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

[ArtPeur]

Two moments I want to see.

When Hughes gets up to go congratulate his son at another table

When BargainBin walks up on stage with the Kings entourage.

Kings pick up Hughes' son

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Brady Tkachuk at first overall isn't very exciting.........

More exciting than Slaf tho

 

[HuGo Sham]

Plekanec/Desharnais

yikes. we are a chronically abused fanbase

 

[PavelBrendl]

Man that 2008 draft of ours was something special.

0 NHL games played.

 

[Hacketts]

Was there really a draft in 2008?

touche

 

[McGees]

Slaf has short legs

 

[Agalloch]

Brady Tkachuk at first overall isn't very exciting.........

Agree. That's why I would go with the center.

 

[Habsfan18]

Did I miss the Draft Preview and Mock Draft shows on TSN this year? I thought they’re usually on the night before the draft. Did they not do them this year or were they earlier in the week?

 

[MM425]

I'm sure Slaf will turn out to be a fine NHL player. The thing is though, at 1OA if he's anything less than a dominant, first-line winger ... management looks really bad for taking such an unnecessary risk. Middle six wingers with size that can chip in 20 goals or whatever are easily acquired.

Draft Wright if he ends up being a Nugent-Hopkins level player... that's disappointing for sure but a solid 2nd line center is still very useful for any roster and not easy to acquire.

I trust that management understands this dynamic, which means they must have some very compelling reasons to think Slaf projects to be a superstar winger.

 

[Agalloch]

I'm sure Slaf will turn out to be a fine NHL player. The thing is though, at 1OA if he's anything less than a dominant, first-line winger ... management looks really bad for taking such an unnecessary risk. Middle six wingers with size that can chip in 20 goals or whatever are easily acquired.

Draft Wright if he ends up being a Nugent-Hopkins level player... that's disappointing for sure but a solid 2nd line center is still very useful for any roster and not easy to acquire.

I trust that management understands this dynamic, which means they must have some very compelling reasons to think Slaf projects to be a superstar winger.

It must be a way to put pressure on NJ. I can't think of anything else.

 

[Whitesnake]

Baffles me that we would pick a winger with the 12 we have , while we have Dvorak on the block and that Evans is on the third line. Makes 0 sense

The only thing is that while there's a lot of things we don't have, we do not have a Slafkovsky in our pool either. Unless we want to really believe hard that Luck Tuch will be. But a big scoring winger....we don't have.

Just like we don't have a top 6 C...or a puck moving D with PP attributes or....

 

[Runner77]

Just heard part of a lengthy interview where Renaud Lavoie explains his comment about how he’d be surprised if the Habs chose Wright. Will post the link, if I find it. Some interesting nuggets.

 

[Habidelidoo]

Pardon my ignorance, but why everybody talking about slaf ?

 

[CheldishGamibno]

My ideal scenario would be
1- Juraj Slafkovsky
16- Maveric Lamoureux
33- Traded to move up and get Maveric

Lmao, you have the best profile pic btw

 

[Goldenhands]

Slaf is more talended than Brady Tkachuk, he is going to end up as a great player, people should chill out.

According to Bobby Mac, 5 scouts he polled all see him as a surefire top 6 foward with high chances to end up as a top line power winger. So no, he is not a project, he is a very good young hockey player with a very promising progression curve.

If its Wright, 80% of this board will be happy, if its Slafkovsky, 80% of this board still should be pretty happy, we get a great hockey player here.

 

[Captain97]

Pardon my ignorance, but why everybody talking about slaf ?

Bobby Mac had him narrowly as the #1 pick in his mock draft. And his 1st overall has been correct since atleast 2008 (as far back as we can find the lists)

This one is different though he usually has a consensus pick based off a survey of scouts. This time it went 5-4 in favour of Slaf. He polled an additional 5 scouts later and it came out 3-2 Wright.

Basically it's a 7-7 tie from actual NHL scouts on who goes 1st.

 

[ArtPeur]

Pardon my ignorance, but why everybody talking about slaf ?

François Gagnon said he heard from some NHL team staff that it would be Habs' pick

 

[Runner77]

Did I miss the Draft Preview and Mock Draft shows on TSN this year? I thought they’re usually on the night before the draft. Did they not do them this year or were they earlier in the week?

Happened already.

Button’s mock draft:

Bobby Mac’s list: Slafkovsky edges Wright for top spot in McKenzie’s final draft ranking - TSN.ca

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

The only thing is that while there's a lot of things we don't have, we do not have a Slafkovsky in our pool either. Unless we want to really believe hard that Luck Tuch will be. But a big scoring winger....we don't have.

Just like we don't have a top 6 C...or a puck moving D with PP attributes or....

Yeah we are rebuilding. Last time I checked you win cups while having 2 solid center as a starter. It's just that with the ''upcoming prospect'' who are 19-20 are all wingers or Defs. We have legit nothing in the middle. Evans belong in a 4th. Dvorak will be traded sooner or later. Suzuki cant be alone in the next 3-4 years as a top 6 center. We will suck hard again this year , in 2023 we can always get a top 10 pick easily and pick a winger or a d-man then.

You know when you gonna have a great center. Wright has all the tools possible to be good on both side of the ice and we know he can shoot the puck also. Wright is a sure shot while Slaf isnt. We already destroyed Galchy , KK and traded Sergachev. Habs need to make the safe choice with the 1st oa.

You find wingers easily centers you dont.

 

[Team_Spirit]

What if NJ won't pick Slaf?

Wright
Nemec

 

[Agalloch]

So the comparable for Slafkovsky is Rantanen.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Slaf is more talended than Brady Tkachuk, he is going to end up as a great player, people should chill out.

According to Bobby Mac, 5 scouts he polled all see him as a sufire top 6 foward with high chances to end up as a top line power winger. So no, he is not a project, he is a very good young hockey player with with a very promising progression curve.

If its Wright, 80% of this board will be happy, if its Slafkovsky, 80% of this board still should be pretty happy, we get a great hockey player here.

I agree that we should be happy with either of Wright, Slaf & Cooley.

Personally, Slaf is the one I want the least from those 3 and wouldn't be upset if Nemec or Jiricek are taken before him.

However, McKenzie said that what he got from the scout is that both Slaf and Wright would be 2nd line players.

So the comparable for Slafkovsky is Rantanen.

Or he can be a Puljujarvi or a Kakko. Much like Wright shouldn't be compared to Bergeron. Slaf shouldn't be compared to Rantanen.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

Slaf is more talended than Brady Tkachuk, he is going to end up as a great player, people should chill out.

According to Bobby Mac, 5 scouts he polled all see him as a surefire top 6 foward with high chances to end up as a top line power winger. So no, he is not a project, he is a very good young hockey player with a very promising progression curve.

If its Wright, 80% of this board will be happy, if its Slafkovsky, 80% of this board still should be pretty happy, we get a great hockey player here.

Hey! Don't tell 80% of what what we should or shouldn't do. You're not our supervisor!

 

[hardcorehabs]

Slaf and his 30% shooting against ECHL caliber goalies at the Olympics is the reason he even gets a sniff at Top 3. Joke

Better hope to god we don’t draft him. I actually think KK had better potential in his draft year at the time

 

[Schooner Guy]

Did I miss the Draft Preview and Mock Draft shows on TSN this year? I thought they’re usually on the night before the draft. Did they not do them this year or were they earlier in the week?

Bobby Mac's draft preview came out about 8 days ago. Slaf was #1 with five 1st place votes. Wright had four 1st place votes. Cooley had one 1st place vote. It created some interesting banter here. Some minds were lost. Lots of conspiracy theories that Bobby Mac's trying to help the Leafs out. It was vintage Habs HF boards! Button had his mock draft with Wright going 1. I didn't watch it or even click on it as I was busy with Memorial Cup so I don't know where the other players went.

You must be busy these days to be out of the loop with the draft shows. I hope all is well!