6th Pick: 2014 NHL Entry Draft

[Guest]

Nylander seems more like a goal scoring center to me rather than a playmaker..

[Nicklas Bo Hunter]

it will either be Nylander or vitranen imo. I hope its nylander. need players with pure skill. we don't have any prospect with that.

[BanTSN]

Ritchie is an undisciplined penalty and injury-prone 20-goal kinda player who depends too much on his wrist shot. Won't translate to much beyond that in the NHL. Not an elite physical force like Lucic. Not much of an offensive threat beyond basic plays. Inconsistent. Takes too many lazy penalties. Not worth a 6th overall, even in a crap draft such as this. PASS.

I came up with the perfect comparison for Nick Ritchie: Guillaume Latendresse.

230lbs big. Injured. Skilled and effective in junior. Banged guys a lot. Didn't drop 'em a lot. Takes a lot of penalties. Good in junior playoffs.

Dominated in post-draft junior season, but injured. Came into the bigs and played physical enough, but it didn't translate into good offense or good all-round play. The physical play against men wore him down and since he already had an injury history, his NHL career was brief. Now in the Swiss league at age 26.

There is a very high probability that Ritchie will have a similar career path. A team will fall in love with his size and will use him in that role until he sustains a career-impacting injury and then he will be discarded.

Latendresse was a 45th overall pick in 2005, a much deeper draft, obviously, as Paul Stastny was picked just before him.

And people are considering this at 6th overall? This draft stinks.

[BanTSN]

Nylander 2 goals in a 10-0 rout over Finland.

[R3aL]

Ritchie is an undisciplined penalty and injury-prone 20-goal kinda player who depends too much on his wrist shot. Won't translate to much beyond that in the NHL. Not an elite physical force like Lucic. Not much of an offensive threat beyond basic plays. Inconsistent. Takes too many lazy penalties. Not worth a 6th overall, even in a crap draft such as this. PASS.

I came up with the perfect comparison for Nick Ritchie: Guillaume Latendresse.

230lbs big. Injured. Skilled and effective in junior. Banged guys a lot. Didn't drop 'em a lot. Takes a lot of penalties. Good in junior playoffs.

Dominated in post-draft junior season, but injured. Came into the bigs and played physical enough, but it didn't translate into good offense or good all-round play. The physical play against men wore him down and since he already had an injury history, his NHL career was brief. Now in the Swiss league at age 26.

There is a very high probability that Ritchie will have a similar career path. A team will fall in love with his size and will use him in that role until he sustains a career-impacting injury and then he will be discarded.

Latendresse was a 45th overall pick in 2005, a much deeper draft, obviously, as Paul Stastny was picked just before him.

And people are considering this at 6th overall? This draft stinks.

Your crazy man... that is all

I guess Lucic was a vey consistent player in JR and even in NHL, just 1 shoulder injury which he is clearly recovered from is little to write off a player......

[theminister]

I miss the minus button sometimes.

[BanTSN]

I hope some team in the top-5 gets excited about Nylander's tourney and selects him before us. That would do us a huge favour. Dal Colle, Bennett, Ekblad, Reinhart and even Draisaitl are all far better players. Although i'd question the big german's speed and desire. Totally reminds me of Henrik, but a bit bigger and slower.

[SpennyCanuck]

Do you think they Canuck's are considering trading the 6th pick for an established player?

For example,

Say we trade Kesler to Anaheim for there two picks, and prospects.

We pick Virtenen and someone in the 26-30 range.

Would you consider trading the 6th pick?

If the canucks could package the 6th pick along with a roster player and a prospect for a legit first line centre... That could also work

Ex.

To Vancouver:

Eric Staal

To Carolina:

6th pick

Hansen

Hutton

Just in theory, Doesnt have to be with Carolina.

In conclusion:

Canucks Still get Two 1st (10th and ANA) and prospects

Have a Legit 1st line centre so the sedins can have a reduced 2nd line role and can focus purely on offence.

This would make the Canucks automatically younger, and a legit playoff team.

Canucks lose:

Kesler

6th

Roster player

Prospect

Canucks Gain:

1st/2nd line centre

10th pick

ANA pick

Two great prospects

Just my thoughts...

Cheers,

Spenny

[Scruffy05]

I will be following the combine more closely this year then ever. If Ritchie shows up as being currently rather doughy, then i will be much higher on drafting him based on his potential to only get stronger. However, given his 1995 birthdate, how much further can he go with pure 'organic' growth? He may have topped out. From here on in it would be just gym growth.

Anybody know how big Virtanen is shoulder to shoulder? He's damn near a year younger (9 months) and could be still growing into his frame. By time he tops out he may rival Ritchie for size.

Can anybody find any data on average growth potential based on relative age and size at time of draft. A surface graph of that information might be very telling. Compare it with final size at age 21 or age 22.

If MDC falls to us, he is most intriguing. He doesn't play the same physical game but he is long and lean so far. I am curious what his frame may eventually support. While no power forward like the other two, as a winger he will need it to fight along the boards.

[JE14]

The Ducks should just trade their prospects and tenth for Staal....

[Derp...]

Virtanen is an undisciplined penalty and injury-prone 20-goal kinda player who depends too much on his wrist shot. Won't translate to much beyond that in the NHL. Not an elite physical force like Lucic. Not much of an offensive threat beyond basic plays. Inconsistent. Takes too many lazy penalties. Not worth a 6th overall, even in a crap draft such as this. PASS.

I came up with the perfect comparison for Jake Virtanen: Guillaume Latendresse.

230lbs big. Injured. Skilled and effective in junior. Banged guys a lot. Didn't drop 'em a lot. Takes a lot of penalties. Good in junior playoffs.

Dominated in post-draft junior season, but injured. Came into the bigs and played physical enough, but it didn't translate into good offense or good all-round play. The physical play against men wore him down and since he already had an injury history, his NHL career was brief. Now in the Swiss league at age 26.

There is a very high probability that Virtanen will have a similar career path. A team will fall in love with his size and will use him in that role until he sustains a career-impacting injury and then he will be discarded.

Latendresse was a 45th overall pick in 2005, a much deeper draft, obviously, as Paul Stastny was picked just before him.

And people are considering this at 6th overall? This draft stinks.

Am I doing it right?

[SpennyCanuck]

The Ducks should just trade their prospects and tenth for Staal....

Thats not the point I was trying to get across.

But sure they can do that.

What I'm trying to say is if we trade Kesler for Picks and prospects.

Why not go after a first line forward with a 6th pick if we don't necessarily need it?

Cheers,

Spenny

[theminister]

Nylander is not the guy to bank any kind of positive future on. He's not in the top-5, of which one may fall. And he's not the best beyond the top-5 either. He's below Kapanen, another flash in the pan smallish euro, in terms of skill (see that fancy through the legs goal he scored? wow!), and Nylander simply isn't built for this division, if even the NHL.

I don't know how you can get excited about those highlights when it's either perimeter power play passing or floating up the ice waiting for a pass, but yeah, he's good when no competition is around him. Is it reasonable to expect that kind of competition level in the NHL? Nope.

He needs to go to a team where the fans are still amused by fancy-looking preseason trash like Sergei Shirokov. I think the majority Canucks fans are done with it. Those kind of players don't win jack unless they're sheltered and carried.

His dad was nothing but a perimeter-style powerplay specialist in the NHL until he was on a line with Jagr. We don't have a Jagr.

I want nothing to do with that girlie boy being on my team. PASS. If the Canucks pick him up, then the future with Linden in charge is just more of the same crap. That's not good.

Ritchie is an undisciplined penalty and injury-prone 20-goal kinda player who depends too much on his wrist shot. Won't translate to much beyond that in the NHL. Not an elite physical force like Lucic. Not much of an offensive threat beyond basic plays. Inconsistent. Takes too many lazy penalties. Not worth a 6th overall, even in a crap draft such as this. PASS.

I came up with the perfect comparison for Nick Ritchie: Guillaume Latendresse.

230lbs big. Injured. Skilled and effective in junior. Banged guys a lot. Didn't drop 'em a lot. Takes a lot of penalties. Good in junior playoffs.

Dominated in post-draft junior season, but injured. Came into the bigs and played physical enough, but it didn't translate into good offense or good all-round play. The physical play against men wore him down and since he already had an injury history, his NHL career was brief. Now in the Swiss league at age 26.

There is a very high probability that Ritchie will have a similar career path. A team will fall in love with his size and will use him in that role until he sustains a career-impacting injury and then he will be discarded.

Latendresse was a 45th overall pick in 2005, a much deeper draft, obviously, as Paul Stastny was picked just before him.

And people are considering this at 6th overall? This draft stinks.

You really are a hateful person.

Your attitude just stinks.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Got some points though. There's nothing get out your seat-worthy about either player.

[canucklehead44]

Ritchie is an undisciplined penalty and injury-prone 20-goal kinda player who depends too much on his wrist shot. Won't translate to much beyond that in the NHL. Not an elite physical force like Lucic. Not much of an offensive threat beyond basic plays. Inconsistent. Takes too many lazy penalties. Not worth a 6th overall, even in a crap draft such as this. PASS.

I came up with the perfect comparison for Nick Ritchie: Guillaume Latendresse.

230lbs big. Injured. Skilled and effective in junior. Banged guys a lot. Didn't drop 'em a lot. Takes a lot of penalties. Good in junior playoffs.

Dominated in post-draft junior season, but injured. Came into the bigs and played physical enough, but it didn't translate into good offense or good all-round play. The physical play against men wore him down and since he already had an injury history, his NHL career was brief. Now in the Swiss league at age 26.

There is a very high probability that Ritchie will have a similar career path. A team will fall in love with his size and will use him in that role until he sustains a career-impacting injury and then he will be discarded.

Latendresse was a 45th overall pick in 2005, a much deeper draft, obviously, as Paul Stastny was picked just before him.

And people are considering this at 6th overall? This draft stinks.

Latendresse

Ritchie is an undisciplined penalty and injury-prone 20-goal kinda player who depends too much on his wrist shot. Won't translate to much beyond that in the NHL. Not an elite physical force like Lucic. Not much of an offensive threat beyond basic plays. Inconsistent. Takes too many lazy penalties. Not worth a 6th overall, even in a crap draft such as this. PASS.

I came up with the perfect comparison for Nick Ritchie: Guillaume Latendresse.

230lbs big. Injured. Skilled and effective in junior. Banged guys a lot. Didn't drop 'em a lot. Takes a lot of penalties. Good in junior playoffs.

Dominated in post-draft junior season, but injured. Came into the bigs and played physical enough, but it didn't translate into good offense or good all-round play. The physical play against men wore him down and since he already had an injury history, his NHL career was brief. Now in the Swiss league at age 26.

There is a very high probability that Ritchie will have a similar career path. A team will fall in love with his size and will use him in that role until he sustains a career-impacting injury and then he will be discarded.

Latendresse was a 45th overall pick in 2005, a much deeper draft, obviously, as Paul Stastny was picked just before him.

And people are considering this at 6th overall? This draft stinks.

I think Ritchie is a much more talented player than Latendresse, and Latendresse was decent until he got decimated with injuries.

He was the 45th player selected and is ranked 11th in goals for his draft year out of 230 players. Raymond and Hornqvist are the only players select after who have more goals. Again, he was a pretty solid pick in the second round. Would have been considered a bust at the 6th spot but there are a number of reasons he wasn't picked that high.

I do see comparisons, and I think Ritchie's high end potential is similar to Rick Nash, low end potential similar to Latendresse. He will probably end up similar to Horton.

One HUGE difference between the two, even if all else is equal - foot speed. Ritchie skates well for a big guy and is considered above average - not a speed demon but his skating is one of his strengths. Latendresse's skating was a huge red flag for him even in junior.

[theminister]

Got some points though. There's nothing get out your seat-worthy about either player.

I certainly didn't see any.

Lot's of wrong statements and vitriol though.

[TOMapleLaughs]

Latendresse

I think Ritchie is a much more talented player than Latendresse, and Latendresse was decent until he got decimated with injuries.

He was the 45th player selected and is ranked 11th in goals for his draft year out of 230 players. Raymond and Hornqvist are the only players select after who have more goals. Again, he was a pretty solid pick in the second round. Would have been considered a bust at the 6th spot but there are a number of reasons he wasn't picked that high.

I do see comparisons, and I think Ritchie's high end potential is similar to Rick Nash, low end potential similar to Latendresse. He will probably end up similar to Horton.

One HUGE difference between the two, even if all else is equal - foot speed. Ritchie skates well for a big guy and is considered above average - not a speed demon but his skating is one of his strengths. Latendresse's skating was a huge red flag for him even in junior.

Again with Rick Nash? Please. That guy was a human highlight reel right away. Horton is also likely out of Ritchie's reach. Both where top or close to top of their class.

Perhaps if Ritchie didn't have the weight, shape, consistency and injury issues, he'd be up there with those guys as well as the top of this years' draft, but alas he'll need some work to just make it as a pro, and even then the skill is 'meh'.

I think people tend to fall in love with the size and then proceed to make unreasonable projections based on size alone. His talent is there, don't get me wrong, but it's not top-5 in this weak draft, so what are we talking about?

[theminister]

Again with Rick Nash? Please. That guy was a human highlight reel right away. Horton is also likely out of Ritchie's reach. Both where top or close to top of their class.

Perhaps if Ritchie didn't have the weight, shape, consistency and injury issues, he'd be up there with those guys as well as the top of this years' draft, but alas he'll need some work to just make it as a pro, and even then the skill is 'meh'.

I think people tend to fall in love with the size and then proceed to make unreasonable projections based on size alone. His talent is there, don't get me wrong, but it's not top-5 in this weak draft, so what are we talking about?

How are you determining that the top end of this draft class is weak?

The weakness of this draft is depth past the 2nd round.

[RustyShackleford]

The thing about Ritchie that is a big red flag for me is his weight issue. Yes he is 6.3 but he is almost pushing 240 at 18 and like most of us older posters know is that you dont lose weight as you get older but you actually gain weight. With Ritchie having lots of free time between now and the combine it should give him a chance to turn that fat to muscle and trim off a few pounds but if he shows up with that double chin of his once again I would expect Vancouver scouts to notice and take a pass on him.

[R3aL]

I take Virtanen. Then trade Keeler to Detroit for Mantha and their 2014 1st. Use that to select Tuch.

Tank hard next year, but trade first overall for 2nd and 3rd (Eichel and Kylington)

Shinkaruk Eichel Kassian

Mantha Horvat Virtanen

Gaunce Cassels Jensen

Lain Matthias Tuch

Kylington Tanev

Stanton (2014/2015 2nd round pick?)

Hutton Corrado

Lack

We lack elite/high end D prospects. We should trade for the picks we need to stock up on that front.

^God this is terrible.

I miss the minus button sometimes.

How are you determining that the top end of this draft class is weak?

The weakness of this draft is depth past the 2nd round.

My thoughts on both as well