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The Never Too Early 2021 NHL Entry Draft Discussion

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LeafsAvs said:
Has a Finn ever gone #1 overall? Where all the Germans from the much vaulted DEL?
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I don't think so, and this year Germany doesn't really have one. Hakon Hanelt is probably the best German this year, but I'm not sure he gets drafted. Maximilian Glotzl went undrafted last year but he could get on some radars as well. I think he can make the DEL at some point this year.
 
LeafsAvs said:
Leafs: Ekblad
FL:1st, Dermott, Kerfoot
Click to expand...

I'm not sure why the Panthers would do this, and I don't know how exactly we'd fit Ekblad in the cap long-term. I suspect we'd have to move Rielly, though that would be problematic, having just traded Dermott.
 
LeafsAvs said:
Has a Finn ever gone #1 overall? Where all the Germans from the much vaulted DEL?
Click to expand...
Nope, and not going to happen this year. I feel it fuels some of the more extreme nationalistic Finnish posters when it comes to debates like Laine/Matthews or Kakko/Hughes. Sort of funny how the Swiss had one before them.
 
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So Brandt Clarke, will play in Europe this coming year. Probably a good move, to protect his development year, when the season could be in trouble.

 
Fogelhund said:
So Brandt Clarke, will play in Europe this coming year. Probably a good move, to protect his development year, when the season could be in trouble.

Click to expand...


By the way... this was blocked, due to him not having a NHL contract...
 
Early to say, but L'Heuroux might end up being a 2nd rounder if his offense continues to stagnate like this.

Would have easily been the toughest player in last year's draft. Cuylle put up far worse numbers, fights less and is overall less physical but still went 2nd round. L'Heuroux's fighting ability for a guy his size is eye-popping in this day and age.

Would love to snag him outside of the 1st.
 
While it's improbable that we have a chance to draft Power, it never hurts to learn about the next draft class. At least, I hope we aren't in any conversations about draft lotteries going forward, in the next while.

 
I've started tracking this draft like I have with our prospects. I've watched virtually nothing on any of these players at this point. I'm around 100 guys at this point (a lot of them haven't even started their seasons), and some guys that have impressed so far:

William Eklund (SHL)
Jesper Wallstedt (SHL)
Kent Johnson (NCAA)
Matthew Samoskevich (USHL)
Cole Huckins (QMJHL)
Matthew Beniers (NCAA)
Oskar Olausson (SHL)
Joshua Roy (QMJHL)
Corson Ceulemans (AJHL)
Zachary L'Heureux (QMJHL)
Nikita Chibrikov (VHL)
Owen Power (NCAA)
 
I gotta say, William Eklund is without a doubt my guy at this point. Nobody in the entire draft is performing better than him currently, he's a late 1st rounder right now (the Leafs are drafting him here: 2021 NHL Mock Draft | 2021 NHL Draft | NHL Draft) and i think we all know I love my Swedes.

SHL (Djurgardens) 16GP - 12 Points - 30.07 NHLe - +4.0 rel.CF%
 
As of Dec 4, 2020 here are the players with a NHLe above 10, ranked:

Player C-AgeHeightWeightPositionLeague TeamGPPPPGNHLe
Eklund, William 18.95'10"172WSHLDjurgårdens16120.7530.07
Coronato, Matthew18.85'10"181WUSHLChicago6162.6725.80
Johnson, Kent 18.96'1"170CNCAAMichigan781.1421.65
Samoskevich, Matthew 18.85'9"172WUSHLChicago6122.0019.35
Robidas, Justin18.55'7"172CQMJHLVal-d'Or15201.3317.38
Huckins, Cole 18.46'4"192CQMJHLAcadie-Bathurst15191.2716.51
Beniers, Matthew 18.96'0"175CNCAAMichigan760.8616.24
Olausson, Oskar 18.96'2"181WSHLHV711040.4016.04
Bourgault, Xavier19.05'11"166CQMJHLShawinigan10121.2015.65
Roy, Joshua 18.16'1"192CQMJHLSaint John15171.1314.78
Ceulemans, Corson 18.46'2"188RHDAJHLBrooks252.5014.76
Nadeau, Olivier18.76'2"205WQMJHLShawinigan10111.1014.34
L'Heureux, Zachary 18.45'11"196WQMJHLHalifax12131.0814.12
Chibrikov, Nikita 18.65'10"165WVHLSKA850.6313.79
Helenius, Samuel18.86'6"183CLiigaJYP1880.4413.19
Orr, Robert18.15'11"176CQMJHLHalifax15130.8711.30
Pastujov, Sasha 18.26'0"181WUSDPUSDP9141.5611.22
Power, Owen 18.86'5"210LHDNCAAMichigan740.5710.82
Poltapov, Prokhor18.65'10"161WMHLKrasnaya28210.7510.46
Duke, Dylan 18.55'10"181CUSDPUSDP10141.4010.10
[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Of these guys, Wheeler doesn't have Nadeau, Helenius, or Orr in his top-64 rankings.
 
LaPlante94 said:
2022 draft at an early look is looking stacked as f***. Well, at least the top 5.
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People talk a lot comparing drafts to 2015, 2003 etc. The top of that 2022 draft is legitimately amazing, by far the best since 2015 and will be remembered as such in the future.
 
If no season is played this year will the draft lottery work like the 2005 draft did? Every team has a shot at 1st overall
 
Fogelhund said:
The chances or Raty going number one, appear to be pretty remote at this point.
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I don't even know why Räty has been considered 1st overall.
He's regressed and struggled with scoring for a good while ( over a year )
so i will take Räty's 1st overall considerations with huge grain of salt.

There is something in Räty's game which probably makes him if not complete bust
but at least a disappointment based on that where he'll get drafted.

Räty hasn't ever shown absolutely nothing why he should be 1st overall in 2021 draft.
Yes Räty is fine player but not excellent world-class player like most 1st overalls are
and i have to ask is he really that good what peoples are thinking.

If i was a GM of NHL team who's got TOP10 lottery pick i wouldn't use it on Räty.
That Räty was left out of Finland's U20 WJC roster should tell something.

If i have to predict where Räty goes in draft-night
i say he's anything between TOP15 pick to early 2nd round pick.
 
ChicagoBullsFan said:
I don't even know why Räty has been considered 1st overall.
He's regressed and struggled with scoring for a good while ( over a year )
so i will take Räty's 1st overall considerations with huge grain of salt.

There is something in Räty's game which probably makes him if not complete bust
but at least a disappointment based on that where he'll get drafted.

Räty hasn't ever shown absolutely nothing why he should be 1st overall in 2021 draft.
Yes Räty is fine player but not excellent world-class player like most 1st overalls are
and i have to ask is he really that good what peoples are thinking.

If i was a GM of NHL team who's got TOP10 lottery pick i wouldn't use it on Räty.
That Räty was left out of Finland's U20 WJC roster should tell something.

If i have to predict where Räty goes in draft-night
i say he's anything between TOP15 pick to early 2nd round pick.
Click to expand...

Based on how this season has gone, I wouldn't touch him in the top-10 either. Hell, I don't know If I'd touch him top-20 personally. He's 21st on my NHLe rankings, and that doesn't include Wallstedt, or the 53 players (including Clarke, Lambos, and Guenther who are all ranked higher on Wheeler's rankings) of the 133 players I have on my sheet.

He's still a good prospect, and I think you're right with how he should be a late-1st/early 2nd, but his production simply hasn't been good enough, and his lack of improvement has crushed his chances of going top-10, let alone 1st OA.
 
Morgs said:
Based on how this season has gone, I wouldn't touch him in the top-10 either. Hell, I don't know If I'd touch him top-20 personally. He's 21st on my NHLe rankings, and that doesn't include Wallstedt, or the 53 players (including Clarke, Lambos, and Guenther who are all ranked higher on Wheeler's rankings) of the 133 players I have on my sheet.

He's still a good prospect, and I think you're right with how he should be a late-1st/early 2nd, but his production simply hasn't been good enough, and his lack of improvement has crushed his chances of going top-10, let alone 1st OA.
Click to expand...

You're absolutely right.
Even Goran Stubb ( Director of European scouting in NHL's central scouting )
has been confused about Räty's collapse.

Finnish daily journal named iltalehti interviewed mr Stubb couple weeks ago
and even he said Räty can forget being 1st overall.

But Maple-leafs scouting staff doesn't need to worry about Räty
if Maple-leafs are once again playoff team and they are drafting somewhere TOP25 / TOP30.

By the way there's other Finnish players in later 1st round
or early 2nd round who might be available for Leafs pick.

Those guys are
Samu Salminen ( C / W )
Samuel Helenius ( C / W )
Samu Tuomaala (LW / RW )

If we ignore Räty Tuomaala has been only Finn who's projected to go 1st round.
But i've seen some rankings where at least Salminen has been ranked TOP32.

Helenius has been good in JYP's SM liiga team this autumn
and he might rise in rankings before the draft day.

But lets see how those rankings will change with a time.
 
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ChicagoBullsFan said:
You're absolutely right.
Even Goran Stubb ( Director of European scouting in NHL's central scouting )
has been confused about Räty's collapse.

Finnish daily journal named iltalehti interviewed mr Stubb couple weeks ago
and even he said Räty can forget being 1st overall.

But Maple-leafs scouting staff doesn't need to worry about Räty
if Maple-leafs are once again playoff team and they are drafting somewhere TOP25 / TOP30.

By the way there's other Finnish players in later 1st round
or early 2nd round who might be available for Leafs pick.

Those guys are
Samu Salminen ( C / W )
Samuel Helenius ( C / W )
Samu Tuomaala (LW / RW )

If we ignore Räty Tuomaala has been only Finn who's projected to go 1st round.
But i've seen some rankings where at least Salminen has been ranked TOP32.

Helenius has been good in JYP's SM liiga team this autumn
and he might rise in rankings before the draft day.

But lets see how those rankings will change with a time.
Click to expand...

For me I'm really hoping somehow Eklund drops to the Leafs. I have him top-5 right now, and for some reason I've only seen Wheeler have him above top-15.

Salminen I'm a big fan of. Outright dominating the Finnish junior league before the stoppage. I'm not sure I have him as a 1st round pick yet, but I think he could work his way up there. I have him around a Räty-level prospect right now, but I'm convinced I might have him higher if he keeps up this level of production and Räty continues to lag.

I like Helenius a bunch. When I saw a forward that's 6'6" and a November birthday I immediately thought "no interest". That made me like him even more because I love the "underdogs". When I did more digging I found a guy who's producing at a very high level in a men's league (15th in my NHLe rankings), he's not a bad skater, and has a good defensive mind. His rel.CF% is atrocious, but he also plays on a team worse than Jukurit (poor Kokkonen/Rindell). For a guy ranked in the 3rd round right now, he's definitely interesting. Sure he's not a Räty/Salminen level prospect, but his production is better than both. If he has a strong ending to the season I think he might get some potential 1st/early 2nd round talk.

Tuomaala I'm less of a fan of, but I think it's because his production is okay in the junior league. I need to see more of him, but he also needs to step up production to really be a high-end 2nd round pick, let alone 1st.
 
Morgs said:
For me I'm really hoping somehow Eklund drops to the Leafs. I have him top-5 right now, and for some reason I've only seen Wheeler have him above top-15.

Salminen I'm a big fan of. Outright dominating the Finnish junior league before the stoppage. I'm not sure I have him as a 1st round pick yet, but I think he could work his way up there. I have him around a Räty-level prospect right now, but I'm convinced I might have him higher if he keeps up this level of production and Räty continues to lag.

I like Helenius a bunch. When I saw a forward that's 6'6" and a November birthday I immediately thought "no interest". That made me like him even more because I love the "underdogs". When I did more digging I found a guy who's producing at a very high level in a men's league (15th in my NHLe rankings), he's not a bad skater, and has a good defensive mind. His rel.CF% is atrocious, but he also plays on a team worse than Jukurit (poor Kokkonen/Rindell). For a guy ranked in the 3rd round right now, he's definitely interesting. Sure he's not a Räty/Salminen level prospect, but his production is better than both. If he has a strong ending to the season I think he might get some potential 1st/early 2nd round talk.

Tuomaala I'm less of a fan of, but I think it's because his production is okay in the junior league. I need to see more of him, but he also needs to step up production to really be a high-end 2nd round pick, let alone 1st.
Click to expand...

Helenius is interesting prospect.
He really is big guy ( 6'6 ) like his father Sami who played in NHL late 90's and early 2000's.

When player is 6'6 skating and physicality are needed improvements.
Samuel is a bit like his father he plays physical game and he gives heavy and clean hits when needed.

In JYP's SM liiga team this season Helenius has been more 3rd / 4th line player
and that's probably his role in U20 WJC's as well if he makes Finland's team.

I can see Helenius going somewhere in mid 2nd round but if he plays well in U20 WJC's
and has good post season 2020-2021 in JYP then rising somewhere late 1st round / early 2nd round is possible.

It was surprise to me at none of all SM liiga teams didn't sign Salminen after season 2019-2020.
His path to Jokerit's men's team is basically closed because Jokerit plays in KHL.

Salminen should get men's games under his belt because he's done with U20 SM sarja.
I don't know exactly what plans jokerit have made for Salminen
but they should assign him to Kiekko-Vantaa ( Jokerit's mestis affiliate team ) and let him play there.

Also i'm surprised of that Salminen went undrafted in 2020 CHL import draft.
But i can understand it if Salminen himself has declined to play in CHL due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Tuomaala got drafted by Sudbury Wolves in 2020 CHL import draft.
But there isn't any info is he reporting to Sudbury at all.

I think one reason for that why Tuomaala hasn't decided yet
will he go to Sudbury is that covid-19 situation.

And being honest i don't judge him because of that
it's understandable everyone wants to stay near their original home right now.

I know that maple-leafs haven't drafted Finns in 1st round since Tuukka Rask.
So i don't expect that one of Salminen, Helenius or Tuomaala will be maple-leaf.
But hey speculation is fun and that's why it's great to think where all draft eligible players will end up.

PS
If U18 WJC's in USA will be played next year
Salminen and Tuomaala will be TOP6 players for Finland
and if they play well then they can have good rise in the rankings.

But Covid-19 can still screw-up a lot of things
so lets hope IIHF won't cancel U18 WJC's because that would be
huge shame to all 2003 born players.

One more thing
I know this is early to ask but what do you like about Brad Lambert ?
He's 2022 draft eligible and he's Shane Wirght's biggest challenger in 1st overall.
so who's you number 1 2022 prospect Wright or Lambert
mine is Lambert.
 
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ChicagoBullsFan said:
Helenius is interesting prospect.
He really is big guy ( 6'6 ) like his father Sami who played in NHL late 90's and early 2000's.

When player is 6'6 skating and physicality are needed improvements.
Samuel is a bit like his father he plays physical game and he gives heavy and clean hits when needed.

In JYP's SM liiga team this season Helenius has been more 3rd / 4th line player
and that's probably his role in U20 WJC's as well if he makes Finland's team.

I can see Helenius going somewhere in mid 2nd round but if he plays well in U20 WJC's
and has good post season 2020-2021 in JYP then rising somewhere late 1st round / early 2nd round is possible.

It was surprise to me at none of all SM liiga teams didn't sign Salminen after season 2019-2020.
His path to Jokerit's men's team is basically closed because Jokerit plays in KHL.

Salminen should get men's games under his belt because he's done with U20 SM sarja.
I don't know exactly what plans jokerit have made for Salminen
but they should assign him to Kiekko-Vantaa ( Jokerit's mestis affiliate team ) and let him play there.

Also i'm surprised of that Salminen went undrafted in 2020 CHL import draft.
But i can understand it if Salminen himself has declined to play in CHL due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Tuomaala got drafted by Sudbury Wolves in 2020 CHL import draft.
But there isn't any info is he reporting to Sudbury at all.

I think one reason for that why Tuomaala hasn't decided yet
will he go to Sudbury is that covid-19 situation.

And being honest i don't judge him because of that
it's understandable everyone wants to stay near their original home right now.

I know that maple-leafs haven't drafted Finns in 1st round since Tuukka Rask.
So i don't expect that one of Salminen, Helenius or Tuomaala will be maple-leaf.
But hey speculation is fun and that's why it's great to think where all draft eligible players will end up.

PS
If U18 WJC's in USA will be played next year
Salminen and Tuomaala will be TOP6 players for Finland
and if they play well then they can have good rise in the rankings.

But Covid-19 can still screw-up a lot of things
so lets hope IIHF won't cancel U18 WJC's because that would be
huge shame to all 2003 born players.

One more thing
I know this is early to ask but what do you like about Brad Lambert ?
He's 2022 draft eligible and he's Shane Wirght's biggest challenger in 1st overall.
so who's you number 1 2022 prospect Wright or Lambert
mine is Lambert.
Click to expand...

Interesting information, especially about Salminen. That guy is looking like someone to watch down the stretch. His stock could explode if he plays in Liiga next season and someone could get a steal in the 2nd/3rd.

I honestly haven't done much research into the 2022 draft yet, but my early thought is:

1. Wright
2. Savoie
3. Lambert
 
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