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

[70seven]

16 hours ago, Stierlitz said:

 

Rasmussen is a safe player to take.  All accounts say he`s got top end character and maturity, he gets 90% of his offence from standing within 2 feet of the crease.  The unknown is if hes closer to Mark Scheifele or Bryan Boyle.   As I said, safe bet to be a solid NHLer, but not exactly the player type thats having success in the current NHL.

 

Id be phenominally happy with any of:

Hischier

Patrick

Vilardi

 

They will be in the NHL within a year imo.

 

I assume Liljegren will go in the top 5.  Given the need for dmen in the NHLs bottom feeders (Arizona, Colorado, Detroit, Buffalo, Dallas), theres a decent chance Mittelstadt will be available between picks 7-10.  He will be a solid pick outside the top 5.

 

Tippet is a strong prospect, but with Boeser and Virtanen, I feel like we have Tippets game elements covered on the RW.  Tolvanen is another uber skilled winger, but again with recent pickups Goldobin and Dahlen along with Granlund and Baertschi, his addition could also be somewhat redundant, though he would likely serve as an upgrade down the road, the clear cut need for this team is a legit top 6 center, and (still) top pairing PPQB Dmen.

 

[HomeBrew]

15 hours ago, flickyoursedin said:

We need to drop in the standings because Elias Pettersson is the guy I want. Already plays well with new Canuck Jonathan Dahlen.

Previously, I was not into this guy, but WOW!, those are some slick hands! If he can show that be can put on some muscle I would consider taking him. I still feel like one hit from a guy with the size of Tryamkin, who has 100 lbs on him, and I think he is done. 

 

17 hours ago, Stierlitz said:

Button has an interesting top 15:

1. Nolan Patrick

2. Nico Hischier

3. Gabe Valardi

4. Cale Makar

5. Timothy Liljegren

6. Own Tippett

7. Elias Pettersson

8. Michael Rasmussen

9. Cody Glass

10. Miro Heiskanen

11. Martin Necas

12. Eeli Tolvanen

13. Casey Mittelstadt

14. Nick Suzuki

15. Jusso Valimaki

 

The two real surprises for me are Cale Makar and Miro Heiskanen. These guys were not on my radar at all. Anyone have any insights on these players?

 

[flickyoursedin]

52 minutes ago, HomeBrew said:

Previously, I was not into this guy, but WOW!, those are some slick hands! If he can show that be can put on some muscle I would consider taking him. I still feel like one hit from a guy with the size of Tryamkin, who has 100 lbs on him, and I think he is done. 

 

Button has an interesting top 15:

1. Nolan Patrick

2. Nico Hischier

3. Gabe Valardi

4. Cale Makar

5. Timothy Liljegren

6. Own Tippett

7. Elias Pettersson

8. Michael Rasmussen

9. Cody Glass

10. Miro Heiskanen

11. Martin Necas

12. Eeli Tolvanen

13. Casey Mittelstadt

14. Nick Suzuki

15. Jusso Valimaki

 

The two real surprises for me are Cale Makar and Miro Heiskanen. These guys were not on my radar at all. Anyone have any insights on these players?

 

I think both deserve to be in the top 10 with the years they've had. I like this 1rst round D class better than last years. I would be happy if we came out of this draft with Patrick, Hischier, Liljigren, Pettersson, Mittelstadt, or Maker.

[canuckpuckluck1]

12 hours ago, N4ZZY said:

unfortunate that Gaunce isn't on that list. 

horvat, dahlen, gaudette, gaunce - how about that? 

Nazzy you might find Gaunce in Las Vegas unfortunately. The Canucks will lose someone, he has a high chance of being selected

[Beary Sweet]

59 minutes ago, canuckpuckluck15 said:

Nazzy you might find Gaunce in Las Vegas unfortunately. The Canucks will lose someone, he has a high chance of being selected

Nope. Very unlikely.  He hasn't produced out of the world numbers that would make Vegas even consider picking Gaunce. They'd pick Sbisa who is in a midst of his best season in a while over Gaunce who has untapped potential but has produced very little. He's getting closer to scoring his 1st though. It will come

[flickyoursedin]

1 hour ago, Beary Sweet said:

Nope. Very unlikely.  He hasn't produced out of the world numbers that would make Vegas even consider picking Gaunce. They'd pick Sbisa who is in a midst of his best season in a while over Gaunce who has untapped potential but has produced very little. He's getting closer to scoring his 1st though. It will come

It's probably coming down to Gaunce or Sbisa and there are 30 other teams to choose from as well. I wouldn't be surprised if they found 8 other dmen better than Sbisa from the other teams. If I was building a team I'd pick Gaunce in my bottom 6 before I picked Sbisa. I honestly wouldn't be surprised either way so don't rule it out.

[kenhodgejr]

If we draft LW Ryan Peohling and Benning trades with Buffalo for RW prospect Cliff Pu we could have a line:

 

Peohling- Chaput -Pu

 

hahahah

[N4ZZY]

8 hours ago, Beary Sweet said:

Nope. Very unlikely.  He hasn't produced out of the world numbers that would make Vegas even consider picking Gaunce. They'd pick Sbisa who is in a midst of his best season in a while over Gaunce who has untapped potential but has produced very little. He's getting closer to scoring his 1st though. It will come

yeah. i think your right. Sbisa most likely will be selected by Vegas other than Gaunce. And Sbisa is young enough to grow with the young core down in LV. 

 

[BaerToBo]

On 2016-12-20 at 10:53 PM, sharbinder said:

 

Garteig is actually 25 years old... not young at all. We are due for another goalie. Likely a 17 year old CHL or USHL goalie in a later round 4-7.

What happened to Maxime Comtois?? I thought he was supposed to go top 5

[Beary Sweet]

2 hours ago, BaerToBo said:

What happened to Maxime Comtois?? I thought he was supposed to go top 5

I have no clue what happen to him. Apparently one of his linemates went down and it affected his performances. Whoever picks him late in the 1st will have the potential to be a steal

[guntrix]

Torn about Mittelstadt. Seems like a very skilled player to watch but high school play is a big alarm bell.

 

Whoever picks him will either be very glad or very disappointed they did; no in-between. 

[HomeBrew]

8 hours ago, guntrix said:

Torn about Mittelstadt. Seems like a very skilled player to watch but high school play is a big alarm bell.

 

Whoever picks him will either be very glad or very disappointed they did; no in-between. 

I believe he was leading the USHL in scoring before he went back to USHS. He is expected to the join the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) team again next weekend. If they go on a playoff run, it will give a better indication of wheres he is at. As of now he has been ranked to go anywhere from #3 to #13. He is still my target at the draft as I believe his playing style is exactly what this team needs. 

[Odd.]

Cody Glass now has 93 points (32g, 61a) in 67gps. 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2017 by Odd.

[wshdrvvn]

20 hours ago, Odd. said:

Cody Glass now has 93 points (32g, 61a) in 67gps. 

 

 

a distributor for all these snipers we've accrued wouldn't be bad

[ilduce39]

Good size with the C's this draft.  Patrick, Mittelstadt, Villardi, Rasmussen... even a skinnier guy like Glass has good height and can fill out.

 

In in a few years we could have Bo-Brock-Jake-Gaunce plus our #1 this year in our top 9.  That's a possible 5/9 forwards filling out their jerseys (plus Sutter who isn't small)... anchored with Tryamkin and Gudbrandson on the back end I like that we might be a heavier team to play against going forward.  

 

Skill trumps all of course, but it'd be a nice change to have some beef out there.

[Bobby_Lu1ngo]

2 hours ago, wshdrvvn said:

a distributor for all these snipers we've accrued wouldn't be bad

I agree. Benning has been loading up on players that can really shoot and have a nose for the net. We really need to get a playmaker or two in the mix especially in the middle. Boeser is going to need an elite vision puck distributor. My dream was a trade for Drouin last year. I'd crap my pants if we landed Hischier somehow. Middlestadt or Glass could fit well in our line up as well. 

[aGENT]

10 hours ago, The 5th Line said:

Well...It's that time of year.... http://nhllotterysimulator.com/

3rd try I hit Canucks on Hischier!

[Blömqvist]

NHL.com recently came out with this article on top prospect Gabriel Vilardi. I tell ya, after reading it I'm starting to come around on the kid. I've heard scouting opinions saying that he isn't the greatest skater, but after reading this article I think he can definitely overcome that aspect of his game. He's a driven individual and will do what it takes to become a pro. And he's Italian to boot!! Something the Aquilinis will love lol

 

 

2017 Draft: Gabriel Vilardi driven to rise higher

Windsor center generating attention in quest to move up NHL Central Scouting rankings

 

Windsor coach Rocky Thompson is a big proponent of tracking advanced statistics on his players throughout the Ontario Hockey League season.

When it comes to charting the success of center Gabriel Vilardi, there always seems to be one common denominator.

"The enhanced stats tell us [Vilardi] is the engine on this team because whoever plays with him, their Corsi numbers go straight up and are increased," Thompson said. "Without him, they drop significantly. We've had a ton of injuries this year so it's been a revolving door with our lines but the one common theme has been Vilardi's ability to make the players with him even better."

Vilardi (6-foot-3, 201 pounds), No. 3 on NHL Central Scouting's midterm list of North American skaters eligible for the 2017 NHL Draft, has attracted the attention of every NHL scout the past two seasons.

"He's very composed with the puck, and uses his vision and playmaking ability to influence the game in all three zones," said Matt Ryan of NHL Central Scouting. "He excels below the dots in the offensive zone where he uses he size and reach to dictate the play and generate scoring opportunities."

Vilardi has 50 points (24 goals, 26 assists) in 40 games this season, and 88 points (41 goals, 47 assists) in 102 OHL games.

"The [Central Scouting] ranking pushes me to work even harder; I'm not at the top and I want to get to the top," Vilardi said. "At the same time you have to make sure you go hard enough to stay [No. 3]. The draft is still a long way away but it's good that people recognize your hard work."

Brandon center Nolan Patrick is No. 1 on Central Scouting's midterm ranking of North American skaters. Halifax center Nico Hischier is No. 2.

Vilardi admits he's not yet focused on the 2017 draft. He has many teammates who experienced the same process in 2016, including Logan Brown (Ottawa Senators), Logan Stanley (Winnipeg Jets), Mikhail Sergachev (Montreal Canadiens) and Sean Day (New York Rangers).

"When you watch the NHL players, they bring it every night, they're always working hard," Vilardi said. "I'm a three-zone player. I'm a big player who works hard down low, am good at making plays off the cycle and seeing plays before they happen."

Thompson said Vilardi worked very hard on his skating in the offseason and it is the most improved area of his game.

"He's so well-rounded and smart," Thompson said. "He's extremely coachable; you can make adjustments in-game and change systems and he can adapt to those things because his hockey sense on the ice is very apparent."

Vilardi is a natural center but has alternated between center and left wing this season because of injuries throughout the Windsor lineup.

He also hasn't allowed his Canadian upbringing to phase out his Italian heritage. When he isn't scoring goals or creating plays for the Spitfires, he's kicking around a soccer ball or watching the Italian soccer club Inter Milan with his father Lino.

"I chose to play hockey but I play soccer in the summer with my dad and brother," Vilardi said. "As long as I can remember, though, I've always wanted to be a hockey player. I had some success at a young age and pushed even harder to develop, and I think that's why I stuck with it."

Vilardi's parents are first generation Italians who moved to Kingston, Ontario. His brother, Francesco, who plays for Queen's University in U Sports, started playing hockey when he was 5.

Gabriel, four years younger than his brother, soon followed. His teammates in Windsor are grateful he chose hockey over soccer.

"He's the most hard-working guy I've ever been around," Windsor goaltender Michael DiPietro said. "All he wants to do is be a hockey player and everything he does is centered around the game. That's something I admire about him."

It makes sense DiPietro would recognize Vilardi's work habits since that's what Vilardi feels sets him apart from other prospects in this draft class.

"I like to work hard; whenever I'm in a 50-50 puck race, I want to win those battles," Vilardi said. "My mindset is, I want to always get better. That's the biggest thing."

Vilardi will have a golden opportunity to shine on the Canadian Hockey League's biggest stage when the 99th Mastercard Memorial Cup tournament is held in Windsor from May 18-28. The host team receives an automatic invitation to participate against the champions from the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

SOURCE: https://www.nhl.com/news/gabriel-vilardi-driven-to-rise-higher-in-nhl-central-scouting-rankings/c-287274820

[Blömqvist]

Considering that Vilardi plays on the Windsor Spitfires and Benning just signed one of his teammates, management must have tons of scouting reports on him. Should we be in a position to draft him, I think he would be a good pick. Vilardi will have his chance to shine in the Memorial Cup and World U-18s. Apart from that, Vilardi should have a good developmental season next year as well considering the Windsor Spitfires have Mikhail Sergachev, Logan Brown, Logan Stanley, Sean Day and most of them could potentially be back again next year for their final Junior season.

[Beary Sweet]

2 hours ago, Blömqvist said:

NHL.com recently came out with this article on top prospect Gabriel Vilardi. I tell ya, after reading it I'm starting to come around on the kid. I've heard scouting opinions saying that he isn't the greatest skater, but after reading this article I think he can definitely overcome that aspect of his game. He's a driven individual and will do what it takes to become a pro. And he's Italian to boot!! Something the Aquilinis will love lol

 

 

 

I love this kid's game. he's great in all 3 zones on the ice, which is someone we've needed in a while and the game I watched when they played Juolevi and the Knights, he had one play where he completely shielded the puck from the defenceman to feed it to Sergachev who made no mistake tucking it home after his 2nd attempt. not only that, he has the potential to be an elite playmaker which is another thing we will need when Sedins retire so he'll make the perfect 1B behind Bo in the future with Dahlen, Boeser, Gaudette, etc all in the mix