Prospect Info: 2025 Draft: We are #1….1

[HandshakeLine]

I'll take my Jack Adams nomination partially in Whole Foods gift certificates and the rest in cash, thanks.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

It's important that we remember the long part of long pants hockety. Otherwise, we're not getting to our game.

Confession time; I never understood what this meant. Does it refer to those ugly ass Cooperalls the Flyers wore in the 80s?

 

[HandshakeLine]

Confession time; I never understood what this meant. Does it refer to those ugly ass Cooperalls the Flyers wore in the 80s?

It's an old-timey Britishism that our weird-ass cousins from up north say. It's from the fact that English kids used to wear shorts all the time in the late 19th century/early 20th century (cheaper, less cloth, etc.) and then when you became an adult, you wore long pants.

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

It’s ridiculous…at this stage of the draft take the best available player! You can look for size or some other specific traits in later picks…

f*** it, I'm on board the McQueen train. Take a swing at a potential superstar at 11 if he's still there.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I frankly don't give a shit if a guy's 6'5 if he's constantly attached to serious issues with his skating and may or may not have a chronic back injury. Sorry.

If it was one or the other, maybe, but still probably not. Both should be a nonstarter, regardless of how tall the dude is. Even Bear I'm a little hesitant on because of his Achilles injury.

In any event, this team's not getting a homerun pick this draft. Even a situation where Martone or Hagens ends up in the system, they're not building block type guys imo. Clearly a cut above the rest of the supporting cast players we're talking about but not guys you alter your rebuild plan after landing.

If we're trying to find a gem with a tall, talented forward, Lakovic seems fine. He's got all of McQueen's positive attributes except the physicality, he's a much better skater and without the injury concerns. People desperately want to paint McQueen as potentially the next Tage but Tage can skate, McQueen's nowhere near that level of skating.

I'm liking Lakovic more and more. Haven't seen confirmation that he can play center too but see a few places where he's just listed as a F. And I've not watched that video in this thread on him yet.

 

[Andy99]

I'm liking Lakovic more and more. Haven't seen confirmation that he can play center too but see a few places where he's just listed as a F. And I've not watched that video in this thread on him yet.

He’s getting some press…I like him too…but can he be converted to center? lol…anyway, saw this…suggesting OBrien or McQueen for the Pens

Why 2025 NHL Draft could see run of centres in top 10

This year, more than usual, it’s really hard to know how the draft chips will fall after the first pick. When the dust settles in three weeks, though, there may be a handful of clubs with the most optimistic centre outlook they’ve had in a while.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Randy Butternubs]

And people asking "who has improved their skating since drafted?" or the like, maybe Cole Perfetti?

 

[HandshakeLine]

He’s getting some press…I like him too…but can he be converted to center? lol…anyway, saw this…suggesting OBrien or McQueen for the Pens

Why 2025 NHL Draft could see run of centres in top 10

This year, more than usual, it’s really hard to know how the draft chips will fall after the first pick. When the dust settles in three weeks, though, there may be a handful of clubs with the most optimistic centre outlook they’ve had in a while.

www.sportsnet.ca

Well, the silver lining is that while we don't have a lot of C prospects, we also don't have a lot of good wing prospects either. So it's not like there's a logjam anywhere.

 

[McGroarty2]

Saw that Eklund compares himself to Konecny. Always liked his game.

 

[Jacob]

I’m surprised Lakovic has zero shorthanded goals. I do recall him PKing.

Mental math looks like he had a lower PPG than Yager this year before Yager was dealt, but higher ES PPG. Only 7 out of 27 goals came at ES which seems like a pretty good ratio especially on a bad team that has historically relied heavily on the PP. YT guy is right that Moose Jaw is going to suck next year, if I’m the team drafting him I’m prodding Moose Jaw to trade him before the season starts.

 

[Ulf5]

Related to next year's draft, EF says he's talked to several people. Nothing is concrete until pen is put to paper. But word is, PSU is favored at the moment to land McKenna.

 

[Andy99]

Pretty good article…

Kyle Dubas draft history: clues for the future based on the past

What does Kyle Dubas’s past draft choices say about what direction he might go in the future

www.pensburgh.com

 

[Al Smith]

Pretty good article…

Kyle Dubas draft history: clues for the future based on the past

What does Kyle Dubas’s past draft choices say about what direction he might go in the future

www.pensburgh.com

Interesting exercise, although the data sets are kind of small, imo, to draw any meaningful conclusions.
.

 

[Ulf5]

Interesting exercise, although the data sets are kind of small, imo, to draw any meaningful conclusions.
.

I think not lol, set in stone. Guess who the top-rated forward from the WHL that probably will be available to Dubas is?

 

[Andy99]

I think not lol, set in stone. Guess who the top-rated forward from the WHL that probably will be available to Dubas is?

O’Brien? Or Martin…

 

[Ulf5]

O’Brien? Or Martin…

They're OHL. McQueen (going by Bobby mck's mid-season ranks) and you gonna like.
Board meltdown in 3, 2, 1....

 

[Andy99]

They're OHL. McQueen (going by Bobby mck's mid-season ranks) and you gonna like.
Board meltdown in 3, 2, 1....

This is McKeen's newly released final draft prospect rankings: I’d take Martin, OBrien and Lakovic over McQueen…Bear isn’t even ranked in the top 20…

1. Schaefer
2. Misa
3. Martone
4. Desnoyers
5. Hagens
6. Frondell
7. Smith
8. Eklund
9. Mrtka
10. Martin
11. O'Brien
12. McQueen
13. Lakovic
14. Porter
15. Aitcheson
16. Carbonneau
17. Cootes
18. Boumedienne
19. Kindel
20. Reid

 

[plaidchuck]

I've said it before but if no one else is going to be an impact player or anything special you swing for the fences with McQueen. The Penguins making the "safe pick" is part of why they are where they are. And it's not like the back injury was some mystical Toews thing where he has to travel the globe to figure it out.

 

[Turin]

I've said it before but if no one else is going to be an impact player or anything special you swing for the fences with McQueen. The Penguins making the "safe pick" is part of why they are where they are. And it's not like the back injury was some mystical Toews thing where he has to travel the globe to figure it out.

Agreed. McQueen will have value because of his size for a while after his draft anyway even if he doesn’t look like he’s developing into a top player

 

[Pancakes]

I've said it before but if no one else is going to be an impact player or anything special you swing for the fences with McQueen. The Penguins making the "safe pick" is part of why they are where they are. And it's not like the back injury was some mystical Toews thing where he has to travel the globe to figure it out.

I think the reason we are where we are has more to do with rarely having our first round pick - and picking late when we do.

Imo the Pens actually drafted pretty well the past while. Finding Guentzel, Murray, Rust, etc is pretty good work considering the lack of useful picks the team has had.

 

[Gurglesons]

I find it weird how many people are against taking McQueen at 10 on this board.

 

[HandshakeLine]

I find it weird how many people are against taking McQueen at 10 on this board.

I'm not against him, I just don't get what the excitement is besides his size. And on paper, I would absolutely love his game, in theory, but I just don't have any confidence in him transitioning to the pro game.

I dunno, maybe I'm watching the wrong clips or whatever.

 

[Gurglesons]

I'm not against him, I just don't get what the excitement is besides his size. And on paper, I would absolutely love his game, in theory, but I just don't have any confidence in him transitioning to the pro game.

I dunno, maybe I'm watching the wrong clips or whatever.

Why? He's 6'5. He has hands. And is high skill.

People on here are saying they are all about "taking the risk" for skill. McQueen is that.

 

[HandshakeLine]

Why? He's 6'5. He has hands. And is high skill.

People on here are saying they are all about "taking the risk" for skill. McQueen is that.

Because a lot of guys get that same tag in juniors and don't translate it to the pro game? I keep saying Kevin Vellieux here but that's exactly what the clips have reminded me of and I just can't shake it.

Again, I'm not gonna pretend I watch hours of tape or read the entrails the way that some on this site do, but I'm just not convinced that he's all that talented, honestly. But hell, we pick him, I'll be happy to be proven wrong, it would be nice for a change!

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I'm liking Lakovic more and more. Haven't seen confirmation that he can play center too but see a few places where he's just listed as a F. And I've not watched that video in this thread on him yet.

I'm not even sure we're at the point where we should be super selective about a guy being a winger versus a center. In a vacuum, all things equal, sure, go center, but I don't think being a winger should be a disqualifier.

Lakovic seems perfectly fine as a "trade back cuz everyone interesting is off the board, get an extra 2nd and still take a swing on a potential high upside guy" option.

It's an old-timey Britishism that our weird-ass cousins from up north say. It's from the fact that English kids used to wear shorts all the time in the late 19th century/early 20th century (cheaper, less cloth, etc.) and then when you became an adult, you wore long pants.