6th Pick: 2014 NHL Entry Draft

[Smashian Kassian]

You still run a huge risk drafting a defender that early. I do like Ekblad, but our most nagging need at the moment seems to be a successor to the Sedins. Our prospect cupboard is pretty bare everywhere, so I think it just comes down to what the team thinks is going to need to be replaced earlier.

I think it's going to be the Sedins looking at how their production is trending. Our defensive core isn't that old (but does need work, I will admit that). I wouldn't mind grabbing a defender in the 2nd round, and then another in 2015.

I don't know if Reinhart can be a successor to the Sedins, that's big shoes to fill.

And our prospect cupboard isn't that bare, we have some wingers, we have good depth at center (just no star), and we have a few young goalies. Where we lack is on the backend & we lack starpower/high upside overall.

Our Dcore is fine, moving forward so our lack of Defensive prospects isn't as big a deal.

Its just rare you get a chance to take a Dman like Ekblad who could be a franchise corner stone, he may not be but seems like to me he's a surefire NHLer, he's huge, he's got a cannon of a shot, (could anchor our PP for the next decade) and he can play defense.

If we get the 1st pick, I would be happy with either. I know there is really no chance we get Ekblad, but I just think he has really high upside, and I'd love to get him.

I agree but we would never draft Ekblad. We would trade up to get Reinhart. So perhaps we could trade down to 2 or 3 for Reinhart.

Yeah if we trade up we are definitely taking Reinhart.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Man picking up Reinhart just puts WAY too much pressure on the kid.

Virtanen's local too, but some around here expect him to be a 3rd liner for some strange reason. So that'll take the pressure off.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Man picking up Reinhart just puts WAY too much pressure on the kid.

Virtanen's local too, but some around here expect him to be a 3rd liner for some strange reason. So that'll take the pressure off.

The best players can handle whatever pressure is given to them.

Reinhart will be fine. Of course there is no way hell Reinhart can replace both Sedins, as Sedins are actually 2 players, Reinhart is just one.

[BananaMash]

I don't know if Reinhart can be a successor to the Sedins, that's big shoes to fill.

And our prospect cupboard isn't that bare, we have some wingers, we have good depth at center (just no star), and we have a few young goalies. Where we lack is on the backend & we lack starpower/high upside overall.

Our Dcore is fine, moving forward so our lack of Defensive prospects isn't as big a deal.

Its just rare you get a chance to take a Dman like Ekblad who could be a franchise corner stone, he may not be but seems like to me he's a surefire NHLer, he's huge, he's got a cannon of a shot, (could anchor our PP for the next decade) and he can play defense.

If we get the 1st pick, I would be happy with either. I know there is really no chance we get Ekblad, but I just think he has really high upside, and I'd love to get him.

I worded that poorly, but he could be the potential 1C replacement which I think is more important at the moment than defensive replacements.

Our prospect cupboard might not be bare, but the selection isn't outstanding to me (as far as potential 1st [even 2nd] line talent, at least) at the moment. This draft will hopefully help that out.

[JohnLocke]

Does TB regret not drafting Doughty over Stamkos?

With a Hedman/Doughty pairing they'd be an epic defensive force for two decades. And then they can work with guys like Drouin instead of Stamkos for offense.

I like Stamkos, but Doughty is a far more important player.

Ekblad>Reinhart.

Whoa whoa whoa... Let's watch what we're saying here.

I can assure you that Tampa does not regret their draft choice one bit.

And I think I would know this a bit better than you...

[Horvat]

I think our defense prospects are fine, hutton, subban, cedarholm, corrado, and tanev in 5 years is fine with me, we need rightwing'ers though...

[VegasCanuck]

Its interesting that in all the years the Canucks have been in this league, they have never had the first overall pick!

That said, if Florida keeps the 1st overall, I will be shocked if they don't take Ekblad. They need defense far more than they need another offensive center. Considering that, any other team targeting 1st overall are likely also more interested in Ekblad since they will also know that's Florida's need.

Therefore, our target if we want Reinhart, we need to be talking to Buffalo about trading for #2

[elvis15]

And yet no matter who we target, Buffalo isn't likely to be trading their pick so there's no point talking to Buffalo very long about trading with them. You want that control if you hope to get a possible 1st overall player anyway.

[RustyShackleford]

TSN is showing a draft preview show in around 30 min if anyone is intrested. it will also be showing bob mckenzies updated draft rankings

[Watermelon]

TSN is showing a draft preview show in around 30 min if anyone is intrested. it will also be showing bob mckenzies updated draft rankings

Thanks, almost forgot about that.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun: Will the Canucks hold onto the No. 6 pick at Friday’s draft?

“I think a big part of this is going to be predicated on what happens, or doesn’t happen, with Ryan Kesler,” says TSN draft guru and former NHL executive Craig Button. “I think it is going to be a factor in what type of player they take. If they trade Kesler, do they get a younger centre back?”

“Jim Benning is very open-minded,” Button continues. “He likes skill and he’s never been fussy about if you’re big, or if you’re small, but I don’t know how you can’t look at what’s happening in the Pacific Division. If bigger players are available, how could you take a smaller player?”

Options at No. 6 according to Brian Costello, senior editor of the The Hockey News Draft Preview, could be Haydn Fleury and Nick Ritchie, with Jake Virtanen as a wild card.

[ShakyWalton]

Elliott Pap of the Vancouver Sun: Will the Canucks hold onto the No. 6 pick at Friday’s draft?

“I think a big part of this is going to be predicated on what happens, or doesn’t happen, with Ryan Kesler,” says TSN draft guru and former NHL executive Craig Button. “I think it is going to be a factor in what type of player they take. If they trade Kesler, do they get a younger centre back?”

“Jim Benning is very open-minded,” Button continues. “He likes skill and he’s never been fussy about if you’re big, or if you’re small, but I don’t know how you can’t look at what’s happening in the Pacific Division. If bigger players are available, how could you take a smaller player?”

Options at No. 6 according to Brian Costello, senior editor of the The Hockey News Draft Preview, could be Haydn Fleury and Nick Ritchie, with Jake Virtanen as a wild card.

McKenzies final draft rankings are just out and he has Ritchie at 6....

http://www.tsn.ca/draftcentre/feature/?id=95289

[Watermelon]

After the top 4 B Mac was pretty off imo. Ritchie, Virtanen, Kapanen and Fleury too high, Nylander and Ehlers way too low

[Plum]

1. Ekblad

2. Reinhart

3. Bennett

4. Drasaitl

5. Dal Colle

6. Ritchie

7. Virtanen

8. Fleury

9. Nylander

10. Ehlers

11. Kapenen

12. Larkin

13. Perlini

14. Fabbri

15. Fiala

16. McCann

17. Tuch

18. Milano

19. Vrana

20. Honka

21. Scherbak

22. Pastrnak

23. Barbashev

24. Sanheim

25. McKeown

26. Schmaltz

27. Demko

28. Kempe

29. Bleackley

30. Ho-Sang

31. DeAngelo

32. Quenneville

33. Lemieux

34. MacInnis

35. Dougherty

36. Pettersson

37. Goldobin

38. Masin

39. Karlsson

40. Pollock

41. Cornel

42. Nedeljkovic

43. Kamenev

44. Englund

45. Martin

46. Glover

47. Karabacek

48. Foegele

49. Hawryluk

50. Donato

51. Thomas

52. Smith

53. MacDonald

54. Peters

55. Aube-Kubel

56. MacLeod

57. Kase

58. Point

59. Iverson

60. Walman

HM: Bishop, Collins, Dvorak, Kahkonen, Vanier.

Nylander and Ehlers at the bottom of the top 10 is very surprising and Fleury should be outside the top 10 IMO.

[Nas19]

After the top 4 B Mac was pretty off imo. Ritchie, Virtanen, Kapanen and Fleury too high, Nylander and Ehlers way too low

It's not what he thinks. It's the consensus that he got from all the different scouts he polled.

["Bull" Horvat]

at the end of all this, it's really Ritchie/Nylander with the the 6th pick at 50/50

Note this: this is a ranking of prospects, and not a mock draft.

[Plum]

I think people will get on their high horse and go on about Virtanen is better or Ritchie is better, this doesn't mean too much. It's what Jim Benning wants for this team not what MacKenzie's rankings are or who is the better junior player.

It's also about what we need.

[BanTSN]

We need a right-handed forward with skill and size. Virtanen.

[ilovekevinbieksa]

I like Virtanen but I'm scared that he only impressed because he played with over agers. Im also reading that the most he is gonna be is a 3rd line checker with minimal offense. I am impressed with his 45 goals though! I feel like we just need to draft the best players available because our prospect pool is so weak. And once the pool gets stronger, that is when we start going positionally. I feel like both Virtanen & Nylander are risky picks :$

[BanTSN]

I like Virtanen but I'm scared that he only impressed because he played with over agers. Im also reading that the most he is gonna be is a 3rd line checker with minimal offense. I am impressed with his 45 goals though! I feel like we just need to draft the best players available because our prospect pool is so weak. And once the pool gets stronger, that is when we start going positionally. I feel like both Virtanen & Nylander are risky picks :$

Huh? Are you referring to Brady Brassart? Okay... Don't worry about it. lol

Virtanen's power forward-big, Grabner fast, and can conjure goals out of thin air. The risk is that he's got some tunnel vision, but the size and skill aspects trump that easily.