Draft day: move up, move down or stand pat?

[ChesterNimitz]

If we trade our 1st, Calgary 2nd, and Nashville 2nd, can we get to about 10th? I really like the Habs to get either Nurse or Zadorov, and I think one of them will be available at 10th.

This would constitute a gross overpayment. This is a very deep draft that will provide teams with strong prospects right through to the 3rd round. Unless you are able to move up to the top sixth or seventh spots, the players you will be drafting at 10th will only be marginally superior to the players that the team will be able to draft between 25 and 36. We are in an enviable position, let's not do anything that can possibly screw a very good opportunity. Let's carefully draft and assess the potential players that we will be available to us and come out of this draft with 3 to 4 excellent prospects.

 

[Hansman]

It is probable that Montreal will be drafting three times between numbers 26 to 36 in the upcoming draft. This should give the team an opportunity to choose three of the following players.

Ryan Hartman, Shea Theodore, Jacob De La Rose, Kerby Rychel, Anthony Mantha, Jason Dickinson, John Hayden, JT Compher, Nicolas Petan, Samuel Morin, Michael McCarron, Andre Burakowsky, William Carrier, Ian McCoshen, Steven Santini, Madison Bowey, Dillon Heatherington Oliver Bjorkstrand; Laurent Dauphin and Tristan Jarry

If I'm wrong, and one or more of these players is chosen earlier, then there are a number of other very talented players that will be available. This is an incredibly deep draft that has strong prospects available for at least two rounds. Just reading the names and understanding their potential should make every fan very happy that the team's management didn't panic and squander these valuable assets at the trade deadline in a vain attempt to acquire the flavour of the day (toughness, defensive depth, etc.) as advocated by so many impatient fans.

Assuming that the team will not want to incur the cost of trading up in the first round, they should identify those 3 or 4 players that should be available between 26 to 36 that have, in their scouts' opinion, the greatest potential and, if necessary, use one, or both, of their 3rd round picks to be in a position to grab these identified players. To me, if they can draft 3 of Dickinson, Morin, Burakowsky, Hayden or Compher, the team will have had their best draft since 1984. And please, no unwarranted clamoring for the hometown heroes. We can ill afford another reach like Leblanc.

My 3 choices would be Steve Santini, Nic Petan and Michael McCarron.
Laurent Dauphin might be available for our 1st third.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

My 3 choices would be Steve Santini, Nic Petan and Michael McCarron.
Laurent Dauphin might be available for our 1st third.

I can't really argue with that. They would all be great choices. The point being, we're going to get 3 excellent prospects. With our third second round pick, I would strongly consider Batiste if he is available. He's a big bodied forward who showed at the recent U18 Championship that he can skate at a pro level. He was one of the few Canadian forwards that could skate with and physically overpower a very strong American team. He projects well at the next level. I have been watching the draft with interest since the team took Houle and Tardiff with the last of the team's preferential picks. I see the coming draft as one of the deepest that I can remember. And we are fortunate enough to have multiple picks in the first three rounds. If the team drafts wisely, they can create the basis of success for the rest of the decade and longer.

 

[InglewoodJack]

Unless we can move into the top 10, stay put. I'm not sure that the risk of a second half first rounder is worth what I assume would be some second rounders. But ideally, if they could trade habs 1st + players to move up spots, I'd be okay. Most of me wants to see TT work some second round magic.

 

[bsl]

Personally I want Drouin so I would see if I could somehow swing our (hopefully late 1st) a 2nd (ours) and a 3rd for him... That still gives us 4 picks in top 90... And Drouin...
However, I am probably alone in that.

Yeah you are alone in that, because no NHL team trades a top ten pick any more, and certainly not this year.

By moving up, the OP is saying 25th to 15th at most, not 25th to 3rd.

If you think we are going to draft higher than 15th this year, get real.

 

[bsl]

Trade down if we're 25-30.

That is a possibility. If Timmins has a secret great pick round 2, and we can get a good prospect for our first, you never know.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned it and I am not sure about any changes that might have been made in the new CBA but if we lose in the first round we will be picking between the # 19 and 22 slots with our first pick.

I would much prefer that we beat Ottawa but it might be a nice consolation to move up that far in the draft.

 

[Stewie]

stay pat, lots of draft pick this year. lets bulid the farm system

 

[WeThreeKings]

Depth is so so soooo important. I'd be using the picks knowing Timmins is likely to hit on >50% of them.

 

[Patty Roy]

I don't see us trading up significantly...possibly moving up say a half dozen spots if there is someone we REALLY like available around #20, otherwise i say stand pat and enjoy having 3 selections in the top 35 or so.