Draft and UDFA Thread 2017-18

[Mikos87]

I think it was a Nashville scout who during the U18 was asked ‘how much value do you put into the performance in this tournament?’ and the answer was, with a bit of a laugh, ‘I think all teams are done with their list by now’ with an undertone of ‘what do you think we have been doing all year?’

I definitely think that is sort of a standard answer you would get from all scouting departments. I don’t quite buy that the late season games and the combine with interviews does not mean anything and that there never is any movement.

BUT, no professional people will sit there at this time of the year and reshuffle names like we fans are doing. A huge majority of these kids haven’t played a hockey game in two months. Why should they be moving?

There can be like what close to 15 full timers involved with creating a board for one NHL team. How would it work? Someone have a WhatsApp group and all of a sudden texts ‘guys we had Boqvist 3rd in mid May but sleeping on it I changed my mind and now think he should be 11th? And Kotkaniemi who we had at 10 should be 3rd’ and so forth.

If Boqvist is a later pick I think it’s because he always were ranked there on most teams boards. He did well in the combine tests.

Interviews, health reports, combine testing.

Teams are concerned about no/low fit players after Hamill, Teubert, & Bennett going early. There's always a combine darling that climbs, mid round or better, but my sense is that some teams will avoid the low athletic prowess guys early on in the draft.

Laim Foudy would be a great pick at 39, but I could see him going earlier. Guys got a lot of Rhino Reilly in him imo.

Some teams were turned off by Barzal's interviews, same with Fowler. Konechny slipped due to strength concerns (can still skate though).

If Zadina slides, you can attribute some to the combine where he did not test well, and showed he's not going to be able to handle the physicality of the NHL next year or perhaps the year after.

 

[Mikos87]

Never seen these guys play, but was chatting with some of my guys regarding late round sleepers:

Allen McShane
Gabriel Fortier
Jett Woo (not really a sleeper, but he will slide)
Jack Perbix
Nick Beaudan

Woo may be there at 39 or even 47. The others are 3rd-6th round options. McShane has some pedigree, could keep climbing if he develops... trajectory has been upwards, my buddy's kids played against Perbix who needs to grow into playing stiffer competition, Nick Beaudan is a guy a team could have ranked high but not high enough on their list, and others would just pass on. When you've got extra picks, he might be a high upside worthy pick.

None of these guys, except maybe Woo would fit the mold of what the Rangers typically go after, but the most of the above are boom or bust picks. Woo maybe a Benning type of player.

 

[Mikos87]

Habs might trade two 2nds 33rd & 35th for 26th. All depends on whose there.

I could see OTT taking Dobson at 4 with the Karlsson uncertainty.

Guessing that Foudy, Noel, & Miller will all go in the 1st, and much higher than what some of you guys would rank.

 

[ManUtdTobbe]

My biggest sleeper is Alex Steeves, very good stats in USHL where his shot generation of more then 4 SOG/GP is what stands out.

 

[Mikos87]

My biggest sleeper is Alex Steeves, very good stats in USHL where his shot generation of more then 4 SOG/GP is what stands out.

Don't know anything about him, but Beadin might go late in the 1st. Sam Girard type of player. Game translates into the NHL, albeit at the cost of not being out there against top line players.

 

[Synergy27]

https://www.mediatownmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/mark-rexday.gif

 

[Ola]

Interviews, health reports, combine testing.

Teams are concerned about no/low fit players after Hamill, Teubert, & Bennett going early. There's always a combine darling that climbs, mid round or better, but my sense is that some teams will avoid the low athletic prowess guys early on in the draft.

Laim Foudy would be a great pick at 39, but I could see him going earlier. Guys got a lot of Rhino Reilly in him imo.

Some teams were turned off by Barzal's interviews, same with Fowler. Konechny slipped due to strength concerns (can still skate though).

If Zadina slides, you can attribute some to the combine where he did not test well, and showed he's not going to be able to handle the physicality of the NHL next year or perhaps the year after.

Yeah for sure, but our scouts talk to the kids we are interested in more or less regularly. And to the extent we can, their coaches and any teammates we may have access too.

Everyone knows everyone. Between Kjellberg and Eloraanta, Leetch, Richter, Drury and the likes we have a lot of ins. Ex players. Remember that everyone want to keep in touch in these circles, a SHL coach can be without a job tomorrow and all of a sudden you aren’t that attractive, a scouting gig pays the bills. SHL teams are signing AHLers all the time. What kind of due diligence do they perform on the AHLers? They’ll start scrolling their address books of course. Peter Holland, is he worth signing? MoDo wants him. Does Sunny call up someone in our org? Forsberg is involved in operations of MoDo, he won’t hesitate to call Drury and ask for a run down. Why wouldn't he? Right. It’s like that with all teams. Hedberg is a member of the board of MoDo. I think. If these guys want to get the story on a ‘Peter Holland’ when they call, they better give us the story on a kid if we call them, right. Name one SHL team and I can give you a connection, it’s way under 5 degrees of separation in the hockey world that is for sure.

I am sure NYR have some kind of alumni program. Did we talk to our former pick and player Johan Lindbom who coaches HV71 before drafting Lias? I would bet on it. I would bet that we chatted with Lias in the corridors at Kinnarps Arena. Thomas Kallur, our European scout at the time, wouldn’t be turned away, people are running there all the time.

You know how players are dressed after a practice, somewhat you can see how ripped they are. You can see how well they are trained when they play, we don’t need to see testing to see that Kreider has popped more than Buch...

 

[LORDE]

It's here it's here !

Can't wait to unwrap our gifts !

Does anyone put up a tree? I put up a pole and let the Rangers know how much they've disappointed me over the years......

Was the combine the feats of strength?

 

[LORDE]

I only tune in for the feats of strength

Damn u beat me to it

 

[Good Intentions]

This is going to be wild tonight. My god, here we gooo!!!!!

 

[eco's bones]

The day has finally arrived. I'd expect at least a couple trades during the day---whether they involve us or not. If we stand pat--I'd lean towards a defenseman with the first pick and forwards with the next two but it all depends on who's available when we get there. I'd caution against 3 forwards or 3 defensemen though--mix it up a little.

 

[Kovalev27]

I’ll say this again as well with 3 first round picks and the ability to swing for the fences here because of those odds we would be downright stupid to pass on Ryan Merkley in the first round. Talent like that doesn’t come around often. We can more than afford to be the ones to jump on him there.

 

[Ghost of jas]

I’ll say this again as well with 3 first round picks and the ability to swing for the fences here because of those odds we would be downright stupid to pass on Ryan Merkley in the first round. Talent like that doesn’t come around often. We can more than afford to be the ones to jump on him there.

The Rangers won’t go near him. Besides, Addison and Lundkvist are better.

 

[Sarge13]

Habs might trade two 2nds 33rd & 35th for 26th. All depends on whose there.

I could see OTT taking Dobson at 4 with the Karlsson uncertainty.

Guessing that Foudy, Noel, & Miller will all go in the 1st, and much higher than what some of you guys would rank.

Good call on Foudy, big riser, lots of buzz, I think he has a chance to go in the teens, wouldn't mind him as one of our 20s picks depending on who's on the board.

 

[Edge]

Thank you for joining us Mr. Brooks, the meeting started 15 minutes ago:

It has been said and re-said that the Rangers do not believe they would get a better player at, say, six than nine. One caveat: if Brady Tkachuk slides past five or six, then maybe, just maybe, the Blueshirts would be willing to add a sweetener in order to move up a few slots to reunite the truculent winger with his college coach. But that seems a longshot.

https://nypost.com/2018/06/22/rangers-employing-rebuild-plan-they-havent-tried-in-40-years/

 

[Fireonk]

Too much depth this draft to deal with Merkley and his high likelihood of being a complete bust with one of our first rounders. Fine with him in the 2nd though depending on how things shake out.

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

Thank you for joining us Mr. Brooks, the meeting started 15 minutes ago:

It has been said and re-said that the Rangers do not believe they would get a better player at, say, six than nine. One caveat: if Brady Tkachuk slides past five or six, then maybe, just maybe, the Blueshirts would be willing to add a sweetener in order to move up a few slots to reunite the truculent winger with his college coach. But that seems a longshot.

https://nypost.com/2018/06/22/rangers-employing-rebuild-plan-they-havent-tried-in-40-years/

I tweeted about this yesterday saying he’s making the lazy guess that Boston guy gets Boston guy. I serious don’t know how anyone takes him seriously

 

[Mac n Gs]

And there’s that Brooks quote we’ve all been waiting to see put into writing for a while

Not gonna lie, the recent draft board shuffling has me super hyped that we may get Brady, Wahlstrom, or Zadina.

To ask the doomsday question, if they’re all gone and Bouchard is the best of the remaining top-9, what do you think the Rangers do?

I should add that I like Bouchard and wouldn’t be upset with him.

 

[NYR Viper]

And there’s that Brooks quote we’ve all been waiting to see put into writing for a while

Not gonna lie, the recent draft board shuffling has me super hyped that we may get Brady, Wahlstrom, or Zadina.

To ask the doomsday question, if they’re all gone and Bouchard is the best of the remaining top-9, what do you think the Rangers do?

Take Bouchard, or Kravtsov or Farabee

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

And there’s that Brooks quote we’ve all been waiting to see put into writing for a while

Not gonna lie, the recent draft board shuffling has me super hyped that we may get Brady, Wahlstrom, or Zadina.

To ask the doomsday question, if they’re all gone and Bouchard is the best of the remaining top-9, what do you think the Rangers do?

I should add that I like Bouchard and wouldn’t be upset with him.

I think they take Kravstov.

But I’d be pretty happy with Bouchard.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

It’s really happening, speculation dies tonight

 

[Edge]

And there’s that Brooks quote we’ve all been waiting to see put into writing for a while

Not gonna lie, the recent draft board shuffling has me super hyped that we may get Brady, Wahlstrom, or Zadina.

To ask the doomsday question, if they’re all gone and Bouchard is the best of the remaining top-9, what do you think the Rangers do?

I should add that I like Bouchard and wouldn’t be upset with him.

Take Bouchard.

He's better than what a lot of this particular board thinks. A lot better.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Take Bouchard.

He's better than what a lot of this particular board thinks. A lot better.

Narratives can sway a lot of people.

 

[Edge]

I tweeted about this yesterday saying he’s making the lazy guess that Boston guy gets Boston guy. I serious don’t know how anyone takes him seriously

Really don't think it's that.

The grumblings about the Rangers interest in Tkachuk has been building for a good little stretch now.

 

[GregSirico]

Thank you for joining us Mr. Brooks, the meeting started 15 minutes ago:

It has been said and re-said that the Rangers do not believe they would get a better player at, say, six than nine. One caveat: if Brady Tkachuk slides past five or six, then maybe, just maybe, the Blueshirts would be willing to add a sweetener in order to move up a few slots to reunite the truculent winger with his college coach. But that seems a longshot.

https://nypost.com/2018/06/22/rangers-employing-rebuild-plan-they-havent-tried-in-40-years/

So the plan is if Brady falls trade up other than that stand pat?