection]

Write up on Sam Poulin. Worth a look if he is there for our second pick.

https://thehockeywriters.com/samuel-poulin-2019-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

 

[LGR4GM]

I love Poulin. I also think that explanation of his skating is fairly accurate. He's not slow but he needs some edge work and some work on his first 2 steps. 

The rest of his game is solid. 

 

[LGR4GM]

Alex Newhook, still on the radar. His skating might only be second to Hughes. There's just a pop to his game I like. 

[primeme]

On 4/20/2019 at 9:36 AM, French Collection said:

Write up on Sam Poulin. Worth a look if he is there for our second pick.

https://thehockeywriters.com/samuel-poulin-2019-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/

 

Agree.,   Exactly what we need,

[Brawndo]

We may have to seriously consider Caufield at 7.

[LGR4GM]

35 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

We may have to seriously consider Caufield at 7.

Keep in kind how talented the team is,  whi they've played, who he gets as a center. 

Boldy is impressing me most. He's just always doing something good. 

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, Brawndo said:

We may have to seriously consider Caufield at 7.

I’d rather take a driver than a finisher.

 

[Brawndo]

51 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I’d rather take a driver than a finisher.

 

I can understand that. That’s why Zegras, Turcotte and Boldy are interesting there as well. 

[Weave]

5 hours ago, dudacek said:

I’d rather take a driver than a finisher.

 

 

Inkman, clean up in page 8.

[North Buffalo]

No its worse not in an Isle more like an ER bed... say holding B, is there a Doctor in the house?

[LGR4GM]

17 hours ago, dudacek said:

I’d rather take a driver than a finisher.

 

 

16 hours ago, Brawndo said:

I can understand that. That’s why Zegras, Turcotte and Boldy are interesting there as well. 

Zegras has faded a little for me. Boldy has grown a little on me. His skating is better than I thought it was. Turcotte is basically just confirming what I thought. 

Krebs is interesting. There is a lot more jam to his game than I originally thought. 

[French Collection]

I'm really liking Turcotte. Total package.

[GASabresIUFAN]

After watching the US Russia game is there any thought that Pod might slip or was he invisible because the US team is just so dominate?

 

I also think Cam York and Canadian Brayden Tracey are helping themselves come draft day.  

I watched the Canadians against Belarus and Cozens and Newhook looked like men among boys

Edited April 22, 2019 by GASabresIUFAN

[Thorner]

On 4/21/2019 at 3:28 PM, Brawndo said:

I can understand that. That’s why Zegras, Turcotte and Boldy are interesting there as well. 

I really think you/the board is narrowing right in on the right guys. It's gonna be one of those 4 (Caufield un-named in the quoted post). 

How would you guess Botterill might have the 4 ranked? It's gotta be Turcotte first, I'd bet. Next probably depends on how much he weighs position in that spot, and in what way. Boldy and Caufield are more finishers, Zegras more a playmaker, right? You'd think if play style is factoring in for him he'd lean towards finish given the roster, but if he's targeting C, could be Zegras next. 

Edited April 23, 2019 by Thorny

[Brawndo]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

I really think you/the board is narrowing right in on the right guys. It's gonna be one of those 4 (Caufield un-named in the quoted post). 

How would you guess Botterill might have the 4 ranked? It's gotta be Turcotte first, I'd bet. Next probably depends on how much he weighs position in that spot, and in what way. Boldy and Caufield are more finishers, Zegras more a playmaker, right? You'd think if play style is factoring in for him he'd lean towards finish given the roster, but if he's targeting C, could be Zegras next. 

If I had to guess

1. Turcotte

2. Boldy 

3. Zegras 

4. Caufield

Boldy is more of a playermaker but can finish.

Boldy should be ready for the NHL come next spring as well 

Zegras might be an option if Botterill wants another Center though 

Edited April 23, 2019 by Brawndo

[dudacek]

The current team USA hype shouldn’t make you forget Cozens, Dach or Krebs.

They’re all right there.

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

The current team USA hype shouldn’t make you forget Cozens, Dach or Krebs.

They’re all right there.

Botterill probably has them on a separate list marked "CHL - Don't draft". 

Jokes aside, he's going to select an American there. 

Edited April 23, 2019 by Thorny