2023 NHL Draft June 28 and 29, Nashville, TN (Selections - 13, 39, 45, 86, 109, 141, 173, 205)

[Chainshot]

What's Brindley's local connection?

Pardon, McCarthy - I don' t know why I put Brindley.

 

[Fjordy]

 

[Jim Bob]

Evaluating the top 2023 NHL Draft talent at the IIHF World Hockey Championship

Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli will both have a chance to win gold in the final major event of the...

www.dailyfaceoff.com

 

[Jim Bob]

I wonder if we will actually see a Hutson effect or if GMs will continue to be scared away from undersized outliers and not just on D.

The short goalie bias continues despite Saros being a top 5 goalie in the league and two of the top goalie prospects (Levi & Wolf) being under 6'2".

 

[Chainshot]

I wonder if we will actually see a Hutson effect or if GMs will continue to be scared away from undersized outliers and not just on D.

The short goalie bias continues despite Saros being a top 5 goalie in the league and two of the top goalie prospects (Levi & Wolf) being under 6'2".

Eh, the smaller defenseman thing is not new to just Hutson though. That's Spurgeon and Krug, even Grzelyck and others over the last 10 years.

 

[Jim Bob]

NHL Draft 2023: Pronman and Wheeler answer the biggest questions facing NHL teams

Consider this our experts' pre-draft press conference of sorts.

theathletic.com

They start right off with Buffalo:

Buffalo Sabres​

The Sabres have a need for more defensive depth in their prospect pool. Will they be able to address that at No. 13 or would you endorse a best player available approach given the strength of the class at center and wing? If they don’t go defense in Round 1, who are some defensemen the Sabres could look at in Rounds 2 and 3? —Matt Fairburn

Pronman: I personally think Tom Willander and Dmitri Simashev are reasonable talent choices at 13, Willander especially if you don’t want to go down the KHL contract path. I personally think whichever direction they go, be it forward or defense, their prospect pool is quite small and getting some more physicality into the pipeline would be ideal with the 13th pick.

Wheeler: I certainly think there’s a case to be made for Axel Sandin Pellikka and Willander at No. 13 (I’d find Simashev’s to be less compelling). If they do take a defenseman at No. 13, I’ll be intrigued to see which way they go, too. Corey’s right that their pool does skew smaller, but their actual NHL defense, with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson all around long term, certainly doesn’t lack size. I wouldn’t rule out Sandin Pellikka as a potential complement to those guys as a result. It’s not hard for me to imagine a Samuelsson and Sandin Pellikka pairing. I don’t think they necessarily have to take a defenseman there, though, and depending on which forwards are available I’d certainly encourage keeping an open mind. As for the D options in the second round? While there are several names to keep an eye on (righties Beau Akey, Lukas Dragicevic, Hunter Brzustewicz, and maybe Oliver Bonk, and lefties Etienne Morin, Tanner Molendyk, and Caden Price), there is a consensus drop-off between Sandin Pellikka and Willander and those guys.

ASP with Samuelsson and then Dahlin with Power would be interesting...

I'd still take Simashev (especially since Buffalo is not afraid to draft Russians) or Willander over ASP.

 

[Der Jaeger]

NHL Draft 2023: Pronman and Wheeler answer the biggest questions facing NHL teams

Consider this our experts' pre-draft press conference of sorts.

theathletic.com

They start right off with Buffalo:


ASP with Samuelsson and then Dahlin with Power would be interesting...

I'd still take Simashev (especially since Buffalo is not afraid to draft Russians) or Willander over ASP.

Simashev is the Adams BPA pick that people will poo-poo now and see how well it turns out later.

I like Willander because he’s the right nexus of talents (he’ll be in the mix for BPA at 13), and need for the Sabres.

 

[Fjordy]

Simashev is the Adams BPA pick that people will poo-poo now and see how well it turns out later.

I like Willander because he’s the right nexus of talents (he’ll be in the mix for BPA at 13), and need for the Sabres.

What people?

He is one of my favourites.

Why Willander has such low ratings at the EP? Even Simashev has much better ratings, although the Russian factor, that's all.

 

[Der Jaeger]

What people?

He is one of my favourites.

Why Willander has such low ratings at the EP? Even Simashev has much better ratings, although the Russian factor, that's all.

The same people who pop-poo’d Adams when he picked Quinn, Rosen, etc.

 

[Fjordy]

The same people who pop-poo’d Adams when he picked Quinn, Rosen, etc.

Well, I was fine with those choices, and Simashev is generally one of my favorite options at #13.

 

[Jim Bob]

2023 NHL Draft: The top 15 overage prospects

These 15 players deserve another look at the draft table this year.

www.dailyfaceoff.com

A familiar last name leads this list.

 

[Diaspora]

2023 NHL Draft: The top 15 overage prospects

These 15 players deserve another look at the draft table this year.

www.dailyfaceoff.com

A familiar last name leads this list.

There's a familiar name in the middle of the list too. Mid-rounder for Suchanek?

 

[Gabrielor]

NHL Draft 2023: Pronman and Wheeler answer the biggest questions facing NHL teams

Consider this our experts' pre-draft press conference of sorts.

theathletic.com

They start right off with Buffalo:


ASP with Samuelsson and then Dahlin with Power would be interesting...

I'd still take Simashev (especially since Buffalo is not afraid to draft Russians) or Willander over ASP.

Willander's my preferred, and depsite the hfboard team mock, I doubt he goes before 13.

 

[Ace]

Willander's my preferred, and depsite the hfboard team mock, I doubt he goes before 13.

I want to doubt it too...but he's been mentioned ahead of us too often to ignore it.

 

[Gabrielor]

I want to doubt it too...but he's been mentioned ahead of us too often to ignore it.

Yea, I mean, the way the hfboard mock fell was actual hell, worst case scenario.

I sure hope we're talking trade if we think it'll go like that.

Simashev is just too low of a ceiling for a 13th pick.

 

[Fjordy]

Simashev is just too low of a ceiling for a 13th pick.

You're wrong

 

[Fjordy]

 

[Chainshot]

Yea, I mean, the way the hfboard mock fell was actual hell, worst case scenario.

I sure hope we're talking trade if we think it'll go like that.

Simashev is just too low of a ceiling for a 13th pick.

Barlow, Wood, Perreault all are interesting prospects who fit some previous attribute profiles the team has expressed interest in and also drafted. They were all at 13 with how that voted mock broke along with Sandin Pellikka and Simashev. That is having to rely on the risk of it and trust in one's scouts. I'm not sure that is worst case.

 

[Gabrielor]

Barlow, Wood, Perreault all are interesting prospects who fit some previous attribute profiles the team has expressed interest in and also drafted. They were all at 13 with how that voted mock broke along with Sandin Pellikka and Simashev. That is having to rely on the risk of it and trust in one's scouts. I'm not sure that is worst case.

Barlow, Wood, Perreault, Simashev, Yager, But...I'll have the same reaction to all of them. "Fine" Of course I'll root for them the second they're ours (see my paper on Quinn, Jack), but the guys I like more went prior.

Pellikka, Willander, Danielson, I'll be slightly ahead of 'fine' and slightly behind 'awesome!' like with Moore, Reinbacher.

 

[Ace]

I feel comfortable with the risk of Simashev coming over given the pipeline they're building of Russian prospects. The "problem" is that you are going to wait a few years to sign him and have no control over his development.

That said...he's a big great skater who is the best defender in the class. I dont see a low ceiling at all with him. I see a potential great defender with size that has nothing but a high ceiling to add an offensive side. The way he skates...it isn't crazy to think he unlocks it. Especially in a system like ours where speed speed speed. The fact that he's been punching above his weight as a defender makes him pretty much exactly what we want (other than handedness).

If Samuelsson could have skated like him his draft year...he goes top half of the 1st round.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

I suppose it’s fortunate that our first time outside of the top 10 in a long time happens to be a rare opportunity to get top-10-caliber picks outside the top 10.

How Strong is the 2023 NHL Draft Class?

A Historical Comparison of This Years Top Prospects

chacemccallum.substack.com

 

[Gabrielor]

I feel comfortable with the risk of Simashev coming over given the pipeline they're building of Russian prospects. The "problem" is that you are going to wait a few years to sign him and have no control over his development.

That said...he's a big great skater who is the best defender in the class. I dont see a low ceiling at all with him. I see a potential great defender with size that has nothing but a high ceiling to add an offensive side. The way he skates...it isn't crazy to think he unlocks it. Especially in a system like ours where speed speed speed. The fact that he's been punching above his weight as a defender makes him pretty much exactly what we want (other than handedness).

If Samuelsson could have skated like him his draft year...he goes top half of the 1st round.

I like Pellikka more as a fit, and I believe I'm now in the minority on that.

 

[Ace]

I like Pellikka more as a fit, and I believe I'm now in the minority on that.

I can see it working if power and dahlin are going to be a permanent pair. But ASP will never get PP time here. Well...maybe in 9 years I guess.

 

[Chainshot]

I can see it working if power and dahlin are going to be a permanent pair. But ASP will never get PP time here. Well...maybe in 9 years I guess.

ASP's best strength is in using his feet to transition the puck from d-zone to o-zone. That still works at 5-on-5. His point production likely won't be as high without PP time, but as a puck mover, he would still have a role.

 

[Ace]

ASP's best strength is in using his feet to transition the puck from d-zone to o-zone. That still works at 5-on-5. His point production likely won't be as high without PP time, but as a puck mover, he would still have a role.

I get that. But are we really going to take away the option of having one of Dahlin and Power out there for 45 minutes a night? Because as much as I think Power's partner has to have offensive skill to play off of him...I don't want Power having to play safety for someone either. Samuelsson can do that...but ASP has to be really great to make it worth it. Really great. I dont see really great.

I'd rather have Dahiln and someone on the top pair and Power and someone on the second pair then have them together. Which is the only way I see ASP working here over the course of our 3 D's tenure.

It is fun to rectify people saying we need to improve team defense in front of the goalie but no one wants to move skill forwards for defensive forwards...and also draft ASP at 13? Good luck future goalies.