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

[KFlint]

Would have been so much easier to draft 5th, damn lottery! Most would be ok with Kotka at this rank.

 

[schnapshot]

The Tarasenko example is a no world potential for Zadina. He simply does not impact the game the same way. Tarasenko is an absolute bull with playmaking instincts, insane power in his legs and lower body and hands that are top notch.

Unless Zadina gets a body transplant and develops a bunch of skills he doesn't have, they aren't the same player.

Maybe not Tarasenko, but a Brock Boeser clone would be damn fine.

 

[Janne Niinimaa]

My top 15 is basically set. From 16 to about 40 is still quite murky for me.

1. Rasmus Dahlin

2. Andrei Svechnikov

3. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
4. Oliver Wahlstrom
5. Filip Zadina
6. Noah Dobson

7. Adam Boqvist
8. Quinn Hughes
9. Ty Smith

10. Joel Farabee
11. Vitaly Kravstov
12. Brady Tkachuk
13. Evan Bouchard

14. Barett Hayton
15. Joe Veleno

 

[Hannibal]

Except two teams picking in the top 8 have taken him to dinner so at the very least he's in the consideration for top 8 by NHL teams. And Montreal also took him to dinner so that means he's a 3-8 ranges prospect right now

While i agree, we must not put too much attention to these dinners. Apparently, the Habs had dinner with other prospects too. Kotkaniemi is really a dark horse this year.

 

[Yoshidas Island]

My top 15 is basically set. From 16 to about 40 is still quite murky for me.

1. Rasmus Dahlin

2. Andrei Svechnikov

3. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
4. Oliver Wahlstrom
5. Filip Zadina
6. Noah Dobson

7. Adam Boqvist
8. Quinn Hughes
9. Ty Smith

10. Joel Farabee
11. Vitaly Kravstov
12. Brady Tkachuk
13. Evan Bouchard

14. Barett Hayton
15. Joe Veleno

You and I had pretty similar lists last time around, but it's a bit more varied this time.

1. Dahlin

2. Svechnikov

3. Boqvist
4. Smith
5. Kotkaniemi
6. Zadina

7. Dobson
8. Wahlstrom
9. Tkachuk

10. Hughes
11. Bouchard
12. Kravtsov
13. Farabee

 

[WeThreeKings]

While i agree, we must not put too much attention to these dinners. Apparently, the Habs had dinner with other prospects too. Kotkaniemi is really a dark horse this year.

Of course they did, but I'm not gonna have dinner with say Ty Smith because he's not consideration for 3 and I'm not picking in his range.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Anyone think Martin Kaut might fall a bit ? Seems to be highly skilled and seems to be going anywhere from around 20th-40th. Could slip a bit because of the heart condition even though it's not supposed to have any affect on him?

 

[Mrb1p]

My top 15 is basically set. From 16 to about 40 is still quite murky for me.

1. Rasmus Dahlin

2. Andrei Svechnikov

3. Jesperi Kotkaniemi
4. Oliver Wahlstrom
5. Filip Zadina
6. Noah Dobson

7. Adam Boqvist
8. Quinn Hughes
9. Ty Smith

10. Joel Farabee
11. Vitaly Kravstov
12. Brady Tkachuk
13. Evan Bouchard

14. Barett Hayton
15. Joe Veleno

Swap Wahlstrom and Boqvist and bump Bouchard up a few and we have the same. Feels bad to rank Hughes that low and I'm sure its gonna bite me in the ass.

 

[Hannibal]

Of course they did, but I'm not gonna have dinner with say Ty Smith because he's not consideration for 3 and I'm not picking in his range.

Maybe if they intend to get another first round pick in Smith range, they might have dinner with him to see if his worthy of another first round pick or trading down..

Maybe i'm wrong but who really knows..

 

[Janne Niinimaa]

You and I had pretty similar lists last time around, but it's a bit more varied this time.

1. Dahlin

2. Svechnikov

3. Boqvist
4. Smith
5. Kotkaniemi
6. Zadina

7. Dobson
8. Wahlstrom
9. Tkachuk

10. Hughes
11. Bouchard
12. Kravtsov
13. Farabee

It really hurt me to rank Boqvist and Smith so low this time but Dobson has really proven himself and has so much room to grow that I think he's the safest bet to be #1 D outside of Dahlin.

Other than that our major difference is Wahlstrom who i have been very high on all year.

 

[Janne Niinimaa]

Swap Wahlstrom and Boqvist and bump Bouchard up a few and we have the same. Feels bad to rank Hughes that low and I'm sure its gonna bite me in the ass.

It hurts to rank a few of these guys so low but theres only so many high spots available.

This is going to be an intense draft day.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Lots of guys to like, none that I feel are absolute #3s tho. It isn't one of those years where you are leaving #3 with an absolute stud. There's Q's for all the top guys.

 

[WinterLion]

Lots of guys to like, none that I feel are absolute #3s tho. It isn't one of those years where you are leaving #3 with an absolute stud. There's Q's for all the top guys.

Definitely. Timmins has gotta nail this.

 

[Yoshidas Island]

It really hurt me to rank Boqvist and Smith so low this time but Dobson has really proven himself and has so much room to grow that I think he's the safest bet to be #1 D outside of Dahlin.

Other than that our major difference is Wahlstrom who i have been very high on all year.

I love Dobson, his floor is definitely higher than any other defenseman in the draft. I just see a bit more offense in Smith with roughly the same transition game. His defense might be weaker but I think he'd still be used on the PK and in crunch time moments.

 

[Habs76]

You and I had pretty similar lists last time around, but it's a bit more varied this time.

1. Dahlin

2. Svechnikov

3. Boqvist
4. Smith
5. Kotkaniemi
6. Zadina

7. Dobson
8. Wahlstrom
9. Tkachuk

10. Hughes
11. Bouchard
12. Kravtsov
13. Farabee

I'll chime in:

1. Dahlin

2. Svechnikov

3. Dobson
4. Wahlstrom
5. Zadina

6. Boqvist
7. Kotkaniemi
8. Hughes

9. Tkachuk
10. Bouchard

11. Kravtsov
12. Smith
13. Farabee

14. Kaut
15. Berggren

 

[Janne Niinimaa]

I love Dobson, his floor is definitely higher than any other defenseman in the draft. I just see a bit more offense in Smith with roughly the same transition game. His defense might be weaker but I think he'd still be used on the PK and in crunch time moments.

I agree and Smith is still among my favourites. I would love to have incorrectly ranked him so low and to see him succeed even more than i think he will.

 

[Habs76]

Anyone think Martin Kaut might fall a bit ? Seems to be highly skilled and seems to be going anywhere from around 20th-40th. Could slip a bit because of the heart condition even though it's not supposed to have any affect on him?

I think Kaut will still go in the 15-25 range, I haven't seen any reliable sources with connections rank him any lower than 20.

 

[Yoshidas Island]

I think Kaut will still go in the 15-25 range, I haven't seen any reliable sources with connections rank him any lower than 20.

I have him at 14 as well, which is likely the peak of where he could go. He seems to have slipped under the radar on these boards somehow. Nobody talks about him, which is likely due to the fact that a lot of the conversation drivers aren't overly keen on him.

 

[Yoshidas Island]

I agree and Smith is still among my favourites. I would love to have incorrectly ranked him so low and to see him succeed even more than i think he will.

Let's just hope he doesn't turn into another Jake Bean... That's someone I was high on previously and he hasn't exactly panned out.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

Let's just hope he doesn't turn into another Jake Bean... That's someone I was high on previously and he hasn't exactly panned out.

Aren't they total opposite as prospects though? Isn't Smith more in the Timmins mold? (going off memory and draft profiles here so could be wrong)

 

[Mrb1p]

I really struggle with ranking Dobson first, its a lot of peaking at the right time and betting on physical attributes.

 

[Habs Icing]

Still remember the startled looks from many Scouts at the 2015 entry Draft, when the Habs took Lukas Vejdemo(LHC) in the 3rd round. European scouting about to pay some big dividends in the Habs future, that's right you heard it here straight goods.

Bah, why is it I have this sneaky suspicion you never suffered one day from the blues? You probably never even had one sad thought. The Eternal Optimist.

 

[Habs Icing]

Except two teams picking in the top 8 have taken him to dinner so at the very least he's in the consideration for top 8 by NHL teams. And Montreal also took him to dinner so that means he's a 3-8 ranges prospect right now

Maybe they heard Kotkaniemi is a great dinnertime conversationalist.

 

[Yoshidas Island]

Aren't they total opposite as prospects though? Isn't Smith more in the Timmins mold? (going off memory and draft profiles here so could be wrong)

Oh no I'm not comparing them in the slightest. Just merely the fact that Smith and Bean are my favourite prospects from the 2018 and 2016 drafts respectively.

 

[ginomini]

Anyone thinks that if Montreal passes on Zadina we might see a situation similar to 2012 with Forsberg? Where all the dmen get taken in front of him and he (along with Wahlstrom and Tkatchuk) falls to 8-10 ?