Prospect Info: The 2015 NHL Draft Thread VII

[Billdo]

Barzal, Sprong, Hintz sounds fantastic to me with the first three picks.

 

[MichaelJ]

I'd like to see #6 yield a top6 center and then grab two wings with our 2nds, preferably one who can play on the left and the other on the right.

I like Hintz, I wonder if we could steal him in the 3rd.

 

[njdevils1982]

Barzal, Sprong, Hintz sounds fantastic to me with the first three picks.

sounds like a law firm

 

[Devils Dominion]

I don't think Hintz lasts to the 3rd round.
We will have to snag him in the 2nd if he's still available.

 

[Marshal Rochambeau]

I don't think Hintz lasts to the 3rd round.
We will have to snag him in the 2nd if he's still available.

If you watch him play he ranks among the best of the draft in hockey sense.

 

[nugg]

I don't think Hintz lasts to the 3rd round.
We will have to snag him in the 2nd if he's still available.

Well we do have two 2nds

 

[Devils Dominion]

If you watch him play he ranks among the best of the draft in hockey sense.

And he's one of the better skaters.

If he had a better finishing touch he'd be a sure bet first rounder.

 

[Billdo]

And he's one of the better skaters.

If he had a better finishing touch he'd be a sure bet first rounder.

This. After watching several videos and reading a bunch on him, he appears to have little in the way of finishing.

 

[OmNomNom]

This. After watching several videos and reading a bunch on him, he appears to have little in the way of finishing.

he'll fit right in then

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

6'3"" 18-year old who's putting up some point in the Finnish men's league? Sign me up.

 

[OmNomNom]

can someone tell me what the fascination of performing in a finnish men's league is btw? i always keep hearing it as a positive, and i don't doubt its the case since the men they play against are physically finnished in development (lol pun), but i mean is it actually on par in terms of positivity as opposed to, say, playing in the WHL/OHL? is the skill there that high and does it generally translate into the NHL (are there notable recent examples of good exports from there who played there in their junior years)?

 

[Burner Account]

The fascination is men vs. boys.

 

[OmNomNom]

The fascination is men vs. boys.

but skill wise? i mean i could play against beer league men as opposed to younger NCAA D1 boys, but that doesn't mean i'm better bc of it (extreme example obviously)

i'm just curious about SM-liiga's reputation and what notable men they've put out there. that question is what makes me hesitate on liking rantanen so much actually

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

can someone tell me what the fascination of performing in a swedish men's league is btw? i always keep hearing it as a positive, and i don't doubt its the case since the men they play against are physically finnished in development (lol pun), but i mean is it actually on par in terms of positivity as opposed to, say, playing in the WHL/OHL? is the skill there that high and does it generally translate into the NHL (are there notable recent examples of good exports from there who played there in their junior years)?

The top Swedish and Finnish leagues are better than the AHL.

http://hockeyanalytics.com/Research_files/League_Equivalencies.pdf

Hintz basically put up Stefan Matteau-like numbers in a comparable league as an 18-year old.

 

[OmNomNom]

The top Swedish and Finnish leagues are better than the AHL.

http://hockeyanalytics.com/Research_files/League_Equivalencies.pdf

oops idk why i said swedish mens league haha. i know they're awesome. but thanks for the link.

any recent notables who played juniors in the finnish league?

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

oops idk why i said swedish mens league haha. i know they're awesome. but thanks for the link.

any recent notables who played juniors in the finnish league?

Mikael Granlund
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=118389

Teemu Pulkkinen
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=118379

Joel Armia
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=130454

Teuvo Teraveinen
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=144613

Aleksander Barkov
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=145634

Rasmus Ristolainen
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=139048

 

[Cheddabombs]

6'3"" 18-year old who's putting up some point in the Finnish men's league? Sign me up.

Hintz and Rantanen it is then!

 

[Marshal Rochambeau]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1901351

Barzal ftw

 

[Tretyak 20]

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1901351

Barzal ftw

Yes, definitely! Who we draft should definitely be decided by a couple of fans on a message board! What could possibly go wrong with that!

 

[VoidCreature]

Yes, definitely! Who we draft should definitely be decided by a couple of fans on a message board! What could possibly go wrong with that!

No need to be snide. This whole thread is about speculation. Have fun with it.

 

[Tretyak 20]

No need to be snide. This whole thread is about speculation. Have fun with it.

I am. I just have to laugh at the way some people get so convinced that there's one player and only one player we have to draft. Very fanboy.

I personally will be happy with any of several players, and let our scouts decide who's best.

 

[R S]

My final rankings have been published. 150 WHL players featured with in-depth profiles, even though only 35-40 will be drafted. Either way, I recommend you check it out as I expect the number one guy on my list to be a real target for your club in NJ:

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2015/05/final-whl-rankings-2015-nhl-draft.html

Example:

#1 Mathew Barzal​

Team: Seattle Thunderbirds
Position: C
Shoots: R
Height: 5’11.25
Weight: 175
GP: 44
Goals: 12
Assists: 45
Points: 57
Pts/Gm: 1.29
PIM: 20

Player Analysis: Mathew Barzal is a game-breaking playmaker for the Seattle Thunderbirds…has no issue beating the opposition in a number of different ways offensively…features well above-average acceleration and top-end speed…possesses dynamic edge work which allows him to change direction quickly and go east-west at the drop of a hat…carries the puck with speed, poise and confidence…will take advantage of soft gaps if a defence gives it to him but will beat you wide if you try to play him too tight…would categorize him as an elusive player who subsequently doesn’t take a lot of physical contact…is tough to handle on the cycle due to his high-end stickhandling ability and slippery nature…protects the puck well when in tight areas and along the wall but could definitely use a few more notches of strength to his upper body…will be even tougher to slow down once he adds more weight and power to his lower body as well…can make plays at top speed but also has the ability to slow the game down…makes the players around him better with absolutely elite-level passing ability and vision…I’ve said his vision may be second to only Connor McDavid in this draft… can make adept plays both on the forehand and backhand including the ability to elevate pucks and land them in tight spots, adding a unique element to just how hard he is to stop in the playmaking game…has extremely good hands and the ability to stick-handle in tight spaces…as I’ve alluded to, he’s definitely a playmaker more than a scorer…despite being more of a passer he still possesses a hard shot with a snappy release…would be a guy that needs to shoot the puck more as he tends to try and make that extra pass from time to time instead of wiring it…when he does shoot, he’s dangerous and if he can put more pucks on net I wouldn’t doubt he has 30 goal potential at the NHL level during his peak years…wouldn’t list hockey sense as any form of a concern especially on the offensive side of the puck…a smart player positionally and is comfortable being the number one guy for a WHL franchise…plays with a good motor and doesn’t take many shifts off…seems to be somewhat inconsistent in his desire to always go to tough areas and to drive hard lanes consistently but it’s a small complaint and I don’t see it holding him back much going forward…I wouldn’t call him a physical player and he doesn’t have a ton of feistiness to his game…like most players his age he must continue to work on his defensive game, although he has a strong set of instincts away from the puck…his noted motor also transfers fairly well to the defensive side of the puck, as do his stick skills…is a bit of a puck thief…has been used in penalty killing situations as a member of the Thunderbirds and should maintain that ability as he climbs the pro hockey ladder…has been the Thunderbirds number one centre for the past two seasons and obviously the key pillar on their powerplay…his most common linemate in the second part of the season in 2014-15 was Roberts Lipsbergs as they played 22 of Seattle’s final 27 regular season games together…he also spent plenty of time with Ryan Gropp on his left side…he missed over two and a half months of action during the middle of the year with a broken kneecap after injuring it while wrestling with a teammate…offensive numbers weren’t jaw-dropping before his injury but ended up posting very good numbers down the stretch for Seattle…he led all first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards in points-per-game (1.29) and even-strength points-per game (0.77)…he either scored or assisted on 42.54% of all Seattle Thunderbird regular season goals, the highest mark of any first-year draft-eligible WHL forward relative to their own team…he finished 3rd among first-year draft-eligible WHL forwards in primary assists with 26 while finishing 7th in total points despite missing a big chunk of the year with injury…followed up a good second part of the season with a monster showing at the World Under-18 Championships where he was widely considered Canada’s best forward…was my top ranked player from the WHL from the very start of the season until now, despite his rather slow offensive start and his injury issue…I came close to ranking Ivan Provorov ahead of him in these final rankings but his ability to elevate his game another full notch at the Under-18’s helped solidify his standing as my top guy this year…his playing style reminds me of a combination of Claude Giroux and Matt Duchene, taking Duchene’s skating ability and Giroux’s vision and skill…is the former 1st overall selection in the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft…overall I see Barzal as a potential solid number two centre at the NHL level with his lack of defensive value, size and strength holding him back from reaching that true number one status…I think he will be an electric offensive guy but might need to be sheltered away from bigger lines at that next level, stopping me from classifying him as that “true #1” type of centre…I like his offensive ceiling more than any other WHL player in this draft, quite easily…I expect him to come off the board sometime in the 6-9 range come June’s draft with the New Jersey Devils at 6th overall being a likely landing spot if I had to narrow it down even further…

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

Was just coming in to post a link to your piece! Thanks for stopping by, it's been fascinating trying to go through all your rankings. It's been a real enjoyable and informative read.

 

[Brodeur]

My final rankings have been published. 150 WHL players featured with in-depth profiles, even though only 35-40 will be drafted. Either way, I recommend you check it out as I expect the number one guy on my list to be a real target for your club in NJ:

http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/2015/05/final-whl-rankings-2015-nhl-draft.html

I was coming here to link everybody to your post. Great work as always Cody!

 

[Fear the Wushu]

Was just coming in to post a link to your piece! Thanks for stopping by, it's been fascinating trying to go through all your rankings. It's been a real enjoyable and informative read.

After reading that piece I make take Barzal over McDavid lol