2023 Draft Discussion

[Rzombo4 prez]

This is good goalie draft, let's get 1 more goalie prospect behind Cossa

We should draft one goalie every draft

 

[Frk It]

We should draft one goalie every draft

Jacob Fowler has had kind of a down year statistically, but if I could get him in round 3 or 4, I would probably take a flier on him.

 

[GoBoltz56]

It seems like most of the hyped goalies this year should be available in rounds 2-3 at this point. I know there was some early hype about Hrabal and the Wheat Kings goalie, but I think they will ultimately go in the 2nd. This would be a good year to use a top 90 pick on one though, IMO. I think people also forget about Gylander. He fits Yzerman's size fetish and is having a really good year.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Ignat Lutfullin looks interesting.

 

[lilidk]

Ignat Lutfullin looks interesting.

Why , his numbers not very good, does he know how to fight? We need to get little bit tougher

 

[bedtime20]

Ignat Lutfullin looks interesting.

1. what a name
2. could be a nice gem

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

@Frk It I need your take on this. I haven't been keeping up with this year's prospects that much.

The Elite Prospects December ranking of the top 32 prospects in the 2023 NHL Draft - EP Rinkside

Sale at 15. Stramel out of the top 32! Calum Ritchie also looks like he's taking a hit in the rankings.

Also, how do you feel about Ryan Leonard? Eliteprospects says he may be the best skater in the draft. 5'11" USNTDP goal scoring center.

 

[WingsToPick4th]

Lets assume the worst and the wings finish outside of the playoffs around 17th overall.
What player has the highest potential at this range? (hopefully C prospect/RHD)?

 

[Frk It]

@Frk It I need your take on this. I haven't been keeping up with this year's prospects that much.

The Elite Prospects December ranking of the top 32 prospects in the 2023 NHL Draft - EP Rinkside

Sale at 15. Stramel out of the top 32! Calum Ritchie also looks like he's taking a hit in the rankings.

Sale is who I will continue to want for us. I barely put Stramel in my top 32. Not sure he is more than a big body/good athlete. I like Ritchie despite his production being a little down. I think he is kind of like a much better version of Gaucher, who you liked last year.

Also, how do you feel about Ryan Leonard? Eliteprospects says he may be the best skater in the draft. 5'11" USNTDP goal scoring center.

Oliver Moore is the elite skating center prospect on the USDP. Leonard has played on the wing on a line with Smith all year, if I'm not mistaken. I think he is a good all-around player and a good skater, but I would disagree with them on the best skater part.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Lets assume the worst and the wings finish outside of the playoffs around 17th overall.
What player has the highest potential at this range? (hopefully C prospect/RHD)?

Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center CONSOLIDATED RANKING TOP 32

Looking at the list of players from 8 to 24 I wouldn't be mad at just about any of them from what I've read.

From the USNTDP I like what little I've seen from Oliver Moore and Ryan Leonard. That program seems to do a really good job of producing high intensity, very talented skating forwards. I wonder how they compare to guys like Nazar, Cooley, Zegras, Beniers from recent drafts.

Sale is someone that whenever I've seen him play or when I look at his highlight reel I can't help but think he'll be an effective scoring winger in the NHL. I don't know if he'll be a superstar but he's got great hands and plays with good pace.

Calum Ritchie and Brayden Yager looked like they have solid two-way, top 6 center potential when I watched them early in the year. I haven't seen much of them after October though.

Sale is who I will continue to want for us. I barely put Stramel in my top 32. Not sure he is more than a big body/good athlete. I like Ritchie despite his production being a little down. I think he is kind of like a much better version of Gaucher, who you liked last year.


Oliver Moore is the elite skating center prospect on the USDP. Leonard has played on the wing on a line with Smith all year, if I'm not mistaken. I think he is a good all-around player and a good skater, but I would disagree with them on the best skater part.

You're correct. I got Moore and Leonard mixed up. Moore is still a pretty good skater though. Just not as elite as Moore.

 

[Frk It]

Lets assume the worst and the wings finish outside of the playoffs around 17th overall.
What player has the highest potential at this range? (hopefully C prospect/RHD)?

I'll be pretty disappointed if our top pick is a RHD, for 2 reasons:

- I don't think it's nearly our biggest need​

- I think this draft is much stronger at forward than it is on defense​

 

[WingsToPick4th]

I'll be pretty disappointed if our top pick is a RHD, for 2 reasons:

- I don't think it's nearly our biggest need​

- I think this draft is much stronger at forward than it is on defense​

What forwards (C or winger) do you feel has highest upside at our draft position (mid/late teens)?

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I think this is kind of interesting as a side by side comparison. The skating speed is definitely there on display.



Ryan Leonard is a hair slower but seems to have better hands of the two and he's a righty.

 

[Frk It]

What forwards (C or winger) do you feel has highest upside at our draft position (mid/late teens)?

Really hard to say what the consensus is right now. Curious to see what Bob's mid-season ranking looks like.

If Benson or Cristall were to slide due to being smaller guys, I'd jump all over that.

If Sale or Dvorsky were to slide, I'd be all over that.

I like Gabe Perrault and Ethan Gauthier. Both are super smart and skilled guys. I thought Gauthier was phenomenal at the Hlinka. Haven't seen much of him since. Perrault has been phenomenal since the Hlinka.

Still trying to form an opinion on guys like Honzek, Ziemmer, and Barlow. But any of those 3 could be an option too.

Ryan Leonard is a hair slower but seems to have better hands of the two and he's a righty.

I have some concerns he is getting overhyped because he is on a line with Smith and Perrault. I think those 2 guys are noticeably better players if you watch that team.

I like Moore a good deal better as a pro prospect, but that's just my .02

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Really hard to say what the consensus is right now. Curious to see what Bob's mid-season ranking looks like.

If Benson or Cristall were to slide due to being smaller guys, I'd jump all over that.

If Sale or Dvorsky were to slide, I'd be all over that.

I like Gabe Perrault and Ethan Gauthier. Both are super smart and skilled guys. I thought Gauthier was phenomenal at the Hlinka. Haven't seen much of him since. Perrault has been phenomenal since the Hlinka.

Still trying to form an opinion on guys like Honzek, Ziemmer, and Barlow. But any of those 3 could be an option too.


I have some concerns he is getting overhyped because he is on a line with Smith and Perrault. I think those 2 guys are noticeably better players if you watch that team.

I'm also not sold he will be a center.

I like Moore a good deal better as a pro prospect, but that's just my .02

NHL prospect Ryan Leonard's selflessness on the ice has been key to his game

Oliver Moore's skating ability is one of the factors that has put the Minnesota native on NHL scouts' radar

Is it similar to the Cooley vs Nazar question from 2022? And with Larkin still being young and Kasper looking like the real deal in Sweden, is it a deal breaker if Leonard only plays as a right-shooting RW?

 

[Frk It]

NHL prospect Ryan Leonard's selflessness on the ice has been key to his game

Oliver Moore's skating ability is one of the factors that has put the Minnesota native on NHL scouts' radar

Is it similar to the Cooley vs Nazar question from 2022? And with Larkin still being young and Kasper looking like the real deal in Sweden, is it a deal breaker if Leonard only plays as a right-shooting RW?

Ehhh my concerns are more like what I had with Isaac Howard. Great production, plays really well as a complement to 2 other good players, but not totally sure the skill set/package translates up a level.

I could be wrong, these are just my initial impressions. I view him as more of a late 1st round kinda guy. It's totally possible I'm selling him short.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Ehhh my concerns are more like what I had with Isaac Howard. Great production, plays really well as a complement to 2 other good players, but not totally sure the skill set/package translates up a level.

I could be wrong, these are just my initial impressions. I view him as more of a late 1st round kinda guy. It's totally possible I'm selling him short.

Fair enough. How do you think a kid like Will Smith's skills translate in the NHL?

From the article. A potential Robert Thomas style playmaker? Or more of a Barzal kind of playmaker?

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I think I may have just answered my own question.


Will Smith seems like a really cerebral player. I can appreciate how well he thinks the game but I'm not in love with his skating or the pace he plays at.

 

[Frk It]

Fair enough. How do you think a kid like Will Smith's skills translate in the NHL?

View attachment 624884

From the article. A potential Robert Thomas style playmaker? Or more of a Barzal kind of playmaker?

I think I may have just answered my own question.


Will Smith seems like a really cerebral player. I can appreciate how well he thinks the game but I'm not in love with his skating or the pace he plays at.

I think his game will translate well to the pro level. I think he deserves to be ranked somewhere in that 5-10 range in this draft. He is right in that group of guys after the big 3 or 4 at the top.

My initial impressions were I like him better than Cooley from last year. But I have not had as much time to watch hockey this year as I normally would. At any level.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I think his game will translate well to the pro level. I think he deserves to be ranked somewhere in that 5-10 range in this draft. He is right in that group of guys after the big 3 or 4 at the top.

My initial impressions were I like him better than Cooley from last year. But I have not had as much time to watch hockey this year as I normally would. At any level.

I wasn't a big fan of Cooley as a top 5 pick last year but I do like him more than Will Smith. Granted, I'm making this basis off what I'm digging up on Smith today. I'd like to see more but what I'm seeing right now does not look like a top 15 pick to me.

Smith doesn't show enough hustle for my liking. He does a lot of puck watching in that shift by shift that I posted and I'm noticing his feet aren't moving much when he doesn't have the puck. There's also not a lot of battle in his game. Times when he got hit and didn't really fight through the check or taking too long to get off the ice and back in the play.

 

[Frk It]

I wasn't a big fan of Cooley as a top 5 pick last year but I do like him more than Will Smith. Granted, I'm making this basis off what I'm digging up on Smith today. I'd like to see more but what I'm seeing right now does not look like a top 15 pick to me.

Smith doesn't show enough hustle for my liking. He does a lot of puck watching in that shift by shift that I posted and I'm noticing his feet aren't moving much when he doesn't have the puck. There's also not a lot of battle in his game. Times when he got hit and didn't really fight through the check or taking too long to get off the ice and back in the play.

You could fall into a Zegras type trap with that kind of thinking. Smith is one of the best offensive players in this draft IMO.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

You could fall into a Zegras type trap with that kind of thinking. Smith is one of the best offensive players in this draft IMO.

Even Zegras moved his feet more in his draft year though. I'm not denying the skill, but that only gets you so far at the next level.

More Smith highlights here.



OK skating, good stickhandler, very smart passing and puck patience.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Gennadi Chaly is another interesting player for me.

 

[jfrank21]

Really hard to say what the consensus is right now. Curious to see what Bob's mid-season ranking looks like.

If Benson or Cristall were to slide due to being smaller guys, I'd jump all over that.

If Sale or Dvorsky were to slide, I'd be all over that.

I like Gabe Perrault and Ethan Gauthier. Both are super smart and skilled guys. I thought Gauthier was phenomenal at the Hlinka. Haven't seen much of him since. Perrault has been phenomenal since the Hlinka.

Still trying to form an opinion on guys like Honzek, Ziemmer, and Barlow. But any of those 3 could be an option too.


I have some concerns he is getting overhyped because he is on a line with Smith and Perrault. I think those 2 guys are noticeably better players if you watch that team.

I like Moore a good deal better as a pro prospect, but that's just my .02

Yeah, this is pretty close to where I'm at. I would be thrilled with a crack at Benson, Yager, Sale, Dvorsky or Oliver Moore. I'm still curious how much a good/great WJC would help Stramel rise up the list. He did have a shorty today....

 

[HoweFan]

I hope in the later rounds we draft some big, nasty, physcotic thug to take care of the Ryan Reeves’s of the world. If he owns skates that’s even better