Prospect Info: Play Bad for Ekblad? (the 2014 draft thread)

[OG]

I'll post McKenzie's list live here on the new page.

1. Aaron Ekblad
2. Sam Reinhart
3. Sam Bennett
4. Leon Draisaitl
5. Michael Dal Colle
6. Nick Ritchie
7. Jake Virtanen
8. Haydn Fleury
9. Willie Nylander
10. Nikolaj Ehlers
11. Kasperi Kapanen
12. Dylan Larkin
13. Brendan Perlini
14. Robby Fabbri
15. Kevin Fiala
16. Jared McCann
17. Alex Tuch
18. Sonny Milano
19. Jakub Vrana
20. Julius Honka
21. Nikita Scherbak
22. David Pastrnak
23. Ivan Barbashev
24. Travis Sanheim
25. Roland McKeown
26. Nick Schmaltz
27. Thatcher Demko
28. Adrian Kempe
29. Conner Bleackley
30. Josh Ho-Sang
31. Anthony DeAngelo

Tomorrow night they will have a mock draft which of course matches players to certain teams.

 

[nobuddy]

Interesting that Larkin has become the consensus best American in the draft ahead of Milano and Tuch.

I'm really really high on Milano. He reminds me a lot of Kane.

 

[Vagrant]

I think Kapanen has dropped enough that we're no longer in danger of taking him at 7th. That doesn't exclude a trade down scenario, but we'd be off it to take him at that slot. Not sure why the sudden surge of hatred, but he's getting a lot of negative things said about him right now. Virtanen is sort of riding the same wave of negative press with his injury. Ritchie, for some reason, is getting trashed by a few people right now too. It's weird how much can change without a single game being played with interviews, combines, etc. Not sure how much stock to put into it all.

For what it's worth, it seems like Fleury is taking some jumps forward for some folks. Ehlers and Larkin are pretty hot names too.

 

[Vagrant]

Interesting that Larkin has become the consensus best American in the draft ahead of Milano and Tuch.

I'm really really high on Milano. He reminds me a lot of Kane.

You posted about Larkin when I was posting about Larkin. I'm not sure what to make of Milano. He's got some puck skills for sure. I just feel like if he were Russian he'd probably be like a third round pick.

 

[Unsustainable]

I'm ok with Fluery at 7.

If we drop back and pick up an extra 1st, Tuch and Ho Sang would be strong.

 

[Brock Anton]

Whatever happened to Erik Karlsson's (our Erik Karlsson) brother? Wasn't he supposed to be a potential top 10-15 prospect or something?

 

[OG]

Whatever happened to Erik Karlsson's (our Erik Karlsson) brother? Wasn't he supposed to be a potential top 10-15 prospect or something?

Anton Karlsson? He had a less than spectacular year and is now projected as an early 2nd in most places I've looked.

 

[Carolinas Identity*]

Anton Karlsson? He had a less than spectacular year and is now projected as an early 2nd in most places I've looked.

I'd take him with our 2nd if he's there.

 

[Vagrant]

I'd take him with our 2nd if he's there.

He's getting a lot of bad heat for not bringing as much offensive production and just being an energy player in the U20's. A lot of people wanted to see him be a dominating force there, but not every draft eligible is built the same. I wouldn't be upset with him in the 2nd round at all.

 

[DaveG]

You know who else had exactly that same rep last year? De La Rose. And that pick seems to be working out pretty nicely for Montreal. Sometimes it takes a bit longer for these bigger guys to find their offense when they move to a higher level of competition.

 

[Stanky and Janky]

Or he could end up being a project like a Victor Rask that was rated highly at one point and then fell in the rankings and the draft. I wouldn't mind taking him, but I think there might be guys I would want more depending on how the first round and early second go.

 

[bluedevil58*]

What about trading down to acquire a 3rd line center and draft Perlini?

My wish list:

1. Ritchie

2. Virtanan

3. Perlini

In that order. Thoughts about trading down?

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I'm probably in the minority here, but I would love to swing a deal and end up with Fleury and Sanheim. I admit, I don't know all these prospects as well as most others do, but like what I've read/seen on both these guys. A blueline anchored with the likes of Faulk, Fleury, Sanheim and Murphy a couple of years from now would go a long way for this team. Re-sign Sekera and have any two of Biega, Lowe, Carrick Pesce, and Slavin fill in the 6/7 slot.

Granted, a bunch of "ifs", but that could be the base of a very good blue line for years to come. Something we'd be totally unfamiliar with as Canes fans.

 

[go comets]

I'm ok with Fluery at 7.

If we drop back and pick up an extra 1st, Tuch and Ho Sang would be strong.

That's what I consider the safe pick. Its either flurry or a big forward with question marks......

 

[Discipline Daddy]

I just can't get over the Jeff Skinnerness of Robby Fabbri.

Skinner's draft year - 64 GP, 50 G, 40 A (+7) -- 0.78 Goals per game
Fabbri's draft year - 58 GP, 45 G, 42 A (and +45) -- 0.78 Goals per game

Playoff Skinner - 20 GP, 20 G, 13 A
Playoff Fabbri - 16 GP, 13 G, 15 A

Although Fabbri didn't have quite amazing a playoffs as Skinner did, they're absurdly close. That said, I believe Fabbri was on a significantly better team than Skinner.

From Brendan Ross of Dobber Prospects,

He’s got an innate ability to sneak into scoring areas uncontested and strike quickly. Fabbri displays great hands and hockey sense so productive numbers naturally follow him. His skating is top-end featuring quick first steps and elusive edgework, both elements that contribute to his success as an undersized player. Fabbri thinks the game at an advanced level, possesses a competitive attitude and if size wasn’t a consideration, he’d be considered a top 10 pick.

He can grow facial hair better than Skinner can, though.

Oh yeah and there's this

1. You often cite Jeff Skinner as a player you admire; what is it about him?
"He's not the biggest guy and I get knocked for that too. Seeing him succeed the way he did in his draft year [with his 50-goal season and 20-goal playoff for Kitchener in 2009-10] and continuing to improve, and being underrated, is something that I've been working for this year. He did a great job of overcoming being knocked for his size and I'm trying to follow in those footsteps."

From https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/buzzing-the-net/nhl-draft-tracker-robby-fabbri-guelph-storm-143000597.html

How can we not draft Jeff Skinner's BFF? Aside from there being a better player available, of course.

 

[ONO94]

Moving on from the first--now that JR is gone, will nepotism still be the order of the day? I would assume so with PK still the owner...so with that assumption in mind, who do the Canes take in the second? Karlsson's little brother, Peters' "little" brother, who is both a relation and a Whaler or the goalie from the Whalers, Ned(and a bunch of other randomly assorted letters)? I am leaning towards either of the Whalers--the goalie obviously fills in a need for the system and Peters' brother has good size and outstanding speed, especially for a dman--so I can see either of those two being taken and actually wouldn't be too upset with either.

Then we will only have to wait to see what round Wesley's boy will be taken in...

 

[Lucky Lindy]

Damn, I thougt the draft would be Saturday-Sunday, not Friday-Saturday. And I'm on a festival this week.

Well, have to try not to see anything until Sunday when I come home, then see the whole draft. Mission Impossible V?

 

[What the Faulk]

Fabbri is rising significantly in the latter stages of the draft process, basically from nowhere. I think Skinner did the same. I'm warming up to him, but I still think Ehlers did more with less if you are looking for a Skinner clone.

This draft is such a crapshoot.

 

[raynman]

This draft is such a crapshoot.

Might just be me but I'm a bit more excited than usual for the draft this year because of the crapshoot. Not to mention the potential for several trades to go down. And don't forget we get to watch JR and his ish show on another team this year. Friday-Saturday are going to be freakin' awesome.

 

[Vagrant]

I figured that I would get on record about the draft early so that when we look back in history at these posts we can accurately gauge where we were in our thought process. It tends to get a bit frustrating when people are like "I was on board with that pick all along!" when the sweeping sentiment was obscure.

Picks that I want:

Any of the consensus "Top 5", before any of these guys if they slip
Ritchie
Virtanen
Fabbri

Picks I wouldn't be crushed about:

Ehlers
Nylander
Fleury

Picks I would be disappointed with:

Kapanen
Fiala
McCann
Perlini

 

[DaveG]

To be honest I'm not even sure I'd take Draisaitl before Ritchie.

 

[What the Faulk]

To be honest I'm not even sure I'd take Draisaitl before Ritchie.

I'm leaning this way too. Something about him just seems off to me.

 

[Vagrant]

I don't like non traditional nation prospects as a general rule, because the level of competition is always a concern. The thing about Draisaitl that gets me into his camp is the other wordly potential. I think it's as high as anyone in the entire draft. The biggest knock has been his skating and the fact that it hasn't lampooned his stock is a testament to how strong his other aspects are. Nino Niedereitter burned a lot of people, but it looks like he's finally starting to round into form. It's a tough call on these guys from places not traditionally known for churning out talent, but chalk me up as a believer. I think he has it.

 

[My Special Purpose]

I just can't get over the Jeff Skinnerness of Robby Fabbri.

Skinner's draft year - 64 GP, 50 G, 40 A (+7) -- 0.78 Goals per game
Fabbri's draft year - 58 GP, 45 G, 42 A (and +45) -- 0.78 Goals per game

Playoff Skinner - 20 GP, 20 G, 13 A
Playoff Fabbri - 16 GP, 13 G, 15 A

Although Fabbri didn't have quite amazing a playoffs as Skinner did, they're absurdly close. That said, I believe Fabbri was on a significantly better team than Skinner.

From Brendan Ross of Dobber Prospects,

He can grow facial hair better than Skinner can, though.

Oh yeah and there's this

From https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/buzzing-the-net/nhl-draft-tracker-robby-fabbri-guelph-storm-143000597.html

How can we not draft Jeff Skinner's BFF? Aside from there being a better player available, of course.

As Skinner-ish has he seems, it begs the question, do we need two Jeff Skinners? Is that really the goal here? I love Jeff as much as the next guy, but you can't have a team full of him. Yes, I'd like our pick to have Skinner-like success, but I don't necessarily want him to be a Skinner-like player.

 

[w e l o s t b o y s]

I don't like non traditional nation prospects as a general rule, because the level of competition is always a concern. The thing about Draisaitl that gets me into his camp is the other wordly potential. I think it's as high as anyone in the entire draft. The biggest knock has been his skating and the fact that it hasn't lampooned his stock is a testament to how strong his other aspects are. Nino Niedereitter burned a lot of people, but it looks like he's finally starting to round into form. It's a tough call on these guys from places not traditionally known for churning out talent, but chalk me up as a believer. I think he has it.

What do you mean by level of competition? Nino and Draisaitl put up good numbers in the WHL.