Pre-Game Talk: 2022 NHL Draft Mega Thread: All Draft Talk Goes Here!

[CHwest]

It is starting to feel like Slaf is the pick. Nothing wrong with this IMO. If you imagine the ideal player that could fit on a line with Suzuki and Caufield, it would be something like Slaf. Wright is a balanced player, but I'm not sure he has enough energy/speed/tenacity in his game to break through and be a real difference maker at the NHL level. Slaf, with his hands and strength, will be hard to contain. Assuming Dubois ends up in Mtl via free agency in a few years, passing on Wright and Cooley does not seem to be the end of the world. There is also next year's draft, which should give us another chance at a center if Dubois does not sign with the Habs.

Why on Gods green earth would Dubois end up in Montreal?

 

[Hannibal]

You cannot as an organization state that C and D are the 2 most important positions and go Winger with your 1st overall.

Unless they are about to move top 10 and will go with a guy they KNOW and are CERTAIN that he will be a centerman in this league. That's not Savoie. That's either Ostlund who somehow will have to figure out how to be less a perimeter player. Or Nazar/Kaspar will be top 2 C.

But what if you have more doubts about tje center prospect than the winger?

 

[ArtPeur]

Will it be on RDS or TVA Spanre?

TVAS has the rights

 

[Habsfan18]

I just don’t understand the logic of going with a project winger at 1st overall, over the reliable two-way C who is viewed as a sure-thing even if not a high-end star.

Slaf could make the Habs look like geniuses. But why take the risk???

 

[morhilane]

So I couldn't access HF today and I come back to 30 more pages in this thread.

Some random comments to catch up with everything.

Teams meeting draftees the day before (or same day) isn't that special. MB did it too. I think it's a way to keep the other team guessing who you are picking.

There seems to be a lots of smokes about trades (not habs specific), yet I suspect not that many will happen.

I'm surprised by how many things the top kids have to do on pre-draft day. Practices with kids, gaming under the cameras, interviews, photo ops.

RIP Bryan.

 

[Cubebrick]

Man, they better be sure about Slafkovsky, if it’s him..

Just seems like a massive risk.

Sure, he probably has the highest potential in the draft IF he puts it all together. But that’s a big if. There’s massive boom or bust there. No in between. Either a star, or a big time bust, IMO. 80-90 point player, or we’ll all be looking back and asking just what the f*** scouts saw in this guy…

Shane Wright, while having lower high-end potential, is the sure thing. I mean, AT WORST this guy is probably a reliable 50 point C. 70-75 point top 6 center you can rely on in all situations if he reaches his potential.

If HuGo + the rest of the crew thinks that Slafkovsky is the best player then I'm pretty sure they've done their homework thoroughly.

I mean, if they believe that they can bring Slafkovsky to that next level then I'm all for it (even though I have a preference for Wright). Plus they most likely have a set their target to get a C whether it's at next year's draft or via trade or U/RFAs.

 

[Adam Michaels]

There's conditions to the 25 times in a row.

Pick Wright,

Get 7th,

Get Jiricek or Lekkerimaki

JERK LIKE MAD​

You will also have to change your avatar to the Masturbating Bear from Conan when he was at Late Night.

 

[Kennerback]

No leaks anywhere but all mighty Francois Gagnon is sure we go for Slafkovsky.

Maybe Gagnon’s sources are worthless, but I don‘t doubt those sources exist and told him that.

Unlike earlier this week, a few people in the Habs organization now know who that pick is. They were running a tight ship, but when too many people know, someone will spill the beans.

The info is out there, and it’s up to reporters to pull the right strings to get confirmation.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Slaf looks killer without the braces

My girlfriend has not followed this at all. I oversimplified with « biggest kid in the draft, hit or miss, could be amazing », « Fast, agile smaller playmaking center, fun to watch », « safest, most well rounded center in the draft ».

She answered « when your team sucks this much you make the safe choice, so Wright »

I said « live on the edge, pick the kid with the highest risk and highest upside! It’s entertainment! »

She replied « that’s why I do our finance… » lol

she's a quality woman. there is wisdom in her hockey innocence. Let her bear your progeny

 

[ArtPeur]

Why on Gods green earth would Dubois end up in Montreal?

It's wishful thinking. He has no contract right now but, as he said that he wanted to play in Montreal in the future, everyone is assuming that he'll join the Habs once he goes UFA. They all forget he might just sign a multi year deal right now with some team

 

[McGees]

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I read only three pages here, supposedly about the draft. Lajoie is dumb, Molson is an idiot, Bergevin is stupid, McCagg is a moron... One thing is sure, this board is populated with frustrated guys constantly needing to throw insults. You have nothing else to talk about? Damn! Wait for the first big mistake by HuGo...

Guess who sounds frustrated?

You!

 

[Forge]

You cannot as an organization state that C and D are the 2 most important positions and go Winger with your 1st overall.

Unless they are about to move top 10 and will go with a guy they KNOW and are CERTAIN that he will be a centerman in this league. That's not Savoie. That's either Ostlund who somehow will have to figure out how to be less a perimeter player. Or Nazar/Kaspar will be top 2 C.

Apparently its not out of the realm that they view Slaf as a center. Apparently he played quite a bit in the junior leagues according to Sam Cosentino? Apparently Gorton also went to Kakko when they were going to draft him and asked how he felt about being a center (kakko requested to stay at wing). Was in the Athletic NHL podcast

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

I swear if we don't draft the 2 centers or at best Nemec
Im gonna call 911 and tell me to transport me to institute Pinel in MTL. Holy f*** how can someone who barely makea offense is considered a 1st OA. Don't care if they had 50 interview with him , game is played on the ice not in a f***ing office.

 

[HuGo Sham]

Apparently its not out of the realm that they view Slaf as a center. Apparently he played quite a bit in the junior leagues according to Sam Cosentino? Apparently Gorton also went to Kakko when they were going to draft him and asked how he felt about being a center (kakko requested to stay at wing). Was in the Athletic NHL podcast

yeah and look how that Kakko pick has (so far) turned out for NY lol

 

[Scotianhab]

If HuGo + the rest of the crew thinks that Slafkovsky is the best player then I'm pretty sure they've done their homework thoroughly.

I mean, if they believe that they can bring Slafkovsky to that next level then I'm all for it (even though I have a preference for Wright). Plus they most likely have a set their target to get a C whether it's at next year's draft or via trade or U/RFAs.

Take the C this year. No guarantees what happens next year. Might be 6-10th overall who knows. Even if Wright doesn’t become a superstar he will still get 20/25 goals and can play in all zones. Slaf could be the next Yakupov for all we know.

 

[nhlfan9191]

Apparently its not out of the realm that they view Slaf as a center. Apparently he played quite a bit in the junior leagues according to Sam Cosentino? Apparently Gorton also went to Kakko when they were going to draft him and asked how he felt about being a center (kakko requested to stay at wing). Was in the Athletic NHL podcast

Drouin is more of center then Slafkovsky is. No thank you to that kind of experiment.

 

[Goldenhands]

If this is accurate, could possibly mean that Hughes has secured another top 10 pick where a center might come from.

Marco Kasper...

 

[le_sean]

I just don’t understand the logic of going with a project winger at 1st overall, over the reliable two-way C who is viewed as a sure-thing even if not a high-end star.

Slaf could make the Habs look like geniuses. But why take the risk???

Not the decision I would make but I would think they see more potential for Slafkovsky to improve whereas Wright might just stay similar to what he is now? Who knows.

 

[Le Tricolore]

Wright is the safer pick, IMO. Montreal absolutely cannot afford another high draft bust, or whatever we want to call Galchenyuk and Kotkaniemi. It has to be Wright. 100%.

 

[Goldenhands]

If we pick Slafkovsky over Wright I'm smashing my keyboard

Like Canelo got smashed by Bivol?

 

[Habsfan18]

Not the decision I would make but I would think they see more potential for Slafkovsky to improve whereas Wright might just stay similar to what he is now? Who knows.

But let’s put it this way, and I’m just throwing our random numbers here lol

Option A: 95% chance you have a reliable 50-60 point top 6 two-way C, and a smaller chance he ends up a full-on star player.

Option B: 20% chance you have an 80-90 point “power winger” who is a physical specimen even if he doesn’t yet fully use it to his full ability. Flashes of a dominant player, but 80% chance he doesn’t reach that lofty expectation and also a good chance he busts.

Who would you go with as a GM? And I don’t meant you specifically lol just in general. It’s a major risk but high reward IF it works out.

 

[Gustave]

Getting a winger out of a 1st overall pick is just so disappointing. I’ll rally, but I’ll be disappointed. Just trade down if it’s that, honestly go for quantity if you are picking f***ing wingers.

 

[SwiftyHab]

So I couldn't access HF today and I come back to 30 more pages in this thread.

Some random comments to catch up with everything.

Teams meeting draftees the day before (or same day) isn't that special. MB did it too. I think it's a way to keep the other team guessing who you are picking.

There seems to be a lots of smokes about trades (not habs specific), yet I suspect not that many will happen.

I'm surprised by how many things the top kids have to do on pre-draft day. Practices with kids, gaming under the cameras, interviews, photo ops.

RIP Bryan.

I’ll catch you up….a lot of talk…nothing happened

 

[Benstheman]

Apparently its not out of the realm that they view Slaf as a center. Apparently he played quite a bit in the junior leagues according to Sam Cosentino? Apparently Gorton also went to Kakko when they were going to draft him and asked how he felt about being a center (kakko requested to stay at wing). Was in the Athletic NHL podcast

No way