Prospect Info: 47OA: Brady Cleveland

[dekelikekocur]

My favorite pick of the draft just based on this clip

My god, 3 hits and a blocked shot in that short segment?

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Consensus is that we are building a team that is tough to play against. A monster like this on the third pair seems to grock with that. I think getting trucked and rag dolled those back to back games vs. Ottawa had a greater impact on management's perception of this team than was originally thought. I'd enjoy seeing Cleveland doing the ground and pound (not the sex act) on Brady when we're involved in meaningful games or series.

 

[Geezer WC]

Far too often, fans continue to forget the NHL Draft is far different than other sports. It’s more about taking physical specimens and hoping they develop skills for their role OR taking kids with puck skills and hoping they can become a physical specimen or overcome their shortcomings… They’re 17-18.

At least 85% of 400+ game NHL players were not seen as “Can’t Miss” types. They developed. Key word. Including 2nd Rounders… where teams miss almost more than any other round, because they take a player who is usually skilled, but has issues to physically develop, won’t play inside, or can’t create space you need (to do) in the NHL over any other league.

Outside of the Top 10-20, it’s a crapshoot in so many ways. I’ll trust Jiri Fischer over morons in the media who can’t get a job in the league. He has a track record now. He’s a great judge of talent. The kid is either going to develop or not. Just like every other dman drafted.

How many kids this big, can skate this well and play as physical as he can? The answer in this draft was…. nobody else. You don’t play on the US Development Team if you suck. Samuelsson from the Sabres was a similar player. I think he was drafted at the end of the 1st, beginning of the 2nd round.

What they did in this draft is basically cement their D-Core for the next 10 years. They already had the best core of D prospects in the league and added to that. This kid Keenan who plays for Culver Academy? He was flying up draft boards. Gibson might have been a 1st Round pick if not for his medical issue, missing so much time. His game is the closest thing to Shea Weber than any other dman who was drafted. Drafted in about the same spot as Weber too.

You draft and you develop. They’re 17-18 year old kids. No, he’s never going to put up points but can he become a Cernak? A McNabb? A Zadorov? Absolutely. Every one of those players today, fans and media would take in the 2nd round. People used to laugh at Zadorov and Cernak too.

Let the kid develop. Anyone saying “well they could’ve taken a more proven player, with more of a shot of making it?” Go back and look at the history of the second round. Those “consensus 2nd rounders” bust in very large percentages.

He was a unique prospect. That’s why they took him. If he develops, and becomes an imposing player, it was well worth the pick.

Relax, Some of us were just making jokes...I'm all for a guy who is fine with punching a Tkachuk in the head. Just seemed a bit early.

 

[Indrid Cold]

Our new Mad Mike Mckee?

 

[izlez]

Cleveland? about half a percent of his teams points, and then they didn't even bother to play him in the Playoffs

Does the USNTDP have playoffs? I don't see any of their players having playoff stats on elite prospects

Edit: To answer my own question a bit, the NTDP played in the USHL playoffs. But it's a completely different roster than we're picturing. Is it the U17 team or something? But Eiserman didn't play either.

https://ushl.com/ht/#/player-stats/21/81?playertype=skater&position=skaters&rookie=no&sort=points&statstype=standard&page=1&league=1

 

[HoweFan]

I wanted Brady, maybe a little later, but whatever. A 6:05 210 pounder who can slake and is “tough as nails” will come in handy when we play guys like Ryan Reeves and Tom Wilson.

 

[Killerjas]

Kid hasn't scored a goal in 3 years... Why did we draft a 3rd pairing D with 0 offense?

Fuming at this pick. Mark my words, this kid won't be anything special.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Rumor has it that when asked who he models his game after, he said late career Jonathan Ericsson... /s

Considering that we got our asses kicked by Ottawa's physicality at the absolute peak of the season, I can't say that it shocks me that we would spend a pick on a big mean bastard on the back end. Even if his upside is a 6th of 7th defenseman, there are NHL players whose entire game is be big, skate well, block shots, lay hits, and defend friends.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I have come to the conclusion that I am not opposed to Cleveland, but rather where we took him. I wanted to spend our top 5 picks on forwards, which is still leaving a sour taste in my mouth. There is absolutely a place and need in the game for big mean defensemen. This team has been soft for almost a decade now. Unlike others on here, I am not suggesting they are a dime a dozen and can easily be acquired (at least not the good ones). Every year the NDTP has a couple semi-ubiquitous, big, non-descript defensemen that you don't even think about when watching. I had him in that bucket for sure.

If anything, I actually take some comfort in the fact that the BB guys compliment his passing and timing. These big monsters don't skate the puck up the ice, but they do need to be able to pass it. I also like that people describe him as very athletic. That goes a long way in fixing skating issues. Anyways, I am pulling for the kid, but would have waited another round before grabbing him.

 

[Frk It]

I wanted to spend our top 5 picks on forwards, which is still leaving a sour taste in my mouth.

Yeah, continues to be why I have the hardest time with this draft.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Yeah, continues to be why I have the hardest time with this draft.

So you spend 17 on a defensemen with a semi-unique profile that is a good fit from an organizational perspective, ok. So you take one of the top goalies in the 2nd while he is around, ok I get that too. From there though, I would have absolutely spent the next two picks on forwards. 100%, and I say that as someone who genuinely likes Gibson as a player.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

I'm sure fans were ecstatic to draft Erik Cernak in 2015, 2nd round.

He's got a couple of cups now.

Cernak still produced better in a better league. Cleveland literally has no tools outside of being big and mean.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Cernak still produced better in a better league. Cleveland literally has no tools outside of being big and mean.

Cernak's junior production in d+1 and d+2 wasn't exactly amazing. If Cleveland went to OHL next season and produced 15 points would people like this pick suddenly? Part of me doubts it.

 

[DoMakc]

Cernak still produced better in a better league. Cleveland literally has no tools outside of being big and mean.

Better league? US NTDP plays half of the game against NCAA teams

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Better league? US NTDP plays half of the game against NCAA teams

Maybe better league is not the proper word, but Cernak was playing against men in his draft year.

 

[heyfolks]

Big, strong, nasty, crushing stay at home D coming up through the US Development program.

I don't follow prospects enough to sy WHEN he should be drafted, but I like the pick. I know some say he would be around in the 4th or 5th round. The Wings, obviously, didn't think so.

Forget offense. He needs NHL level skating and stay at home D skills. PK, 3rd pairing, 12 minutes.

 

[Ezekial]

I'm not going to rage at the pick but it does seem like a niche pick to get a bottom pair D.

If he makes it to the NHL as a regular bottom pair D I will look back and say it is a good pick, though. We need a guy like him on our blue line and on our team. Using a 47 on that type of player and them panning out would be nice for us. Problem is the probability of this player panning out. A lot of you are hung up on some very petty shit that won't benefit you in the long run. Like you're living in a world where being mad is your form of entertainment. In other words: go touch some grass.

 

[Gniwder]

Kid hasn't scored a goal in 3 years... Why did we draft a 3rd pairing D with 0 offense?

Fuming at this pick. Mark my words, this kid won't be anything special.

He'll also spend 4 years in college and become UFA.

Draper needs to stop picking kids headed to college that are going to need 4 year of development, because that means 4 years of college then UFA. I don't think he can think that far ahead.

 

[SantosHalper]

He'll also spend 4 years in college and become UFA.

Draper needs to stop picking kids headed to college that are going to need 4 year of development, because that means 4 years of college then UFA. I don't think he can think that far ahead.

Literally not a single organization in the NHL is not worried about that, if they were no one would spent any picks to draft players who takes the college route.

 

[NickH8]

I may just ignore this thread. What do you mean three seconds? We only had two. Wish we could have taken a forward with them but Augustine and Gibson are reasonable picks that were ranked around there by some

 

[RabidBadger]

I get people not liking this pick. I usually take a wait and see approach but this one does raise some eyebrows. Ultimately, I will reserve judgement until I see him in person at the Yost.

 

[RabidBadger]

I don't get the rationale of we can't criticize the picks because we're not professionals or that some dude seven years ago was seen as a good prospect and never made it. Why have a discussion about the draft at all then if the only appropriate comment to every pick is that Stevie and his group must know better? Sometimes pros make mistakes. Remember when the Bruins were grilled for going off the board when they had three first round picks in a row? Who turned out to be right about that ? Just as many examples exist of the non hockey people being right

I was in the WTF? crowd with those Boston picks. If you're being honest with yourself, you probably have 20-30 crap takes for every decent one. That example proves nothing unless you can show, year by year, your draft picks that turned out better than the ones taken.

For the record, who is your draft choice at 47OA?

 

[Bench]

I get people not liking this pick. I usually take a wait and see approach but this one does raise some eyebrows. Ultimately, I will reserve judgement until I see him in person at the Yost.

Here's my take: Not every "swing for the fences" pick is going to be a soft, highly skilled type that you hope can learn defense.

This is a longshot to yield fruit, but if it does, you're gonna have a beast out there.

 

[RabidBadger]

Here's my take: Not every "swing for the fences" pick is going to be a soft, highly skilled type that you hope can learn defense.

This is a longshot to yield fruit, but if it does, you're gonna have a beast out there.

That, and I have to think there is some glimmer of hope if the USNDP and Wisconsin thought enough of him to bring him on board. Granted the Badgers are on a down swing, but they still have some pull. It's not like he was committed to Holy Cross or a similar dead end program (aside from their glorious upset of the Gophers in '06).

 

[Leadzedder]

As some have eluded to… I’d prefer a Brady Cleveland for a 6D then a Lindstrom or a Hague.