Prospect Info: 2025 DRAFT Thread

[alphafox]

First Option should be trades given that this is a weak draft and our team youth. I would be happy to add roster help immediate or to move up into the top 6 for someone like McQueen or Frondell. If we can't make a deal and end where I think we will I'd like something like this

Our Pick 10-14: Draft one of Logan Hensler, Jackson Smith or especially Radim Mrtka
MN Pick: Jack Murtaugh or Joshua Ravensburg

 

[Doggy]

1) They can't all go top ten
2) I keep hearing "weak draft" and then hearing about all these really good prospects. Maybe it's not top three heavy like Bedard, Fantilli and Carlsson was but I bet when you get into the 7-10 area and beyond it starts to feel like most drafts

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

1) They can't all go top ten
2) I keep hearing "weak draft" and then hearing about all these really good prospects. Maybe it's not top three heavy like Bedard, Fantilli and Carlsson was but I bet when you get into the 7-10 area and beyond it starts to feel like most drafts

I just envisioned Don Waddell stepping up to the stage for the #12 pick and realising there are no players left in the draft.

 

[koteka]

The consensus top ranked player is a left D? I guess Buffalo is winning the draft lottery.

 

[Doggy]

 

[stevo61]

I know a forward with similar size who not only is even more competitive and has a higher motor than Cootes but also hits harder and has more explosive feet. That's Carter Bear. Every time I watch him I think of a faster version of Nick Foligno, he's so versatile, smart and effective. Such a likable prospect.

But he won't be available in mid teens so we would need to trade up to get him. I think I'd start calling teams if he falls out of top-5. As of today he's a better prospect for me than Martone.

I'm pretty sure Mrtka will go in top-10 too.

You got my attention with this post and I've slowly been trying to pay more attention to him. I'm still a believer in Spence as mentioned awhile ago but after you put Bear on the radar I've become a believer. At this point I don't know where we will draft but Id love this style of player. I don't know that it's a perfect comparison (I don't usually like making them) but when I started watching him I thought of Travis Konecny

 

[Mikey09]

First Option should be trades given that this is a weak draft and our team youth. I would be happy to add roster help immediate or to move up into the top 6 for someone like McQueen or Frondell. If we can't make a deal and end where I think we will I'd like something like this

Our Pick 10-14: Draft one of Logan Hensler, Jackson Smith or especially Radim Mrtka
MN Pick: Jack Murtaugh or Joshua Ravensburg

I also see Logan Hensler as a real possibility and i would be sooo happy to get him or Aitcheson with that first pick or Brady Martin in case they are gone and anyone of Spence, Nesbitt, McKinney, Fiddler, Behm or Tretheway with Minny’s pick.

 

[Doggy]

Anyone have an opinion on goalie Alexi Medvedev? I don't want to add another smurf goaltender but am not a fan of these monster tall goalies either. Kid is a top five goalie prospect and probably the youngest in his draft class. Yes he plays for powerhouse London but the kid is putting up really really good numbers and the scouting reports on him are excellent.

 

[tunnelvision]

You got my attention with this post and I've slowly been trying to pay more attention to him. I'm still a believer in Spence as mentioned awhile ago but after you put Bear on the radar I've become a believer. At this point I don't know where we will draft but Id love this style of player. I don't know that it's a perfect comparison (I don't usually like making them) but when I started watching him I thought of Travis Konecny

To be honest, now that I've seen more games of Bear, Martone and other highly ranked players, maybe I shouldn't have spoken in absolutes about Bear certainly going in the top-10. He hasn't done a whole lot lately, last night vs Victoria he mishandled pucks constantly for no apparent reason, failed to cover his guy on the backcheck and lost his edge easily in too many occasions. He looked out of gas, might be playing through something.

I also like the type of game Spence brings but if we ended up drafting in the top-10 and picked him, I probably wouldn't be a happy camper. I just haven't seen enough skill to justify a relatively high ranking. Could be a good choice in mid or late teens though.

Meanwhile Martone has produced nicely and looked pretty special at times with his vision and offensive instincts, and he can protect puck and go to the net in a way that will work in pro hockey as well, so in that sense he might be viewed a "safe bet" as a prospect. But then there is the consistency and a lack of pace issues that continue to annoy me, which is why I still kinda want to challenge the opinion that there's a clear top tier of Schaefer, Misa, Hagens and Martone, followed by a bunch of less valuable guys. There are other talented forwards who play at important positions and have qualities that likely attract NHL scouts, Desnoyers and O'Brien for example. I'm not surprised they are high on several public lists.

I don't have a very accurate picture of Desnoyers yet but in my viewings O'Brien has shown he can actually play center, he definitely has tools and intelligence for it. He seems well-rounded, reliable and positionally sound defensively, and on offense can make precise and skilled plays with great hands and superb vision. He isn't weak physically either but I wouldn't say it is a strength. If I had to name one less impressive aspect of his game I guess it would be the lack of pace. He seems able to slow things down in transition but can rarely turn it up a notch, even though in full speed he doesn't look slow to me. For those who have watched him, would David Krejci be a too generous comp?

 

[stevo61]

To be honest, now that I've seen more games of Bear, Martone and other highly ranked players, maybe I shouldn't have spoken in absolutes about Bear certainly going in the top-10. He hasn't done a whole lot lately, last night vs Victoria he mishandled pucks constantly for no apparent reason, failed to cover his guy on the backcheck and lost his edge easily in too many occasions. He looked out of gas, might be playing through something.

I also like the type of game Spence brings but if we ended up drafting in the top-10 and picked him, I probably wouldn't be a happy camper. I just haven't seen enough skill to justify a relatively high ranking. Could be a good choice in mid or late teens though.

Meanwhile Martone has produced nicely and looked pretty special at times with his vision and offensive instincts, and he can protect puck and go to the net in a way that will work in pro hockey as well, so in that sense he might be viewed a "safe bet" as a prospect. But then there is the consistency and a lack of pace issues that continue to annoy me, which is why I still kinda want to challenge the opinion that there's a clear top tier of Schaefer, Misa, Hagens and Martone, followed by a bunch of less valuable guys. There are other talented forwards who play at important positions and have qualities that likely attract NHL scouts, Desnoyers and O'Brien for example. I'm not surprised they are high on several public lists.

I don't have a very accurate picture of Desnoyers yet but in my viewings O'Brien has shown he can actually play center, he definitely has tools and intelligence for it. He seems well-rounded, reliable and positionally sound defensively, and on offense can make precise and skilled plays with great hands and superb vision. He isn't weak physically either but I wouldn't say it is a strength. If I had to name one less impressive aspect of his game I guess it would be the lack of pace. He seems able to slow things down in transition but can rarely turn it up a notch, even though in full speed he doesn't look slow to me. For those who have watched him, would David Krejci be a too generous comp?

Bear seems like he's got a decent amount physical development to go through and then maybe can be the Robin to a Batman like a Zach Hyman. I havent done any meaningful deep dive on anyone or know specifically where I'd rank Bear but I wouldnt be shocked if a team loved him and took him fairly early. Hagel is another name I've seen for him and I'd understand the risk of taking him early but man, teams kill for the type of player he has the potential to be.

 

[Aaaarrgghh]

Thanfkully, I haven't looked much into the draft, but Jake O'Brien does look interesting. Playmaking centre with room to grow physically. Carter Bear is also intriguing, of course. The one I really thought sounded like he'd be ideal for Columbus is Jackson Smith, but he'll most likely not be available to them.

 

[majormajor]

Someone brought up cut resistant socks in the other thread and it reminded me about Carter Bear's situation - out for the year with an Achilles cut. I think his stock will fall out of top ten (where he was trending) and it's very possible he's in our range in the mid-first.

 

[Doggy]

Wheels just did a nice feature story on Ravensbergen. I am not a fan of drafting goalies in the first round but enjoyed the read on The Athletic.

 

[Doggy]

Not a draft post...what do you all think about Maine's goalie Albin Boija? Had a good freshman year splitting duties and then blossomed in his sophomore season. 1.76 GAA and .930 Save Percentage having to face BU, BC, Providence, UMass, UMass-Lowell, UNH and UConn (plus two games each vs Denver and Quinnipiac)! I know he's only 6'1" but CBJ scouts don't seem scared off by size...and TBH I think 6'1" is not too small, it's below that I start getting nervous.

 

[tunnelvision]

If the following players were taken in the top-11...

Schaefer
Misa
Smith
Mrtka
O'Brien
Hagens
Martone
Eklund
Frondell
Desnoyers
McQueen

..and we had the 12OA pick, who would you prefer?

 

[Jovavic]

Bear

 

[majormajor]

Bear's injury seems pretty serious. I'm wondering if it might put him down in range of our 2nd 1st?

 

[Jovavic]

Bear's injury seems pretty serious. I'm wondering if it might put him down in range of our 2nd 1st?

With picking Lindstrom, the front office clearly does not GAF about serious injuries

 

[koteka]

Spence. Eventual Boone Jenner replacement. Maybe take Nesbitt with the Wild pick. Potential power forward. I stay away from the guys with major injuries in the first round this year after drafting Lindstrom last year.

 

[Xoggz22]

I hope they take the highest potential upside guys and go a little more risk oriented in that regard. Go for the home run guys. They have a good core and a good pipeline, but still could use some potential home run guys in my opinion. I'm not talking reach, but if there is a guy that could be special but hasn't been consistent or put it all together... take that chance this year.

Or...trade the picks for help at the NHL level that impacts.

 

[majormajor]

Jackson Smith figures to go in the 7-11 range. So not something we can assuredly get with our pick but in the range that we might easily trade into, if there is a team open to moving down.

I watched the report of Simon St. Laurent (my favorite) on Jackson Smith and he looks like a future #1D to me. We don't need that at LD but I approach the draft as only about picking the best future players, there will be so many trades and surprises over the years. Simon calls him a #3D but I think that is too low for Jackson Smith.

 

[koteka]

Jackson Smith figures to go in the 7-11 range. So not something we can assuredly get with our pick but in the range that we might easily trade into, if there is a team open to moving down.

I would have said Smith but he was listed third on the @tunnelvision list of already drafted people. You and I tend to like the same defensive prospects.

 

[tunnelvision]

I hope they take the highest potential upside guys and go a little more risk oriented in that regard.

Who do you like the most of these 3: Carbonneau, Lakovic or Zonnon?

I watched the report of Simon St. Laurent (my favorite) on Jackson Smith and he looks like a future #1D to me. We don't need that at LD but I approach the draft as only about picking the best future players, there will be so many trades and surprises over the years. Simon calls him a #3D but I think that is too low for Jackson Smith.

I agree with Simon about his projection, right now it looks closer to 3D than 1D. To me it seems there are roughly 3 types of #1 defensemen in the league: 1) those who are great all around, 2) superb offensive catalysts with mediocre defense and 3) solid puck movers with elite shutdown game. I'm not sure if Smith falls into any of these categories.

He's somewhat similar to Sam Dickinson, both great skaters with good rush defense, puck carries and physical play. Smith hasn't been as good defensively but there's much more finesse to his puck control and passing game, which is why he's a more intriguing LD prospect to me.

I think Smith has to either find that next gear offensively (improve shot and especially vision) or show more consistency in defensive zone (effort and attention to detail) to be considered a true #1 guy.

If CBJ somehow managed to draft him, I really hope they don't detect any red flags in his character, and that in the coming years they will emphasize improving his defense. TC's playoff run ended last night with a 7-0 loss at home, and there were shifts in the game where Smith didn't seem to play with urgency like the team's season was on the line:

25:20-25:30
30:50-31:08
1:24:10-1:24:25
1:44:50-1:45:05
1:51:08-1:51:40

04/04 Away Feed - Victoria at Tri-City - Game 5 - Victory+

That said, I also like the prospect and the idea of trading up for him.

I would have said Smith but he was listed third on the @tunnelvision list of already drafted people. You and I tend to like the same defensive prospects.

For clarification, I wasn't ranking them, just named all players with high possibility to be out of our reach (#12-16). The order was random.

 

[majormajor]

Who do you like the most of these 3: Carbonneau, Lakovic or Zonnon?


I agree with Simon about his projection, right now it looks closer to 3D than 1D. To me it seems there are roughly 3 types of #1 defensemen in the league: 1) those who are great all around, 2) superb offensive catalysts with mediocre defense and 3) solid puck movers with elite shutdown game. I'm not sure if Smith falls into any of these categories.

He's somewhat similar to Sam Dickinson, both great skaters with good rush defense, puck carries and physical play. Smith hasn't been as good defensively but there's much more finesse to his puck control and passing game, which is why he's a more intriguing LD prospect to me.

I think Smith has to either find that next gear offensively (improve shot and especially vision) or show more consistency in defensive zone (effort and attention to detail) to be considered a true #1 guy.

If CBJ somehow managed to draft him, I really hope they don't detect any red flags in his character, and that in the coming years they will emphasize improving his defense. TC's playoff run ended last night with a 7-0 loss at home, and there were shifts in the game where Smith didn't seem to play with urgency like the team's season was on the line:

25:20-25:30
30:50-31:08
1:24:10-1:24:25
1:44:50-1:45:05
1:51:08-1:51:40

04/04 Away Feed - Victoria at Tri-City - Game 5 - Victory+

That said, I also like the prospect and the idea of trading up for him.


For clarification, I wasn't ranking them, just named all players with high possibility to be out of our reach (#12-16). The order was random.

I watched the shifts, thanks for catching those.

I use #1D more loosely than most - the names that come to mind for the caliber I imagine Jackson Smith will reach are like Vince Dunn, Morgan Rielly, Thomas Chabot, but in a good year for each. Perhaps Shea Theodore.

My sense of his upside is based mostly on the offense. I think his skating ability will make him a constant threat at the NHL level. He will get your team in the zone, though not be the best at taking advantage of it.

The standing around in his zone is concerning, I'd need to know more about how that has evolved and whether he's considered coachable in that regard.

The progression matters a lot to me, and I just don't watch enough junior (less these days) to have a good sense of that. The difference between a player who is gradually working on his weaknesses and experimenting and learning, and a player who is making the same mistakes ad infinitum and simply lacks hockey sense, that is everything. I'll be relying on you and Simon and the hockey prospect guys to tell me about the progression they see.

 

[CBJx614]

As of today, we're 4 pts back of a playoff spot and still only a point out of a top 10 pick. I hate to say it, but with how the team has been playing I think a top ten pick is more likely.