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Pre-Game Talk: 2025 NHL Draft Thread

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PocketNines said:
It's VERY difficult to out-lose teams as we have seen from the last two years. 6th might be closer than playoffs but it's a huge gulf. Also this is a maddening team that is definitely going to compete hard down the stretch even out of the playoffs and it simply will not drop that far. I would be very surprised with an earned top 10 pick, like shocked probably. I am assuming it's pick 14-16
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Yeah, other teams will embrace a trade off quicker than we will, and if we trade players away, it will be moving someone like Saad to bring a guy like Snuggerud in, or move Faksa and putting Sunny on the 4th to give Dvorsky top 9 minutes. In a crazy way, we could technically sell and improve our roster depending on how those guys perform.

There is no chance we do something bold like trade Fowler for a 1st. I'd actually be pretty curious what Fowler could get us at the deadline if his play continues, but I don't see him going anywhere.
 
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bleedblue1223 said:
Yeah, other teams will embrace a trade off quicker than we will, and if we trade players away, it will be moving someone like Saad to bring a guy like Snuggerud in, or move Faksa and putting Sunny on the 4th to give Dvorsky top 9 minutes. In a crazy way, we could technically sell and improve our roster depending on how those guys perform.

There is no chance we do something bold like trade Fowler for a 1st. I'd actually be pretty curious what Fowler could get us at the deadline if his play continues, but I don't see him going anywhere.
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This is my thought process too. I feel like the majority of teams below us are already exploring selling off options. We are going to compete until the last possible minute and that will likely keep us out of drafting top 10. Unless someone goes on a pretty bad losing streak I feel like the top 7 are pretty locked in the West. It's all about that last WC spot and I think the Blues will fall just short. I mean we are halfway through the year and haven't managed one 3 game winning streak.

I feel like Saad is the obvious candidate to trade away. I would also add pending UFA Faksa and Suter as a possibility. I don't imagine they will return a lot however, so I do wonder if Army opts to try and keep them for a late season surge into the playoffs if we are still close come TDL.
 
Linkens Mastery said:
Yeah, unless we go off on a crazy winning streak were in line for a 8-12th overall pick.
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We always hope for a higher pick and end up in the teens, except for that one year we were 10th (and still overachieving). Those early draft slots are fool's gold around here every year.
 
I still think the Blues biggest organizational need is another RHD prospect with top4 upside. Lets say we are drafting in that 10-12 range and both Logan Hensler and Radim Mrtka are available. Who would you go with? Mrtka kind of came out of nowhere this year and Hensler has been talked about as a top 15 pick in this draft since last summer. I think Hensler has the higher floor but Mrtka has the higher ceiling but less certainty about his floor.
 
Blanick said:
I still think the Blues biggest organizational need is another RHD prospect with top4 upside. Lets say we are drafting in that 10-12 range and both Logan Hensler and Radim Mrtka are available. Who would you go with? Mrtka kind of came out of nowhere this year and Hensler has been talked about as a top 15 pick in this draft since last summer. I think Hensler has the higher floor but Mrtka has the higher ceiling but less certainty about his floor.
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Mrtka
 
Blanick said:
What makes you lean his way? Is it just the size? Not saying I disagree, just curious
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Size is appealing, but much more. He jumped right in at Seattle and is playing 30 minutes/night. His production there is strong. He looks calm out there. Floor feels like Tyler Myers. Upside is as #1. I have him safely in top 10.

Hensley feels like less upside. Everything is good but is anything great? See a bit of liljegren in him, in that while it seems like he should be good top 4 guy i suspect he’s more suited as nice 3rd pairing d. I have fiddler as my 2nd ranked rhd at this point and Hensler 3rd, fwiw.
 
Here is my post-WJC Top 32:
  1. Schaefer
  2. Hagens
  3. Misa
  4. Martone
  5. Desnoyers
  6. Smith
  7. Frondell
  8. Mrtka
  9. Eklund
  10. Spence
  11. O’Brien
  12. Bear
  13. Fiddler
  14. Lakovic
  15. Hensler
  16. Ryabkin
  17. Carbonneau
  18. McQueen
  19. Aitcheson
  20. Murtagh
  21. Klingsell
  22. Gastrin
  23. Cootes
  24. Reid
  25. Martin
  26. Reschny
  27. Zonnon
  28. Amico
  29. Kindel
  30. Boumedienne
  31. Romano
  32. Tretheway
It's still highly fluid, but this shows where my thinking is at this point.
 
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Bye Bye Blueston said:
Size is appealing, but much more. He jumped right in at Seattle and is playing 30 minutes/night. His production there is strong. He looks calm out there. Floor feels like Tyler Myers. Upside is as #1. I have him safely in top 10.

Hensley feels like less upside. Everything is good but is anything great? See a bit of liljegren in him, in that while it seems like he should be good top 4 guy i suspect he’s more suited as nice 3rd pairing d. I have fiddler as my 2nd ranked rhd at this point and Hensler 3rd, fwiw.
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Fair enough... If I can play devils advocate here and defend what I have seen from Hensler. He is a very good skater, not elite, but very good. On top of that he can carry the puck at high speed and be very elusive. I think people over value straight line speed when a lot of it is based off straight line speed. Skating fast and playing fast are two different things, it doesn't matter if you can skate fast but you can't handle the puck at top speed. Hensler plays fast based off my viewings. One knock I do have against him though is that I question his offensive instincts, he tries to force a lot of pucks through bodies.

I need to watch more tape on Mrtka but their is just not a lot out there, that I have been able to find, as of now. I am sure more will surface as we get closer to the draft though.
 
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Blanick said:
Fair enough... If I can play devils advocate here and defend what I have seen from Hensler. He is a very good skater, not elite, but very good. On top of that he can carry the puck at high speed and be very elusive. I think people over value straight line speed when a lot of it is based off straight line speed. Skating fast and playing fast are two different things, it doesn't matter if you can skate fast but you can't handle the puck at top speed. Hensler plays fast based off my viewings. One knock I do have against him though is that I question his offensive instincts, he tries to force a lot of pucks through bodies.

I need to watch more tape on Mrtka but their is just not a lot out there, that I have been able to find, as of now. I am sure more will surface as we get closer to the draft though.
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I don't disagree. I think he will be good NHL defenseman, just not sure how good. I think if someone picks him in the teens they are likely to get good pick value. IF he goes top 10 I fear he may disappoint.
 
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Bye Bye Blueston said:
I don't disagree. I think he will be good NHL defenseman, just not sure how good. I think if someone picks him in the teens they are likely to get good pick value. IF he goes top 10 I fear he may disappoint.
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Yeah there really isn't a homerun defenseman outside of Schaefer IMO, and I personally think he will go #1 or #2. On the offensive side of things I really like Porter Martone, Caleb Desnoyers and Carter Bear. I expect the first two to go in the top 10 though.
 
Hensler reminds me too much of a rich man’s Matt Kessel. That’s not a bad thing, but in an ideal world you don’t have to spend a 1st round pick to get a guy like that.

Like, is he really 2-4 rounds better than Dakoda Rheume-Mullen? He’s a couple of inches taller, but they’ve got roughly the same offensive production against similar competition. Maybe I’m just too high on DRM (and he’s a lefty). I just don’t see a huge, flashing, obvious “draft me high” sign for either of them, tbh
 
Would love to see the Blues finish the season with a top-ten pick and then win the draft lottery for once. Though, in that case I’d struggle between picking Hagens and Schaefer. Defensemen almost always take longer to develop, and after taking EJ (and seeing Power in action), that’s a big risk to pass up a top-line center for a D-man. I’d probably still go D at #1 knowing how hard it is to grab an all-situations, true 1D, but that wouldn’t be an easy choice. Especially with the gaping hole at 2C and then having the luxury of bringing along Dvorsky slowly as the 3C.

Thomas-Hagens-Dvorsky down the middle would be sick…especially with the winger options the Blues would have to surround them (Kyrou, Holloway, Buchy, Snuggy, Bolduc, Stenberg, Neighbors, Schenn). That’s a nice mix of skill, grit, youth & experience with three line of real scoring ability.
 
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Bye Bye Blueston said:
Here is my Post WJC Top 32:
  1. Schaefer
  2. Hagens
  3. Misa
  4. Martone
  5. Desnoyers
  6. Smith
  7. Frondell
  8. Mrtka
  9. Eklund
  10. Spence
  11. O’Brien
  12. Bear
  13. Fiddler
  14. Lakovic
  15. Hensler
  16. Ryabkin
  17. Carbonneau
  18. McQueen
  19. Aitcheson
  20. Murtagh
  21. Klingsell
  22. Gastrin
  23. Cootes
  24. Reid
  25. Martin
  26. Reschny
  27. Zonnon
  28. Amico
  29. Kindel
  30. Boumedienne
  31. Romano
  32. Tretheway
It's still highly fluid, but this shows where my thinking is at this point.
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Send one this weekend.

Two good lists came out grant Mccaggs top 70 on his sick podcast and also the draft analyst Steve K put out a list
 
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