HighOnHockey
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Posts posted by HighOnHockey
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Looks like Arizona is next. @Gally
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Someone else mentioned earlier the emphasis on speed and skill when picking Lysell. As will be apparent by now, I'm taking hockey IQ over everything.
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With the 43rd overall pick, the San Jose Sharks select, from SM Sarja Kärpät, Ville Koivunen.
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6 hours ago, Isam said:
Thanks for that. Honestly, I've kinda over-analyzed and talked myself out of Lambos. Had him 3rd in my pre-season rankings, but have had him steadily falling. Such phenomenal upside that I put him 3rd despite some pretty glaring concerns. I caught a couple games in Sarja and it seemed like he'd cleaned up some of the issues, but it's also quite a bit weaker league than WHL, so I was really hoping to see him in WHL or at U18s to see how well he'd been able to rectify the concerns. As it stands my questions are left mostly unanswered and he's just way too much risk to take in the top 10. If he can figure it out he's a cross between Alex Pietrangelo and P.K. Subban.
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1 hour ago, Isam said:
Clarke handled the tough assignments in the u18 and his slovak team for a reason alf. Cuelmans is a tire fire at best in his defensive zone
Yet Ceulemans Pked and Clarke didn't. Obviously I basically agree with your point. I have Clarke ranked 2 or 3 overall. But I think a tire fire is a bit much. Also you should clarify what you mean by "in his own zone". Yes he has some struggles defensively, but I'd say there's a very strong argument to be made that Ceulemans is the best defenseman in the class at escapability in his own zone.
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43 minutes ago, Isam said:
So, i am gonna tell you guys a little secret how scouching and other private services use in order to spplement their limited viewings of prospects outside of the blackbook. It is instatsport.com.
How much it cost?
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4 minutes ago, stawns said:
Clarke getting skewered a bit on the scouching report. Great in the ozone, but a big liability in his own end............the Nucks have too many of those already
Well for one thing, I hope you don't base your entire assessment on what Scouch thinks. Also, your interpretation of what Scouch says is oversimplified. I would recommend people watch the video themselves.
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Well the fantasy league has inspired me to redouble my scouting efforts the past week or so. I'd made at least a couple major mistakes in my last rankings. One was Chaz Lucius. I'd had him in my top ten since U17s. With him not playing most of the year and then a couple spotty performances in the shift-by-shifts once he came back, I dropped him to 15. Went back and watched a couple 5NU17 games, and kid is superbeast. No way he shouldn't be top ten in this draft.
The other one was Aleksi Heimosalmi, looks like I jumped the gun a bit with just a couple viewings. On closer inspection, yes there are flashes where he looks like a superstar, but also lots of little mistakes and flaws. The biggest thing is his lack of first step power. It's not a problem per se, but given the type of game he plays, it is going to be crucial to him. Saw a couple of occasions where he had the puck behind his own net and a forechecker chased him and Heimosalmi just wasn't able to make an effective escape due to that lack of escape velocity.
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6 minutes ago, Bure_Pavel said:
To be fair Canada did outclassed most teams in the U18 Tourny. I personally dont buy the whole low IQ thing with Edvinsson, Ive seen much improvement in his gap control and breaking up rushes. Some scouts have him as a top 5 pick in this draft and really like him and others are still on the fence, will be interesting to see where he goes.
I can really only say what I see and try to break it down to the best of my abilities. Don't expect to convince anyone who has formed their own opinions, but if I can find the time I'll try to put together some footage to highlight my points.
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6 hours ago, R3aL said:
If the Canucks took him would you trust our teams Swedish scouts?
Can't say I'd be excited about the pick at 9, but yeah basically. But then that's only one part of the equation. Partly it is about trusting the scouts to trust the Canucks' (or whatever team drafts him) coaching and development staff to be able to figure this out with the player. This is my problem as a laymen; I'm confident enough in my assessment that I know what I see. But the question is how fixable is it? Best case scenario, even if he does end up reaching something like his ceiling, I'm betting it will be a long, windy development path to get him there, a la Dougie Hamilton.
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14 hours ago, Bure_Pavel said:
Similar to Broberg as he has really good tools and size, Edvinsson is much better defensively than Broberg and he was able to make a big difference on the defensive side of the game at the U18. Just not sure of his offensive upside and makes me a little cautious of using a top 10 pick on him. Some scouts are very high on him though and he is a safe bet to be an NHL defender. If our Euro scouts give you the green light and he is there at 9, zero problem taking him.
I'm at the far other end of this debate. I just think Edvinsson's defense is a major concern. He looked much improved at U18s compared to U17s or 5NU17s, so that's promising, but I'm still far from sold. The entire team was shamefully outclassed by Canada in both games, so hard to pin too much on him, but on the other hand, as the team's workhorse number one defenseman, and your team is getting dismantled like that, I dunno. It's a big part of Buffalo's $&!#show the past few years: they were convinced Risto was the guy, and attached their carriage to the wrong horse, so it's hard to compete when he's getting shelled 25 minutes a night.
My thing with Edvinsson has always been, yeah on average he's fine defensively at his own age group, but head to head against high-skill, high IQ offensive forwards, he struggles. Svechkov, Yurov, Guenther, Bedard, Tuomaala are the names I took particular note of Edvinsson getting burned. OK, Bedard isn't fair, he does it to everyone. But the problem is, those are all the types of guys that Edvinsson is going to have to face at the highest level to be a top end D. I'm a diehard John Torterella fan, and I try to watch as many of his media availabilities as I can; one thing he's always talking about is the little chess matches going on all over the ice. For instance he talks constantly about the need for young skilled players to "respect the league", and when asked what this means he explains: these elite skill young players can do all kinds of amazing thing at lower levels, but here you're up against a Duncan Keith or a Patrice Bergeron, those guys will bait you into thinking you have a brilliant play set up, only to realize you're falling into a trap and they embarrass you.
The number one key element to being an elite skilled offensive player in the NHL is elite hockey sense. Every one of them has it to some degree. Those guys are always thinking multiple steps ahead, and right now, at least on the defensive side, Edvinsson is processing the game so far behind the top end guys in his age group. Very different type of player than Ristolainen, but similar in the sense that they have the size, skating and puck skills, but if they're relied on to be top pairing defensemen and match against top offensive players, they're in way over their heads. As a 4/5 defenseman he could be elite. Just my take, but I have seen quite a bit of him at various different levels. I think I have him ranked 15 or so.
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- Popular Post
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*Runs to podium as fast as I can, tripping over tables and chairs, stumbling up the stairs*
With the 16th overall pick, the San Jose Sharks select, from VHL Lada Togliatti, Fyodor Svechkov.
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Just now, R3aL said:
This may be the first time I disagree with you.
I agree it doesn’t happen usually but It was such a strange year for kids development, playing time and overall growth that I won’t be surprised if none of the top 10 players make the jump from JR.
like honestly Power and Eklund and Lysell would probably be the most likely to make the instant jump.
but with Power and Eklund declaring they will be taking the year before the NHL I applaud these kids. They wanna set themselves up for success. Just shows they have a good head on their shoulders and want what’s best for themselves and their future careers.
i get what you are saying but:
- Johnson
no way he’s not got a body to withstand nhl checking and his details don’t sound like they are there yet
- beniers
well zegras, turcotte needed time. Jack Hughes could have benefited from not jumping into the league right away in my opinion and I think it’s unlikely he makes the jump right away
- Clarke
i guess he did play against men but that’s a big jump and a huge ask for a dman and I wouldn’t want to rush him
- Edvinsson
has the body but it doesn’t look like he’s nhl ready and rushing him could fast track him to ruined confidence in his already questioned decision making
- mctavish
physically more developed then other kids but I really doubt he’s ready to make the jump. Maybe more nhl ready then others though
- Guentherhe’s a guy I could see rushed to the nhl as he has the IQ and the shot. But I doubt he’s gonna go first overall and he would definitely benefit from getting stronger physically and playing more games before
- Hughes
coming off an injury and needs to tighten some things up and is one of the youngest skaters he’s gonna need 1/2 years before making the jump
If I was Buffalo I’d take Eklund or Power or Clarke
my new ranking:
1. EKLUND
2. CLARKE
3. POWER
4. HUGHES
5. BENIERS
6. GUENTHER
7. WALLSTEDT
8. MCTAVISH
9. LYSELL
10. JOHNSON
Lol, come on. Can't be the first time. But actually I don't blame you. Immediately after I made that posts I had second thoughts. Just kinda jumped the gun there. Not my best moment.
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1 hour ago, Sp3nny said:
What about Powers statement of going back to NCAA? Beniers or Clarke then?
Good point. On Eklund I've only seen the Tweet from Kimelman so far, and there was no direct quote, but it was phrased as though it was fairly definitive. I read the article on Power: "I wouldn’t say I’m committed to going back to school. I mean, I’m probably leaning towards it right now,”
I guess there is something to the whole wanting to get the real college experience (rather tan online) and a chance to play World Juniors and Frozen Four, but I would still be fairly surprised if he's not in the NHL next year. Late birthday, giant kid, no glaring weaknesses, showed he could be a force amongst NHL players at World Championships.
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Well, I know there's been a bit of debate lately about Eklund possibly going first overall. I'd say that is almost as good as squashed with Eklund's statement about staying in Sweden. When's the last time a 1st overall pick didn't make the jump straight to the NHL? Erik Johnson 2006 I believe? Whatever team picks first wants to get that guy in the lineup ASAP.
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53 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:
There's probably less than 5 Russian Cs in the NHL, not sure about this Svechkov kid. I believe he also plays LW, but still, getting Shirokov vibes.
Predicted Ceiling: Bottom 6 forward, if he makes the NHL
Hoping for Lucius
Are you basing this on anything besides superstition?
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7 hours ago, 4petesake said:
I found it interesting that as of a day or two ago Buffalo hadn’t even talked to either Power or Beniers. The beat writer for the Buffalo News thinks they will pick Eklund if they acquire another top ten pick, so maybe that might be the 3rd you’re talking about. If they don’t pick Power or Beniers first I wonder who they’d be after. Wallstedt maybe?.... ummmmm.
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9 minutes ago, Alflives said:
Does Johnson have Petey’s fight instinct or is he a flight guy? Character and compete are very important.
Nah he's a competitor. His biggest problem is he so badly wants to make a difference that he sometimes forces plays that aren't there.
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1 hour ago, Jimmy McGill said:
so in terms of being good with limited time and space, who's our best F choice in the 1st round in your view?
Eklund is great at controlling the puck, but he's more about finding open ice and drawing defenders out of the high danger areas to open dangerous passing plays. I'd put Svechkov more in that same category. Besides McTavish, Brandt Clake is a master at manipulating the middle of the ice between the hashmarks. Lucius has shown nice moves in tight, and he's elite at maneuvering the slot area without the puck. I've mentioned Beniers is a bit tricky, because he seems to have the processing speed to make plays in tights, but often the hands and feet can't keep up. Chibrikov has pretty nice hands in tight, and so does Kent Johnson actually.
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1 hour ago, Jimmy McGill said:
after the tragedy they just had, maybe CBJ goes for Wallsted if he's still there tho?
LA maybe snaps up Johnson?
Man its so hard to say. Its going to be a really fun draft.
Don't mean to slight Kivelnieks, but they are set in net short-medium term with Korpi and Merz, and they still have Tarasov and Vehvilainen. But if Josef Boumedienne, Ville Siren and Oscar Akerlund believe he is the best player at 5, I have no doubt Jarmo would take him.
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1 hour ago, Herberts Vasiljevs said:
@HighOnHockey who do you think Anaheim takes at 3?
Lol, just let me look at my magic 8 ball. Throughout Murray's tenure they've gone mostly from CHL or SHL with high picks. After adding Bruce Franklin as director of player evaluation they went a new direction and took Zegras out of NTDP. Lundestrom and Larsson aren't looking like quite the home run picks Hampus Lindholm was, and with how good Zegras is looking, my guess would be they're going to start leaning more on Franklin and the U.S. group.
But also their last two high picks have emphasized two things: elite offensive hockey sense and skating agility. So Clarke and Eklund would seem like great fits, and also maybe Luke Hughes.
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19 minutes ago, janisahockeynut said:
Here is another one for you, I have not been able to wrap my head around
I get that if a Russian player is ranked 1/2, he generally stays there, or very close to there
But I am seeing a trend of the lower players being down graded a bit
I wonder how Swedes, Finns, Canadian's, Americans, and even German's are getting continuously ranked in mass
higher than Russians.......I get the Russian factor
Which leads me to ask myself, if Pods drops to #10 in his draft
Would Svechkov be ranked higher if not Russian?
Yeah it was pretty baffling to me to see how low Amirov and Mukhamadullin were ranked in particular last year. I mean, Russia win so many of the international youth tournaments, yet they don't have any of the best players in their age group? Seems suspicious.
But with that said I totally get it from an NHL team's perspective. If they're not a clear cut all-star, it is all too easy to just go back to Russia if you're not getting the opportunity you think you deserve. Burmistrov and Grigorenko are perfect examples of Russians who went high and weren't home runs but would have at least been solid NHL players but keep going back to Russia. Even players who are all-stars like Radulov and Kaprizov proved to be major headaches for the teams that drafted them. No doubt in my mind Svechkov will fall at the draft from where he should go based on his talent, but I think he's good enough that some team will still take the chance on him by around 15.
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8 minutes ago, janisahockeynut said:
What is your thoughts in comparing these 3 players
1. McTavish
2. Svechkov
3. Raty
I like 200 ft players, and I get the sense that all 3 of these guys are. But what is the distance between them? Certainly they will fall in and around the same area of the draft, or do they? Certainly McTavish is talked about as having a higher end. But with this draft and its rankings being so loose, I just don't know?
I don't know much about Raty to be honest. From what little I've seen I have major concerns about his IQ, and particularly his ability to make those plays in the high-danger scoring areas. McTavish and Svechkov are very close for me. More comes down to the style of player you're looking for, and the "Russian factor". Both are pretty safe bets to be top six forwards. Neither has superstar offensive upside, but I think both project to be big-time playoff performers - with Svechkov we've already seen it repeatedly in big games at international tournaments, with McTavish it's just the way he plays and is built; I see a lot of Claude Lemieux in him, but without the same bite. Absolute ceilings I'd say McTavish is something around Jeff Carter, and Svechkov is in the ballpark of Logan Couture or Igor Larionov (at least what I remember Larionov as, when he was in the NHL and past his prime, perhaps he was more of a superstar when he was on the KLM line).
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2 minutes ago, janisahockeynut said:
Another thought or rather question for all to ponder..........
When JB is saying he has 9 players he likes..............is he talking about
A ) the top 9 players in the draft
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B ) the 4 or 5 players directly above and below the #9 pick?
i think folks are taking this too seriously. I think it was nothing more than rhetoric. We have the 9th pick and there are at least 9 players we like, so we're definitely going to get a player we like.
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2021 NHL Entry Draft
in Prospects / Farm Team
Posted
Sasha Pastujov? Think he's going to Notre Dame. Brother Michael was undrafted. But I would imagine Bordeleau will be returning, that's another 2nd.
But yeah Michigan is gonna be stacked. When it comes to college hockey often fans get dazzled by flashy big name 18 and 19 year olds and then are surprised/disappointed when a team full of relatively no-name 23 year olds wins the championship. But in this case I would say Michigan has to be considered a strong championship contender, if not favorite, assuming most of those guys return.