6th Pick: 2014 NHL Entry Draft

[Hedman]

If we're drafting based on nationality then taking a canadian is no brainer. We've dominated the game from day one.

If we land just outside the top 5, im very curious about Nylander. He's got a higher skill level than any of those guys in that range. Real first line centre potential. If the scouts think he's the real deal, I hope they take him. We could use true first line star potential and you either have to draft it or trade the farm for it. This year we have the chance to actually draft it and not hope on a late pick surprise to be that guy..... if the scouts arent sold on him, i hope they take a canadian powerforward or fleury.

I'm starting to lean towards Nick Ritchie if he would still be available, especially after that impressive playoff series against the Frontenacs. 229 pounds and yet a good skater, i heard he could probably be even more effective if he lost some weight. Good stickhandler, great shot (voted 3rd best by coaches in the OHL eastern conference), good hockey sense, great body checker (voted best body checker in the OHL eastern conference). It just seems like there's just too much to pass on, he got some nasty potential. Those guys don't come around easily. Some even compare him to Lucic.

[elvis15]

If we lucked out and won the lotto. Is anyone else liking Bennett over Reinhart? Hard not to take the Vancouver boy but man I love how Bennett plays.

I admit I didn't know a lot about Bennett coming in (certainly less than Reinhart) but the more I hear the more I like him. While I'm not sold on the guarantee of potential for Bennett like I would be with a MacKinnon-type player, or even Ekblad, I do like Bennett's skill set over Reinhart's. I think the effort level and skill for Bennett is a better option for us if we went that route.

[Noseforthenet]

My point was, maybe the finns are successful at international level, but you shouldn't mix up international level with NHL level because that's 2 completely different things. We shouldn't draft a finn "cause he's a finn".. he might as well be a finn playing in europe for the major part of his career. I will take that Ovie guy over that european finn guy any day. You draft talent and not nationality. And i don't think Kapanen will be the best player available at our spot. Also, i really don't think the finns are better coachable than anyone else just because "they're finns".

But what are we talking about here?! We aren't talking about a 3rd, 4th, or later round pick. We are talking about a higher talented Finnish 1st rounder. You really honestly think that the Olympics aren't as good as the NHL?! Umm, all the countries best go there! We are talking about getting one of the more promising players coming out of a Finnish group who are very VERY coachable!

They beat team USA, who were favored to win the gold! A dejected team USA who seemed like they just wanted to go home instead of go home with a medal. There was more talent on team USA than any NHL team could ever dream of affording!!! I will take a player that puts in the effort and has a pretty damn good amount of talent, than someone selfish, only in it for himself....

[Hedman]

But what are we talking about here?! We aren't talking about a 3rd, 4th, or later round pick. We are talking about a higher talented Finnish 1st rounder. You really honestly think that the Olympics aren't as good as the NHL?! Umm, all the countries best go there! We are talking about getting one of the more promising players coming out of a Finnish group who are very VERY coachable!

They beat team USA, who were favored to win the gold! A dejected team USA who seemed like they just wanted to go home instead of go home with a medal. There was more talent on team USA than any NHL team could ever dream of affording!!! I will take a player that puts in the effort and has a pretty damn good amount of talent, than someone selfish, only in it for himself....

Not sure if serious or trolling.

But very well then, we should totally go after Jarkko Immonen. He had more goals than Sidney Crosby in the olympics so he's obviously a better player/at the same level. He's a good 'ol finn too so he's obviously a more coachable player than Crosby.

[Noseforthenet]

Not sure if serious or trolling.

But very well then, we should totally go after Jarkko Immonen. He had more goals than Sidney Crosby in the olympics so he's obviously a better player/at the same level. He's a good 'ol finn too so he's obviously a more coachable player than Crosby.

Come on now. You know that's not what I mean. We aren't talking about stats, we are talking about winning! Don't you wanna win?! Canada came 1st in The Olympics, but Finland came 3rd and 1st in the world Jr's, which is part of the pool we are drafting from! They have obviously taken a step forward and Canada a step back. And let me remind you, we aren't drafting some talentless 4th of 5th rounder at this point. A 1st round pick. One of the better guys out of that group they are developing out in Europe. Of course you take the best talent available. I mean, DUH!!! But say we are picking and the top 5 are gone and it's getting to that point where it's getting kinda hazey on who we should pick, it would probably be a good idea to pick a guy who is coming out of a good development program? I mean, don't you think?!

[R3aL]

It's impossible for us to pick 5th overall unless we win the lottery. Even if we would lose our remaining games, and Calgary won all their games, we would still be ahead of them since Calgary have more OT/SO wins. Therefore, best possible pick, unless we win the lottery, is 6th overall.

EDIT: Noticed even Islanders could catch us in points, but same thing there. They have too many OT wins/SO wins.

No it isnt, look again at the standings, if we lose the rest of our games and CAL win there last games they will tie us in pts but have more wins then us, by 2, and they only have 1 more win then us in the shoot out, and there ROW would be 1 better than ours 31>30

So you are right but not about Calgary, the islanders actually cant pass us in the standings with their shoot out wins, and lack of wins, my bad I was wrong about NYI being able to pass us and Best Case= 4th pre lotto, so Best Case is 5th overall pre lotto and thats a fact!!

We need Cal to win last three games,

Winnipeg to win 1/2

Caroline to win 2/4 last games

Ottawa to win just 1 of 4

And we need to lose last three, beating LA hurt our chances but what can you do,

BEST CASE pre lotto 5th overall bing bang boom

[Light Bearer]

No it isnt, look again at the standings, if we lose the rest of our games and CAL win there last games they will tie us in pts but have more wins then us, by 2, and they only have 1 more win then us in the shoot out, and there ROW would be 1 better than ours 31>30

So you are right but not about Calgary, the islanders actually cant pass us in the standings with their shoot out wins, and lack of wins, my bad I was wrong about NYI being able to pass us and Best Case= 4th pre lotto, so Best Case is 5th overall pre lotto and thats a fact!!

We need Cal to win last three games,

Winnipeg to win 1/2

Caroline to win 2/4 last games

Ottawa to win just 1 of 4

And we need to lose last three, beating LA hurt our chances but what can you do,

BEST CASE pre lotto 5th overall bing bang boom

We're still alive to land pick #5

[Smashian Kassian]

If we acquired a 2nd first round pick then maybe, although at that position I'd probably take Fleury over Kapanen if he was available.

I wouldn't. We have defense. Kapanen has alot of skill, works hard, and with the how great Finland has been recently for young players, Kapanen is very intriguing for me.

We need to go for a D-man in this draft.

DeAngelo or Fleury.

We definitely don't want our future to look like Edmonton's with skill at the front and nothing in the back.

2013/2014

Yakupov 24 Pts -33

Murray 21 Pts +4

We have defense, need offense. Badly. EDM never had defense.

[thad]

I wouldn't. We have defense. Kapanen has alot of skill, works hard, and with the how great Finland has been recently for young players, Kapanen is very intriguing for me.

We have defense, need offense. Badly. EDM never had defense.

I think we could use a real blue chipper back there. Really who do we have that's promising that isn't part of the aging core? Tanev Corrado, maybe Hutton, maybe Subban. The others aren't exactly knocking at the door.

Up front we have Kassian Jensen Horvat Gaunce Shinkaruk, maybe Cassels maybe Fox showing promise.

Not saying we shouldn't draft a forward, I think I'd still rather grab a forward with the high pick this year. Just pointing out our future when Fleury will be breaking out, doesn't have a lot of promise in it defense wise.

[elvis15]

I agree we need top end talent in both areas if we can get it.

[JE14]

I think we could use a real blue chipper back there. Really who do we have that's promising that isn't part of the aging core? Tanev Corrado, maybe Hutton, maybe Subban. The others aren't exactly knocking at the door.

Up front we have Kassian Jensen Horvat Gaunce Shinkaruk, maybe Cassels maybe Fox showing promise.

Not saying we shouldn't draft a forward, I think I'd still rather grab a forward with the high pick this year. Just pointing out our future when Fleury will be breaking out, doesn't have a lot of promise in it defense wise.

Shinkaruk-_____-_____

Jensen-Horvat-Kassian

_____-Gaunce-______

Fox and Cassels could grab a third line center spot but in reality the Canucks still need two more legitimate top 6 forward prospects. Getting someone like Draisaitl or Reinhart or Bennett would solidify the #1 center spot in the future for years and years. On defence the Canucks still have a lot of their current players locked up for a handful more years. To add to all that, it's much easier to pick up a college free agent defenseman than it is a forward. The best college free agents of recent past have been defensemen.

[wshdrvvn]

my wishlist goes like this:

1. any player that may slide out of the top 5

2. blue chip d-man (most likely fleury)

3. high end skilled player (ehlers or nylander)

4. power forward (virtanen, ritchie, perlini, mccann)

2 and 3 are pretty much tied in my eyes.

[elvis15]

I think Fleury looks too much like a rich man's Yann Sauve. He seems to have good talent and people think he can do more offensively but my feeling is that won't translate well enough at the NHL level. That doesn't mean he can't make the NHL, but I'm just hesitating to put him as a blue chip prospect.

I'd rather take a risk on a high end forward like Nylander if that's what we have to choose from, but as you say they're tied in your eyes.

[thad]

Shinkaruk-_____-_____

Jensen-Horvat-Kassian

_____-Gaunce-______

Fox and Cassels could grab a third line center spot but in reality the Canucks still need two more legitimate top 6 forward prospects. Getting someone like Draisaitl or Reinhart or Bennett would solidify the #1 center spot in the future for years and years. On defence the Canucks still have a lot of their current players locked up for a handful more years. To add to all that, it's much easier to pick up a college free agent defenseman than it is a forward. The best college free agents of recent past have been defensemen.

I don't disagree with you necessarily. If we can actually get Bennett Reinhart or Draisaitl then for sure, you'd be an idiot not to. But those three are a pipe dream. If you looking at perlini and the higher top ten picks, I don't think Fluery is a bad pick at all.

My personal preference if everything goes as we expect in the top 5 is actually Nylander(first line centre potential, maximum ceiling- superstar) then probably Ritchie. After those 2 id be pleased with a Fleury pick. Big smooth skating physical defenseman that could be the rock on the left that gives subban the room to succeed.

Really whoever we pick in the first, whether it be Fleury or even Josh Ho Sang, if he actually pans out... we win.

[JE14]

I don't disagree with you necessarily. If we can actually get Bennett Reinhart or Draisaitl then for sure, you'd be an idiot not to. But those three are a pipe dream. If you looking at perlini and the higher top ten picks, I don't think Fluery is a bad pick at all.

My personal preference if everything goes as we expect in the top 5 is actually Nylander(first line centre potential, maximum ceiling- superstar) then probably Ritchie. After those 2 id be pleased with a Fleury pick. Big smooth skating physical defenseman that could be the rock on the left that gives subban the room to succeed.

Really whoever we pick in the first, whether it be Fleury or even Josh Ho Sang, if he actually pans out... we win.

I know you're not saying to pick Ho Sang but if the new GM picks Ho Sang, I'm gonna flip some tables. I have a strong, strong feeling that one of the "Big Five" will still be there at six. Either Edmonton picks Fleury early (I don't see Ekblad dropping to them) or a team like Calgary goes a bit off the board (Ritchie or Virtanen would be my guess).

[Hedman]

Come on now. You know that's not what I mean. We aren't talking about stats, we are talking about winning! Don't you wanna win?! Canada came 1st in The Olympics, but Finland came 3rd and 1st in the world Jr's, which is part of the pool we are drafting from! They have obviously taken a step forward and Canada a step back. And let me remind you, we aren't drafting some talentless 4th of 5th rounder at this point. A 1st round pick. One of the better guys out of that group they are developing out in Europe. Of course you take the best talent available. I mean, DUH!!! But say we are picking and the top 5 are gone and it's getting to that point where it's getting kinda hazey on who we should pick, it would probably be a good idea to pick a guy who is coming out of a good development program? I mean, don't you think?!

And Immonen was part of that bronze team right? That's kinda a win for them considering the team they had. That's WHY you shouldn't mix up international level, like the Olympics, with the NHL. 2 completely different things. Everyone who's playing in the olympics aren't good enough to play in the NHL. I really think you're overating the finn-factor big time here. Take a look at the WJC 2013 and you will find a top-rated Finland team fighting for relegation to stay in the 1st division. Kapanen wasn't even part of the 2014 WJC Finland team that won gold. He hasn't even had a great season this year. But, because he's a finn, and "the latest experiences" you have about finns, he's the obvious 6th-9th overall pick in your opinion even though there might actually be better players available.

Sure he's talented, i never said he wasn't, but it's kinda ridiculous how highly you seem to rate him just because he's a finn. If we're gonna talk about winning, the only award Kapanen has won, is a bronze medal last year. A guy like Ritchie has won two gold medals and one bronze medal in 2 years. Right now there are only 23 finns registered at NHL.com, in other words, there're only 23 finns playing in the NHL. A few of them aren't even regulars on their respective teams.

There's one thing to say "we should draft that guy 'cause he seems like a really good player with good potential". It's a completely different thing to say "WE SHOULD DRAFT THAT GUY CAUSE HE'S A FINN, SO HE'S OBVIOUSLY VERY COACHABLE AND THEREFORE AWESOME!!!" even though that might not even be the case here. Of course you draft to become a winning team, but honestly have you really seen anything of Kapanen, or do you really think that Finns are pure super-heroes?

[thad]

I know you're not saying to pick Ho Sang but if the new GM picks Ho Sang, I'm gonna flip some tables. I have a strong, strong feeling that one of the "Big Five" will still be there at six. Either Edmonton picks Fleury early (I don't see Ekblad dropping to them) or a team like Calgary goes a bit off the board (Ritchie or Virtanen would be my guess).

Haha I know, I'd be pissed too at Ho Sang too. In the long run if scored 80 points I'd bow haha

And yeah, I got a feeling there has to be a surprise in that top 5. Last year we kept seeing Nichushkin ranked in the top 5 and he fell to tenth. Getting 6th is huge for us and getting 5th would be unreal, then your in top 3 slippage range.

[goog16]

Don't worry if Feaster is the new GM,he'll find a gem in the second round with his first round pick...

[Angry Goose]

I would go with Reinhart over Bennett, just because we lack a truly dynamic player in our system. That said, I could see management going with Bennett due to his defensive play. His offense is also good, but I'm not sure he's quite as good as Reinhart in that category.

Dyanmic players are great, but excellent 2 way players are a safer bet down the road value wise. Toews for example.

[Hedman]

No it isnt, look again at the standings, if we lose the rest of our games and CAL win there last games they will tie us in pts but have more wins then us, by 2, and they only have 1 more win then us in the shoot out, and there ROW would be 1 better than ours 31>30

So you are right but not about Calgary, the islanders actually cant pass us in the standings with their shoot out wins, and lack of wins, my bad I was wrong about NYI being able to pass us and Best Case= 4th pre lotto, so Best Case is 5th overall pre lotto and thats a fact!!

We need Cal to win last three games,

Winnipeg to win 1/2

Caroline to win 2/4 last games

Ottawa to win just 1 of 4

And we need to lose last three, beating LA hurt our chances but what can you do,

BEST CASE pre lotto 5th overall bing bang boom

I guess i got ahead of myself. Forgot looking at the regular ordinary wins lol.

Don't worry if Feaster is the new GM,he'll find a gem in the second round with his first round pick...

I'm actually getting nervous hearing all this Feaster sh*t. If anyone can screw something up,it's him. Imagine if we would actually get that top5 pick, everyone here would rave about getting a player from that "big 5", and then Feaster goes completely off the board like he did with Jankowski.