Prospect Info: 2019 Draft Thread: Oilers Picking 8th

[AUAIOMRN]

The scary part about a prospect staying in 2 years is that they could stay another 2 years and become a free agent.

A CHL player could do the same thing...

If a NCAA player doesn't sign it's probably because the team wasn't sure they were going to sign him after one or two years. That wouldn't be the case for a top ten pick.

 

[Jimmi McJenkins]

You would think. But some teams probably still think that way.

Good, then you can "steal" young talent from them.

 

[Zaddy]

EliteProspects put out the first edition of their own draft rankings:

EXCLUSIVE: EliteProspects Top 93 Skaters 2019 NHL Draft Ranking

I don't know what to say about it or the method the author use to rank players, but he has Heinola #19, York #20 and Zegras #21...

 

[Slats432]

Tough to say who you would take if you don't know which guy drops. Seems like there is always one "Huh?" pick in the top 10.

Let's go with conventional wisdom from what I have read.

Hughes
Kaako
Podzolkin
Byram
Cozens
Turcotte
Dach

Seems like most have as likely top 7. Someone might like Boldy or Zegras as a top 7 pick which would mean to me that one of Turcotte, Dach, Cozens, Byram or Podzolkin drops. Can't say I would be disappointed in any of them. Prefer Byram, Turcotte, Cozens, Dach, Podzolkin in that order.

 

[Quinteoilers]

Has anyone seen Turcotte’s shot? Lethal like Ovi/Laine or above average? He seems to have quite a few goals for the number of games played.

 

[Zaddy]

Has anyone seen Turcotte’s shot? Lethal like Ovi/Laine or above average? He seems to have quite a few goals for the number of games played.

His shot is good but not amazing, he scores a lot of his goals in tight.

 

[McFlash97]

Podzolkin will crash and burn once NHL defenseman push him around the ice and defend him. I don't know why everyone is so high on him.

 

[nafrelio]

EliteProspects put out the first edition of their own draft rankings:

EXCLUSIVE: EliteProspects Top 93 Skaters 2019 NHL Draft Ranking

I don't know what to say about it or the method the author use to rank players, but he has Heinola #19, York #20 and Zegras #21...

I've seen York and Heinola ranked in that range, but not Zegras. I wonder what their beef is with him...

 

[McTonyBrar]

I am leaning towards Zegras ATM but it'd be a very hard pick. I'd take a risk on Podkolzin if he fell to us though, or any of the other fallers. We need more muscle in our top 6 and more scoring too. Boldy might tick the most boxes, but I'm not sure his upside is as high as the others. Hopefully the U18s give some clarity.

Enough with muscle. We added pure muscle with kassian and lucic and where did they take us?

 

[McKappa]

Enough with muscle. We added pure muscle with kassian and lucic and where did they take us?

Skill + Hockey Smarts + Skating >>> Character + Size + Toughness

 

[McTonyBrar]

Byram' Turcotte or Zegras. If you dont land any of them just trade the pick.

Dach, Krebs, Cozens. Lots more around our range. You don’t trade it. You build from within. Look at our AHL team. We built it

 

[Joey Moss]

Podzolkin will crash and burn once NHL defenseman push him around the ice and defend him. I don't know why everyone is so high on him.

Based on what?

You could say the same about any prospect.

Podkolzin was so much better than guys like Krebs, Dach, and Cozens at the Hlinka that it makes me think he is underrated if anything. He was an important player for Russia at the World Juniors and relied on in all situations.

 

[Ctrain2k]

What’s everyone think about Krebs, Zegras and Boldy? These are the guys I think we should target, if these guys are gone ( which is most likely).

Hughes
Kakko
Byram
Turcotte
Cozens
Dach
Podkolzin

 

[bobbythebrain]

Podzolkin will crash and burn once NHL defenseman push him around the ice and defend him. I don't know why everyone is so high on him.

He's arguably the most physically dominant prospect in the top 10. He's more likely to adjust to NHL dmen than any other prospect in the top 10..and you single him out? Perplexing

 

[Zaddy]

I've seen York and Heinola ranked in that range, but not Zegras. I wonder what their beef is with him...

This was the explanation given:

"On paper, there is so much to like about Trevor Zegras’ game. He’s one of the most productive players in the history of the USNTDP (a common theme among this year’s graduates); he can play centre or the wing; he’s committed to an excellent program at Boston University. Hell, even to the naked eye, there’s a lot to like. Zegras has blazing speed and plays a sound, mature two-way game.

Yet, I remain unconvinced of this player’s upside. My concern is that Zegras, like Oliver Wahlstrom this year, will find that creating offence without Jack Hughes on your line is considerably more difficult at the NCAA level. Zegras’ physical tools are undeniable, but the lack of offensive creativity concerns me. In my viewings, I’ve seen a player that attacks offensively as if by chainsaw where the precision of a scalpel would suffice; I’d like to see Zegras change speeds when he attacks to throw off defencemen and create space, for one example.

Perhaps that refinement will come with time, and as it does, Zegras will become a top of the lineup scoring threat for whichever team drafts him. I’m just not ready to take that risk myself any lower than the ’20s."

It's like he hasn't even watched Zegras. "Lack of offensive creativity", lol. And he wasn't even particularly good playing with Hughes. He's much better driving his own line as a center than playing wing. Zegras is a guy who needs and thrives with the puck on his stick. So the author couldn't really be more wrong in that aspect.

 

[McDNicks17]

He's arguably the most physically dominant prospect in the top 10. He's more likely to adjust to NHL dmen than any other prospect in the top 10..and you single him out? Perplexing

What do you mean by physically dominant?

I wouldn't say he's the fastest, biggest and/or strongest player.

 

[McFlash97]

He's arguably the most physically dominant prospect in the top 10. He's more likely to adjust to NHL dmen than any other prospect in the top 10..and you single him out? Perplexing

you have the Russian factor, he is a boom or bust prospect. Can't be going after prospects like that if you want to build your prospect depth.

We f***ed up Puljujarvi, about to f*** up Yamamoto but really Yam is a waisted pick in my opinion , now your talking about Podkolzin.... keep it real my fello Oiler fans.

prospect min requirements should be

Played in North America,
Has well above average hockey IQ
can shoot as well as pass

Excellent skater
Not lazy
motivated/Driven

I end of with Hughes, Byram, Turcotte, and Zegras, Kakko is just a different beast and will be the bets forward in this draft long term

 

[bobbythebrain]

What do you mean by physically dominant?

I wouldn't say he's the fastest, biggest and/or strongest player.

He's the most powerful. Not talking about him splitting dmen either. He runs through players when he gets in trouble and is a beast in the corners


He's the closest to a powerforward than anyone in the top 10. So the OP made no sense to me

 

[McFlash97]

He's the most powerful. Not talking about him splitting dmen either. He runs through players when he gets in trouble and is a beast in the corners


He's the closest to a powerforward than anyone in the top 10. So the OP made no sense to me

so did Yakupov.

In fact Yak was more highly touted and scored 50 in the Juniors

 

[Canovin]

He's arguably the most physically dominant prospect in the top 10. He's more likely to adjust to NHL dmen than any other prospect in the top 10..and you single him out? Perplexing

Kakko is the most NHL ready player in the top 10. He can man handle Podz.

 

[nafrelio]

Enough with muscle. We added pure muscle with kassian and lucic and where did they take us?

Why be so polarizing? Is Boldy like Lucic and Kassian? (Insert complaint of all the drafting of Coke Machines)

I didn't say choose muscle over skill. I merely said adding muscle would be important. Boldy has lots of skill too.

When I watch the playoffs, I see a good mix of muscle and skill - ideally, that mix is found in some of their key players. Take a look at the STL/WPG series. Wheeler and Schiefele bring size (& muscle), speed and skill as does Tarasenko, Perron, etc. I think if we could find another goal scorer, who can also help in the cycle and doesn't back down in front of the met, he would really compliment what we already have. Draisaitl is our only highly skilled bigger body in our top 6. Puljujarvi might become that one day. Having a Tkachuk-type would be a great add. Boldy fits that better than others in our range, but I'm not convinced he wasn't a product of his linemates, despite his own good skill level. That's why I lean towards Zegras at the moment. I hope to get a better read on Krebs over the next few weeks.

 

[nafrelio]

This was the explanation given:


It's like he hasn't even watched Zegras. "Lack of offensive creativity", lol. And he wasn't even particularly good playing with Hughes. He's much better driving his own line as a center than playing wing. Zegras is a guy who needs and thrives with the puck on his stick. So the author couldn't really be more wrong in that aspect.

I agree that Zegras looks very comfortable carrying the puck and creating on his own. His skating looks above average in mobility and his hands are well above average.

 

[bobbythebrain]

so did Yakupov.

In fact Yak was more highly touted and scored 50 in the Juniors

And Jesse Puljujuarvi's size and frame was gonna help him dominate also


You have a Russian bias, that is clear

 

[Panda Bear]

If they're European and might be able to play in the NHL in their D+1 season, then the Oilers have absolutely no business drafting them given their current player personnel staff because the player will just get overwhelmed and flame out.

Yes to Podkolzin's talent, and no to the Oilers drafting him.

 

[Panda Bear]

And Jesse Puljujuarvi's size and frame was gonna help him dominate also


You have a Russian bias, that is clear

I understand the argument against drafting Podkolzin from the lens that our organization is incompetent at handling Europeans. Even in the case of Yakupov who had played in the OHL for two seasons prior to being drafted, we failed to handle him properly and a lot of that can be attributed to our inabilities to overcome cultural and language divides.

Krueger had time for it. No one else did--especially not Eakins.