Warhippy Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 I feel like all we would need to do is finish top 2 in the draft. There's a number of teams that COULD finish ahead of us potentially that don't have the need or patience for a defenseman at #1 over a bona fide sniper like Svechnikov Think Ovechkin V Malkin Capitals needed to put butts in their seats more than they needed a leader. Ovechkins name alone sold tickets and while Malkin might arguably be the better overall player nobody is going to sniff at either of them on their teams. But I feel as though if we draft #2 there is a strong possibility that we could in fact see Dahlin fall to us. Unless of course there is a team that misses the playoffs by 1 point and wins the draft like...I dunno Toronto? In which case we march on League Offices and burn it to the ground Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R3aL Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Really not sure about Merkley. My concern about the top of this draft class is the amount of undersized PMD that may seduce Benning as he sees our biggest need as a R Shot PMD. The top of this class the only dmen I would want over the talented forward crop are the two swedes Dahlin and Boqvist. I definitely want: Svechnikov Tkachuk Zadina Over: Merkley, Hughes and Smith And truly I would even want these three forwards over those dmen: Veleno McLeod - Think he is really under rated Wahlstrom But Bode Wilde is the dmen outside of the two swedes I am going to keep my eye on this year. I could see Benning falling for him, dependent on the rest of his year of course. Kid has size, apparently a leader, a clapper from the point and plays the transition well. Plus his name is fun to say! If we cannot get Dahlin, Svechnikov and Boqvist in that order and we are picking top 5 Tkachuk or Zadina would be a great prize this year. Zadina is looking absolutely deadly in Halifax so far... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noble 6 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noble 6 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Ty Smith from the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL is a player to watch. He's a left handed defenseman who has been relied on pretty heavily by the Chiefs. He is over a point-per-game as a defenseman with 12 points in 10 games right now (on a team that lost its leading scorer in Yammamoto). I had a chance to watch him in person last year in his draft -1 year. Even then, he was most used defenseman on the team, leading every powerplay especially. He had a couple defensive lapses if I rememebe correctly, but that was his draft -1 year. He could be a solid add to our prospect pool if we land in the second half of the top-10. Filip Zadina is also an intriguing player that I know less about playing in Halifax. He has 18 points in 11 games. He might score at a similar pace to Hischier, which would only make this draft more interesting. It's worth noting that he might be able to play in a men's league next year if he is on loan to the QMJHL from the Czech Republic. I'm not sure if he is, but that would be an added bonus. There are a lot more interesting prospects as well. I can't wait for the draft hype to pick up this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhippy Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 1 hour ago, R3aL said: Really not sure about Merkley. My concern about the top of this draft class is the amount of undersized PMD that may seduce Benning as he sees our biggest need as a R Shot PMD. The top of this class the only dmen I would want over the talented forward crop are the two swedes Dahlin and Boqvist. I definitely want: Svechnikov Tkachuk Zadina Over: Merkley, Hughes and Smith And truly I would even want these three forwards over those dmen: Veleno McLeod - Think he is really under rated Wahlstrom But Bode Wilde is the dmen outside of the two swedes I am going to keep my eye on this year. I could see Benning falling for him, dependent on the rest of his year of course. Kid has size, apparently a leader, a clapper from the point and plays the transition well. Plus his name is fun to say! If we cannot get Dahlin, Svechnikov and Boqvist in that order and we are picking top 5 Tkachuk or Zadina would be a great prize this year. Zadina is looking absolutely deadly in Halifax so far... If I recall. He's actually bigger than Doughty was in his draft year but also had a better season than him point wise. I'll be watching Merkley for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noble 6 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollieo Del Fuego Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 Dahlin's highlight rush....looked just about like Dahen's rush from his first Liga league game....granted that Dahlin is playing in a better league.... ....still it makes you wonder how they can do that with video....make everybody go in slow motion except the Dahl's.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noble 6 Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 41 minutes ago, Rollieo Del Fuego said: Dahlin's highlight rush....looked just about like Dahen's rush from his first Liga league game....granted that Dahlin is playing in a better league.... ....still it makes you wonder how they can do that with video....make everybody go in slow motion except the Dahl's.... What? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rollieo Del Fuego Posted October 18, 2017 Share Posted October 18, 2017 20 minutes ago, Horvat is a Boss said: What? ...For the first part,look at Dahlin's highlight rush (above) then look at Dahlen's rush in the Dahlen thread. ...flip second part....meaning they are so much faster than the other player's it looks like the other players are moving in slow motion.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R3aL Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 5 hours ago, Warhippy said: If I recall. He's actually bigger than Doughty was in his draft year but also had a better season than him point wise. I'll be watching Merkley for sure Yea just my opinion now, I am pretty sure you are wrong about Doughty size compared to merkley. Height probably the same, but wasnt doughty fat in his draft year 200+ lbs? Then he grew a couple inches and lost some of that fat and improved his conditioning? Anyways - see the comparisons plus same OHL team. But Guelph is so god awful it makes him hard to judge. The whole team has a terrible plus/minus and Merkley is forced to carry the team offensively. I dont think is overall game is even comparable to Doughty at the same age though. And currently he looks like a risky prospect to me that would be very tempting to our management group. But we will see after the year, lots of hockey to be played! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd. Posted October 19, 2017 Share Posted October 19, 2017 Filip Zadina would be that elite, highly touted forward that we're missing in our prospect pool. 6'1, nearly 200lbs, elite level skating and puck skills. Good shot as well. He's been touted as one of the next best Czech prospects and so far is my favourite player of the draft. He's been compared to Jakub Voracek So far in his junior he has 10g 8a 18pts in 11gps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHockeyNerds Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 On 2017-10-18 at 5:30 PM, Odd. said: Filip Zadina would be that elite, highly touted forward that we're missing in our prospect pool. 6'1, nearly 200lbs, elite level skating and puck skills. Good shot as well. He's been touted as one of the next best Czech prospects and so far is my favourite player of the draft. He's been compared to Jakub Voracek So far in his junior he has 10g 8a 18pts in 11gps. Wonder is he can catch up to svech as the best forward prospect in the draft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blömqvist Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 One thing that I find interesting is the developmental program each player is in. Matthew Tkachuk played for the London Knights which is pretty much a forward factory for a while now (Marner, Horvat, Domi, Dvorak). Nico Hischier played for the Halifax Mooseheads, who churned out other top forwards like Ehlers, Drouin, MacKinnon, and Voracek. Brock Boeser went to UND in the NCAA, and so did Tyson Jost. Both Clayton Keller and Charlie McAvoy went to BU in the NCAA. Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski, and Kyle Connor all went to the University of Michigan in the NCAA as well. It seems as though for CHL Junior leagues highly rated forwards should almost always be taken in the draft if they play for the London Knights, and a similar concept goes for highly rated prospects already in or committed to higher-level hockey programs in the NCAA. Most of the players listed didn't stay in their developmental program much longer after they were drafted. Interestingly enough, in this year's draft there are several highly rated prospects currently playing for those organizations or committed to those organizations next season. Brady Tkachuk -- Boston University Filip Zadina -- Halifax Mooseheads Quinn Hughes -- University of Michigan Bodie Wilde -- committed to University of Michigan for 2018.19 season Jake Wise -- committed to Boston University for the 2018.19 season If we aren't in a position to draft Dahlin, Svechnikov, or Boqvist, Benning and co should take a serious look at Tkachuk, Zadina, Hughes, and Wilde as they all look like impact players who might be on a quicker developmental path than other draftees. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blömqvist Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Not sure if posted yet as this is an old article about Brady Tkachuk. He gets high praise from his brother Matthew and from his Team USA coach. The article also talks about Boston University's off-ice development program -- how good their strength and conditioning program is and how they focus on professionalism. Brady Tkachuk growing out of family shadow Fair warning for any NCAA or NHL players who intend on stepping up to Brady Tkachuk in the future: even his big brother doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Matthew Tkachuk, who is coming off a fantastic – and physical – rookie season with the Calgary Flames, has seen his little brother grow substantially over the years. And now, watching the NTDP product play at USA Hockey’s World Junior Summer Showcase, he is seeing a beast in the making. “He was a good little brother,” Matthew said. “When I had the size advantage, I think I toughened him up a little bit. But now, I would not mess with him. He’s a little bigger and I think a lot stronger than I am. He looks really fast and he’s going to have a great year.” Brady was the second-youngest player left on Team USA’s roster when the side chopped down mid-week (Quinn Hughes being the youngest). Not only that, but he played left wing on the top line in a win against Finland, playing with Montreal first-rounder Ryan Poehling and deadly New Jersey pick Joey Anderson. “He plays the game at an extremely high level, with energy,” said Team USA coach Bob Motzko. “You can see, as he gets stronger, he’s going to be not very fun to play against. He’s rugged, he’s gonna bang around, he’s got hockey sense…he’s just going to get better and better. He’s the type of player you want around.” A late 1999 birthday, Tkachuk is eligible for the draft in 2018, where he is shaping up to be a top-five pick. And like his father, the legendary Keith Tkachuk, he’s going to attend Boston University, starting in the fall. “That’s the place I’ve always wanted to go to, since I was little,” Brady said. “My dad went there, so I’ve always had a love for the school.” The youngster is also very high on coach David Quinn and his staff and no doubt the Terriers are excited to have such a forceful freshman coming in. Brady’s hockey roots are thick. On top of his immediate Tkachuk clan, he’s also related to the Hayes brothers (Kevin and Jimmy) and the whole Fitzgerald clan (Tom and his sons Casey and Ryan). Needless to say, that upbringing had a big influence on the kid. “It kinda means the world to me,” Brady said. “That’s who I am today. There’s a lot of hockey talk at dinner and at huge family vacations in the summer. Matthew is my role model and when we were younger, we’d always do something – roller hockey, mini-sticks in the basement, basketball – we were super competitive. He taught me how to compete.” And it wasn’t always pretty. Anyone who has watched Matthew play knows that, along with being a puck-possession beast, the Flames youngster can be aggravating to play against. Brady is well aware of that. Like that one time the brothers were playing mini-sticks in the basement on a slippery synthetic-ice surface and Matthew took Brady out with a blindside hit. “I didn’t see him coming and I just went right through the wall,” Brady said. “My mom had to fix that; she wasn’t too happy.” Or the time a family gathering turned into a Golden Gloves tournament. “At some family events we would get the boxing gloves on and get going,” Matthew said. “And we’d end up going pretty hard. I got him with one and he gave me that look. He’s the type of guy that you can push far, but if you push him over the edge, he’s got that stare and he’s coming to get you.” And yes, Brady has been pushed over the edge. “One time he was picking on me so much, I flipped a switch,” Brady said. “My grandma was there and she had to call in (ex-St. Louis Blues center) Phil McRae – he was living with us at the time – and he had to break it up.” So yeah – don’t mess with Brady. The kid is now 6-foot-2 and nearly 200 pounds and he will no doubt get even stronger once he gets to B.U. and the program’s excellent strength and conditioning program. He had a good start as a member of the NTDP and playing for ‘The Program’ has already provided him with a hockey life map: “Play like a pro, be like a pro every day, especially off the ice,” Brady said. “Getting my recovery in, eating well. This summer especially I’ve made sure I’m eating well. In other years I was eating junk food a lot – cookies, a good amount. I’ve tried to get rid of the desserts, the chips, the sodas and try to eat healthy meals.” Brady has also been working with skills coaches over the summer and even got a leg-up on his freshman season at B.U. by playing in the summer Chowder Cup tournament on a team with David Farrance (NSH) and Shane Bowers (OTT), among others. A big fan of Wayne Simmonds, Marian Hossa and Nick Foligno, Tkachuk likes to take parts from all their games in influencing his own. With Simmonds, it’s the tough, net-front presence and the fact the Flyers veteran isn’t afraid of anybody. Brady will likely be the same in the NHL, as he has already been toughened up The Tkachuk Way. “Everything we would do,” Matthew said, “was full contact.” http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/brady-tkachuk-growing-out-of-family-shadow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junkyard Dog Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 1 hour ago, Blömqvist said: Not sure if posted yet as this is an old article about Brady Tkachuk. He gets high praise from his brother Matthew and from his Team USA coach. The article also talks about Boston University's off-ice development program -- how good their strength and conditioning program is and how they focus on professionalism. He'd be my choice if we had a top 5 pick again next draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73 Percent Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 38 minutes ago, Junkyard Dog said: He'd be my choice if we had a top 5 pick again next draft. Well if we finish last we will get the 5th pick this year with Vegas sneaking in there. Could happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canorth Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 3 hours ago, 73 Percent said: Well if we finish last we will get the 5th pick this year with Vegas sneaking in there. Could happen. IIRC Vegas is guaranteed the 3rd lottery spot not the 3rd pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Monahan Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Just now, Canorth said: IIRC Vegas is guaranteed the 3rd lottery spot not the 3rd pick. They're not, it was discussed in another thread the other day. IIRC the same rules apply to them as everybody else but @Toews is the man to ask. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canorth Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 Just now, Sean Monahan said: They're not, it was discussed in another thread the other day. IIRC the same rules apply to them as everybody else but @Toews is the man to ask. Well thats good to hear. It did seem like they were being excessively spoon fed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Monahan Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 5 minutes ago, Canorth said: Well thats good to hear. It did seem like they were being excessively spoon fed. I agree. It would've made our timing in being bad much worse than it already is, with the changes made to the draft lotto. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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