2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Ezpz]

Michkov would be ideal if we're tanking next year too. I don't think that's possible though, we have improved too much. I don't think we'd be in a wildcard spot but we'd be closer to Ottawa without our injuries.

 

[_vivelequebec_]

Let’s say we have pick 5 and 15.
You draft Benson at 5 (or wish for Michkov) and work your ass up to move up from 15 up to between 7-9 and pick Reinbacher (for all of the Reinbacher lover here).

We have what it take to go up from 15 to 7.

I also loved this scenario. Detroit might be a candidate they have 2 first round picks. Their 8th-9th overall for our 13th-14th (crossing fingers) + 2nd in 2024?

Edit : the Blues have 3 picks in first. Damn. Coyotes 2.

 

[Sam de Mtl]

It will come down to the interview I suspect. If they deem him to have attitude issues, like they did with Wright, then they'll take a pass.

If that is the case, then they will pass for sure. Michkov is super arrogant and has been raised as royalty as a hockey player.



He was snubbing his teammates and coaches as an underager in the wjc u-18 two years ago.



If anything, this kid's ego needs to be dealth with. It won't be that easy.

 

[MasterD]

Who do you want us to draft in 5-6-7 spot?

Truly don't know, I haven't followed the up and comers enough to be able to judge.

But if this draft is as deep as the 2003 one, as I've been hearing, I don't want us to end up looking like idiots again. I might take a flyer on such a risky project with Florida's pick, but not with ours.

 

[River Meadow]

Truly don't know, I haven't followed the up and comers enough to be able to judge.

But if this draft is as deep as the 2003 one, as I've been hearing, I don't want us to end up looking like idiots again. I might take a flyer on such a risky project with Florida's pick, but not with ours.

Agreed.

It's sooooo nice to have that pick from Florida which should be in the top 20, maybe top 15, maybe lower!

 

[calder candidate]

OHere we go.. 2nd last iteration.

Good work! I am purely stat watching saying this but, you are not the only one placing Cristall outside the top 15, whats the deal with this guy? Elite stats, similar to benson and he seems to have some nice highlight real goals this season, he's got to have huge flaws right?

I seen him go for changes instead of back checking, Pretty sure that the kind of stuff that scout don’t like very much…

 

[DiglettDangles]

Truly don't know, I haven't followed the up and comers enough to be able to judge.

But if this draft is as deep as the 2003 one, as I've been hearing, I don't want us to end up looking like idiots again. I might take a flyer on such a risky project with Florida's pick, but not with ours.

You could see it the other way around: since we have a 2nd first rounder and picks from 7-15 are arguably all in the same tier with safe options, we should absolutely aim for the homerun with the first pick because there is relative safety with the second.

Heck, given our prospect pool depth except for star potential, go big for both picks. I personally would rather have them unzip their non-purple pants and swing their gonads on the draft table's silky tablecloth.

 

[larek]

We're drafting 4-6? Goof to know.

You must have a crystal ball.

Just common sense

 

[Goldenhands]

I think there's a clear path to Benson being a Marner/Panarin type winger.

Yeah Brindleys a great prospect, nobodys denying that. He is still not dynamic, lol.

Funny that this is the game you use to prove a point, that's probably the game that made me rank Sawchyn ahead of him lmao. He made a lot of poor plays with the puck, got outmuscled so many times, had 3 secondary assists and was generally not much of a factor. He can be much better, for sure though.

Nothing he showed in this game translate to dynamism. He's a puck retriever, he's a facilitator, his shot isn't good enough to treaten goaltenders by himself, his playmaking isn't good enough to scare defenders and he is just too small for him to be a good puck carrier. His puck handling also isn't where it should be.

Watch Jayden Perron a bit, you will realize that there's not much Brindley has on him, if anything.

So if I understand you correctly, Brindley lacks dynamism, not a good shooter, not a good playmaker, average puckhandler, not a puck carrier, but still a great prospect? What, according to you, makes him a great prospect then?

 

[Habitant#1]

Let's not do Andrei Kostytsin again.

We might have already when we drafted Slafkovsky

 

[MasterD]

We might have already when we drafted Slafkovsky

1000% different.

AK was a reach in one of the best drafts of all time.

Slafkovsky was one of the top4 questionable picks in a weak draft (top-end weak at least)

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

I'd be quite happy with Benson + Leonard. High skill and intensity LW and a crafty goal scoring RW.

Benson-Dach-Caufield
Slafkovsky-Suzuki-Leonard

 

[Habitant#1]

1000% different.

AK was a reach in one of the best drafts of all time.

Slafkovsky was one of the top4 questionable picks in a weak draft (top-end weak at least)

Yes I agree with your original point, I just couldn't help myself

 

[Vachon23]

I'd be quite happy with Benson + Leonard. High skill and intensity LW and a crafty goal scoring RW.

Benson-Dach-Caufield
Slafkovsky-Suzuki-Leonard

That’s my perfect scenario if where not winning the lottery

 

[RationalExpectations]

I also loved this scenario. Detroit might be a candidate they have 2 first round picks. Their 8th-9th overall for our 13th-14th (crossing fingers) + 2nd in 2024?

Edit : the Blues have 3 picks in first. Damn. Coyotes 2.

DET could go Reinbacher :
Ervidsson Seider
Wallinder Reinbacher
Top 4 set for 10+ years

That’s my perfect scenario if where not winning the lottery

Fully disagreed, what happens if Dach is injured, I d prefer another center able to alternate with Dach rather than Wingers, which the Habs have plenty…

 

[Vachon23]

Fully disagreed, what happens if Dach is injured, I d prefer another center able to alternate with Dach rather than Wingers, which the Habs have plenty…

A certain player from Winnipeg

 

[RationalExpectations]

A certain player from Winnipeg

Funnily enough when I wrote that message I thought to myself should I mention : please don t open this very door ?

 

[Mrb1p]

So if I understand you correctly, Brindley lacks dynamism, not a good shooter, not a good playmaker, average puckhandler, not a puck carrier, but still a great prospect? What, according to you, makes him a great prospect then?

Brindley is a good playmaker, hes a good transition player and he has the typical strengths we all know from him. Hes a good prospect, just not top 15.

 

[Goldenhands]

Brindley is a good playmaker, hes a good transition player and he has the typical strengths we all know from him. Hes a good prospect, just not top 15.

Name them.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I'd be quite happy with Benson + Leonard. High skill and intensity LW and a crafty goal scoring RW.

Benson-Dach-Caufield
Slafkovsky-Suzuki-Leonard

I'm with you there. Highly doubtful Leonard is there with Florida's pick. But, that would be a pretty sweet draft.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

DET could go Reinbacher :
Ervidsson Seider
Wallinder Reinbacher
Top 4 set for 10+ years


Fully disagreed, what happens if Dach is injured, I d prefer another center able to alternate with Dach rather than Wingers, which the Habs have plenty…

I think Detroit takes one of the centers. Yager, Dvorsky or Moore.

St. Louis or Vancouver will take Reinbacher.

 

[RabbleMasterBlaster]

I'll take that bet - If hes available and habs pass on him ill e transfer you $20. If they pick him, you pay me. If he's already picked no one pays. - ASSUMING its not with the 10A pick

Ok, terms are accepted.

 

[Nedved]

DET could go Reinbacher :
Ervidsson Seider
Wallinder Reinbacher
Top 4 set for 10+ years


Fully disagreed, what happens if Dach is injured, I d prefer another center able to alternate with Dach rather than Wingers, which the Habs have plenty…

yeah, 10 years of 10 in the division. woot.

 

[Mrb1p]

Name them.

Skating and motor, especially motor.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Colby Barre low.

Nice work. One question though, how do you explain Smith at 5 and Perreault mid 2nd? Perreault is just as productive, has great skills too and his flaws are not much worst than Smith's ones. Personally I dont think the gap is huge.

Smith might have a low motor and cheat on the defensive side of things but I really don't like Perreault's feet. My opinion on Smith is that he has really high offensive IQ and some of the best vision/playmaking you'll find in any draft class.

That being said, the U18s will be a big evaluation point for me on a lot of these American forwards, especially for someone like Smith. Is the motor really low or is he just coasting by on his skill game and when things actually matter, he'll turn that motor on?

OHere we go.. 2nd last iteration.

Good work! I am purely stat watching saying this but, you are not the only one placing Cristall outside the top 15, whats the deal with this guy? Elite stats, similar to benson and he seems to have some nice highlight real goals this season, he's got to have huge flaws right?

So I had Cristall pretty high for a long time and the thing is that he's probably one of the biggest boom or bust guys in the draft. The guys at EP are right, the more you watch him, the more you see him repeat the same patterns that work against junior defenders but will quickly get picked up and shut down in the NHL.. so his trash skating becomes a barrier there.

But he could just be super smart and adapt when someone else adapts to him. His highs are super high and his lows are super low.

This draft is really tough cause once you get to a certain point you are pretty much just deciding which tools you like better. I don't think there's a huge difference between someone like Heidt and Danielson.. but I do prefer Heidt's playmaking game to Danielson's more rounded toolkit without a defining quality. Oliver Moore has elite skating and I preferred that to Dvorsky's shot and inside game, for example.