Strome or Hanifin

[My Sweet Shadow]

Personally, I'd lean towards Strome, but then again I've seen him play a lot more than Hanifin. Odds are, it won't matter; as it stands, we've got about an 80% chance of finishing 4th last (http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL/Eastern/Atlantic/Toronto.html), so Arizona will almost certainly take one of Hanifin or Strome and we'll take whoever's left...it's not like we lose in either situation.

 

[cupcrazyman]

Agreed...

If Hanifin goes #3, it has to be Marner.

If Hanifin is passed at #3...well then it gets interesting.

I just hope #3's GM overrates Dylan Strome as much as others.

can't wait to see who upsets the draft with the #3 pick.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Look at all the quality players in the NHL that played in the CHL and then look at the ones who played in the NCAA. You will see that the CHL is the much better league.

QoC
-quality of competition is certainly greater in ncaa then chl

chl just produces greater players, and usually over time
whereas ncaa are just older avg players who will not amount to anything
but the competition is stiffer there seeing as there bigger and stronger players there
but there potential is less, whereas chl has a much higher ceiling but easier to play inyour making a really bad comparison man..... ofc chl produces more players, then ncaa, but ncaa is harder to play in its pretty obvious, why else would echiel go 2nd cause his numbers there pale in comparison to top players in chl, the answer
cause its much harder to play in that league lmao

 

[CrazyCanuck89]

QoC
-quality of competition is certainly greater in ncaa then chl

chl just produces greater players, and usually over time
whereas ncaa are just older avg players who will not amount to anything
but the competition is stiffer there seeing as there bigger and stronger players there
but there potential is less, whereas chl has a much higher ceiling but easier to play inyour making a really bad comparison man..... ofc chl produces more players, then ncaa, but ncaa is harder to play in its pretty obvious, why else would echiel go 2nd cause his numbers there pale in comparison to top players in chl, the answer
cause its much harder to play in that league lmao

It does not mean the competition is better just because the players are bigger and stronger.

 

[NotSince67*]

Look at all the quality players in the NHL that played in the CHL and then look at the ones who played in the NCAA. You will see that the CHL is the much better league.

I think this is an archaic view. Maybe 30 years ago, 15 years ago. Simply not true now. Just on the Leafs? Bozak, Gardiner, JvR, Kessel, Winnik, Santoreilli, MacWilliam are ALL NCAA alumnus. CHL grads Lupul, Phaneuf, Rielly, Holland, Kadri, Polak, Robidas, Panik. That's just off the top of my head.

Reality is, that a lot of the hockey hotbeds of America still retain talent which develops through the NCAA. Places like Minnesota and New England have traditionally resisted having their best players leave to go play in the CHL and the USNDP generally is able to retain the top talent in the US and graduate them into the NCAA.

If you looked at the number of NHL drafted players, and players who are first round picks in the NCAA I think you;d be surprised how many really talented kids are out there. Not to mention a lot of the kids who leave Canadian Tier II Jr. A (like the OPJHL, BCHL, AJHL) to go play NCAA are all CHL drafted players who in many cases were heavily recruited by their CHL clubs and decided NOT to play CHL in order to get scholarships which the CHL just cannot match (CHL is maxed to a 10K education package for a player, simply cannot match a US education for free).

Now, given that the age of CHL players is pretty much 17-19 with the odd 20 y/o OA and the sprinkling of 16 year old rookies, it's a far younger and less developed league. Watch NCAA hockey and CHL hockey and the BIGGEST difference is age. 17 years old are almost never on NCAA teams, and most 18 years old have their rights held by NHL clubs. A lot of freshmen come in at 19-20. Simply standing besides one another, CHL players are physically undeveloped, NCAA players have filled out and have begun to develop man strength. Not to mention that the week-ends only and fewer games, NCAA players tend to get more time in the weight room. (Fact. Ryan Malone and JML attribute this extra gym and practise time as very beneficial in their careers).

What am I getting at?

I think if you took a look at #7 or #6 int he conference OHL team, you;re only gonna find about 5 or 6 NHL drafted players, and maybe one or two who are going to get drafted. In the NCAA, you're going to have a handful 4 or 5 on a team. But they're going to be much older, more developed, and WAYYYYY more polished.

I don't think you can even really compare the CHL to the NCAA. Anyone who knows hockey knows that the developmental difference between a 17 and a 20 year old are huge, let alone a 19 year old and a 23 year old. This whole argument is based on the notion the NCAA lacks top end or depth of talent and that simply is just not true.

Why else do the Leafs currently have a wealth of prospects in the NCAA?

 

[NotSince67*]

Yeah and Chl players are what then.....

Leafs don't have much of a system, hanifin could put up good Numbers with them, especially since we're going nowhere fast
And pairing with Reilly and playing top line pp mins ...he could have a ekblad rookie season maybe better, just depends where he gets drafted and where/ how much he plays

Um, I don't see how where he gets drafted changes anything about how well he's going to play next year.

But as for Ekblad... No, I doubt he will. In fact I doubt he's going to be better than Ekblad. It's silly to me people leading up to last year's draft wanted to **** on Ekblad, I even saw a few people on MLHS saying he was gonna bust. No. He is, and was, the REAL DEAL. Franchise D.

If you remember watching the WJC and how dominant he was... Well at the OHL level when he was on the ice it was the Ekblad show. Dominant, controlled the game while he was on the ice. Plus he has jam to his game that a lot of these guys like Jones and Hanifin don't. Hanifin is solid and ultra-steady defensively. Ekblad was shut-you down and maybe toss a facewash in after the whistle.

Wait till he turns 21 and the nastiness comes out a little when he's a little more comfortable being physically assertive against grown men.

 

[JackJ]

Oilers will select Hanifin with that third pick.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

thank you NotSince67, someone gets it about ncaa, and my other point about where hanafin lands is important beacuse if he lands to a team with good def or a team with no good def it depends or that if some teams have room or not ect..., was just saying if hanafin is given opportunity to succeed he will like ekblad was this season, not saying one is better than the other

CrazyCanuck89, proof please, giving an opinion or arguing against is useless with no facts to back your claim
i mean its pretty simple ncaa, has the tougher QoC, the players are older more mature and filled out, faster and stronger ect....

 

[tooncesmeow]

I think the issue people have with NCAA is that its not Canadian, the much lighter schedule, and the scary stories that come with guys like Schultz, Shore, etc. where they finish college and just bail on their team to be a free agent.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

tooncesmeow you may have a point
but i mean some people act like they're scrubs playing there and its easy
which is clearly not the case

 

[tooncesmeow]

It will probably be that case until you start seeing more Top 5 picks coming out of that group. People take KHL/SHL/Liiga seriously so it won't be that long until NCAA is taken seriously.

 

[HockeyGuruPitka]

Marner.

 

[So Truculent]

Marner.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Really, though, either or. I like 'em both.

 

[diceman934]

thank you NotSince67, someone gets it about ncaa, and my other point about where hanafin lands is important beacuse if he lands to a team with good def or a team with no good def it depends or that if some teams have room or not ect..., was just saying if hanafin is given opportunity to succeed he will like ekblad was this season, not saying one is better than the other

CrazyCanuck89, proof please, giving an opinion or arguing against is useless with no facts to back your claim
i mean its pretty simple ncaa, has the tougher QoC, the players are older more mature and filled out, faster and stronger ect....

The higher skill level is in Major Jr....when comparing the two leagues there simply is no comparison. The Level of competition in the NCAA is all over the map, with under funded teams and lack of talent. Major Jr has a draft that ensure that talent is equally spread out....not the same in NCAA. The weak player in the NCAA are players that generally there to bring up the GPA of the team so that there is no sanctions as a result.

The tougher QOC is easily in favor of Major Canadian Jr teams...as they consistently are facing quaility teams.

Now the age difference is the only thing in favour of the NCCA.....but if a 18 year gets drafted into the NHL they can play in the AHL at 20 and they will then be eligible for the AHL.....sure would be a better path if you are a good hockey player.

NCAA is better for the Student Athlete who are not top picks or undrafted.....most from Canada do not go south until after completing their Jr Eligibility here and then go south! So the net result is that if you are a talent Hockey player it is better to stay home and play...for US players that is NCAA for the most part and for Canadians it is Major Jr.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Most of the hockey experts have had Hanifin as the clear cut #3 for the entire season. According to them it is

McDavid/Eichel

Hanifin

Marner/Strome

So I would pick Hanifin with the 3rd overall.

 

[Falon]

I think whether or not Leafs pick Hanifin or Strome will be very interesting, should Edmonton move past them. For me it comes down to whether the Leafs are serious about a rebuild. If they want to be able to contend for the playoffs in 2-3 seasons, they will pick Strome. If they want to completely blow up the entire team and start from scratch, they will pick Hanifin. Personally, I'd rather the former than the latter.

 

[PuckMagi]

Oilers will select Hanifin with that third pick.

But I think there's only about a 1 in 3 chance that the Oilers pick 3rd (even if they finish 3rd last).

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

The higher skill level is in Major Jr....when comparing the two leagues there simply is no comparison. The Level of competition in the NCAA is all over the map, with under funded teams and lack of talent. Major Jr has a draft that ensure that talent is equally spread out....not the same in NCAA. The weak player in the NCAA are players that generally there to bring up the GPA of the team so that there is no sanctions as a result.

The tougher QOC is easily in favor of Major Canadian Jr teams...as they consistently are facing quaility teams.

Now the age difference is the only thing in favour of the NCCA.....but if a 18 year gets drafted into the NHL they can play in the AHL at 20 and they will then be eligible for the AHL.....sure would be a better path if you are a good hockey player.

NCAA is better for the Student Athlete who are not top picks or undrafted.....most from Canada do not go south until after completing their Jr Eligibility here and then go south! So the net result is that if you are a talent Hockey player it is better to stay home and play...for US players that is NCAA for the most part and for Canadians it is Major Jr.

lol no, QoC is not better in juniors, there just more likely to make it to the nhl, ones a half men's league the other a kids league not hard to tell which is harder to play in. Also there are a bunch of ****** junior teams not all of them are good either.

Eichel a generational talent the 2nd best player in this draft put up 67 p in 38 g ms in ncaa, if he could play more games akin to chl he would have less points then marner, strome, macdavid
And he's supposed to be much better then the first two play3rs I mentioned, so yeah ncaa is hard to play in

 

[Teeder9]

lol no, QoC is not better in juniors, there just more likely to make it to the nhl, ones a half men's league the other a kids league not hard to tell which is harder to play in. Also there are a bunch of ****** junior teams not all of them are good either.

Eichel a generational talent the 2nd best player in this draft put up 67 p in 38 g ms in ncaa, if he could play more games akin to chl he would have less points then marner, strome, macdavid
And he's supposed to be much better then the first two play3rs I mentioned, so yeah ncaa is hard to play in

I don't really think he's a generational talent. Don't even think McDavid is. Both are super skilled though and it is a two horse race between them. not a single other player in this draft is in the discussion

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

^ regardless eichel can't put up as good number as those in the chl why is that? Cause its harder to play in, can't put he same kind of numbers even if ncaa players play the same or close number of games

 

[Teeder9]

^ regardless eichel can't put up as good number as those in the chl why is that? Cause its harder to play in, can't put he same kind of numbers even if ncaa players play the same or close number of games

I wasn't arguing. i agree about the NCAA, at least for the top teams.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Fair enough

 

[Portse91]

this isnt even going to be a question because were going to win thr lottery and pick McDavid

But seriously, I saw Hanifin play in Kingston in the WJC Exhibition games and he is the real deal guys. IMO if he played in the OHL and we could all watch him on the same stage as Strome and Marner this wouldnt even be a discussion. I dont remember who said it earlier this year (i want to say Craig Button but im not sure) but it was said that Hanifin is further ahead of where Jones was in his draft year.

With that being said, the thought having Strome in our system sounds quite nice too. Which ever way the leafs go, it wont be a bad choice.

 

[leafhky88]

^ regardless eichel can't put up as good number as those in the chl why is that? Cause its harder to play in, can't put he same kind of numbers even if ncaa players play the same or close number of games

The level of play I don't necessarily think is the argument. The NCAA with the age gap, strength and maturity is a very strong league. This is familiar to me as I follow CIS hockey where the top teams like Alberta and UNB would hammer most CHL counterparts. That being said, players do not play CIS as an 18/19 year old instead of Major Junior as many see the CHL as the best route to the pros, presumably because of its NHL like schedule, its coaching, scouting etc.

The level of play argument is not there for me. It is which is the better development route, which seems to be somewhat different from player to player. I do not have an opinion either way.

That being said, for top end talent, the CHL has done really well draft wise lately. Of the top 5 picks in the NHL entry drafts since 2008:

2008 - all 5 from CHL
2009 - 4 from CHL
2010 - all 5 from CHL
2011 - 4 from CHL
2012 - all 5 from CHL
2013 - 3 from CHL
2014 - all 5 from CHL