2023 NHL Entry Draft

[hardcorehabs]

Hughes will draft Dvrorsky / Honzek with 7 and 12.

Gotta keep the Slovakian tradition going

 

[Mrb1p]

If they drafted Slaf 1OA I dont see how they cant justify Honzek with their pick. Hes pretty much an exact copy, just more slim and with better passing IMO.

 

[NekkiChiconey]

I have Fantili pretty close too and dont really care if you were to pick him ahead, its defendable, I just dont like the people fear-mongering on the situation.

Most people who do so, are not people who typically watch prospects or even have valuable input.

Fair enough. At this point I'm thinking that realistically, odds are the first 4 picks won't actually go as we all think they will, because of Michkov or potentially other reasons. In that case, drafting 5th could be phenomenal.

 

[SnapVirus]

Come on. If I was the Gm of one of the most scrutunized franchise. I would definitely throw journalists off. Because I dont want other gms to know what I’ll do. Specially if I aim to draft a smaller forward this time around.

 

[Mrb1p]

Fair enough. At this point I'm thinking that realistically, odds are the first 4 picks won't actually go as we all think they will, because of Michkov or potentially other reasons. In that case, drafting 5th could be phenomenal.

Could be phenomenal if our management didnt show early signs of collective dementia

 

[HuGo Sham]

Come on. If I was the Gm of one of the most scrutunized franchise. I would definitely throw journalists off. Because I dont want other gms to know what I’ll do. Specially if I aim to draft a smaller forward this time around.

I agree with this...no one had a clue they were taking Slafkovsky until maybe the day of the draft...and now HuGo is likely to have 2 picks in the top 12. No one knows anything yet

 

[Mrb1p]

I agree with this...no one had a clue they were taking Slafkovsky until maybe the day of the draft...and now HuGo is likely to have 2 picks in the top 12. No one knows anything yet

Pretty sure Hugo themselves dont have a clue who their drafting yet so

 

[NekkiChiconey]

Could be phenomenal if our management didnt show early signs of collective dementia

Not sure what you're referring to? I wasn't a fan of the Slaf pick and I'm even less a fan of their subsequent decisions with him but I would say that, in general, the 2022 draft should give us at least and above-average yield.

We'll know more in 5 years, but these 2 drafts will definitely make or break this rebuild.

 

[Mrb1p]

Not sure what you're referring to? I wasn't a fan of the Slaf pick and I'm even less a fan of their subsequent decisions with him but I would say that, in general, the 2022 draft should give us at least and above-average yield.

We'll know more in 5 years, but these 2 drafts will definitely make or break this rebuild.

The Slaf and Mesar picks along with the rumours around them not wanting Michkov is enough for me to discredit anything they do, ever.

Then theres their track record in NYR...

 

[SOLR]

Hughes will draft Dvrorsky / Honzek with 7 and 12.

Gotta keep the Slovakian tradition going

The Montreal Slovakians, see what I did there?

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Did anyone hear Brian Wilde on TSN690 this morning?

He states that he's heard that the Habs prospect preference is size and that we would be sad if they follow through with that preference, with what he has heard.

To my mind it would be wonderful if that happens and they end up with either Fantilli or Carlsson. He also mentioned that he's heard that they wouldn't choose Smith if he was available.

Finally I have to admit that in my experience, Wilde is in no way an insider, and in the past he would just repeat what others who are connected would share publicly, so take it with a grain of salt.

I mean there's a lot of connections to Smith with Hughes. If we didn't take him, it would be like Columbus with a Finnish G.M. passing on Puljujarvi. It would be startling. They would have to really like someone else. I don't assume they're going Euro. Moore, Leonard & Danielson could easily be on their radar. All have at least average to above average size.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

The Slaf and Mesar picks along with the rumours around them not wanting Michkov is enough for me to discredit anything they do, ever.

Then theres their track record in NYR...

Michkov would come from Molson. After the brouhaha that developed after the Mailloux pick, he's going to want to stay away from anything controversial. Gordon has shown no hesitatation in picking up Russians previously. Montreal drafted 2 Russians in 2021 (Kostenko & Sobolev).

This is clearly a political issue, and would absolutely come from Molson. Montreal was rumored as being a team that would draft no Russians in 2022, and they were one of the few teams that didn't.

This goes beyond HuGo.

 

[le_sean]

Hughes will draft Dvrorsky / Honzek with 7 and 12.

Gotta keep the Slovakian tradition going

Can he clone Chara and Bondra to really help us out?

 

[NekkiChiconey]

The Slaf and Mesar picks along with the rumours around them not wanting Michkov is enough for me to discredit anything they do, ever.

Then theres their track record in NYR...

What's wrong with the Mesar pick, if you don't mind me asking? Feels like he was a solid option at 26. Hindsight is not favourable right now but he was impressive in preseason and at wjc so who knows.

 

[WinterLion]

Pretty sure Hugo themselves dont have a clue who their drafting yet so

Exactly...

 

[WinterLion]

Like... how off the board can you go? There are so many great players in this draft... it's pretty likely that the guy we take with our 2nd pick will have been higher on many scouts list than the guy we take with our 1st (...assuming we don't win the lottery obviously...)

Also if Brian Wilde actually has any inside info... he most certainly will not anymore!

 

[Milhouse40]

Michkov would come from Molson. After the brouhaha that developed after the Mailloux pick, he's going to want to stay away from anything controversial. Gordon has shown no hesitatation in picking up Russians previously. Montreal drafted 2 Russians in 2021 (Kostenko & Sobolev).

This is clearly a political issue, and would absolutely come from Molson. Montreal was rumored as being a team that would draft no Russians in 2022, and they were one of the few teams that didn't.

This goes beyond HuGo.

I would love to pick Mitchkov and would be totally terrified of doing it also at the same time so it could also be HuGo's decision, I would prefer someone take that decision out of our hands before we pick honestly as it should be (assuming we're picking 5-8).

 

[HuGort]

I mean there's a lot of connections to Smith with Hughes. If we didn't take him, it would be like Columbus with a Finnish G.M. passing on Puljujarvi. It would be startling. They would have to really like someone else. I don't assume they're going Euro. Moore, Leonard & Danielson could easily be on their radar. All have at least average to above average size.

Wilde said today Habs aren't that high on Smith and Benson.

 

[Milhouse40]

Like... how off the board can you go? There are so many great players in this draft... it's pretty likely that the guy we take with our 2nd pick will have been higher on many scouts list than the guy we take with our 1st (...assuming we don't win the lottery obviously...)

Also if Brian Wilde actually has any inside info... he most certainly will not anymore!

If I remember correctly, Wilde was convince they were picking Wright last year......soooooo

 

[WinterLion]

If I remember correctly, Wilde was convince they were picking Wright last year......soooooo

Yeah he really has no idea about prospects at all... It's amazing to me that these guys make their living doing this and are so clueless.

 

[HuGort]

It's a point that "off the board" could mean so many things from Wilde's perspective.

Let's assume what Wilde heard was true. Is it based off his own rankings? I do not recall him being much of a scout, just a media guy, so I'm sure he's referring to peoples' lists to a large degree. He does have Dvorsky at 9 on his twitter so that's not really off the board.

Is he basing it off McKenzie's rankings or Button's or Cosentino's? Cause guys like Dvorsky (again) or Barlow might count as relatively big compared to most players in that range, but they are not really off the board. And end of the day, they have nice frames but aren't BIG big either.

So with that being said, my deduction would conclude the following are what he's hinting at:

Reinbacher
Honzek
Ritchie
Wood
Stramel (this would be f***ing hilarious)

Three of those would be reaches for me in the top 10, less so with the second pick, while one (guess who) would be thoroughly unscrupulous........

Why am I working so hard to deduce info from a random radio hit?

Could be somebody like Musty also. He plays a heavy game. Should play around 6'2-220lbs. Can score.

Trade down with 'peg, get deal on Dubois? Our 7th for their 19th and Dubois?

 

[Mrb1p]

What's wrong with the Mesar pick, if you don't mind me asking? Feels like he was a solid option at 26. Hindsight is not favourable right now but he was impressive in preseason and at wjc so who knows.

Wrong? The pick in essence is bad because they clearly did it to cater to Slaf. All the 2022 draft was pretty much backwards IMO. They reach for size at #1 and then they pick a small diminutive forward that doesn't have very high ceiling at 26 because he's best friend with Slaf.

They jumped a lot of bigger, better players for this decision. I had him at 24, but the problem is theres 6 players that went ahead of him that I had higher, guys like Kulich, Lambert, Firkus notably.

Like if their sole goal was to go size+skill, why not go for Cooley/Wright+Kulich ?

Anyway, its done and thats that. Mesar and Slaf are both very good prospects respectively, I just think it could've been handled much better.

 

[Goldenhands]

Wilde said today Habs aren't that high on Smith and Benson.

Smith's motor is a red flag for me, he is physically pretty weak and not a great skater. I was higher early on and his talent level is very high, but more I watch, more I doubt.

Benson has a great motor, tremendously talented, but his skating isnt high end, so I could see why they would like some other guys better that early in the draft.

Thats my 2 cents, no clue if there is any truth into what Wilde said.

 

[Mrb1p]

Could be somebody like Musty also. He plays a heavy game. Should play around 6'2-220lbs. Can score.

Trade down with 'peg, get deal on Dubois? Our 7th for their 19th and Dubois?

I like Musty AND Dubois but that would be horrible.

We need high-end talent and while Musty does have a high-end ceiling, the variability in the results he may produce are way too large. He's not unlike Slaf in that sense, very high ceiling, good floor, but theres like no indication on which way he's gonna swing.

Smith's motor is a red flag for me, he is physically pretty weak and not a great skater. I was higher early on and his talent level is very high, but more I watch, more I doubt.

Benson has a great motor, tremendously talented, but his skating isnt high end, so I could see why they would like some other guys better that early in the draft.

Thats my 2 cents, no clue if there is any truth into what Wilde said.

Smiths shot is more worrisome than his motor or skating IMO. If a player can't beat a guy outside and he can't release it quick enough... Why is he even in your top 6 ?

I can't think of a single top 6er that has the skating deficiencies of Smith and his lack of shot. Maybe Backstrom ? But Backstrom is heavy and his shot is good, he just doesn't use it much.

 

[Goldenhands]

Wrong? The pick in essence is bad because they clearly did it to cater to Slaf. All the 2022 draft was pretty much backwards IMO. They reach for size at #1 and then they pick a small diminutive forward that doesn't have very high ceiling at 26 because he's best friend with Slaf.

They jumped a lot of bigger, better players for this decision. I had him at 24, but the problem is theres 6 players that went ahead of him that I had higher, guys like Kulich, Lambert, Firkus notably.

Like if their sole goal was to go size+skill, why not go for Cooley/Wright+Kulich ?

Anyway, its done and thats that. Mesar and Slaf are both very good prospects respectively, I just think it could've been handled much better.

Mesar is coming along, watched his last game, he was everywhere on the ice, I would not be surprised to see him pill the pts from now, coach put him back on the top line and kid was flying out there.