2020 Draft & Undrafted Free Agent Thread

[redwhiteandblue]

Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

Early look for whoever wants to start keeping tabs....

This year this is me! Trying to have more of a own opinion on prospects instead of relying on you guys as much haha. Is Elite Prospects a good place to consistently get clips as the season is going on and kids are progressing?

#NukeThisForLucas

Lol love this.

 

[QJL]

My early list and thoughts on separation...

Agree with prior comments that Lafreniere is a Dahlin/Tavares level prospect. Right now he’s a clear #1.

The next 4 are prospects capable of ending up in the Hughes/Kakko tier. They are all quite unique. Stylistically, these are my comparisons right now - I’d go Raymond (Panarin), Lundell (Kopitar), Gunler (Filip Forsberg), and Byfield (Eric Staal)

Holtz is interesting. He’s almost seems lazy when it comes to other components of the game besides shooting, but he doesn’t seem incapable of becoming more well rounded. His shot is something else.

7-10 are all two-way centers and the range I project we will end up in (minus Panarin). People know Perfetti and Rossi in NA, but Chromiak and Stutzle have put up some otherworldly numbers.

I’m not as blown away by Drysdale and Barron as some posters here but they sure can move the puck. Both have work to do on the defensive end.

1 Alexis Lafreniere
2 Lucas Raymond
3 Anton Lundell
4 Noel Gunler
5 Quinton Byfield
6 Alexander Holtz
7 Cole Perfetti
8 Marco Rossi
9 Tim Stutzle
10 Martin Chromiak
11 Jamie Drysdale
12 Justin Barron
13 Roni Hirvonen
14 Connor Zary
15 Thomas Bordeleau
16 Jake Sanderson
17 Jean-Luc Foudy
18 Vasili Ponormaryov
19 Jacob Perreault
20 Tyler Kleven
21 Jan Mysak
22 Kasper Simontaival
23 Zion Nybeck
24 Will Cuylle
25 Helge Grans
26 Rasmus Simila
27 Evan Vierling
28 Ryder Rolston
29 Emil Andrae
30 Yaroslav Askarov
31 Jeremie Biakabutuka
32 Hendrix Lapierre
33 Daniil Gushchin
34 Tyrel Bauer
35 Dylan Holloway
36 Miettinen
37 Ruben Rafkin
38 Theo Rochette
39 Kaiden Guhle
40Luke Tuch
41 Jaromir Pytlik
42 Isac Garfve
43 Ryan O’Rourke
44 Justin Sourdif
45 Daemon Hunt
46 Christopher Sedoff
47 Logan Morrison
48 Jeremy Poirier
49 Oliver Suni
50 William Villaneuve

 

[Lion Hound]

2018 Draft was the year of the defenseman. We select the a forward...So far its looking pretty good!
2019 Draft was split up between the Year of the US NTDP, and the year of the #1 Center. We draft a winger...And so far were looking pretty damn good!

What may the future bring?

#LaFreniereiseverywhere!

 

[Polar Bear]

Lafreniere is likely already in the Kakko/Hughes tier and with another step taken can enter the Dahlin type tier.

Byfield/Raymond need to take another step before they can enter the Kakko/Hughes tier.

I personally don't see Lundell having the offensive upside as of now to be anywhere near the Kakko/Hughes tier.

 

[Leetch3]

#tankforalex

french canadian so #LaTankforLafreniere

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

french canadian so #LaTankforLafreniere

#KickedInTheDerriereForLafreniere

 

[Joey Bones]

So for those peeps like me who aren't up to snuff on 2020 at this point as I'm still coming down from the Kakko 2019 buzz, how good is this Lafreniere kid?

Are we talking Kakko/Hughes type good? Better? Worse?

For example had he been available in this past draft do the Black Hawks definitely take him #3 behind Hughes and Kakko? Had he been available in 2018, does he go #1 ahead of Dahlen? The answers to these will give me a pretty good indicator as to how good this kid is.

Also and like I said, I'm not savvy at all to 2020 prospects much at all at this point in time but I know a bunch of you are and so here's a hypotethitical for y'all:

I read on another teams board...I think it was the Canadians where it was mentioned that a 15-20 overall pick next year due to the solid depth of the draft as it's apparently deep, would be the equivelent to what a 6-10 type pick was this year? Do you buy that line of thinking and is it true next year's draft is deeper than this years?

Lafreniere is going to be a stud in the NHL. I would put him about on pace with Hughes and Kakko, ATM. Just about even. He'll score a ton in the Q....

I would say, ATM, that the top 10-15 can be extremely elite in talent level. The names are Alexis Lafreniere, Lucas Raymond, Alexander Holtz, Justin Barron, Quinton Byfield, Jamie Drysdale, Jean-Luc Foudy, Noel Gunler, Anton Lundell, Zion Nybeck, Cole Perfetti, Kaiden Guhle, Roni Hirvonen, Veeti Miettinen, Ryder Rolston, Theo Rochette, Marco Rossi, and Connor Zary. IMO, there are others that could turn in a good resume next season, too. A lot to be had at. Get hyped!!

 

[Joey Bones]

This year this is me! Trying to have more of a own opinion on prospects instead of relying on you guys as much haha. Is Elite Prospects a good place to consistently get clips as the season is going on and kids are progressing?

I usually use elite prospects for a quick stat watch....

prospectshifts.com is probably your best bet to watch full length shift-by-shifts for these draft eligibles. But definitely form your own opinion!! It leaves for good debate!!

 

[Thirty One]

#LoseGamesForAHigherProbabilityInTheDraftLottery

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

#LoseGamesForAHigherProbabilityInTheDraftLottery

I love this song

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

yield to other teams for byfield

 

[Thirty One]

yield to other teams for byfield

WEAK rhyme structure.

 

[Maximus]

Lafreniere is going to be a stud in the NHL. I would put him about on pace with Hughes and Kakko, ATM. Just about even. He'll score a ton in the Q....

I would say, ATM, that the top 10-15 can be extremely elite in talent level. The names are Alexis Lafreniere, Lucas Raymond, Alexander Holtz, Justin Barron, Quinton Byfield, Jamie Drysdale, Jean-Luc Foudy, Noel Gunler, Anton Lundell, Zion Nybeck, Cole Perfetti, Kaiden Guhle, Roni Hirvonen, Veeti Miettinen, Ryder Rolston, Theo Rochette, Marco Rossi, and Connor Zary. IMO, there are others that could turn in a good resume next season, too. A lot to be had at. Get hyped!!

Thanks for all the great replies from not just you but the others in here as well. I feel quite a bit smarter now about what's upcoming for next year as far as prospects are concerned. I obviously need to do some research on my own but from the info from you and the rest of the fellas, it's a heck of a start so thx for that.

A follow up question comes up for me and it's this: let's say hypothetically unlike this past year where the hockey gods smiled upon us and gave us the #2 overall and obviously Hughes or Kakko, what is the highest in the standings we can finish in order for us to get an elite prospect again.?

For instance, from your list, it seems like if we somehow made the playoffs this year which by they way I don't think is total fantasy and out of the question, it sounds like we still would have a chance to draft a pretty damn good player but it won't be elite...does that sound right?

Finishing something like 10th in the conference tho at least from your list pretty much guarantees us an elite prospect...does that sound right?

This is going to be a fascinating year for us fans seeing I would really love to for us to be right there fighting for a playoff spot. However, if we don't make it, it sure seems that we'd get a heck of a player next year at the draft....so maybe I shouldn't want us to make the playoffs which is kind of weird for me to do but if necessary and it helps us down the road, I guess I'll do it.

Oh the conundrum of being a Ranger fan...it always is...lol

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Noel Gunler is my player for the 2020 draft

 

[ElLeetch]

Do you really see the team being worse than last year? I mean it's possible. But we've got a lot of young talent being inserted in the lineup and while they may not put it all together out of the gate, I do wonder if they won't be somewhat improved.

We will be a full season without Zucc and Hayes. Thats ~80 to 100 points out the window. KK and VK might make up some of them, but i'd be surprised all of them. Plus, Kreider may still be sent away.

That leaves our only good vet forward to be Zibby. Beyond that, its youngsters and fill-ins.

 

[redwhiteandblue]

Noel Gunler is my player for the 2020 draft

What intrigues you about Noel? Other than he's probably in traveling distance for the coming season lol

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

What intrigues you about Noel? Other than he's probably in traveling distance for the coming season lol

Well, the same is true about Raymond, Holtz (Those 2 together should be called Brooklyn 99, but that's just me), Nybeck, Lundell etc.

But Gunler is just pure skill. He oozes skill when on the ice. It comes so easy to him

 

[redwhiteandblue]

Well, the same is true about Raymond, Holtz (Those 2 together should be called Brooklyn 99, but that's just me), Nybeck, Lundell etc.

But Gunler is just pure skill. He oozes skill when on the ice. It comes so easy to him

Ok, beautiful work there. Lol

 

[TheBloodyNine]

BYFIELD BABY LETS GO.

 

[Bluenote13]

Well, the same is true about Raymond, Holtz (Those 2 together should be called Brooklyn 99, but that's just me), Nybeck, Lundell etc.

But Gunler is just pure skill. He oozes skill when on the ice. It comes so easy to him

Gunler has the size, skating and shot, can't imagine him not being a top ten pick. He'll also have the distinction of being one of the players closest to making the leap to the pros by this time next year.

Plus GUNler. Americans will 'automatically' love him

 

[Ghost of jas]

Lundell is the perfect fit at this point.

 

[Leetch3]

Lundell is the perfect fit at this point.

I know Lundell is your guy right now...but what about Byfield?

 

[Ghost of jas]

I know Lundell is your guy right now...but what about Byfield?

I kind of view Byfield like I viewed Kakko this past year...it would be a great get but, there’s likely to be a lot of luck involved.

 

[Leetch3]

I kind of view Byfield like I viewed Kakko this past year...it would be a great get but, there’s likely to be a lot of luck involved.

ok so better than lundell...just lundell is a more realistic hope. got it

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Easily the best draft since 2015