Prospect Info: 2020 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[apadilla]

I'd like to see the Kings take goalie prospect Calle Clang in the 4th round. It would be great to here the announcers differentiating between Calle Clang (G) and Kale Clague (LD) in a few years.

Calle Clang
Kale Clague

haha

 

[KopitarFAN]

As I think about it, I think Ottawa is going to regret rushing whoever they pick at #3 & 5.

 

[KingsHockey24]

I want Stutzle but I feel like we'll end up picking Byfield. Not a bad thing; though I do believe Stutzle is the more "electric/dynamic" of the two players.

Byfield seems like a Malkin-like player that scores 55-65 points a season.

 

[redcard]

We don't really know when the CHL, AHL, and NHL will be starting their seasons but the development leagues ought to start before the NHL given they aren't completing last season.

So its possible that we see the agreements between the leagues being modified to account for this. I.E. allow players to start the season in the CHL or AHL in October to be called up later rather than sit around and wait for the NHL to start in January.

 

[KopitarFAN]

We don't really know when the CHL, AHL, and NHL will be starting their seasons but the development leagues ought to start before the NHL given they aren't completing last season.

So its possible that we see the agreements between the leagues being modified to account for this. I.E. allow players to start the season in the CHL or AHL in October to be called up later rather than sit around and wait for the NHL to start in January.

I've wondered about that too, if the OHL season starts in October, would they be allowed to send Kaliyev out and bring him back for camp (if they chose), or if Byfield is the pick and their season starts before the draft takes place, what happens?

I guess they will have to address that if/when they have a timeline for the CHL season.

 

[Nodoughtyboutit]

I want Stutzle but I feel like we'll end up picking Byfield. Not a bad thing; though I do believe Stutzle is the more "electric/dynamic" of the two players.

Byfield seems like a Malkin-like player that scores 55-65 points a season.

Really seems like he could easily become a ppg player and his ceiling is higher than that but most scouts accounts.

 

[Nodoughtyboutit]

We don't really know when the CHL, AHL, and NHL will be starting their seasons but the development leagues ought to start before the NHL given they aren't completing last season.

So its possible that we see the agreements between the leagues being modified to account for this. I.E. allow players to start the season in the CHL or AHL in October to be called up later rather than sit around and wait for the NHL to start in January.

And if the NHL starts super late the draft might not happen until next year and then what we have another draft 4 months later...

 

[Brodeur]

I've wondered about that too, if the OHL season starts in October, would they be allowed to send Kaliyev out and bring him back for camp (if they chose), or if Byfield is the pick and their season starts before the draft takes place, what happens?

I guess they will have to address that if/when they have a timeline for the CHL season.

I believe that's what happened when the NHL started late due to the 2012-13 lockout. Handful of guys started with their junior clubs then got called up to main camp. Some stuck, others were sent back.

Yakupov: started in KHL, ended in NHL
Galchenyuk/Hamilton: started in OHL, ended in NHL
Huberdeau/Grigorenko: started in QMJHL, ended in NHL

Scheifele: started in OHL, played a handful of games in NHL without burning first year, sent back to OHL
Matteau: started in QMJHL, played in NHL and burned his first year, sent back to QMJHL (Devils messed that one up)

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

14. Dorion said his “tiers” broke down as follows: Lafreniere, then two players, then players four through 12, followed by 13 to 18 or 20. Los Angeles GM Rob Blake, whose Kings will pick second, revealed: “I would say that we’re going to work hard on about four (prospects).”

15. L.A.’s last three first-rounders were centres: Alex Turcotte (2019), Rasmus Kupari(2018) and Gabe Vilardi (2017). I don’t see these prospects like Sam Cosentino does, but his (and others’) consensus next “two” after Lafreniere are OHL Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield and Germany’s Tim Stützle — both centres. Does this matter to the Kings? “No,” Blake answered. “You mention those three, we’ll take four centres like that.”

 

[KINGS17]

We don't really know when the CHL, AHL, and NHL will be starting their seasons but the development leagues ought to start before the NHL given they aren't completing last season.

So its possible that we see the agreements between the leagues being modified to account for this. I.E. allow players to start the season in the CHL or AHL in October to be called up later rather than sit around and wait for the NHL to start in January.

I think the locations of the teams in Canada, which generally are in less densely populated areas, should help get their seasons underway on time as well.

 

[deeshamrock]

Take Byfield, send him back to the OHL to dominate and build and take your time with him. Roll the dice, if things click we could be talking a Malkin-lite talent.

Byfield is going to be, I think, a total beast. To have that size, and be able to skate so well, and have good puck possession, great hands and the ablilty to dangle as well as he does, with that kind of grace is a rare talent. If he were more physical, imposing his will, he'd remind me of Eric Lindros. I remember how exciting it was to watch him scare the crap out of the defenese every time he crossed the blue line. Nobody knew how to stop him and the fear of him crushing them if they went behind the net to get the puck. And like Byfield, Lindros size gave him an incredible reach, which creating turnovers, offense and goals.
Byfield will add muscle to his frame as he matures and like any young player, he'll fine tune those areas he needs to work on
But I think he's a PPG player , once he settles into the NHL.
Agree on him in the OHL another year, and even the AHL, which as a professional league, is a great stepping stone (for a lot of reasons, not just playing, traveling , being on hte road, adjusting to playing against adult players) to the NHL.

 

[Brodeur]

Interesting to see Ottawa's list coming close to my armchair ranking. I had it tier 1 (Lafreniere), tier 2 (Stutzle/Byfield), tier 3 (Drysdale/Rossi/Holtz/Raymond/Sanderson/Perfetti), tier 4 (Quinn/Askarov). I suppose I could merge Quinn/Askarov into tier 3.

I gotta think the Kings were interested in Drysdale pre-lottery.

Also was a little surprised to see the resistance on the Devils board about Sanderson being a possible pick for us at #7. A couple posters alluded to Sanderson not being an analytics pick. I asked if they could point me in the direction of some articles about that, expected to see things about zone entries, PDO, etc. But instead it looks like some folks just looked at his hockeydb page and decided they didn't like his point totals.

 

[KINGS17]

14. Dorion said his “tiers” broke down as follows: Lafreniere, then two players, then players four through 12, followed by 13 to 18 or 20. Los Angeles GM Rob Blake, whose Kings will pick second, revealed: “I would say that we’re going to work hard on about four (prospects).”

15. L.A.’s last three first-rounders were centres: Alex Turcotte (2019), Rasmus Kupari(2018) and Gabe Vilardi (2017). I don’t see these prospects like Sam Cosentino does, but his (and others’) consensus next “two” after Lafreniere are OHL Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield and Germany’s Tim Stützle — both centres. Does this matter to the Kings? “No,” Blake answered. “You mention those three, we’ll take four centres like that.”

Not convinced Kupari will make it as a center, or if he will make it at all.

 

[Steve Zissou]

Technically Madden is a center as well. But like Kupari, really see him on the wing because of his size.

But with his speed, sure would be nice to see Madden and Byline leading the rush in a couple of years.

 

[Steve Zissou]

31 Thoughts: Fallout from a contentious NHL Draft Lottery - Sportsnet.ca

Zoom interview w/ Quinton Byfield about halfway down.

Blake & Co. didn't even bother to hop on video chat w/ him because they knew they weren't drafting that high....

 

[Brodeur]

Lots of guys get moved to the wings once they turn pro. Patrik Elias was a center, but played the bulk of his career at LW, then played center again later in his career. Zach Parise flopped as a center in his rookie season then suddenly things clicked when he was shifted to LW. Even Madden's dad started as a winger for the Devils but eventually went back into the middle as the roster got sorted out.

 

[kilowatt]

Technically Madden is a center as well. But like Kupari, really see him on the wing because of his size.

But with his speed, sure would be nice to see Madden and Byline leading the rush in a couple of years.

Scott Wheeler and Lisa Dillman at The Athletic did a comparison article series for Kings prospects. In case anyone is interested:

1. Turcotte: Jake Guentzel
2. Madden: Nikolaj Ehlers
3. Kaliyev: Patrick Laine (kind of)
4. Bjornfot: Dmitri Orlov
5. Fagemo: Tomas Tatar
6. Kupari: Pavel Buchnevich
7. Hults: Brandon Montour
8. Durzi: Dylan DeMelo
9. Thomas: Paul Stastny
10. Clague: Justin Faulk

https://theathletic.com/1840962/2020/05/28/finding-an-nhl-comparable-for-10-of-the-kings-best-prospects/

If Byfield’s best comparison is Malkin, then having Malkin and Ehlers on a line together sounds pretty great.

 

[KopitarFAN]

It's going to be a long ~100 days.

 

[KINGS17]

14. Dorion said his “tiers” broke down as follows: Lafreniere, then two players, then players four through 12, followed by 13 to 18 or 20. Los Angeles GM Rob Blake, whose Kings will pick second, revealed: “I would say that we’re going to work hard on about four (prospects).”

15. L.A.’s last three first-rounders were centres: Alex Turcotte (2019), Rasmus Kupari(2018) and Gabe Vilardi (2017). I don’t see these prospects like Sam Cosentino does, but his (and others’) consensus next “two” after Lafreniere are OHL Sudbury’s Quinton Byfield and Germany’s Tim Stützle — both centres. Does this matter to the Kings? “No,” Blake answered. “You mention those three, we’ll take four centres like that.”

Can't say I disagree with Burke on this one.

 

[Sparky206]

Blake & Co. didn't even bother to hop on video chat w/ him because they knew they weren't drafting that high....

Its the same as Lafreniere, why would anybody interview him prior to now. Hes going to go in a lottery pick position, you don't waste either parties time until you know that you are in that spot and up until yesterday nobody knew who held the top 3. Stutzle is a different scenario because he was a riser so he was never always going to be in a lottery slot where as Byfield & Lafreniere have been consensus top 3 all along. Itd be like Detroit asking for an interview with Lafreniere tomorrow, its just a pointless exercise.

 

[Cook24]

Just for funzies...

Kings trade #2 overall and two of their second round picks for the #1 overall...

would you consider this?
Would team with #1 consider this?

 

[cyclones22]

Just for funzies...

Kings trade #2 overall and two of their second round picks for the #1 overall...

would you consider this?
Would team with #1 consider this?

No.

 

[bland]

I still think Byfield is far, far closer to Rick Nash than a Malkin.

 

[lexlavender]

I don't know much, but I think I lean Stutzle. Although I think Stutzle does look more dynamic, there also maybe issues with adjusting to smaller Ice and such. For that, I think Byfield's size and experience on smaller ice carries an advantage.

 

[Brodeur]

Just for funzies...

Kings trade #2 overall and two of their second round picks for the #1 overall...

would you consider this?
Would team with #1 consider this?

#1 would more than likely say no. Typically moving out of the top pick is a non-starter in a year with a consensus top pick like Lafreniere. In years where the top pick was moved (1999, 2002, 2003), the team still ended up picking up the player they would have taken #1.