Prospect Info: #5 OA - Barrett Hayton - Center - Back to the OHL

[Plub]

HAHA...how did I know I would come on here and find nothing but whining and moaning about this pick? Priceless. I'll admit, I was a bit surprised myself initially...but after hearing Chayka and Co. talk about him and doing a little research, I'm more than satisfied with this pick. I trust Chayka and his staff made the right decision here. Also lets all take note...that no analysts and mock drafters had Keller rated inside the top 12 when he went #7...so lets maybe take a chill pill folks. For those upset we didn't get Zadina...wingers are the easiest players in the world to get, either through free agency or trade. They're literally a dime a dozen. If you want to win Cups you want centers and D and you only get elite players at those positions through drafting. Fully on board with this pick when this kid is getting Bergeron and Toews comparisons...

So you were swayed by the person who made the poor pick after hearing try to sell it? Shocking. His interviews actually make me even more dumbfounded because he doesn't even seem to be able to compliment him all that well.

Also, they were talking of Keller having the potential to be the third best player from his draft since the day he was drafted. Has anyone said that about this guy?

 

[Plub]

HAHA...how did I know I would come on here and find nothing but whining and moaning about this pick? Priceless. I'll admit, I was a bit surprised myself initially...but after hearing Chayka and Co. talk about him and doing a little research, I'm more than satisfied with this pick. I trust Chayka and his staff made the right decision here. Also lets all take note...that no analysts and mock drafters had Keller rated inside the top 12 when he went #7...so lets maybe take a chill pill folks. For those upset we didn't get Zadina...wingers are the easiest players in the world to get, either through free agency or trade. They're literally a dime a dozen. If you want to win Cups you want centers and D and you only get elite players at those positions through drafting. Fully on board with this pick when this kid is getting Bergeron and Toews comparisons...

Absolutely no one believes Toews is a better hockey player than Kane. Where have you been?

 

[Plub]

The more I read articles like this about him, and the comp to Bergeron, the more I like this pick.

The fact that he can be a number 1 PK center and the ability to score is huge.

Give him another year in the Soo to tear it up scoring wise and round out his skating, and he's going to be huge for the team when Stepan and Galchenyuk are in contract years.

Looking at the future for our center depth, it looks like this.

Strome
Galcehnyuk
Stepan
Hayton
Dvorak

Strome is going to be the number 1 center on this roster. You all can't give up on him yet, if we keep cooking him, he's gonna be insane when everything clicks.

Galchenyuk on the second line. Him and Strome 1/2 is similar to Kuznestov/Backstrom in Washington. (If he resigns)

Stepan is the veteran center who plays all situations (if he resigns when his contract expires)

Hayton (see above)

Dvorak, may have to move to the wing and could possibly be a swiss army knife, or could be the odd man out and be dealt.

With more depth to our center position, we can start to pick out wingers who can put the puck in the net, and keep replenishing the D-man pipeline.

It's interesting that you would put Dvo at the bottom of our center depth when he's the only center prospect to prove he's an NHL player. And even Gally will be a test as he's spent most of his time at wing. Not only that, Dvo is our only center with any kind of speed.

 

[Englishcoyote]

My take on this draft pick choice is simple. Gmjc has 5 players on his list are you telling me that Hayton was higher than zadina.. no.
Was thachuk and the finnish lad taken at 3 on that list. Possibly. So looking at it zadina wasn’t fancied in Arizona or was 4th or 5th on the list behind Hayton. This pick will be judged not next year but 3/4 years time, so they wanted Hayton more than anyone else, look at Montreal’s pick as a example. If zadina plays in Detroit next year and pops 20 goals then oh dear, but in 4 years time let’s see who has played the more games Hayton or zadina.... also Detroit we’re picking a d man until zadina drop to them remember that

 

[lanky]

I'm guessing the 3 guys we had in our wheelhouse were Hayton, Kotkaniemi and Zadina.

 

[XX]

Zadina is the better player in every way right now except age - he's about 6 months older than Hayton. Zadina had almost as many even strength goals (33) as Hayton did ES points (35). Zadina played 5 less games. Q v the OHL and all but it's not close.

So Hayton got drafted basically around three things:
1. He flashed a 100+ point pace briefly as a young 17 year old in a 'harder' league
2. He went from the 13th forward at Ivan Hlinka for Canada to the 1C and was excellent.
3. He is a natural C that plays in every situation and has no major flaws.

Even his skating is very good, he just lacks high end speed (same as ROR).

So Hayton is a prototypical "ahead of the curve" Chayka pick and we probably should have seen it coming a bit better. They are essentially betting that Hayton is the player seen at the tournament and when the Greyhounds were shorthanded (1.6 ppg). If he's not, it's a pretty big waste of a top 5 pick. We will know after this coming season whether or not Chayka was right. The entire argument for this player as a top 5 pick is basically predicated on him making a huge stride next OHL season. Ballsy.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

I think he'll have a very similar D+1 year to Robert Thomas's this year.

 

[lanky]

Zadina is the better player in every way right now except age - he's about 6 months older than Hayton. Zadina had almost as many even strength goals (33) as Hayton did ES points (35). Zadina played 5 less games. Q v the OHL and all but it's not close.

So Hayton got drafted basically around three things:
1. He flashed a 100+ point pace briefly as a young 17 year old in a 'harder' league
2. He went from the 13th forward at Ivan Hlinka for Canada to the 1C and was excellent.
3. He is a natural C that plays in every situation and has no major flaws.

Even his skating is very good, he just lacks high end speed (same as ROR).

So Hayton is a prototypical "ahead of the curve" Chayka pick and we probably should have seen it coming a bit better. They are essentially betting that Hayton is the player seen at the tournament and when the Greyhounds were shorthanded (1.6 ppg). If he's not, it's a pretty big waste of a top 5 pick. We will know after this coming season whether or not Chayka was right. The entire argument for this player as a top 5 pick is basically predicated on him making a huge stride next OHL season. Ballsy.

Yes to all of this. ^

Chayka has talked a lot about character lately and I think that's another feather in Hayton's hat. The Sportsnet coverage told an anecdote of how Hayton recruited Rasmus Sandin via Twitter to come over and play in SSM despite having never met him.

 

[Englishcoyote]

If zadina was taken at 4th and thachuk was passed over we wouldn't be having this conversation imo. Give it 3/4 years and we will see if it was a good move or not.

Plus there will also be a guy that dropped (Dobson) who will probably end up top 5 when a redraft is done in 4/5 years time

 

[FinnishCoyote]

Chayka either shows that he is a genius or he digs a grave for himself.

I'm thinking the later one

 

[XX]

Chayka either shows that he is a genius or he digs a grave for himself.

I'm thinking the later one

It's one thing to take 'your' guy when you just got dumped into the next tier and don't have much to choose from. It's another thing to pass on a guy like Zadina and basically bet against him. Like, the entire case for taking Hayton at 5 revolves around him having a monster 100+ point season. If he doesn't do that, you wasted the pick. They are betting he is the player they saw in two very short stints.

 

[lanky]

"underlying data is off the charts"

Arizona Coyotes make Barrett Hayton the top Canadian selected at 2018 NHL Draft

 

[XX]

"underlying data is off the charts"

Arizona Coyotes make Barrett Hayton the top Canadian selected at 2018 NHL Draft

None of the public facing data really supports that.

 

[MIGs Dog]

Regardless (and in the wrong thread, I know) this makes me wonder what else we have planned for the offseason as far as personnel goes. We did not address any even possibly short term needs.

Committed to spend league minimum, so probably nothing to get excited about

 

[MIGs Dog]

Don't hate the pick, but tells me the team is not high on Strome.

Unless of course you believe they took BPA.

 

[RemoAZ]

I don't see this pick having anything to do with Strome. The kid is 3 or 4 years from being a real competitor for a top six role. We need Strome to produce this season.

 

[MIGs Dog]

Also, how the **** does Craig Button know the exact pick so far ahead of time, especially when it's a reach? Do we have people flapping their gums again?

Button had Hayton ranked 7.

https://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-svechnikov-solidifies-hold-on-second-spot-1.1103996

 

[Name Nameless]

Regardless (and in the wrong thread, I know) this makes me wonder what else we have planned for the offseason as far as personnel goes. We did not address any even possibly short term needs.

Seriously surprised by the lack of threads on UFAs and RFAs, really. Have been waiting for them, have been thinking you locals will set them up.

Anyhow, welcome to the team, Barrett Hayton!

Obviously the team felt the need to draft a possible 1C so much, they drafted him. 1Cs can't be found any other ways than by drafting. So it makes sense. Let's hope Hayton is the answer!

 

[hbk]

Button had Hayton ranked 7.

https://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-svechnikov-solidifies-hold-on-second-spot-1.1103996

Interesting. Button was also very high on POJ last year. He also shared my love of Logan Brown during Keller's draft year.

Sounds like Hayton wasn't getting past Chicagos pick. He was a late riser on many draft boards.

It's been mentioned numerous times about prioritizing C's and D in the first round. I'm not shocked that we went C and Hayton is legitimately a very good prospect. He doesnt have the same sizzle of Zadina though so I get the expectations and mild outrage. I'm more satisfied to be honest. With every draft we get a clearer picture on how Chaka and his staff want to build a team. I'm more miffed that SSM didn't make the Memorial Cup as I would have liked to have seen him in person as I had him on my list of possible players of interest for our pick. Anytime some gets compared to Bergeron I felt he was worth watching.

 

[azcanuck]

Desperate attempt to fill the center position after another high ranked center (Strome) has been a failure.
He may turn out to be a decent player. He's a very good skater who plays a straight away game. That's a good balance for the coyotes.
But I don't get drafting to fill a need on a developing team.
It's the biggest head scratcher pick of the draft.
I think they blew it by not drafting Quinn .
It seems more teams were sour on Zadina.

 

[Jakey53]

Taking someone ranked in the 10-15 range at 5, especially considering a player like Zadina was still there, is definitely a pretty giant leap.

As for JC's mentality. I see it a bit different. I see someone buying into their own hype and starting to think they know better than everyone else, which is not something I'm very fond of when it can negatively impact the organization.

Everyone is saying Chayka this, Chayka that, but he listened to his scouts, who should be on the hot seat if this kid does not pan out. This kid was not the choice of most posters, but as we know, the posters on this forum are so much more knowledgeable and informed than the scouts.

 

[Jakey53]

A GM shouldn't cop to being 'obsessed' about a guy. Scouts should be the one comparing him to other players. What good is his 'athleticism' if it doesn't translate into speed or scoring?

Agree with XX, that I don't want my GM doing the scouting. Little surprised we didn't try to move up from 55 after the Bernhard interview.

You guys are reading too much into what Chayka said. I would imagine the scouts were excited about Haydon at that time and Chayka watched his games. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[_Del_]

If the scenario to justify Hayton at 5 is/was/remains so plausible, why did nobody rank him inside the top 10? Everyone collectively missed a potential #1 center?

You know I wish they had traded down, too (sort of sounded like they may have tried), but to be fair, "If ROR/Bergeron were plausible 1st rounders, why did they fall to the second? Everybody missed a 1st line center?"


Very frustrating selection. Also an intriguing one.

He was ppg early in the season even buried, so it's not as though he can't put up points. Tailed off a bit late. A year under his belt and expanded role hopefully gets him to the 90-100+ area. His instincts seem to be top notch. Put him in touch with Braid on Monday.

With his long development time and the shortened RFA-control now, makes you wonder why they didn't just trade the pick for a veteran center who is similar to the projection.

 

[_Del_]

Arizona Coyotes make Barrett Hayton the top Canadian selected at 2018 NHL Draft

"Evan Bouchard was the only other Canadian taken in the top 10 by Edmonton "


Edmonton only had one top ten pick, so it'd be surprising if they had picked more than one Canadian (or any nationality, really). He was the only anything selected by EDM in the top ten.

Do editors not exist anymore?

 

[hbk]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/button-draft-profile-barrett-hayton~1419833

Button's scouting report.