2023 NHL Entry Draft Discussion - Draft Lottery Edition

[Buresflyingelbow]

Would be nice to walk away with Reinbacher and Willander. However we need to get a 2nd rd pick for Willander and some luck for Reinbacher.

I agree but less of a need with Hronek on board now. Reinbacher would be the ideal get.

 

[Killer Orcas]

I agree but less of a need with Hronek on board now. Reinbacher would be the ideal get.

Can never have enough talented RHD prospects in the pipeline for me.

 

[Vector]

Can never have enough talented RHD prospects in the pipeline for me.

RHD and centers. If you have a system with nothing but those two positions you’re sitting pretty.

 

[TryamkinPleaseReturn]

RHD and centers. If you have a system with nothing but those two positions you’re sitting pretty.

Unless it's Patrick White, Jordan Schroeder, Brendan Gaunce, Frank Corrado, and Jordan Subban. Then your system sucks.

 

[Vector]

Unless it's Patrick White, Jordan Schroeder, Brendan Gaunce, Frank Corrado, and Jordan Subban. Then your system sucks.

Funny but at no point were all those players part of the Canucks system at the same time.

 

[TryamkinPleaseReturn]

Funny but at no point were all those players part of the Canucks system at the same time.

And regardless your point stands, those are no doubt the most valuable positions.

 

[Vector]

And regardless your point stands, those are no doubt the most valuable positions.

Dope thing that I’ve always known but has been hammered home recently is that centers can just become wingers. It’s a much easier transition than the other way around.

But yeah, f***ing draft good players you damn morons. I hated the Schroeder pick so much.

 

[Raistlin]

RHD and centers. If you have a system with nothing but those two positions you’re sitting pretty.

you look at their picks and its not the greatest, but LA's pipeline is exactly flush with those. They can cash those assets in whenever they want and can basically trade their way out of drafting relatively mediocre.

 

[DFAC]

I was disgusted with this trade. A draft where we could have picked up 3 great players. (with a little luck). Instead we got a decent D man, and screwed ourselves even worse with regards to the cap. Every team knows the Canucks are in serious cap trouble; no one is going to help us out without some sort of crippling bite. This was such a Benning type move. Sure, we will be a better team next year cuz of this trade, but the long term implications are just sad.

That said, I expect us to be a decent team next year. Was talking to a guy I was golfing with who used to scout for the Flyers. He was really bullish on us being strong next year. We have 3 - 4 franchise players now. (EP, Demko and Hughes are all arguably top 5 in the league in their positions. He wanted to include Miller, I disagreed.) Yes we have some holes, but so does every team in the league. As much as I hate the idea, we may have to buy out OEL to be cap compliant. Just a disgusting state of affairs for a team that has had one playoff win in 10 years, a terrible prospect pool, spending to the cap (and then some) and in a disaster of a cap position. FFS I could have been a better GM than that disaster JB. Then again so could have a potato.

Edit - and so GD glad that Boston got beat. (I actually thought there was a good chance this was going to happen ... after all Fla was the presidents trophy winner a year ago, and added some very strong players this year.) Wish I had followed my gut and put some money on it.

We could have picked up 3 great prospects this draft and instead we’re going to be in cap trouble in a year. Zero foresight from this management, no patience and just no foresight

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

you look at their picks and its not the greatest, but LA's pipeline is exactly flush with those. They can cash those assets in whenever they want and can basically trade their way out of drafting relatively mediocre.

Disagree…You need to draft elite players (franchise players)..You’re not winning a championship without them..

Nobody is trading them for depth players in the LA system..

When Kopitar and Doughty (who are superstars) move on ,there’s going to be a serious hole to fill.

 

[Raistlin]

Disagree…You need to draft elite players (franchise players)..You’re not winning a championship without them..

Nobody is trading them for depth players in the LA system..

When Kopitar and Doughty (who are superstars) move on ,there’s going to be a serious hole to fill.

They have cap space once they move on, they can sign those guys with that 21 million.

Tsk...I'm not super bullish on them, they are in a good spot.., but they would be better if they got Stutzle and Seider instead of Byfield and Turcotte for sure. It's hard to be a serious contender if you screw up lottery picks in succession. Byfield still has a lot of time to realize his potential, but Turcotte is not looking good already.

 

[PuckMunchkin]

Dope thing that I’ve always known but has been hammered home recently is that centers can just become wingers. It’s a much easier transition than the other way around.

But yeah, f***ing draft good players you damn morons. I hated the Schroeder pick so much.

This is a sneaky good point that is often forgotten.

 

[MarkMM]

I agree but less of a need with Hronek on board now. Reinbacher would be the ideal get.

Hronek fills one of the top two RHD positions, Bear is our likely bet as a temporary fill-in, if we sign Bear for 2-3 years and draft Reinbacher then things might give us a natural transition plan.

 

[Ninjadude]

We could have picked up 3 great prospects this draft and instead we’re going to be in cap trouble in a year. Zero foresight from this management, no patience and just no foresight

Great point! There is no guarantee that 3 prospects in picked in the top 40 will become NHL players at all. Having said that, I would rather have the 3 prospects instead of Hroneck as well!

If Hroneck was traded today or at the draft, do you think Detroit will get a 1st and a 2nd for him?

 

[Knight53]

ANA - Bedard
CBJ - Fantilli
CHI - Carlsson
SJ - Smith
MTL - Dvorsky
ARI - Reinbacher
PHI - Michkov
WSH - Danielson
DET - Honzek
STL - Benson
VAN - Leonard/Moore/Sandin Pellikka/Wood

 

[Raistlin]

Hronek fills one of the top two RHD positions, Bear is our likely bet as a temporary fill-in, if we sign Bear for 2-3 years and draft Reinbacher then things might give us a natural transition plan.

looking at the order, if somehow habs and coyotes pass on Reinbacher, I wonder if it warrants moving up to Philly's 8OA to draft Reinbacher and get that stud D prospect out of the way, I cannot not see him as a top 4 RHD, and I have a feeling both Washington and STL is looking at D. Not to mention Yzerman and his hard on for big RHD. Winning all those games sure paid off in spades.

 

[SelltheTeamFrancesco]

ANA - Bedard
CBJ - Fantilli
CHI - Carlsson
SJ - Smith
MTL - Dvorsky
ARI - Reinbacher
PHI - Michkov
WSH - Danielson
DET - Honzek
STL - Benson
VAN - Leonard/Moore/Sandin Pellikka/Wood

Can you imagine the outrage of fans on here if this happened? Missing out on Benson by one pick. I know everyone loves Moore including myself but the chaos would be hilarious.

 

[Hamhuis2]

If anyone is interested in ranking that include stylistic comparisons and projections, check mine out here:

Spoiler: 2023 1st Round Draft Rankings

Player - Position - Potential - Point Projection - Stylistic Comparable - Notes

1. Bedard - C - Top-5 player - 100+ points - Joe Sakic mixed with Patty Kane - Dynamic sniper, sneaky edgework, elite skill.

2. Michkov - RW - Top-5 goalscoer - 100+ points - Nikita Kucherov - Intelligent, high-skilled player who excels at darting into space in the offensive zone. Can score from anywhere. Potential 50 goal scorer.

3. Fantilli - C - Top-10 centre - 90+ points - Jonathan Toews - High-end physical tools + aggressive + solid hockey sense.

4. Carlsson - C/LW - Top-10 centre - 90+ points - Filip Forsberg - High degree of drive + skill. Uses his body to protect the puck very well.

5. Smith - C - #1 centre - 80+ points - Trevor Zegras - Creative, controls the pace of the game, which can sometimes cause him to look slow. Can lack on defensive effort, but is an offensive wizard.

6. Benson - LW/RW - Play-driving 1st line winger - 80+ points - Brayden Point - Workhorse with high-end skill. Above average straight-line speed, but elite edges. Small, but tenacious.

7. Reinbacher - RD - Top-pair defenceman - 40 points - Alex Pietrangelo - Above-average puck skills. Very good distance passer and decision maker. Above average skater with room to improve pivots. Great reach and overall defensive play.

8. Leonard - RW/C - Complementary 1st line winer - 70 points - Zach Parise - Elite motor, high-end shot and puck skills. Good two-way player who plays like a smaller power forward.

9. Moore - C - High-end #2 centre - 65 points - Dylan Larkin - Best skater in the draft, with a willingness to play inside the dots. Good puck skills and passing. Above average hockey IQ.

10. Dvorsky - C - High-end #2 centre - 60 points - Anze Kopitar - Advanced defensive game, great shot, but needs time to get it off. Above average puck skills. Heavy feet, but ok speed once he gets going.

11. Cristell - LW - Complementary 1st line winger or bust - 75+ points or bust - Claude Giroux - Elite puck skills, highly creative. Fantastic passer with a great shot. One of the best players in the offensive zone, though he can force plays. Good edges but average separation and top speed.

12. Sandin-Pellikka - RD - Offensive #3 defenceman - 50+ points - Quinn Hughes - Elite skater, including great four-way mobility. Play-driver from the backend, with good vision and passing. Typically good decision-making; prone to some lapses. Average defensively.

13. Barlow - LW - 1st/2nd line power forward - 60 points - Mason McTavish - High-end shot and physical tools. Plays a direct game with above-average skating. Above-average hockey IQ, but probably won't be the primary creator on his line.

14. Wood - 1st line power forward or bust - 75+ points or bust - Jason Robertson - High-end tools, including shot, size, and puck skills. Incredibly intelligent player. Below-average acceleration and average top speed. Skating could limit his upside, or he could become the next Jason Robertson.

15. Perrault - Complimentary 1st line winger - 60 points - Jake Guentzel - Not the biggest or the fastest, but the hockey IQ is near the top of the class, and he has good skill. Wide spread on this player, but he's too smart to fail.

16. Yager - 1st/2nd line sniper - 60 points - Mike Hoffman - Great shot and good skating, but plays a bit too much on the perimeter, leading to inconsistencies in creating. Average/above-average hockey IQ.

17. Danielson - #2 two-way centre - 50 points - Anthony Cirelli - Prototypical two-way #2C. Very responsible player who is a jack of all trades. Good, but not great at everything.

18. Sale - RW - 1st line offensive winger or bust - 65+ points or bust - Taylor Hall - Great individual puck skills and speed. More of a playmaker, but has a good shot - needs to use it more. Very inconsistent - can disappear for games at a time and then look like the best player on the ice.

19. Heidt - LW/C - 2nd line playmaker - 55 points - Nick Schmaltz - Great passer and playdriver from the centre or wing. Good mobility, especially carrying the puck in transition. He has high-end hockey IQ, and should play C at the next level. Despite low goal totals, he is a good one-timer option on the PP.

20. Simashev - LD - #3-4 shutdown defenceman - 25 points - Jonas Siegenthaler - Big shutdown defenceman with a good stick, above average skating & physicality, and some offensive upside. Potential the best defensive player in the draft.

21. Brindley - 2nd line pest - 50 points - Brad Marchand - Tenacious player with a high-end motor and good puck skills. Great at puck retrievals and keeping plays alive in the offensive zone.

22. Honzek - C/LW - 2nd line powerforward - 50 points - Danius Zubrus - Plus size and above-average skating. Doesn't shy away from the middle of the ice, especially the front of the net. Can be inconsistent and needs to work on his defensive play.

23. Willander - RD - #3-4 two-way defenceman - 30 points - Anton Stralman - Very efficient player with good mobility, decision-making, and passing. Isn't flashy, but always seems to make the right play. Could improve his

24. Ritchie - C - #2 two-way centre - 50 points - Ryan O'Reilly - Above average in everything except average skating.

25. Stenburg - C - #2 two-way centre - 50+ points - Philip Danault - Good two-way player with above-average skating and hands. Likes the puck on his stick and excels in transition. Plus shot from range.

26. Gulyayev - LD - #4 offensive defenceman - 50+ points - Tyson Barrie - Elite skater with high-end offensive tools, including stickhandling and passing in the offensive zone. Loves to join the rush, and can get back due to his elite speed. In-zone defending and strength need improvement.

27. Sawchyn - C - Middle-six energy forward - 45 points - JG Pageau - High-end motor and good passing, especially in tight spaces. He's a tenacious forechecker who can play higher in the lineup due to his hockey IQ and good skill base, though may be limited by his size.

28. Musty - LW - Top-6 playmaker or bust - 55+ points or bust - Benoit Pouliot - Above-average individual skill, creativity, and vision. Struggles with inconsistency, physicality, and skating - especially his acceleration.

29. Ziemmer - RW - Top-6 power forward - 50 points - Timo Meier - Excellent at using his size to protect the puck and drive the net. Has a great shot, good IQ and passing ability, but can lack explosiveness.

30. Lindstein - LD - #4 two-way defenceman - 30 points - Henri Jokiharju - Smooth skating defender with a big shot, but can struggle under pressure with his decision-making.

31. But - LW - Top-6 power forward or bust - 50+ points or bust - Evgeni Malkin - Massive physical player with good puck skills and a hard, but inaccurate shot. He's very raw, and has an awkward stride that doesn't generate much power, leading to poor acceleration but decent top speed. Honestly could go anywhere from 10-50.

32. Gauthier - RW - Middle-six pest - 40 points - Mike Richards - Good motor, especially on the forecheck. He is relentless, and an intelligent two-way player. Average skating and skills limit upside, but he's hard to play against.

Note: This is not a mock draft. If I'm the Canucks, my realistic targets are Reinbacher, Moore, Leonard, Sandin-Pellikka, or Wood, probably in that order.

 

[Vector]

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

If anyone is interested in ranking that include stylistic comparisons and projections, check mine out here:

Spoiler: 2023 1st Round Draft Rankings

Player - Position - Potential - Point Projection - Stylistic Comparable - Notes

1. Bedard - C - Top-5 player - 100+ points - Joe Sakic mixed with Patty Kane - Dynamic sniper, sneaky edgework, elite skill.

2. Michkov - RW - Top-5 goalscoer - 100+ points - Nikita Kucherov - Intelligent, high-skilled player who excels at darting into space in the offensive zone. Can score from anywhere. Potential 50 goal scorer.

3. Fantilli - C - Top-10 centre - 90+ points - Jonathan Toews - High-end physical tools + aggressive + solid hockey sense.

4. Carlsson - C/LW - Top-10 centre - 90+ points - Filip Forsberg - High degree of drive + skill. Uses his body to protect the puck very well.

5. Smith - C - #1 centre - 80+ points - Trevor Zegras - Creative, controls the pace of the game, which can sometimes cause him to look slow. Can lack on defensive effort, but is an offensive wizard.

6. Benson - LW/RW - Play-driving 1st line winger - 80+ points - Brayden Point - Workhorse with high-end skill. Above average straight-line speed, but elite edges. Small, but tenacious.

7. Reinbacher - RD - Top-pair defenceman - 40 points - Alex Pietrangelo - Above-average puck skills. Very good distance passer and decision maker. Above average skater with room to improve pivots. Great reach and overall defensive play.

8. Leonard - RW/C - Complementary 1st line winer - 70 points - Zach Parise - Elite motor, high-end shot and puck skills. Good two-way player who plays like a smaller power forward.

9. Moore - C - High-end #2 centre - 65 points - Dylan Larkin - Best skater in the draft, with a willingness to play inside the dots. Good puck skills and passing. Above average hockey IQ.

10. Dvorsky - C - High-end #2 centre - 60 points - Anze Kopitar - Advanced defensive game, great shot, but needs time to get it off. Above average puck skills. Heavy feet, but ok speed once he gets going.

11. Cristell - LW - Complementary 1st line winger or bust - 75+ points or bust - Claude Giroux - Elite puck skills, highly creative. Fantastic passer with a great shot. One of the best players in the offensive zone, though he can force plays. Good edges but average separation and top speed.

12. Sandin-Pellikka - RD - Offensive #3 defenceman - 50+ points - Quinn Hughes - Elite skater, including great four-way mobility. Play-driver from the backend, with good vision and passing. Typically good decision-making; prone to some lapses. Average defensively.

13. Barlow - LW - 1st/2nd line power forward - 60 points - Mason McTavish - High-end shot and physical tools. Plays a direct game with above-average skating. Above-average hockey IQ, but probably won't be the primary creator on his line.

14. Wood - 1st line power forward or bust - 75+ points or bust - Jason Robertson - High-end tools, including shot, size, and puck skills. Incredibly intelligent player. Below-average acceleration and average top speed. Skating could limit his upside, or he could become the next Jason Robertson.

15. Perrault - Complimentary 1st line winger - 60 points - Jake Guentzel - Not the biggest or the fastest, but the hockey IQ is near the top of the class, and he has good skill. Wide spread on this player, but he's too smart to fail.

16. Yager - 1st/2nd line sniper - 60 points - Mike Hoffman - Great shot and good skating, but plays a bit too much on the perimeter, leading to inconsistencies in creating. Average/above-average hockey IQ.

17. Danielson - #2 two-way centre - 50 points - Anthony Cirelli - Prototypical two-way #2C. Very responsible player who is a jack of all trades. Good, but not great at everything.

18. Sale - RW - 1st line offensive winger or bust - 65+ points or bust - Taylor Hall - Great individual puck skills and speed. More of a playmaker, but has a good shot - needs to use it more. Very inconsistent - can disappear for games at a time and then look like the best player on the ice.

19. Heidt - LW/C - 2nd line playmaker - 55 points - Nick Schmaltz - Great passer and playdriver from the centre or wing. Good mobility, especially carrying the puck in transition. He has high-end hockey IQ, and should play C at the next level. Despite low goal totals, he is a good one-timer option on the PP.

20. Simashev - LD - #3-4 shutdown defenceman - 25 points - Jonas Siegenthaler - Big shutdown defenceman with a good stick, above average skating & physicality, and some offensive upside. Potential the best defensive player in the draft.

21. Brindley - 2nd line pest - 50 points - Brad Marchand - Tenacious player with a high-end motor and good puck skills. Great at puck retrievals and keeping plays alive in the offensive zone.

22. Honzek - C/LW - 2nd line powerforward - 50 points - Danius Zubrus - Plus size and above-average skating. Doesn't shy away from the middle of the ice, especially the front of the net. Can be inconsistent and needs to work on his defensive play.

23. Willander - RD - #3-4 two-way defenceman - 30 points - Anton Stralman - Very efficient player with good mobility, decision-making, and passing. Isn't flashy, but always seems to make the right play. Could improve his

24. Ritchie - C - #2 two-way centre - 50 points - Ryan O'Reilly - Above average in everything except average skating.

25. Stenburg - C - #2 two-way centre - 50+ points - Philip Danault - Good two-way player with above-average skating and hands. Likes the puck on his stick and excels in transition. Plus shot from range.

26. Gulyayev - LD - #4 offensive defenceman - 50+ points - Tyson Barrie - Elite skater with high-end offensive tools, including stickhandling and passing in the offensive zone. Loves to join the rush, and can get back due to his elite speed. In-zone defending and strength need improvement.

27. Sawchyn - C - Middle-six energy forward - 45 points - JG Pageau - High-end motor and good passing, especially in tight spaces. He's a tenacious forechecker who can play higher in the lineup due to his hockey IQ and good skill base, though may be limited by his size.

28. Musty - LW - Top-6 playmaker or bust - 55+ points or bust - Benoit Pouliot - Above-average individual skill, creativity, and vision. Struggles with inconsistency, physicality, and skating - especially his acceleration.

29. Ziemmer - RW - Top-6 power forward - 50 points - Timo Meier - Excellent at using his size to protect the puck and drive the net. Has a great shot, good IQ and passing ability, but can lack explosiveness.

30. Lindstein - LD - #4 two-way defenceman - 30 points - Henri Jokiharju - Smooth skating defender with a big shot, but can struggle under pressure with his decision-making.

31. But - LW - Top-6 power forward or bust - 50+ points or bust - Evgeni Malkin - Massive physical player with good puck skills and a hard, but inaccurate shot. He's very raw, and has an awkward stride that doesn't generate much power, leading to poor acceleration but decent top speed. Honestly could go anywhere from 10-50.

32. Gauthier - RW - Middle-six pest - 40 points - Mike Richards - Good motor, especially on the forecheck. He is relentless, and an intelligent two-way player. Average skating and skills limit upside, but he's hard to play against.

Note: This is not a mock draft. If I'm the Canucks, my realistic targets are Reinbacher, Moore, Leonard, Sandin-Pellikka, or Wood, probably in that order.

I expected more comparisons to Hamhuis.

 

[kcunac]

1. Bedard
2. Fantilli
3. Carlsson
4. Michkov
5. Smith
6. Reinbacher
7. Moore
8. Leonard
9. Dvorsky
10. Wood

One of these please.

If we draft 13, then I would also not be disappointed with ASP/Yager/Benson. Actually I would be disapointed but I would have no good reason to be.

 

[kcunac]

I get Wood is not a great skater but the guy is already PPG in the NCAA, which would be a good result in D+1. He's not got Robertson's high end potential, but are we looking at team's making a similar mistake here, ignoring the obvious eye-popping stats? I mean, it would be another thing if he wasn't RS and 6"3.

 

[Buresflyingelbow]

Let’s just win the lottery this year and get the hometown kid.

 

[IComeInPeace]

I really like this Tom Willander kid.

As the draft gets closer, outside of the top 5, there are still so many really good players available when we will be picking.
I’m not sure that in 1-2 years the guys chosen at 6,7,8 are likely to be ranked higher than the guys chosen at 10,11,12.

 

[Canucks LB]

Does anybody know who the Canucks pick is?

Just curious, and I don’t have premium