GDT: 2023 Caps NHL Draft Thread
- Thread starter Langway
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Ovechkins Wodka
Registered User
Corby78
65 - 10 - 20
Cap friendly does. Sitting on 4 in the first two rounds in 25
trick9
Registered User
- Jun 2, 2013
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2023:
1st
2nd
4th
5th
7th
2024:
1st
3rd
3rd (BOS)
3rd (MIN)
4th
5th
6th
7th
2025:
1st
2nd
2nd (COL)
2nd (BOS)
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
Nice on the 2025 second rounders as will probably be closing more in on rebuild time potentially.
I’m gonna go ahead and pencil Dvorsky in for Montreal given where they are likely to pick and how they’re building team Slovakia over there. Reunite a Slaf-Dvorsky-Mesar line. They’ll draft another buddy for Slaf if it means he may succeed.
Wheeler: Ranking the top 64 prospects at the 2023 NHL Draft
The 2023 NHL draft class is rivalled only by 2015 among the talent pools Scott Wheeler has scouted to date.theathletic.com
Wheeler's rankings. I think you more or less see that after six it opens up quite a bit. My back-half of the top ten would differ but it's a matter of taste and also realistically what may best complement this core.
For me after that top six it's Moore pretty easily next from a ceiling/tools standpoint. Then a chunk of Barlow/Leonard/Sale/Reinbacher but YMMV. Cristal and Dvorsky do probably belong as strong considerations at least. Cristal would be a swing for the fences, though you wonder how long they'd wait on his strength/defense coming along. Dvorsky's skating is pretty far from ideal but he does project to be an NHL center and perhaps a pretty balanced two-way one at that. I don't like him as much as Kasper last season but he is probably the most intriguing center otherwise.
As usual I like the USNDP guys. Moore and Leonard appeal to me at pick 10 or 11.
Langway
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Have to wonder about Detroit now sliding below the Caps in the standings after deciding to sell. Wise of them to do so and potentially wind up with two top 15 picks.
Marshall
A Mahoney guy
Looking at the 9 - 13 range on different rankings lists, nobody jumps out at me as a "Caps type" player. Which should make it that much more interesting.
Langway
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There are quite a few Euros and WHLers in that range, though. Dvorsky, Sale, Reinbacher, Yager, Danielson, Cristal. Whereas Barlow and Leonard would be a bit against type, though they definitely need more goal-scorers in the mix so can't rule them out either.
Still, I'd lean to Dvorsky, Sale and Reinbacher as most fitting their general type. Europeans with upside, strong hockey IQ and the maturity to play against relatively high competition vs. men at a young age.
Still, I'd lean to Dvorsky, Sale and Reinbacher as most fitting their general type. Europeans with upside, strong hockey IQ and the maturity to play against relatively high competition vs. men at a young age.
Langway
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Pronman: Top college, CHL and European free agents for NHL teams
Could any of these players become the next Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Mikheyev or Danny DeKeyser?
theathletic.com
IINM a couple of those listed (Nelson, Siedem) were at past development camps.
Langway
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Could be a late riser given his tools. Top ten probably a bit rich but a few spots later and I might entertain it. He may be every bit as good a long-term prospect as Danielson/Yager, even if a LW. With so much congestion in that 10-14 area of the standings I'd wager the Caps finish in that range rather than earlier. It could happen. D injuries and lack of PKers down the stretch could keep them down. I doubt Ottawa finishes lower in the standings at least but FLA/DET/CGY could. And not sure I see a late season heater from STL/PHI either.
Langway
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2023 NHL Draft ranking: Connor Bedard is still No. 1, but who has moved up?
Connor Bedard tops Corey Pronman's March ranking of the top prospects at the 2023 NHL Draft.
theathletic.com
Some funky rankings and comparables from Pronman. IINM Pronman has bristled at comparables in the past and it's easy to understand why given some of the stylistic curiosities he makes here.
RedRocking
Registered User
Yea, comparables are often a dodgy evaluation method, with dubious value. I remember CMM being compared to Matthews.2023 NHL Draft ranking: Connor Bedard is still No. 1, but who has moved up?
Connor Bedard tops Corey Pronman's March ranking of the top prospects at the 2023 NHL Draft.
Some funky rankings and comparables from Pronman. IINM Pronman has bristled at comparables in the past and it's easy to understand why given some of the stylistic curiosities he makes here.
He has Bedard at 5’ 9.5” 185 - that’s even smaller than I’ve read elsewhere. In any event, I hope we can get lucky and move up into the top 4. Maybe Bettman will want to give us Michkov, after he gives VAN Bedard
One thing that troubled me in some other ranking as the lack of size being a factor so in the top 10 Pronman rankings make a bit more sense to me.2023 NHL Draft ranking: Connor Bedard is still No. 1, but who has moved up?
Connor Bedard tops Corey Pronman's March ranking of the top prospects at the 2023 NHL Draft.
Some funky rankings and comparables from Pronman. IINM Pronman has bristled at comparables in the past and it's easy to understand why given some of the stylistic curiosities he makes here.
Langway
In den Wolken
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A lot to like here. Being the draft's most complete defenseman in a light draft for them you wonder how high he may go. Vancouver would seem to be a decent fit long-term alongside Hughes.
I might think about putting him roughly equal to Barlow around 10 at present, though there seems to be a decent chance he goes earlier. I'd still lean Leonard & Dvorsky at 8/9 as the strongest realistic contrasting fits to the existing core. And then, if need be, Danielson/Sale rounding out what should be their floor range. In a supposedly strong draft those later two would only be what I'd consider average value for that range. Decent but not quite two players I'd run up to the podium for either.
The time to tank is now. I’ve got the tingle that if they can drop down to 7 or 8 they might just get lucky.
I think this years lottery is going to be wacky.
Trading up for Michkov (if necessary) is something I’m all for.
Assuming the Caps don’t win a Top 2 selection, I’m hoping doubts about his size will get him to slide a few spots.
I think this years lottery is going to be wacky.
I keep seeing Mocks with them taking Leonard.
Trading up for Michkov (if necessary) is something I’m all for.
Assuming the Caps don’t win a Top 2 selection, I’m hoping doubts about his size will get him to slide a few spots.
