Prospect Info: 2022 Draft Prospects, Part II

[StevenToddIves]

He’s also the Ottawa coach D.J. Smith’s son btw. So if you think they might snatch him up in the 2nd there’s even more incentive for that.

Wow, I didn't even know that. The only thing better than being right on purpose is being right accidentally, I guess.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

LD Isaiah George, London OHL
This is a name a lot of people are not familiar with but probably should be. Isaiah George is one of the most athletic defenders in the draft, but he is extremely raw in his overall game. As such, it is difficult to pinpoint his future projection, but it is potentially higher than we would initially suspect. When assessing hockey prospects, it's important to realize that different prospects develop at different rates with different development curves. To wit, George shares the same 2/15/04 birthdate as Simon Nemec, who is the most polished and close-to-NHL-ready defender in the entire 2022 draft class. With George, you might have to wait 5 or 6 years, but you could have an extremely good player down the line.

Breaking him down, George is a 6'1-190 defender with the physical strength of a far bigger body. I've seen 6'3-210 forwards try to hit him along the boards and just bounce off like they just hit a moose. George is not a player to leave position looking for the big hit, but his strength greatly aids him in puck battles and crease scrums. He's also an extremely fast skater with 4-way mobility. This combination alone -- size/strength/speed -- is largely responsible for his general consensus ranking in the mid-2nd round to mid-3rd round range, despite an extremely raw overall game.

Though there is a lot to like about George's compete level, his awareness needs improvement, and when playing high-skill opponents he can look confused in the defensive zone as he puck chases and loses positioning. His vision with the puck is similar -- he's a Plan A and then wing-it type. If his initial passing lane closes up, he's more likely to just bang the puck up the boards than to curl back and create space or time. His shooting is good but not great, but his puck-handling needs work, as George is a player who can sometimes fumble the puck away even if there no opposing pressure on him.

I would certainly draft Isaiah George, just maybe not in the 2nd/3rd rounds where he is likely to go. I think if he works on his puckhandling, his skating will make him more of a weapon in transition, and his strength and physicality give him very good defensive upside if he can work on the nuances of the position. But we need to keep in mind he is a project, which is the main reason I'm slipping him a bit further down my draft board. I do think he has the potential to maybe even be a mid-pairing defense-first guy who can chip in 20+ points, but because he is still so unpolished there are several questions to be answered for him to reach that level.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

2022 Draft Profile:

LD Isaiah George, London OHL
This is a name a lot of people are not familiar with but probably should be. Isaiah George is one of the most athletic defenders in the draft, but he is extremely raw in his overall game. As such, it is difficult to pinpoint his future projection, but it is potentially higher than we would initially suspect. When assessing hockey prospects, it's important to realize that different prospects develop at different rates with different development curves. To wit, George shares the same 2/15/04 birthdate as Simon Nemec, who is the most polished and close-to-NHL-ready defender in the entire 2022 draft class. With George, you might have to wait 5 or 6 years, but you could have an extremely good player down the line.

Breaking him down, George is a 6'1-190 defender with the physical strength of a far bigger body. I've seen 6'3-210 forwards try to hit him along the boards and just bounce off like they just hit a moose. George is not a player to leave position looking for the big hit, but his strength greatly aids him in puck battles and crease scrums. He's also an extremely fast skater with 4-way mobility. This combination alone -- size/strength/speed -- is largely responsible for his general consensus ranking in the mid-2nd round to mid-3rd round range, despite and extremely raw overall game.

Though there is a lot to like about George's compete level, his awareness needs improvement, and when playing high-skill opponents he can look confused in the defensive zone as he puck chases and loses positioning. His vision with the puck is similar -- he's a Plan A and then wing-it type. If his initial passing lane closes up, he's more likely to just bang the puck up the boards than to curl back and create space or time. His shooting is good but not great, but his puck-handling needs work, as George is a player who can sometimes fumble the puck away even if there no opposing pressure on him.

I would certainly draft Isaiah George, just maybe not in the 2nd/3rd rounds where he is likely to go. I think if he works on his puckhandling, his skating will make him more of a weapon in transition, and his strength and physicality give him very good defensive upside if he can work on the nuances of the position. But we need to keep in mind he is a project, which is the main reason I'm slipping him a bit further down my draft board. I do think he has the potential to maybe even be a mid-pairing defense-first guy who can chip in 20+ points, but because he is still so unpolished there are several questions to be answered for him to reach that level.

Did really well in the CHL prospect testing.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

LD Jackson Edward, London OHL
This is a kid who screams sleeper for a litany of reasons. For reasons I don't know, we have a 6'2-195 rearguard who skates extremely well and flashes pretty good puck skills going completely unnoticed leading up to the draft. I haven't seen Jackson Edward ranked anywhere by anyone. This is puzzling when you combine size, speed, skill-set and the fact that he plays on the highest-profile team in the highest-profile developmental league on the planet. Whatever the reason, it's a good opportunity for me to write up a kid no one's heard of yet and then, in 5 years, when he is a successful NHLer, I can brag that you heard it here first.

Edward's puck skills are almost deceptively good. He is an excellent stickhandler with a litany of moves he can use to create time and space. This makes him especially good in board battles, moreso when combined with his size and strength. Though not as freakishly strong as Knights' teammate Isaiah George, Edward still wins far more battles down low than he loses. Edward is also a very good shooter. I would not call him an offensive defenseman -- yet -- because he is very conservative in his playmaking and when activating off the point. But because his outlet passing is very strong, there is reason to think he might be a player of above-average vision. One of the aspects I look for in "sleeper" defensemen is the skills to create offense which are underutilized because of a generally conservative, defense-first mind-set. Good examples of this would include Jake Slavin or, more recently, Jake Sanderson. Though I am by no means comparing Edward to these players, I'm simply stating that Edward -- despite negligible scoring totals thus far in the OHL -- might very well have another gear offensively which, through coaching and development, can be turned up to make him a pretty productive player in the offensive zone. Quite simply: speed? Check. Puck skills? Check. Passing ability? Check. Shooting? Check. Offensive risk taking? Um, no, never.

Edward is far from a finished product, and there will be a lot of improvements to be made before he's ready for the pros. His positioning and gaps could be improved, his overall defensive discipline as well. Like many young and raw defenders, the propensity for puck-chasing is frustrating. But none of this dissuades me from really liking Jackson Edward as a player and believing that there might even be mid-pairing upside as a two-way force. I think he shows smarts, versatility and compete -- not in any elite sense, but enough to fuel my belief in his future. As a player who has gone virtually unnoticed by the draft consensus, there is a good chance Edward could be around very late in the draft. In the 5th/6th/7th rounds, this is a very good pick in terms of a player who has far more potential than most seem to realize.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Did really well in the CHL prospect testing.

Yep, the kid is a heckuva athlete. I really like Isaiah George's upside, but I guess the caveat would be how far away his projections are, combined with the fact you're probably going to have to take him by the 2nd round or early 3rd.

For the Devils, I'm not sure it's a concern because I think we'd all be completely shocked if the team took a LD in the first 3 rounds of the 2022 draft with so many other needs and so much depth at that position.

 

[Brodeur]

Updated rankings from The Hockey News: 2022 NHL Draft Rankings: The Wright Call

 

[StevenToddIves]

Updated rankings from The Hockey News: 2022 NHL Draft Rankings: The Wright Call

Thanks for posting this.

Nice rankings by Ryan Kennedy, who is usually quite good despite a slight CHL bias. I really like his gutsy #20 ranking of Jagger Firkus, and his #10 for Ryan Chesley. Firkus is ridiculously skilled, and as I've said at length Ryan Chesley is by far the most underrated defender in this class. I'm not sure I'd rank him top 10, but he's a strong bet for my top 12 or 13.

 

[nugg]

Dolzhenkov is very, very raw. You don't know you're getting an NHL-er here.

I think some people -- not you, but people who don't understand the draft and equate it to "throwing darts" -- conflate their own lack of knowledge about scouting with the entire process in general. But the fact is this -- when you're picking a guy in the first round, you're positive (or at least extremely confident) he's going to be an NHLer. Even in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, you're pretty confident about a kid's chances, otherwise you wouldn't take him.

But in the later rounds, even the best scouts are saying IF a whole lot. Like: "IF this kid builds some core strength and learns to play better defense, it could play up his great skating and passing and help him reach his 2nd line NHL upside"; or "this player has great hockey IQ and compete level, so IF he can clean up his shooting and skating mechanics to play both tools up a notch, he'll be a good bottom 4 defender"; or whatever. I'm simplifying, but you get the picture.

With Dolzhenkov, there are a whole lot of IFs. But the question which I think will see him drafted by the 2nd or 3rd round -- well before most players with this many IFs -- is the big IF of: "what kind of player will we have IF he puts it all together?"

Dolzhenkov is 6'7-235, skates well and can blast the puck, plus he shows a pretty good aptitude for the game and a nice set of hands. The ultimate ceiling for this sort of player is unknown, because I don't think the NHL has ever seen a left winger quite like this. Imagine being a goalie being screened by him, or a defender trying to move him out of the crease. Then, when you factor in that he has the hands to deflect pucks and the aptitude to anticipate, react and get to rebounds? That's a weapon for your middle six right there, and a rare one.

But like I said, there are a lot of IFs with this kid, far more than your average 2nd or 3rd round pick. Still, I feel some team will take a chance because he's the kind of player who, if he hits, can make a scout's career.

Ivan Drago on skates?

 

[My3Sons]

2022 Draft Profile:

C Otto Hokkanen, SaiPa Finland
Otto Hokkanen is one of those centers who consistently takes care of his two-game, but because he is good in that role and utilized primarily as a defensive center, it becomes tough to gauge his offensive upside. He offers very good size at 6'2-185 and his skating is above-average, if nothing special. But again, he's a big center, so we can expect to hear his name called on draft day despite a lack of any offensive statistics or pre-draft hype from any of the major writers or bureaus.

Hokkanen is almost incessantly steady both positionally and defensively. He plays more of a cerebral style of defense than a physical/high-compete one, and I feel this hurts him in terms of accruing any attention. He's got a big body and he's very strong, and as a defense-first player you'd like to see him throw his weight around with some more sandpaper in his game. I'm not sure this can be instilled, because he's just a very calm kid on the ice. Still, he's an effective defensive presence against centers a decade older and more experienced, and we have to give him due credit for this.

Hokkanen's offensive skills are, as mentioned, tough to assess. He seems to have pretty good puck-handling and passing skills, but he's not very aggressive on the offensive side of the puck and always thinking about his 200-foot responsibilities first. He also has weaknesses, as he's a bit overmatched in the face-off circle against older players and really lacks much of a shot, especially for a kid of his size.

Overall, I think we have a player who can make the NHL as a 4th line center and, if his offense develops and he can up his skating and physicality a notch, perhaps a 3rd liner. His defensive game and size certainly give Hokkanen a pretty steady floor. He's been ignored on draft boards, but I certainly see him as a pretty good 6th/7th round pick, because Hokkanen is a big center and a very good one defensively.

NJ needs to pass on this guy. They already have a 3C who can’t create enough offense.

 

[Guadana]

Updated rankings from The Hockey News: 2022 NHL Draft Rankings: The Wright Call

Doesn`t see Perevalov, doesn`t trust the raiting.


Find some time to put some words.
I think I'm much closer to making the final ranking. Or at least have a set closer to the draft. There are only those hockey players on my list that I want to see drafted. Maybe Devils will get picks through trades in the middle or at the end of the round, maybe Fitz will make a trade back. Accordingly, there will not be many names here, because they are simply not interesting to me. They may be good hockey players, but I believe that the Devils should draft exactly the hockey players that I will bring in the ranking.

1. Slafkovski - Everybody understand why. I had complaints about his game, his arrogance, his desire to go towards the net. He demonstrated concrete work in this direction.
2. Jiricek - We need him. With Severson our without - he will be NHL player after year or two. When his ELC will end, Devils will have only 1 year of Hamilton. Mercer will be 26yo, J Hughes will be 27 yo, Luke will be 25. It will be a prime period of our franchise.
3. Gauthier - scoring power forward with very good compete level. I did watch a lot of his games. I saw enough. His production is great, every player who play with him is playing better.

My top-3 is great to be picked by top-5 pick. Cant imagine Wright and Cooley outside of top-5 pick, this mean some from my top-3 will be available.

4. Nemec - I`m not a fan of his defensive game, but I see signs of great IQ. Other than that - we still need RD for our near future and the distant future
5. Perevalov - top-12 player of this draft who will be drafted in the second round because everybody knows why. I like him more than Nemec and all of perimeter players from usntdp.
Yurov - great two way player. He is very good in every aspect of the game. Remember when Lundell was down on the lists when everybody said he isn`t great in any aspect.
I put here this two players, because everybody understand why they will not be picked in top-10. And everybody will regret about it. World will change. But everyone will regret in silence.

My top-5 is good enough to be picked by top-10 pick.

6. Chesley - he is a good player to be pick for the Devils, because of his floor and style of his play. Someone should play heavy minutes in defensive zone on the right side. A good choice in the second ten.
7. Kasper - two way forward who can cement our third line and play tough minutes. Very good defensively and our third line is still on the building.
8. Gaucher - power forward with sroring abuility. He isn`t look like a player who will drive the line, but he definitly help and he can become the missing puzzle, which can be selected in the second half of the first round.
9. Snuggerud - an auxiliary forward who performs rough work, capable of scoring, good enough in two way game. Great pick in the end of the first round.
10. McGroarty - I`m not a fan of his two way game, but he reminds me some kind of Miles Wood with much better stick working and better skating. I like his boldness, his desire to go to the net, fight for the puck and find an opportunity to score the puck in any puck battle, in any situation.

If Devils will trade Zacha or someone else and will get second first round pick in the area of 11-30, would be great to pick my second top-5.

With any pick in the first round someone from this list will be available. And even if Cooley is available for the fourth pick - I prefer Jiricek, Gauthier or Nemec. Because I`m lookin at the our offensive lines and I understand what we are missing. I prefer Gaucher over Lekkerimaki if we will have 20th pick somehow and both are available. Because we have Holtz. I like Kemmel. I like him a lot. But I`m lookin at how our offensive lines works and I understand that Devils are very close to build a final structure of top-6. And Kemmel isn`t a final piece. Especially when we have Holtz and Arseniy. It`s really hard for me to say that because I like Kemmel more than Cooley. And if we will pick him I will be happy. but only him, not Cooley, Nazar, etc
I dont care about Mesar, Mateychuk, Trikozov, Howard, Lambert, Geekie, Savoie etc. I don`t wanna see a pick of a player who is not so great in two way game or\and have avarage or below avarage compete level. I don`t wanna see a player with great tools but not so great toolkit. Scoring with two way game\power game or both, compete level and defensive game - that is what Devils needs in. This is not the top-10 of the draft. It is the list of particular players Devils must particulary draft in top-30.

 

[Guadana]

NJ needs to pass on this guy. They already have a 3C who can’t create enough offense.

Never endning bust jokes. Classic that is being born right before our eyes.

 

[My3Sons]

Never endning bust jokes. Classic that is being born right before our eyes.

With some of the way out there remarks about Nico, Bratt, and Jack it’s easy to make fun of those silly narratives.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Doesn`t see Perevalov, doesn`t trust the raiting.


Find some time to put some words.
I think I'm much closer to making the final ranking. Or at least have a set closer to the draft. There are only those hockey players on my list that I want to see drafted. Maybe Devils will get picks through trades in the middle or at the end of the round, maybe Fitz will make a trade back. Accordingly, there will not be many names here, because they are simply not interesting to me. They may be good hockey players, but I believe that the Devils should draft exactly the hockey players that I will bring in the ranking.

1. Slafkovski - Everybody understand why. I had complaints about his game, his arrogance, his desire to go towards the net. He demonstrated concrete work in this direction.
2. Jiricek - We need him. With Severson our without - he will be NHL player after year or two. When his ELC will end, Devils will have only 1 year of Hamilton. Mercer will be 26yo, J Hughes will be 27 yo, Luke will be 25. It will be a prime period of our franchise.
3. Gauthier - scoring power forward with very good compete level. I did watch a lot of his games. I saw enough. His production is great, every player who play with him is playing better.

My top-3 is great to be picked by top-5 pick. Cant imagine Wright and Cooley outside of top-5 pick, this mean some from my top-3 will be available.

4. Nemec - I`m not a fan of his defensive game, but I see signs of great IQ. Other than that - we still need RD for our near future and the distant future
5. Perevalov - top-12 player of this draft who will be drafted in the second round because everybody knows why. I like him more than Nemec and all of perimeter players from usntdp.
Yurov - great two way player. He is very good in every aspect of the game. Remember when Lundell was down on the lists when everybody said he isn`t great in any aspect.
I put here this two players, because everybody understand why they will not be picked in top-10. And everybody will regret about it. World will change. But everyone will regret in silence.

My top-5 is good enough to be picked by top-10 pick.

6. Chesley - he is a good player to be pick for the Devils, because of his floor and style of his play. Someone should play heavy minutes in defensive zone on the right side. A good choice in the second ten.
7. Kasper - two way forward who can cement our third line and play tough minutes. Very good defensively and our third line is still on the building.
8. Gaucher - power forward with sroring abuility. He isn`t look like a player who will drive the line, but he definitly help and he can become the missing puzzle, which can be selected in the second half of the first round.
9. Snuggerud - an auxiliary forward who performs rough work, capable of scoring, good enough in two way game. Great pick in the end of the first round.
10. McGroarty - I`m not a fan of his two way game, but he reminds me some kind of Miles Wood with much better stick working and better skating. I like his boldness, his desire to go to the net, fight for the puck and find an opportunity to score the puck in any puck battle, in any situation.

If Devils will trade Zacha or someone else and will get second first round pick in the area of 11-30, would be great to pick my second top-5.

With any pick in the first round someone from this list will be available. And even if Cooley is available for the fourth pick - I prefer Jiricek, Gauthier or Nemec. Because I`m lookin at the our offensive lines and I understand what we are missing. I prefer Gaucher over Lekkerimaki if we will have 20th pick somehow and both are available. Because we have Holtz. I like Kemmel. I like him a lot. But I`m lookin at how our offensive lines works and I understand that Devils are very close to build a final structure of top-6. And Kemmel isn`t a final piece. Especially when we have Holtz and Arseniy. It`s really hard for me to say that because I like Kemmel more than Cooley. And if we will pick him I will be happy. but only him, not Cooley, Nazar, etc
I dont care about Mesar, Mateychuk, Trikozov, Howard, Lambert, Geekie, Savoie etc. I don`t wanna see a pick of a player who is not so great in two way game or\and have avarage or below avarage compete level. I don`t wanna see a player with great tools but not so great toolkit. Scoring with two way game\power game or both, compete level and defensive game - that is what Devils needs in. This is not the top-10 of the draft. It is the list of particular players Devils must particulary draft in top-30.

Outstanding post. Good to have you back, brother.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

RW Gavin Hayes, Flint OHL
Gavin Hayes is fortunate to be playing his OHL hockey in his home state of Michigan, but this is far from the reason he's an absolute fan favorite. Hayes is the definition of a player whose entire game is contingent upon an extraordinary compete level. There are few players who play with as much heart and hustle as this 6'1-175 winger, and as such he's an absolute menace on the forecheck and wins puck races and puck battles all over the ice. Despite being one of the younger players on his team with a mid-May '04 birthdate, Hayes is a regular in the Firebirds' top 6 and 4th on the team in scoring with a respectable 42 points in 55 games at the time of this write-up. This is no small feat on a Flint team headlined by a pair of Uber-prospects in Brennan Othmann and Dmitri Kuzmin. But repeated viewings show there is more to this player than just an amazing effort level, and as such he's a name to know for the 3rd round of the 2022 draft.

Hayes is willing to do absolutely anything to win. He'll battle anyone, he finishes his checks, he'll block shots, he shows tremendous courage in all the greasy areas. He's the first man back on the back check and he supports his teammates. That being said, he's a guy who energizes a line, he's not the type of Grade A talent to drive one. Still, this is not a kid without impressive skills. I'd say his top two are skating and puckhandling. Hayes is very fast and can reach high speeds quickly. This plays up even more due to his otherworldly effort level, and the result is a player who always looks like the fastest player on the ice even when there are more talented skaters in the game. Hayes can also dangle and deke at a top 6 level, and he does not lose this ability at high speed. So, all game long it's hard to take your eyes off the kid -- he's just go go go.

The caveat with Hayes is that his offensive ability is limited. He's an ok shooter and passer, sure, but these are functional tools. He's not a player who will generate offense in any degree except when creating turnovers due to his hustle and hard-hitting style of play. However, Hayes is a player who can compliment greater offensive talents, by always being in the right place and crashing the net and creating space and being heavy on the puck.

As previously mentioned, I feel Gavin Hayes will be taken in the 3rd round and I feel he's an excellent pick there. I'm not sure he has the upside to justify going in the first two rounds, but his enormous heart and high-speed style gives him a very high floor as a 4th liner, especially when combined with his physicality and size. I'd say his upside is as a very, very good traditional NHL 3rd line RW who can pop in a bit of offense and make the opposition's lives very difficult. This is an extremely likable player, and also a very good one. I am very excited to see him one day in the NHL, as I'm very confident his high motor will get him there.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

C Liam Arnsby, North Bay OHL
Sometimes a player is nothing what he looks like. Liam Arnsby is 5'11-185 and, at first glance, you'd assume he was a fast-skating, high-scoring pivot. Then you watch him a while and realize he is actually a 6'4-230 power center trapped in a smaller man's body. He is incredibly strong for his size and one of the most physical players in the draft. His bread and butter is a defensive game which is light years beyond his age level. He is absolutely punishing to play against, as he gives you no space, his positioning and defensive anticipation are top-notch, and he'll hit you -- very very hard -- at any available opportunity. However, this comes with the caveat that Arnsby's offensive skills are never going to impress anyone, so this is a player you draft with a particular role in mind.

One of the best things I can say about Arnsby -- or any role player type lacking extraordinary talent -- is he knows his strengths and he plays to them. Arnsby's number one strength is, in fact, strength. But his intelligence and defensive awareness are not far behind. His entire game is fueled by a terrific compete level -- this is a kid who is willing to do anything to keep the opposition off the scoreboard. But the offense will probably keep him out of the top half of the 2022 draft. Arnsby is an average skater, and as such he relies on his high anticipation to win puck races. His strictly a north/south guy in the offensive line -- he can pass, but it's very conservative and lacks any discernible creativity. He is not a kid who likes to handle the puck, he's a catch-and-release player. Arnsby's biggest offensive weapon is an extremely heavy shot, but it takes forever to get off and the mechanics need to be cleaned up.

Ultimately, it's not often I'm writing about a draft-eligible center with 8 goals and 20 points, but Arnsby is just that good in his physical and defensive games, and his intelligence and compete make him a legit prospect as a menacing, shut-down center for your NHL 4th line. He's gotten a bit of love from the scouting world for doing what he does best, and as such has gotten a #79 ranking from McKeen's and a #85 from Draft Prospects Hockey. Arnsby is not a player I target at the draft, but he is a player I monitor, because if he falls to the late rounds, he's a very high floor option there. He's the kind of player you want on your side, which explains why the Battalion awarded him the captaincy as a 17 year old.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

LD Tnias Mathurin, North Bay OHL
Mathurin plays a simple game, and also a brutal one. He's a 6'3-200 stay-at-home defender who plays an NHL style of defense-first and hits like a tank. Soft opposition forwards don't even go into board battles with him, they just tuck their tails between their legs and stay a few feet away, waving their sticks so it looks like they're doing something. He rarely loses a puck battle, and good luck staying on your feet if you're in his crease. NHL teams love this type of player, and as such Mathurin can expect his name called at some point in the 2022 draft.

I'd say the singular caveat with Mathurin is that he's an average skater at best. Were he to improve his foot-speed, he'd have a shot to go in the 2nd round. Because, quite frankly not only is he one of the better defenders in the OHL, but he's also got pretty good puck skills for this type of player. He's deceptively nifty with the puck on his stick and he's a strong outlet passer. There were even times I've seen him make some nice rushes out of the zone with possession, not something you usually expect with this type of player. He's never going to put up big numbers, but he seems to relish being the defensive support guy for a more offensive pairing-partner, like he has been often with Ty Nelson for the Battalion.

I'd call Mathurin's positioning and defensive awareness very advanced for his age. His compete and intelligence I would both label as plus tools. In the modern age of analytic analysis, many people look down on this sort of player, but the fact is that every competing team is falling all over themselves trying to trade for them on deadline day. He's just a very good, shut-down, punishing big defender who won't hurt you with poor puck skills. If he can improve his skating a bit, he can really make an impact in the NHL. He's been largely ignored by the scouting community, with a high ranking of #94 (Recruites). I'm agreeing with his high ranking, as I feel he is certainly worth a pick in the 3rd round area. If Mathurin falls to the 4th -- and I'd say this is his likely draft area -- he is a terrific pick for you there.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I wanted to talk a bit more about Reid Schaefer, who recently scored his 30th goal of the season and remains wildly underrated in the draft world. He's one of the most physical forwards in the draft and will likely be the best power forward available after the conclusion of the first round. I'd say he has slightly more upside than Chase Stillman, but he's a LW not a RW. Schaefer is huge and plays a crease crashing, bone-crushing style but also adds an unbelievably great shot and very good skating. I'd strongly consider him with the Devils 2nd round pick, which as it stands today would be #36 overall.

 

[Guttersniped]

Did really well in the CHL prospect testing.

Noah Warren

 

[StevenToddIves]

Noah Warren

Yeah, obviously I'm pretty high on Isaiah George. But from a Devils standpoint, it's really tough to envision the team taking a LD in the first 3 rounds. I could see it if George fell to the 4th as his style is one seemingly coveted by Tom Fitzgerald, but I doubt George falls so far.

I'll be rooting for this kid wherever he is drafted, because he's just a really solid defender and his extraordinary athleticism gives him some sneaky upside.

 

[Guttersniped]

NJ has been pretty decent drafting out of Russia recently, could be a huge opportunity.

We have several Russian scouts, I have to think more than most NHL teams (if not all lol).

Both Misha Manchik (69 years old) and Andrei Plekhanov (35 years old) are listed on Elite Prospects. Manchik started in 2016-17 and Plekhanov in 2018-19.

I went on Prudential staff directory to make sure they were both listed there still and not only were they both there, Sergei Nemchinov is also a European scout for us now.

So, no, I wouldn’t be too shocked if we drafted out of Russia this year.

 

[StevenToddIves]

We have several Russian scouts, I have to think more than most NHL teams (if not all lol).

Both Misha Manchik (69 years old) and Andrei Plekhanov (35 years old) are listed on Elite Prospects. Manchik started in 2016-17 and Plekhanov in 2018-19.

I went on Prudential staff directory to make sure they were both listed there still and not only were they both there, Sergei Nemchinov is also a European scout for us now.

So, no, I wouldn’t be too shocked if we drafted out of Russia this year.

If Perevalov fell to the 2nd round, I would trade up in a heartbeat to get him. That kid is a potential 1st line superstar at any level. Trikozov is another potential steal if he falls. And of course the big question would have to be, what do you do if you're drafting at #36 and Ivan Miroshnichenko is available? We cannot understate that his upside -- though the risk is undeniably huge -- is as high as Wright or Slafkovsky at the top of the entire class.

In later rounds, there will be plenty of excellent Russian players who could fall. I've written up several on our draft boards, and please -- all of you -- feel free to ask me if you want to discuss any of them, because as you all know I'd love to.

 

[Rydev]

the idea of a Bastian-sized individual who throws theirs body around and scores at a clip high enough to get drafted top-8 is my biggest desire Id say

Is one of these bigger guys listed a tougher player?

 

[Captain3rdLine]

In terms of draft position. Things can change quick but as of right now we are as close to last place as we are to 8th last. Can’t imagine us catching Detroit(9th last) save some great and unlikely finish. Probably won’t pass Chicago (8th) or be passed by Arizona (last) although the later is more possible if we keep pulling these loses. Seattle and Montreal are both teams that could pass us if we keep losing and we could end up in the bottom 3. Tomorrow’s game against Montreal could be really big. Either we pull away from them to a point where it would be hard for them to catch us or they close the gap even more and make it more possible (4 point game). Realistically we’re gonna finish somewhere from 2nd-7th last.

 

[DeVols]

@StevenToddIves First, I’d like to say how appreciative we all are of your posts. As someone that doesn’t have time to watch non-NHL games I always look forward to your posts. I’m curious, how do you tank these prospects in terms of NHL readiness?

 

[Figgie]

Slafkovsky 0+1 after 1 period at his first Liiga playoff game!