2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Team_Spirit]

 

[Mrb1p]

Please draft Benson at 5. He might be my favorite prospect of the last 5 years. Would I like him even more if he was 6'2? Sure. However, he's doing something none of our players are doing (expect maybe Dach): attacking defenders head on, with skill.

The talent, the compete level and the IQ. Everything's there. I think his play style is reminiscent of Crosby actually.

Crosbys a good comparison, but in practice it doesn't work. Crosby works because he has hands turned up to 99, all shots turned up to 99, skating turned up tk 99 and IQ, of course, turned up to 100.

Benson has none of these, even if hes close in the rest.

 

[SlafySZN]

Please draft Benson at 5. He might be my favorite prospect of the last 5 years. Would I like him even more if he was 6'2? Sure. However, he's doing something none of our players are doing (expect maybe Dach): attacking defenders head on, with skill.

The talent, the compete level and the IQ. Everything's there. I think his play style is reminiscent of Crosby actually.

Yeah, he’s my absolute favorite too.

Would be very mad if the habs pass on him (would accept Smith at 5 but at 6? Come on).

Plus he’ll obviously get bigger and might still grow a little too.

 

[SlafySZN]

I want to get on board with Benson… but another small player… and one who isn’t a great skater either… I just can’t get on board with that at 5.

You take the best talent. Who knows what the habs will look like in 2 years or further. Always take best player available.

 

[Mrb1p]

For those who love Dvorsky, would you be willing to put your metaphorical reputations on the line and proclaim him having a chance at being the team's best forward down the line, in a way where it would be obvious? An NHL Alpha where the offense can run through him?

I mean... Not any less than Smith, or a few others.

Dvo as prime Tarasenko but at C? Thats not too bad. A goal scoring Kopitar?

On Smith, I have a hard time thinking of a guy that could produce like him with his skillset. Tyler Seguin?

what about Sale at #5 or #6
You guys talk about Smith and Benson but Sale looks good as well, his upside comes close to smith and Benson i think.
Sale and Reinbacher could be a great draft imo.

Sales upside is as high as anyone after Michkov, but Im not certain he ever even plays a game in the NHL.

 

[SlafySZN]

Savoie ended his season with basically the same PPG as Benson after a slow start and he took the lead since Benson's injury.

Benson was the ice’s best player last season in the playoffs and he was 16. It wasn’t even close.

 

[RationalExpectations]

what about Sale at #5 or #6
You guys talk about Smith and Benson but Sale looks good as well, his upside comes close to smith and Benson i think.
Sale and Reinbacher could be a great draft imo.

As I have been saying over the past months, Sale could become a really good player but I see massive red flags too. He is in the same category as Mesar or Kulich last year : 15-20 OA, I don t see how he is in the top 10 for some people.

 

[HuGort]

I hope we draft a forward. Not on board with a defenseman with our pick. The '24 Draft is where should focus for those who want a D prospect.We have no top 6 forward prospect in the system. While on D we are stacked. Mailloux is turning into a top prospect, Barron is young. Kovaveic is solid. Guhle is young, Xhekaj, Harris also. We are set on D for another year.

If we get Leonard with our pick. Florida pick I am hoping for Honzek, Brindley maybe a defenseman then? Our second pick I think we can get the best goalie in draft. Many want to go that direction.

 

[RationalExpectations]

I hope we draft a forward. Not on board with a defenseman with our pick. The '24 Draft is where should focus for those who want a D prospect.We have no top 6 forward prospect in the system. While on D we are stacked. Mailloux is turning into a top prospect, Barron is young. Kovaveic is solid. Guhle is young, Xhekaj, Harris also. We are set on D for another year.

If we get Leonard with our pick. Florida pick I am hoping for Honzek, Brindley maybe a defenseman then? Our second pick I think we can get the best goalie in draft. Many want to go that direction.

I don't understand that reasoning. I think MTL should draft BPA anyway but I don't get the argument that MTL young core has better defense than forward : the only young players who have proven anything on top 6F or top 4D at NHL level are Suzuki Caufield, (Dach, Guhle to some extent if they can be healthy), where is that elite Defensive core ? Mailloux has been putting great numbers in the OHL in his D+2 whereas almost no top Dmen are playing there at his age. Nowhere near Clarke or Muntyukov for example. I like Barron but right now he is trending to become a top 4Dman, but must improve defensively to become one. Don't see him as a potential top 2. Kovacevic is a good bottom pair solution but nothing more, Xhekaj and Harris are question marks.

 

[BenchBrawl]

f*** do we ever need Connor Bedard. That guy would change the history of that franchise and brings us back into glory.

 

[Fuonki]

I want to get on board with Benson… but another small player… and one who isn’t a great skater either… I just can’t get on board with that at 5.

Being more concerned about size than skill is how you end up with Slafkovsky over Cooley

 

[HuGort]

I don't understand that reasoning. I think MTL should draft BPA anyway but I don't get the argument that MTL young core has better defense than forward : the only young players who have proven anything on top 6F or top 4D at NHL level are Suzuki Caufield, (Dach, Guhle to some extent if they can be healthy), where is that elite Defensive core ? Mailloux has been putting great numbers in the OHL in his D+2 whereas almost no top Dmen are playing there at his age. Nowhere near Clarke or Muntyukov for example. I like Barron but right now he is trending to become a top 4Dman, but must improve defensively to become one. Don't see him as a potential top 2. Kovacevic is a good bottom pair solution but nothing more, Xhekaj and Harris are question marks.

I am strong Leonard or Smith at 5. We need offense and defenseman Available in this draft is lower than usual.

 

[River Meadow]

f*** do we ever need Connor Bedard. That guy would change the history of that franchise and brings us back into glory.

He's gonna look great in a Columbus jersey.

 

[G0bias]

Ideal scenario barring one of the big 4 would be Smith at 5, then moving up with Florida's pick to grab Reinbacher

Come out of the first round with Smith, Reinbacher and PLD. Spicy

 

[River Meadow]

Ideal scenario barring one of the big 4 would be Smith at 5, then moving up with Florida's pick to grab Reinbacher

Come out of the first round with Smith, Reinbacher and PLD. Spicy

I don't think we're real convinced Smith is the BPA at 5 though...

 

[G0bias]

I don't think we're real convinced Smith is the BPA at 5 though...

No one is a sure shot after the big 4.
As far as offensive upside Smith is without a doubt in the conversation, if not at the top of the list. Looking forward to see how he does at u18s when the stakes are higher.

 

[HabsForHire]

If we end up picking 5th, Would you really use that 5thOA pick to chose one of
Dvorsky or Reinbacher.

Me personally no. Reinbacher maybe but I'm not a huge fan of Dvorsky, he seems very vanilla/safe. At least at 5 if he's there at Florida's pick sure

 

[RationalExpectations]

I am strong Leonard or Smith at 5. We need offense and defenseman Available in this draft is lower than usual.

I don't believe this : last year it was supposedly the case too. Yet Nemec was picked 2OA and him and Jiricek may be the top players of this draft. To be clear I think you have 4 exceptionnzl forwards now but would not be surprised with Reinbacher at 5

 

[RandomTask26]

Say the Habs are drafting #5; would you trade the 2nd round pick to move up to #3? So #5 and #37 for #3.

Curious to see what people think of the drop off in talent

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Say the Habs are drafting #5; would you trade the 2nd round pick to move up to #3? So #5 and #37 for #3.

Curious to see what people think of the drop off in talent

No team would do that. The top 4 are sure fire 1st line players. At #5 you're getting definitely top 6 with work to do to develop into a top line player. Everyone has something to their game to question them.

 

[ole ole]

Say the Habs are drafting #5; would you trade the 2nd round pick to move up to #3? So #5 and #37 for #3.

Curious to see what people think of the drop off in talent

On draft day ,Hell i'd trade the 5th and the Panthers pick for the 3rd OA

 

[RationalExpectations]

On draft day ,Hell i'd trade the 5th and the Panthers pick for the 3rd OA

Depends where this FLA pick ends up being. I really like Carlsson but I am not sure Carlsson > Reinbacher Dvorsky, funnily enough I see a lot of Dach in Carlsson so you could have two big playmakers with elite hands on your two top lines but you ll need elite shooters with them.

 

[NeptunesTrident]

Say the Habs are drafting #5; would you trade the 2nd round pick to move up to #3? So #5 and #37 for #3.

Curious to see what people think of the drop off in talent

I don't think #3 gets traded. However if Michkov is available at #4 and the team @#4 won't risk taking him, then it becomes a possible trade spot. My fear is we pass Arizona to end up at #6 and 2 teams bypass us in the lottery pushing us to #8.

 

[le_sean]

Savoie ended his season with basically the same PPG as Benson after a slow start and he took the lead since Benson's injury.

And he’s 1.5 years older then Benson. Colour me not impressed. He didn’t even improve on his PPG from last year.

 

[WeThreeKings]

And he’s 1.5 years older then Benson. Colour me not impressed.

Benson's been the Ice's best player since last year.

He's also such a complete player, but hey he's not 6'0" so he sucks.. but he plays bigger than the bigger guys around him in the draft.