GDT: 2023 Caps NHL Draft Thread

Serial_Derecho

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Im one of those people that usually dismiss all the draft-day grades, as there's no way to know how any of these kids will develop. BUT... I really do feel like the last several drafts have been very solid.

Lapierre, Iorio, Chesley, Suzdalev (who I'm personally high on), Miro, Leonard, Cristall, Allen. Im not saying there's any perennial all-stars in there, but that has the making of a fairly solid group about 5 years from now.
 

Cappy76

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This was our best draft in years.

Really sounds like Allen’s brutal year in Guelph cost him. If our coaches can turn him around, could be a steal.
I didn’t realize Allen was getting hype for best Dman in the class as recently as October. He was a projected top 10 pick back then. Must have been one brutal season.
 
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ChaosLord

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After reading scouting reports most the day on Ryan Leonard. Its hard not to like his game. Hes a strong player in the neutral zone. He a clutch player with a nose for the front of the net. He has size and will throw his body around and is a Team USA leader at a young age.

My comp is a more talented Mike Knuble

That would be a dream come true. Knuble was so damn good that he would have made my top ten all time Cap list IF he had been on the Cup winning team (sadly he was not).

If Leonard turns out anywhere close to Knuble I'll be doing backflips :D
 

Silky mitts

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This is mostly due to Allan Walsh’s Twitter, but wondering about Patrick Thomas over Alex Ciernak
 

BiPolar Caps

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I didn’t realize Allen was getting hype for best Dman in the class as recently as October. He was a projected top 10 pick back then. Must have been one brutal season.
As a Mets fan, I know everything about players having a brutal season.

In the words of Forest Gump "It happens!"
 

kicksavedave

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There were quite a few posts in his prospect thread about how he acts as the “Center” of that line in all aspects except face offs, and that he’s played pure center in the past.

If they can develop him as a center I can see him turning into a ROR/Prime Toews/Kesler kind of player.


That’s Leonard

Faceoffs have to be one of the easiest things to learn if a player can otherwise play center well, positionally. I mean the brought in Mike Peca mid season a few years back and the Caps team wide draw percentage went up like *28 points in a month or some thing silly.

*slight exaggeration

But if that happens it means all our other C prospects shit the bed. How bout he stays where he is and becomes a 1W alongside a C prospect that's also crushing it? ;)

He has the defensive effort and vision to play center, but I have no idea if he has any faceoff game, and it's a boon to have a wing that plays D and drives play. Move him to C if you have to, but it'd be a luxury to have someone like him on the wing.

Nope, it means we will have exceptional center depth, like we did in the Spring of 2018 :D

Faceoffs can be improved more easily than skating can so I ain't concerned. Or just resign Beagle or DSteckle to take all the draws then change :D
 

The Consiglieri

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Politely not seeing the skill here seems a bit myopic.

Compete level combined with skill is like the holy grail. Can't tell you how many drafts I've watched with high skilled junior point scorers get drafted that shrivel as they work into the pro game.

#winning.

I think this captures everything in a subtle way, both in the way stated and not.

The ideal is this, but clearly the counter is a concern that what you risk getting here is the classic jack of all trades, master of none, moderate floor, lower ceiling player, and the people who like him see him as above average or higher in the skills scouted, and then a very very plus trait when it comes to mental make up and work habits.

The key angle that everything seems to turn on is this:


How high is his ceiling of productive countable stats, considering he's likely to max out his mental make up and "compete" "work habits" first in/last out type traits. Is he basically a high floor guy but that's it, or is he a guy that's gonna be a lot better than you'd superficially expect, a sort of Tom Brady ceiling for that arena (solid traits, none elite, all universe level compete/mental make up traits literally maximize every skill bucket period, just like his childhood idol, Joe Montanta).

I think what this comes down to, is how high is the ceiling considering the traits?

The other thing I've noticed is that so few people consider that the pick isn't about:

High floor vs high ceiling, it's about many, many other possibilities including Volchkov/Beech level mega bust, not just, boring high floor not special guy, but literally nothing of value whatsoever. It's a larger spectrum than simply, Jag to solid starter to all star to HOF level etc. There's just a much wider array of possibilities.

But the chief concern for now is simply how high is the ceiling, considering his mentality. And that's something we don't know, and scouts clearly disagree about.
 

NobodyBeatsTheWiz

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Leonard feels like he has a Ryan Callahan-type floor, Dustin Brown-type modest projection, and a Jarome Iginla-type ceiling.

Health permitting, the kid is gonna be a really valuable player to the organization. How valuable will depend on how good the hockey sense and puck skills turn out to be at the NHL level.

This is assuming wing is his best position.
 

BiPolar Caps

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Leonard feels like he has a Ryan Callahan-type floor, Dustin Brown-type modest projection, and a Jarome Iginla-type ceiling.

Health permitting, the kid is gonna be a really valuable player to the organization. How valuable will depend on how good the hockey sense and puck skills turn out to be at the NHL level.

This is assuming wing is his best position.
I'll tell you another guy he reminds me of is former Washington Capital Ryan Walter from many moons ago. Got the opportunity to chat with Walter on a few occasions when the Capitals use to practice at the Fort Dupont Ice Rink back in the late 70s early 80s. Walter was a real rah rah guy, but very personable. Capitals named him Team Captain in his second season and he was the youngest person in NHL history to hold that position. Real hard worker and tough.

Walter would be in my top ten list of all time favorite Capitals.
 

Ovechkins Wodka

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Faceoffs have to be one of the easiest things to learn if a player can otherwise play center well, positionally. I mean the brought in Mike Peca mid season a few years back and the Caps team wide draw percentage went up like *28 points in a month or some thing silly.

*slight exaggeration



Nope, it means we will have exceptional center depth, like we did in the Spring of 2018 :D

Faceoffs can be improved more easily than skating can so I ain't concerned. Or just resign Beagle or DSteckle to take all the draws then change :D
I wouldnt mind Beagle on the coaching staff in a Peca role if its something he wants to do
 
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kicksavedave

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BMac confirms they wanted to move up but no one would deal. Says everyone was locked into their guy and didn't react to risk losing them.

So, the Coyotes still suck. They could have easily gotten Shishkabob at 8.

Oh well.

 
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g00n

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BMac confirms they wasted to move up but no one would deal. Says everyone was locked into their guy and didn't react to risk losing them.

So, the Coyotes still suck. They could have easily gotten Shishkabob at 8.

Oh well.


no no no, the first instinct must be to assume they don't know what they're doing and didn't try.

because the thing didn't happen
 

usiel

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Or maybe it was the Flyers just getting back at us for the Steve Eminger trade in 2008.
Old Man Wilson will be ready in four years to welcome Mitchkov along the boards.

jg55v2kjufe91.jpg
 

Brock

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Not sure if it got posted, but some more info on Cam Allen for you guys:


 

EroCaps

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Leonard feels like he has a Ryan Callahan-type floor, Dustin Brown-type modest projection, and a Jarome Iginla-type ceiling.

Health permitting, the kid is gonna be a really valuable player to the organization. How valuable will depend on how good the hockey sense and puck skills turn out to be at the NHL level.

This is assuming wing is his best position.

These are great comps and I agree with each of them.

I’ve also heard Ryan Kesler.
 

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