2025 DRAFT Discussion

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Carter Mazur and possibly Nate Danielson as a Selke caliber 3C.

If Mazur can ever stay healthy we’ll see what we have in him. And there’s a lot of underselling a Nate Danielson here. 3Cs are 30-40 point guys usually.

Top scoring centers - nhl 2024-25

There’s about 11 listed in the top 50 that aren’t actually centers full time. Necas, Thompson, Reinhart, Guentzel, Jarvis, Protas, Donato, Vilardi, Teravainen, Geekie, Johnson

So Larkin would be the 17th highest scoring center, middle of the pack which is about what Larkin is as a top line center. Fantilli would move from 50th to 39th with 54 points which is upper tier 2C numbers.

The guys listed 51-100 also have a few misclassified wingers; Toffoli, Verhaeghe, Barbashev, Perfetti, Schwartz, Palmieri, Smith, Stankoven, Mercer, McCann. 10 total. You can argue stamkos also doesn’t,t belong.

Kasper would have been moved up 19 spots on center scoring last season, from 87th to 68th with 37 points. Those are upper tier 3C numbers that I expect to improve next season. Playing mostly 2C and 1LW as needed for a full season I’d expect Kasper to hit 55+ points if he’s not in a sophomore slump.

I think Danielson can and will be at least a 50 point guy, which is solidly in the 2C range. Theres a lot of underselling him on these boards, but I think when more people watch him in a wings uniform they’ll be more aware of his potential.

 

[Dotter]

That’s fair. I’d love to see Danielson exceed expectations. I’m just not sold on it yet.

Honest question, have you seen Danielson play or are you stat watching?

And what is exceeding expectations? To me a 1st line center would be "exceeding", but a very good 2nd liner is on par. 3rd liner would below expectations.

 

[DangerMouse]

Honest question, have you seen Danielson play or are you stat watching?

And what is exceeding expectations? To me a 1st line center would be "exceeding", but a very good 2nd liner is on par. 3rd liner would below expectations.

I went to one Griffins game down here in Cleveland and came away thinking that Danielson would benefit quite a bit from better players around him. I thought Lombardi was the best player for GR, but Danielson was consistently dangerous.

 

[lilidk]

Honest question, have you seen Danielson play or are you stat watching?

And what is exceeding expectations? To me a 1st line center would be "exceeding", but a very good 2nd liner is on par. 3rd liner would below expectations.

Filppula was third liner, very important and good player . It will be great if he becomes someone like Fil

 

[lilidk]

When I hear about Martin I think about

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

While everyone is tradeable for the right return, I have a hard time seeing Danielson moved in a trade that does not return another center. The positional premium is too great to move him for anything else. Kasper having a solid rookie season does not make Danielson expendable, especially after his D+2 season. Frankly, Kasper has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of Danielson as a prospect or his projection.

I still see him as a rock solid 2C when he is done developing. Nothing about his season in GR changed that in the slightest. I would also contend that people are sleeping on his overall skill and comfort with the puck.

 

[schuelma24]

While everyone is tradeable for the right return, I have a hard time seeing Danielson moved in a trade that does not return another center. The positional premium is too great to move him for anything else. Kasper having a solid rookie season does not make Danielson expendable, especially after his D+2 season. Frankly, Kasper has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of Danielson as a prospect or his projection.

I still see him as a rock solid 2C when he is done developing. Nothing about his season in GR changed that in the slightest. I would also contend that people are sleeping on his overall skill and comfort with the puck.

Spot on IMO. I won't call him completely untouchable, but we'd have to get a C back, unless it was a truly elite winger or D.

Get as many centers as you can get. Which is why I don't hate the idea of Reschny this year at 13.

 

[deca guard]

and the thing about dannys season in gr was that he had zero help rushing the puck up plus distributing it in the o zone from the defense without aljo there , it put lots of opponant pressure on him . next season he has asp there so look out . plus he had doc watson on his wing whose not going to spark anything off the rush .theres lots more offense going to be created by danny then it looked like was possible last season as a kid in the rough ahl

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Spot on IMO. I won't call him completely untouchable, but we'd have to get a C back, unless it was a truly elite winger or D.

Get as many centers as you can get. Which is why I don't hate the idea of Reschny this year at 13.

Reschny 100% will not be a center in the NHL. Too slow and small. Shot isn’t great either. Not enough backup game as a fall back if the offense doesn’t translate. I think he’s way more boom/bust than any other guy that’s been talked about for Detroit’s pick, save for Lakovic.

Smart player, but he reminds me of a slower Krebs in junior.

 

[lilidk]

Reschny 100% will not be a center in the NHL. Too slow and small. Shot isn’t great either. Not enough backup game as a fall back if the offense doesn’t translate. I think he’s way more boom/bust than any other guy that’s been talked about for Detroit’s pick, save for Lakovic.

Smart player, but he reminds me of a slower Krebs in junior.

Cootes will be center , but id rather keep Danielson. Because Danielson never played in NHL his trading value not high enough. Let him play couple of seasons in NHL before making any decisions on him

 

[RedHawkDown]

Aitcheson seems like the right pick to me if he gets there. Any of Martin, Aitcheson, Eklund, I'd be happy with. Would suck if none are there.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Spot on IMO. I won't call him completely untouchable, but we'd have to get a C back, unless it was a truly elite winger or D.

Get as many centers as you can get. Which is why I don't hate the idea of Reschny this year at 13.

I have a hard time seeing Reschny as a center in the NHL. If you are undersized and not a plus skater, it is really hard for me to get behind you as a center at the NHL level, no matter how smart you are. That said, I can see people liking Reschny even if his future is on the wing.

 

[schuelma24]

I have a hard time seeing Reschny as a center in the NHL. If you are undersized and not a plus skater, it is really hard for me to get behind you as a center at the NHL level, no matter how smart you are. That said, I can see people liking Reschny even if his future is on the wing.

That’s fair. I think he’s a bit more solid than the typical undersized center but point taken. I think I’m just really enamored with his smarts/hockey sense and seems like a swing we haven’t really taken.

 

[Kingpin794]

Where we're picking is just BPA but looking at the pool/future graduations, we could really use a defenseman. Jackson Smith, Aitcheson. Maybe trade down a few spots and take Boumedienee or Fiddler.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Aitcheson seems like the right pick to me if he gets there. Any of Martin, Aitcheson, Eklund, I'd be happy with. Would suck if none are there.

Organizational depth is strongest on wing and goaltending. Center isn’t super deep but Danielson and Lombardi look like they can hit. Where we’re truly lacking is defense. Wallinder, Buium, Tuomisto look like busts.

I don’t expect a top tier center prospect to be there at 13. There is a good chance one of Bear or Eklund will be but the other winger prospects after them don’t excite me much.

If Aitcheson is there at 13 I think we can make this pick and be happy with the results. But other than Aitcheson and Schaeffer I’m not too thrilled about the other 1st round D.

 

[Frk It]

Organizational depth is strongest on wing and goaltending. Center isn’t super deep but Danielson and Lombardi look like they can hit. Where we’re truly lacking is defense. Wallinder, Buium, Tuomisto look like busts.

I don’t expect a top tier center prospect to be there at 13. There is a good chance one of Bear or Eklund will be but the other winger prospects after them don’t excite me much.

If Aitcheson is there at 13 I think we can make this pick and be happy with the results. But other than Aitcheson and Schaeffer I’m not too thrilled about the other 1st round D.

A guy I think should be ranked higher and I would probably have top 20 is Cameron Reid.

In a draft like this, I struggle to see why he doesn’t get more love.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

A guy I think should be ranked higher and I would probably have top 20 is Cameron Reid.

In a draft like this, I struggle to see why he doesn’t get more love.

Cameron Reid THW profile

My best guess is that he’s only 6’0”. He seems like a low risk medium reward kind of guy. I’d take him with our 2nd round pick if he’s available.

Aitcheson and Reid would instantly improve our depth on D. And next year’s draft looks like one to focus on forwards. Several Guys that I expect to be picked in the teens and twenties next year look like players that would go in the top 13 of this year’s draft. There are some HUGE skill guys.

 

[Snuggs]

Brady Martin. The name I'm going to cling onto.

 

[USAHockey97]

So the original premise suggests taking Vansaghi with pick #44 in the draft, which is a 2nd round pick.

Yea, no disagreement there.

Fun fact: most first round picks top out as 3rd liners and 4-6 defensemen. While it’s more ideal to find those guys later in the draft it’s much less likely these days. Scouting has improved exponentially the last 10-12 years and most of the players that have any modicum of success are concentrated within the first 50 picks.

That’s a good point. But let’s say where the Wings have picked for the most part recently: 4-15. I would think the aim would be top six or top four there.

 

[USAHockey97]

Honest question, have you seen Danielson play or are you stat watching?

And what is exceeding expectations? To me a 1st line center would be "exceeding", but a very good 2nd liner is on par. 3rd liner would below expectations.

I’ll admit I haven’t seen a lot, but from what I have seen he looks like a solid two way center. But the offense just doesn’t look there at the moment. Of course that could change.

If he becomes a 2C or above then that was a great to good pick. 3C wouldn’t not be good for where he was taken.

Again, I hope he turns it on and becomes Larkin’s replacement. Just have t seen anything that suggests that yet.

 

[Frk It]

Organizational depth is strongest on wing and goaltending. Center isn’t super deep but Danielson and Lombardi look like they can hit. Where we’re truly lacking is defense. Wallinder, Buium, Tuomisto look like busts.

I don’t expect a top tier center prospect to be there at 13. There is a good chance one of Bear or Eklund will be but the other winger prospects after them don’t excite me much.

If Aitcheson is there at 13 I think we can make this pick and be happy with the results. But other than Aitcheson and Schaeffer I’m not too thrilled about the other 1st round D.

I'm not sure these guys we think are centers will stick at center either. Like personally I think it is more likely that Martin and Bear will play as wingers at the next level. I mean Canada didn't even play Martin down the middle at the U18s.

The only guys I view as for sure centers are the guys that are probably going before we pick.

That said, I would probably draft Martin and Bear regardless.

 

[HoweFan]

Martin , Aitcheson, Bear, in that order. Hopefully one is left when we pick

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I'm not sure these guys we think are centers will stick at center either. Like personally I think it is more likely that Martin and Bear will play as wingers at the next level. I mean Canada didn't even play Martin down the middle at the U18s.

The only guys I view as for sure centers are the guys that are probably going before we pick.

That said, I would probably draft Martin and Bear regardless.

Oh, I meant that the top tier centers (Martin, O’Brien, Frondell, Desnoyers) wouldn’t be there, and that Bear and Eklund would be BPA wingers for us.

Martin is someone I’m expecting to be a Philly, Boston or NYR pick. Whoever picks him is hoping he’s a center but I’m with you in believing he’s a better winger. Maybe a modern day Dustin Brown?

I’d be very happy with Martin, Bear, Eklund or Aitcheson. They’re all super competitive, physical, and high motor with skill.

 

[SantosHalper]

Martin is someone I’m expecting to be a Philly, Boston or NYR pick.

Im thinking Buffalo, culture change is what they need the most. Player like him can make that happen, hard to slack off when a guy next to you driving through the boards.

 

[Frk It]

Martin , Aitcheson, Bear, in that order. Hopefully one is left when we pick

Oh, I meant that the top tier centers (Martin, O’Brien, Frondell, Desnoyers) wouldn’t be there, and that Bear and Eklund would be BPA wingers for us.

Martin is someone I’m expecting to be a Philly, Boston or NYR pick. Whoever picks him is hoping he’s a center but I’m with you in believing he’s a better winger. Maybe a modern day Dustin Brown?

I’d be very happy with Martin, Bear, Eklund or Aitcheson. They’re all super competitive, physical, and high motor with skill.

The good news for you guys is I think Detroit is going to like the guys you want them to like.