2013 Draft Thread - Part II

[SeidoN]

The beauty of the situation for Nichushkin is he literally can almost pick and choose his destiny by playing the media and the fears of NHL GM's...

If this guy didn't want to go to a certain team, all he has to do blow his interview and give that team bad signals.

surely if he wanted to go to a certain team he could just say "if i get drafted by any other team, ill pull a Lindros"

 

[Volodya Krutov]

The beauty of the situation for Nichushkin is he literally can almost pick and choose his destiny by playing the media and the fears of NHL GM's...

If this guy didn't want to go to a certain team, all he has to do blow his interview and give that team bad signals.

Bat signal ?

 

[Unknown Caller]

“If I go to North America, I’ll go only to NHL,” Nichushkin said earlier this week at the World Under-18 Championship. “I played in KHL, why [do] I need to go to CHL or AHL?”

There's no way Lou is picking this kid. You think he's really going to let a 17 or 18 year old kid tell him that he's not going to the AHL? This is the complete opposite of a Lou Lamoriello type of player. I don't care how much talent he has, Lou would never stand for that.

I can only imagine Lou's reaction when the kid sits down for his interview and says "I only go to NHL. Why I need to go to AHL?" I think Lou might end the meeting right there just based on principle alone.

 

[Bologna 1]

There's no way Lou is picking this kid. You think he's really going to let a 17 or 18 year old kid tell him that he's not going to the AHL? This is the complete opposite of a Lou Lamoriello type of player. I don't care how much talent he has, Lou would never stand for that.

I can only imagine the Lou's reaction when the kid sits down for his interview and says "I only go to NHL. Why I need to go to AHL?" I think Lou might end the meeting right there just based on principle alone.

if thats the case then thats on lou. take what young 17 yr old kids say with a grain of salt, they are immature. the kid has top end talent and if you pass on him for a stupid reason like that you deserve to be fired.

 

[Unknown Caller]

if thats the case then thats on lou. take what young 17 yr old kids say with a grain of salt, they are immature. the kid has top end talent and if you pass on him for a stupid reason like that you deserve to be fired.

Not really. Organizations have certain principles, especially the Devils. That quote speaks volumes about him as a person and not just his willingness to play in the AHL. If things don't go his way (getting sent down/benched/struggling), he's getting the **** out of North America at his first chance. It also indicates selfishness. The Devils would never stand for that.

I could see a Calgary, Buffalo, or Edmonton drafting him, but certainly not teams like Nashville and New Jersey.

 

[JimEIV]

There's no way Lou is picking this kid. You think he's really going to let a 17 or 18 year old kid tell him that he's not going to the AHL? This is the complete opposite of a Lou Lamoriello type of player. I don't care how much talent he has, Lou would never stand for that.

I can only imagine Lou's reaction when the kid sits down for his interview and says "I only go to NHL. Why I need to go to AHL?" I think Lou might end the meeting right there just based on principle alone.

I don't believe anything reported in the media or even said by the individuals...The gamesmanship that is going on right now is for high stakes big dollar contracts. And the posturing and wordsmithing is being done with precision.

 

[PKs Broken Stick]

Yea this is one the things that I'd agree with Lou on. If that is how he really feels I think we'd be better off passing on him.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

Kid's got swag, I like it.

 

[Unknown Caller]

I don't believe anything reported in the media or even said by the individuals...The gamesmanship that is going on right now is for high stakes big dollar contracts. And the posturing and wordsmithing is being done with precision.

1. If he wants to get picked higher he would shut his mouth and say he's willing to do whatever it takes to play in the NHL. Even if it's not true, teams will feel more comfortable picking him. So if it is gamesmanship (which I don't think it is, he's just being brutally honest) it's an awful strategy.

2. You don't risk a top 10 pick on a kid like that. Unless he was the bonafide top overall prospect in the draft by miles, you can't waste a top 10 pick on him. This is not a kid who has his head in the right place, and if you think the Devils won't be the first team to see that, you're kidding yourself.

 

[New Jersey Devils]

He's going to look like a complete idiot if he ***** the bed when he gets to the NHL.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

why would he aspire to go to the AHL? don't you want your prospects to have some confidence?

 

[JimEIV]

1. If he wants to get picked higher he would shut his mouth and say he's willing to do whatever it takes to play in the NHL. Even if it's not true, teams will feel more comfortable picking him. So if it is gamesmanship (which I don't think it is, he's just being brutally honest) it's an awful strategy.

2. You don't risk a top 10 pick on a kid like that. Unless he was the bonafide top overall prospect in the draft by miles, you can't waste a top 10 pick on him. This is not a kid who has his head in the right place, and if you think the Devils won't be the first team to see that, you're kidding yourself.

I have to disagree here...This kid has star potential and I think he is the most talented forward in the draft...I can only hope he falls to 9.

I almost never state who I want the Devils to draft, but if Nichushkin is available at #9 you take him immediately and do not think twice.

 

[Unknown Caller]

why would he aspire to go to the AHL? don't you want your prospects to have some confidence?

He's not saying he doesn't want to go to the AHL, he's saying he won't go to the AHL. I understand that he has talent, but you can't throw out every excuse under the sun because he has some ability. His statements are very selfish and self-centered. That's exactly the type of player he will be when (if) he gets to the NHL.

Do you really think Lou is going to let a player tell him that he refuses to go to the AHL? That is the exact opposite of anything Lou stands for.

 

[Unknown Caller]

I have to disagree here...This kid has star potential and I think he is the most talented forward in the draft...I can only hope he falls to 9.

I almost never state who I want the Devils to draft, but if Nichushkin is available at #9 you take him immediately and do not think twice.

I'm willing to bet that if he falls to 9 the Devils pass. When you read his interviews and read interviews with kids like Domi and Shinkaruk its like night and day. That carries a ton of weight with the Devils organization.

 

[SeidoN]

why would he aspire to go to the AHL? don't you want your prospects to have some confidence?

what? he said he refuses to go any lower than NHL. will not play in CHL or AHL

 

[Holtz My Bahls]

Domi can **** off.

 

[JimEIV]

I'm willing to bet that if he falls to 9 the Devils pass. When you read his interviews and read interviews with kids like Domi and Shinkaruk its like night and day. That carries a ton of weight with the Devils organization.

And that is exactly how Mike Ricci gets picked above Jagr.

 

[Holtz My Bahls]

If we waste the 9th on Domi, I will be furious, surely a better option will be available.

 

[Volodya Krutov]

He's not saying he doesn't want to go to the AHL, he's saying he won't go to the AHL. I understand that he has talent, but you can't throw out every excuse under the sun because he has some ability. His statement is very selfish and self-centered. That's exactly the type of player he will be when he gets to the NHL, which there's no guarantee he will.

Do you really think Lou is going to let a player tell him that he refuses to go to the AHL? That is the exact opposite of anything Lou stands for.

You're really reading too much into it. he's a just Russian teenager, playing several thousands miles away from the NHL, speaking to a Russian media, notoriously known for blowing things out of proportion.

Ok, he's maybe a tad over-confident but that doesn't make him a selfish, self-centered team-cancer yet. Screw all this collective thoughts in the North American Hockey anyway. The only way to do right is to play the heavily hypocrite, humble card. Boring, it's a man's game.


It's a part of his plan to fall down right to the #9 pick anway.

 

[Unknown Caller]

And that is exactly how Mike Ricci gets picked above Jagr.

Completely different time period with much poorer scouting in Europe. And Ricci got picked over Jagr because he had 116 points in 60 OHL games. He almost scored at a 2 PPG pace. I would have liked to see your take prior to watching 25 years of their careers unfold.

And you can make the same argument that that's how Alex Radulov gets picked over Travis Zajac. I have nothing against Russian players, I actually favor them. But when they make statements like this kid is, it has to scare you off if you're in the top 10.

 

[New Jersey Devils]

If he somehow makes it to Jersey, Kovy will just whip him into shape no problem.

 

[CerebralGenesis]

Ya I'd take Nichushkin with no qualms at all.

The combine and interviews are going to go a long way towards where Nichushkin gets picked.

 

[Devil X]

2 days ago if you asked me if i would take Nichushkin or Shinkaruk i would have said Nichushkin. I was down on Shinkaruk but i have grown a little on him and i believe i would take him over Nichushkin at this point.

I have no valid reason but i just think Nichushkin is going to bust for some reason. I felt this way before that interview. I have seem him play soon and i see the talent but something just screams bust to me.

 

[SeidoN]

2 days ago if you asked me if i would take Nichushkin or Shinkaruk i would have said Nichushkin. I was down on Shinkaruk but i have grown a little on him and i believe i would take him over Nichushkin at this point.

I have no valid reason but i just think Nichushkin is going to bust for some reason. I felt this way before that interview. I have seem him play soon and i see the talent but something just screams bust to me.

SHinkaruk has grown on me alot the last few days. still take Monahan or Lindholm if available but this guy is very close behind

 

[DEVILS ALL THE WAY*]

Nichushkin won't be available at #9 and if he is, Lou better pick him unless someone like Lindholm or Monahan are still on the board. If that's not the case, Lou HAS to pick Nichushkin.

The kid doesn't want to come over to NA and play in a league that is either equal or a little less inferior to the KHL and I really don't see what the big fuss is all about. We're talking about a 17 year old, Russian, phenom who would rather stay home, close to his family and friends instead of coming over here where he doesn't know anyone, is probably fighting the language and culture barrier plus he'd be earning more coin in the KHL then the AHL.

If Lou's "morale's" are going to stop him from picking the best player available just because a teenager wants to stay home and improve his game in the KHL... I'd hand him his walking papers right then and there.

Everyone would be creaming their pants if we had Kuznetsov and Tarasenko in our pipeline right about now, so I don't see why we should pass on Nichushkin if he falls right on our lap at the #9 spot.

The kid doesn't want to play in the AHL, who cares? It's not as if he said he wasn't certain about crossing over and playing in the NHL.