2017 Draft & UDFA Thread

[Zil]

We can officially start trying to sign Jordan Gross now right?

 

[Lion Hound]

FC's spring rankings are out: https://futureconsiderations.ca/top-rankings-2017/

A lot of D ranked in the 20-40 range.

#58 Jake Leschyshyn
Eligible | 2017
Center, Regina
HEIGHT: 5'11
WEIGHT: 185lbs
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: March 10, 1999
BIRTHPLACE: Grasswood, SK
NATION: Canada

A hard working center who is solid in both zones and a physical presence with or without the puck, using his momentum to bowl over the opposition…has good touch with the puck…skating ability just screams power as he forcefully skates like a bullet shot out of rifle maximizing each stride…has the quickness and tools to be an effective in transition…makes adjustments to protect the puck…loves to shoot the puck and can quickly gather pucks and whistle them on net…has good vision of the ice…lives for the lower half of the o-zone where space is tight and he can quickly pivot to a lane for a quick chance…compete is ratcheted to 10 on every play and he goes all out…all over the ice putting pressure on the forecheck before coming all the way back to support in his teams zone…has the compete to get into shot lanes and make tough plays on the boards…IQ also allows him to recognize plays that he can make to impact opponents chances…never seems to be static on the ice…relentless motor…will likely play pro as he has the work ethic and smarts to play a bottom six role at the very least. (November 2016)


Hes got the bloodlines. Jake is the son of former NHL’er Curtis Leschyshyn. His pop played over 1000 games at the NHL level.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

#58 Jake Leschyshyn
Eligible | 2017
Center, Regina
HEIGHT: 5'11
WEIGHT: 185lbs
SHOOTS: Left
BORN: March 10, 1999
BIRTHPLACE: Grasswood, SK
NATION: Canada

A hard working center who is solid in both zones and a physical presence with or without the puck, using his momentum to bowl over the opposition…has good touch with the puck…skating ability just screams power as he forcefully skates like a bullet shot out of rifle maximizing each stride…has the quickness and tools to be an effective in transition…makes adjustments to protect the puck…loves to shoot the puck and can quickly gather pucks and whistle them on net…has good vision of the ice…lives for the lower half of the o-zone where space is tight and he can quickly pivot to a lane for a quick chance…compete is ratcheted to 10 on every play and he goes all out…all over the ice putting pressure on the forecheck before coming all the way back to support in his teams zone…has the compete to get into shot lanes and make tough plays on the boards…IQ also allows him to recognize plays that he can make to impact opponents chances…never seems to be static on the ice…relentless motor…will likely play pro as he has the work ethic and smarts to play a bottom six role at the very least. (November 2016)


Hes got the bloodlines. Jake is the son of former NHL’er Curtis Leschyshyn. His pop played over 1000 games at the NHL level.

His trends look good, doing very well with not a lot of ice-time.

 

[Trxjw]

We can officially start trying to sign Jordan Gross now right?

Yup. Hopefully we're in the mix but he hasn't stated he would be going pro this year. He was sought after last summer as well and elected to go back for his Junior year. He could elect to finish out his college career and try and win a National Championship.

However, if Bjork and Evans turn pro, that will seriously hurt their chances of making another run next year and they were seriously outmatched by Denver. That's not really a slight though because everyone is seriously outmatched by Denver this year.

If Petersen, Bjork, Evans, and Gross all return, they have a pretty solid senior class next year. However, if one of them leaves, I could see them all leaving.

 

[Trxjw]

I know Trxjw saw the game, but that Harvard/Minny Duluth game was one helluva goalie showdown.

http://www.ncaa.com/game/icehockey-men/d1/2017/04/06/harvard-minn-duluth/#autoplay=0

One of the best hockey games I've seen all season. NHL included. Unfortunately the refs kind of put a bit of stink on it.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Steve (the draft analyst) posted his updated mock draft rankings with a description of each player. Thanks Steve!

Here's the link to his website: http://www.thedraftanalyst.com/

 

[Trxjw]

The more we all talk about Reedy to the Rangers, the more I feel like it's a certainty.

 

[Mac n Gs]

The more we all talk about Reedy to the Rangers, the more I feel like it's a certainty.

I understand why it would happen too. Without having first rounders, the Rangers have had to go the kind of "safe" route and get kids that they know will be NHL players in some form or another. They save the high risk/reward picks for later.

Hopefully we'll start to see a bit of a mix with us having more first rounders in the near future.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Wonder if Will Butcher goes UFA route this summer. Hobey Baker finalist, he is Avalanche property. Wonder if he wants to play elsewhere, although he would fit in fine in COL. They need LHD

 

[NYR Viper]

The Rangers have gone 'safe' in the first round for a while. Kreider was a safe player to have a NHL future. So was Miller. Same with Skjei. They seem to like guys who are physically mature and play the type of game that puts their floor at 3rd/4th line and 3rd pairing but a bit lower ceilings as well. Not a knock on any of those 3, but none of them were boom or bust guys taken int he 1st round.

Also of note, without a 2nd rounder, the Rangers need to make sure they get at least 1 NHL player out of each draft. This means less chances taken in the 1st most likely

 

[BBKers]

The Rangers have gone 'safe' in the first round for a while. Kreider was a safe player to have a NHL future. So was Miller. Same with Skjei. They seem to like guys who are physically mature and play the type of game that puts their floor at 3rd/4th line and 3rd pairing but a bit lower ceilings as well. Not a knock on any of those 3, but none of them were boom or bust guys taken int he 1st round.

Also of note, without a 2nd rounder, the Rangers need to make sure they get at least 1 NHL player out of each draft. This means less chances taken in the 1st most likely

Did you not get the memo? We are getting 2 more first rounders in deals for Nash and Zucc plus 2 second rounders for Staal and Klein. We will be loaded...

 

[Trxjw]

The Rangers have gone 'safe' in the first round for a while. Kreider was a safe player to have a NHL future. So was Miller. Same with Skjei. They seem to like guys who are physically mature and play the type of game that puts their floor at 3rd/4th line and 3rd pairing but a bit lower ceilings as well. Not a knock on any of those 3, but none of them were boom or bust guys taken int he 1st round.

Also of note, without a 2nd rounder, the Rangers need to make sure they get at least 1 NHL player out of each draft. This means less chances taken in the 1st most likely

Yeah, like I said earlier in the thread, I expect the Rangers to go with the safe but "toolsy" guy who can skate. Hard to argue against that mentality when they have so few selections to make.

 

[RangerBoy]

Erik Brannstrom. Assuming that the Rangers don't make the conference finals,Brannstrom should be one of the players on the Rangers list. He is supposed to go between 25-40. The Rangers have 100 points. They currently will pick #24 including Las Vegas getting a pick. Edmonton #23 with 2 games left. 99 points. They could pass the Rangers at #24. 2 games left. The Wild have 104 with one game left. #25. If the Rangers win both games and the Wild lose,the Rangers pass the Wild. The final 4 teams will get #27-#30. The playoff teams behind the Rangers could move into the final 4. San Jose can beat Edmonton and beat the Ducks assuming the Ducks win in the 1st round. The 2/3 in the Atlantic could beat the Rangers/Habs. The Rangers can lose in the first round or make the Cup final. The Ducks are a weird team. Edmonton can also win the division.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

I'm pretty sure Brännström is climbing in the rankings, as most of you know by now he's my dream pick

 

[Zil]

I'm pretty sure Brännström is climbing in the rankings, as most of you know by now he's my dream pick

He's everyone's dream pick.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I'm still holding out hope that teams will be stupid and let Liljegren drop and we trade up and snag him

 

[Joey Bones]

The more we all talk about Reedy to the Rangers, the more I feel like it's a certainty.

I understand why it would happen too. Without having first rounders, the Rangers have had to go the kind of "safe" route and get kids that they know will be NHL players in some form or another. They save the high risk/reward picks for later.

Hopefully we'll start to see a bit of a mix with us having more first rounders in the near future.

Can see this happening, too.

 

[Joey Bones]

Erik Brannstrom. Assuming that the Rangers don't make the conference finals,Brannstrom should be one of the players on the Rangers list. He is supposed to go between 25-40. The Rangers have 100 points. They currently will pick #24 including Las Vegas getting a pick. Edmonton #23 with 2 games left. 99 points. They could pass the Rangers at #24. 2 games left. The Wild have 104 with one game left. #25. If the Rangers win both games and the Wild lose,the Rangers pass the Wild. The final 4 teams will get #27-#30. The playoff teams behind the Rangers could move into the final 4. San Jose can beat Edmonton and beat the Ducks assuming the Ducks win in the 1st round. The 2/3 in the Atlantic could beat the Rangers/Habs. The Rangers can lose in the first round or make the Cup final. The Ducks are a weird team. Edmonton can also win the division.

This is very interesting. Thank you for sharing!!

 

[Ola]

At least prior to U18, Ian Mitchell seem like a bit of a high risk high reward player for us.

 

[I Eat Crow]

The Rangers could very well go with a forward in the 1st round. They should do something at the draft to get a 2nd rounder back, though. Teams' lists of who they have between 20 and 50th overall are going to be so different this draft. Someone who the Rangers had at 23rd on their list might be available late in the 2nd round. Some players that we think might go early might drop. Some players might go higher than most think.

Patrick, Hischier, Vilardi are looking like a consensus top 3. It's hard to predict where each player will go without knowing a draft order. Tippett, Middlestedt, Liljegren, Valimaki, and Tolvanen are the only players that I think will definitely go in the top 10. After the 8th overall pick or so, ****'s going to get weird.

Depending on how the draft order shakes out, a couple of goalies might go in the top 20 of the draft. I think Oettinger and Luukkonen definitely carry the possibility, with DiPietro and Petruzilli not far behind.

Picks 11-60 are going to be an absolute **** show. U18's haven't even happened yet and there are some serious risers already. Robert Thomas. Jason Robertson. Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Ivan Lodnia. HFNYR's favorite Erik Brannstrom. Isaac Ratcliffe. Did any of the scouts have any of these guys even close to the 1st round back in December even? I've seen some mocks where some of these guys break the top-15 barrier.

If the Rangers hold onto their pick, that's great news for them. It just means that a better player is going to drop to the Rangers. That being said, I fully expect the Rangers to go with a steady center/winger from the NTDP, NCAA, or USHL with committment to go to the NCAA.

-Shane Bowers
-Grant Mismash
-Ryan Poehling
-Josh Norris
-Scott Reedy

All scream NYR 1st round picks to me, and I wouldn't hate any of them. However, I'll be right with some of you crying if Brannstrom, Jokiharju, or Pettersson (by some miracle) are on the board and they go with a "safe" American over a Euro with way more upside and arguably a floor that is just as high as any of the aforementioned American kids.

Side note, there's another goalie prospect named Matt Murray who is draft eligible out of the USHL this year. Eerie.

 

[NYR Viper]

Haven't started paying attention to this as of yet but any later round guys who may project as someone who could provide some physicality and play the game?

 

[Lion Hound]

Haven't started paying attention to this as of yet but any later round guys who may project as someone who could provide some physicality and play the game?

Gadjovich and Gallant at Forward.

Fraser on D.

Hague will likely go early. He just tried to smash someone's head through the ice.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

U18s prelims already started. Those weigh heavily on rankings/opinions. Brannstrom was just voted as a finalist for multiple J20 Superelit awards and he'll be in Slovakia with Liljegren and the two 2018 studs Boqvist and Dahlin.

Team USA is in Group Death -- Russia, Czechs and Swedes. Canada is with Finland but they are loaded. The Canadians have arguably their worst U18 WC roster in years.

France beat the Germans today at the D1A tourney, and Denmark beat Hungary. Alexandre Texier (France) and Jonas Ronbjerg (Denmark) may both go as high as the 2nd round.

 

[Joey Bones]

Haven't started paying attention to this as of yet but any later round guys who may project as someone who could provide some physicality and play the game?

Gadjovich and Gallant at Forward.

Fraser on D.

Hague will likely go early. He just tried to smash someone's head through the ice.

I agree with the above, but will also mention Mark Rubinchik. Plays very much like Radko Gudas. Would be a solid late round selection, even though he takes runs at players.

 

[Joey Bones]

The Rangers could very well go with a forward in the 1st round. They should do something at the draft to get a 2nd rounder back, though. Teams' lists of who they have between 20 and 50th overall are going to be so different this draft. Someone who the Rangers had at 23rd on their list might be available late in the 2nd round. Some players that we think might go early might drop. Some players might go higher than most think.

Patrick, Hischier, Vilardi are looking like a consensus top 3. It's hard to predict where each player will go without knowing a draft order. Tippett, Middlestedt, Liljegren, Valimaki, and Tolvanen are the only players that I think will definitely go in the top 10. After the 8th overall pick or so, ****'s going to get weird.

Depending on how the draft order shakes out, a couple of goalies might go in the top 20 of the draft. I think Oettinger and Luukkonen definitely carry the possibility, with DiPietro and Petruzilli not far behind.

Picks 11-60 are going to be an absolute **** show. U18's haven't even happened yet and there are some serious risers already. Robert Thomas. Jason Robertson. Pierre-Olivier Joseph. Ivan Lodnia. HFNYR's favorite Erik Brannstrom. Isaac Ratcliffe. Did any of the scouts have any of these guys even close to the 1st round back in December even? I've seen some mocks where some of these guys break the top-15 barrier.

If the Rangers hold onto their pick, that's great news for them. It just means that a better player is going to drop to the Rangers. That being said, I fully expect the Rangers to go with a steady center/winger from the NTDP, NCAA, or USHL with committment to go to the NCAA.

-Shane Bowers
-Grant Mismash
-Ryan Poehling
-Josh Norris
-Scott Reedy

All scream NYR 1st round picks to me, and I wouldn't hate any of them. However, I'll be right with some of you crying if Brannstrom, Jokiharju, or Pettersson (by some miracle) are on the board and they go with a "safe" American over a Euro with way more upside and arguably a floor that is just as high as any of the aforementioned American kids.

Side note, there's another goalie prospect named Matt Murray who is draft eligible out of the USHL this year. Eerie.

Just want to add my two cents to this....

I could see NYR taking BPA, whether if it's a forward or not, in the 1st round. I could see them adding more picks for 2018, rather than the 2nd round this year. Still got to keep in the back of the mind that this is a much weaker draft class than the next couple of drafts. 2018 is solid depth wise, 2019 will have more elite prospects. I agree that there will be a lot of weirdness in June, especially with a new team joining the league.

Don't think there is a set consensus and don't think there will be one come June. The only thing, IMO, that is set is the fact that Nolan Patrick will go within the first three picks. Hischier can most definitely be the 1st overall pick over Patrick. Seen a lot of mocks that have "consensus" top 5 talents drop, specifically Villardi and Mittelstadt. I've even seen mocks that have Cody Glass going 2nd overall. Not bashing your opinion at all, just trying to prove that this draft class is very bipolar.

Can definitely see NYR going in the USNTDP and U18 USNTDP for their 1st pick. If they deem one of those prospects is the BPA over that of Brannstrom, Timmins, Yamamoto, etc. then so be it. Just hope it turns out in NYR's favor.

As for Matt Murray (draft eligible), think there are better goalie prospects in this class, but he is far from the worst. Committed to UMass-Amherst next season, the +1 overager was a good keeper for Fargo of the USHL this season.