Confirmed with Link: Canadiens Will Pick 5th (Hughes Presser in OP) NO POLITICS

[River Meadow]

I had Slafkovsky at 4-5 last year and I was very loud that I didn't want it

But the critics on him are just ridiculous, same as saying that others players in that draft are already better then him when he was the only want playing in the NHL. Be patient guys.. those big guys ALWAYS takes more time. Look at the Leon Draisiatil, Rantanen, Thompson

tbh I'm more upset at the Org for playing him when he's clearly not ready.

Let the damn kid cook...

 

[TT1]

Let's say the top 4 goes consensus.

I'd put the odds at

Leonard 30%
Reinbacher 30%
Dvorsky 20%
Michkov 10%
Benson 5%
Field 5%

ill go with

Dvorsky 40%
Leonard 25%
Reinbacher 20%
Michkov 10%
Benson 5%

too bad we don't have another top 10..

 

[River Meadow]

got a feeling it'll be Dvorsky (assuming Smith goes top 4)

Could be. But, I HIGHLY doubt they pass on the American sniper...

if Leonard wasn't an option I could see Dvorsky more seriously as an option.... but not right now.

Leonard has the scoring that we would "hope" Dvorsky could get in the future.

Leonard has the skating that we would "hope" Dvorsky could get in the future.

Yes Dvorsky is an inch+ taller but, Leonard is on the right side of 5ft11 at just under six foot tall.. his height is perfectly fine for a power game.

THAT SAID, Dvorsky is an interesting prospect and could pan out great, but it's more of a risk as well...

 

[26Mats]

He’s the same size of Connor Bedard though and at the opposite of Caufield, Michkov is build like a tank.

I don't think he's as Tall as Bedard. Bedard is listed as 5'10 but was just measured as 5'9 and 3/4 I think.

Michkov is listed as 5'10, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's 5'8 and 3/4.

BUT, I'm not worried about his size. I'm just talking about NHL scouts. Zach Benson isn't that much shorter than Bedard. But we know scouts are worried about his size.

 

[TT1]

Could be. But, I HIGHLY doubt they pass on the American sniper...

if Leonard wasn't an option I could see Dvorsky more seriously as an option.... but not right now.

Leonard has the scoring that we would "hope" Dvorsky could get in the future.

Leonard has the skating that we would "hope" Dvorsky could get in the future.

Yes Dvorsky is an inch+ taller but, Leonard is on the right side of 5ft11 at just under six foot tall.. his height is perfectly fine for a power game.

it's very rare to see 2 way C's with size and strong offensive upside get passed up, no one was expecting Barkov to go #2 OA but looking back now it was a no brainer pick

plus the chemistry/history with Slafkovsky is there too, that'll put him over the edge imo

 

[montreal]

I really doubt a San Jose reporter has the inside on who the Habs want to draft. They haven't even written their board yet, no ? And none in the local media have speculated. Not saying Leonard vs Reinbacher aren't who they're considering, but really have doubts about his sources.

could be the Habs PR team wants that leaked, maybe they want teams thinking they will pick Leonard or Reinbacher if say a team picking after them has interest but the Habs want them to up the ante. Although based off the kind of players Hughes/Gorton have traded for in terms of prospects and draft picks, shows they likely have both those players ranked highly.

I didn't get to see much of either player but I know when I did I never saw anything that made me think top 5 pick. I'd rather gamble on skill at 5 then these 2 who seem safe bets to reach the NHL and be very solid I'm guessing. But I did like Leonard a lot, not as much as Smith and Moore but I need to go back and re-watch as it was early in the season that I saw the USNDTP. I have a few games of Reinbacher but every time I try to watch them I get too bored and turn it off as I'm burnt out as shit from so many games this year.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Canadiens could still pick Matvei Michkov with the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NHL draft.

It’s possible, but it doesn’t seem very likely. Four days spent mining for information at the NHL scouting combine gave us that impression, even if no one from the Canadiens would come out and say it, for obvious reasons. We had a few people suggest that not only would Michkov not get picked by the Canadiens, he might be available outside the top-10.

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes was asked directly about Michkov a few times Thursday morning, and none of his answers suggested he is high on his radar. His first response essentially said they have to figure out who he is as a player, which is basically what Hughes said the night of the draft lottery more than a month earlier. He said no one from the organization has spoken to him, though they plan to. He said they need to study his contractual situation and the impact of the war in Ukraine on his status.

They are all things the Canadiens would have already done over the past month if Michkov were of interest to them. And frankly, the truth is they probably have already done those things, and this was the way Hughes chose to answer regardless. Then, he added this.

So, yes, it’s possible the Canadiens draft Michkov. But if they don’t, it is worth looking at who they may turn to instead at No. 5. And again, after several days of combing for information, it is our impression the decision will at the very least include USNTDP winger Ryan Leonard and Austrian right defenceman David Reinbacher.

We are not saying the Canadiens’ scope is limited to these two players — their amateur scouting meetings will only be held later this week — but what we are saying is that whatever list they come up with, we firmly believe these two players will be at or near the top.

that writer makes some really good points, although with Hughes you wonder if that's what he wants teams to think. To me if the top 4 go where Michkov drops to us and they refuse to take him, if there's a team that wants him bad enough then trade down imo. On the other hand I can see why the Habs are concerned and I won't complain if they pass on Michkov as long as they get a very good player or trade down for another 1st.

 

[Vachon23]

I don't think he's as Tall as Bedard. Bedard is listed as 5'10 but was just measured as 5'9 and 3/4 I think.

Michkov is listed as 5'10, but I wouldn't be surprised if he's 5'8 and 3/4.

BUT, I'm not worried about his size. I'm just talking about NHL scouts. Zach Benson isn't that much shorter than Bedard. But we know scouts are worried about his size.

Yes some scouts will look fool if Zach Benson drops (In my opinion, I could be wrong to)

 

[TT1]

Yes some scouts will look fool if Zach Benson drops (In my opinion, I could be wrong to)

he'll get picked around #10 but ya, someone will get a steal

 

[River Meadow]

it's very rare to see 2 way C's with size and strong offensive upside get passed up, no one was expecting Barkov to go #2 OA but looking back now it was a no brainer pick

plus the chemistry/history with Slafkovsky is there too, that'll put him over the edge imo

Could be...

I think Kent may be partial to taking the American kid too though, for some reason.

5ft11 .75 (essentially 6ft) vs 6ft1 isn't that much size difference.... if Dvorsky was 6ft3 I could see it much more.

Dvorsky is quite intriguing and not taking him could make us look stupid, but passing on Leonard could also make us look quite stupid.....

Leonard has played some C btw hasn't he?


I do love that Dvorsky carried the Slovak team on his back....

I wouldn't be mad if we picked him....

It's a tough choice....

 

[26Mats]

LOL I just.. Can't believe this is a real post?
Not only would Slaf go before Wright in a redraft right now
Get this
Slaf went ahead of Wright in the REAL draft too
3 guys went ahead of him actually.
In your redraft, Even a couple more teams may pass lol

He's right though that it's too early to do a meaningful redraft of last year's draft. That can only happen on 3 to 10 years, depending on the draft.

 

[Galaxydoggystyle]

Not sure if this was posted already but some tid bits on some of the prospects interviews with the Habs.

 

[Genghis Keon]

I didn't want Wright either last year (I had Nemec at 1, Cooley 2, Wright 3 with Slaf at 8), but it is way too early to be putting Slaf above Wright in a redraft. I really hope Slaf succeeds, but I haven't seen anything from him at the NHL level to suggest he's worthy of taking over Wright in a redraft.

We'll see how the next few years unfold though.

I'm not bullish on Slafkovsky either, but I will say he's clearly the most likely to move the needle come playoff time. Obviously if any or all of Slaf, Wright, Cooley, Nemec or Jiricek hit, they'll be guys who can help lead your team come playoff time. But if they don't hit or come close to hitting, what are the odds they'll be guys who could actually be major difference makers in the playoffs?

If Wright or Cooley don't hit and just become 40 point 2nd or 3rd liners with some skill, they could be decent support guys, but will unlikely be major contributors unless they get hot/lucky at the right time (see Paul Dipietro).

If Nemec and Jiricek don't hit and just become solid second pair guys, they could still have a lot of value, but are unlikely to be guys who actually lead you to victory.

On the other hand, if Slafkovsky doesn't hit and just becomes a 40 point 2nd or 3rd liner with some skill, he'll still be a 6'3 240 pounder with some skill. Matchups matter and in a 7 game series or playoffs, he could be a guy the other team(s) just can't contain. He could be a guy who dominates the play (see Dustin Byfuglien in 2010). He's already done it against pros.

 

[River Meadow]

I'm not bullish on Slafkovsky either, but I will say he's clearly the most likely to move the needle come playoff time. Obviously if any or all of Slaf, Wright, Cooley, Nemec or Jiricek hit, they'll be guys who can help lead your team come playoff time. But if they don't hit or come close to hitting, what are the odds they'll be guys who could actually be major difference makers in the playoffs?

If Wright or Cooley don't hit and just become 40 point 2nd or 3rd liners with some skill, they could be decent support guys, but will unlikely be major contributors unless they get hot/lucky at the right time (see Paul Dipietro).

If Nemec and Jiricek don't hit and just become solid second pair guys, they could still have a lot of value, but are unlikely to be guys who actually lead you to victory.

On the other hand, if Slafkovsky doesn't hit and just becomes a 40 point 2nd or 3rd liner with some skill, he'll still be a 6'3 240 pounder with some skill. Matchups matter and in a 7 game series or playoffs, he could be a guy the other team(s) just can't contain. He could be a guy who dominates the play (see Dustin Byfuglien in 2010). He's already done it against pros.

Yessir,

You bring up a very good point.

What matters is the playoffs......

Mitch Marner can look pretty racking up 100+ pts in regular reason, but if he disappears and is not effective in the playoffs, it does not matter.

So....

Who do we view as a future playoffs beast..

Leonard? Dvorsky? Benson?

 

[Runner77]

Not patting anyone on the back, just saying that we have a very recent example of the group think on the board looking very wrong, very quickly after the draft.

So taking pot shots on the Slafkovsky selection seems pretty silly when a Wright selection, the preferred selection of the board, would have been looking beyond disastrous 1 year out.

Same line of thinking for Kulich vs. Mesar?

Several internet sleuths preferred Kulich. Were they wrong? Or would it be more reasonable to wait another 2-3 years to see how Mesar develops and then decide?

 

[Vachon23]

Same line of thinking for Kulich vs. Mesar?

Several internet sleuths preferred Kulich. Were they wrong? Or would it be more reasonable to wait another 2-3 years to see how Mesar develops and then decide?

I was a big Kulich fan at the draft (and a Luneau one too)

But we will need to wait until both are in the NHL before saying it's was a bad pick

 

[Goldenhands]

I would just add that they're comparables of what he could become, not necessarily what he actually will become. He could be the next Todd Harvey or undersized Zach Kaasian for all we know. Not all highly touted power forwards pan out.

He is much smarter and skilled than Kassian, he is 100% going to be a solid top 6 NHLer, thats the floor. He is a safe pick, I have his bust potential as low.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Same line of thinking for Kulich vs. Mesar?

Several internet sleuths preferred Kulich. Were they wrong? Or would it be more reasonable to wait another 2-3 years to see how Mesar develops and then decide?

It's always reasonable to wait to see, there's more development on the horizon.

The issue on the Wright dossier is more than he's plateaud two years in a row. That's definitely a concern more than seeing Mesar have ups and downs in his season.

 

[Goldenhands]

got a feeling it'll be Dvorsky (assuming Smith goes top 4)

Could be. There is 0 hype surrounding him right now, but I think he was 6th on Bobby Mac last list, lot of GMs seems to like him. I have Reinbacher 1st, then its pretty close between Dvorsky and Leonard IMO.

 

[Vachon23]

It's always reasonable to wait to see, there's more development on the horizon.

The issue on the Wright dossier is more than he's plateaud two years in a row. That's definitely a concern more than seeing Mesar have ups and downs in his season.

Where talking about teenagers that just become adult that change country and culture in a place in Canada that they didn't even know that existing without there family close.. Not every kids adapt to new situation like this quickly and it's totally normal.

 

[Kennerback]

Yessir,

You bring up a very good point.

What matters is the playoffs......

Mitch Marner can look pretty racking up 100+ pts in regular reason, but if he disappears and is not effective in the playoffs, it does not matter.

So....

Who do we view as a future playoffs beast..

Leonard? Dvorsky? Benson?

Why doesn’t Dvorsky bring KK flashbacks pre-draft? Very good big two-way Centers, defensively responsible, questions about the skating, Ok stickhandler, offensive Creativity not obvious. Offence at the NHL level is a question mark, some indicators show there might be some offence there, but did not exactly shatter any offensive records this pass season.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

I'm not bullish on Slafkovsky either, but I will say he's clearly the most likely to move the needle come playoff time. Obviously if any or all of Slaf, Wright, Cooley, Nemec or Jiricek hit, they'll be guys who can help lead your team come playoff time. But if they don't hit or come close to hitting, what are the odds they'll be guys who could actually be major difference makers in the playoffs?

If Wright or Cooley don't hit and just become 40 point 2nd or 3rd liners with some skill, they could be decent support guys, but will unlikely be major contributors unless they get hot/lucky at the right time (see Paul Dipietro).

If Nemec and Jiricek don't hit and just become solid second pair guys, they could still have a lot of value, but are unlikely to be guys who actually lead you to victory.

On the other hand, if Slafkovsky doesn't hit and just becomes a 40 point 2nd or 3rd liner with some skill, he'll still be a 6'3 240 pounder with some skill. Matchups matter and in a 7 game series or playoffs, he could be a guy the other team(s) just can't contain. He could be a guy who dominates the play (see Dustin Byfuglien in 2010). He's already done it against pros.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying, but I think an additional concern has popped up this year with Slaf which makes me question even the likelihood of his floor.

He just doesn't keep his head up. Maybe its teachable at thus level, maybe it isn't, and he probably got the habit by always being the biggest guy on the ice and having others bounce off of him, but it's a really dangerous habit and makes me worry about his longevity.

As for Wright, I'm again not his biggest fan, but in international play he has consistently shown up in big games which makes me worry a bit less about that.

 

[River Meadow]

Why doesn’t Dvorsky bring KK flashbacks pre-draft? Very good big two-way Centers, defensively responsible, questions about the skating, Ok stickhandler, offensive Creativity not obvious. Offence at the NHL level is a question mark, some indicators show there might be some offence there, but did not exactly shatter any offensive records this pass season.

Fair and valid.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Fair and valid.

One difference I will make is that Dvorsky was in the top 10 pick conversation for awhile now. Kotkaniemi was a riser throughout the year.

But I'd have concerns with Dvorsky as the pick, ultimately, you trust and hope the development goes the right way but I have more questions about Dvorsky's upside than I do Leonard or Reinbacher. The floor is good on all these guys though, so that helps mitigate the risk on their upside.

 

[Doublechin]

Let's say the top 4 goes consensus.

I'd put the odds at

Leonard 30%
Reinbacher 30%
Dvorsky 20%
Michkov 10%
Benson 5%
Field 5%

I have it as

Leonard 40
Reinbacher 20
Dvorsky 20
Benson 10
Michkov 5
Trade 5

 

[River Meadow]

One difference I will make is that Dvorsky was in the top 10 pick conversation for awhile now. Kotkaniemi was a riser throughout the year.

But I'd have concerns with Dvorsky as the pick, ultimately, you trust and hope the development goes the right way but I have more questions about Dvorsky's upside than I do Leonard or Reinbacher. The floor is good on all these guys though, so that helps mitigate the risk on their upside.

Yeah...

Leonard seems like the better pick in terms of being more certain he will pan out for what he is.

Dvorsky is pretty enigmatic in comparison. If the offense is dry he becomes a 3rd liner potentially....