HF Habs: 2023 NHL Draft part 2

[KevSkillz4]

Don’t think any team would want to play the Habs in a 7 game series if they got Leonard. Be like the Panthers, squeaking into the playoffs, but win a few rounds.

100% agree. I'm a big fan of Leonard game and that would be a great pick right there. He is very talented aswell. Fit perfectly on Habs top 6, he can become a solid 1st line player. He have the same talent than Benson, but with more grit in his game... so that's a perfect 5th overall to me.

 

[Skip Bayless]

If we draft Benson, Caufield or Hutson have got to go.

 

[KevSkillz4]

If we draft Benson, Caufield or Hutson have got to go.

Anyway I think they are much higher on Ryan Leonard than Zach Benson. I don't expect Benson go ahead of Leonard at this point. Leonard is bigger, more grit and he have same offensive talent than Benson...

 

[Weber Fan]

My feelings is that they’ll pick Ryan Leonard…He seems like the right fit. Speed, skill and size.

 

[WinterLion]

Reinbacher is not a reach over Smith or any other forward beyond Michkov. It is fine if you prefer a forward but the idea that Reinbacher is some low-upside pick who's clearly behind Smith is not accurate IMO. It's not overthinking the draft to consider a player with #1D upside at 5th overall.

Also, like it or not, a RHD is about the most valuable position and they tend to go a bit higher than anticipated.... and for good reason.

 

[Cubebrick]

People say every year there's a clear 'top x' and every year things change at the draft and players in that 'top x' don't end up as good as everybody thought. If you're making a selection based on what a perceived 'top x' is rather than your own evaluations you've already lost.

This. 100% this.

It still baffles me that this is not ingrained in everyone's mind after all these years. Even the most so-called reliable rankings are solidly hit or miss upon looking back.

It's always good to keep an open mind but to really just watch the players, think critically and form your own opinion.

I mean I get that not everyone has the time to dig deep and watch every player (and also everyone misses something here and there) but some people are so hellbent on having strong opinions in favor or against prospects they never even paid attention to just because McKenzie, Button or Pronman said "this" or "that". And this is where the "reach for a pick" argument is irrelevant because no one knows what the teams' lists are looking like, and they ALL vastly differ from each other (except for Bedard as 1st in this year's case).

 

[Andrei79]

If we draft Benson, Caufield or Hutson have got to go.

I'd be surprised if they went Benson. I might be wrong, but I don't think he fits the profile they're looking for.

 

[Skip Bayless]

I'd be surprised if they went Benson. I might be wrong, but I don't think he fits the profile they're looking for.

God I hope not.

 

[WeThreeKings]

They'll take Reinbacher ahead of Leonard, imo.

You can't make a case that Leonard is a tier above Reinbacher, then positional value absolutely crushes Leonard.

 

[MON4NHLTOR4MLB]

Ryan Leonard will never be an all star, same with Slaf. Solid players sure, but nothing special and neither ever over 60 points.

 

[AHShadow]

I'd be surprised if they went Benson. I might be wrong, but I don't think he fits the profile they're looking for.

Did we not learn our lesson with Hutson?

Smaller player, not the best skating, but amazing skills and IQ? Wouldn't you want to have another player like that in your system?

He's basically a more competitive Marner with a lot less skating ability.

Truly feel Benson is getting underrated here. I'd be very happy with him at 5.

 

[Doublechin]

Ryan Leonard will never be an all star, same with Slaf. Solid players sure, but nothing special and neither ever over 60 points.

Would be a massive disappointment if neither never reaches 60 considering the amount of players that do now

 

[Andrei79]

Smaller player, not the best skating, but amazing skills and IQ? Wouldn't you want to have another player like that in your system?

He's basically a more competitive Marner with a lot less skating ability.

Truly feel Benson is getting underrated here. I'd be very happy with him at 5.

I'm not making a comment on Benson's potential. It's a comment on whether I think management will see him as the fifth pick. A scout trying to sell his player as a small Marner with a lot less skating is a great way to plummet that player on a draft list though.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Not coming to the combine but going to the draft.

Wants to gain a foothold in Russia, especially in CSKA.. too early to worry about america or not america.

 

[The Great Weal]

I think Leonard is a beauty but I just can't rationalize the reason to draft him given our lack of star power. I get people saying that we passed up on a surefire top 6er in B.Tkachuk for KK and that this could be the same, but B.Tkachuk was a much more intriguing prospect and Smith is a vastly superior prospect than KK.

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Ryan Leonard will never be an all star, same with Slaf. Solid players sure, but nothing special and neither ever over 60 points.

wtf? seriously 60 points?
Based only on stats and historical data. Leonard is one of the best player to come out of the US NTDP for the past few years.

That alone make your claim very bold considering the quality of the players that have been through the program.

Then factor in his apparent weaknesses, I see clearly no glaring weaknesses. Skating: check, shot: check, hands: check, vision: check, hockey iq: check, physicality: check.

Now we go with character and compete and I do not see any red flags either.

It is one of the most slam dunk pick you can make in this year draft. He will play on a top line for a very long time and produce a lot of points and make many happy fans.

 

[Mrb1p]

I think Leonard is a beauty but I just can't rationalize the reason to draft him given our lack of star power. I get people saying that we passed up on a surefire top 6er in B.Tkachuk for KK and that this could be the same, but B.Tkachuk was a much more intriguing prospect and Smith is a vastly superior prospect than KK.

We got the Tkachuk pick last year with Slaf, Leonard is super nice and Id love to have a guy like him but yeah... Cmon, this is the time to go for it.

wtf? seriously 60 points?
Based only on stats and historical data. Leonard is one of the best player to come out of the US NTDP for the past few years.

That alone make your claim very bold considering the quality of the players that have been through the program.

Then factor in his apparent weaknesses, I see clearly no glaring weaknesses. Skating: check, shot: check, hands: check, vision: check, hockey iq: check, physicality: check.

Now we go with character and compete and I do not see any red flags either.

It is one of the most slam dunk pick you can make in this year draft. He will play on a top line for a very long time and produce a lot of points and make many happy fans.

Their production is greater than the sum of their parts. HockeyDB tough.

 

[SlafySZN]

I think Leonard is a beauty but I just can't rationalize the reason to draft him given our lack of star power. I get people saying that we passed up on a surefire top 6er in B.Tkachuk for KK and that this could be the same, but B.Tkachuk was a much more intriguing prospect and Smith is a vastly superior prospect than KK.

I don’t think anyone wants to take Leonard over Smith.

Leonard enters the discussion if Smith isn’t on the board at 5.

 

[SwiftyHab]

Not coming to the combine but going to the draft.

Wants to gain a foothold in Russia, especially in CSKA.. too early to worry about america or not america.

Great article. Love the fact that his coach wants him to play like MSL. We need this guy

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Honestly I do not think Michkov is on the card because he will drafted at 4.

The real question is more is Will Smith the right player? I have identified some red flags and I am not convinced he is clearly the BPA.

We got the Tkachuk pick last year with Slaf, Leonard is super nice and Id love to have a guy like him but yeah... Cmon, this is the time to go for it.

Their production is greater than the sum of their parts. HockeyDB tough.

Yes. We went for it in almost every draft that I can recall. From Kostitsyn, Galchenyuk, KK evn Slafkovsky came with huge risk. People act like if the habs always go with the safest route with their 1st round pick which is wrong. They have taken risk and failed many times.

That being said, yes Michkov is the obvioys player to select but if not him or one of the other top3, then we can start discussion what we need.

 

[phillytennis]

Mainly stats/TSN rankings watching. He's ranked 10th on McKenzie's list and 26th on Button's one (because somehow people still think his list is relevant), therefore he's a nonsense reach at 5 just like Sanderson and Seider were in their respective draft year.

If they truly want Reinbacher, they should trade down with Detroit.
To Detroit...picks...5th + 133rd
To Montréal....picks...9th +19th +43rd

 

[WeThreeKings]

Honestly I do not think Michkov is on the card because he will drafted at 4.

The real question is more is Will Smith the right player? I have identified some red flags and I am not convinced he is clearly the BPA.


Yes. We went for it in almost every draft that I can recall. From Kostitsyn, Galchenyuk, KK evn Slafkovsky came with huge risk. People act like if the habs always go with the safest route with their 1st round pick which is wrong. They have taken risk and failed many times.

That being said, yes Michkov is the obvioys player to select but if not him or one of the other top3, then we can start discussion what we need.

Will Smith is the right player.

I know everyone is on edge watching the Leafs talented players just play like chicken shit in the play-offs.

But you still need quick strike talent or game-breakers. There's one thing Will Smith did that Marner didn't do, and that's go to the net.

There's no concerns on Will Smith for me. There's more than enough surrounding players to mitigate his shortcomings and so much to gain by having such pure talent, IQ and vision on our team.

 

[SlafySZN]

Will Smith is the right player.

I know everyone is on edge watching the Leafs talented players just play like chicken shit in the play-offs.

But you still need quick strike talent or game-breakers. There's one thing Will Smith did that Marner didn't do, and that's go to the net.

There's no concerns on Will Smith for me. There's more than enough surrounding players to mitigate his shortcomings and so much to gain by having such pure talent, IQ and vision on our team.

Exactly. Smith isn’t scared to position himself near the net to finish plays.

Those talk about his ‘’defensive’’ game is exaggerated. It’s also interesting how people wanna say it’s a supposed red flag but no one talks about it for Michkov. As if he’s a perfect player himself.

 

[No More Subban]

Honestly I do not think Michkov is on the card because he will drafted at 4.

The real question is more is Will Smith the right player? I have identified some red flags and I am not convinced he is clearly the BPA.

i hope we pass on will smith. out of the top 10, he seems like the one with the most red flags.

 

[The Great Weal]

We got the Tkachuk pick last year with Slaf, Leonard is super nice and Id love to have a guy like him but yeah... Cmon, this is the time to go for it.

I have doubts that he will produce like Tkachuk. Hell, I'd be over the moon with a Nichuskin (on the Avs) like production.

I don’t think anyone wants to take Leonard over Smith.

Leonard enters the discussion if Smith isn’t on the board at 5.

So Leonard potentially over Michkov? It goes against taking "the most talented player".