Prospect Info: 2025 Draft discussion

[Empoleon8771]

Hypothetically if we land at pick 8 or 9 and the rangers pick ends up between 17-32, would you trade both those picks to get into the top 5?

Frondell/Misa/top5 talent or O’Brian+Fiddler?

The drop off after the top 5 and then again after 15 or so is real.

Freetop made a good post about this about a week ago, but the best way to sum it up is this: the same reason you'd want to trade up there is why other teams wouldn't want to trade down there.

If the pick falls in 2025, they're better off trading the pick for a young NHLer (preferably a center) or just drafting someone with the pick and hope they outperform the "bad draft" stigma this draft has.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Hypothetically if we land at pick 8 or 9 and the rangers pick ends up between 17-32, would you trade both those picks to get into the top 5?

Frondell/Misa/top5 talent or O’Brian+Fiddler?

The drop off after the top 5 and then again after 15 or so is real.

Only if it's actually the 1st. Which, no one would trade out from, like, ever.

Otherwise, rather take the crapshoot that is the draft with multiple picks

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Still maintain the proper way to navigate these next few years is;

Trade Rakell and Ned at the TDL this season. Hope you tank to a top-5 pick this draft. Hope the Rangers pick ends up being protected and kicks to next season. Any one of Hagens, Misa, Martone or Schaefer are fantastic pick ups for a team with a pretty mediocre-to-middling prospect pool.

Trade Rust once the FA dust settles this summer to try and fleece a team desperate for help after they missed out on the big names. Trade EK this summer.

Run Sid and Geno together next year. Bring up the WBS graduates to A. see what they've got, and B. flesh out the roster on the cheap so you can utilize cap space to take on bad deals for picks/prospects. Settle in to tank it up for the best odds at McKenna. Ideally the Rangers also bomb out next season too and you end up with a hopefully top-3 pick and another top-10 pick from them.

Settle in to tank for the best odds at Dupont the year after.

If things work out, you have yourself a prospect foundation of McKenna, Dupont, and one of Hagens/Misa/Martone/Schaefer on top of the McG, Koivunen, Broz, Pickering, Blomqvist/Murashov, etc.

 

[cygnus47]

Still maintain the proper way to navigate these next few years is;

Trade Rakell and Ned at the TDL this season. Hope you tank to a top-5 pick this draft. Hope the Rangers pick ends up being protected and kicks to next season. Any one of Hagens, Misa, Martone or Schaefer are fantastic pick ups for a team with a pretty mediocre-to-middling prospect pool.

Trade Rust once the FA dust settles this summer to try and fleece a team desperate for help after they missed out on the big names. Trade EK this summer.

Run Sid and Geno together next year. Bring up the WBS graduates to A. see what they've got, and B. flesh out the roster on the cheap so you can utilize cap space to take on bad deals for picks/prospects. Settle in to tank it up for the best odds at McKenna. Ideally the Rangers also bomb out next season too and you end up with a hopefully top-3 pick and another top-10 pick from them.

Settle in to tank for the best odds at Dupont the year after.

If things work out, you have yourself a prospect foundation of McKenna, Dupont, and one of Hagens/Misa/Martone/Schaefer on top of the McG, Koivunen, Broz, Pickering, Blomqvist/Murashov, etc.

That'd be ideal, yeah. Getting both McKenna and Dupont would take extraordinary luck or otherwordly tanking and a little luck though.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

McQueen is allegedly returning soon. Would be nice to get my eyes on him.

 

[SEALBound]

McQueen is allegedly returning soon. Would be nice to get my eyes on him.

Yeah, he needs to have a good finish. I don't think he's "dropped" that much but hopefully he gets back to where he was. At the beginning of the season, he was in that top 5 discussion but I think, safe to say, others have passed him up a bit. What that means is he may fall to someone which could be very very good for someone. Not quite Michkov to Philly but if you can snag him at 7/8/9, that's a huge win.

 

[Jag68Sid87]

Still maintain the proper way to navigate these next few years is;

Trade Rakell and Ned at the TDL this season. Hope you tank to a top-5 pick this draft. Hope the Rangers pick ends up being protected and kicks to next season. Any one of Hagens, Misa, Martone or Schaefer are fantastic pick ups for a team with a pretty mediocre-to-middling prospect pool.

Trade Rust once the FA dust settles this summer to try and fleece a team desperate for help after they missed out on the big names. Trade EK this summer.

Run Sid and Geno together next year. Bring up the WBS graduates to A. see what they've got, and B. flesh out the roster on the cheap so you can utilize cap space to take on bad deals for picks/prospects. Settle in to tank it up for the best odds at McKenna. Ideally the Rangers also bomb out next season too and you end up with a hopefully top-3 pick and another top-10 pick from them.

Settle in to tank for the best odds at Dupont the year after.

If things work out, you have yourself a prospect foundation of McKenna, Dupont, and one of Hagens/Misa/Martone/Schaefer on top of the McG, Koivunen, Broz, Pickering, Blomqvist/Murashov, etc.

This is the proper way if you do not have Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Karlsson on the roster.

Remember, the Blackhawks traded DeBrincat and did not get enough in return. they did not qualify Dylan Strome! They told Toews they were moving on, and they traded Patrick Kane for pennies on the dollar.

None of that is what this team is doing, and rightfully so. Once Crosby committed to remaining a lifelong Penguin, which Letang and Malkin have also done, the goalposts moved.

We will still have all of our first-round picks, so we will still have youth coming into the pipeline. It is a matter of actually developing our youth, which has been the issue for this team for well over a decade now.

The last thing we want to become is Chicago, yet people continue to talk about a Chicago-like tank job.

 

[PensFutures]

Remember, the Blackhawks traded DeBrincat and did not get enough in return. they did not qualify Dylan Strome! They told Toews they were moving on, and they traded Patrick Kane for pennies on the dollar.

The last thing we want to become is Chicago, yet people continue to talk about a Chicago-like tank job.

When you factor this in, its impressive they still ended up with 8 1sts the last 3 drafts, and have 2 this year.

 

[Jacob]

I’m liking what I’m seeing in clips of Reschny and Desnoyers. Really don’t see a significant fall-off after 5 or 6, it just gets a little murkier. Aitcheson, Eklund, Mrtka, hell even McQueen if there can be some clarification on his health.

We’re not going to find a Sid or Geno, we just need talent and upside. Guys that are good now with reasonable projections to be even better in the next 1-2 years. Let them develop and we keep amassing picks.

One guy I’ve tried to like is Jackson Smith but I just don’t see it. Might elaborate later as I watch the rest of this shift-by-shift. Not a fan though, at present. Kindel too.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

I’m liking what I’m seeing in clips of Reschny and Desnoyers. Really don’t see a significant fall-off after 5 or 6, it just gets a little murkier. Aitcheson, Eklund, Mrtka, hell even McQueen if there can be some clarification on his health.

We’re not going to find a Sid or Geno, we just need talent and upside. Guys that are good now with reasonable projections to be even better in the next 1-2 years. Let them develop and we keep amassing picks.

One guy I’ve tried to like is Jackson Smith but I just don’t see it. Might elaborate later as I watch the rest of this shift-by-shift. Not a fan though, at present. Kindel too.

Dying to like Smith but def shades of Jack Johnson.

Dont like Reschny or Desnoyers tho.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Why in the world would you take a so-called safe pick instead of a higher risk high reward player?

Anyone out of the top five will have questions. Be it a low ceiling, or skills but questions to overcome.

The Pens minors are empty. The stars are aging and will be gone soon.

What are you taking safe low ceiling players for? The Pens will be rebuilding for several years, so may as well shoot for a skilled player as they have little of it in the minors.

 

[Mr. T]

I’m liking what I’m seeing in clips of Reschny and Desnoyers. Really don’t see a significant fall-off after 5 or 6, it just gets a little murkier. Aitcheson, Eklund, Mrtka, hell even McQueen if there can be some clarification on his health.

We’re not going to find a Sid or Geno, we just need talent and upside. Guys that are good now with reasonable projections to be even better in the next 1-2 years. Let them develop and we keep amassing picks.

One guy I’ve tried to like is Jackson Smith but I just don’t see it. Might elaborate later as I watch the rest of this shift-by-shift. Not a fan though, at present. Kindel too.

Aitcheson is who I want if we end up with the Rangers pick this year. Mean, clears the crease, really enjoys lighting people up, etc. Seems like he can skate pretty well and is tapping into some offensive upside this season.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Only if it's actually the 1st. Which, no one would trade out from, like, ever.

Otherwise, rather take the crapshoot that is the draft with multiple picks

At best I'd risk the NYR pick + a 3rd to a team for a higher 1st to draft two players high that have a good chance at becoming the new backbone of this franchise. But as you said, if it wasn't a 1st OVA, I wouldn't trade it for a 3rd or a 2nd overall, the Pens drafting two very good prospects in the first round is a massive need. The last time this team had this opportunity, they took Pouliot and Maatta and before that I think it was the Mario draft and that's it.

Otherwise I hope the NYR pick ends up exactly at the spot before it would go to them and the Pens keep it as is and just move one of the 3rd rounders + a 5th round pick for a 2nd if there's someone there that they really want. Pens have done well with 3rd rounders as well so that's fine as is too.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Aitcheson is who I want if we end up with the Rangers pick this year. Mean, clears the crease, really enjoys lighting people up, etc. Seems like he can skate pretty well and is tapping into some offensive upside this season.

I'm intrigued but his high PIMS is concerning. Yes, 25 of them came from fighting but historically those with high PIMS don't usually work out at the NHL level.

If the majority of the rest of the minutes comes from roughing, as opposed to stick infractions, then I'm less concerned.

Still, his penalties are way down from last season which is encouraging.

 

[Mr. T]

I'm intrigued but his high PIMS is concerning. Yes, 25 of them came from fighting but historically those with high PIMS don't usually work out at the NHL level.

If the majority of the rest of the minutes comes from roughing, as opposed to stick infractions, then I'm less concerned.

Still, his penalties are way down from last season which is encouraging.

Sure, but if this team drafts a tough guy, think about how happy that will make all of the submental unc's on this board.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

Sure, but if this team drafts a tough guy, think about how happy that will make all of the submental unc's on this board.

 

[CheckingLineCenter]

Why in the world would you take a so-called safe pick instead of a higher risk high reward player?

Anyone out of the top five will have questions. Be it a low ceiling, or skills but questions to overcome.

The Pens minors are empty. The stars are aging and will be gone soon.

What are you taking safe low ceiling players for? The Pens will be rebuilding for several years, so may as well shoot for a skilled player as they have little of it in the minors.

I also think people get high floor, low ceiling guys wrong bc it often seems like those are the guys that completely bust bc they don’t have appreciable talent in any one area.

Like Sprong was opposite profile of Lias Andersson, neither guy really worked out, but Sprong was a regular for 3 full seasons to Andersson’s zero, and played 250 more games.