2014 Draft Thread – Part One

[ottsabrefan]

Don't win? McKeown!

I like it.

 

[1972]

Not sure I agree with much of this. It's like the used the OHL draft for their rankings and didn't watch any games.

Cornell? Really?
Ritchie should be much higher.
Bennett not on the list. Are you kidding me?
Where's Watson?

Geez.

Cornell has the talent, maybe they are banking on him putting together this year.

 

[ottsabrefan]

Cornell has the talent, maybe they are banking on him putting together this year.

Maybe. He was a train wreck last year for the Petes. He has a long way to go to be a first round pick. If he plays like he did last year, I would be surprised if he even gets drafted.

 

[1972]

Maybe. He was a train wreck last year for the Petes. He has a long way to go to be a first round pick. If he plays like he did last year, I would be surprised if he even gets drafted.

Yes he was, but who wasn't on the team. And absolutely he has along way to go. He will get drafted based on his tool set whether he puts it together or not.

 

[ottsabrefan]

Yes he was, but who wasn't on the team. And absolutely he has along way to go. He will get drafted based on his tool set whether he puts it together or not.

Fair enough, but everyone else seemed to play well from Jan on. If he scores another 4 goals next year (or something comparable), I'll put solid money down he doesn't get drafted. I'm not sure why someone would waste a pick on a player who can't contribute in the OHL, let alone NHL.

 

[Woodhouse]

Nice. Clarke, Barbashev and Goldobin are guys I'm looking at next year. Go get some high end goal scorers.

Andrew Weiss ‏@WeissFC 1m
Projected Top 10 pick in 2014 NHL Draft Blake Clarke did not make U18 USA Ivan Hlinka team. Also was cut from U17 team last summer.

Link: https://twitter.com/WeissFC/status/352478090796072962

 

[Chainshot]

Seems like some of USAH's typical bull crap with Clarke. They've brought him in and cut him what, three times in a row now? After he was one of their best fowards as a 16 year old? This is the sort of thing USA Hockey does that makes me want to slap the people in charge. With a brick.

 

[TheHoff]

I'm curious whether Draisaitl is able to crack the top 10 or even 5 of the next draft. I sure hope he plays a very good next season. This kid is a very rare top-notch talent for german hockey.

 

[Ness]

Break Bad for Ekblad.

No more half measures, Tank Squad.

 

[Ralonzo]

I think trading Ehrhoff at the deadline this year will help ensure the tank goes according to plan in 2015. Ehrhoff at the deadline this year for a 2015 first and whatever else.

Why bother trading Hoff? We've already paid the man; his contract is a sweetheart from here on out. He's been our clear #1 (sorry Andrej Sekera fans) since he arrived. You're not going to have 6 guys between 21 and 24 on defense; a veteran presence who can actually play is essential (sorry Mike Weber and/or Adam Pardy fans).

 

[TheMistyStranger]

Why bother trading Hoff? We've already paid the man; his contract is a sweetheart from here on out. He's been our clear #1 (sorry Andrej Sekera fans) since he arrived. You're not going to have 6 guys between 21 and 24 on defense; a veteran presence who can actually play is essential (sorry Mike Weber and/or Adam Pardy fans).

Because you could probably get a pretty solid return, like a lesser Pominville trade. 1st and a prospect? Maybe a touch more?

I personally like the idea of moving Miller to NYI for Reinhart, then drafting Reinhart with our 1st this year. Moving Hoff and Miller likely means we're in the McDavid sweeps as well. Now that's a core I'd like to build around.

 

[haseoke39]

Because you could probably get a pretty solid return, like a lesser Pominville trade. 1st and a prospect? Maybe a touch more?

I personally like the idea of moving Miller to NYI for Reinhart, then drafting Reinhart with our 1st this year. Moving Hoff and Miller likely means we're in the McDavid sweeps as well. Now that's a core I'd like to build around.

Absolutely.

For half of this board, the focus remains year to year. How do we get better this year than we were the last?

For the other half, the focus has become, "what year will be the window for actually winning a cup, and what pieces will we need to have drafted?"

It becomes very difficult to compare team building strategies between people of opposite perspectives on this.

 

[is the answer jesus]

Because you could probably get a pretty solid return, like a lesser Pominville trade. 1st and a prospect? Maybe a touch more?

I personally like the idea of moving Miller to NYI for Reinhart, then drafting Reinhart with our 1st this year. Moving Hoff and Miller likely means we're in the McDavid sweeps as well. Now that's a core I'd like to build around.

You aren't getting Griffin Reinhart for Ryan Miller.

 

[couture23]

This team is destined for a top 3 pick this upcoming season, no doubt about it.

 

[Zip15]

Because you could probably get a pretty solid return, like a lesser Pominville trade. 1st and a prospect? Maybe a touch more?

I personally like the idea of moving Miller to NYI for Reinhart, then drafting Reinhart with our 1st this year. Moving Hoff and Miller likely means we're in the McDavid sweeps as well. Now that's a core I'd like to build around.

So NYI is trading Griffin Reinhart for Ryan Miller? I don't think so.

 

[1972]

William Nylander seems like the best offensive talent in the draft right now. He has offensive instincts and hands like Patrick Kane. He has the game breaking abilities that you look for in a top pick. The kid is the type of player Buffalo needs to get the excitement back in the building.

 

[Ralonzo]

For half of this board, the focus remains year to year. How do we get better this year than we were the last?

For the other half, the focus has become, "what year will be the window for actually winning a cup, and what pieces will we need to have drafted?"

The latter is more what I was alluding to with lobbying to keep Ehrhoff. I think the team will need him more at the time they start to contend again than whatever they can get for him as a 2014 or 2015 first-rounder (+ spare parts). Unless someone absolutely loses their mind and trades us the lottery pick that wins McDavid or Ekblad or a similar player than can have an impact at age 20 or 21 as Doughty did during the Kings run. He's also been a consummate pro and performed at a high level in the middle of a complete tire fire, someone besides Matt Ellis needs to be there to do that.

 

[TheMistyStranger]

So NYI is trading Griffin Reinhart for Ryan Miller? I don't think so.

I didn't say straight up, but I think pieces could be included to make it work.

 

[Paxon]

I'm curious whether Draisaitl is able to crack the top 10 or even 5 of the next draft. I sure hope he plays a very good next season. This kid is a very rare top-notch talent for german hockey.

I like what I've seen so far but it's hard to say how high he deserves to go just yet.

 

[Woodhouse]

The uploads today from Bakes crack me up:

 

[Paxon]

The uploads today from Bakes crack me up:

I really like what I've seen from Draisaitl so far. Not sure if he'll be one of the top top guys next year but I'm going to make an effort to catch more of his games this year. So far my biggest knock on him is he has a nickname that sets him up for failure (The German Gretzky)

Ekblad is the obvious franchise-level prospect but the odds of actually getting #1 are pretty low no matter how bad we think we're going to suck now.

 

[NotABadPeriod]

I really like what I've seen from Draisaitl so far. Not sure if he'll be one of the top top guys next year but I'm going to make an effort to catch more of his games this year. So far my biggest knock on him is he has a nickname that sets him up for failure (The German Gretzky)

Ekblad is the obvious franchise-level prospect but the odds of actually getting #1 are pretty low no matter how bad we think we're going to suck now.

Maybe they mean "The German Brent Gretzky"

 

[ZeroPT*]

Reinhart is my early #1 he's amazing, if he works on his skating he could be an elite number 1 75+point center.

 

[Chainshot]

McKeen's on Draisaitl:

Tied for second in WHL rookie scoring with 58 points while also finishing second in team scoring .. led Prince Albert with a striking plus-22 rating .. second-overall pick in the CHL Import Draft .. an elite offensive player with quick hands as well as outstanding anticipation skills in the offensive zone .. displays uncanny poise
and patience with the puck .. easily executes slick saucer passes over sets of sticks while in motion .. the puck seems to find a way onto his blade .. makes strong playmaking decisions - exploiting his upper-body strength and long reach .. unwavering in his drive - and with a unique ability to control the pace of the game when in possession .. shot is hard and powerful - and difficult to intercept even with a pronounced wind-up .. skating is still raw but steadily progressing .. mechanics are weak, feet get tangled during starts and stops .. his stride would benefit from greater extension .. labours to garner speed .. can play a gutsy, ‘power forward’ role, going
hard to the net and banging bodies down low .. dubbed the German ‘Gretzky’ due to staggering junior totals including 192 points (97 goals) in 29 games in 2010-11 .. also a standout on the international stage .. helped Germany to an eighth-place finish at the U18 Worlds in April while tying for the team scoring lead (5-1-6-7).

 

[Chainshot]

McKeen's on William Nylander Altelius

Registered the second-best points-per-game average ever in the Sweden J20 for an underager .. made his Allsvenskan debut in February, getting a chance to play alongside his father and former NHLer Michael .. represented Sweden at the recent U18 Worlds (5-2-1-3) - and led his country to gold at the 2011 U17 World Challenge, finishing tied for second in tournament scoring .. plays a strong puck-possession game .. superb stickhandler - never has to look down at his blade to see where the puck is - and equipped with the wherewithal to hold the puck until a perfect option presents itself .. his playmaking skills set him apart .. bold and confident making plays and with a knack for finding the tiniest of openings .. holds his hands at the top of his stick and exploits nimble wrists and a gift for disguising intentions .. not a feared shooter at this stage - his shot simply average and lacking velocity .. accuracy is good though - and he is intelligent in terms of knowing when to release the puck and waiting until the goalie opens up his stance .. his defensive efforts are lackluster however .. easily beaten because he stands still and doesn’t activate his feet .. promises to be a much-coveted prospect given a unique offensive skill-set and arguably the best set of hands amongst his age group.