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

[Locks]

It's just to mention that these guys are all very close. I see posts saying that we shouldn't trade down, but I'm just trying to understand why not? Why is this player better than this other player? Why is the difference not worth the extra asset? Ill stop though lol.

Getting an extra asset would really be great since according to posters who have seen these prospects quite a bit they are rather close. But only one of them can potentially fill the biggest organizational need, and from the Max trade talks they have learned how hard it is to prey a very good C prospect from another organization (Thomas, Vilardi and Borgstrom ) So if the brass has identified Kotkaniemi as that guy - and the MB interview strongly points in that direction - why take a risk of losing him, particularly that Kotkaniemi is reportedly on Detroit's radar? That leaves Ottawa and Arizona as the only two potential trading partners and I am not sure what Ottawa's incentive for paying the price to move up one spot would be if they can very likely select the player they want anyway, probably a dman to replace Karlsson down the road.

Even if the brass has chosen, say, Dobson as the target, the other dmen, while really great at what they do, don't bring the same attributes to the table.
In 2016, there were reportedly talks at the top - from 3 down - to swap picks but did not succeed.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Based on what Bergevin said I feel like we are going Kotkaniemi.

Question:
This is not a deep year at the top of the draft for centers, which is a need for you. Has the draft evolved to the point where teams just take the most talented player available and go from there?

Bergevin:
"You know, you're always looking at players who are 17, sometimes a late birth. You project. When you pick, you have to project from now who will be the best player. That's why the draft is not so easy. Is there a player right now at No. 3 who is going to be better than the rest? Well, that's our job to find out and to decide. But as we speak today, there's no

Sidney Crosby, there's no [forward] Alex Ovechkin. Rasmus Dahlin, the word is that he's going to go first, and rightly so. But after that, you have to decide and project. Doesn't mean the guy is the best player today; it's who will be the best in five years. That's why in the draft, teams pick other players who weren't projected to go in certain spots. Sometimes a team will pick someone with an early pick and you'll say, 'Wow, that was a surprise.' And then down the road, you find out that, yeah, it was a really good pick."​

 

[not quite yoda]

Quick question:

Can we trade a player we just picked during the draft? For example, if we picked Zadina at 3rd, and them when NYI 11 & 12 come along, and we like who is on the board, could we trade Zadina for NYI’s picks?

There is no rule against it. But I ve never heard of it hapenning in the NHL. I ve been following rafts very closely since 1995 and I can guarantee it s never hapenned in the 1st round since then.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Based on what Bergevin said I feel like we are going Kotkaniemi.

Question:
This is not a deep year at the top of the draft for centers, which is a need for you. Has the draft evolved to the point where teams just take the most talented player available and go from there?

Bergevin:
"You know, you're always looking at players who are 17, sometimes a late birth. You project. When you pick, you have to project from now who will be the best player. That's why the draft is not so easy. Is there a player right now at No. 3 who is going to be better than the rest? Well, that's our job to find out and to decide. But as we speak today, there's no

Sidney Crosby, there's no [forward] Alex Ovechkin. Rasmus Dahlin, the word is that he's going to go first, and rightly so. But after that, you have to decide and project. Doesn't mean the guy is the best player today; it's who will be the best in five years. That's why in the draft, teams pick other players who weren't projected to go in certain spots. Sometimes a team will pick someone with an early pick and you'll say, 'Wow, that was a surprise.' And then down the road, you find out that, yeah, it was a really good pick."​

Bergevin, Timmins and the rest of the scouts are certainly talking about Kotkaniemi behind the scenes. No doubt in my mind. I trust Timmins will advise us in making the right pick at #3.

 

[Saxon]

Based on what Bergevin said I feel like we are going Kotkaniemi.

Question:
This is not a deep year at the top of the draft for centers, which is a need for you. Has the draft evolved to the point where teams just take the most talented player available and go from there?

Bergevin:
"You know, you're always looking at players who are 17, sometimes a late birth. You project. When you pick, you have to project from now who will be the best player. That's why the draft is not so easy. Is there a player right now at No. 3 who is going to be better than the rest? Well, that's our job to find out and to decide. But as we speak today, there's no

Sidney Crosby, there's no [forward] Alex Ovechkin. Rasmus Dahlin, the word is that he's going to go first, and rightly so. But after that, you have to decide and project. Doesn't mean the guy is the best player today; it's who will be the best in five years. That's why in the draft, teams pick other players who weren't projected to go in certain spots. Sometimes a team will pick someone with an early pick and you'll say, 'Wow, that was a surprise.' And then down the road, you find out that, yeah, it was a really good pick."​

I'd be happy with that pick. He's definitely been trending upwards all year, with no sign of tailing off. Size, skill, centre, plays a complete game, balanced offensive game, he's played pro at seventeen, went head to head with Jack Hughes for all the marbles at the U 18s and won, only issue is his explosiveness but that's been steadily improving all year. What's not to like really.

 

[HuGort]

Based on what Bergevin said I feel like we are going Kotkaniemi.

Question:
This is not a deep year at the top of the draft for centers, which is a need for you. Has the draft evolved to the point where teams just take the most talented player available and go from there?

Bergevin:
"You know, you're always looking at players who are 17, sometimes a late birth. You project. When you pick, you have to project from now who will be the best player. That's why the draft is not so easy. Is there a player right now at No. 3 who is going to be better than the rest? Well, that's our job to find out and to decide. But as we speak today, there's no

Sidney Crosby, there's no [forward] Alex Ovechkin. Rasmus Dahlin, the word is that he's going to go first, and rightly so. But after that, you have to decide and project. Doesn't mean the guy is the best player today; it's who will be the best in five years. That's why in the draft, teams pick other players who weren't projected to go in certain spots. Sometimes a team will pick someone with an early pick and you'll say, 'Wow, that was a surprise.' And then down the road, you find out that, yeah, it was a really good pick."​

Be good to see Bob McKenzie's final rankings

 

[sandviper]

I'd be happy with that pick. He's definitely been trending upwards all year, with no sign of tailing off. Size, skill, centre, plays a complete game, balanced offensive game, he's played pro at seventeen, went head to head with Jack Hughes for all the marbles at the U 18s and won, only issue is his explosiveness but that's been steadily improving all year. What's not to like really.

I'll be honest, I think initially there will be disappointment from me but I think I will feel this no matter who we pick once Svechnikov is drafted by Carolina.

However, I think Kotkaneimi is an excellent prospect. Not my first choice at #3 but one I'd be happy with once I get over Dahlin and Svech being taken.

Kotk has 1C upside though and I think can be good for 55-70 pts if he reaches his potential.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'll be honest, I think initially there will be disappointment from me but I think I will feel this no matter who we pick once Svechnikov is drafted by Carolina.

However, I think Kotkaneimi is an excellent prospect. Not my first choice at #3 but one I'd be happy with once I get over Dahlin and Svech being taken.

Kotk has 1C upside though and I think can be good for 55-70 pts if he reaches his potential.

Just be ready for Tkachuk

 

[sandviper]

Just be ready for Tkachuk

Yeah, all joking aside, I am legit concerned actually.

 

[Saxon]

I'll be honest, I think initially there will be disappointment from me but I think I will feel this no matter who we pick once Svechnikov is drafted by Carolina.

However, I think Kotkaneimi is an excellent prospect. Not my first choice at #3 but one I'd be happy with once I get over Dahlin and Svech being taken.

Kotk has 1C upside though and I think can be good for 55-70 pts if he reaches his potential.

Yeah Svechnikov is on a tour of his own. There are quite a few prospects I'd be happy with at three lol.

 

[Saxon]

Yeah, all joking aside, I am legit concerned actually.

Me too.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Just ask yourself: who would Bergevin want
Who would Julien want

Answer both times is the bum Tkachuk

 

[FrankMTL]

Just ask yourself: who would Bergevin want
Who would Julien want

Answer both times is the bum Tkachuk

Well, only three weeks left until the draft. Here's to hoping they don't have him at 3 on their list. The one person that i'm counting on to steer them in the right direction is Trevor Timmins as for some reason, I really don't think Tkachuk is his guy.

 

[schnapshot]

Just ask yourself: who would Bergevin want
Who would Julien want

Answer both times is the bum Tkachuk

I am so waiting for draft day so you can finally stop propagating this nonsense. Also calling an 18-year old kid a bum just because you don't like him as a prospect, pure class

 

[WinterLion]

3 WEEKS!

 

[Fozz]

I'll be honest, I think initially there will be disappointment from me but I think I will feel this no matter who we pick once Svechnikov is drafted by Carolina.

However, I think Kotkaneimi is an excellent prospect. Not my first choice at #3 but one I'd be happy with once I get over Dahlin and Svech being taken.

Kotk has 1C upside though and I think can be good for 55-70 pts if he reaches his potential.

He does have that potential but if he can't improve his skating, does he have what it takes to be impactful? I see some risk there. More so than other players available at #3.

 

[Fozz]

Well, only three weeks left until the draft. Here's to hoping they don't have him at 3 on their list. The one person that i'm counting on to steer them in the right direction is Trevor Timmins as for some reason, I really don't think Tkachuk is his guy.

I don't see what Timmins has done in the past to justify your trust in him.

 

[FrankMTL]

I don't see what Timmins has done in the past to justify your trust in him.

Well, he tends to be pretty good with high picks...All his top 15 picks were good/great

3- Alex Galchenyuk
5- Carey Price
9- Mikhail Sergachev
10-Andrei Kostitsyn
12- Ryan Mcdonagh

After that it tends to go downhill fairly quickly, although he has been better lately with Poehling, Juulsen and Scherbak.

 

[417]

Yeah, all joking aside, I am legit concerned actually.

Well considering the groundswell movement that's been built here regarding the Habs drafting Tkachuk...

that's not all that surprising.

 

[sandviper]

He does have that potential but if he can't improve his skating, does he have what it takes to be impactful? I see some risk there. More so than other players available at #3.

I think his actual skating is fine but his posture is a bit unusual. I'm more confident in his skating (as a whole) improving compared to other prospects I like. He's not a McDavid, that is for sure.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Habs are not drafting Tkachuk 3rd overall. We drafted Sergachev over Brown people. Yeah, we took McCarron in 2013. Is this what we are measuring our scouting against forever now? Come on man. Give the Habs scouting team some credit here.

It comes down to Zadina, Kotkaniemi, Dobson, and maybe Boqvist as well IMO.

 

[Runner77]

I think his actual skating is fine but his posture is a bit unusual. I'm more confident in his skating (as a whole) improving compared to other prospects I like. He's not a McDavid, that is for sure.

If a player already has flawed skating when he's drafted, it's going to follow him to the bitter end. Sure, anyone can improve, but how much?

Better to draft the player who doesn't need to overcome skating issues. If Kotkaniemi weren't a center, I wonder if he'd be garnering the same level of attention as he is right now on this forum.

 

[ZUKI]

Just ask yourself: who would Bergevin want
Who would Julien want

Answer both times is the bum Tkachuk

Just ask yourself ;

Who would Timmins want ? he's the one who will select

 

[jaffy27]

Just be ready for Tkachuk

Be ready for it not being Tkachuk......

 

[Habs Halifax]

Well, he tends to be pretty good with high picks...All his top 15 picks were good/great

3- Alex Galchenyuk
5- Carey Price
9- Mikhail Sergachev
10-Andrei Kostitsyn
12- Ryan Mcdonagh

After that it tends to go downhill fairly quickly, although he has been better lately with Poehling, Juulsen and Scherbak.

Agreed with everything except about the "downhill fairly quickly" comment. Aside from McCarron and Tinordi spanning 9 drafts... what are the bad picks? Every team has disappointing picks like Leblanc and Colberg. Like 100% of all teams

- Hudon, Lehkonen, Mete, DLR, Scherbak, Juulsen, Brook, Fleury, Poehling, Evans, Vejdemo... All solid picks.

- Fucale, Leblanc, Colberg... Disappointing picks.

- McCarron and Tinordi... Bad picks