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

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NotProkofievian said:
The same concerns one would have with any 5-6 pick: their skills are undeniable, but if they don't keep progressing for a few years, they'll leave you disappointed. Jesperi's tournament has confirmed that he can be an excellent 2 way center, with 1C upside. He can be. But there's a couple years of work left between now and then.
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Since I haven't seen Ray Liotta laugh at me yet, I'm assuming you're not against the idea of him as a potential 5 or 6 target.

I'm asking because those of us who don't watch the reg. season games can somtimes miss recurring issues you can only really see through the grind of a season. With the progress I've seen from tournament to tournament and the kind and variety of offensive skill (I'm including smarts there) he has, I was pondering why he wasn't more talked about around that pick (Grant aside, but you know... its Grant).

Thanks.
 
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Mrb1p said:
Its not solely on need. I like Boqvist above him, but hes a serious candidate.
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I like him but he needs to fix his skating and decision making before I take him Top 5. In today’s NHL you have to be a good skater. He has poor acceleration and is selfish with the puck at times.
 
Id also say Kotkaniemi is just a lot more implicated than Rantanen on the ice and he seems to have the better shooting arsenal. Im really loving what he can do 15ish feet in from the net. Rantanen is at times pretty soft, i dont see that at all with Koktaniemi.
 
Andrei79 said:
Since I haven't seen Ray Liotta laugh at me yet, I'm assuming you're not against the idea of him as a potential 5 or 6 target.

I'm asking because those of us who don't watch the reg. season games can somtimes miss recurring issues you can only really see through the grind of a season. With the progress I've seen from tournament to tournament and the kind and variety of offensive skill (I'm including smarts there) he has, I was pondering why he wasn't more talked about around that pick (Grant aside, but you know... its Grant).

Thanks.
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For months I had Kotkaniemi ranked behind Veleno and Lundeström (and Tkachuk), but this was the tipping point for me. He's undpredictable, well beyond his years. That and the fact that he's hot-blooded and combative. He never gives up on plays, even if he's been knocked down. He's a bit bambi at times, which is what he needs to progress with. He needs to work on his skating and his balance to be the dominant 2 way force we'd want him to be.

A recurring issue in the season that I noticed is that he's sometimes a half-second late in anticipating defensive plays. But that hasn't been the case so much in this tournament.
 
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le_sean said:
I like him but he needs to fix his skating and decision making before I take him Top 5. In today’s NHL you have to be a good skater. He has poor acceleration and is selfish with the puck at times.
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He creates a lot space with his hands and smarts. Similar to, dare I say, Tavares in his play. Theres no real weakness to his game. Ive seen him beat players to pucks and beat players wide. I was really worried about his skating around the WJC, but from what ive seen, its not hindering.
 
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Mrb1p said:
Kotkaniemi also made some awesome stride in a years time, the first time I saw him i wasnt that impressed, but as the year went on, it changed a lot.
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Lots of progression. At least here he’s shown he is a centre since he was a winger in the men’s league. His shot is fantastic and he’s a smart player. I’d be comfortable with him and Poehling going forward. I always felt like the Habs should draft more Finns.
 
bcv said:
How does Kotkaniemi compares to Rantanen?
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Mikko Rantanen - 56GP/9G/19A Jesperi Kotkaniemi - 57GP/10G/19A The big difference is Rantanen was already an 18-year old in his second season. Kotkaniemi was a 17-year old rookie.
 
le_sean said:
Lots of progression. At least here he’s shown he is a centre since he was a winger in the men’s league. His shot is fantastic and he’s a smart player. I’d be comfortable with him and Poehling going forward. I always felt like the Habs should draft more Finns.
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The Habs should draft more. Theres just been too many picks traded away or wasted on players like Crisp. Theres so much talent in the first 60s you have to shoot for it.
 
le_sean said:
I highly doubt Timmins even has a conversation with Ducharme about the draft. I bet they don’t even talk. I can’t think of a circumstance where a scouting director would call up an assistant coach unless they had their sights on Veleno the entire time and want to know about his character. It’s highly unlikely.
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You have on board an ex-head coach who knows every player in the league he's from and who has had more viewings than all of the Habs' staff combined (not to mention strategizing against the league's best elements) and has seen them in all types of game situations and he won't be consulted by Timmins? I'll be darned.
 
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Runner77 said:
You have on board an ex-head coach who knows every player in the league he's from and who has had more viewings than all of the Habs' staff combined (not to mention strategizing against the league's best elements) and has seen them in all types of game situations and he won't be consulted by Timmins? I'll be darned.
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Theres a reason why one is a coach and the other is a scout. Talent projection and talent application are two different things.
 
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Mrb1p said:
Theres a reason why one is a coach and the other is a scout. Talent projection and talent application are two different things.
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I understand the difference but there is still information that in some cases can help validate certain aspects. If information gathered from coaching staff is not as valuable, why are coaches sitting at every team's draft table?
 
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Anardil said:
It appears that hockey IQ is not a strong point in the 'Wilde' clan....
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However, close ties to Timmins via McMangler is still something we shouldn't discount.

How much of what Wilde and McMangler are spouting may in fact reflect Timmins' leanings? Any concern that Kotkaniemi is Timmins' guy, if we land the 5-7 pick? Or is it only a plus if Timmins uses the 7th pick on him? (assuming that's what we got, with all anti-jinx forces having been deployed)
 
le_sean said:
I highly doubt Timmins even has a conversation with Ducharme about the draft. I bet they don’t even talk. I can’t think of a circumstance where a scouting director would call up an assistant coach unless they had their sights on Veleno the entire time and want to know about his character. It’s highly unlikely.
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Scouts talk to head coaches all the time, so if they have any interest in Veleno then Timmins has spoken to Ducharme during the season.

Mrb1p said:
I think Mccagg is somewhat connected and he usually values Timmins opinion highly and it reflects in his rankings.
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I can vouch for him, he's given me a lot of good info at least years ago.
 
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