2023 NHL Entry Draft

[HuGo Burner Acc]

I see him more as a #2/#3 dman rather than that superstar #1 dman.

I mean having two top pairing D in Guhle and him wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, even if neither will become a prototypical #1 D. But then again, who says Guhle can't develop into a Weber like player. Not all #1s have to play like Makar

 

[bcv]

Sometimes the best pick is just under our nose....Étienne Morin...though I think he will be picked before our second round pick...pick #37.

If Matthew Wood is gone at 17, than I wouldn’t mind the habs picking him there. If Florida ends going to the eastern conference or later, I really hope he’s still available.

 

[montreal]

haven't watched a WHL game this year, what's the take on these,

koehn ziemmer

Koehn Ziemmer - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Koehn Ziemmer, 2004-12-08 Mayerthorpe, AB, CAN Canada. Most recently in the WHL with Prince George Cougars. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

kai uchacz

Kai Uchacz - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Kai Uchacz, 2003-06-24 Calgary, AB, CAN Canada. Most recently in the AHL with Henderson Silver Knights. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

atlee calvert

Atley Calvert - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Atley Calvert, 2003-09-17 Moose Jaw, SK, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

 

[The Great Weal]

I mean having two top pairing D in Guhle and him wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, even if neither will become a prototypical #1 D. But then again, who says Guhle can't develop into a Weber like player. Not all #1s have to play like Makar

I think you need at least a top 10 dman in the league to be a contender.

 

[Team_Spirit]

 

[Playmaker09]

I mean having two top pairing D in Guhle and him wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, even if neither will become a prototypical #1 D. But then again, who says Guhle can't develop into a Weber like player. Not all #1s have to play like Makar

You can find Reinbachers and Guhles later in the draft.

My philosophy has always been to load up on D in the 2nd-4th rounds.
Stop wasting picks on Guindon, Rohrer, Kidney, Kapanen, Davidson, Smith, Biondi, Mysak who will never be more than AHL lifer's/4th liners anyway.
Just play the numbers game and drat a bunch of 6'1+ defensemen who can skate and make a first pass, and eventually you'll hit on one.

Teams like Carolina, NYI, Nashville have built elite defenses off the backs of those picks.
Guys like Slavin, Pesce, Ekholm, Pelech, Mayfield, Toews, Parayko, Vlasic, Petry, Hamonic, Carlo, Severson, Andersson, McNabb, Dumoulin, Lindell, Brodie, Martinez, Muzzin are available every year. I could go on and on and I didn't even include home runs like Letang, Weber, Subban, Josi.

Sure once in a while you'll have a Lane Hutson who you ranked 20+ spots higher fall into your lap and you have no choice but to pull the trigger, but 75% of my picks in that range would just be big defensemen who can skate.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

You can find Reinbachers and Guhles later in the draft.

My philosophy has always been to load up on D in the 2nd-4th rounds.
Stop wasting picks on Guindon, Rohrer, Kidney, Kapanen, Davidson, Smith, Biondi, Mysak who will never be more than AHL lifer's/4th liners anyway.
Just play the numbers game and drat a bunch of 6'1+ defensemen who can skate and make a first pass, and eventually you'll hit on one.

Teams like Carolina, NYI, Nashville have built elite defenses off the backs of those picks.
Guys like Slavin, Pesce, Ekholm, Pelech, Mayfield, Toews, Parayko, Vlasic, Petry, Hamonic, Carlo, Severson, Andersson, McNabb, Dumoulin, Lindell, Brodie, Martinez, Muzzin are available every year. I could go on and on and I didn't even include home runs like Letang, Weber, Subban, Josi.

Sure once in a while you'll have a Lane Hutson who you ranked 20+ spots higher fall into your lap and you have no choice but to pull the trigger, but 75% of my picks in that range would just be big defensemen who can skate.

Remember when we drafted Josh Brook, Scott Walford, Cale Fleury, and Jarret Tyszka back-to-back-to-back-to-back when that was our exact criteria for one draft

 

[Mrb1p]

haven't watched a WHL game this year, what's the take on these,

koehn ziemmer

Koehn Ziemmer - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Koehn Ziemmer, 2004-12-08 Mayerthorpe, AB, CAN Canada. Most recently in the WHL with Prince George Cougars. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

kai uchacz

Kai Uchacz - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Kai Uchacz, 2003-06-24 Calgary, AB, CAN Canada. Most recently in the AHL with Henderson Silver Knights. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

atlee calvert

Atley Calvert - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Atley Calvert, 2003-09-17 Moose Jaw, SK, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Ziemmer is a goalscorer. He's kinda like Barlow, if you will, doesn't have the same wheels. He produced like crazy with Heidt this year and they linked up for many, many highligh reels.

Physical too, which is very nice.

Uchacz is an overager but he's a nice one, I like the talent, I like the grit he brings, he has a weapon of a shot. With that said, he's a notable knob. He was traded away from Seattle after he made racist remarks towards a black player IIRC and threw him a banana. I am unsure if he has done anything to amend or whatever.

Honestly havent followed Calvert much, anytime I watched Firkus or Yager he was on the second or third line. I can tell he's a good goalscorer though, his inside game is very good.

 

[Playmaker09]

Remember when we drafted Josh Brook, Scott Walford, Cale Fleury, and Jarret Tyszka back-to-back-to-back-to-back when that was our exact criteria for one draft

I didn't say it was foolproof. At the end of the day these are picks in the 2nd-4th for a reason. I'm just suggesting we play the odds.

I've run the numbers before, and you're welcome to look into it yourself, but the hit rate for top 4 D is much higher than for top 6 F in that 40-120 range.

On the other hand, a much higher percentage of successful top 6 forwards are selected in the first round (earlier the better obviously).

I've just mentioned a number of teams who have been able to build elite defenses without investing a top 10 pick on D.
And I would still advocate for drafting a D early if you believe there's true #1 D potential. But other than Boston, I can't think of a top offensive team that doesn't have one or more top 10 picks at forward leading the way, and they didn't spend a top 10 pick on D either.

At the end of the day it's an opportunity cost. I have much higher faith in finding a Reinbacher comparable in the 3rd round than I do finding a Benson/Smith/Cristall comparable in the 3rd round. Forwards who aren't already putting up elite numbers in juniors (and therefore getting picked high), will rarely transition into top 6 forwards in the NHL. Defensemen are not always so clear.

 

[NeptunesTrident]

May 8 can't get here soon enough

 

[Schooner Guy]

Wilde had his sources telling him they were taking Wright all the way through.

Simply to say, I don't really buy the validity of the source.

I personally think he's a chronic BS'er. I remember him making crap up a few years ago that the Habs were about to land RNH via trade like it was a sure thing. Nobody else was reporting it. I don't think he has ever broke any story.

 

[SlafySZN]

I personally think he's a chronic BS'er. I remember him making crap up a few years ago that the Habs were about to land RNH via trade like it was a sure thing. Nobody else was reporting it. I don't think he has ever broke any story.

Plus he’s the one who started the Reinbacher thing few months ago because Hughes said he booked a trip to Switzerland and Wilde searched which player played there and assumed they were going to specifically see him play which wasn’t true, the U18 are in Switzerland.

This proves he has absolutely no info, he tried to make up a story with what Hughes said then went on radio saying they were interested in Reinbacher with their top 10 pick.

 

[NotProkofievian]

I think Reinbacher's potential is huge and has alot of upside to impact the game in all facets of the game.

Definitely.

It's not even difficult to imagine. He already has this impact in the NL. He's not a case of a kid who's doing well given the circumstances. Kloten had one defenceman more productive than him.

 

[le_sean]

Definitely.

It's not even difficult to imagine. He already has this impact in the NL. He's not a case of a kid who's doing well given the circumstances. Kloten had one defenceman more productive than him.

I think people underestimate the quality of that league. After the KHL and SHL, I believe the NLA is the next highest rated in Europe, better than Liiga since they attract more foreign players.

Let’s also not overlook the fact Reinbacher didn’t come out of nowhere, he’s destroyed every single level he’s played at. He was far too strong for the Swiss U20 league at 17 years old.

 

[WentWughes]

With our 2nd rounder I would be pumped if we could pick up Tanner Molendyk. I watched the whole pats/blades series for obvious reasons and he stood out big time.He is an unbelievable skater and logs huge minutes for the Blades every night. Most rankings project him to be mid to late 2nd but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes much earlier.

 

[WentWughes]

Some clips of Molendyk. Great skater, good decision making, and has some grit to his game for a smaller guy.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Ziemmer is a goalscorer. He's kinda like Barlow, if you will, doesn't have the same wheels. He produced like crazy with Heidt this year and they linked up for many, many highligh reels.

Physical too, which is very nice.

Uchacz is an overager but he's a nice one, I like the talent, I like the grit he brings, he has a weapon of a shot. With that said, he's a notable knob. He was traded away from Seattle after he made racist remarks towards a black player IIRC and threw him a banana. I am unsure if he has done anything to amend or whatever.

Honestly havent followed Calvert much, anytime I watched Firkus or Yager he was on the second or third line. I can tell he's a good goalscorer though, his inside game is very good.

Damn, didn't realize that was Uchacz! I remember when that happened most people wrote off the 2 players as probable busts anyway, as neither had done anything on the ice that showed much. Uchacz was 17 at the time, and over the ensuing 2 years has turned himself into a great player - WHL anyway.

Seattle forced the kids into diversity and anti-racism training, which Uchacz completed, but there's no indication he's done anything else.

It would explain why no one talks about him though.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

With our 2nd rounder I would be pumped if we could pick up Tanner Molendyk. I watched the whole pats/blades series for obvious reasons and he stood out big time.He is an unbelievable skater and logs huge minutes for the Blades every night. Most rankings project him to be mid to late 2nd but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes much earlier.

Molendyk is probably the best skater in this draft, and I think he will be a shutdown D in the NHL just based off his ability to track & stick with speedy players. A smaller version of McDonough maybe Ekholm.

He's another lefthanded D though, although one that plays the right-side and seems comfortable there. Tough sell though. We have a ton of LD in the system.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

haven't watched a WHL game this year, what's the take on these,

koehn ziemmer

Koehn Ziemmer - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Koehn Ziemmer, 2004-12-08 Mayerthorpe, AB, CAN Canada. Most recently in the WHL with Prince George Cougars. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

kai uchacz

Kai Uchacz - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Kai Uchacz, 2003-06-24 Calgary, AB, CAN Canada. Most recently in the AHL with Henderson Silver Knights. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

atlee calvert

Atley Calvert - Stats, Contract, Salary & More

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Atley Calvert, 2003-09-17 Moose Jaw, SK, CAN Canada. Most recently in the ECHL with Wheeling Nailers. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

I liked Ziemmer a lot earlier in the season, but kind of fell away from him. He's not that great of a skater, but he has great hands in tight. He's bullish. Don't have him as a fit for Montreal. Our draft picks are too high for him in 1st, and likely too late for our 2nd. He's essentially a grinder with hands, but not great vision. Think he tops out as a Jordan Martinook type player. 2nd-3rd line tweener.

Atlee Calvert is a net front player, who is cleaning up after his more talented teammates. Definitely an inside player. He takes all important draws, including 1st PP & PK unit for Moose Jaw. Plays a driven game. Doesn't have great vision, but doesn't make panic passes either. He's patient, makes good decisions with the puck, and reads plays really well. He's not like Gallagher where he gets pounded on in front. He times his arrival there well. More likely a 4th line, energy guy in NHL, but could end up as a 3rd liner. Someone like Travis Boyd.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't think Molendyk is a target for the Habs, even if I like him, we are loaded on LHD and especially of that archetype. Our 2nd round pick would be used up front, in net or on the right side of the defense.

re: Ziemmer, another one who, as said above, likely falls into a range where we don't have a pick - if we do? I really like him, he's basically Barlow just without the skating but a better shot and a variety of shots, too.

 

[Lockin17]

Does Michkov take part of the combine this summer ?

 

[WeThreeKings]

Does Michkov take part of the combine this summer ?

No Russians came over for it last year, so I doubt it.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I doubt teams will even be able to speak to him at all prior to the draft, so probably no interviews either.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I think it’s almost a certainty he falls to us. The question is do we take him. I won’t pretend I’m an expert here, so I’ll trust HuGo if they pass. But if Michkov comes over and is Kirill Kaprizof in 4 years, it’ll hurt if it isn’t with us.

 

[ReHabs]

Does Michkov take part of the combine this summer ?

Russians were not allowed to take part of the combine last year (collective punishment for things they had no part in) so I don't think that will change, sadly.

No Russians came over for it last year, so I doubt it.

Necessary Correction: No Russians were allowed by the NHL/the US/Canada to come over for it last year, so I doubt it.