Prospect Info: The 2018 NHL Entry Draft Discussion Thread

[Juxtaposer]

I agree but if the best pick is a d-man, I'm alright with the pick even with Burns there. If we end up with an excess of PMD's, we can move one for assets. The only thing that should trump a potential franchise d-man pick is a franchise playmaking forward regardless of position. This draft, my preference is probably going to be a defenseman.

This draft, I think it’s likely that a defenseman will be BPA when we draft, so I’m okay with that too. So long as it’s an offensive type rather than another Mueller.

 

[hohosaregood]

Kinda just realized that the Sharks could survive a tank rebuild, you just need the right people in the front office. You need a Brendan Shanahan to come in with a Shanaplan. It's really obvious if you look at the 49ers and the attitude between last year and this year. There's a huge difference between the attitudes around Lynch and Shanahan, and Baalke.

Conclusion: we need to bring in a Shanahan.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

This draft, I think it’s likely that a defenseman will be BPA when we draft, so I’m okay with that too. So long as it’s an offensive type rather than another Mueller.

Oh of course but I don't think anyone with Mueller's production would ever get that high up the draft board, provided we're in the top five area, to even have that choice be a thing. I only worry that they still may value someone who is close to NHL ready over franchise potential defensemen like they did in DW's first draft with Michalek over guys like Suter, Phaneuf, or Coburn. Granted, Coburn didn't work out that way but one could see that potential at the time. Suter and Phaneuf did pan out like that at least for a stretch of time. I just hope that if they have that good of a pick and DW is still running things that they've learned from that decision.

Kinda just realized that the Sharks could survive a tank rebuild, you just need the right people in the front office. You need a Brendan Shanahan to come in with a Shanaplan. It's really obvious if you look at the 49ers and the attitude between last year and this year. There's a huge difference between the attitudes around Lynch and Shanahan, and Baalke.

Conclusion: we need to bring in a Shanahan.

I agree the Sharks can survive a rebuild. I don't think that's ever really been in doubt. It's whether ownership was willing to make the hard decision of rebuilding and understanding that it has to be looked at as an investment that may take time to see a return on it. The market will sag a little in attendance but it won't bottom out like the Coyotes did. And financially the team will be fine as long as Plattner is there. He can afford a few years of losing if it transitions the team into the next era of players that can contend. There was some concern about this when the lease was set to expire in 2018 but that has been resolved. Now, it's just whether or not the philosophy of making the team as financially successful as possible in the short term wins out over the philosophy of building your team for a championship in the long term. That's pretty much up to Plattner.

 

[Lebanezer]

For no other reason than how late his birthday is and the possibility of him being available when the sharks pick, I want to take Ryan Merkley.

 

[Juxtaposer]

For no other reason than how late his birthday is and the possibility of him being available when the sharks pick, I want to take Ryan Merkley.

Guy is crazy talented but apparently a complete and total mess in his own zone. Probably will fall because people are gun-shy of taking another Ryan Murphy.

 

[The Nemesis]

I don't want to hijack the thread or anything, but I'm not sure how else to get your attention:

Jux, check your PM/conversation things. I'm not sure if the notification for those things is broken or what. The new site is weird.

 

[Lebanezer]

Guy is crazy talented but apparently a complete and total mess in his own zone. Probably will fall because people are gun-shy of taking another Ryan Murphy.

Shit. You know the sharks won’t take a guy like that.

 

[stator]

All the discussion as to who the Sharks should draft in the 1st round will rapidly abate when DW trades that pick away.

 

[hohosaregood]

Oliver Wahlstrom's my guy.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

Tkachuk is my personal fallback option

 

[Bowie22]

Barrett Hayton sounds like our guy.

 

[hohosaregood]

I will also accept Jett Woo cuz what a name.

 

[Lebanezer]

Too bad we can't get him unless things take a turn.

 

[Captain Serious]

DW needs to fire Burke at this point. If he makes our pick in 2018 we're going to grab K'Andre Miller or some other low upside guy. TSN just released a ranking of U-24 cores in the NHL and the sharks are dead last.

Young Leafs lead the pack in Core Four Under-24 ranking - Article - TSN

Hertl is good but it's hard to get excited about him when comparing him to the other U-24 cores. I don't see Meier turning into anything over a 45 point physical energy guy. Labanc is skilled but inconsistent. Norris is such a bad pick at where we got him.

The sharks have had every opportunity to build up a strong U-24 core. It's not like we've just been picking late or getting unlucky. Burke just picks the low upside prospects every time it seems. It's going to make this inevitable rebuild way longer than it should be.

 

[hohosaregood]

I don't think DW's got that much confidence in Burke at this point either but that doesn't mean he's gonna fire him :/. When Kurz asked him about the poor drafting, all he could give was an overwhelming non-answer.

 

[The Nemesis]

I'll probably get eye rolls because he is going to sound like a Burke pick, but I'd love to use a 2nd or 3rd (depending on final rankings and results) on WHL import forward Milos Roman. Yes, I'm being totally biased and picking a player who plays for my hometown team.

Pros:

• Blazing fast skater
• Responsible 3-zone player
• Not afraid to block shots, forecheck hard, or battle on the boards
• Good size (6'0, 195-200 lbs)
• Shows some strong offensive flashes, especially a willingness/ability to be a distributor/playmaker
• Currently a PPG player, 4th on the Giants in scoring behind Ty Ronning (over-age and really shouldn't still be in the WHL if not for the Rangers seemingly being short on contract slots), Brad Morrison (over-age failed former NYR 4th rounder, but still skilled for the WHL), and James Malm (Ronning-esque slick scoring undersized player. Went undrafted last summer probably because he's small and unassuming. But I could see him being a Ronning 2.0 type gamble for some team, or absolute best-case-scenario, a poor-man's Brendan Gallagher)

Cons:

• Old for his draft year
• Invites questions about how much his offence has been inflated by playing chiefly on a line with the aforementioned Ronning and Morrison.
• Probably moves off C to a wing spot as a pro.
• Has sorta tumbled down the draft rankings since a couple of years ago. He was a hotshot 2018 prospect at U-18 events, was considered a 1st rounder as recently as last year, and now the WHL's "prospects to watch" report for November gave him a "B" grade, which presumes a 2nd or 3rd round pick.
• He might be a Meier/Norris-esque "safe" pick because there's no guarantee his offence translates to the pros. And I know how much everyone hates those.
  
• I'm probably horribly, horribly biased.

 

[Juxtaposer]

I’m totally fine with taking someone like Roman past the first round. I do know much about the player specifically, but he sounds like. Good mid-late 2nd round pick.

DW needs to fire Burke at this point. If he makes our pick in 2018 we're going to grab K'Andre Miller or some other low upside guy. TSN just released a ranking of U-24 cores in the NHL and the sharks are dead last.

Young Leafs lead the pack in Core Four Under-24 ranking - Article - TSN

Hertl is good but it's hard to get excited about him when comparing him to the other U-24 cores. I don't see Meier turning into anything over a 45 point physical energy guy. Labanc is skilled but inconsistent. Norris is such a bad pick at where we got him.

The sharks have had every opportunity to build up a strong U-24 core. It's not like we've just been picking late or getting unlucky. Burke just picks the low upside prospects every time it seems. It's going to make this inevitable rebuild way longer than it should be.

Ironically, Miller is a high-upside guy with huge bust potential. But I get your point.

Man that’s hideous. The Sharks absolutely have had the picks to be at least middle of the pack. I know people are sick of me dropping names but just looking at that list makes me mad as hell.

Why are we the worst offensive team in the league? A damn big part of that is that we refuse to draft actual scorers.

 

[Lebanezer]

I don't care if we aren't gonna get him, I'm gonna keep posting this stuff.

 

[rangerssharks414]

I don't care if we aren't gonna get him, I'm gonna keep posting this stuff.

 

[shorkie88]

dam, you totally beat me to it. lol

 

[hohosaregood]

I stand firm in my belief that not even Dahlin can save the oilers. They'd basically just be post-cup Chicago except they never got their cups.

 

[Coily]

Oh hey, we're picking 9th. That's cool.

 

[JoeThorntonsRooster]

Oh hey, we're picking 9th. That's cool.

At least one of Barzal, Zacha, Werenski, Provorov, Hanifin, Marner, Strome, Eichel, of McDavid will be available. I'm super excited to add any one of those guys to our roster!

 

[StanleyCup2035]

Has Burke harassed any employees in the Sharks organization? For the love of God, someone needs to step forward so Wilson is forced to fire him.

 

[BaileyMacTavish]

I still don't know where we're gonna be picking. They fluctuate between good and god awful all the time. Also we need to fire Burke regardless