NHL Entry Draft 2020 NHL Draft Discussion - PART IV

[Burrowsaurus]

I've been able to watch most of Amirov's three VHL playoff games so far for Toros. When I get home from work after night shifts there's always European hockey to watch while I wind down before bed. I made note of some of his most impressive plays and went back and found the clips.

Amirov plays primarily right wing and is #27 in green/blue/white

Here's a nifty zone entry on the PP


Here on a set breakout on the PP Amirov is the designated puck carrier


Some of those slick edges along the boards


In the last game, his ice time was up to his VHL career high 17:06. They were down 1-0 and starting from about ten minutes left in the third, they started leaning on Amirov heavily to create offense, playing him almost every other shift. One of the things I've liked about Amirov is, like Raymond, at the pro level he plays it safe, doesn't try to do too much by himself, defers to his older teammates. But he does have a reputation for being clutch, and down a goal in the dying minutes of a playoff game, he wanted the puck and he wanted to make things happen, and he was forechecking like a demon to get the puck. They were ultimately unable to tie the game, but Amirov created a couple good chances, including one golden opportunity from the slot that was blocked.

what the f*** is the VHL how does it compare to the MHL

 

[BondraTime]

you hearing if were super interested a guy? I know you mentioned bourque

Have heard nothing concrete whatsoever about the Sens, don't have quite the same connections I have had in the past.

I hear lots of stuff second hand and through some friends still involved in the Q, but I haven't seen or heard anything firsthand about any specific team.

Our Q scout is the Director of Hockey operations for Shawinigan, and prior to that was the Head Scout for Saint John (he was the lead on drafting Chabot in the 2nd). He had a direct role in the drafting of Bourque 3rd overall to Shawinigan, and Villeneuve went 2nd overall to Saint John. Those are 2 names to keep an eye on as a Sens fan.

 

[BondraTime]

what the f*** is the VHL how does it compare to the MHL

VHL is above the MHL, it's the 2nd highest level in Russia. Some teams are affiliated with KHL teams.

 

[ijif]

Who here does not have Byfield at #2? And if so, why?

It seems like most people would want to select him if we got the second overall pick, but I am not so sure. He is the best analytic player in the draft, probably, but something is not quite there when I watch him.

 

[Alfie11]

Who here does not have Byfield at #2? And if so, why?

It seems like most people would want to select him if we got the second overall pick, but I am not so sure. He is the best analytic player in the draft, probably, but something is not quite there when I watch him.

He would also be a guy for the "Sens always draft safe players not skill" group.

How do you turn down a guy with that size and ability? If he busts, it happens. If he turns out you get a rare player.

At that size and skating ability, you're almost guaranteed an NHL player. It's just a matter of how impactful he is.

 

[Micklebot]

I can't imagine passing on Byfield if we get a chance to draft him (assuming Laf is gone).

He checks all the boxes...

Fills an org positional need? Check
Size? Check
Great skater? Check
Skilled? Check
Two way game? Check
High motor? Check

He's also one of the younger players in the draft, so there's a little more room to grow than most. To me even his floor is a very good player, but his skillset could have him be the best player in the draft 5 years down the road.

For me, the choices are tough at #3 (Stutzle or Raymond), and 5-10.

I really like Rossi, so he's probably my #5, Lundell looks like a great choice in the 6-8 range.

I'm not convinced on Perfetti, no real reason why, might just be lack of familiarity with him. Drysdale feels to me like a solid pick, but I kind of hope he isn't BPA when we get to him because I feel he's more of the same in terms of our D prospects (albeit higher end than most). Would rather land Walinder with the NYI pick.

Amirov is another guy I'd love to land with the NYI pick, but I feel like he's likely out of our reach.

 

[Sen sational]

Who here does not have Byfield at #2? And if so, why?

It seems like most people would want to select him if we got the second overall pick, but I am not so sure. He is the best analytic player in the draft, probably, but something is not quite there when I watch him.

I know what you mean, I really like his size, skating, and obvious skill but there is something that gives me doubt as well.

I have only seen him play on tv about 7 times, so it is not the best sample to make a decision on. I watched him at the WJC, last years playoffs against the 67s, a couple of games this year, and prospects game. He certainly didn't get the chance to play much at the WJC and not as a C, but he certainly didn't impress enough to get more ice time and did not stand out in any way. In last years playoffs you could see his skating but again he didn't stand out with his performance. I had heard an interview on TSN, I think it was Graham Clarke, where he said they use Bahl on him when they play him and Bahl's physicality neutralizes Byfield, which makes me wonder whether a lot of his current success is based on his ability to dominate smaller players. At the prospects game, again he did not stand out.

I realize he is younger than most of the other players in the above examples but I would have hoped to see him dominate against other high end players and he has yet to do that.

 

[Micklebot]

I had heard an interview on TSN, I think it was Graham Clarke, where he said they use Bahl on him when they play him and Bahl's physicality neutralizes Byfield, which makes me wonder whether a lot of his current success is based on his ability to dominate smaller players. At the prospects game, again he did not stand out.

...

Bahl is 6'7 220+, there are very few NHL players that have that kind of size and strength. Not sure you can infer his size and physicality being able to shut down a 16 year old Byfield as evidence that he won't be able to be effective against bigger NHL players. Byfield still has room to grow into his frame, I think he'll be fine.

 

[Sen sational]

Bahl is 6'7 220+, there are very few NHL players that have that kind of size and strength. Not sure you can infer his size and physicality being able to shut down a 16 year old Byfield as evidence that he won't be able to be effective against bigger NHL players. Byfield still has room to grow into his frame, I think he'll be fine.

It wasn't so much that he will get shut down in the NHL because players are bigger, it was that most of the ones he currently plays against are substantially smaller than he is and I am questioning how much of that plays into his regular season success. I also question why he doesn't have success against other elite players, does one year less development against the elite player supersede his usual height and weight advantage over these kids.

 

[Micklebot]

It wasn't so much that he will get shut down in the NHL because players are bigger, it was that most of the ones he currently plays against are substantially smaller than he is and I am questioning how much of that plays into his regular season success. I also question why he doesn't have success against other elite players, does one year less development against the elite player supersede his usual height and weight advantage over these kids.

We saw this kind of questioning of big players in the past though; Landeskog for example. The reality is that Byfield has all the tools including size. He's clearly not relying solely on size to dominate opposition, and his size advantage won't go away, he's likely to maintain that advantage over NHL players as he's not done growing into his frame (unlike Landeskog who actually was pretty close to it).

WJC is a 19 year old tournament particularly on a deep Canadian team, so him not standing out as a 17 year old is the norm, same thing happened with Lafreniere when he played as a 17 yr old, MacKinnon as well.

I understand being a bit concerned, but to me these are more the reasons why he won't overtake Lafreniere rather than why you might consider passing on him at 2OA.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

He would also be a guy for the "Sens always draft safe players not skill" group.

How do you turn down a guy with that size and ability? If he busts, it happens. If he turns out you get a rare player.

At that size and skating ability, you're almost guaranteed an NHL player. It's just a matter of how impactful he is.

I dont think byfield is seen as a low skill safe player.. hes supremely skilled.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[RAFI BOMB]

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Maxim Krovyakov F 6'3 181 lbs
MHL 2019-2020: 58 GP 17 G 20 A 37 PTS
Maxim Krovyakov at eliteprospects.com

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Here is the replay of SKA 1946's game today.
Players to scout:

• Marat Khusnutdinov (#22) C 5'9 165 lbs
• Alexander Gordin (#78) F 6'1 194 lbs OA1
• Maxim Krovyakov (#96) F 6'3 181 lbs

For a full list of the roster for other potential draft eligible prospects see the following link:
SKA-1946 St. Petersburg at eliteprospects.com

 

[Alfie11]

I dont think byfield is seen as a low skill safe player.. hes supremely skilled.

I agree - the compliant I was referring to is guys on the board complaining the Sens always pick the safe guy over the skill guy. Byfield is the type of skill guy that they want.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Man, Raymond is so so smart.

Mysak reminds me of Hossa offensively.

We should trade 2 seconds for another 1st, especially if we fall to 5-6 instead of a top 4 pick.

Select: Drysdale and then any combination 3 of: Holtz/Rossi/Lundell/Holloway/Gunler/Bourque/Mysak

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Here is another game worth checking out, it is Tolpar's 10-1 win over Sarmaty. Players worth scouting:

Danil Bashkirov (#19) F 6'2 163 lbs OA1
2019-2020:

• KHL: 12 GP 0 G 1 A 1 PTS
• VHL: 23 GP 4 G 5 A 9 PTS
• MHL: 28 GP 10 G 8 A 18 PTS
• Spengler Cup: 3 GP 1 G 0 A 1 PTS

Danil Bashkirov at eliteprospects.com

Danil Alalykin (#61) F 6' 157 lbs OA1
2019-2020:

• KHL: 5 GP 1 G 0 A 1 PTS
• VHL: 14 GP 2 G 3 A 5 PTS
• MHL: 37 GP 20 G 15 A 35 PTS

Danil Alalykin at eliteprospects.com

Shakir Mukhamadulin (#85) D 6'2 170 lbs
2019-2020:

• KHL: 27 GP 0 G 1 A 1 PTS
• MHL: 12 GP 1 G 7 A 8 PTS

Shakir Mukhamadullin at eliteprospects.com
For a full list of the roster for other draft eligible prospects see the following link:
Tolpar Ufa at eliteprospects.com
For a scoring summary see the following link:
Junior Hockey League - Tolpar - Sarmaty | 18 February, 2020, Tuesday

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Man, Raymond is so so smart.

Mysak reminds me of Hossa offensively.

We should trade 2 seconds for another 1st, especially if we fall to 5-6 instead of a top 4 pick.

Select: Drysdale and then any combination 3 of: Holtz/Rossi/Lundell/Holloway/Gunler/Bourque/Mysak

Here is a profile on Jan Mysak:

Skating: Mysak’s skating ability has been better than expected on the smaller ice surface in the OHL (compared to playing in Europe). While his stride is not the most fluid, he actually generates a good deal of power from his slightly clunky start ups. This has been especially evident on the penalty kill where he has been able to create several breakaway opportunities for himself by how quickly he is able to get through the neutral zone following turnovers. Mysak has shown well driving wide and pushing to the middle of the ice, using his edges and size to keep defenders on his back. Running the point on the powerplay, his overall agility has shown some rawness, especially in his ability to change direction quickly. Again, his movements are not always the most fluid but he does manage to create space for himself to operate.

Shot: Not too many players utilize the slap shot effectively anymore, especially from the forward position, but Mysak has shown to have a knack for getting his slapper off quickly and through traffic, which is one of the reasons that Hamilton has opted to use him on the point of the powerplay. Mysak has also shown a very good wrist shot that he can unleash and elevate quickly. He sets himself up in the slot and shows potential as an excellent triggerman, although it remains to be seen whether he is a center or a wing long term (Note that we are grading him here as a winger). As he gains confidence at this level, we are looking for him to shoot more and be more aggressive in using his size to create space for himself to get his shots off.

Skills: Without question, this is the area of Mysak’s game that has been the most surprising (in a good way) in the OHL. His confidence with the puck is flourishing and we are seeing him make creative plays in transition that are bringing Hamilton fans out of their seats. He has already turned a few defenders inside out, driving wide and beating them back to the middle by sliding the puck between their legs or around their stick. He has also shown a propensity to use the toe drag to create space for himself to shoot, in addition to using a forehand shot fake before going backhand in tight (appears to be his go to breakaway move). While Arthur Kaliyev is an underrated playmaker, Mysak is definitely creating his own scoring chances and has been a driving force with the puck on his stick.

Smarts: Mysak’s effectiveness at both ends of the ice has been impressive. He has come into the OHL and become a staple on Hamilton’s penalty kill, in addition to being out late in the game to protect leads. He is aggressive in attacking puck carriers in his own end and has a smart stick that forces a lot of turnovers. As a playmaker, he exemplifies great vision in the offensive end. While I would call him a goal scorer first and foremost, his passing ability has shown to be above average. He consistently finds trailers on the play while on odd man rushes and exhibits poise with the puck that sees him commit very few turnovers. This is another reason why Hamilton has elected to use him on the point of the powerplay, because he sees the ice well and his processing speed is quite high.

Physicality: Early on in his OHL career, Mysak was definitely targeted by opposing defenses. He was taking a lot of abuse and fought through it. This shows great toughness and perseverance. His physical game is inconsistent at this point. He can be quite active on the forecheck and has shown the ability to throw a big hit in pursuit of the puck. However, he is not always engaged in this capacity. As a defensive player, he will use his size and strength to separate his man from the puck and is especially effective in the corners in the defensive end. There may be even more room to grow in this area, too.

 

[MatchesMalone]

what the f*** is the VHL how does it compare to the MHL

If the MHL is their CHL, then the VHL is their AHL, basically.

 

[Daffy]

Here is a profile on Jan Mysak:

I am a big fan of Mysak. So is my wife, especially when it's shaved..

 

[MatchesMalone]

Who here does not have Byfield at #2? And if so, why?

It seems like most people would want to select him if we got the second overall pick, but I am not so sure. He is the best analytic player in the draft, probably, but something is not quite there when I watch him.

Yeah I feel like you and I are seeing some of the same thing with Byfield.

I know you're not as high on Holtz, but to me he and Holtz are kinda in the same boat. Most of the time I watch them and think they look like future superstars, but there are times when I wonder how they'll adapt to the pace of the NHL.

I don't want to blow the concerns out of proportion. I still think he's probably going to be an elite NHL player, but there is enough room for doubt, and Raymond and Stützle are that special, that I could easily see him falling as far as 4th. Personally I have him third, behind Raymond but still ahead of Stützle.

I guess to expand on the "why", it is more what I've seen from Raymond than what I haven't seen from Byfield. From watching Raymond in junior last year the skill was obvious, and from watching him on the 4th line in the SHL the first half of this year it also became obvious what a safe, responsible, effective pro he would be. But after World Juniors he started putting it all together and actually showing he can make some plays and create offense at the pro level.

I suspect he got a little carried away and that's what led to his reduced ice time lately. Same thing happened with Holtz in the fall - he scored a few goals, started thinking he was hot shit, and ended up with a stretch where he was something ridiculous like -9 in 7 games, and I believe that's when he was sent down for a game or two.

 

[HSF]

He would also be a guy for the "Sens always draft safe players not skill" group.

How do you turn down a guy with that size and ability? If he busts, it happens. If he turns out you get a rare player.

At that size and skating ability, you're almost guaranteed an NHL player. It's just a matter of how impactful he is.

Yup Brown and Chabot were 'safe not skilled' players

Don't know where ppl get this naarative from. It's a mixed bag with the senators

I would even put zibby under the being not 'safe' compared to Couturier

Sometimes the safe player is also the best ie laf

Being super skilled and safe literally is what makes you a top prospect in a draft

 

[Agent Zuuuub]

Yup Brown and Chabot were 'safe not skilled' players

Don't know where ppl get this naarative from. It's a mixed bag with the senators

I would even put zibby under the being not 'safe' compared to Couturier

Sometimes the safe player is also the best ie laf

Being super skilled and safe literally is what makes you a top prospect in a draft

Idk id argue that they were all safe picks with high upside.

Even Brown who is the worst of the 3 should mold himself into an NHLer even if he busts.

I'm fine with them drafting these players. It's when they go for the safe players that have relatively low upside that annoys me.

White, Lazar, Bowers, Pinto are the forward picks they are prone to making. Which is a whole lot of solid pros but low upside players.

 

[toxic poster]

Who here does not have Byfield at #2? And if so, why?

It seems like most people would want to select him if we got the second overall pick, but I am not so sure. He is the best analytic player in the draft, probably, but something is not quite there when I watch him.

Incredibly unpopular, and somewhat biased opinion but I've had Lundell at 2 for a few months now. Byfield has a higher ceiling, but I haven't liked his hockey IQ & feel like he forces A LOT of plays (Sudbury also isn't a very strong team, so he is depended on to do that often, but that builds tough habits).

Lundell on the other hand is the most well-rounded player in the draft, has a lethal shot - reads the game at such a high level. I see his floor as a 65+ point centre contending the Selke year in and year out. That sort of impact does not go unnoticed and is a cornerstone level piece for a contending franchise. He's the safest pick (excluding Lafreniere) in the draft if that counts for anything.