Really eh?! From what I’ve read he’s got pretty good skating for someone his size. Never watched him play though.
2022 NHL Entry Draft Discussion
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Morgs
#16 #34 #44 #88 #91
I got him as a late 2nd/early 3rd type. There's legit upside in the defense and the skating is above average for a guy his size, but average at best for a NHL player. I also think there's possibly some untapped offensive game to him, but hes really gotta work on the puck skills/transition or else theres no reason to bother. He won't be a guy who produces, but there's a similar path to a guy like Jacob Middleton here with the legit defensive play and puck skills good enough to push the puck the right way.
This is the wrong place for this, but does anyone know anything about Will Graber? He played in the ECHL, I know its bad, he's headed over the the Liiga for this season and just turned 26. He had fine numbers playing NCAA, and he's a 6'5 Centre. From the limited videos of him on youtube, he doesn't look to be a bad skater, but then again, it's the ECHL he is skating against.
www.eliteprospects.com
Will Graber - Stats, Contract, Salary & More
Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Will Graber, 1996-06-03 Broomfield, CO, USA USA. Most recently in the undefined with Nürnberg Ice Tigers. Complete player biography and stats.
www.eliteprospects.com
SeaOfBlue
The Passion That Unites Us All
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He has straight line speed, but his agility is not as good (and that is more important than straight line speed, especially for a defenseman).
I just don't know what the guy offers that is "good" or "above-average" besides being big and physical... And he has a lot of "bad" or "below-average" mixed in there too.
I have him as a late 3rd round pick. I figure there is enough for him to offer even if he is a massive project, and the upside is high enough to justify spending that pick.
I would not be surprised if he is just Rasanen 2.0 though. In fact, I think Rasanen had more attractive features than Lamoureux.
Interesting piece from the Athletic article that McGroarty had already previously been working on his skating with Underhill.
You never know. Doubt anyone expected Knies to nearly jump into the NHL in his D+1 year.
Corey Pronman's final mock draft: Montreal's decision at the top still unsettled
It could be Juraj Slafkovsky, but quite a few league personnel still believe it will be Shane Wright. The Canadians are on the clock.
theathletic.com
25. Toronto Maple Leafs: Rutger McGroarty, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
McGroarty is a highly talented and competitive winger who would add to the type of forwards Toronto has drafted in recent years. I could see Isaac Howard, Denton Mateychuk or Liam Ohgren being in the mix here.
NHL Draft thoughts: Class superlatives, top goalies and the overagers
The Athletic's Scott Wheeler offers some final takeaways on the 2022 NHL Draft class.
theathletic.com
Thoughts on the goalies
After there were no goalies on my draft board for the first time in the five years I’ve been doing this work at The Athletic, I promised to dig into them before the draft.
The top two goalie prospects in this draft are believed to be Finnish product Topias Leinonen (who posted a .916 save percentage with JYP’s junior team, was fine but not a standout at U18 worlds, and struggled in his brief introductions to the pro game in Mestis and Liiga) and Prince George Cougars netminder Tyler Brennan, who performed well on a subpar team in the WHL. Of the two, I’m partial to Brennan, but I wouldn’t take either where they’re likely to be selected (second/third round).
Leinonen is huge and measured in at 6-foot-5 and 233 pounds at the combine, which will be appealing to some teams but I’d argue that it raises red flags about just how heavy he is. Only three of the 119 goalies who played in the NHL this season were heavier (Anthony Stolarz, Robin Lehner and Frederik Andersen, and they’re 28, 30 and 31 years old, respectively). It’s likely that Leinonen will get bigger and it could really slow him down (he already struggles at times with his movement). He’d need a stronger track record of success to warrant a selection as a blocking-style goalie who could work closely with a goalie coach and a fitness/nutrition guru. He may still work out under the right guidance, but that’s a late-round gamble for me given his track record.
Brennan played his best hockey in Prince George’s first-round sweep to the superior Portland Winterhawks, taking the net from fellow 2022 prospect Ty Young after Young was yanked in the opener. He stopped 28 of 29 shots in relief and then played to 2-1, 2-0 and 2-1 losses in games 2, 3 and 4, surrendering just seven goals on 153 shots (.954 save percentage). He’s another big kid (6-4) but he’s leaner (185 pounds) than Leinonen, he moves better in the net and his technical skills (hands, feet, tracking) grade out higher. He’s also older (born just a couple weeks from 2021 eligibility).
If my list ran longer than 100, the truth is that neither likely would have even been the first goalie to make an appearance (though Brennan would have been in the conversation for second).
The goalies I’m fondest of in this age group are actually its little guys. Hugo Hävelid, the 5-10 star of Sweden’s gold medal-winning U18 team (he was named the tournament’s top goaltender) and Linkoping’s championship-winning J20 club (he was named the league’s top goaltender). He’s my favorite of the bunch.
Other names to watch are …
• Brett Brochu, the 5-11 overager (barely, because he was born just a week from 2022 eligibility) who won the OHL’s Goaltender of the Year Award this season after posting a .911 save percentage across 43 games for the London Knights.
• Sergei Ivanov, the 5-11, unranked-by-NHL-Central-Scouting backstop of the SKA’s MHL-champion junior club, with his .928 regular season and .930 playoffs.
• Thomas Milic, the 6-foot re-entry goaltender of the WHL-finalist Seattle Thunderbirds.
Each of those kids has a compelling draft case.
Thunderbirds general manager Bill La Forge told me it would be a “travesty” if Milic didn’t get picked in his second go-around after his brilliant playoff performance (.925 across 25 games).
“You look at Dustin Wolf, you look at Juuse Saros, Alexander Georgiev. This guy is like those guys. He’s that good. If some team doesn’t take him with a seventh-rounder, I don’t understand it,” La Forge said.
Going to be interesting. I'd imagine a lot of teams have Russians as a non-option.
Love this. I really hope we get him because I see him as a future high-end 2c.
Maplebeasts
I See Demons!!!!!
I have a feeling with the Fedotov situation some Russians are going to fall way past where they should be taken. There's a lot of guys mocking Trikozov in the 50's (LMAO) and Grudinin in the 70's . I really hope tomorrow morning we actually move someone like Holl for a 2nd and get our hands on another high quality prospect. Forget trading back from 25 and just use the extra bodies we have to recoup some picks and cap space.
Nylander88
Registered User
Really hoping for Rutger McGroaty tonight. Would be happy with any of Ohgren, Del Bel Belluz, Beck, Bichsel, and even little guy Firkus. Firkus will probably end up like Debrincat who everyone passed on.
Morgs
#16 #34 #44 #88 #91
What I was impressed by was that in the offensive zone he didn't immediately kill plays like I'd expect. He has a surprisingly decent pass, a decent offensive IQ, and a shot that manages to get through at times. I'm not overly impressed by him and have no desire for him to be drafted by us, but I think theres a decently interesting project there if he's willing to work on the puck skills.
Every one of those guys work for me.Corey Pronman's final mock draft: Montreal's decision at the top still unsettled
It could be Juraj Slafkovsky, but quite a few league personnel still believe it will be Shane Wright. The Canadians are on the clock.
25. Toronto Maple Leafs: Rutger McGroarty, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
McGroarty is a highly talented and competitive winger who would add to the type of forwards Toronto has drafted in recent years. I could see Isaac Howard, Denton Mateychuk or Liam Ohgren being in the mix here.
Stigma
Registered User
Last night, I had a beer league game. The goalie said "my friend's cousin is likely getting picked around where the leafs are picking". I then said "is your friend's cousin Del Bel Belluz"? "Yes!!" He was a bit shocked that I knew who this guy was. Actually, the whole lockerroom was shocked. LOL I tried to get some "insider" information about DBB, but didn't get anything more than what we all know already
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acrobaticgoalie
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- Jun 18, 2014
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Morgs
#16 #34 #44 #88 #91
Much better skater. I'd also argue the IQ is better.
Dayjobdave
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- Apr 29, 2010
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Well if this is like most years where the Leafs pick late in the first, i will be watching with excitement and the guy I’m hoping for goes in the pick one spot ahead.
TheDoldrums
Registered User
I wanted Seth Jarvis so bad...two spots ahead, but still. The fact that it was our pick, ugh.
Is it Crazy to think they take Lian Bichsel if he's available? I've heard he's NHL ready or one of the prospects in this draft who could potentially make a team out of camp. He's physical, he's not a liability as a skater. You're not gonna get huge offense out of him, but would he not make our defense better and make trading Muzzin easier?
- Dec 12, 2017
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Stigma
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Not crazy at all. I would be ecstatic! Take a look at this review of him. (#13)
NHL Draft Ranking 2022, by Simon St-L.
NHL Draft Ranking 2022, by Simon St-L. - TSLH -
www.toutsurlehockey.com
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