GDT: 2023 Caps NHL Draft Thread

[The Instigator]

Chris Peters put his first mock draft out and he has the Flyers taking Michkov. Now that the Flyers have another 1st round pick and if Briere wants to really rebuild they may be willing to take on the risk with Matvei at 7.

2023 NHL Draft Mock 1.0: Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson On Top - FloHockey

1. Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard; 2. Anaheim Ducks; Adam Fantilli; 3. Columbus Blue Jackets: Leo Carlsson; 4. San Jose Sharks: Will Smith.

www.flohockey.tv

Seems like a gamble but worth it if you have the cornerstone that you can build the team around (post Ovi era).

Benson at 17th.

 

[trick9]

I'm not super worried about MTL taking him. The #1 overall whiff(my humble opinion) makes me think they go safe safe safe. My concern is San Jose. If he makes it past them I think he falls to 8.

Fair enough. I'm actually not that worried that the Sharks take him. Sharks love to draft SHL and US guys and their biggest need is at D. They are propably the team that is begging for Carlsson to drop to #4 and if he doesn't, they'll go Smith or Reinbacher.

Sharks basically never draft from the Russia with their high picks. They haven't drafted that many Russians high in a decade and when they did (Goldobin from OHL and Knyazhev from QMJHL) they were guys already playing in CHL. And these are bust after a bust.

They have drafted 2 Russians in the last 3 drafts. Yevgeni Kashnikov (7th round in 2021) and Timofey Spitserov (7th round in 2020).

Chris Peters put his first mock draft out and he has the Flyers taking Michkov. Now that the Flyers have another 1st round pick and if Briere wants to really rebuild they may be willing to take on the risk with Matvei at 7.

2023 NHL Draft Mock 1.0: Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson On Top - FloHockey

1. Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard; 2. Anaheim Ducks; Adam Fantilli; 3. Columbus Blue Jackets: Leo Carlsson; 4. San Jose Sharks: Will Smith.

www.flohockey.tv

Seems like a gamble but worth it if you have the cornerstone that you can build the team around (post Ovi era).

They love to draft from the USNDTP and there are lots of potential options from there at 7. It would be a massive surprise if the Flyers took him at 7. They don't have a Russian scout and they haven't drafted a single Russian player in the last 5 drafts.

 

[Langway]

It's hard to read too much into franchise trends with new management in place, though. SJS still probably doesn't take Michkov IMO because the talent, upside and positional value with (likely) Smith remains too valuable an alternative. But with PHI now from a value standpoint Michkov may be in play. After adding pick 22 in the Provorov deal--and perhaps more to come--they could swing for the fences with Michkov and opt for value again with Sale/But/Ritchie/Brindley. They do seem to have prioritized defense so if Reinbacher is there at 7 I think it's likely the pick. But PHI or a team trading up seems like the most likely scenario for Michkov. That there hasn't been anyone particularly raving about him above Washington at 8, at least as a bluff, remains promising but it's still developing as teams do their homework and piece together how the draft above may play out. I definitely wonder if Washington still won't trade up just to make sure they land him given past instances of being aggressive for targets. Throwing in another first rounder (or two or three) seems very extreme and needless but they've got other pieces if it's just a spot or two. If it takes the 40th pick I doubt they'd blink.

Leonard seems to be gaining some steam at 5 and it also seemed like Arizona at 6 has set their sights on him. Where does Arizona go if Leonard is gone? Reinbacher? Benson to pair with Geekie? Dvorsky? Arizona going Benson or Dvorsky sets up best for Washington landing Michkov at 8 unless someone jumps up. I also wonder if maybe PHI could bundle 7+22 to SJS at 4 to land Smith. Maybe that sets up SJS best to walk away with Michkov if he really were to be their guy. Not sure PHI at this stage would look to be that aggressive to land one prospect at an early stage of rebuilding but adding a potential 1C to start things off should be appealing. And Smith does remind me a lot of Giroux.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

lots of mental gymnastics in here….all hoping for a Russian slide lol….

 

[Corby78]

Let the Russian slide to 8, followed by a call from Ovie, “dude go home and pack your sticks, your moving to DC this summer.”

May it be so

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Good discussion about how various top 10 candidates are rising before the draft.

Makes one wonder how much the actual team lists vary - could mean lots of surprises.

I'm wondering how the Caps view the 10-40 range.... I wonder how aggressive they might be if they are high on a number of targets who we generally see in that range of rankings after we pick at 8 0A.

Lots of potential thought experiments about GMBM options. Obviously we have the potential to dangle Kuzy and or Mantha, if they can find a dance partner. Other options even include moving Fever for a pick if that fits overall plan and the pick is high enough.

Could also use the 40 OA plus any of the THREE 2nd round picks in 2025 to maneuver. Another creative option would be trade the 2024 1st plus a 2025 2nd for and additional 2023 1st (St Louis has THREE 1st round picks this year - maybe they are happy to spread those out over two years). Or maybe someone takes 2 of the 2025 2nds for a high 2nd this year.

Lots of options IF we have targets we value in this year's draft. Fun, fun, fun!

 

[Random schmoe]

I've wondered what would happen if Michkov filed for asylum when he was here to attend the draft. A pseudo defection.

I'm sure it isn't actually a possibility and I'm not suggesting that it is one.

But the current world climate bears some similarity to the days when players from Soviet countries had to defect before they could play in the NHL.

 

[usiel]

Good discussion about how various top 10 candidates are rising before the draft.

Makes one wonder how much the actual team lists vary - could mean lots of surprises.

I'm wondering how the Caps view the 10-40 range.... I wonder how aggressive they might be if they are high on a number of targets who we generally see in that range of rankings after we pick at 8 0A.

Lots of potential thought experiments about GMBM options. Obviously we have the potential to dangle Kuzy and or Mantha, if they can find a dance partner. Other options even include moving Fever for a pick if that fits overall plan and the pick is high enough.

Could also use the 40 OA plus any of the THREE 2nd round picks in 2025 to maneuver. Another creative option would be trade the 2024 1st plus a 2025 2nd for and additional 2023 1st (St Louis has THREE 1st round picks this year - maybe they are happy to spread those out over two years). Or maybe someone takes 2 of the 2025 2nds for a high 2nd this year.

Lots of options IF we have targets we value in this year's draft. Fun, fun, fun!

For me personally on the top level caps drafting strategy I hope for this draft they focus a bit more on upside after the first round than they might have in years past. Most likely no one drafted will really help the big club before AO is done.

So on the forward side in the second round some names I've been ogling that might be in reach when the capitals draft are Gauthier, Suniev. On the D side Bonk if he slides or Strbak.

 

[HTFN]

For me personally on the top level caps drafting strategy I hope for this draft they focus a bit more on upside after the first round than they might have in years past. Most likely no one drafted will really help the big club before AO is done.

So on the forward side in the second round some names I've been ogling that might be in reach when the capitals draft are Gauthier, Suniev. On the D side Bonk if he slides or Strbak.

A Kucherov would help a lot more than a... Riley Sutter type. Should be big swings this year, agreed.

 

[Langway]

SOURCE: Sharks Leaning Toward Smith at No. 4?

File this under possible smoke screen. But a league source just shared this bit of San Jose Sharks’ Draft Combine buzz: “Rumor is Will Smith is flying to San Jose for a tour. He sounds like the Sharks’ guy.” Now take this with a grain of salt. I trust my source, or I wouldn’t have […]

sanjosehockeynow.com

File this under possible smoke screen.

But a league source just shared this bit of San Jose Sharks’ Draft Combine buzz: “Rumor is Will Smith is flying to San Jose for a tour. He sounds like the Sharks’ guy.”...

Anyway, where does that leave the polarizing Michkov or fast-rising defenseman Reinbacher?

According to this source, the Montreal Canadiens with the fifth-overall pick might have a surprise up their sleeve: “Sounds like it’s Reinbacher or Leonard for Montreal.”...

As for Michkov? Like many, this league source is guessing that he won’t get past the Washington Capitals at No. 8.

Combine testing wraps today. No team coverage by the looks of it so file this under Michkov Or Trade.

 

[um]

Woods gives me a bit of a Mantha vibe. Sort of a 6'5 decent hands but plays the wall game like they are 5'10.

You’ve described Mantha perfectly, I may steal that

 

[um]

Chris Peters put his first mock draft out and he has the Flyers taking Michkov. Now that the Flyers have another 1st round pick and if Briere wants to really rebuild they may be willing to take on the risk with Matvei at 7.

2023 NHL Draft Mock 1.0: Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson On Top - FloHockey

1. Chicago Blackhawks: Connor Bedard; 2. Anaheim Ducks; Adam Fantilli; 3. Columbus Blue Jackets: Leo Carlsson; 4. San Jose Sharks: Will Smith.

www.flohockey.tv

Seems like a gamble but worth it if you have the cornerstone that you can build the team around (post Ovi era).

Flyers taking Michkov at 7 will devastate me.

 

[Langway]

2023 NHL Combine Heights & Weights - The Hockey Writers Latest News, Analysis & More

The 2023 NHL Combine has come and gone. Here is the list of heights and weights for prospects that took part in the testing on Saturday.

thehockeywriters.com

 

[usiel]

Flyers taking Michkov at 7 will devastate me.

As much as I love upside I would probably be more relieved if that happened. Part of me would not be surprised if Michkov was available at #8 and they passed.

 

[usiel]

Wheeler: The 27 prospects who missed my 2023 NHL Draft board

The full scouting reports on 27 prospects who didn't make my final top 100 2023 NHL Draft ranking.

theathletic.com

 

[um]

As much as I love upside I would probably be more relieved if that happened. Part of me would not be surprised if Michkov was available at #8 and they passed.

That’s an interesting take.

Michkov is the only guy from this draft class that looks comparable to Bedard, based on the few head to head games and tournaments I’ve seen.

Of course that’s a small sample size.

 

[Langway]

NHL Link • Loading...

link.nhl.com

Combine testing results.

Hard to see them passing on Michkov for someone else. The strongest case against Michkov is the ETA so trading the pick would be more logical. The return needs to meet a certain threshold, of course. Realistically I wouldn't even trade the pick if Michkov is gone. I'd just take Dvorsky/Benson/Moore and move on to the next thing. They seem to grasp that they're in a transitional stage. Embrace it rather than trying to skid out of it impatiently.

They may be sort of stuck structurally with 92/39 unless something like Lapierre and future seconds are persuasive incentives. Teams will very likely be driving a hard bargain earlier in the off-season, if not throughout if interest is minimal. (You wonder to what degree retaining salary may enter the conversation.) The best thing may be to just wait, be methodical, disciplined and stick to cheaper value UFAs in the meantime. Maybe later in the off-season roster swaps materialize as options dwindle. If not they need to at least be comfortable with the idea Carbery largely will be what has to drastically improve their culture and execution. I don't think it's too outlandish, although they'll need another few very shrewd UFAs at the very least.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

As much as I love upside I would probably be more relieved if that happened. Part of me would not be surprised if Michkov was available at #8 and they passed.

Lol…..heads would pop…..

 

[Holtbyisms]

Lol…..heads would pop…..

That would be a devastating mistake.

 

[usiel]

That would be a devastating mistake.

BUT the melt down would make the summer go fast, hah.

 

[HTFN]

Lol…..heads would pop…..

Twabby and I might combine like Voltron and become a force too powerful for the website to withold.

 

[Cush]

Capitals mailbag: Potential trades, NHL Draft, Hershey's playoff run

Will Brian MacLellan make a big splash this offseason? Who will he draft at No. 8? Tarik El-Bashir dives into these questions and more.

theathletic.com

My gut tells me the Caps make a pick at No. 8. It’s a deep draft and they need young, impactful players on entry-level contracts due to their top-heavy roster.

I have heard that teams have called the Caps about moving back. At the moment, though, I don’t get the feeling that they are so inclined.

 

[Corby78]

Capitals mailbag: Potential trades, NHL Draft, Hershey's playoff run

Will Brian MacLellan make a big splash this offseason? Who will he draft at No. 8? Tarik El-Bashir dives into these questions and more.

theathletic.com

Good

 

[Langway]

Who the Canadiens could take at No. 5 in the draft if they pass on Matvei Michkov

Ryan Leonard and David Reinbacher are very different prospects, but both represent something the Canadiens need.

theathletic.com

The Canadiens could still pick Matvei Michkov with the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NHL draft. It’s possible, but it doesn’t seem very likely.

Four days spent mining for information at the NHL scouting combine gave us that impression, even if no one from the Canadiens would come out and say it, for obvious reasons. We had a few people suggest that not only would Michkov not get picked by the Canadiens, he might be available outside the top-10.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes was asked directly about Michkov a few times Thursday morning, and none of his answers suggested he is high on his radar. His first response essentially said they have to figure out who he is as a player, which is basically what Hughes said the night of the draft lottery more than a month earlier. He said no one from the organization has spoken to him, though they plan to. He said they need to study his contractual situation and the impact of the war in Ukraine on his status. They are all things the Canadiens would have already done over the past month if Michkov were of interest to them. And frankly, the truth is they probably have already done those things, and this was the way Hughes chose to answer regardless.

Is there enough passion still to even get worked up if the Caps pass on Michkov? I could see them opting for a center and/or more size but Mahoney's explanation would be interesting (assuming it's 100% his call). The ETA makes it a challenge for a team desperate for needle-movers. But given that they're squarely in a transitional stage they need patience and discipline building it back up. There's no higher potential reward than Michkov, including an interesting transitional mentorship angle between the captain and Michkov. Michkov is a fundamentally different talent, far more finesse-oriented, but you still wonder if that might perk up Ovechkin a bit in the coming years.

I can see the case for opting for Dvorsky as a potential bigger, direct two-way C but I'd hesitate to overthink it. It still remains a bigger player's checking league with heaviness as valued as ever come playoff time. (As much as I like Leonard I think Tkachuk comparisons are crazy and he's benefited massively from teams prioritizing competitiveness...) One can question whether all-around Michkov or Benson are true building block talents at wing. But, again, don't overthink it if you still have them pegged as electric top-line point producers. Certainly Chicago didn't win on the back of Kane alone. Nor Tampa with Kucherov. They're still just one piece of the puzzle and solidifying as a team and culture takes time. They're going to need to aim high at strong value/upside plays over the next couple years and hope to get lucky to reload effectively. The 8th pick isn't get them there single-handedly. Hoping to cross off every box--perhaps at the expense of sheer raw upside--will still only be one piece of the puzzle.

 

[AlexModvechkin8]

I’ve warmed to Dvorsky after watching him a bit more. He’s got better defensive instincts than I thought and his shot is really good. He could get faster but that’s probably the easiest area for a player to improve in today’s game. My only hesitation with Dvorsky is he seems a bit like a Dylan Strome/Bo Horvat hybrid and those guys to me are better suited as high end 2Cs as opposed to legitimate top line pivots. Benson or Michkov I think are top line players.

Michkov, Benson, or Dvorsky would all be terrific. A few other names as well but those are my clear top three at the moment. They picked a good year to suck.