2017 NHL Draft - Chicago, Illinois June 23-24 2017

[Blömqvist]

4 hours ago, J.R. said:

 

I've seen very little of Necas but from what I have seen/read, I'd not be surprised if the Canucks have him top 5. His size and the relative  lack of info on him is concerning but the kids sounds like a gamer and clearly team scouts will have far more info available than we do.

 

I have Mittel higher but I've posted numerous times that the 3-10 spots are IMO all largely interchangeable and that I personally prefer Mittel, Necas, Petterson and Glass ahead of Vilardi, (never mind Lilj/Makar) so something like that ^^^ wouldn't terribly surprise me.

Yea, same. Between Mittelstadt, Glass, Necas, and Vilardi I have Mittelstadt as the best of the bunch. Even if he isn't the most responsible centre defensively his offensive game more than makes up for it. We have Gaudette as a puck-hounding two-way centreman with a good offensive game so if anything Mittelstadt can play on his wing. 

 

Create an American Express line of Mittelstadt, Gaudette, and Boeser.

 

That said, from the limited things I've seen and read I do like Necas' game though and he must have tremendous upside if Craig Button thinks he's the best prospect after Patrick and Hischier. 

[Sugar baby watermelon]

So let's say we have best case scenario and have the worst option of drafting number 5, who are in your opinions, the top 5 off the board

[kenhodgejr]

As the new NHL moves more towards speed and skill, so does the need for defence man with elite skating. Because of the depth in our system there is a good chance we do not sign 5th round prospect Carl Neill despite putting up good numbers. Elite D skaters who are also good offensively are hard to get. There is no doubt that Timothy Liljegren has the skating ability to have an impact at the next level. I would not be surprised if Benning goes for him if we pick in the 5-8 range. He said he wants to build this team from the net out. 

 

Juolevi Liljegren 

Tyramkin Stetcher

Hutton Subban 

 

 

[funkyfresh]

29 minutes ago, Sugar baby watermelon said:

So let's say we have best case scenario and have the worst option of drafting number 5, who are in your opinions, the top 5 off the board

For me, it looks like this:

Tier 1 - Patrick/Hischier

Tier 2 - Necas/Glass/Vilardi/Mittelstadt

So we're bound to get a great center as long as we have top 6 pick.

[SvenBae]

 

[Scruffy05]

30 minutes ago, SvenBae said:

 

The name Suzuki sure would look good in Canucks green. His size does not concern me and he seems to have all the offensive tools. He also has good tournament stats.

 

I know he isn't often included in that second grouping on here but I personally would not be insulted if we called his name.

[Sugar baby watermelon]

2 hours ago, funkyfresh said:

For me, it looks like this:

Tier 1 - Patrick/Hischier

Tier 2 - Necas/Glass/Vilardi/Mittelstadt

So we're bound to get a great center as long as we have top 6 pick.

And maybe 1 or 2 players not being a Centre will be picked leaving us more to choose from too 

[Off_The_Schneid!]

1 hour ago, Scruffy05 said:

The name Suzuki sure would look good in Canucks green. His size does not concern me and he seems to have all the offensive tools. He also has good tournament stats.

 

I know he isn't often included in that second grouping on here but I personally would not be insulted if we called his name.

We would most likely pick Petterson if we were in that range of thinking about Suzuki 

 

im just guessing but this is how I think the Canucks would draft 

 

Patrick

Hischier

Necas

lilgren

Mittlestadt

Petterson 

Glass 

 

Just going off the fact Benning said that he wanted a centre or a top defenceman 

[Warhippy]

Someone posted a 14 minute long video in the OJ thread about game 7 against Windsor

 

OJ's check for the duration of the 14 minutes was almost always Vilardi.  

 

It's actually really interesting to watch.  You can capably see the comparisons in regards to size/skating and style of play to Getzlaf, but also how he was shut down so capably by OJ

 

As a 17 year old he is really really intriguing because you know he's 2 years in the OHL away from the AHL, but possibly 1 more OHL season and 1 Euro league (?)season away from the AHL

 

A guy like Vilardi would seriously benefit from a full season learning to skate on the big ice surfaces

[Butters Stoch]

Really hoping we try to draft the BPA instead of constantly drafting based on our current needs when we don't even know what our needs will be by the time our prospect is finished developing. I'd much rather have a prospect who is more likely to become a bonafide NHLer, even if they aren't the exact time of player we're looking for, than one with more potential to bust. Hate to look on the past but if we had drafted Nylander (yea yea I get it, you guys hate small skilled Euros), we'd have an extremely valuable trade piece to acquire what we're looking for. Nylander's trade value skyrocketed this season to the point where the media wouldn't stop speculating about what the Leafs could potentially get for him.

[Scruffy05]

5 minutes ago, Butters Stoch said:

Really hoping we try to draft the BPA instead of constantly drafting based on our current needs when we don't even know what our needs will be by the time our prospect is finished developing. I'd much rather have a prospect who is more likely to become a bonafide NHLer, even if they aren't the exact time of player we're looking for, than one with more potential to bust. Hate to look on the past but if we had drafted Nylander (yea yea I get it, you guys hate small skilled Euros), we'd have an extremely valuable trade piece to acquire what we're looking for. Nylander's trade value skyrocketed this season to the point where the media wouldn't stop speculating about what the Leafs could potentially get for him.

I like BPA, but certain positions (centre and defense) good the tiebreaker for me when two players are essentially equal everywhere else.

[Scruffy05]

54 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

Someone posted a 14 minute long video in the OJ thread about game 7 against Windsor

 

OJ's check for the duration of the 14 minutes was almost always Vilardi.  

 

It's actually really interesting to watch.  You can capably see the comparisons in regards to size/skating and style of play to Getzlaf, but also how he was shut down so capably by OJ

 

As a 17 year old he is really really intriguing because you know he's 2 years in the OHL away from the AHL, but possibly 1 more OHL season and 1 Euro league (?)season away from the AHL

 

A guy like Vilardi would seriously benefit from a full season learning to skate on the big ice surfaces

Really impressed with what I see from Juolevi. I think most people who are down on him wish he was a Subban or Niedermayer when he is more an Ohlund that is nothing to sneeze at.

 

One of the reasons I really want to get another first to draft Foote. I don't see him as a top flight #1 but he will probably play 20 ridiculously useful years as a top 4.

[Scruffy05]

1 hour ago, Off_The_Schneid! said:

We would most likely pick Petterson if we were in that range of thinking about Suzuki 

 

im just guessing but this is how I think the Canucks would draft 

 

Patrick

Hischier

Necas

lilgren

Mittlestadt

Petterson 

Glass 

 

Just going off the fact Benning said that he wanted a centre or a top defenceman 

Isn't Suzuki a center? Pettersson is intriguing and I wouldn't hate the pick. I can't decide if his being so slight is a knock our a point in his favor (doing what he is doing some so tiny is impressive). His WJC-20 was underwhelming in terms of counting stats but he was the youngest on the team, so there's that

[High and Inside]

Obviously were going to pick BPA but I really hope we can come out of this draft with 2 dmen with top 4 potential. If we don't this team could be in for a 6 or 7 year rebuild. Unless a generational talent comes in I don't think drafting forwards are going to turn this team around in 2-3 years. Defencemen take time to develop and that where we should be starting our foundation. We have a solid goaltending prospect with Demko and maybe then in a few years we can get draft some skill up front that can take chances knowing that we can keep the puck out of our net.  If we just throw a forward in the mix from this year's draft I don't think we get much better from a team stand point. I don't want to make the same mistakes Edmonton made. 

[Crabcakes]

18 minutes ago, Butters Stoch said:

Really hoping we try to draft the BPA instead of constantly drafting based on our current needs when we don't even know what our needs will be by the time our prospect is finished developing. I'd much rather have a prospect who is more likely to become a bonafide NHLer, even if they aren't the exact time of player we're looking for, than one with more potential to bust. Hate to look on the past but if we had drafted Nylander (yea yea I get it, you guys hate small skilled Euros), we'd have an extremely valuable trade piece to acquire what we're looking for. Nylander's trade value skyrocketed this season to the point where the media wouldn't stop speculating about what the Leafs could potentially get for him.

I don't know where people are getting the idea that Benning doesn't draft BPA?  Especially in the 1st round.

 

2014 - 6 OA Jake Virtanen.  McKenzie had him ranked 7, Nylander was 9 and Ehlers was 10

         - 24 OA Jared McCann.  McKenzie rank 16

 

2015 - 23 OA Brock Boeser.  McKenzie rank 26

 

2016 - 5 OA Oli Juolevi.  McKenzie rank 6

 

Now keep in mind that McKenzie's rankings are a consensus of a number of scouts.  I'm not sure how many but believe it is in the neighbourhood of 10.  There is generally more agreement higher up the rankings.  It is totally reasonable to conclude that Benning was drafting BPA based on his own criteria.

[Scruffy05]

2 minutes ago, High and Inside said:

Obviously were going to pick BPA but I really hope we can come out of this draft with 2 dmen with top 4 potential. If we don't this team could be in for a 6 or 7 year rebuild. Unless a generational talent comes in I don't think drafting forwards are going to turn this team around in 2-3 years. Defencemen take time to develop and that where we should be starting our foundation. We have a solid goaltending prospect with Demko and maybe then in a few years we can get draft some skill up front that can take chances knowing that we can keep the puck out of our net.  If we just throw a forward in the mix from this year's draft I don't think we get much better from a team stand point. I don't want to make the same mistakes Edmonton made. 

For whatever reason it (unscientifically appears to be easier to pull defensemen out of later rounds than forwards. The fifth round in particular says hi.

[High and Inside]

18 minutes ago, Scruffy05 said:

Really impressed with what I see from Juolevi. I think most people who are down on him wish he was a Subban or Niedermayer when he is more an Ohlund that is nothing to sneeze at.

 

One of the reasons I really want to get another first to draft Foote. I don't see him as a top flight #1 but he will probably play 20 ridiculously useful years as a top 4.

Foote just seems like a no brainer somehow someway I want that too happen. Kelowna is D factory, he's got a coach that played alot of years in the NHL as a defencemen, his dad speaks for itself and he can go to him for advice everyday. The guy has size, skill, physical like you said he may elite but you'll appreciate him for alot of years. 

[Scruffy05]

1 minute ago, Crabcakes said:

I don't know where people are getting the idea that Benning doesn't draft BPA?  Especially in the 1st round.

 

2014 - 6 OA Jake Virtanen.  McKenzie had him ranked 7, Nylander was 9 and Ehlers was 10

         - 24 OA Jared McCann.  McKenzie rank 16

 

2015 - 23 OA Brock Boeser.  McKenzie rank 26

 

2016 - 5 OA Oli Juolevi.  McKenzie rank 6

 

Now keep in mind that McKenzie's rankings are a consensus of a number of scouts.  I'm not sure how many but believe it is in the neighbourhood of 10.  There is generally more agreement higher up the rankings.  It is totally reasonable to conclude that Benning was drafting BPA based on his own criteria.

Benning did admit he left skill on the table picking Virtanen, but that does not mean he did not take BPA. There is more to hockey than pure skill and at the time they indicated that Jake (if he reaches his full potential) is damn near impossible to get efficiently through other means.

[Scruffy05]

1 minute ago, High and Inside said:

Foote just seems like a no brainer somehow someway I want that too happen. Kelowna is D factory, he's got a coach that played alot of years in the NHL as a defencemen, his dad speaks for itself and he can go to him for advice everyday. The guy has size, skill, physical like you said he may elite but you'll appreciate him for alot of years. 

Foote is the quintessential 'safe pick'.

[High and Inside]

Just now, Scruffy05 said:

Foote is the quintessential 'safe pick'.

Which I would love if I was a GM. Everything in the top 10 this year feels like it could be boom or bust.  You make a case for and against on everyone of them. At least JB comes from a scouting background so you try and just trust on what he is doing.