2017 NHL Draft: Grant McCagg's Top 10 (Updated on-the-fly, not intermittently)

[Ainec]

I respect that you provide your own insights and don't get swayed by the norm. But I do not understand the reasoning here. You site not ranking Yak as 1 but instead 3 due to lazy unselfish play. How is ranking him 3 that much better? He is no where near the third best player in that draft. I'm not claiming to know better, but being slightly less wrong than others is not a selling feature.

I would argue that it is a BIG selling feature to rank Yakupov 3rd while everyone else has him at first. Now if he has a player like Griffin Reinhart at 1 or 2 then yeah it's a moot point, but he didn't

 

[Whileee]

Oh, again, meaning you've gotten the steal of the draft on multiple occasions. Quite a scouting department over there in Winnipeg. Too bad it hasn't produced many actual good players.

Scheifele is arguably the top player from 2011 (picked at #7).

Trouba is probably top 5, drafted at #9.

Ehlers is arguably top 5, selected at 9.

Connor projects as top 10, selected at #17.

Point is that the Jets have taken a few prominent first round picks that slid below where they should have gone.

If you don't think those are good players, you either lack knowledge or are biased.

Morrissey will soon be more widely recognized as a very good pick at #13 in 2013. He just completed an outstanding rookie season.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I'm really curious on 10. Robert Thomas.

Grant compared his rise to Bo Horvart's in his draft year. I had a high regard for Horvat his draft year.

Great insights on Recruites with this comparison.

 

[King In The North]

Scheifele is arguably the top player from 2011 (picked at #7).

Trouba is probably top 5, drafted at #9.

Ehlers is arguably top 5, selected at 9.

Connor projects as top 10, selected at #17.

Point is that the Jets have taken a few prominent first round picks that slid below where they should have gone.

If you don't think those are good players, you either lack knowledge or are biased.

Morrissey will soon be more widely recognized as a very good pick at #13 in 2013. He just completed an outstanding rookie season.

The guy you quoted, his last part is stupid I agree. However there's an argument to be made about "steal of the draft".

Scheif is fantastic and probably would go 1st overall however he was always highly regarded unlike say Kucherov who had little attention.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Grant, can you update your draft order? Just seems odd to have Columbus and Chicago at 28-29 when they're both golfing right now.

I appreciate the site tho! Very cool stuff.

 

[HasbeenHallzy]

Heiskanen first overall? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

 

[Daximus]

I swear Grant if the Jets draft another goalscorer in Tippet and leave Valimaki on the board I'm holding you personally responsible regardless of who is actually at fault.

 

[Grant McCagg]

I swear Grant if the Jets draft another goalscorer in Tippet and leave Valimaki on the board I'm holding you personally responsible regardless of who is actually at fault.

He he...i agree..I'd take Valimaki there if I were them...did some digging today....and from what I hear they probably aren't looking at Valimaki....I wouldn't take any of the other dmen there.

 

[Grant McCagg]

Heiskanen first overall? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Yes....trust me..no NHL scouts are shocked...all of the ones I've talked to since the U-18 think he's top two and Colorado would be a great fit.

 

[Grant McCagg]

BTW - updated mock today -

Avs take Heiskanen
Canucks Hischier
Vegas Patrick

https://recrutes.ca/

McCrimmon wants Patrick..if I'm Colorado I move down to 3 if the price is eight and take Heiskanen if he's there..if he goes two..take Makar.

which would be more valuable to Colorado going forward...a number two or 1a center or a number one dman? Every head scout in the league would say #1 dman. Heiskanen is going to be a number one dman..and with the possible exception of Hedman..is the best defence prospect since 2008. Yes...better than Ekblad.

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

BTW - updated mock today -

Curious as to why you've got the Wings taking Glass over guys like Mittelstadt and Vilardi. Is Glass a high enough skill guy to keep up with those two, in your eyes? Interesting.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I still have Patrick at #1. More for what he did last season, than what he has done this year. I notice the boys at CSB still have him at #1. I wonder if this will factor into Mckagg's final ranking? Patrick had already established himself last year.

 

[Daximus]

He he...i agree..I'd take Valimaki there if I were them...did some digging today....and from what I hear they probably aren't looking at Valimaki....I wouldn't take any of the other dmen there.

Please don't say it's Tippet or Rasmussen whose on their radar Grant. Oh please say it ain't so.

 

[King'sPawn]

I'm not sure why people have the impression that I change the draft rankings daily...I make tweaks every week instead of waiting to do it monthly...for a variety of reasons. I use a combination of methods to do my list..including the input of some very high-ranking scouts...if I see a couple of games from a player that impresses me one way or another and get verification from other scouts about what I see...I don't wait for a month to alter the rankings. I make changes in the top ten or 20 some weeks...changes in the 20-60 range other weeks..depends o who I see and the input I get..including from coaches I interview.

Some players I don't see much of until later in the year as an example..like Samberg who is now in the USHL...so obviously his rankings have changed the more he's been seen..and he's moving up. Why wait a month if you think your ranking is off? It' a unique way of doing it..and offers subscribers an opportunity to see just how my rankings are shaped through the year.

Vesalainen being moved to the top 5 has nothing to do with his point totals..that would be silly. It has everything to so with the physical upside I see...and the four NHL scouts I trust very much have seen overseas..we are in contact throughout the tournament by text. they all agree that his physical attributes are t the very top of the draft. One NHL scout noted to me after his first game, and I agreed wholeheartedly..that he was "better than all of the guys in Ontario"..which automatically put him in the top 8. He proceeded to play only better..including vs. Canada...and he moves up my rankings further...including ahead of Glass hen it was quite apparent head-to-head that his sie/skating/puck skills package was clearly better....those are such important attributes in projecting a player's NHL upside.

I try to approach my rankings as a head scout would...I see and evaluate as many players as I can..discuss it with several high-ranking NHL scouts on a continuous basis...add in their input and make changes where necessary.

So in the Cale Makar thread, you said 2 weeks ago you see him as a top 2 talent in the draft. Now you have Heiskanen. What happened in a week?

Because while I appreciate people who gather information from others and watch the players... there is either intellectual inconsistency at best or dishonesty at worst to call one player the next Karlsson and rank him top two and then bump him down a week later, because... reasons.

I just don't see how long term projections can change on a week by week basis, when at best the only difference is what other people have said to you.

 

[ijuka]

I still have Patrick at #1. More for what he did last season, than what he has done this year. I notice the boys at CSB still have him at #1. I wonder if this will factor into Mckagg's final ranking? Patrick had already established himself last year.

Hischier is better this year than Patrick last year... Considering how much younger Hischier is(1 season), this logic makes no sense.

The only reason some consider Patrick the top pick still is because they're afraid of change. He should not touch top 2.

 

[tucker3434]

BTW - updated mock today -

Avs take Heiskanen
Canucks Hischier
Vegas Patrick

https://recrutes.ca/

McCrimmon wants Patrick..if I'm Colorado I move down to 3 if the price is eight and take Heiskanen if he's there..if he goes two..take Makar.

which would be more valuable to Colorado going forward...a number two or 1a center or a number one dman? Every head scout in the league would say #1 dman. Heiskanen is going to be a number one dman..and with the possible exception of Hedman..is the best defence prospect since 2008. Yes...better than Ekblad.

Of course they would, but Heiskanen's rise has been very sudden. He wasn't even in your top 10 in December. Is there not a fear that he could just be hot right now? Or does he seem to have resolved issues that were hampering him in the rankings?

 

[jnk96]

Of course they would, but Heiskanen's rise has been very sudden. He wasn't even in your top 10 in December. Is there not a fear that he could just be hot right now? Or does he seem to have resolved issues that were hampering him in the rankings?

I feel like there were never any issues. He was just good at pretty much everything all year and now looks elite in a lot of areas.

 

[Hockeyisl1fe]

Hischier is better this year than Patrick last year... Considering how much younger Hischier is(1 season), this logic makes no sense.

The only reason some consider Patrick the top pick still is because they're afraid of change. He should not touch top 2.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Hischier is better this year than Patrick last year... Considering how much younger Hischier is(1 season), this logic makes no sense.

The only reason some consider Patrick the top pick still is because they're afraid of change. He should not touch top 2.

I don't know if I agree with this. I watched Brandon games last year watching Provorov. And Patrick was very good already a year out of his draft year. Having this recollection gives me confidence he can be better than this often injured season for Nolan. I don't hold a player being injured against their draft ranking.

 

[Whileee]

BTW - updated mock today -

Avs take Heiskanen
Canucks Hischier
Vegas Patrick

https://recrutes.ca/

McCrimmon wants Patrick..if I'm Colorado I move down to 3 if the price is eight and take Heiskanen if he's there..if he goes two..take Makar.

which would be more valuable to Colorado going forward...a number two or 1a center or a number one dman? Every head scout in the league would say #1 dman. Heiskanen is going to be a number one dman..and with the possible exception of Hedman..is the best defence prospect since 2008. Yes...better than Ekblad.

Cal Foote dropping to round 2?

Some team is going to be very happy...

 

[Grant McCagg]

The draft order and mock draft are updated on Recrutes.ca

View attachment 95239

https://recrutes.ca/

 

[ghdi]

We're not taking Heiskanen first OA.

 

[Grant McCagg]

Cal Foote dropping to round 2?

Some team is going to be very happy...

Have him going late first now...someone will step up despite skating concerns

 

[Grant McCagg]

We're not taking Heiskanen first OA.

We? Is that you Ray? I'd be willing to bet when Shero woke up this morning he was hoping there'd be some way he could end up with Heiskanen..now he can. Not sure why he'd change his mind now Every NHL scout I know well has Heiskanen in their top 2...and they are all senior scouts.

I apologize if that's not what it says on the lists you look at....

 

[ghdi]

We? Is that you Ray? I'd be willing to bet when Shero woke up this morning he was hoping there'd be some way he could end up with Heiskanen..now he can. Not sure why he'd change his mind now Every NHL scout I know well has Heiskanen in their top 2...and they are all senior scouts.

I apologize if that's not what it says on the lists you look at....

LOL taking a dig at the "we" thing, its not a point scorer. Its cheap and a fallacy. Teams don't exist without fans. I'm a fan of a team first and foremost. Even they call us "we".

I don't doubt that Heiskanen is at the top or near the top of boards, he deserves to be, but your list is also an outlier. That counts for something. It would legitimately be a shocker to most of the hockey world if he's taken at #1 (I know, I know, aside from scouts). When is the last time that kind of shock happened at #1?

And I easily take that bet that Heiskanen is not #1 OA.