GDT: 2018 NHL Entry Draft--Round 1 | Fri, June 22, 4:30pm; Rounds 2-7 | Sat, June 23, 8:00am

[Ziggy Stardust]

Scouts saw Veleno's goal celebrations and dropped him on their lists.

 

[SlimCharles]

Can we stop acting like he's a bust already? I'm going to remember this thread.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Vilardi dropped like a rock last year, but you know better, right?

Kopitar dropped like a rock in 2005, but you know better, right?

The Kings have drafted three impact forwards in a decade, one of which they traded away. If you think that’s a stellar drafting record, congrats, your Kings homer glasses will arrive in the mail next week.

LOL look at the positions of where they drafted genius...holy crap there was just an argument that better players come from 1st round picks, which I never disagreed with, but they aren't guaranteed.

Vilardi was taken what, 11th, Kopitar, 11th, you want to say they dropped?? Ok, then what did Veleno do, free fall out of the 1st round??? Again, there's something about the kid that scouts picked up on....but you know better

 

[KINGS17]

They have to actually make the NHL. Rasmus Dahlin is going to end up being 6'3"-6'4" 220+ when he fills out. Most of the D picked early are all over 6'0" and going to be 200+ pounds.

Maybe so, seems like a lot of guys around 5-10 to 5-11 are going early.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

There he goes....ranked top 10....to 30th.....lol

 

[damacles1156]

Why exactly are we calling the guy we picked "taking a swing"? He was ranked 20 and we picked him at 20...

Because the back half of the 1st round is always a crap shoot. Some teams pick safe guys that have bottom six skill sets. Others did what the Kings just did. Pick a highly skilled kid that probably will never develop a bottom six skill set. But he has tremendous other attributes. That's a boom or bust pick.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

just went back and listed to Sportsnets panel talking about Kupari and they claimed he could score from the outside and he has a wicked shot contrary to what was posted on here earlier. Can anyone clarify ?

Watching his highlights, his wrist shot does not look as bad as it's been made out to be.

 

[KINGS17]

I wonder if Ovechkin is sober yet. Looks like he is having an awesome time.

 

[ScoreZeGoals]

Vilardi dropped like a rock last year, but you know better, right?

Kopitar dropped like a rock in 2005, but you know better, right?

The Kings have drafted three impact forwards in a decade, one of which they traded away. If you think that’s a stellar drafting record, congrats, your Kings homer glasses will arrive in the mail next week.

Going 11th isn't really dropping like a rock.

 

[damacles1156]

just went back and listed to Sportsnets panel talking about Kupari and they claimed he could score from the outside and he has a wicked shot contrary to what was posted on here earlier. Can anyone clarify ?

Look at his numbers.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Kings take a shot at speed and skill and high upside and are getting crapped on for not taking the 'safe' player after months and months of complaining that they need speed and skill and high upside and less 'safe' players.

This board has become f***ing unbearable and sadly predictable.

 

[damacles1156]

Watching his highlights, his wrist shot does not look as bad as it's been made out to be.

Everyone looks fine in highlight reels.

 

[deaderhead28]

Wilde still on the board going into the 2nd round tomorrow

 

[Bandit]

just went back and listed to Sportsnets panel talking about Kupari and they claimed he could score from the outside and he has a wicked shot contrary to what was posted on here earlier. Can anyone clarify ?

Let me clarify: People who get PAID to evaluate these kids make huge mistakes. They pick kids they think will make their roster as an 18 year old but then never do shit, then throw darts at a board to pick kids that go on to have hall of fame careers. People on internet message boards have about as much insight into the future prospects of these kids as I do about intercontinental ballistic missile construction optimization.

 

[damacles1156]

Kings take a shot at speed and skill and high upside and are getting crapped on for not taking the 'safe' player after months and months of complaining that they need speed and skill and less 'safe' players.

This board has become ****ing unbearable and sadly predictable.

Also with the way the roster is, wouldn't it be nice to take a gamble ?

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

Look at his numbers.

Numbers for him, are misleading, undersize 17 year old, playing against men, not sure what kind of numbers you expect him to have....I think we will get more of a sense of him when he comes over and starts to fill out etc.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

Look at his numbers.

He was also playing in the best league in Finland as a 17-18 year old...

Kopitar had 0 goals in 5 games in the SHL in his draft year. He only had 8 in 47 the year after his draft year. Judging kids on their numbers against men in the SHL and Liiga is not exactly fair.

(And, no, I'm not saying Kupari = Kopitar. It's just a comparison for relativity's sake.)

 

[kingsfan28]

That's asinine.

2009 - Schenn, Clifford, Nolan, Deslauriers, all NHL players
2010 - 5 picks....Forbort, Toffoli, Weal, Gravel, 4 NHL players
2011 - Andreof, Shore - NHL players, will give you this one though, wasn't a "great" draft but didn't have a #1
2012 - Pearson, Ladue, Miller - NHL players
2013 - Zykov, Brodzinkski, possible NHL players,
2014 - Kempe, Amadio, McKeown, NHL players or possiblity, not sure if McKeown can stick with Carolina
2015 - 6 picks, too soon too tell
2016 - Clague, the next Doughty apparently, 4 picks total
2017 - Vilardi, next Kopitar, JAD etc,

To say it's been absymal is just ignoring the facts.

We didn't have many picks in 15' and 16', especially firsts, correct?

 

[SlimCharles]

I just don't understand being so pissed off at a 20th overall pick. If we were Coyotes fans and just saw our team pass on Zadina for Barrett freaking Hayton then I would understand the frustration. If Veleno was so damn good then he wouldn't have dropped all the way to 30.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Also with the way the roster is, wouldn't it be nice to take a gamble ?

Absolutely.

And frankly I don't think it's even a 'gamble' vs. what else was on the board really. Bokk? Same sort of concerns. That's what happens around pick 20, the guys become less surefire. Swing for upside once in a while. The exact complaints seem to be around 'impact' forwards, so gotta take a shot at one if you're not drafting top-5.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

There ya go K17 a 6-3 monster taken for ya, surprised Wide dropped

 

[deaderhead28]

Lets all be happy Kings had a first round pick this year and it wasn't traded away...

 

[damacles1156]

His lower league numbers are also not eye opening for a reason folks. Read the actual scouting report on him from multiply sources.

 

[GoldenBearHockey]

We didn't have many picks in 15' and 16', especially firsts, correct?

Correct 10 picks between the two years, no firsts

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

His lower league numbers are also not eye opening for a reason folks. Read the actual scouting report on him from multiply sources.

He had 7 points in 11 games in the Finnish junior league..? I don't see how that's a problem.

 

[Bandit]

Because the back half of the 1st round is always a crap shoot. Some teams pick safe guys that have bottom six skill sets. Others did what the Kings just did. Pick a highly skilled kid that probably will never develop a bottom six skill set. But he has tremendous other attributes. That's a boom or bust pick.

I'd call that working within the constraints of the system and limited ability to predict the future. When something is ranked according to all available criteria and is selected according to his ranking, I wouldn't call that swinging.

 

[kingsfan28]

Haven't you been reading the boards? But agree that it's too soon to say, but to say the Kings have drafted absymally since 2008 is asinine and idiotic.

Veleno has dropped like a rock in this draft, and somewhere...there's a reason......but you know better...right?

Remember how far Valardi and Dolen fell? Now he's the talk of any possible trade.