dj Mahoney
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2025 NHL DRAFT Thread
- Thread starter clydesdale line
- Start date
Kevin Musto
Hard for Bedard
- Feb 16, 2018
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Tbf I've never really seen a skater like Zonnon before.
His mechanics make him look like he should be a lot slower, but he isn't. He's just weird.
Kevin Musto
Hard for Bedard
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I've seen Spence dip a lot because of limited upside concerns, but I really like his floor
With that said, I think we have enough bottom 6 and mid 6 forwards in the system
I just want to see them start swinging for high upside boom/bust prospects, floors be damned
TheFridge
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- Mar 20, 2022
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He looks like Jason Robertson the way he skates. That's instantly who I was reminded of.
Castle8130
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dj Mahoney
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Shane Vansaghi, Could be the guy !! BOOM : Tom Wilson , Milan Lucic , Darren McCarty BUST : Landon Wilson , Tyler Biggs , Ty Jones . Then again he probably will be there for our 2nd rder . Spence seems like a less speedy Brandon Saad .
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BHawks77
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dj Mahoney
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BHawks77
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unbridledid
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I like the boom bust for the leafs first and our second. Any names you have that
would fit the bill ?
I think you are just wrong here. Before Frondell was injured he was considered as top 3 pick for this draft. He got injured and his stock dropped but had probably best second half of any player from this years class. He has not benefited from Eklund´s creation any more than Eklund has benefited from Frondell´s game.
Look I´m not saying that he will be number one center or anything but the cap between him and let say Hagens isn´t that big. I hate when people make prediction on these young talents because none of us know how they´ll develop.
You can look back at any draft and see that picking order doesn´t become rank order. I´m sure people thought in 2016 that Tkachuk doesn´t have the ceiling that Patrick Laine or Jesse Puljujarvi has. I could make these kind of examples all day long here. That is why I can´t take serious anyone´s argument that Hawks shouldn´t pick this or that player because his ceiling is low and so on.
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Kevin Musto
Hard for Bedard
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I think Haoxi Wang and Bill Zonnon are super raw right now, so they could be good long term projects.
Wang in particular, I've never seen someone 6'6" skate that well before. He's behind the development curve, but he's committed to BU so you can let him marinate there for 3-4 years.
There's also Adam Benák, but he's really small so maybe not until the Dallas 2nd.
I think it's Frondell for me.
I don't agree that he can't handle the puck and I don't think he lacks playmaking. He can pass the puck, but it's not a strength.
I don't think we'd need him to be a playmaker, I think we'd need him to win puck battles, to be add some physicality and for his shooting.
I don't think he really has much weaknesses if any.
He's 17 playing with and against grown men.
I don't agree that he can't handle the puck and I don't think he lacks playmaking. He can pass the puck, but it's not a strength.
I don't think we'd need him to be a playmaker, I think we'd need him to win puck battles, to be add some physicality and for his shooting.
I don't think he really has much weaknesses if any.
He's 17 playing with and against grown men.
Ok you picked one sentence form a rather long post where I listed multiple factors why I don't think Frondell is a top 3 pick. Didn't even start with the Eklund stuff.
But I'll turn it around: why do you think he should be take top 3? It works both ways, you guys saying he's a top 3 pick are making predictions on the player too, just like those of us saying they wouldn't pick him that high.
Im very open to discuss the opinions on the players, it's the whole point of my posts here.
Kevin Musto
Hard for Bedard
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Frondell? Best second half? The guy that kept getting reduced ice time and his coach stripping him of responsibilities in the playoffs? Meanwhile Eklund was given a larger role and trusted to play important minutes when the game was on the line.
Best second half was easily Cullen Potter. Increased production to nearly ppg in the second half of the year, in the NCAA, after turning 18. Looked like an all-star, punching way above what anyone expected out of him.
It's always predictions with those draft picks. Don't think we need to include it either way.
I think Eklund is a good player, I think we should draft Frondell and move up to get Eklund with him.
Since this isn't what we are talking about, I just think that Frondell can handle a puck well enough. I think he can make those passes, even if it isn't really a strenght.
What I think makes him a Top3 Pick? He has a great shot, he can snipe and put the puck in the net. He can get the puck and keep it. He has shown physicality against grown men, not in juniors against players the same age. I think Eklund benefited from playing with Frondell the same way Frondell benefited from playing with Eklund. Frondell is a guy that gets attention and if he's not getting it he will be open and you don't what that with his shooting.
Just by the looks of it, he looks like a guy that's playing the game how it needs to be played.
Most of the areas that aren't his strenght is something he can work on.
He's still 17 and has room to grow while doing something good already.
You can make a case for most of those guys right now. You can find some flaws for all of them.
If you don't think he should be a Top whatever pick, that's more than ok.
I think Eklund is a good player, I think we should draft Frondell and move up to get Eklund with him.
Since this isn't what we are talking about, I just think that Frondell can handle a puck well enough. I think he can make those passes, even if it isn't really a strenght.
What I think makes him a Top3 Pick? He has a great shot, he can snipe and put the puck in the net. He can get the puck and keep it. He has shown physicality against grown men, not in juniors against players the same age. I think Eklund benefited from playing with Frondell the same way Frondell benefited from playing with Eklund. Frondell is a guy that gets attention and if he's not getting it he will be open and you don't what that with his shooting.
Just by the looks of it, he looks like a guy that's playing the game how it needs to be played.
Most of the areas that aren't his strenght is something he can work on.
He's still 17 and has room to grow while doing something good already.
You can make a case for most of those guys right now. You can find some flaws for all of them.
If you don't think he should be a Top whatever pick, that's more than ok.
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I think the most important part is the top 3/5 pick aspect.
I like Frondell for the things you mention above for sure. Especially the physicality, it would be a really great addition to our current roster.
But, just for the example's sake, the above package you're describing could be labeled for someone like Boisvert as well no? Who went 18th.
These type of complimentary packages are usually found in the middle of the lottery, or something like picks 8-20 usually (depending on the draft of course). Ones who have clear strengths, but require some other players to set them up/drive the play so they can crash the rebounds or be the recipient of passes, breakdowns etc.
At top 5 I just prefer to pick the guy that is creating the breakdowns, that is driving the play for others, that is causing all the chaos and the chances.
To me that's Misa, Eklund, Martone, Hagens.
And sure then the complimentary utility guys can come in with the picks after. I would be very happy with Frondell/Desnoyers if we were sitting with pick 6.
Maybe Frondell shows much more play creation at the NHL, or improves drastically in the next year or two I don't know. But my projection based on his play right now is that he will be a complimentary player on a line, whereas I think Eklund for example will be a driver of one. Huge plus with Eklund is that he is similarly physical and tough like Frondell.
Luckily we already have play drivers like Bedard and Nazar, so we wont be in a bad spot if the pick ends up being Frondell (he will compliment them very very nicely for sure), but I'd rather compile more of the play drivers at our current juncture, since we need more still. I think those type of players are more premium assets.
I haven't seen much of Hagens, that's not easy to see here. What I've seen was something I liked. It's just that most of what I've seen is players that lack in a specific area that you don't want in the Top 5 behind Schaefer and Misa.
One thing that Frondell has that puts him in this conversation is his shooting. Guy can put the Puck in den net with a great shot. That's his main attribute going into the Draft. Thats what you add the physicality to. It's a combination of what you look for and he does better than most of his draft class.
You can put him next to Bedard, you can put him next to Nazar. Is that what you look for? I do.
One thing that Frondell has that puts him in this conversation is his shooting. Guy can put the Puck in den net with a great shot. That's his main attribute going into the Draft. Thats what you add the physicality to. It's a combination of what you look for and he does better than most of his draft class.
You can put him next to Bedard, you can put him next to Nazar. Is that what you look for? I do.
His ice time has reduced in last two games in Allsvenskan finals. I look how he has performed from January to this date. Eklund is almost year older but still Frondell´s production is at the same level.
Yes because that one jumped to my eyes.
I´m not saying he should be top 3 pick. I don´t have enough information to declare that kind of statement. But I don´t trust if some random poster in HfBoards claims that Hawks shouldn´t draft this or that player because of his ceiling. Even professional scouts cannot make accurate trajectories. There were probably a lot of people who had ranked Phil Kessel before Jonathan Toews in 2006 because they thought Toews ceiling was lower. I just don´t believe that there is that wide talent gap between Hagens, Martone, Frondell and Desnoyers who btw had 1+1 in last game. Leads Q´s playoffs in points with eight points to next one (7+15 in 10 games).
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dj Mahoney
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Drumman44
Kyle Beach Deserved Better
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What if Philly offers us the same deal KD offered to Columbus? Let's say they really like two different people in the top 6 of the class. If Philly offers the 24th or 25th overall pick and an unprotected 2026 first (in a much deeper draft), would you take it?
In this scenario, two teams jump in the the standings and Chicago falls down to 4th overall. Do you take the risk? If it pays off, you have 2 lottery tickets for McKenna or could grab some forwards in a deeper draft. Potentially even 2 picks in the top 5
In this scenario, two teams jump in the the standings and Chicago falls down to 4th overall. Do you take the risk? If it pays off, you have 2 lottery tickets for McKenna or could grab some forwards in a deeper draft. Potentially even 2 picks in the top 5
Kevin Musto
Hard for Bedard
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It's hard to give Frondell the age advantage when he's pretty much maxed out physically
Whereas Eklund has a lot more room for growth
You don't think Frondell can improve and has room to get better? Like... grow in skills. Work on Puck handling?
HawksDub89
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This narrative is so stupid. He’s 17 lol.
unbridledid
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"For a player with a 6-foot-5 frame, he's arguably one of the best skaters in the league in terms of getting up ice, getting down the ice, in transition skating, gap control, and pivoting forward to backward," King coach Mark Joslin said. "And he's consistently been our most physical defenseman; he's not afraid to mix it up and give it back when guys are trying to take liberties with him.
"He's going to make mistakes, as every 17-year-old does, but he's not afraid to make a play. I think the development we've seen in less than a year is what scouts are going crazy over."
Wang is a student of the game, watching as much hockey as he can and paying close attention to the forwards and how they scan and create offense.
"My biggest strengths are my size, skating ability and hockey IQ," Wang said.
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