NHL Entry Draft Future Draft Watch

[Hale The Villain]

Who fits this criteria in our range?

About 4 drafts too late, but it's welcome news nonetheless.

As much as I would love them to take someone like Kindel or Reshny after passing up skill and smarts for years, if it's true they are putting significant emphasis on hockey IQ I suspect they'll be looking more at a guy like Spence, Nesbitt, Zonnon, Nestrasil, etc... someone who is reasonably intelligent but also brings a lot of attributes that they have been proven to value highly.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Other than the high skill/IQ guys, I'm hoping that our scouts take a long look at Vaclav Nestrasil. He's a favorite of mine.

Massive kid at 6'5.5
Solid smarts and skill
Good skater and plays with pace
Big hitter and plays mean
Strong defensively and a top PKer
Steep development curve
Extremely raw physically

What's exciting is that he's nowhere near a finished product. He's a physical force already at 185lbs, but once he puts on 30-40lbs he'll be an absolute handful to deal with.

Will need 3-4 years in college and he's definitely a long-term project, but he's one of those guys I can see ending up as good bottom 6er but also being a top 6er if it all comes together.

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Prospect pool is starving for an infusion of skill. Boyd needs to get the boot if he doesn't bring in a forward with slick hands, a good shot and offensive vision.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

He would definitely be a Sens pick if he was not Russian playing in Russia.. They may surprise us

Don Boyd said that only three of the prospects at the combine were able to tell them jokes, and when asked about it at the presser he said two of them were Russian. Maybe Prokhorov was one of them.

They even used the exact same joke saying they weren't going to play in the NHL. That Boyd didn't get the joke at first/ They wouldn't joke about that if they weren't completely committed to playing in the NHL.

Prokhorov certainly seems like a very good player with a ton of upside for where the Sens are drafting. Maybe the Sens do surprise us.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

f*** the haters, I am on a Daniil Prokhorov train, dude has such a unique skill set, and seems like a sens pick too.

I am on the Prokhorov train as well. He seems like he would be a great pick for the Sens.

 

[Hale The Villain]

If there's a bigger focus on hockey IQ this year, Daniil Prokhorov will absolutely not be our pick.

I can't say I've watched him play besides highlights, but from the descriptions of the HockeyProspects team it sounds like he's one of the dumbest prospects to come around in awhile.

They literally nicknamed him "1v9" because he doesn't know how to pass or use teammates at all

 

[DrEasy]

I thought somebody on here said he was close to retiring or his contract being done?

As long as he keeps providing the prospects that are in line with their values, I imagine they will ask him to keep at it as long as he can.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

If there's a bigger focus on hockey IQ this year, Daniil Prokhorov will absolutely not be our pick.

I can't say I've watched him play besides highlights, but from the descriptions of the HockeyProspects team it sounds like he's one of the dumbest prospects to come around in awhile.

They literally nicknamed him "1v9" because he doesn't know how to pass or use teammates at all

Grant McCagg argues against that perspective.


He claims that his MHL team wasn't using his effectively. That he was playing on the 2nd line with a weak center. He argues that those flaws in his game, such as using his linemates, was not present in his international play.

It is worth investigating. If a prospect is not being deployed properly and has very weak linemates they might be prone to more individual efforts and it might seem like they have a lower hockey iq. It is a question whether McCagg has a good read on what other scouts are overlooking or not.

Prokhorov's play seems a bit like Juraj Slafkovsky and a bit like Brady Tkachuk. Was Slafkovsky's hockey iq a big question mark coming into the draft? Was he criticized for not using his linemates and being too individualistic in his play?

 

[Hale The Villain]

Grant McCagg argues against that perspective.


He claims that his MHL team wasn't using his effectively. That he was playing on the 2nd line with a weak center. He argues that those flaws in his game, such as using his linemates, was not present in his international play.

It is worth investigating. If a prospect is not being deployed properly and has very weak linemates they might be prone to more individual efforts and it might seem like they have a lower hockey iq. It is a question whether McCagg has a good read on what other scouts are overlooking or not.

Prokhorov's play seems a bit like Juraj Slafkovsky and a bit like Brady Tkachuk. Was Slafkovsky's hockey iq a big question mark coming into the draft? Was he criticized for not using his linemates and being too individualistic in his play?

Grant McCagg is a complete moron and I don't trust his opinions on players at all.

Here's how HockeyProspect.com describes him:

"Unfortunately, his competitive nature and driving instincts rarely allow him to incorporate his teammates into his game. We want players to make their teammates better, and although he provides space and forces defenses to collapse, he truly makes them worse. In-fact, the entire development of this player will be predicated on teaching him why teammates can help him score more down the road. He has the single lowest passing rates out of any player we have ever tracked, in any league we have ever scouted, when taking into consideration his ice-time"

They also mention they've watched him play games where he's only attempted 5 or 6 passes over the entire game, and Mark Edwards laughed when discussing his 10 assists over the season (a very low amount) with another scout, agreeing that most of them were accidental and not the result of him trying to set up teammates.

 

[Emerica]

I thought somebody on here said he was close to retiring or his contract being done?

He’s 72 years old lol. Question of time at this point

 

[Hun]

The more I read about the IQ of players, the more I want to know the IQ of those who write about it.

 

[Senator Stanley]

Grant McCagg argues against that perspective.


He claims that his MHL team wasn't using his effectively. That he was playing on the 2nd line with a weak center. He argues that those flaws in his game, such as using his linemates, was not present in his international play.

It is worth investigating. If a prospect is not being deployed properly and has very weak linemates they might be prone to more individual efforts and it might seem like they have a lower hockey iq. It is a question whether McCagg has a good read on what other scouts are overlooking or not.

Prokhorov's play seems a bit like Juraj Slafkovsky and a bit like Brady Tkachuk. Was Slafkovsky's hockey iq a big question mark coming into the draft? Was he criticized for not using his linemates and being too individualistic in his play?

McCagg sounds like a scout who loves the player for other reasons and is trying to excuse away a legitimate flaw. I'll admit I haven't spent a ton of time on the guy, but he presents to me as a pretty clear case of tunnel vision. When he gets the puck, he has one objective and it's to get the puck to the net. He seems to only consider his teammates when they're either right in front of the net (i.e. in his line of vision) or when he's run into trouble, and usually if you get to that point as a puck carrier it's too late.

He could still become an effective player given his size, speed and puck skills. If everything is directed towards the net, that isn't the worst thing. Perhaps this is too obvious a comp, but Nichushkin comes to mind as a guy who's a horse moving in one direction, but it's a good direction.

Personally, I'm just not a fan of prospects who are already showing signs that they don't see the ice well. I tend to believe you either see the ice or you don't, and if it's a problem at lower levels, it's going to be a bigger problem at NHL pace. He wouldn't be in consideration for me at 21, but I get the appeal later on.

 

[flyingfingers]

I’m hoping we get one of Spence, Carbonneau, Fiddler or Nesbitt. Horcoff seems interesting too, and maybe we could trade a few spots and get him.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Grant McCagg is a complete moron and I don't trust his opinions on players at all.

Here's how HockeyProspect.com describes him:

"Unfortunately, his competitive nature and driving instincts rarely allow him to incorporate his teammates into his game. We want players to make their teammates better, and although he provides space and forces defenses to collapse, he truly makes them worse. In-fact, the entire development of this player will be predicated on teaching him why teammates can help him score more down the road. He has the single lowest passing rates out of any player we have ever tracked, in any league we have ever scouted, when taking into consideration his ice-time"

They also mention they've watched him play games where he's only attempted 5 or 6 passes over the entire game, and Mark Edwards laughed when discussing his 10 assists over the season (a very low amount) with another scout, agreeing that most of them were accidental and not the result of him trying to set up teammates.

I am not as immersed as tracking the scouting stuff as I once was but I thought McCagg had an okay reputation. I don't remember him being a highly relied upon source but I thought he was reasonably credible. Has he really had a lot of bad takes? What has he done/said to cause you to not trust his opinions at all?

I wonder how fixable those issue are. Maybe I'm wrong but I think it would be easier to get a read on a prospect that you can trust if they play in the CHL vs the MHL. I wonder if scouts feel that Prokhorov would exhibit those same issues if he was playing in North America. Some of those context probably make it challenging to determine if a prospect simply has bad hockey iq or whether the appearance of low hockey iq is because they are compensating for things based on the league they are playing in.

Have there been more formal methodologies developed for quantifying and qualifying hockey iq? Are there certain metrics people rely upon now to make such assessments? Are pass attempts part of that methodology?

 

[RAFI BOMB]

McCagg sounds like a scout who loves the player for other reasons and is trying to excuse away a legitimate flaw. I'll admit I haven't spent a ton of time on the guy, but he presents to me as a pretty clear case of tunnel vision. When he gets the puck, he has one objective and it's to get the puck to the net. He seems to only consider his teammates when they're either right in front of the net (i.e. in his line of vision) or when he's run into trouble, and usually if you get to that point as a puck carrier it's too late.

He could still become an effective player given his size, speed and puck skills. If everything is directed towards the net, that isn't the worst thing. Perhaps this is too obvious a comp, but Nichushkin comes to mind as a guy who's a horse moving in one direction, but it's a good direction.

Personally, I'm just not a fan of prospects who are already showing signs that they don't see the ice well. I tend to believe you either see the ice or you don't, and if it's a problem at lower levels, it's going to be a bigger problem at NHL pace. He wouldn't be in consideration for me at 21, but I get the appeal later on.

Interesting take.

He is an intriguing prospect so I could certainly see scouts getting caught up with his traits/profile and overlooking or rationalizing his faults. I can see the tunnel vision argument based on what I have seen from him. I can also see the Nichushkin comparable.

The game is getting pretty fast so when you have a player that size with athleticism, speed, skating and hands it certainly makes for an appealing profile.

It sounds like scouts are under the impression that the 20 to 50 mark are highly interchangeable. Unless I am mistaken, it seems like they project very comparable upsides which is a 50 to 60 point range. If that seems to be a reasonable projection for the upside of forwards then how should a team approach drafting in that range? Prokhorov has some interesting traits to him and from what I understand he also plays pk. Hypothetically, if you think he could hit 50-60 points are there other forwards that you would prefer if they end up hitting the same point totals?

Is the issue more the style of play and role on a team or is it questions about upside? Do other forwards in that range give you a lot more confidence that they can hit a higher upside than that? Would you still like them more if they cap out at 60 points? Do you question whether Prokhorov could hit those projections? Would you like him more as a prospect if he could hit those numbers?

I haven't been following the draft as closely. I have been a fan of Bill Zonnon and would be happy to draft him. I have liked what I've seen from Ryker Lee. Now seeing Prokhorov he seems pretty exciting.

Who are the hard skill players in this range to keep an eye on? If they are going to be useful in the playoffs tey will need to be able to win puck battles and board battles. We have already seen with David Perron that he is one of the best at those battles and he doesn't have a ton of size. Who are the high iq forwards that have the puck and board battle skill (or willingness) like Perron.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

The more I read about the IQ of players, the more I want to know the IQ of those who write about it.

Is there a formal definition? It gets used a lot to describe players but it doesn't seem like the definition is always consistent. Sometimes it seems to be connected with vision and creativity. Sometimes it is connected with deception. Sometimes it seems to be about reading plays and making interceptions.

I have seen it referred to highly offensive players making complex plays and I have seen it referred to players making subtle, simple plays.

I get the impression that it is used improperly at times. How do people quantify and qualify it? What does it encompass and what falls outside its scope?

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

This draft has a lot of guys in that late first, early second range who fit the big, physical and raw profile that the Sens tend to like. I'd be pretty surprised if they went for the Russian when there's alternatives like Vansaghi, Horcoff and Nestrasil who played in North America.

Vansaghi, in particular, strikes me as someone they'd love. He's like a Tyler Boucher mulligan.

Good scouting profile on Vansaghi here . I would love to see the Sens swing for skill but like I said I would not hate this pick. HockeyProspect has him 26 ("Vansaghi is a power forward with a grinder’s mentality. His compete is exceptional." . Recrutes has him at 40 NHL Scouts commenting project him as a bottom 6 player but and a safe bet to play in the NHL.

Almost a polar opposite Ryker Lee interests me in a swing for skill .. is 21 the right spot to draft him .. Not sure but depending on trade down options it may be their only chance and it wouldn't be a huge reach imo. Here is a scouting report on him. HockeyProspect has him 15 "best hands in the draft" and Recrutes has him 23 ( NHL Scout comment “He's a first-rounder,” said a scout in May. “I was hoping that we could maybe steal him in the second, but his skating has really come, and everyone is on him.”)
.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Important news and changes to draft rights

 

[Icelevel]

I like ryker lee

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

McCagg sounds like a scout who loves the player for other reasons and is trying to excuse away a legitimate flaw. I'll admit I haven't spent a ton of time on the guy, but he presents to me as a pretty clear case of tunnel vision. When he gets the puck, he has one objective and it's to get the puck to the net. He seems to only consider his teammates when they're either right in front of the net (i.e. in his line of vision) or when he's run into trouble, and usually if you get to that point as a puck carrier it's too late.

He could still become an effective player given his size, speed and puck skills. If everything is directed towards the net, that isn't the worst thing. Perhaps this is too obvious a comp, but Nichushkin comes to mind as a guy who's a horse moving in one direction, but it's a good direction.

Personally, I'm just not a fan of prospects who are already showing signs that they don't see the ice well. I tend to believe you either see the ice or you don't, and if it's a problem at lower levels, it's going to be a bigger problem at NHL pace. He wouldn't be in consideration for me at 21, but I get the appeal later on.

Recrutes has quotes from scouts on him . They love the size , skating, puck skills and upside.

Simon Saint-Laurent also applauds his physicality
"This may seem like a shocking statement, but I declare Prokhorov the most physical player in the 2025 draft! He delivers powerful body checks along the boards and in open space. I think the defining characteristic for me is consistency. His physical play is something you see in every game."
...
"But ultimately, the asset he could become outweighs the question-marks. Especially in a draft like this, where players with a lower ceiling but a good chance of playing in the NHL don’t offer anything truly unique. It might be overly optimistic to immediately dream of Prokhorov as a complement to a Top-6 pick given the lingering doubts about his Hockey-Sense, but his puck possession, his meanness, and his natural skills could make him a unique player."

This may be the draft to take a chance on someone like him ... Not boom or bust but .. Big, toolsy and raw ... He may not become the assists leader but could become a useful possession player that can get the puck to the scoring area and add size and physicality.

Pretty significant chunk of an 18 year old player. I can see why he's being discussed for a late 1st , early 2nd pick and I would call him a swing at 21 but not a crazy reach. I'd probably take a chance on him.



Have to ask the Sens Russian scouts what they see in him.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Recrutes has quotes from scouts on him . They love the size , skating, puck skills and upside.

Simon Saint-Laurent also applauds his physicality
"This may seem like a shocking statement, but I declare Prokhorov the most physical player in the 2025 draft! He delivers powerful body checks along the boards and in open space. I think the defining characteristic for me is consistency. His physical play is something you see in every game."
...
"But ultimately, the asset he could become outweighs the question-marks. Especially in a draft like this, where players with a lower ceiling but a good chance of playing in the NHL don’t offer anything truly unique. It might be overly optimistic to immediately dream of Prokhorov as a complement to a Top-6 pick given the lingering doubts about his Hockey-Sense, but his puck possession, his meanness, and his natural skills could make him a unique player."

This may be the draft to take a chance on someone like him ... Not boom or bust but .. Big, toolsy and raw ... He may not become the assists leader but could become a useful possession player that can get the puck to the scoring area and add size and physicality.

Pretty significant chunk of an 18 year old player. I can see why he's being discussed for a late 1st , early 2nd pick and I would call him a swing at 21 but not a crazy reach. I'd probably take a chance on him.



Have to ask the Sens Russian scouts what they see in him.

Do you remember what the read was on Alexander Nikishin heading into the 2020 draft? I am wondering if there were similar criticisms of hos play to what we are hearing about Prokhorov. Nikishin ended up going in the 3rd round. Over the last 3 years in the KHL he put up:
2022-23: 65GP 11G 44A 55PTS
2023-24: 67GP 17G 39A 56PTS
2024-25: 61GP 17G 29A 46PTS

Nikishin is a d man though. The point is that he had size, skating, physicality and some interesting offensive tools. I think he might have had some similar criticisms of his play but maybe I'm wrong about that.

Prokhorov might end up being like that. He might be getting looked over and end up a much better player than people think.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

Interesting debate on Prokhorov here. They are very critical of his play. It would have been more interesting to have someone who is much higher on him in part of this debate, but it is still a worthwhile discussion to listed to. They also have some commentary on a few other players in this video.

 

[DJB]

Mcagg is a quack. Unable to take any criticism at all. Same goes for those two clowns in Pronman and Wheeler

Edwards is a guy to trust though .