Prospect Info: 2021 Leafs Board Prospect Rankings #7

[Twine Tickler]

We need to diversify our picks imo. I was for drafting Guhle or Schneider for that reason. With that said im not against Amirov.

Ya I mean Guhle and Schneider look to be solid players as well, and yes they would have diversified our prospect pool to some degree. But we also have Kral, and Kokonen who project to play more of a defensive roll. Not to mention we also have Lilly who plays a very strong 2 way game.

I understand your point on having a well rounded group, but that's also when you get into trouble. If you are drafting for need then you are bound to get caught with your pants down at some point. I have no problem with them drafting who they feel is BPA. Clearly at the time they felt that Rodian was the BPA because he didn't fill a need at that time. But he really does now that Hyman is gone. So had we went with drafting a D-man at the time, we'd have 3 strong defensive prospects fighting for 1 current roster position. Even though it would have diversified our pool at the time, it retrospectively all makes sense now.

IMO you always select the best player available regardless of positional need.

 

[notbias]

I dont think ours is terrible per say, the problem is we basically have 2 types of players mainly. Small skilled puck moving defenseman and smallish skilled wingers. Not any Defensive D, power forward, two way forwards (Hiro is one), etc.

We need to diversify our picks imo. I was for drafting Guhle or Schneider for that reason. With that said im not against Amirov.

Disagree.

We have decent-sized players, the majority are around 6 ft with the potential to grow.

I am glad we don't have any low-skilled D like Schiender/Guhle (relative to draft rank).

I think generally people look at the prospect pool and think it is all smaller players because the main reason these guys were taken is skill and not physicality.

We have a lot of interesting forward prospects that play the game differently — Knies, Hirvonen, Amirov, Robertson, SDA, all different kinds of players.

Our D are less unique, but they all seem to skate well and have good puck ability which is a must now, the days of Polak on this team are hopefully gone.

My opinion is swing for the fences on picks and surround them with less skilled players (like what Schiender/Guhle are likely to be) via free agency/trade since they are cheaper.

Edit: just checked our 2019+ drafts
Players 5'11+:
Knies, Peksa, Amirov, Niemela, Akhtyamov, Villeneuve, Ovchinnikov, Rindell, Fusco, Schingoethe, Tverberg, Kokkonen, Abramov

Players under 5'11:
Voit, Hirvonen, Miettinen, Miller, Robertson, Abruzzese, Koster, Loponen

Not like we have giants, but 5'11 is a decent size for a prospect, NHL average is 6'1 if I am not mistaken.

 

[LeafsOHLRangers98]

I dont think ours is terrible per say, the problem is we basically have 2 types of players mainly. Small skilled puck moving defenseman and smallish skilled wingers. Not any Defensive D, power forward, two way forwards (Hiro is one), etc.

We need to diversify our picks imo. I was for drafting Guhle or Schneider for that reason. With that said im not against Amirov.

Even guys like Guhle and Schneider need to have skill at the junior level if they want any chance of making an impact at the NHL level eventually (a big reason they went in the first round).

Taking guys like Biggs and Middleton in the draft do nothing for you.

Ideally you can find a skilled guy with a big frame and hope he learns to use it later. Some guys are Jamie Benn, some guys are Engvall but I'd much rather take skill first.

As we picked with Knies, and the additions of Muzzin/Ritchie/Douglas etc.. Dubas has never been against size/grit. What he does have a problem with is that being the only asset a player has.

He went against it in trading for Foligno and got burned.

 

[Leafs at Knight]

Seems weird to complain about not drafting a player of need like Schneider or Guhle (not drafting BPA especially in the first round is really dumb btw), then complain about the lack of certain types of players like two-way forwards when Amirov is a two way forward and our best one, and probably one of the better two way prospects out there.

 

[Knies iT]

Disagree.

We have decent-sized players, the majority are around 6 ft with the potential to grow.

I am glad we don't have any low-skilled D like Schiender/Guhle (relative to draft rank).

I think generally people look at the prospect pool and think it is all smaller players because the main reason these guys were taken is skill and not physicality.

We have a lot of interesting forward prospects that play the game differently — Knies, Hirvonen, Amirov, Robertson, SDA, all different kinds of players.

Our D are less unique, but they all seem to skate well and have good puck ability which is a must now, the days of Polak on this team are hopefully gone.

My opinion is swing for the fences on picks and surround them with less skilled players (like what Schiender/Guhle are likely to be) via free agency/trade since they are cheaper.

Edit: just checked our 2019+ drafts
Players 5'11+:
Knies, Peksa, Amirov, Niemela, Akhtyamov, Villeneuve, Ovchinnikov, Rindell, Fusco, Schingoethe, Tverberg, Kokkonen, Abramov

Players under 5'11:
Voit, Hirvonen, Miettinen, Miller, Robertson, Abruzzese, Koster, Loponen

Not like we have giants, but 5'11 is a decent size for a prospect, NHL average is 6'1 if I am not mistaken.

“Low skilled” Schneider just had 27 points in 22 games.

Amirov is a good pick but Schneider is no Schenn or Middleton.

 

[notbias]

“Low skilled” Schneider just had 27 points in 22 games.

Amirov is a good pick but Schneider is no Schenn or Middleton.

I agree, I mean low skill relative to his draft position.

He is a man amongst boys in the WHL, I just don't find the point production that impressive.

From my viewings, it seems like he will be a bottom pairing D to middle pairing D, I'd rather not take that kind of player in the middle of the first round.

 

[Knies iT]

I agree, I mean low skill relative to his draft position.

He is a man amongst boys in the WHL, I just don't find the point production that impressive.

From my viewings, it seems like he will be a bottom pairing D to middle pairing D, I'd rather not take that kind of player in the middle of the first round.

That point production is undeniably impressive for even top OFD’s in the CHL, despite the small sample, let alone a DFD.

I generally agree with your stance, just playing devil’s advocate. I think people in the Twitter-verse need to reconsider what constitutes high upside. You can look at Schneider’s physical maturity, conservative offensive game, and risk adverse style to conclude he’s low upside. The same broad brush scouting generalities would lead you to pass on a Slavin, a Pesce, a Manson, a Carlo, who in their primes are valuable, rare commodities.

If you compare Schneider’s D+1 numbers to other CHL D historically, you will see very few recent names with his defensive game and physicality mixed in (better than the names above despite different leagues).