2018 NHL Entry Draft Thread (Less then 24 Hours Edition)

[thefeebster]

I was just reading this thread and noticed a few ppl say Wahlstrom has an over-reliance of generating offense on the PP. But in my research and watching him, that isn't really the case. In fact, his splits are fairly close to Zadina's. Zadina does edge him out on ES production, but its quite minimal. To imply Wahlstrom is trash at ES is misleading.

Zadina		#	%
PP	G	8	18.18%	of total goals
	A	12	31.58%	of total assists
Total		20	24.39%	of total points
ES	G	33	75.00%	of total goals
	A	25	65.79%	of total assists
Total		58	70.73%	of total points
SH	G	3	6.82%	of total goals
	A	1	2.63%	of total assists
Total		4	4.88%	of total points

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Wahlstrom		#	%
PP	G	13	27.08%	of total goals
	A	14	30.43%	of total assists
Total		27	28.72%	of total points
ES	G	32	66.67%	of total goals
	A	30	65.22%	of total assists
Total		62	65.96%	of total points
SH	G	3	6.25%	of total goals
	A	2	4.35%	of total assists
Total		5	5.32%	of total points

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I also saw someone else asked about his NCAA production. Its quite respectable without and with Hughes (who started Dec 30, 2017).

NCAA DIV 1	Result	Opponent	GP	G	A	PTS
10/1/2017	L 3-4	at University of Notre Dame	1	1	1	2
10/6/2017	L 1-4	at Bowling Green State University	1	0	0	0
10/13/2017	L 5-7	Miami University	1	1	1	2
10/20/2017	W 3-0	at Dartmouth College	1	0	1	1
10/21/2017	L 2-7	at Harvard University	1	0	2	2
11/25/2017	L 0-6	at Lake Superior State University	1	0	0	0
12/2/2017	L 3-7	University of Michigan	1	1	1	2
12/16/2017	L 0-3	Michigan State University	1	0	0	0
12/30/2017	L 2-5	at University of North Dakota	1	1	0	1
1/2/2018	W 5-1	Ferris State University	1	1	0	1
1/27/2018	L 3-5	at Minnesota State University	1	2	0	2
			11	7	6	13

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Goldenhands]

here is my wish list for the Habs at 3rd overall..
1-Andrei Svechnikov (can only pray he slides to us)
2-Noah Dobson (extremmely solid all around defenseman who can do it all, the fact that he still has 15-20 lbs to add to his frame is making me salivating even more about how good this kid can become, very high hockey IQ, can play both PP and PK, very good skater, good mobility, good offensive instincts, cant go wrong here with this kid, first pairing potential and will probably end up in a couple of years as the clear 2nd best defeneman of this draft..
3-4 Wahlstrom and Zadina (still cant figure who will end up as the best player between the 2, Zadina is the best pure goal scorer of the 2 since Wahlstrom is more like a high volume shooter while Zadina is a pure sniper that wont waste shots uselessly, dont get me wrong, Wahlstrom has a a very good shot too but the edge goes to Zaina here.. Wahlstrom has better puck skills, more fluid skating and agility while Zadina seems stronger physically and the most NHL ready of the 2... thats really really close here...

I would be disapointed with any other player at 3.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Well I mean we were right . "Wait 20 games before judging the season, it's still early!".

It's only been [current number of games]!

 

[schnapshot]

I was just reading this thread and noticed a few ppl say Wahlstrom has an over-reliance of generating offense on the PP. But in my research and watching him, that isn't really the case. In fact, his splits are fairly close to Zadina's. Zadina does edge him out on ES production, but its quite minimal. To imply Wahlstrom is trash at ES is misleading.

Zadina		#	%
PP	G	8	18.18%	of total goals
	A	12	31.58%	of total assists
Total		20	24.39%	of total points
ES	G	33	75.00%	of total goals
	A	25	65.79%	of total assists
Total		58	70.73%	of total points
SH	G	3	6.82%	of total goals
	A	1	2.63%	of total assists
Total		4	4.88%	of total points

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Wahlstrom		#	%
PP	G	13	27.08%	of total goals
	A	14	30.43%	of total assists
Total		27	28.72%	of total points
ES	G	32	66.67%	of total goals
	A	30	65.22%	of total assists
Total		62	65.96%	of total points
SH	G	3	6.25%	of total goals
	A	2	4.35%	of total assists
Total		5	5.32%	of total points

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

I also saw someone else asked about his NCAA production. Its quite respectable without and with Hughes (who started Dec 30, 2017).

NCAA DIV 1	Result	Opponent	GP	G	A	PTS
10/1/2017	L 3-4	at University of Notre Dame	1	1	1	2
10/6/2017	L 1-4	at Bowling Green State University	1	0	0	0
10/13/2017	L 5-7	Miami University	1	1	1	2
10/20/2017	W 3-0	at Dartmouth College	1	0	1	1
10/21/2017	L 2-7	at Harvard University	1	0	2	2
11/25/2017	L 0-6	at Lake Superior State University	1	0	0	0
12/2/2017	L 3-7	University of Michigan	1	1	1	2
12/16/2017	L 0-3	Michigan State University	1	0	0	0
12/30/2017	L 2-5	at University of North Dakota	1	1	0	1
1/2/2018	W 5-1	Ferris State University	1	1	0	1
1/27/2018	L 3-5	at Minnesota State University	1	2	0	2
			11	7	6	13

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Thanks for this, nice work.

I don’t think anyone that has really seen him play thinks he is a powerplay specialist/weapon whatever you want to call it. Maybe the impression that he is less of a ES player comes from some viewings of his U18 games where he had 3 goals and an assist on the PP (44% of his total production).

He is ranked really close to Zadina, so maybe it’s more a question of exposure vs adults. They are very similar players but Wahlstrom seems more physical while Zadina seems to be a tad better defensively. There is no doubt Wahlstrom would also be a 40-goal scorer had he played in the CHL.

My edge goes to Zadina because of his WJC performance and the fact that he played with a lesser centreman throughout the year and still managed an insane goal production for a draft-eligible player.

The “Zadina scored because of Necas” thing is overrated, I just looked up and found out that Necas had the primary assist on 3 of Zadina’s 7 goals at the WJC. Surely it helped him to some extend, but he scored more goals without benefiting from a direct Necas assist. The “Necas helped Zadina” narrative is as lazy as the “Hughes helped Wahlstrom” one.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Thanks for this, nice work.

I don’t think anyone that has really seen him play thinks he is a powerplay specialist/weapon whatever you want to call it. Maybe the impression that he is less of a ES player comes from some viewings of his U18 games where he had 3 goals and an assist on the PP (44% of his total production).

He is ranked really close to Zadina, so maybe it’s more a question of exposure vs adults. They are very similar players but Wahlstrom seems more physical while Zadina seems to be a tad better defensively. There is no doubt Wahlstrom would also be a 40-goal scorer had he played in the CHL.

My edge goes to Zadina because of his WJC performance and the fact that he played with a lesser centreman throughout the year and still managed an insane goal production for a draft-eligible player.

The “Zadina scored because of Necas” thing is overrated, I just looked up and found out that Necas had the primary assist on 3 of Zadina’s 7 goals at the WJC. Surely it helped him to some extend, but he scored more goals without benefiting from a direct Necas assist. The “Necas helped Zadina” narrative is as lazy as the “Hughes helped Wahlstrom” one.

Even lazier, IMO. I don't have a very high opinion of Necas. Filip was way better than Necas at the 2017 U18s for example. Like, not even close.

Most of these narratives about why a player scores or doesn't score tend to be done on a self-serving ad-hoc basis. For example, with team quality, I've seen people argue that a player's production was depressed both by being on a good team, and being on a bad team. I've also seen it argued that a player's production was inflated by being on a contender, and by being on a terrible team (and thus getting all the ice time and PP opportunities in the world). Well, what the f***. I just find it all very meaningless.

 

[HuGort]

What about Iskhakov in mid rounds? He is small but putting some decent numbers in khl

 

[NotProkofievian]

What about Iskhakov in mid rounds? He is small but putting some decent numbers in khl

Ruslan didn't play in the KHL this year. I dunno, I just think he's too small and not quick enough to make it. I do like him, though. He's feisty and very skilled. He has that ''try and stop me'' attitude which leads to him pulling off some spectacular plays.

We're finding in the later rounds of our mock draft that this draft is awfully top heavy, so at a certain point I really wouldn't mind picking him, but he's not one of my favourites.

 

[WeThreeKings]

What about Iskhakov in mid rounds? He is small but putting some decent numbers in khl

Absolutely.

He's one of the most talented players in the draft and he's a really smart player out there. He is very, very tiny but when you have as many picks as we do, you need to gamble on a pure talent like that.

 

[sandviper]

Gustafsson, Dellandrea, Hillis, and Morozov should be there as well

Really like Dellandrea and Hillis, but I feel Dellandrea is going to get picked up in the mid-to-late 20s.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Can guarantee the Habs would have extensively interest in Jack Drury and Tyler Madden

 

[NotProkofievian]

I like Drury quite a bit. His offensive contributions this year came entirely out of left field. He's the only non-USNTDP player anywhere near the top of U18 PPG.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I like Drury quite a bit. His offensive contributions this year came entirely out of left field. He's the only non-USNTDP player anywhere near the top of U18 PPG.

I'm gonna be completely honest and say I have not seen much of Jack Drury. But what I seen near the end versus what I saw earlier, it was quite a difference in the player. Early Drury I didn't want anything to do with, later Drury, well he would probably be a good pick. His offensive production in the end was pretty astounding and I know it doesn't mean much, but what has been said about Drury by his coaches is a bit more than lip service, the glowing praise seems pretty legitimate.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Our look at Hillis

Cam Hillis Scouting Report: 2018 NHL Draft #48 - Last Word on Hockey

 

[NotProkofievian]

I'm gonna be completely honest and say I have not seen much of Jack Drury. But what I seen near the end versus what I saw earlier, it was quite a difference in the player. Early Drury I didn't want anything to do with, later Drury, well he would probably be a good pick. His offensive production in the end was pretty astounding and I know it doesn't mean much, but what has been said about Drury by his coaches is a bit more than lip service, the glowing praise seems pretty legitimate.

He had a 23 game point streak this year. That's....I mean, what more can a kid do to get himself drafted? From the beginning of that streak to the end of the regular season, there were only 4 games in which he didn't register a point. Out of 42.

....yeah.

 

[Habs76]

I mean I am happy that we moved up because we are more than likely avoiding Tkachuk. And to be honest, I don't even think it is guaranteed that we draft Zadina. It is pretty likely, but I would not be surprised whatsoever if we get Dobson instead.

Oh man, if we get Dobson I will be so hyped.

 

[Habs76]

Gustafsson, Dellandrea, Hillis, and Morozov should be there as well

Jan Jenik or Milos Roman would be good picks as well.

 

[S Bah]

Still thinking the Habs need to seriously consider talking with the Panthers about Jared McCann(C - 21yrs. old) & their 1st(15th OV) & 2nd(34th OV) round picks for Max Pacioretty. This would be a great package for both teams, Habs get a possible 2nd line center, the 15th pick which can be used with 3- 2nd's to move up for either Kotkaneimi or Dobson. Keeping #3 for Zadina (RW) that can star for the Habs, with Lehkonen(LW) & McCann(C) nice young line for the future.

 

[Habs76]

Ruslan didn't play in the KHL this year. I dunno, I just think he's too small and not quick enough to make it. I do like him, though. He's feisty and very skilled. He has that ''try and stop me'' attitude which leads to him pulling off some spectacular plays.

We're finding in the later rounds of our mock draft that this draft is awfully top heavy, so at a certain point I really wouldn't mind picking him, but he's not one of my favourites.

From the videos I've seen, he looks very elusive. Not the fastest, but still fast and agile as can be.

I wouldn't put much stock into a draft eligible player not playing in the KHL, its pretty rare that they do.

 

[NotProkofievian]

From the videos I've seen, he looks very elusive. Not the fastest, but still fast and agile as can be.

Yeah his hands are ridiculous, and very laterally agile, and pretty clever. I just wonder if it's enough.

I wouldn't put much stock into a draft eligible player not playing in the KHL, its pretty rare that they do.

That's true. I was more correcting the record than using this as an argument against him.

 

[Habs76]

Yeah his hands are ridiculous, and very laterally agile, and pretty clever. I just wonder if it's enough.



That's true. I was more correcting the record than using this as an argument against him.

When it comes down to it, I'd rather swing for the fences and miss than draft a potential NHL/AHL tweener.

 

[NotProkofievian]

When it comes down to it, I'd rather swing for the fences and miss than draft a potential NHL/AHL tweener.

Me too. I think the Price starts being right in the 3rd to do that with Ruslan.

 

[Habs76]

Me too. I think the Price starts being right in the 3rd to do that with Ruslan.

I'd take him late 2nd, with our abundance of picks

 

[CoopersFalls]

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not suggesting the Habs should do this, just genuinely interested in what the perceived value is;

3rd overall for 11th and 12th. Interesting concept, however I think the Islanders need to add. Would be very worth it if Kotkaniemi were left at 11 but that seems highly unlikely now.

So essentially:
Zadina for

Two of Ty Smith, Veleno, Kotkaniemi, Kupari, Tkachuk, Farabee, Hayton, Wilde, etc?

 

[Janne Niinimaa]

I’ll preface this by saying I’m not suggesting the Habs should do this, just genuinely interested in what the perceived value is;

3rd overall for 11th and 12th. Interesting concept, however I think the Islanders need to add. Would be very worth it if Kotkaniemi were left at 11 but that seems highly unlikely now.

So essentially:
Zadina for

Two of Ty Smith, Veleno, Kotkaniemi, Kupari, Tkachuk, Farabee, Hayton, Wilde, etc?

I would almost guarantee that Dahlin, Svechnikov, Zadina, Boqvist, Tkachuk, Wahsltrom, Hughes, Bouchard and Dobson are taken before. So Zadina for 2 of Smith, Kotkaniemi and Farabee. I would do it.

 

[The Great Weal]

Yeah I would do 3 for 11+12. I doubt Kotkaniemi makes it there, but you there are still some great players that will be there.