Silayev, Lindstrom, Catton, Iginla, Parekh, Eiserman

[Ozmodiar]

Caufield is thick, Catton is not. I actually prefer Caufield’s “profile” for the playoffs.

Caufield was 163 at the combine. Catton 175.

You’re forgetting one is still 18 yrs old.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

Lindstrom is that shiny toy you have to dodge, he will be the worst out of demigod,iggy,sennecka,connelly, and catton

There is no shortage of shiny new toys available through the draft, trade and free agency that hopefully we are wise enough to avoid.

 

[26Mats]

after reading 72 pages of this thread , i came to the conclusion that we need to have pick #2 to #14

because everyone in that range is a '' we need to get him''

Even in the media, everyone really likes the players from 2 to 14, 15.

It will be interesting to look back and see how many of these players hit. Will it be like 2019 where it was hyped as a deep draft going in, many have hit, and many still have potential:

Jack Hughes
Dach
Byram
Seider
Cozens
Zegras
Boldy
York
Caufield
Newhook
Harley
Pinto
McMichael
(That's already 13)

Plus
Kakko
Turcotte
Podolskin
Soderstrom
Broberg
Knight
Pelletier
Kaliev
etc...

I do get the sense that it will be hard to trade up into the top 15.

 

[ChesterNimitz]

True contenders can roll 4 lines for sure.

And have a mobile defence.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

The league has gone so much in the way of size, especially in the playoffs. Look at Florida and Vegas.

I grew up when the playoff stars were Gretzky, Gilmour, Mats Naslund, Pavel Bure, Yzerman, Larionov, Hull, Kirk Muller, Mike Bossy. Even Wendell Clarke was 5'11.

It's a different league now and different types of players are more valuable. Unfortunately.

No it isn’t. Your perception changed, that is it. Marchessault, Makar, Kane, Marchand, Bergeron, stamkos, kuch all playoff beasts and what they all have in common is skill, not size. Sorry, but nothing has changed.

 

[CHwest]

No it isn’t. Your perception changed, that is it. Marchessault, Makar, Kane, Marchand, Bergeron, stamkos, kuch all playoff beasts and what they all have in common is skill, not size. Sorry, but nothing has changed.

The flavor changes every time a differently built team wins the cup. When Tampa was winning it was all about skill, same as Colorado.

 

[ReHabs]

The flavor changes every time a differently built team wins the cup. When Tampa was winning it was all about skill, same as Colorado.

there is one undeniable through line between every cup winner: skill

Raw, pure, simple playmaking skills

 

[BehindTheTimes]

there is one undeniable through line between every cup winner: skill

Raw, pure, simple playmaking skills

Can’t win without it.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

No it isn’t. Your perception changed, that is it. Marchessault, Makar, Kane, Marchand, Bergeron, stamkos, kuch all playoff beasts and what they all have in common is skill, not size. Sorry, but nothing has changed.

But they were surrounded by big players able to apply a physical game and have enough skills to score when needed. These teams had a wall in defence, with one exception like Makar or Rafalski. These complete teams were runned by a system every players buyed it, the Marchessault, Makar, Kane, Marchand, Bergeron and Stamkos were the cherry on the top. They had space do turn around and make plays, It's nice to see skilled players make their plays but there is an complete machine behind them.

 

[26Mats]

The flavor changes every time a differently built team wins the cup. When Tampa was winning it was all about skill, same as Colorado.

Tampa wasn't about skill only. look at their defense and supporting cast to Point and Kucherov.

 

[26Mats]

No it isn’t. Your perception changed, that is it. Marchessault, Makar, Kane, Marchand, Bergeron, stamkos, kuch all playoff beasts and what they all have in common is skill, not size. Sorry, but nothing has changed.

There are some sub 6 foot great players still. But the supporting cast has changed. Bergeron and Stamkos are 6'1. Marchessault and Marchand were surrounded by giants that can all skate and cover space better than in the 80's and 90's. There is much less room out there than in the 80's and 90's. It's a very different game. Sure you need skill. But you can only have so much of it without size. And you need a lot of size to surround the small skilled players. And you can't have too many sub-6 foot players. Lamentably.

 

[BehindTheTimes]

There are some sub 6 foot great players still. But the supporting cast has changed. Bergeron and Stamkos are 6'1. Marchessault and Marchand were surrounded by giants that can all skate and cover space better than in the 80's and 90's. There is much less room out there than in the 80's and 90's. It's a very different game. Sure you need skill. But you can only have so much of it without size. And you need a lot of size to surround the small skilled players. And you can't have too many sub-6 foot players. Lamentably.

You’re wrong, accept it move on. No one is talking about building a team with everyone under 6 foot. Don’t try to discredit what they did by giving credit to others who weren’t as good. It’s absurd.

 

[Miller Time]

There are some sub 6 foot great players still. But the supporting cast has changed. Bergeron and Stamkos are 6'1. Marchessault and Marchand were surrounded by giants that can all skate and cover space better than in the 80's and 90's. There is much less room out there than in the 80's and 90's. It's a very different game. Sure you need skill. But you can only have so much of it without size. And you need a lot of size to surround the small skilled players. And you can't have too many sub-6 foot players. Lamentably.

The average height & weight of players has certainly increased.

But claiming Marchessault or Stamkos were "surrounded by giants" is not at all accurate.

Top 6 of both the bolts and knights were not particularly large through their cup winning seasons.

Defense and depth players in the 80's were larger than the skill/top 6 guys, no difference there either.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Let’s look at top 6 forwards, since this is the target for the 5th pick ….

Barkov - 215 (Suzuki - 212)
Tkachuk - 206 (Slaf - 230)
Bennett - 195 (Dach - 218)
Reinhart - 193 (Newhook - 199)
Verhaeghe - 180 (?????)
Rodrigues - 175 (Caufield - 175)

With 5/6 spots filled so far, the Habs are quite a bit bigger than the Panthers’ comparable players. … by 50 pounds (10 lb average).

Relative to the Panthers (and Avs, penguins, lightning, Vegas, etc …), the Habs lack skill! They don’t have to concern themselves at all with size to keep pace with the Panthers.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Tampa wasn't about skill only. look at their defense and supporting cast to Point and Kucherov.

9 of their top 10 scoring forwards in the playoffs (2021) were under 195 pounds.

The only 195lb + player was Newhook’s size.

 

[26Mats]

You’re wrong, accept it move on. No one is talking about building a team with everyone under 6 foot. Don’t try to dis Reddit what they did by giving credit to others who weren’t as good. It’s absurd.

If you want argue a position, maybe make points in the discussion instead of "you're wrong."

Yes, the point isn't buinling a team with everyone under 6 foot. The point is teams that win now have fewer players under 6 foot, and teams are bigger because of that. You can win with a few players under 6 foot. But not too many.

 

[Nedved]

Tampa wasn't about skill only. look at their defense and supporting cast to Point and Kucherov.

those tampa teams were detroit level of talent late 90s red wings. just better than everyone else. from top to bottom.

 

[26Mats]

9 of their top 10 scoring forwards in the playoffs (2021) were under 195 pounds.

The only 195lb + player was Newhook’s size.

I'm talking about under 6 feet, not weight.

 

[ReHabs]

In the context of building a team through the draft, you draft the highest skill players and then build the rest of the team with as many of the Moar Big style players as you can manage.

The very best playoff players are also the very best regular season players. There is no “playoff performer” archetype or physical profile so using a top5 pick (likely, hopefully, our last one in a while) should go to acquire the player we absolutely cannot spare not having: elite playmaker.

The only prospect I’d take over a playmaking forward is a all-minutes dman like Silayev or Dickinson or Levshunov.

 

[Svart]

it's about skill and heart

 

[Ozmodiar]

I'm talking about under 6 feet, not weight.

You wrote “size” in your previous comment.

 

[417]

Reading about all the concerns with Lindstrom’s back, you’d think he's being held together by some scotch tape and some gum.

If it helps him be there at 5, so be it.

 

[Matthew McConaughay]

it's about skill and heart

That's more important in my book, and staying healthy, not a big player made of glass.

 

[Tyson]

Reading about all the concerns with Lindstrom’s back, you’d think he's being held together by some scotch tape and some gum.

If it helps him be there at 5, so be it.

Agreed but let's be honest, with herniated disk you have to have a bit of pause. I don't think it is a deal breaker but like you said he could be there at #5 because of it

 

[Sasha Orlov]

9 of their top 10 scoring forwards in the playoffs (2021) were under 195 pounds.

The only 195lb + player was Newhook’s size.

Now do their defence