[Discussion] Top 5 Picks by NHL.com

[iceman64]

I wish this was last year and we had Rasmussen at 5th but this is why we need him, and how he fits but first, there is no Mcdavid in this years draft. (not even close)

 

NHL.com top 5 is

 

1. Nolan BUT he's had a nasty injury already and can we afford to take a chance with it?  (i don't think so) plus he's not a big guy which is what we need!

 

2. Hischier BUT he's euro and again not big statured, and would probably be a #2 line and we could get that through Goldobin or someone in the system already.

 

3. Mittelstadt BUT he has performed well in high school game but he would take 2-3 years to get to a canuck jersey.

 

4. Vilardi, this is a bit more like we need, at 6'3 201 lbs he's more of what this team needs with size and skill too.

 

director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr:

“Vilardi is a high-end possession center with excellent hockey sense and puck-handling ability. He plays a very composed game with the puck, using his vision and playmaking ability to influence the game in all three zones. Vilardi excels below the dots in the offensive zone, where he utilizes his size and reach to control the play and generate scoring opportunities.”  

 

Clearly he suits our needs very well...

 

5. Rasmussen, even better in one way than Vilardi. Plainly at 6'6 and 215 pounds he really is the size this team needs especially since the loss of Tram needs to be replaced but at forward position.

 

NHL Central Scouting’s John Williams:

“He’s playing with much more confidence this season. He’s adapted to playing a bigger role and playing heavy minutes against opponents’ top lines and defense. The game has slowed down for him a little bit and he’s just that much more poised. He can take that extra bit of time and understands he can take that time to make plays and score goals.”

 

It bites this isn't last years draft but i certainly hope we start to draft and develop what we need instead of paying for it with salary cap so we can spend it in other areas of need as it arises.

 

Time to get rid of the soft easy team to play again and have more than our share of size and skill balanced attack..

 

Goalies in this league are the best in the world but it's hard to stop what you can't see with a big center parked in front that defenders have a hard time moving and that equals goals, so c'mon mr benning, this is a chance to change that with a good pick to suit this teams needs

 

Oh my gosh at the "euro" part response, usually super skilled sniper but put him up against a fast skater in a defenseman who happens to be 200 pounds and over 6 foot who could run over most people like a train wreck...  Ok so that being said we have the sedins, eriksson, rodin etc for skill but we need SIZE so we're not so frickin easy to play again for a bigger tougher division to try and make the playoff's which is hard enough already in a re-build so why not tough up a few notches with skill too and compliment "our beloved" euro's...  as in the twins who when added a bigger tough skilled player as we had in anson carter and never since. we need one on every line to protect tjhem too as in sniper who other teams WILL and DO take runs at.

 

Hasn't this always been the case?  PLUS there is connor mcdavid in this batch so why not get bigger now? with skill too...  So not a liability on the ice and a year in Utica for development and then try out for the team the yr after... 
 

[Winter Soldier]

5 minutes ago, iceman64 said:

Hischier BUT he's euro

[VIC_CITY]

Any of the top 4Cs and I'll be happy. The chances of either us or Colorado winning one of the top 3 picks is fairly good. That's what it's going to take to avoid drafting 5th. Fingers crossed...

[48MPHSlapShot]

4 minutes ago, Winter Soldier said:

Yeah, that's all I needed to see to make up my mind as to whether or not I was going to take this guys opinion seriously.

[BaerToBo]

If we honestly pick Rasmussen then this draft is a failure. There are far better, more skilled, faster and better playets to suit our needs. I dont even think id have Rasmussen in my top 10 tbh

[baumerman77]

2 minutes ago, BaerToBo said:

If we honestly pick Rasmussen then this draft is a failure. There are far better, more skilled, faster and better playets to suit our needs. I dont even think id have Rasmussen in my top 10 tbh

Couldn't agree more. No way should Rasmussen be top 5

[MattJVD]

9 minutes ago, BaerToBo said:

If we honestly pick Rasmussen then this draft is a failure. There are far better, more skilled, faster and better playets to suit our needs. I dont even think id have Rasmussen in my top 10 tbh

Rasmussen makes me think of Jake Virtanen. Probably will turn into a servicable NHLer, but don't take him in the top of the 1st round.

[DeltaSwede]

31 minutes ago, iceman64 said:

2. Hischier BUT he's euro

stopped reading there.

 

I don't care if he's from North Korea as long as he's good at hockey. 

[Jägermeister]

16 minutes ago, BaerToBo said:

If we honestly pick Rasmussen then this draft is a failure. There are far better, more skilled, faster and better playets to suit our needs. I dont even think id have Rasmussen in my top 10 tbh

Agreed.  He has talent no doubt, but I'd also be hard pressed to say he's in the top 10 there.  He is also not even remotely the kind of player we need to add to our prospect pool.

[-AJ-]

I'm extremely hesitant to buy on Rasmussen. I can't think of any 6'6" all-star forwards. Tallest I can think of is Mats Sundin who was most often considered 6'5". Eric Daze is the only 6'6" forward that I can think of who was top six for any reasonable amount of time. I'd much rather bite on Vilardi or Mittelstadt if we end up at 3 or 4. At 5, we might not have a choice. Even then, there's still Liljegren. 

[Jaku]

Nico's speed has been compared to a new NHL Pavel Bure and plays a game like Nik Ehlers. Very skilled, shifty, and a great shot. No reason the Canucks shouldn't consider taking him at 1OA if they get the chance. 

[the harry]

1 hour ago, iceman64 said:

2. Hischier BUT he's euro

Youre bias is just boring.

 

I swear your forefathers are from europe too, aren't they?

[J-23]

Yeah, I agree we need size and skill, BUT no way we're passing on Hischier or Patrick if we have a chance to draft one of em.

[EmilyM]

47 minutes ago, DeltaSwede said:

stopped reading there.

 

I don't care if he's from North Korea as long as he's good at hockey. 

That'd actually be the best scenario. Case we KNOW he ain't going back home

[numb3r 16]

1 hour ago, iceman64 said:

 

2. Hischier BUT he's euro

0 context

[DeNiro]

Rasmussen is this years Logan Brown. Size with not much substance to his game. Not a top 10 pick.

 

If we're drafting top 5 it HAS to be an impact center. Patrick, Hischier, Vilardi, Mittelstatd, Necas.

[Where'd Luongo?]

1 hour ago, iceman64 said:

I wish this was last year and we had Rasmussen at 5th but this is why we need him, and how he fits but first, there is no Mcdavid in this years draft. (not even close)

 

NHL.com top 5 is

 

1. Nolan BUT he's had a nasty injury already and can we afford to take a chance with it?  (i don't think so) plus he's not a big guy which is what we need!

 

2. Hischier BUT he's euro and again not big statured, and would probably be a #2 line and we could get that through Goldobin or someone in the system already.

 

3. Mittelstadt BUT he has performed well in high school game but he would take 2-3 years to get to a canuck jersey.

 

4. Vilardi, this is a bit more like we need, at 6'3 201 lbs he's more of what this team needs with size and skill too.

 

director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr:

“Vilardi is a high-end possession center with excellent hockey sense and puck-handling ability. He plays a very composed game with the puck, using his vision and playmaking ability to influence the game in all three zones. Vilardi excels below the dots in the offensive zone, where he utilizes his size and reach to control the play and generate scoring opportunities.”  

 

Clearly he suits our needs very well...

 

5. Rasmussen, even better in one way than Vilardi. Plainly at 6'6 and 215 pounds he really is the size this team needs especially since the loss of Tram needs to be replaced but at forward position.

 

NHL Central Scouting’s John Williams:

“He’s playing with much more confidence this season. He’s adapted to playing a bigger role and playing heavy minutes against opponents’ top lines and defense. The game has slowed down for him a little bit and he’s just that much more poised. He can take that extra bit of time and understands he can take that time to make plays and score goals.”

 

It bites this isn't last years draft but i certainly hope we start to draft and develop what we need instead of paying for it with salary cap so we can spend it in other areas of need as it arises.

 

Time to get rid of the soft easy team to play again and have more than our share of size and skill balanced attack..

 

Goalies in this league are the best in the world but it's hard to stop what you can't see with a big center parked in front that defenders have a hard time moving and that equals goals, so c'mon mr benning, this is a chance to change that with a good pick to suit this teams needs

 

 

Uhh... Nolan is 6'3"... not a big guy? I think someone forgot to drink their coffee.

[GB5]

Through much of the late '80's and early '90's the Canucks passed on skill for size, they've always had that dream of a big first line centre.

All the centremen in the top 5 are plenty big enough with the exception of Nico but his skill level makes up for it.

I would hate to see this team pass on a great player because of wanting the biggest player out there.

[Adarsh Sant]

Since we are most likely picking 4th or 5th........Vilardi or  Mittelstadt would be a win from this draft.

[JamesB]

1 hour ago, BaerToBo said:

If we honestly pick Rasmussen then this draft is a failure. There are far better, more skilled, faster and better playets to suit our needs. I dont even think id have Rasmussen in my top 10 tbh

 

1 hour ago, baumerman77 said:

Couldn't agree more. No way should Rasmussen be top 5

 

1 hour ago, MattJVD said:

Rasmussen makes me think of Jake Virtanen. Probably will turn into a servicable NHLer, but don't take him in the top of the 1st round.

Nice to see so much agreement. I feel the same way. In the list just released by TSN they have him at #8. I was surprised to see him that high. The stats on him are just not very good as his 5-on-5 numbers are mediocre, and those numbers are a much better predictor of NHL performance than PP scoring. Also, the scouting reports indicate that his skating is not great, his shot is not great, and his hockey IQ is not great. He gets a lot of his points by using his size from in close. As a big strong guy he can do that in Junior. That is a lot tougher to do in the NHL.

 

Based on how guys like him normally project, he has very little chance of ever being a first liner, would be lucky to be a good second liner, is more likely to be a bottom six forward, and may never make the NHL. His size is nice and I would take a gamble on him with a pick in the middle of the first round. But if the Canucks pick him I will be looking for my "Fire Benning" sign.

 

In fact, I really don't want Benning to go "off the board" at all. It did not  work well with Virtanen and, while the jury is still out on Juolevi I think it was a mistake not to go with consensus pick at the time (Tkachuk). So I would be happy with Patrick at 1 (although his groin injury worries me), Hischer at 2, and Vilardi at 3. It gets a bit tricky at 4 and 5 as there is no consensus or near-consensus at 4 or 5 and there there are several guys in contention for both spots. Owen Tippett is a winger, not a center, but he looks very good. I also like Cody Glass. I don't want another small D. I like Stecher, and Subban may have a shot. Our other Ds have to be a decent size. So I am not positive on Liljegren, Heiskanen, or Makar.