2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Goldenhands]

I'm 100% confident they will select a forward with 5, 6 or 7. Benson, Smith and Leonard are all prospects that scouts like to watch. Hughes know Smith and Hughes maybe want his "Cooley" this year. Slafkovsky is a great pick, but Cooley prove that he is going to be a really really good player aswell. Smith have same type of talent. Benson is a hard worker who fit perfectly on Habs new mentality, who cares about size... everyone will be happy with Bedard and he is small. Habs can always trade Mesar//Farrell to make place for a player like Zach Benson, who he is much better prospect than Mesar and Farrell. Benson and Smith are star forward potential and you tell me that scouts will go in other direction and select Reinbacher? That would be very bad. No because isn't good, just because, Reinbacher he is more in 8-12 range. 5-7, it's Benson, Smith and Leonard/Yager 100%.

It's a forward draft, not a defense draft...

Wishful thinking.

 

[RationalExpectations]

Its funny because I see ASP as a guy thats a pretty sure bet to be a 2nd-3rd pairing guy but has almost no chance at being a top pair D, unless of course there's some insane development curve shenanigans. I mean his skating is a strength for sure, but I wouldn't say it's elite. His vision is good, but I wouldn't say it's elite. His hands and puck handling are 100% elite though, as I said. Reinbacher does somewhat play a simple game, I guess ? I don't know, he gets puck on net, he makes great passes. When I see Reinbacher I see a classic defenseman that produces in ways a defender does in the NHL. He's in the same offensive mold as Hedman, Weber, heck even Karlsson produces in similar ways, for like half his points (Which would be 1st pair production, lol.)

Getting pucks on net is such an underrated skill it seems, being able to score is an even better one.

I really have to disagree though, when you look at tools and the way they execute and produce, how can you say Reinbacher doesn't have the 1D potential ? He outproduced a 20 YO JJ Moser who just had a 30 points season with no PP time on the Coyotes, his offense is there, his tools are there and to top it all off, he's a need.

Of course, he's not a surefire #1 and no one is, but he's the best shot at a number 1 in this draft and he's just as good a shot as probably any D since Power, he's in a tier below Byram, Power and Dahlin but he's in that tier, and firmly. I wouldn't go to bat for ASP, Simashev or anyone else, personally.

I think ASP could be a first pairing guy when paired with the right defensive Dman, a Guhle ASP pair could be fun. He reminds me a lot of Karlsson at the same age the good and bad sides to be fair.

 

[Schooner Guy]

Youre not wrong, Im one horny mf. I don't mean it as disrespect, biases that come from society are hard to recognize and it's not like russophobia is a well known subject like homophobia and others.

Im just saying, Bedard and Michkov have been linked for years now, theyre both similar players and will have a similar impact in the NHL. Why would you rank Bedard ahead of Fantilli but not Michkov if youre not considering the Ukraine factor ?

The best you can do is the unoriginal "you've never watched him play" line (seriously?) and imply I am harbouring Russian xenophobia over a benign post where I put Fantilli #2 (like many other lists). Bizarre reaction that I can only chalk up to small man syndrome.

I like Fantilli at #2 because of where I see him projecting in 5 years in terms of value to a team. I don't buy for a minute that Bedard and Michkov will have similar impacts in the NHL even if Michkov were to come to NA this summer. Bedard and Michkov were always linked together as high end talents and elite level goal scorers. Bedard has since proven that he also has elite level playmaking and is one of very few prospects ever to carry a team on his back to gold on the WJC stage in his draft year the way he did. Not a knock on the others near the top in this draft...Bedard's just that good of a prospect. Also teams know from many interactions with him that he has A+ character. He is a far better known commodity who has passed all the tests with flying colours.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I’ve been doing grades on Michkov this morning/afternoon and got a couple questions.

Fair to say Michkov and Benson have similar grades for length, strength, speed, and edges? Right now I have them identical across those attributes.

Also for Michkov what makes him special is his elite combination of shot/hands/playmaking. How would you grade those skills for him? In my 20-80 scale I reserve an 80 for all time best qualities. Think McDavids skating, Ovechkins shot, Gretzkys vision etc.

I think Michkov is 70s across those attributes ya? For comparison I have Smith as a 65 for his hands and playmaking and Dvorsky a 65 for his shot. Is Michkov deserving of any 75s? Think Jack Hughes skating, Austin Matthews shot etc

 

[NotProkofievian]

I’ve been doing grades on Michkov this morning/afternoon and got a couple questions.

Fair to say Michkov and Benson have similar grades for length, strength, speed, and edges? Right now I have them identical across those attributes.

Also for Michkov what makes him special is his elite combination of shot/hands/playmaking. How would you grade those skills for him? In my 20-80 scale I reserve an 80 for all time best qualities. Think McDavids skating, Ovechkins shot, Gretzkys vision etc.

I think Michkov is 70s across those attributes ya? For comparison I have Smith as a 65 for his hands and playmaking and Dvorsky a 65 for his shot. Is Michkov deserving of any 75s? Think Jack Hughes skating, Austin Matthews shot etc

I don't think it's worth bothering with the exercise in the case of Michkov. People often say to not just look at stats, but sometimes the stats are so stupid that that's all you should look at.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I don't think it's worth bothering with the exercise in the case of Michkov. People often say to not just look at stats, but sometimes the stats are so stupid that that's all you should look at.

I do it every year for all the guys in the mix for our top pick. Almost a hobby more than anything.

But do think stats happen for a reason. For Michkov it’s the combo of his shot, his hands, and his vision which all are elite. Sometimes there’s a synergistic effect the qualities of one thing make other things better and I think Michkov benefits from that. The quality of his shot opens things up for his hands and playmaking and visa versa.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I do it every year for all the guys in the mix for our top pick. Almost a hobby more than anything.

But do think stats happen for a reason. For Michkov it’s the combo of his shot, his hands, and his vision which all are elite. Sometimes there’s a synergistic effect the qualities of one thing make other things better and I think Michkov benefits from that. The quality of his shot opens things up for his hands and playmaking and visa versa.

I think it's a good exercise for most players, and I do it too. But for Michkov I don't really see it being useful. He's a bit like Gretzky in that way. Gretzky's physical abilities didn't really explain how he was the great one. He just was. You can call that hockey IQ or whatever, but at the end of the day, if you stack up all the highest hockey IQ players and look at their numbers, their numbers are the highest lol.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I think it's a good exercise for most players, and I do it too. But for Michkov I don't really see it being useful. He's a bit like Gretzky in that way. Gretzky's physical abilities didn't really explain how he was the great one. He just was. You can call that hockey IQ or whatever, but at the end of the day, if you stack up all the highest hockey IQ players and look at their numbers, their numbers are the highest lol.

Hockey IQ is so hard to qualify and hence why scouting is an inexact science.

There are definitely flaws in the system, but I have noticed that the guys who grade well across the board rarely bust and tend to outperform where they are drafted while the guys who have holes in their game do tend to bust more frequently and tend to be over drafted.

 

[Jack Skellington]

I’ve been doing grades on Michkov this morning/afternoon and got a couple questions.

Fair to say Michkov and Benson have similar grades for length, strength, speed, and edges? Right now I have them identical across those attributes.

Also for Michkov what makes him special is his elite combination of shot/hands/playmaking. How would you grade those skills for him? In my 20-80 scale I reserve an 80 for all time best qualities. Think McDavids skating, Ovechkins shot, Gretzkys vision etc.

I think Michkov is 70s across those attributes ya? For comparison I have Smith as a 65 for his hands and playmaking and Dvorsky a 65 for his shot. Is Michkov deserving of any 75s? Think Jack Hughes skating, Austin Matthews shot etc

From what I've seen Michkovs speed and edges are much better than Benson's and I like Benson. Michkov looks like Kucherov to me, just thinks the game on an offensive level that very few in history can match. Let's see the rest of your grades

 

[NotProkofievian]

Hockey IQ is so hard to qualify and hence why scouting is an inexact science.

There are definitely flaws in the system, but I have noticed that the guys who grade well across the board rarely bust and tend to outperform where they are drafted while the guys who have holes in their game do tend to bust more frequently and tend to be over drafted.

I agree. One thing I noticed is that it's really rare for a player to be very good, or even above average in all categories. Usually there's one or two lacking. Last year I only found a handful.

I only make an exception for, well, the exceptional. The last player I did this for was Caufield. He was just so off the charts in goal scoring that I thought ''what am I even doing?''

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I agree. One thing I noticed is that it's really rare for a player to be very good, or even above average in all categories. Usually there's one or two lacking. Last year I only found a handful.

I only make an exception for, well, the exceptional. The last player I did this for was Caufield. He was just so off the charts in goal scoring that I thought ''what am I even doing?''

Ya those Caufields are the outliers. This year the guy for me thats above average or better across the board is Dvorsky. He’ll be the case study this year and will be the guy I like better than most as I have him 5th where as most have him in the 10-15 range.

 

[Jack Skellington]

Ya those Caufields are the outliers. This year the guy for me thats above average or better across the board is Dvorsky. He’ll be the case study this year and will be the guy I like better than most as I have him 5th where as most have him in the 10-15 range.

Lol mccagg has him top 5 after Daniil But so if that doesn't make you second guess yourself idk what will

 

[NotProkofievian]

Ya those Caufields are the outliers. This year the guy for me thats above average or better across the board is Dvorsky. He’ll be the case study this year and will be the guy I like better than most as I have him 5th where as most have him in the 10-15 range.

I guess for me that guy would be Nate Danielson.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Lol mccagg has him top 5 after Daniil But so if that doesn't make you second guess yourself idk what will

Well sometimes McCagg is right and the HFboard geniuses are wrong.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Nooooo Grant like Danielson. f***.

 

[River Meadow]

“He’s one of those players that’s got a real subtle excellence to him,” Button said of Smith. “All of the sudden, he needs to go a little bit faster, and he does. He needs to make a pass, and he does. He needs to maneuver the puck into a shooting position, and he does. You better know where he is on the ice because if you don’t, chances are you’re about ready to get slayed.” – Craig Button

 

[KevSkillz4]

Reinbacher is, and should be, in the discussion for the Habs.

If they have concerns about the longevity of Benson and his style in the NHL and/or concerns about Smith's defensive game and compete.. there's nothing wrong with getting a toolsy, RHD with size who can skate.

I'm with you, I'm prioritizing those forwards but Reinbacher is in the convo for the Habs and very well may end up our selection.

Everyone compare Reinbacher to Seider... but do you think he can reach the play of Seider ? If yes, I would consider him at 5-6-7. But if no.... I would only consider him at 7.

 

[Gaston Gingras]

Grant McCagg

@grantmccagg


With two major developments in the past week - I honestly don't know that an NHL team can draft Michkov in the first round. We go into the reasons why pretty deeply in this week's podcast.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Everyone compare Reinbacher to Seider... but do you think he can reach the play of Seider ? If yes, I would consider him at 5-6-7. But if no.... I would only consider him at 7.

He can, in the sense that it's not out of reach for him.

 

[KevSkillz4]

He can, in the sense that it's not out of reach for him.

Ok, then I would not be mad if they select him. Moritz Seider is a fun d-man to watch, so if Reinbacher can have the same impact, that defensive group of Habs will be set for many years. But again, I would be more happy with Benson/Smith/Leonard/Yager.

 

[TomKosto]

Everyone compare Reinbacher to Seider... but do you think he can reach the play of Seider ? If yes, I would consider him at 5-6-7. But if no.... I would only consider him at 7.

Seider is 6f4 and Reinbacher 6ft (on hokeydb), are they really good comparable? Huge size/reach difference.

 

[Paddy17]

For me it is a tough call between Fantilli and Carlsson at #2, probably at a 55 : 45 advantage to Fantilli but could easily be swayed in the other direction. Unlike all of the fake online scouting sites, real scouts and GM's get to interview these kids and communicate with insiders such as past present coaches/teammates/trainers etc. There is so much that happens behind the scenes as was quite apparent last season with a socially awkward Wright falling to #4 and an outgoing gregarious personality like Slaf vaulting to #1. Obviously that isn't the only reason but it was definitely a prominent one.

When making such high stake decisions on other humans teams will lean towards choosing people that they trust. I am not sure at all how Fantilli and Carlsson are perceived but it will definitely play a large factor.

I go with hockey IQ over physical skills, therefore I go Carlsson over Fantilli. I wouldn’t be mad if we had #2 and picked Fantilli, as he could turn into a Mike Modano-like player. Lots of development left for both, but if I had to choose, I'm picking Carlsson.

 

[Cubebrick]

Everyone compare Reinbacher to Seider... but do you think he can reach the play of Seider ? If yes, I would consider him at 5-6-7. But if no.... I would only consider him at 7.

He certainly has the potential to become as good as these guys. And if he doesn't reach that ceiling, he will still become a very effective defenseman as not only he's got the tools but he also has strong fundamentals.

Seider is 6f4 and Reinbacher 6ft (on hokeydb), are they really good comparable? Huge size/reach difference.

Reinbacher is 6'2".

 

[Paddy17]

It'd be pretty surprising if Michkov didn’t fall. The real question is, how far? It could be to 7, since the trade-off for picking someone else in that range is smaller. Beyond 7, there are serious decisions to take for any team if he was still on the board. In a vacuum, you pick him and say thank you to all the other teams before you. But uncertainty is a bitch, and his whole situation is scary uncertain.

 

[Balthazar]

Objectively I think there's a decent chance that Michkov falls to the Habs. Let's look at it:

1- Whoever wins the lottery won't pick him
2- Anaheim is guaranteed one of Bedard/Fantilli/Carlsson so they won't pick him
3- Columbus could but they can't afford the gamble, Jarmo wants to win ASAP. So not them.
4- Chicago needs prospects in the system now. They won't want to wait or gamble.
5- San Jose I really don't think Michkov is the type of player that Grier is looking for.
6- Habs

The team that was more likely to pick him was Anaheim but since they finished last that won't happen now. So yeah, I could very well see it happening. That said I've no clue if Hughes would pull the trigger even if he's available.