Draft 2023: Who's the hidden gem outside the consensus Top 5

[Milhouse40]

Let's forget the talk about the consensus Top 5 for a second.


Every single year there's a Seider everyone saw at around 15th that turn into a real player
There's a Matthew Tkachuk at 6th turning into an elite player and no one saw him worthy of a Top 3 pick at the time.

Who do you think that guy is this year?
Who's the one that we're not seeing coming, cause there's always one?

Click to read more...

 

[Ghetto Sangria]

Benson has literally everything but size. He could be a steal.

 

[Skip Bayless]

Moore.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Reinbacher/Benson/Wood. Not really sure they qualify as hidden gems though since Reinbacher & Benson likely go top 10 and Wood won't go past 15.

 

[Runner77]

Even the scouts who do this for a living can’t figure it out. I’m not worthy of a guess but respect those of you who have a preference/ hunch.

 

[Weber Fan]

Matthew Wood…Could become a bigger Jason Robertson!

 

[Milhouse40]

Even the scouts who do this for a living can’t figure it out. I’m not worthy of a guess but respect those of you who have a preference/ hunch.

It's all there is in the end.....an educated guess at best but since there's always one like a Q. Hughes, Zegras or even Caufield that not even 3 years later make the consensus #2 pick that year look foolish, there must be at least one!

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Let's forget the talk about the consensus Top 5 for a second.


Every single year there's a Seider everyone saw at around 15th that turn into a real player
There's a Matthew Tkachuk at 6th turning into an elite player and no one saw him worthy of a Top 3 pick at the time.

Who do you think that guy is this year?
Who's the one that we're not seeing coming, cause there's always one?

I suspect that Reinbacher goes in the top 5 and that Coulson Pitre has a more productive NHL career than many of the offered options.

 

[Runner77]

It's all there is in the end.....an educated guess at best but since there's always one like a Q. Hughes, Zegras or even Caufield that not even 3 years later make the consensus #2 pick that year look foolish, there must be at least one!

The undersized super-talented ones are regular fallers given how NHL GMs put so much value on size and grit.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

I know the answer, but I can't tell anyone for a few years...

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

Yager seems to be a consensus top 15 pick so im sticking my gun with him as a "hiding gem"

Yes ok, not top 5, but with high iq teammates in the pro, i see him netting 40 per year, he will never be a lone play driver but with Suzuki theres could be really something here. With the right teammates i see him becoming nearly in contention with the the top goal scorer in his prime, lets say he drops to Vancouver and he end up playing with Pettersson, Yager could be remembered as a steal, with the right environnement linemates etc but again hes no Smith Benson Michkov

 

[SlafySZN]

Leonard.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

Matt Wood

And he will be ours when HuGo deals Anderson for the Sabre’s 1st

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

If Florida ended up missing the playoffs, I think Wood would've been an interesting open in the early-mid teens (unless we can grab another pick in that range).

His shot and release could be lethal with a pass first guy like Dach.

 

[Gillings]

Perrault. The man is a treasure of size, shooting abilities and hustle.

 

[Milhouse40]

Perrault. The man is a treasure of size, shooting abilities and hustle.

I have to admit that him and Leonard really had a great U18 which made them rise a little.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Matt Wood

And he will be ours when HuGo deals Anderson for the Sabre’s 1st

Great but why would the Sabres want Anderson?

 

[Milhouse40]

Leonard.

I also have Leonard.....he has that rugged, nasty strong play in his game that make him create his own chances by beating player one-on-one.

 

[SlafySZN]

I also have Leonard.....he has that rugged, nasty strong play in his game that make him create his own chances by beating player one-on-one.

Yep!

grit, hard work paired with skills also. I honestly think he is kind of underrated because he looks like the ‘’complementary’’ guy while he has skills of his own!

 

[BLONG7]

Even the scouts who do this for a living can’t figure it out. I’m not worthy of a guess but respect those of you who have a preference/ hunch.

It's like throwing darts remember!! LOL
Can't remember who said, think it was a stand up comedian, can't remember the name.

Even the scouts who do this for a living can’t figure it out. I’m not worthy of a guess but respect those of you who have a preference/ hunch.

It's like throwing darts remember!! LOL
Can't remember who said, think it was a stand up comedian, can't remember the name.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

It's like throwing darts remember!! LOL
Can't remember who said, think it was a stand up comedian, can't remember the name.


It's like throwing darts remember!! LOL
Can't remember who said, think it was a stand up comedian, can't remember the name.

Bergevin.

 

[26Mats]

I chose not to vote because I don't know the prospects well enough.

But this is the kind of topic that it will be fun to look back on in a couple of years because reports are there should be quite a few gems. And there will inevitably be busts.

Surprised to see Benson is leading. So many don't want us to draft him because of his size.

 

[NotProkofievian]

None of these names are hidden. Reinbacher would be a celebrated or at least tolerated pick around here.

I voted Wood. Wood will be taken higher than some people think, and if he booms it will look obvious in hindsight. Really strange polarization on this player.

 

[Milhouse40]

None of these names are hidden. Reinbacher would be a celebrated or at least tolerated pick around here.

I voted Wood. Wood will be taken higher than some people think, and if he booms it will look obvious in hindsight. Really strange polarization on this player.

Not hidden in that sense, more in terms of gem. .Who's the one in 3-4 years that will be in the top 5 of a redraft while right now, no one is really talking about them as potential top 4 ot top 5 pick.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

As expected equal Benson and Reinbacher.
How do we underestimate a good D? Imagine the CH of the 70's : that's Lafleur-Shutt-Lemaire-Gainey but mainly Dryden and the big 3 in front of him? How is that 70's CH dinasty without Robinson-Savard-Lapointe?
Or LA Kings without Doughty? Wings without Lidstrom? Devils without Stevens, Rafalsky and Neidermeyer ?
Is Reinbacher the caliber of one of those ?
How good he will become in his generation ?