2018 HF Team Boards Mock Draft -- Pick #9

[Zibanejbread]

I have Dobson/Kotkaniemi on the same tier, but voted Dobson for positional scarcity. However, would not be disappointed in Jesperi either.

Hope for Bokk/Kaut/Berggren/Dellandrea in late 1st or early 2nd.

 

[MarkMessyay11]

I have Dobson/Kotkaniemi on the same tier, but voted Dobson for positional scarcity. However, would not be disappointed in Jesperi either.

Hope for Bokk/Kaut/Berggren/Dellandrea in late 1st or early 2nd.

Dobson at 9 and two of those four forwards at 26/28-31 would be a great day...

 

[RangerBlues]

Im sticking with Ty Smith

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Dobson
Farabee
Kotkaniemi
Kravtsov
Veleno
In this order
Smith is overrated.

how is smith overrated? all i see people saying about him is that he has no upside, yet he had a monster year in the whl.

 

[Edge]

Still can't help but think the pick will not be Dobson.

If it's one of the names on poll, I think it's either Kotkaniemi or Farabee.

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Still can't help but think the pick will not be Dobson.

If it's one of the names on poll, I think it's either Kotkaniemi or Farabee.

Why because he plays in the Q?

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Hands down Kotkaniemi. Stay away from drafting defensemen out of Q.

 

[Edge]

Why because he plays in the Q?

I’ll copy what I posted somewhere earlier:

It’s weird, there are certain guys I can see them drafting - Zadina, Boqvist, Wahlstrom, Hughes, Tkachuk, Farabee, Bouchard, Kotkaniemi, Kravtsov, Bokk, a few others.

Dobson just doesn’t come to mind. It’s not anything about his game, or his potential, or anything like that. It’s just a gut reaction.

Not sure if it’s the Rangers history with the Q, my thoughts that they prefer the US or Europe, a combination of those things, etc. But Dobson would surprise me if he was the pick — and not because I wouldn’t want him.​

 

[FireGerardGallant]

I’ll copy what I posted somewhere earlier:

It’s weird, there are certain guys I can see them drafting - Zadina, Boqvist, Wahlstrom, Hughes, Tkachuk, Farabee, Bouchard, Kotkaniemi, Kravtsov, Bokk, a few others.

Dobson just doesn’t come to mind. It’s not anything about his game, or his potential, or anything like that. It’s just a gut reaction.

Not sure if it’s the Rangers history with the Q, my thoughts that they prefer the US or Europe, a combination of those things, etc. But Dobson would surprise me if he was the pick — and not because I wouldn’t want him.​

Fair enough, I wouldn't mind if Kotkaniemi was the pick. I just don't know how I'd feel about taking Farabee that high

 

[kovazub94]

I graduated high school in 2001. This makes me feel old

Lol, move over young man. I was on my third post-college job and getting ready to get married.

@eco's bones probably had grandkids already, right old man?

 

[kovazub94]

Still can't help but think the pick will not be Dobson.

If it's one of the names on poll, I think it's either Kotkaniemi or Farabee.

This is pretty much what the poll shows right now: your gut feeling (Kotkaniemi or Farabee) is 50/50 in votes vs. what I’d call a logical choice in Dobson.

 

[eco's bones]

Fontaine in 2016, Walcott in 2015, Duclair and Graves in 2013, Noreau in 2011, Ryan Bourque in 2009, Chris Doyle in 2008, Antoine Lafleur in 2007. That's 8 guys in the last 10 drafts. The Rangers do draft out of the Q now and again. No first rounders though and only Duclair has made it.

 

[eco's bones]

Lol, move over young man. I was on my third post-college job and getting ready to get married.

@eco's bones probably had grandkids already, right old man?

Actually no. Two grownup kids now--one is 27 and the other is 26. Neither married or attached to anyone at the moment and neither can really afford to get married at this time. They both have degrees though--so who knows. The one is heading out to California to do her yearly gig with the US Forestry Service who may hire her for real this time. The other has Asperger's (which can be a trip to deal with) and is working retail.

 

[Joey Bones]

Fontaine in 2016, Walcott in 2015, Duclair and Graves in 2013, Noreau in 2011, Ryan Bourque in 2009, Chris Doyle in 2008, Antoine Lafleur in 2007. That's 8 guys in the last 10 drafts. The Rangers do draft out of the Q now and again. No first rounders though and only Duclair has made it.

But..... only one has made any NHL impact. The others (unsure of Fontaine, ATM) became nothing.

Not saying that drafting Dobson is bad, I actually encourage it, just that I think NYR use their scouts primarily throughout Europe and NCAA.

 

[Lays]

how is smith overrated? all i see people saying about him is that he has no upside, yet he had a monster year in the whl.

He doesn’t have top pairing potential and his defensive game needs work. His offensive game is very good but at the same time I’d like to see him be more dynamic which is why I’m afraid of his offense translating. His creativity isn’t really there offensively but he does have good offensive IQ(good IQ all around). Smith is the only one I’d legit be pissed about at 9, any one else I’m pretty much fine with. He has 2nd pair upside, his offensive potential isn’t good enough to be an elite point producer from the back end (50+) and his defense isn’t good enough to make him a top pairing dman. Gets knocked off the puck easy unlike Hughes (fellow undersized dman) who is surprisingly strong. he’s a good prospect and definitely a solid pick around 15 but not at 9. I can definitely see the Rangers being all over him sadly as well because “leadership and character” which apparently he has tons of. We need a top pairing potential D if we’re picking one and Smith is NOT it. Also, boring name so that’s always a negative.

 

[Ola]

Meaning you would vote for us to take him at 9?

Nah I voted Kotkaniemi

 

[Ola]

I am very high on Kotkaniemi. But I also don't think that its reasonable to expect him to become a top scorer or franchise forward.

For me it comes down to this. I don't really think its that relevant to talk about "potential" the way its done with these kids. So much comes down to what happens after the kid is picked. A Jonathan Toews goes to Chicago and with tremendous surroundings become a major cog of a half-dynasty. Imagine if the kid goes to EDM instead of Taylor Hall, doesn't even get close to getting a sniff of a PO his first 7 years. His career could have gone another way, not even close to HHOF. Someone like Pasternak is sick, but a part of that is playing with Bergeron and Marchant. Living with them.

I think its more relevant to talk about what a kid have fundamentally. Because if the stars align -- the 'potential' of so many kids -- is soooo very high.

Anyway I think its perfectly reasonable to envision that Kotkaniemi can come in and become a top 6-9 forward -- fairly fast -- who makes his team harder to play against. After the initial years I think its perfectly reasonable to expect him to turn into a player who can contribute on par with say what a Travis Zajac have done in NJ, albeit with a much more modern style.

From that platform a lot can happen. I see a lot of promising signs in Kotkaniemi pointing towards him possibly being able to live up to that potential. He is verstaile - like shots well as well as passes well, sees the ice really well, has so much energy, a very energetic personality, and so forth.

 

[Edge]

This is pretty much what the poll shows right now: your gut feeling (Kotkaniemi or Farabee) is 50/50 in votes vs. what I’d call a logical choice in Dobson.

If someone were to put me on the spot, I’d say the pick at 9 is Kotkaniemi if all 3 are on the board.

Having said that, I truly believe that Kotkaniemi could go as high as fourth. I’m also not convinced that Montreal doesn’t look to flip down a little.

 

[eco's bones]

But..... only one has made any NHL impact. The others (unsure of Fontaine, ATM) became nothing.

Not saying that drafting Dobson is bad, I actually encourage it, just that I think NYR use their scouts primarily throughout Europe and NCAA.

Looking at their drafts over the past 10 years they went more European in 2015 and in 2017--other than that it's one or two guys a year and in '15 two of the Europeans were playing in North America already--Huska in Green Bay and Zborovskiy in Regina. I will say of their Europeans playing in Europe they are some of our better picks (Hagelin a 6th--who after the draft then went to Michigan U.--Fast a 6th, Buchnevich a 3rd, and Shesterkin a 4th and then last year Andersson and Chytil). Cherepanov of course probably would have been a great player but that wasn't to be. The USNTDP players we've targeted were pretty much just high end ones--Kreider, Miller, Skjei and Miller went the CHL route and if I remember right the Rangers preferred him in Windsor instead of North Dakota U.

Basically though what I get out of it all as far as who the Rangers draft it's pretty much a mix. Now I think they've put extra attention to building up a European scouting group so we'll see. To me though if it came down to Dobson and Kotkaniemi I would take Dobson if only because I'd rather go for a No. 1 D type but Jesperi would be an excellent pick too. Whether they take Kotkaniemi or not I would guess we will be picking 3-4-5 Europeans in this year's draft. Finland came back on our radar in 2015 with the Saarela pick which we traded away before the year was out, in 2016 Reunanen who has not done much since and last year it was Virta in the last round.

 

[GregSirico]

The more I look at the 9th pick the more I want to move up, even just 2 spots.

 

[GregSirico]

If someone were to put me on the spot, I’d say the pick at 9 is Kotkaniemi if all 3 are on the board.

Having said that, I truly believe that Kotkaniemi could go as high as fourth. I’m also not convinced that Montreal doesn’t look to flip down a little.

Montreal needs Jesperi more than anyone else in this draft. Picking him 3rd is definitely a major wrench in the draft BUT it makes sense.

 

[Trxjw]

I could easily see Kotkaniemi going in the 4/5/6 range. Especially if Montreal finds a partner who is willing to trade up to #3.

I like our chances of getting a very good forward at 9. I'm with Edge that I have a hard time seeing the team going to the Q with their highest pick. Their success right now seems to be the USNTDP and Europe, so I'd wager those guys are higher on their board than the public lists.

 

[Edge]

Montreal needs Jesperi more than anyone else in this draft. Picking him 3rd is definitely a major wrench in the draft BUT it makes sense.

I could see a scenario in which Montreal and Arizona swap picks.

Arizona goes with either Zadina or Tkachuk, Montreal goes with Kotkaniemi.

(Assuming Montreal has Kotkaniemi ranked higher than Tkachuk and values the extra asset they receive for moving down two slots, or views them equally and know one or both will be there anyway at 5).

 

[GregSirico]

I could see a scenario in which Montreal and Arizona swap picks.

Arizona goes with either Zadina or Tkachuk, Montreal goes with Kotkaniemi.

(Assuming Montreal has Kotkaniemi ranked higher than Tkachuk and values the extra asset they receive for moving down two slots, or views them equally and know one or both will be there anyway at 5).

But Jesperi won’t go before 8 most likely. Taking him at 3/4 is kinda nuts. Montreal is better off dropping back in the draft.

 

[Edge]

But Jesperi won’t go before 8 most likely. Taking him at 3/4 is kinda nuts. Montreal is better off dropping back in the draft.

I wouldn't be too sure about that.

While I think the probability is lower that he goes with a higher pick, I can't say it's completely far-fetched --- especially when you get to the five range. You can make the argument he's the best center heading into the draft and is just as much in the mix as some of the other names, even if his name hasn't been bantered about for as long a period of time.

Three seems like it would on the high end and significantly less likely, but five isn't really that far off.

If your Montreal, and you view Kotkaniemi has being right up there with the guys like Zadina, or Tkachuk, I think you slide down a couple of spots and see if you can pick up another pick or prospect. But I don't think you want to slide too far down and increase your risk if you view Kotkaniemi that high.

I think both Chi and the Rangers would have Kotkaniemi on their raders, but I don't know if Detroit and Vancouver aren't leaning more towards a defenseman and or Wahlstrom at this point. So if Montreal is interesting in Kotkaniemi, and is looking to trade down, it's about finding the balance between still being in a position where they don't trade themselves out of the picture, and find a partner who is interested and willing. In that case, I can't help but think Arizona makes the most sense, if there's any sense to be found.