Prospect Info: 2015 NHL Draft Prospect Discussion - At the Halfway Mark of the Season

[theIceWookie]

I agree with the philosophy of AHL development - only problem is - there is a logjam on the Marlies - we are not graduating many from the Marlies right now either because of Leafs cap reason or longer than thought development time required.

So far only Holzer has gone up and stuck. In the wings are Percy, Carrick, Brown but Grannberg, Loov, Nilson, etc all look like they need more time time.

With no malice or ill-will intended here McKegg, McWilliam, Ashton, Frattin, Abbott, Biggs, Knodel, Everson etc all could be AHL lifer's.

Kozun is a guy I can see making it if he stays healthy and is given and extended chance - he does so many things well.

I don't see an issue...

At this point Frattin, Abbott, Kozun are basically AHLers only anyways.

Of the rest Carrick and McKegg are the oldest (by pro experience)...in their third seasons of pro experience. Percy, Granberg, Biggs are in their second years of NA pro experience. Nilsson, Brown, Loov are all in their first pro seasons. Contrary to most of the insane development ideas people have on here, three seasons is still pretty young, two seasons is very young, and one, well that's really just a dip in the pond of pro hockey experience.

2-4 years development time for players is not a bad amount of pro development time for non-top 10 prospects.

 

[theIceWookie]

But Strome is well over 2 PPG and would have to be in the OHL for 2 additional seasons before he can play in the AHL. Well I agree with the AHL route in most cases, a player like Strome would have development hampered by just tearing up the same league 3 years in a row. He wouldn't be learning anything.

Uh Stome is not over 2PPG...

you might be misunderstanding me

what I have been posting is not my opinion on players

what I have been posting is my belief that things have changed in the organisation and what those might be.

maybe it's 1 more in the O and then the bigs , something tells me, they are done rushing the kids is all.

When was the last time the Leafs actually rushed a prospect? Schenn? It hasn't really been an issue in the organization since Fletcher was GM...

 

[Bullseye]

I don't see an issue...

At this point Frattin, Abbott, Kozun are basically AHLers only anyways.

Of the rest Carrick and McKegg are the oldest (by pro experience)...in their third seasons of pro experience. Percy, Granberg, Biggs are in their second years of NA pro experience. Nilsson, Brown, Loov are all in their first pro seasons. Contrary to most of the insane development ideas people have on here, three seasons is still pretty young, two seasons is very young, and one, well that's really just a dip in the pond of pro hockey experience.

2-4 years development time for players is not a bad amount of pro development time for non-top 10 prospects.

good post - agreed...

 

[Bullseye]

You always wonder if a prospect is really as good as the hype but after seeing McDavid at the Prospects game - he is THAT good.

I would sell everything to get him - JVR plus Nylander plus Kadri. Get McDavid and start over - he's a guy to build on. Essentially three high 1st rounders for McDavid.

 

[SarcazemKadri]

You always wonder if a prospect is really as good as the hype but after seeing McDavid at the Prospects game - he is THAT good.

I would sell everything to get him - JVR plus Nylander plus Kadri. Get McDavid and start over - he's a guy to build on. Essentially three high 1st rounders for McDavid.

There is no such thing as "selling everything to get him"

Whoever gets that 1st overall will not be trading it. Period. Same as the Crosby draft. A deal like what would never happen no matter how much we give up. The reward does not equal the risk of trading a Mcdavid.

 

[HockeyCA]

good post - agreed...

Kozun, Carrick, and Frattin all will most likely be in the NHL next season. All 3 are better than the David Booths, are cheaper and younger.

 

[timlap]

It's interesting to study the results of the 1993 draft to get a look at what another deep draft looks like once all the players have basically completed their careers. I encourage others to take a look, if such things interest you.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/nhl1993e.html

As I recall there was a much hyped big 5 (some added Kozlov to make it a big 6). Indeed, all 6 went on to have careers of over 600 NHL games. That's actually a pretty good result, even though arguably only 2 of the 6 became stars, and one much more than the other, imo.

Meanwhile the 7th pick, Jason Arnott was every bit as good the rest of the big 6, if not better.

The 21st and 23rd picks turned out to be really good players as well.

Almost every player in the 1st round played for at least a few seasons, but none of the rest could be considered stars.

Something to keep in mind when we are tempted to project so many of this year's crop as first line forwards or first pairing defence man. And something to keep us humble when we get too rigid about what order the prospects should be ranked in.

Also, I recall a story where there was a huge argument among Leafs scouts as to whether Jonsson should be ranked ahead of Stajduhar, or vice versa. Thankfully, Anders Hedberg won that argument!

 

[McMatthews]

Would take Provorov long before Kylington or Werenski. He has #1 written all over him.

Werenski and Kylington both have the same upside as Provorov.

Werenski is held by some in the same regard as Hanifin.

 

[Auzzie19]

Unless we are picking top5, we have to draft Nic Merkley and we will not regret it. Guy reminds me of Duchene and MacKinnon when he skates, never stops moving his legs even when getting hounded. Would be a great pick.

Picks after top 5(McEichel, Hanifin, Strome, Marner) :
Merkley
Zacha
Konecny
Barzal
Kylington

Too risky to take a bigman (Rantanen, Crouse, Hintz, etc) in the top 10. We need more picks in this 1st rnd.

 

[Johny Drama]

Unless we are picking top5, we have to draft Nic Merkley and we will not regret it. Guy reminds me of Duchene and MacKinnon when he skates, never stops moving his legs even when getting hounded. Would be a great pick.

Picks after top 4(McEichel, Hanifin, Strome, Marner) :
Merkley
Zacha
Konecny
Barzal
Kylington

Too risky to take a bigman (Rantanen, Crouse, Hintz, etc) in the top 10. We need more picks in this 1st rnd.

Top 4?
Counting McEichel as one person? lol

 

[Celly Hard]

Unless we are picking top5, we have to draft Nic Merkley and we will not regret it. Guy reminds me of Duchene and MacKinnon when he skates, never stops moving his legs even when getting hounded. Would be a great pick.

Picks after top 5(McEichel, Hanifin, Strome, Marner) :
Merkley
Zacha
Konecny
Barzal
Kylington

Too risky to take a bigman (Rantanen, Crouse, Hintz, etc) in the top 10. We need more picks in this 1st rnd.

I personally really like Merkley, but you have him way too high. No way he goes before Zacha, Crouse, Barzal, Rantanen, Kylington, Werenski, or Provorov. Merkley would be a great addition, outside the top 10 however.

 

[Daisy Jane]

Button says if we're 8th/9th, we're better off going Defense and drafting kyllington.
is this a yay! for us?

 

[BIitz]

we can then build off 4 solid forwards, 2 solid D and a solid G (plus the returns on Kessel and Phanuef)

So essentially what we already have.

 

[SarcazemKadri]

With all the size available at this years draft, I wouldn't be surprised to see Marner drop. Would be an excellent pickup around 6-8.

 

[SprDaVE]

With all the size available at this years draft, I wouldn't be surprised to see Marner drop. Would be an excellent pickup around 6-8.

"ANOTHER midget forward that doesn't play defence! FML!!!"

I'm not looking forward to those...

 

[McMatthews]

Dream scenario would be to trade Cody Franson for a late 1st round pick, then to draft Anthony Beauvillier with that pick.

Beauvillier looks like an awesome prospect.

 

[ACC1224]

With all the size available at this years draft, I wouldn't be surprised to see Marner drop. Would be an excellent pickup around 6-8.

"ANOTHER midget forward that doesn't play defence! FML!!!"

I'm not looking forward to those...

I was sent this earlier today, relevant to this.

http://*************.ca/2015/01/26/mitch-marner-stigma-around-small-prospects/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ7nUCU3XZI


I wouldn't dismiss the Hunter connection when it comes to Marner.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Button says if we're 8th/9th, we're better off going Defense and drafting kyllington.
is this a yay! for us?

I don't think i'd neccessarily be upset if we drafted a defenseman, but there are some seriously great centre prospects in this draft and i'd like to get one of them.

 

[theIceWookie]

There is no such thing as "selling everything to get him"

Whoever gets that 1st overall will not be trading it. Period. Same as the Crosby draft. A deal like what would never happen no matter how much we give up. The reward does not equal the risk of trading a Mcdavid.

Nor does trading everything for him...

 

[pspot]

Realistic options, in order for me

Strome
Zacha
Barzal
Rantanen

 

[timlap]

I don't think i'd neccessarily be upset if we drafted a defenseman, but there are some seriously great centre prospects in this draft and i'd like to get one of them.

I have a growing feeling that defencemen are going to be the best prospects in our range, but who knows.

 

[theIceWookie]

"ANOTHER midget forward that doesn't play defence! FML!!!"

I'm not looking forward to those...

It's gonna happen anyways. And if a big forward gets drafted someone will inevitably make a dumb comment about being the next Biggs or Gauthier. No matter who is drafted, people will get all ornery and dumb about it. It's classic Leaf Nation. Grass is always greener anywhere else, patience is preached but never actually followed through upon, and any positive by someone is termed as Blue and White disease and the person saying it is an apologist that says nothing negative and doesn't criticise at all.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I have a growing feeling that defencemen are going to be the best prospects in our range, but who knows.

I have a feeling that a top 4 are going to be McDavid, Eichel, Hanafin, and Marner.

Realistically after that we could be 5-8

Puts us in the wheel house for a Strome or Barzal.

If we get another 1st i'd totally go for Kocecny and double my chances at a high end centre, kind of like Philidelphia did when they got Carter and Richards in the same draft.

Hopefully Santorelli gets us a 2nd, or we move Lupul for a 2nd and prospect.

 

[SprDaVE]

I don't care who they pick, as long as he's the best we can grab in our spot. Go offboard, go D, go G, go C, go W, small big or average. Just grab the player that will have the better impact in a few years. I've learned over the years that my preference on certain prospects is just wrong so many times that even though I still have my preferences, I'm willing to give the prospect that I might not 'love' the benefit of the doubt.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I don't care who they pick, as long as he's the best we can grab in our spot. Go offboard, go D, go G, go C, go W, small big or average. Just grab the player that will have the better impact in a few years. I've learned over the years that my preference on certain prospects is just wrong so many times that even though I still have my preferences, I'm willing to give the prospect that I might not 'love' the benefit of the doubt.

Yes and no, i've kind of changed to a degree.

I loved Schenn- I was wrong

I hated Kadri - I was wrong

I wanted Forsberg, but wasnt upset with Reilly at all. I was fine with it.

I had no strong opinion with Biggs, I already *knew* Burke loved Percy and we were drafting him. I thought Biggs made sense if we have him projected to be a top 6 PWF. I had kind of wanted Puempel but was overall fine with the draft.

I wanted Rychel;once he went, I wanted Burakovsky and more then anything did not want Gauthier. Still cheesed we drafted him.

I wanted Ehlers or Nylander, did not want Ritchie...likely due to seeing what happened with Biggs.