2021 NHL Draft Rankings

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

It is a little debatable but I'd say a majority project him to wing. For me, there is just so much deception and outrageously clever manipulations of the defense to put him at wing. You give him the puck and then draft a guy like Guenther at 3 (if we got 3) and then let them go. It speaks volumes that he centered Holtz and was the better player in the SHL. I think if his skating speed improves by 10% it will be another lethal tool as he is already quick. I think his skating was actually better at the end of the year, he seemed to have stronger legs which seemed to tighten up his stride and make him a little less gangly in his stride. 

If he had another 15-20lbs of muscle his ability to win board battles will improve although again, he was 18 playing against men so losing some battles makes sense (he still won a lot of them).  The fact he could carry the puck and make all the quick turns and passes he does was something to see. I also see his shot as underrated as he can snap it off lightning quick. 

If the kid was 6' instead of 5'10" I think he would be the top pick and be projected at center. 

I hope we pick Eklund.

Player most likely to be this draft’s Barzal or Sakic.

[Randall Flagg]

I'm dreaming about coming away with Beniers and Eklund. I'd be fine with Power and one of the two. I'd be disappointed with any other outcome possible with 2 picks in top 3-5

[Marvin]

Is there a reason everyone is omitting Asplund from their line-ups?

[Thorner]

2 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Is there a reason everyone is omitting Asplund from their line-ups?

I had him in but Turcotte took his place when I remembered I needed a Reinhart return

[LGR4GM]

 

[LGR4GM]

My top 2 are Eklund and Beniers... in that order. 

1) William Eklund

2) Matthew Beniers

 

[Curt]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

My top 2 are Eklund and Beniers... in that order. 

1) William Eklund

2) Matthew Beniers

 

Preach.  My heart says to swap them because I love The Concept of Beniers, but I haven’t watched enough to feel confident splitting the hair between the two.  Would be very happy with either.

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, Curt said:

Preach.  My heart says to swap them because I love The Concept of Beniers, but I haven’t watched enough to feel confident splitting the hair between the two.  Would be very happy with either.

Don't get me wrong, I love Beniers and the concept of him is awesome. I think he's going to be a very good 2-way center but Eklund, he has the ability to be more and that is worth the risk. 

[Brawndo]

 

[Brawndo]

 

[WildCard]

It's been rumored Power is going back as well, and we saw the belief on Eklund returning to the SHL for one more year today also. Seems like no matter which way the Sabres pick, that prospect is going back somewhere for another year.

[Flashsabre]

3 minutes ago, WildCard said:

It's been rumored Power is going back as well, and we saw the belief on Eklund returning to the SHL for one more year today also. Seems like no matter which way the Sabres pick, that prospect is going back somewhere for another year.

Good. The Sabres need to start developing properly if they ever want to get out of this mess.  Although next year if they draft Shane Wright then he can play right away.😁

[Hoss]

26 minutes ago, WildCard said:

It's been rumored Power is going back as well, and we saw the belief on Eklund returning to the SHL for one more year today also. Seems like no matter which way the Sabres pick, that prospect is going back somewhere for another year.

“A few years” for Beniers. That’s … not reassuring. (Don’t mind waiting but it’s more so the risk of him getting three years into his college career and deciding what’s one more year before heading to free agency).

It seems pretty apparent you’re not getting an immediate player this year, though.

Those scout takes from Pronman have reassured me of the Power pick.

[GASabresIUFAN]

55 minutes ago, WildCard said:

It's been rumored Power is going back as well, and we saw the belief on Eklund returning to the SHL for one more year today also. Seems like no matter which way the Sabres pick, that prospect is going back somewhere for another year.

Is that really a bad thing? Sam went back for another year.  Cozens, Quinn, Mitts etc.. It’s asking a lot of a 18 year old kid to jump immediately into the NHL.

[WildCard]

39 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Is that really a bad thing? Sam went back for another year.  Cozens, Quinn, Mitts etc.. It’s asking a lot of a 18 year old kid to jump immediately into the NHL.

Idk how uncommon it is these days for the #1OA pick to not enter the NHL right away, but I'd bet it's pretty high. Is it the worst thing? Course not, just develop him right. But it's another sign of how weak this draft is compared to others IMO, and it also doesn't help the idea of keeping Eichel.

[LGR4GM]

I've now looked draft reports for Beniers, Power, and Eklund. Roughly 20 reports each over their draft year and I am really feeling good about where I am at with these guys. Eklund to me is on a level above everyone else and I think without Covid and the Appendectomy impacting his season, he'd be the clear cut #1 with no questions. Hearing he wants to go back for 1 more year is fine with me. It allows him to develop in the SHL more and to play in the WJC this winter. If he is going well you can bring him in for the april playoff run. 

[bob_sauve28]

6 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Is there a reason everyone is omitting Asplund from their line-ups?

7 goals in 28 games last season! That’s about 20 goal season there. 

[LGR4GM]

All from the Elite Prospects Rinkside draft guide. https://www.eliteprospects.com/2021draftguide

Matthew Beniers, from a game in the back 3rd of his year that highlights some of his skills. 

Mitchell Brown: February 26th, 2021 - Arizona State vs. Michigan - NCAA Hat trick on 1.4 ixG at 5-on-5, basically as high of an ixG as non-Cole Caufield players get in Big Ten hockey. Showed better than off-puck instincts than previously noted, popping into pockets with perfect timing. He even flared wide to increase the lateral distance that the goaltender would have to cover if the pass got through twice, both leading to goals. Hat trick was finished off with a tricky backhand reception into a partial in-stride wrister shot out of a handle -- release deception that scales well. Head fakes and eye deception to misdirect the opposition. Doesn’t overhandle, using his stick to fend off other sticks, although his poor touch killed a couple of possession sequences. As usual, he was a puck-retrieving, thieving, and rushing machine. Tons of pre-scanning; always in position to step across and disrupt the play, intercept a pass, and get the puck back. Manages multi-variable defensive situations with ease. Unconvinced he’s a high-end playmaker, but his defence and puck transportation are surely top-six-calibre. Scales to high-end teammates. Could be a big-time facilitator in the NHL, an easy top-three pick in this class.

 

William Eklund, from a game near the end of his year from a Swedish Scout

Lassi Alanen: March 11st, 2021 - IK Oskarshamn vs. Djurgårdens IF - SHL What mostly stood out for me about Eklund in this game was his work ethic. I haven’t seen a 2021 eligible prospect who works harder than Eklund, offensively and defensively. It’s most noticeable without the puck. Eklund backchecked for almost half of the rink, going 100 percent from a standstill just to force a dump-in by the puck-carrying forward. Eklund’s conditioning must be insane. His two-way habits are elite. He scans his surroundings consistently in the defensive zone, closes passing lanes and recovers loose pucks consistently. He keeps his feet moving in all zones and at all times. With better luck, he could have easily had two power play assists in this game. He made an awesome blind backhand pass to the slot from below the goal line for a grade A chance, and a bit later made a spinning pass to the front post while he was going around the goal. If only his passing target would have been more alert and that would have been a tap-in goal. And the pass wasn’t just a blind Hail Mary. He peaked over his shoulder a few seconds earlier. Eklund’s speed and quickness are both at a very good level, even if his skating has some mechanical flaws like a lack of ankle flexion. He lacks strength along the boards (doesn’t matter all the time as he can win battles with his sheer work ethic alone) and could have been a bit tidier with some of the passes, but there’s not much to complain about. Eklund seems like a super safe pick with noticeable upside, too.

 

Owen Power, game from the worlds that adds a little context to his play there

David St-Louis: May 23rd, 2021 - Canada vs United States - World Hockey Championship Poor start to the game for Power, a bit like his start to the tournament, but then he turned it on from about the middle of the second frame. I still think Power is more executing learned patterns, learned activations; he plays in a modern way because he has learned that way. I don’t think he instinctually finds advantages, but simply executes patterns that create those advantages for him, not necessarily in a controlled, timely manner at all times. But pushing the analysis that far is stretching it thin. It’s more of a feeling than anything else. His habits or tactics are great: those constant activations in transition and in the offensive zone, the way he looks cross-ice for his passes, changes the point of attack, moves his feet on reception a bit more (especially in the o-zone), pinches preemptively… In transition, he made more than a few stretch passes, taking advantage of the open ice and of the opposing team changing. He looks to carry too much and overactivates at times (he should just make the early pass to forwards accelerating into space sometimes). Defensively, his gaps started ridiculously loose and he was barely shoulder checking. He partly cost his team two goals. But then, it got better. Better angling, better gaps, more awareness... Interesting performance that suggests top-pair potential. I still have questions, but he is the top defenceman in this class for me.

Edited July 6, 2021 by LGR4GM

[Buffalonill]

25 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I've now looked draft reports for Beniers, Power, and Eklund. Roughly 20 reports each over their draft year and I am really feeling good about where I am at with these guys. Eklund to me is on a level above everyone else and I think without Covid and the Appendectomy impacting his season, he'd be the clear cut #1 with no questions. Hearing he wants to go back for 1 more year is fine with me. It allows him to develop in the SHL more and to play in the WJC this winter. If he is going well you can bring him in for the april playoff run. 

[LGR4GM]

 

[Hank]

I think I want Beniers 1OA. If they take Power I can talk myself into liking it. Anyone else and I'll be disappointed. 

[dudacek]

While I think Matty Beniers would quickly become one of my favourite players and I drool over the thought of alternating him and Cozens in their primes, I am all in on Eklund at #1.

[Hoss]

I'm still all in on Power at number one and expect him to be the pick. If we get third overall I'm starting to lean Eklund over Beniers despite my prior conviction on Beniers being the guy there. If the team is really as in love with Eklund as the reports say they are I expect them to place a very high value on third overall. Of course, Seattle could screw them and take him at second overall.

No, I don't think the Sabres would consider taking Eklund over Power.

[Brawndo]

Hockey Prospects released Their Top 32

 

https://hockeyprospect.com/2021-nhl-draft-black-book-is-now-available/

 

[LGR4GM]

49 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Hockey Prospects released Their Top 32

 

https://hockeyprospect.com/2021-nhl-draft-black-book-is-now-available/

 

Edvinsson at 3... 

6 hours ago, Hoss said:

I'm still all in on Power at number one and expect him to be the pick. If we get third overall I'm starting to lean Eklund over Beniers despite my prior conviction on Beniers being the guy there. If the team is really as in love with Eklund as the reports say they are I expect them to place a very high value on third overall. Of course, Seattle could screw them and take him at second overall.

No, I don't think the Sabres would consider taking Eklund over Power.

Not only do I think they are considering it, I think at this stage their board is Eklund, Power, Beniers.