2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Mrb1p]

1st game back after the 4 nations for the USNDTP, they made some signifiant moves demoting 3 guys and promoting Eiserman, Hagens and Hutson from the U17. The clear winner is Oliver Moore who is now centering 2 bluechip prospects. That team is now just way too stacked up front, thats ridiculous, top 2 lines especially are unfair.

Game ended 12-4 against Lindenwood university:

Moore: 1+3
Smith: 2+1
Leonard: 2 goals
Perreault 1+1
Eiserman: 3 goals
Hagens: 3 assists

Quick notes, they all had a great game, Moore was possessed generating alot all game long, Leonard scored a beauty and Smith doing Smith things again, I thought Smith put more efforts on the defensive side of his game, so its encouraging to see. Perreault is growing on me, I think his talent level is just as high as some other players ranked higher in this draft.

Smith goal:
View attachment 656685

Leonard's deadly wrister:
View attachment 656687

Leonard off balance, no big deal:
View attachment 656688

Eiserman from Moore:
View attachment 656689

Moore's skating and puck protection skills leading to a goal:
View attachment 656692

Take note that Lindewood is basically bantam B level. Theyre really bad.

Appreciate the clips! They destroyed that team geez

LU is the worst team in the nation

I don't see his skating being worrisome at all compared to guys like Benson, Dvorsky and Smith.

Benson, Dvorsky and Smith lack explosiveness in their skating. Cristall is shifty and smooth on his edges. What worries me about him, is his lack of effort on the defensive end and when he loses a puck battle, he tends to just give up. But when he has the puck on his tape in the O zone, I think Cristall is a menace. He's the most dynamic player outside the big 3 (Connor, Michkov and Fantilli).

I think if there is a player that would swing the fence for us and be a gamebreaker is Cristall. I love Will Smith but I just don't see any explosiveness in his game and that bothers me. Cooley had it, not Smith. Smith and Benson somehow remind me a lot fo Suzuki. You know they have insane talent, vision, IQ but I want explosion. I think Cristall reminds me a lot of a Zegras or Marner. Come with same concerns which let them to be picked 4th and 9th.

And, Cristall is playing at a 1.75PPG pace in the Dub, that's higher than Benson, who is 2nd in league after Bedard.

What do ya'll think of Cristall? Marner is good comparison or no?

I agree on Smith, not on Benson. Benson is highly dynamic even if he isnt fast.

Cristall isnt like Zegras. He gets inside, he challenges open space, he has a good toolbag of shots and he's overall not a soft vanilla player. Hes a lot more Kane than he is Zegras. Zegras is closer to a succesful Drouin.

Barlow is very much rolling the dice, he could be stunning and his combination of size/speed is tantalizing. But like you, I think his upside is not a 40-50g guy, more like a 30g. That being said, I'm a lot more interested in Barlow for the habs for the FLA pick, because we need to complete the top 9 lines and he's a very rare player that can slot in in all kinds of combinations with some rough stuff. Ie. he's the compensation for Caufield's softness we need.

Very interesting that Barlow could be in the NHL next year as well (because maybe our first pick won't).

Leonards upside isnt 40-50 either.

 

[The Great Weal]

Very encouraging that our drafting and development are in the hands of the team taking Andersson, Kravtsov, Kakko and Lafrèniere.

Very confused why Molson allowed Gorton to hire his guys when they failed miserably with the Rangers. You'd expect us to try and poach other teams scouts that have had success.

 

[WeThreeKings]

One of my targets in the 2/3rd round area.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Why are we against giving a 10-15OV pick for Dubois? Especially considering we already have a top-7 pick.

Dubois will have a decade of prime hockey for us. He is not the bonafide superstar we need but he is a 24, size and skilled PPG center. He would age perfectly fine with what we already have in place.

Big, big risk to wait for him to be a UFA. This player will be coveted big time.

Some of us want to actually tank for real not some ticky tacky tank that leaves us spinning our wheels for another 20 years

 

[Jaynki]

Some of us want to actually tank for real not some ticky tacky tank that leaves us spinning our wheels for another 20 years

I understand but we already tanked last year and this year.

Generational/Superstar player are not always available and when they are, even tho you finish 32nd, you will need to hit on 18% odds. In other words, you need to beat pocket aces heads up with a lesser hands. This type of talent might also be lucked out later in a draft. (Subban, Pastrnak, Kucherov, for example)

It is not just about sucking but also about being lucky.

(I don't think Dubois is the gamebreaking talent we need, although he is an awesome player.)

 

[Frozenice]

I have a question for everyone. What if that mock draft is right? With Florida's pick we get second overall. Would you trade all your 2023 picks (including the 2nd OA) for the 1st OA?

No chance. Take Fantilli and all the players you draft and call it a day.

 

[NekkiChiconey]

I understand but we already tanked last year and this year.

Generational/Superstar player are not always available and when they are, even tho you finish 32nd, you will need to hit on 18% odds. In other words, you need to beat pocket aces heads up with a lesser hands. This type of talent might also be lucked out later in a draft. (Subban, Pastrnak, Kucherov, for example)

It is not just about sucking but also about being lucky.

(I don't think Dubois is the gamebreaking talent we need, although he is an awesome player.)

We're more likely to "get lucky" by picking inside the top-12 multiple times. It's just math.

I would trade de Fla pick (after lottery) as part of a package for a 19-22 yo top RD. That's pretty much it.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Barlow last night scored his 40th and 41st goals, as well as a his 70th and 71st points in his 52nd game.

 

[MonkeyBusiness]

Holy f***ing shit Michkov just scored a lacrosse goal live. What an absolute beast. This after serving his teammate a perfect pass in the first minute of the game. A goal and an assist so far.

 

[Jaynki]

We're more likely to "get lucky" by picking inside the top-12 multiple times. It's just math.

I would trade de Fla pick (after lottery) as part of a package for a 19-22 yo top RD. That's pretty much it.

Yes indeed. But it is not a gauge of success and tanking for a full season is a steep, steep price to pay to try your luck. I do agree to do it for a couple of season but it must not be done in perpetuity.

Boston, Carolina, Dallas, (TB, Colorado, Toronto but they hitted on their luck) in my opinion, are the best model to follow.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Michkov with a point in all 4 of Sochi's 4 goals so far. A goal and 3 assists.

He's now at 19 pts with Sochi, playing in his 27th game since being transferred there.

 

[morhilane]

Michkov with a point in all 4 of Sochi's 4 goals so far. A goal and 3 assists.

He's now at 19 pts with Sochi, playing in his 27th game since being transferred there.

He's so gone early despite what a lots of people are saying. Vancouver and Columbus aren't scared to pick/sign/trade for Russians and will pick high. Before the Habs most likely, unless Gorton's luck strikes again.

 

[WeThreeKings]

He's so gone early despite what a lots of people are saying. Vancouver and Columbus aren't scared to pick/sign/trade for Russians and will pick high. Before the Habs most likely, unless Gorton's luck strikes again.

This is a better scenario than those teams passing on Michkov and we do as well. That means one less good prospect to pick from.

 

[RandomTask26]

Holy f***ing shit Michkov just scored a lacrosse goal live. What an absolute beast. This after serving his teammate a perfect pass in the first minute of the game. A goal and an assist so far.

Ok Matvei, I’ll move you up to #3 on my list. Geez

 

[morhilane]

This is a better scenario than those teams passing on Michkov and we do as well. That means one less good prospect to pick from.

If everyone passes on Michkov, it's because he failed his interviews or there are some stories about him in Russia we don't know about (like off-ice issues).

 

[Mrb1p]

Yes indeed. But it is not a gauge of success and tanking for a full season is a steep, steep price to pay to try your luck. I do agree to do it for a couple of season but it must not be done in perpetuity.

Boston, Carolina, Dallas, (TB, Colorado, Toronto but they hitted on their luck) in my opinion, are the best model to follow.

Carolina picked #2 and got one of the best forward prospect in recent memory.

Dallas and Boston both ran off luck and are highly unlikely to be replicated, it is an asinine suggestion to suggest that this is the way to build a team. Youre essentially saying the model to success is a lotto ticket or being born in money instead of hard work and studying.

 

[WeThreeKings]

If everyone passes on Michkov, it's because he failed his interviews or there are some stories about him in Russia we don't know about (like off-ice issues).

Or because their owner isn't signing off on drafting a guy you -may- get in 4 years, and may not at all.

 

[Mrb1p]

Michkov stated multiple times he was in the KHL because it was the easiest path to the NHL.

 

[bcv]

Will the russian oligarchs still have enough money for the KHL to continue to exist, and pay their players enough that they don’t want to come to the NHL, with all the sanctions in the coming years?

Anyone have any credible info on that?

 

[jaffy27]

Some of us want to actually tank for real not some ticky tacky tank that leaves us spinning our wheels for another 20 years

What would you have done different??

Most of our good players are out of the lineup, you have Belzile, Ylonen, RHP, Pezzetta, Scheuneman, Wideman, Pitlick in the lineup, all fringe to ok hockey players….are we supposed to ask our core players to stop trying?

We were never gonna finish bottom 2 and are about 7pts from bottom 3 with 20 some ganes to go against some serious stiff competition.

Ducks and Blackhawks just won….maybe players just try to win

 

[Jaynki]

Will the russian oligarchs still have enough money for the KHL to continue to exist, and pay their players enough that they don’t want to come to the NHL, with all the sanctions in the coming years?

Anyone have any credible info on that?

It might be more difficult for Russians to eventually leave the country. I think that is a biggest concern.

We might see more Ilya Fedotov in the future

 

[WeThreeKings]

It might be more difficult for Russians to eventually leave the country. I think that is a biggest concern.

We might see more Ilya Fedotov in the future

This is my risk.. I don't see Putin willingly letting his most prized youth hockey player leave the country.

 

[morhilane]

It might be more difficult for Russians to eventually leave the country. I think that is a biggest concern.

We might see more Ilya Fedotov in the future

Or more Peter Stastny and Petr Svoboda...

 

[Jabba11]

Take note that Lindewood is basically bantam B level. Theyre really bad.

LU is the worst team in the nation

I agree on Smith, not on Benson. Benson is highly dynamic even if he isnt fast.

Cristall isnt like Zegras. He gets inside, he challenges open space, he has a good toolbag of shots and he's overall not a soft vanilla player. Hes a lot more Kane than he is Zegras. Zegras is closer to a succesful Drouin.

Leonards upside isnt 40-50 either.

Then I would not hesitate to pick Cristall. I feel it's very divided here because of the concerns for his lack of effort and his skating. But, yet, I feel he has really good edgework, very dynamic in the offensive zone. And I like how he can score in any way possible. Forehand, backhand, wrister, snap, slap, dangle, Michigan, etc.

 

[MonkeyBusiness]

This is my risk.. I don't see Putin willingly letting his most prized youth hockey player leave the country.

Would you take the risk for him if, hypothetically speaking, we were to pick at #4? Even with all the uncertainty, I wouldn't hesitate to pick him there. I just think there's too much of a gap between him and Smith/Benson that it's worth it to take the chance. His talent trumps Carlsson and Fantilli, in my opinion, but I'd still pick both of those players before Michkov due to the political turmoil in Russia. But I draw the line at #4.