If you understand the politics of the situation better than I do -- and I'm being sincere, not challenging at all -- then how long of a process would this be? Moreover, if you're an NHL GM, does this affect your rankings/draft strategy with Russian players?
Prospect Info: 2022 Draft Prospects, Part II
- Thread starter StevenToddIves
- Start date
-
HF Sportsbook has been reset for the new season - Click here to play.
If you understand the politics of the situation better than I do -- and I'm being sincere, not challenging at all -- then how long of a process would this be? Moreover, if you're an NHL GM, does this affect your rankings/draft strategy with Russian players?
This guy's a baby... doesn't even turn 18 until July. I feel like he's the type that can pop in his D+1 like Luke did.
The two players I'm keying on here are Fs Alexander Perevalov and Gleb Trikozov. These are both high-end prospects who were already underrated, as many draft writers don't bother watching much MHL and many scouting bureaus don't have MHL scouts. These are both kids with just enormous upside, whose consensus ranking was probably the late first round. I have Perevalov at #8 overall and Trikozov at #24 overall, and I feel either could now fall to the Devils second round pick. Make no mistake, these are dynamic offensive talents.
NJ has been pretty decent drafting out of Russia recently, could be a huge opportunity.
Minten just doesn't have those sorts of offensive skills, though I would say that with increased responsibility it is not out of the question to predict him becoming a PPG player in the WHL in his draft+1 season.
More than decent, I would say. Sharangovich, Gritsyuk, Mukhamadullin. I'd also say Bardakov was the Devils best pick after the 1st round last year. The NJ Russian scouting has been nothing short of phenomenal.
EDIT: I'm saying this despite being vocally upset two years in a row that the Devils passed on Dmitri Rashevsky.
Yup, I'm also thinking of guys like Maltsev, Rykov, and Zaitsev that didn't make big NHL impacts for one reason or another, but clearly overshot their draft position, and would have been taken earlier in a redraft one or two years down the line. In my book, those are still good finds.
Rykov was the main piece that was traded for Grabner (awful trade, I know, but he was sought after at the deadline), and Maltsev got us Graves.
2022 Draft Profile:
RW Matthew Seminoff, Kamloops WHL
Matt Seminoff is a player who has already defied expectations, and as such I would not bet against him defying more. Drafted as a strong defensive forward with an elite compete level, he has worked his way up to the Blazers' top line alongside WHL top scorer Logan Stankoven and has rocketed up draft rankings this year as a PPG player who also excels on all 200 feet of ice. However, his consensus is still all over the place, ranked as high as the first round by -- not surprisingly Western Canadian based -- Dobber Prospects (#29) and Elite Prospects (#26) and as low as the mid-3rd round (#75 by McKeen's and FC Hockey).
Seminoff is averaged sized at 5'11-180, although he plays bigger due to his almost supernatural work ethic. The Virginia-born but Canada-raised prospect has great straight-line speed and acceleration to get there, but needs to work on his edges and turns before he can be called an overall great skater. None of his offensive tools stand out individually -- he's a decent shooter, a smart passer and a fine stickhandler, but Seminoff is one of those players for whom it's not the pieces which matter so much as what you get when the pieces all come together.
Because Seminoff is absolutely relentless every second of every shift. He is constantly dogging the puck, he is an omnipresent thorn in the side of every opponent every time he steps on the ice. His defensive awareness mixed with his incessant hustle sees him constantly forcing opposing errors and creating turnovers to switch possession to his team. Are his 46 points in 48 games perhaps a bit inflated because he plays with Logan Stankoven and a litany of other talented Kamloops forwards? Sure, probably. But I can guarantee all of his teammates absolutely relish the idea of playing with this chaos-inducing, turnover creating, hustle machine. There are a lot of more talented and bigger and faster forwards available in the 2022 draft, but there's no one we can say plays with more heart. This, combined with very strong hockey sense, makes Matthew Seminoff a worthy pick from the second round on in the 2022 draft.
I'm not sure I would take him in the 1st round as Dobber and Elite have suggested, because I honestly feel his likely scenario is as a stud 3rd line center with the offensive chops to slot up to the 2nd line in a pinch. But he'll be a fixture on an NHL PK unit, and he'll work his tail off. Seminoff is a high floor player who I would be shocked if he did not at least carve out a valuable role in an NHL bottom 6.
RW Matthew Seminoff, Kamloops WHL
Matt Seminoff is a player who has already defied expectations, and as such I would not bet against him defying more. Drafted as a strong defensive forward with an elite compete level, he has worked his way up to the Blazers' top line alongside WHL top scorer Logan Stankoven and has rocketed up draft rankings this year as a PPG player who also excels on all 200 feet of ice. However, his consensus is still all over the place, ranked as high as the first round by -- not surprisingly Western Canadian based -- Dobber Prospects (#29) and Elite Prospects (#26) and as low as the mid-3rd round (#75 by McKeen's and FC Hockey).
Seminoff is averaged sized at 5'11-180, although he plays bigger due to his almost supernatural work ethic. The Virginia-born but Canada-raised prospect has great straight-line speed and acceleration to get there, but needs to work on his edges and turns before he can be called an overall great skater. None of his offensive tools stand out individually -- he's a decent shooter, a smart passer and a fine stickhandler, but Seminoff is one of those players for whom it's not the pieces which matter so much as what you get when the pieces all come together.
Because Seminoff is absolutely relentless every second of every shift. He is constantly dogging the puck, he is an omnipresent thorn in the side of every opponent every time he steps on the ice. His defensive awareness mixed with his incessant hustle sees him constantly forcing opposing errors and creating turnovers to switch possession to his team. Are his 46 points in 48 games perhaps a bit inflated because he plays with Logan Stankoven and a litany of other talented Kamloops forwards? Sure, probably. But I can guarantee all of his teammates absolutely relish the idea of playing with this chaos-inducing, turnover creating, hustle machine. There are a lot of more talented and bigger and faster forwards available in the 2022 draft, but there's no one we can say plays with more heart. This, combined with very strong hockey sense, makes Matthew Seminoff a worthy pick from the second round on in the 2022 draft.
I'm not sure I would take him in the 1st round as Dobber and Elite have suggested, because I honestly feel his likely scenario is as a stud 3rd line center with the offensive chops to slot up to the 2nd line in a pinch. But he'll be a fixture on an NHL PK unit, and he'll work his tail off. Seminoff is a high floor player who I would be shocked if he did not at least carve out a valuable role in an NHL bottom 6.
2022 Draft Profile:
LW/C Mathew Ward, Swift Current WHL
Here we have the penultimate smaller, scoring forward who would likely be a 2nd/3rd round consideration for many teams were it not for his small 5'8-145 frame. As with the prototype, he's fast as hell on his skates and extremely skilled with the puck and the big knock against him is that he is often bounced around the greasy areas by physical opposition. None of Ward's problems have to do with heart, as he is willing to pay a price to score and is not soft by any stretch of the imagination. But as he progresses to the higher levels the goaltending will improve and a greater percentage of goals where will scored from the interior, where ultimately Ward is least effective.
Ward is impressive before you even see him, as he has 21 goals and 49 points in 49 games for an offensively-challenged Broncos team. The second highest scorer on his team is far below him, Josh Filmon with 38 points in 4 more games played. So, it's immediately clear who is the offensive driver of the bus in Swift Current. Ward is speedy and agile which, combined with his high-end stick handling, allows him to dart in and out of traffic with possession like he's a human video game. He's tremendously smart with high-end awareness in every area, especially offensively. This meshes well with his plus vision and Ward can only be described as a tremendous passer. His shot needs work on the power, and although you wonder if the power will ever be there, Ward has a nifty and quick release and tremendous accuracy when shooting. His smarts and hustle contribute to his being a well-better-than-average defensive forward despite his strength limitations.
You have to give credit where credit is due. Mathew Ward is a 5'8 17 year old leading his team in scoring by a ton despite clearly being the focal point of the opposition game plan every single game. This cannot be understated. As such, Mathew Ward is a defier of expectation and a silly player to bet against for superficial reasons. I know he's small, you know he's small, the opposition knows he's small, he knows he's small. He's overcome this in every possible way by playing a fast-paced, fast-thinking, heady and high-compete game with a whole lot of skill. Without downplaying the obvious risks in his floor, I'd still say Ward has the ceiling as a middle-six forward at the NHL level who can be a heck of a player on all your special teams.
Ward's rankings are all over the place. The highest I've seen him is #42 overall by Recruit Scouting. I'd say his normal range is in the 3rd/4th round, but we have to take into account that, generally, NHL front offices value size more than draft writers and scouting bureaus. To me, Mathew Ward is a terrific pick from the 4th round on because of the potential value he represents combined with the smarts and compete level which make him a very good bet to approach a significant talent ceiling.
LW/C Mathew Ward, Swift Current WHL
Here we have the penultimate smaller, scoring forward who would likely be a 2nd/3rd round consideration for many teams were it not for his small 5'8-145 frame. As with the prototype, he's fast as hell on his skates and extremely skilled with the puck and the big knock against him is that he is often bounced around the greasy areas by physical opposition. None of Ward's problems have to do with heart, as he is willing to pay a price to score and is not soft by any stretch of the imagination. But as he progresses to the higher levels the goaltending will improve and a greater percentage of goals where will scored from the interior, where ultimately Ward is least effective.
Ward is impressive before you even see him, as he has 21 goals and 49 points in 49 games for an offensively-challenged Broncos team. The second highest scorer on his team is far below him, Josh Filmon with 38 points in 4 more games played. So, it's immediately clear who is the offensive driver of the bus in Swift Current. Ward is speedy and agile which, combined with his high-end stick handling, allows him to dart in and out of traffic with possession like he's a human video game. He's tremendously smart with high-end awareness in every area, especially offensively. This meshes well with his plus vision and Ward can only be described as a tremendous passer. His shot needs work on the power, and although you wonder if the power will ever be there, Ward has a nifty and quick release and tremendous accuracy when shooting. His smarts and hustle contribute to his being a well-better-than-average defensive forward despite his strength limitations.
You have to give credit where credit is due. Mathew Ward is a 5'8 17 year old leading his team in scoring by a ton despite clearly being the focal point of the opposition game plan every single game. This cannot be understated. As such, Mathew Ward is a defier of expectation and a silly player to bet against for superficial reasons. I know he's small, you know he's small, the opposition knows he's small, he knows he's small. He's overcome this in every possible way by playing a fast-paced, fast-thinking, heady and high-compete game with a whole lot of skill. Without downplaying the obvious risks in his floor, I'd still say Ward has the ceiling as a middle-six forward at the NHL level who can be a heck of a player on all your special teams.
Ward's rankings are all over the place. The highest I've seen him is #42 overall by Recruit Scouting. I'd say his normal range is in the 3rd/4th round, but we have to take into account that, generally, NHL front offices value size more than draft writers and scouting bureaus. To me, Mathew Ward is a terrific pick from the 4th round on because of the potential value he represents combined with the smarts and compete level which make him a very good bet to approach a significant talent ceiling.
He's a really good player, and I'm a big fan. There are going to be higher-upside players available with the Devils 2nd round pick (as of today, #38), but if he falls to the 3rd, Seminoff will certainly be in the BOP conversation. The problem is that the Devils are deep at RW with middle six and top six potentials, and you'd like to see a pick that high going to areas of need.
I'm mainly just focused on the financial issues. The risk with Russian players currently is that they can stay in the KHL and make a decent living there. Players may be more interested in going to North America earlier if the pay difference becomes large enough.
mid like to see then pick RD with their first three picks. Then a goalie. Then interior forwards who can skate and are high compete guys..
Here's a mini-mock for March:
1 ARI C Wright
2 MTL C Cooley
3 SEA LW Slafkovsky
4 BUF RD Jiricek
5 PHI RD Nemec
6 NJ LW Gauthier
7 OTT C Geekie
8 CLB C Savoie
9 NYI RW Kemell
10 DET LW Yurov
11 SJ RW/C Lambert
12 CLB RW/C Nazar
13 WPG RD Chesley
14 VAN LW Miroshnichenko
15 ANH C McGroarty
I think it's time to discuss the possibility that the Devils can miss on the 3 obvious targets of LW Slafkovsky and RDs Jiricek and Nemec. In this scenario, I have the Devils taking perhaps the best power F in the draft with Gauthier, and area clearly defined as one of need with Fitzgerald's #29 overall pick last year of Chase Stillman. Gauthier has far more upside than Stillman and plays the forward position of greatest need for NJ as a LW.
1 ARI C Wright
2 MTL C Cooley
3 SEA LW Slafkovsky
4 BUF RD Jiricek
5 PHI RD Nemec
6 NJ LW Gauthier
7 OTT C Geekie
8 CLB C Savoie
9 NYI RW Kemell
10 DET LW Yurov
11 SJ RW/C Lambert
12 CLB RW/C Nazar
13 WPG RD Chesley
14 VAN LW Miroshnichenko
15 ANH C McGroarty
I think it's time to discuss the possibility that the Devils can miss on the 3 obvious targets of LW Slafkovsky and RDs Jiricek and Nemec. In this scenario, I have the Devils taking perhaps the best power F in the draft with Gauthier, and area clearly defined as one of need with Fitzgerald's #29 overall pick last year of Chase Stillman. Gauthier has far more upside than Stillman and plays the forward position of greatest need for NJ as a LW.
2022 Draft Profile:
LW Jordan Gustafson, Seattle WHL
Sometimes a player does not blow you away in any singular respect, but the sum of their tools combined with great intangibles just makes you willing to bet on them. Jordan Gustafson is precisely this type of player. The Alberta native is neither particularly big at 5'11-180, nor is he particularly skilled with any elite tool. But he's a high-intelligence, high compete kid with no weaknesses in his game and as such, he's a very high floor kid with the potential to become a character bottom six forward at the highest levels.
Gustafson has scored 20 goals and 25 assists in 45 games for a very offensively potent Thunderbirds team. He's a decent skater in terms of balance and agility, but can use some extension work to up his top speeds. Gustafson is a pretty good passer and puck handler -- he makes good decisions in these areas, but his physical skill is not quite up to the level of his intelligence. I'd say Gustafson's shot can be described similarly -- good enough to play up, but also in need of improvement. Defensively, Gustafson is adequate but sometimes tries to do too much, and can over-commit trying to pick off a pass or anticipate the play.
Where Gustafson shines is in his offensive savvy and his 200-foot compete. This kid works his tail off for every second of every shift. He routinely beats bigger and stronger opponents in puck battles, and he's the kind of kid who would block a shot with his face if he had to. He's really good at finding the open areas of ice in the offensive zone and creating passing lanes and soft areas for his linemates to pass him the puck. He's willing to crash the crease and he's terrific on the forecheck. He's more of a heart and soul player than anything else, but he's one heck of a heart and soul player.
Jordan Gustafson has some seriously weird discrepancies in his rankings. While I'd say his average ranking is from the late 2nd to the early 4th round, some scouts seem to find him to be a non-prospect while a known name like Craig Button has given him an astounding 1st round ranking at #24 overall. Though Gustafson is an easy player to like and to root for, I can't see justifying him so highly in the 2022 draft. However, this is a kid you really hope lasts until the 4th round or later and you snatch him up there, because his high floor and off-the-charts work ethic meshes nicely with some intriguing goal-scoring ability.
LW Jordan Gustafson, Seattle WHL
Sometimes a player does not blow you away in any singular respect, but the sum of their tools combined with great intangibles just makes you willing to bet on them. Jordan Gustafson is precisely this type of player. The Alberta native is neither particularly big at 5'11-180, nor is he particularly skilled with any elite tool. But he's a high-intelligence, high compete kid with no weaknesses in his game and as such, he's a very high floor kid with the potential to become a character bottom six forward at the highest levels.
Gustafson has scored 20 goals and 25 assists in 45 games for a very offensively potent Thunderbirds team. He's a decent skater in terms of balance and agility, but can use some extension work to up his top speeds. Gustafson is a pretty good passer and puck handler -- he makes good decisions in these areas, but his physical skill is not quite up to the level of his intelligence. I'd say Gustafson's shot can be described similarly -- good enough to play up, but also in need of improvement. Defensively, Gustafson is adequate but sometimes tries to do too much, and can over-commit trying to pick off a pass or anticipate the play.
Where Gustafson shines is in his offensive savvy and his 200-foot compete. This kid works his tail off for every second of every shift. He routinely beats bigger and stronger opponents in puck battles, and he's the kind of kid who would block a shot with his face if he had to. He's really good at finding the open areas of ice in the offensive zone and creating passing lanes and soft areas for his linemates to pass him the puck. He's willing to crash the crease and he's terrific on the forecheck. He's more of a heart and soul player than anything else, but he's one heck of a heart and soul player.
Jordan Gustafson has some seriously weird discrepancies in his rankings. While I'd say his average ranking is from the late 2nd to the early 4th round, some scouts seem to find him to be a non-prospect while a known name like Craig Button has given him an astounding 1st round ranking at #24 overall. Though Gustafson is an easy player to like and to root for, I can't see justifying him so highly in the 2022 draft. However, this is a kid you really hope lasts until the 4th round or later and you snatch him up there, because his high floor and off-the-charts work ethic meshes nicely with some intriguing goal-scoring ability.
- May 8, 2010
- 21,718
- 38,275
This is just awful news. I wish Miro the best in a speedy recovery.
This is certainly going to affect Miro's draft status, there's no way around it. His upside is tremendous -- right there with Wright, Slafkovsky and Lambert among the tops in the class -- but he sorely needs development, he's got a lot to work on. With the possibility Miro does not hit the ice again until 2023-24, I think we could potentially see him drop into the late first round.
But the most important thing is for Miro to just get healthy. He's got incredibly huge potential, and I'm sure I speak for everyone in hoping he can overcome this adversity to become the great player he is capable of.
Captain3rdLine
Registered User
- Sep 24, 2020
- 7,616
- 8,857
This must be so hard for him. Wishing him the best.
Do you think it could be a bigger drop than that? He was already a prospect that a lot of people haven’t been sure about and seemed like a risk to drop and was showing up outside of the top 10 in a lot of rankings. It wouldn’t surprise me if he drops into the 2nd or even 3rd round given that he was already a prospect that had quite a bit to work on and was dropping in rankings, he’s not expected play next year, will probably take a very long time to make it to the NHL especially considering that he’s Russian and this will stall things and I doubt he’ll be rushing over. And there’s a risk that this could reasonably affect how he turns out long term or at the very least slow it down.
Obviously there’s very good upside but unless there’s a team that absolutely loves him and thinks he’s destined to be a star I’m not sure a team will use a first round pick on him given the risks. Or a team that has multiple first round picks I supposed could.
I can't see him slipping too far into the second round. His upside is perhaps even "best player in the 2022 draft". I'm I'm the Devils and Miroshnichenko is around with the early pick in the 2nd round, I don't see how I would pass him up.
I don't see him going past Arizona's late first round picks. They can afford a riskier pick since they have so many.
Eggtimer
Registered User
GUys thoughts on Yurov vs. Gauthier? Im not sure which player is the better pick for us if Slaf and the RHD are gone ? Or do you go Lambert over the two I listed?
I would take Gauthier. The player I really want though is Jiricek.
BurntToast
Registered User
I am curious if some of the lack luster performances can be attributed to Covid. Many of these guys missed significant playing time. I feel like Write’s season is “OK” but from a 1OA, you expect more. It’s not like anyone is challenging him ether.
Eggtimer
Registered User
If both Slafkovsky and Jiricek are still there , I’m torn between those two. If both those are gone , not sure if we should go Nemec or Gaithier or ?
So far I’m
1.Slaf / Jiricek
2.
3.Gauthier /Nemec
4.
5. Yurov
I believe that would be the Devils toughest possible decision if presented with that scenario.
Ad
Latest posts
-
-
-
Jake Allen Conditional Pick Counter (Needs 40 GP in 2024-2025)- Latest: Adam Michaels
