Draft and UDFA Thread 2017-18
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AlternateSideParking
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Adam has played much better lately but I cant rank him ahead of Mattias or Miller. And I like Emberson better because of his speed. Adam is the 4th or 5th best of a very talented defense corps.
Boqvist is a kid I like and I expect to give him a bump into the top five but I'm waiting to see how he plays against older competition. His brief time in the SHL and at the U20 was kinda bland but he's way too good for the J20. I don't do it often but he's one player I'll rank in January based on what he does at the WJC.
And Groulx is very good. He's like a Couturier who I think is ready for a quick jump to the NHL. Plays a game similar to Chytil.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Boqvist might not make the WJC-20 team, I hope he does, but he's not a lock to make it.
HFsNumber1Heel
FKA Roo Returns...Still A Contrarian Apparently
What's the deal with this Samuelson. He's a big dude, can he skate? Is his game more like Ulf's or about positioning?
I like Woo from the clips I've seen and his production. He's not overly tall but thick. His game screams "Modern NHL DMan" to me because he can skate.
Groulx plays in the Q and is under a PPG. Not saying it's bad but what was the last time the Rangers drafted a Q player or had any luck with one in their lineup? Duclair might be the only one I can think of in my lifetime not counting Dube/Lacroix/Cliche who all did play a little in the NHL.
Before that it was Andre Dore and Lucien Deblois. Both way before my time.
I like Woo from the clips I've seen and his production. He's not overly tall but thick. His game screams "Modern NHL DMan" to me because he can skate.
Groulx plays in the Q and is under a PPG. Not saying it's bad but what was the last time the Rangers drafted a Q player or had any luck with one in their lineup? Duclair might be the only one I can think of in my lifetime not counting Dube/Lacroix/Cliche who all did play a little in the NHL.
Before that it was Andre Dore and Lucien Deblois. Both way before my time.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
I saw someone recently compare him to his brother, Philip Samuelsson, who didn't stick in the NHL.
Savant
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I think if you want to take a “safe” dman this year, you go with Smith or Woo. Very little downside with either and can play in all situations.
Hughes, Boqvist, Merkley are boom/bust. McIssac and Wilde are raw, toolsy guys with high upside. Dobson, Samuelsson and Miller are your risers.
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Edge
Kris King's Ghost
Not sure I view Woo was a "safe" pick this year either.
There's a lot of upside there, but he's also not the biggest defenseman in the world.
Some team is going to be very happy they nabbed him. Multiple teams are going to be wondering how they missed him.
There's a lot of upside there, but he's also not the biggest defenseman in the world.
Some team is going to be very happy they nabbed him. Multiple teams are going to be wondering how they missed him.
Lion Hound
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Unless the club pulls off a deal like last season its likely a guy like Hughes will be gone anyway. Personally, after Dahlin he is my fav Dman from this draft. I think the guy is absolutely a dynamic talent. No offense to Boqvist, he's amazing, but I like Hughes better.
Savant
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I think he is closers to boom than bust but I wouldn’t say he is guaranteed top pair either I think talent wise he is the second best dman in the draft
Edge
Kris King's Ghost
Hughes is a dynamo, there's not getting around it. He's exciting, creative and shifty. He projects as the type of defenseman who can completely change the course of a game.
Savant
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Oh I agree. I think Woo may not have the highest ceiling but I think he is a very good bet to be on a roster for a long time.
Edge
Kris King's Ghost
I'll say flat out say that right now, I have Woo in my top 10. I know that's higher than a lot of other people, but I really like this kid.
Edge
Kris King's Ghost
He has a lot of his brothers in him - and by that I mean I just don't know how well that translates into an NHL player.
Savant
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I think Woo is definite 10-15 range. Don’t think I can get him into top 10
I do think the Rangers need to finish in the Top 12/13 to get a player they need that can help quick.
EDIT:
I definitely have Woo in the 10-12 range. I terms of dmen, I have him behind Dahlin, Hughes, Smith, Boqvist, and Wilde (although him and Wilde is a tie. I think Wilde has higher upside but Woo is more safe); I do have Woo ahead of McIssac, Merkley, Dobson and Bouchard. I also have only “ranked” 16 players so far.
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Edge
Kris King's Ghost
I'm higher on Woo than most. Right now, factoring in everything, I have him ranked fourth among defensemen behind Dahlin, Boqvist and Hughes. I like his total upside better than Smith's, and his probability and overall game better than Wilde.
In terms of the overall list, I also have Tkachuk lower than most people at this point. Same with Veleno. Though Veleno's ranking seems to be more and more scattered as the season progresses.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Hughes is a better skater and more dynamic than Boqvist, but he's 10 months older, smaller, worse defensively, and Boqvist likely has the best shot in the draft of any defenseman, including Wilde. Their dynamism and skating is very close, along with Merkley, they all are very close for next best after Dahlin, so this isn't Shattenkirk vs. Staal in this category.
I think Boqvist is a much more complete player, and likely to be an NHL star. Hughes has a little more flash, but its negligible, in my opinion, and Boqvist's ability to put the puck in the net might give him more offensive upside.
I think Boqvist is a much more complete player, and likely to be an NHL star. Hughes has a little more flash, but its negligible, in my opinion, and Boqvist's ability to put the puck in the net might give him more offensive upside.
Mac n Gs
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Aren’t Boqvist and Hughes basically the same size? Hughes really wowed me from what I saw from the u18s. That’s where I get my Wahlstrom bias too 
I’d probably agree that Boqvist will end up being the better overall player in the long run, but I don’t think it’ll be by that big of a margin. I’m still staying on the K’Andre Miller hype train because I don’t think we’ll have a chance to draft any of these kids
I’d probably agree that Boqvist will end up being the better overall player in the long run, but I don’t think it’ll be by that big of a margin. I’m still staying on the K’Andre Miller hype train because I don’t think we’ll have a chance to draft any of these kids
Lion Hound
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Aren’t Boqvist and Hughes basically the same size? Hughes really wowed me from what I saw from the u18s. That’s where I get my Wahlstrom bias too
I’d probably agree that Boqvist will end up being the better overall player in the long run, but I don’t think it’ll be by that big of a margin. I’m still staying on the K’Andre Miller hype train because I don’t think we’ll have a chance to draft any of these kids
He's rising, but I have only seen him on one top 31 list so far. Whats standing out to you on him?
Mac n Gs
Drury plz
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Various scouting reports on him and stat tracking from his USHL numbers. He’s already got NHL size and speed and is smart. I think Steve tweeted some stuff about him too. Like a few others here, I think he’ll be a riser come June.
Pavel Buchnevich
"Pavel Buchnevich The Fake"
Aren’t Boqvist and Hughes basically the same size? Hughes really wowed me from what I saw from the u18s. That’s where I get my Wahlstrom bias too
I’d probably agree that Boqvist will end up being the better overall player in the long run, but I don’t think it’ll be by that big of a margin. I’m still staying on the K’Andre Miller hype train because I don’t think we’ll have a chance to draft any of these kids
Close to the same size, maybe like 2 inches difference.
Hughes is imo significantly better then Boqvist defensively. Boqvist definitely the more dynamic offensively and has a wicked wrister.
Boqvist just really needs a loan to Allsvenskan to work on his defensive game imo.
Boqvist just really needs a loan to Allsvenskan to work on his defensive game imo.
Savant
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I think Hughes might actually be the safer pick that Boqvist at this point. Boqvist’s (and Merkley’s) Defense worries me so I might have them lower than most
Edge
Kris King's Ghost
Right now, I'd say it's a toss-up between Hughes and Boqvist for the number two defensive prospect in the draft.
Boqvist is a little sexier, maybe has a little more upside. Hughes has shown more of a well-rounded, control the tempo type of game.
Boqvist is a little sexier, maybe has a little more upside. Hughes has shown more of a well-rounded, control the tempo type of game.
Ranta (6-foot-1, 192 pounds), who will attend the University of Wisconsin in 2018-19, is an A rated skater in NHL Central Scouting's November players to watch list. He leads the Musketeers with 11 points (seven goals, four assists) and 61 shots on goal in 17 games this season.
"Ranta's game is a combination of speed and power," said Greg Rajanen of NHL Central Scouting. "He attacks the blue line with speed and takes the puck to the net. He can really snap the puck and rarely passes up a shot. He's a threat to score every time he has the puck in the offensive zone."
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