Draft 2020 Draft & Undrafted Free Agent Thread: Part VII

[Mikos87]

I’ve been power watching everything available about Lafreniere and I keep coming back to the same comparison. Mark Messier. He carries himself with a quiet confidence like Mess does.
Seems to rise to whatever challenge he faces. Plays hurt. Plays tough. Maybe just so excieted having watched since age 11 (1975) and we finally get number 1 overall and this guy is waiting for us on a silver platter.

He's a competitor. If you see how MacKinnon compete's now, that's the kind of drive Alexis has. He will be a predatory asset out there. No question.

 

[NYR Viper]

Yeah exactly, there's some surprisingly good pedigree there. Now this is a program that also produced Neal Pionk... so not every player is a defensive gem. They've got Samberg coming who is a poor man's McDonagh. Plays a game in that vein, and has an Adam Pelech like upside. He'll be a top 4 shutdown guy next year next to Travis Hamonic in WPG.

It's still college hockey, you still see things like different lines playing different schemes and getting away with it. You still see puck pressure in areas of the ice where and when your own team can get caught flat footed, and some games don't have any entertainment value. But... it's a very competitive league, and they have a lot of guys who can skate at a faster pace than you would think so I have some optimism.

I have seen Hamonic mentioned a few times with Winnipeg, has it been confirmed he is going there?

 

[Mikos87]

I have seen Hamonic mentioned a few times with Winnipeg, has it been confirmed he is going there?

Unless some other team offers significantly more, or doesn't play due to Covid exposure with his daughter, I think he's WPG bound which is a homecoming for Hamonic. It's what he's wanted since his Islander days.

 

[eco's bones]

Yeah exactly, there's some surprisingly good pedigree there. Now this is a program that also produced Neal Pionk... so not every player is a defensive gem. They've got Samberg coming who is a poor man's McDonagh. Plays a game in that vein, and has an Adam Pelech like upside. He'll be a top 4 shutdown guy next year next to Travis Hamonic in WPG.

It's still college hockey, you still see things like different lines playing different schemes and getting away with it. You still see puck pressure in areas of the ice where and when your own team can get caught flat footed, and some games don't have any entertainment value. But... it's a very competitive league, and they have a lot of guys who can skate at a faster pace than you would think so I have some optimism.

FWIW I have the sense that a lot of Winnipeg fans on the subject of Neal Pionk are thinking what the heck were we talking about? He had a very good first year for them. Somewhat out of necessity we put Pionk in situations that did not play to his strengths and that is not his fault. He is not really a guy you should want as your primary matchup RD. He's more of a Torey Krug type. We were in a situation after the letter came out where we didn't have better options. In Winnipeg Pionk is more of a power play and regular shift guy and a secondary penalty kill option. He doesn't get nearly as many minutes against opponents top lines.

 

[Joey Bones]

Currently I think Redline and Blackbook. ISS is done. I used to speak with Dennis MacInnes there year after year. He was a great resource but I guess the company went a different direction.

Redline is a much more condensed version. He doesn’t follow the crowds or consensus picks as much. He definitively has multiple sources. Back in the day I was introduced to Woodlief by Don Maloney when he was with the NY Rangers. He still has an eye for this, and his team still covers all the respective leagues to give the insight needed.

Blackbook is packed with info. It’s much more detailed. Like they really take a deep dive into each player. They too do not follow the consensus rankings as much.

Steve K over the past few seasons really took it to another level. I think he has a guide out now, I’m not sure. He does an excellent job.

I can’t get enough of Scouching now. He too is taking it to another level. I watch one almost daily

I really feel Will from Scouching is going to continue to progress and become a solid option for draft analyses.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I really feel Will from Scouching is going to continue to progress and become a solid option for draft analyses.

We won't have access to his material much longer.

An NHL team will hire him soon.

 

[Leetch3]

We won't have access to his material much longer.

An NHL team will hire him soon.

please forward this info to @Edge before his weekend of wine is over.

 

[Joey Bones]

Huge wild card for an Askarov selection we haven't mentioned yet.... No. 11 to Nashville. They only have Rinne, Saros and Ingram under contract with Grosenick being a current UFA. There are three goalies that are on their reserve list; Tomas Vomacka who is in the NCAA for what seems to be all fours years, Konstantin Volkov who is okay and can't seem to shake out of the VHL and Ethan Haider who is going to be taking a longer route in the NCAA. If Saros can't take over right away as the starter and if Ingram is not close to be able to split time, they might need to look into a better long term solution in him.

Could be interesting

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Huge wild card for an Askarov selection we haven't mentioned yet.... No. 11 to Nashville. They only have Rinne, Saros and Ingram under contract with Grosenick being a current UFA. There are three goalies that are on their reserve list; Tomas Vomacka who is in the NCAA for what seems to be all fours years, Konstantin Volkov who is okay and can't seem to shake out of the VHL and Ethan Haider who is going to be taking a longer route in the NCAA. If Saros can't take over right away as the starter and if Ingram is not close to be able to split time, they might need to look into a better long term solution in him.

Could be interesting

They're still so starved for offense that I can't see them passing up some of the names that could still be there

 

[Joey Bones]

We won't have access to his material much longer.

An NHL team will hire him soon.

I mean one would think. If he ever released a guide of some kind it would generate a ton of interest to the brand/company.

 

[Joey Bones]

They're still so starved for offense that I can't see them passing up some of the names that could still be there

Yeah that could be a possibility, but with Rinne on the outs and question marks in Saros/Ingram I would think that a long term goalie would be more of a necessity, especially with losing what Rinne has done for them in over a decade.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Yeah that could be a possibility, but with Rinne on the outs and question marks in Saros/Ingram I would think that a long term goalie would be more of a necessity, especially with losing what Rinne has for them in over a decade.

Maybe they trade for Georgiev

 

[eco's bones]

I really feel Will from Scouching is going to continue to progress and become a solid option for draft analyses.

Yeah, I like him. I like the draft dynasty guy too. I should say though that between the two I'm completely confused by Roni Hirvonen. Draft Dynasty has clips showing Hirvonen struggling mightily going North/South while Will(?) from Scouching talks up his speed and in Will's clips he doesn't look nearly as bad. Then I go to the Black Book and they have him with average speed but ugly technique. I'm kind of thinking he's a shit skater but WTF! what do I know?

 

[UnSandvich]

Draftsim, no trades:
1. Lafreniere (duh)
22. RW Seth Jarvis- Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
71. RW Ozzy Weisblatt- Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
90. C Dylan Peterson- US NTDP
102. LD Daemon Hunt- Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL)
133. C Ethan Cardwell- Barrie Colts (OHL)
164. RW Connor Mcclennon- Winnipeg Ice (WHL)
195. RD Viktor Persson- Brynas IF J20 (SuperElit)
196. LD Theo Nordlund- Frolunda HC J20 (SuperElit)
205. LW Patrick Guay- Sherbrooke Phoenix (QMJHL)

If our first 3 rounds went like that, I'd need new pants. Like all the new pants.

 

[LaffyTaffy]

I think its time to start simming Blake Biondi into our 3rd rounds given the latest info from @Edge

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I think its time to start simming Blake Biondi into our 3rd rounds given the latest info from @Edge

To be fair he just said they think he's intriguing

 

[LaffyTaffy]

To be fair he just said they think he's intriguing

Yeah but it would be interesting to try and put together a mock with names we know we’ve been linked to. I think that would be cool.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Yeah but it would be interesting to try and put together a mock with names we know we’ve been linked to. I think that would be cool.

You're not wrong, and now that's got me thinking of making a word doc or something to keep track of names of players (prospects and pros) through seasons and beyond

 

[Edge]

I think its time to start simming Blake Biondi into our 3rd rounds given the latest info from @Edge

I am unsure of where they have him. The guys I talked to mentioned him as candidate for third or fourth, but sometimes they have a guy valued lower or higher.

 

[Leetch3]

interestingly enough if Ridly Greig is a target at 22...greig is 10 months younger than Lafreniere so if we took Lafreniere at 1 and Greig at 22 that would give us one of the oldest players in the draft and one of the youngest in the draft.

 

[eco's bones]

I am unsure of where they have him. The guys I talked to mentioned him as candidate for third or fourth, but sometimes they have a guy valued lower or higher.

The next Derek Stepan?

 

[Leetch3]

the draft simulator is great for getting your hopes up lol

 

[Edge]

interestingly enough if Ridly Greig is a target at 22...greig is 10 months younger than Lafreniere so if we took Lafreniere at 1 and Greig at 22 that would give us one of the oldest players in the draft and one of the youngest in the draft.

Greig's age was something that came up in discussions --- almost exactly to your point. It's also a point that was made about Byfield.

Grieg is one of the younger kids in the draft, particularly one of the younger first round picks.

There's a feeling that his game is almost underrated for his age, and has quite a bit of growth potential. Admittedly, I see that point, but probably am not quite as sold on the offensive upside in comparison to some other guys. That's not a knock on Greig though, and I'd be very happy if he's the 22nd pick. There's a lot to like there.

But getting back to the Rangers, they talked about him playing a more skilled-based version of the one is his father player and probably filling out to around the same size at maturity (5'11/6'0, 195-200).

I had one person remind me that Dubinsky was 5'11, 180 and ended up playing at 6'1, 215. So there is something to be said about remembering these kids are teenagers and some would've been only 17 if the draft were held in June.

 

[Edge]

The next Derek Stepan?

Better skated IMO. Not as cerebral.

Some question as to whether he plays a pro style game, or whether he just feasts on weaker competition.

The league is probably what's hurting him the most. If he plays for the US program, I can't see him not being in the same conversations as a guy like Peterson.

 

[egelband]

I’ve been power watching everything available about Lafreniere and I keep coming back to the same comparison. Mark Messier. He carries himself with a quiet confidence like Mess does.
Seems to rise to whatever challenge he faces. Plays hurt. Plays tough. Maybe just so excieted having watched since age 11 (1975) and we finally get number 1 overall and this guy is waiting for us on a silver platter.

Messier started off as a LW as well