Scruffy05

So... Brendan Morrison, essentially?

Check out Boeser's legs... Physically he is ready.

Not everybody will work out, that is the long and the short of it. That is why we need the `critical mass` of prospects. However, back to your point, if too many of them do? That's a lovely problem to have. Also, on your list there appears to be a couple AAAA players, the tweeners who will spend their careers between the AHL and NHL. They are very useful to have and they also help the roster crunch.

Brian Rafalski?

The Sedins were tall and slight as well. He's 6'2 and super young. He's only grown up to this point, not out... Take it from a somebody who was been there, come about this age your body changes and then it is everything you can do to keep the weight down, especially when you are that tall. (Caveat: all bodies are different) Besides, listen to him talk: That low baritone voice is indicative of (though not a guarantee of) a hell of a lot of natural testosterone in his system which will help him quickly bulk out once his body allows him to... I am not worried about him size-wise.

The more I think about the more I like the idea of the SHL with Pete, though we will have to start getting them used to the North American ice. Dahlen especially as he likes to work in the corners and come out from them... those corners are not nearly as deep over here.

Holy crap, watching the video of this kid skating is soul satisfying- like a work of art. He is unbelievably smooth.

Or be just really old school employed in an industry which is a definitive 'old boys club'

Why? What a massive overpayment for a spin of the wheel.

We are guaranteed a shot at least at one of Mittelstadt, Vilardi or Glass so dropping to 5th is pretty much whatever. I think I'd be ok with either of those three.

"Good for his size" Translation: Not great, but jeebus isn't he big.

Liljegren scares me. Mono is bad, sure, but dude... And getting mono during some of the most important development times for him? I think he's going to go all Chychrun on us this year... maybe we can pick him up with the other 1st rounder Benning will gain (please please please)

Maybe we should trade down for Suzuki...

So... How about that Glass kid?

Do you have a link to this insider?

For Vilardi I think the concern is his feet- my understanding is that if he managed to tick up his first couple steps a notch he would be a lock for center but, if not, a guy his size banging down the wings is not a terrible thing to have. I believe centers need to be more quick than fast. Still, he is plenty quick for his size.

Interesting enough, the fact that he mentioned the PPQB at all indicates that one of his 5 is either Lilejegren, Makar or Heiskenan which omits one of Glass, Mittelstadt or Vilardi... Unless they are rated 6-10 and he is using 'top 5' as a shorthand for 'best players' which happens a lot. Makes a perverse kind of sense when there is much scout disagreement and the players are this close and your top 5 contains 7 or 8 players that interchange depending on the weather it is fruitless to try to pick between them anyways.

I've only recently heard Mittelstadt being pegged as a winger, I am not certain where it comes from. He looks like a center to me but I am in no way a scout and will always defer to their judgement. He seems to have the right size and mobility for it. Do you know what it is? Is it his ability to backcheck down low or more of a fitness/endurance thing since centers generally need to skate so much more than wingers? At the very least he appears to have the brain for it...

I don't get the point of spinning the lottery multiple times over- the odds are the odds. The Canucks have a 1 in 8 chance at 1st and essentially even money between Top 3, 4th or 5th. ... you are also talking to a guy who believes in odds over luck. I know, I get it, it's like a slot machine (which I can never get into). Our chances are below:

If we got 1st overall I would definitely advertise that the pick was for sale. The draft seems so flat that that as long as we keep top 7 or even top 10 we are walking out with a very good player.

Something you don't like about Mittelstadt? He has significant international and tournament pedigree....

3 to 9 is a crap shoot. So is 15 to about 50. This year looks like a really flat draft.

I'm not certain how highly Benning values Glass based on how much weight Benning gives to tournament statistics and Glass's generally meager performances there. He had 1 good game with Canada at the U18 then was quiet. There are also rumours that the brass see Vilardi as more of a winger. When evaluating between two players of roughly equal talent and fuzzy future progression probability, always take the center.

It only week at the very top as there is no McDavid but this draft is very heavy in that high middle tier from about pick 15 to 50. This pick is I believe now locked to be between 22 and 25 based on the rather cumbersome pick ordering criteria. It all depends on what Washington and Anaheim do essentially. The teams that did not qualify for the playoffs the previous season (picks 1–15) The teams that made the playoffs in the previous season but did not win either their division in the regular season or play in the Conference Finals (picks 16–23 up to 27) The teams that won their divisions in the previous season but did not play in the Conference Finals (potentially picks 24–27) The teams that lose in Conference Finals (picks 28 and 29) The team that was the runner-up in the Stanley Cup Finals (pick 30) The team that won the Stanley Cup in the previous season (pick 31)