Draft #6

[Smashian Kassian]

Kings couldn't handle the Sharks offensive, puck possession, speed game.

The Kings top guys haven't scored, they have relied on role players to pot in goals here or there to keep them afloat & its not working. Same problems we were having that led us to this pick.

I'll keep saying it, we need to get high offensive skill with this pick.

Gotta make sure the player we get has a high skill level, speed/great skating ability, hockey sense & character above all.

[TheSecretIsMe]

Kings couldn't handle the Sharks offensive, puck possession, speed game.

The Kings top guys haven't scored, they have relied on role players to pot in goals here or there to keep them afloat & its not working. Same problems we were having that led us to this pick.

I'll keep saying it, we need to get high offensive skill with this pick.

Gotta make sure the player we get has a high skill level, speed/great skating ability, hockey sense & character above all.

Hunter Shinkaruk?

[Merci]

Watching the Sharks eat alive the big bad Kings tonight, I'm starting to think that yeah, skill and speed should trump all when drafting in the first couple of rounds.

Sj is as big if not bigger than la

Burns

thronton

pavelski

sheppard

marleau

Only small player on sj whole team is coture

U dont have to sacrifice speed for size which is why nick ritchie is a must pick player

[Smashian Kassian]

Hunter Shinkaruk?

That's one player.

Look how deep some of these teams are offensively, look at SJ and how many scoring threats they had.

Kennedy & Havlat were scratched, just speaks to there depth. We need more than one (or two if you count Jensen) high offensive scoring threats.

FWIW I don't think either of them have the offensive, gamebreaking ability that some of the guys available at our pick have, Shinkaruk is close but with his injury taking away a valuable year of development who knows.

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Kings couldn't handle the Sharks offensive, puck possession, speed game.

The Kings top guys haven't scored, they have relied on role players to pot in goals here or there to keep them afloat & its not working. Same problems we were having that led us to this pick.

I'll keep saying it, we need to get high offensive skill with this pick.

Gotta make sure the player we get has a high skill level, speed/great skating ability, hockey sense & character above all.

for the 5th time, Ritchie has high skill level good speed, great skating ability, good hockey sense.

Why do do some of you assume Ritchie is a slow player? I don't get it.

[asian player]

for the 5th time, Ritchie has high skill level good speed, great skating ability, good hockey sense.

Why do do some of you assume Ritchie is a slow player? I don't get it.

I agree. He has no problem getting to where he needs to go. He is a very decent skater. He has very good vision. He makes great passes and has a very good shot and can pick the sweet spots. He is also very physical

[MoneypuckOverlord]

Your not going to get a high skill player (one as good as we need) through free agency.

If size is a huge issue, then I say take Kapanen, out of the skill guys he's the biggest, we clearly need skill. drafting for size is redundant and does nothing to improve the team.

dude..... Ritchie is an extremely highly skilled player with good speed,...... on top of that he has one thing no one else has right now, which is also size and strenght and toughness.... why do you keep believing Ritchie is a fat slob who can't jack? he's an extremely skilled player who lead his team in scoring.

[Smashian Kassian]

dude..... Ritchie is an extremely highly skilled player with good speed,...... on top of that he has one thing no one else has right now, which is also size and strenght and toughness.... why do you keep believing Ritchie is a fat slob who can't jack? he's an extremely skilled player who lead his team in scoring.

for the 5th time, Ritchie has high skill level good speed, great skating ability, good hockey sense.

Why do do some of you assume Ritchie is a slow player? I don't get it.

I know Ritchie has good skill, and I know he's not slow, he's got great acceleration and good speed.

Does he have high end skill however like a Ehlers/Nylander/Kapanen. Is he as good a skater? No, I don't believe so.

[Absent Canuck]

I know Ritchie has good skill, and I know he's not slow, he's got great acceleration and good speed.

Does he have high end skill however like a Ehlers/Nylander/Kapanen. Is he as good a skater? No, I don't believe so.

The reason we need to pick Ehlers or Nylander is they both have UNUSUAL speed and can operate at top speed. Especially in Ehlers case.

These guys keep wanting SIZE , and try to claim they are also just as fast and talented. If Ritchie or Vit were as fast and talented as Ehlers not only would they go 1-2 in the draft, they would all be calling them both the next Eric Lindros .

Its far easier to see NHL potential in guys like Ehlers because of their speed and skill. He isnt bullying over kids . He is so fast that you can actually clock his speed and know for a fact he will be effective at the NHL level.

Big guys who use their body are playing against amateur boys . Most of whom arent fully grown or filled out. Its very easy to see a power forward from a guy who is just bigger and stronger than junior boys. They get to the NHL level and they do not have the same size or speed advantage, and are at a loss to figure out a plan B.

So they end up being grinders. Ask Steve Bernier , Raffi Torres, and Taylor Pyatt. All whom bullied they way around junior. True power forwards are very rare.

So when you have a real chance to draft unusual talent, you throw it away to draft a big winger? Big wingers being touted as the next power forward are proclaimed every draft. We just got Jensen and Gaunce at 29 and 26. They will be there next year and the year after too.

Finding guys like Ehlers and Nylander are very rare. Lets take advantage of it.

[asian player]

The reason we need to pick Ehlers or Nylander is they both have UNUSUAL speed and can operate at top speed. Especially in Ehlers case.

These guys keep wanting SIZE , and try to claim they are also just as fast and talented. If Ritchie or Vit were as fast and talented as Ehlers not only would they go 1-2 in the draft, they would all be calling them both the next Eric Lindros .

Its far easier to see NHL potential in guys like Ehlers because of their speed and skill. He isnt bullying over kids . He is so fast that you can actually clock his speed and know for a fact he will be effective at the NHL level.

Big guys who use their body are playing against amateur boys . Most of whom arent fully grown or filled out. Its very easy to see a power forward from a guy who is just bigger and stronger than junior boys. They get to the NHL level and they do not have the same size or speed advantage, and are at a loss to figure out a plan B.

So they end up being grinders. Ask Steve Bernier , Raffi Torres, and Taylor Pyatt. All whom bullied they way around junior. True power forwards are very rare.

So when you have a real chance to draft unusual talent, you throw it away to draft a big winger? Big wingers being touted as the next power forward are proclaimed every draft. We just got Jensen and Gaunce at 29 and 26. They will be there next year and the year after too.

Finding guys like Ehlers and Nylander are very rare. Lets take advantage of it.

There are guys like Ehlers and Nylander in every draft and maybe with a bit more size

[Smashian Kassian]

The reason we need to pick Ehlers or Nylander is they both have UNUSUAL speed and can operate at top speed. Especially in Ehlers case.

These guys keep wanting SIZE , and try to claim they are also just as fast and talented. If Ritchie or Vit were as fast and talented as Ehlers not only would they go 1-2 in the draft, they would all be calling them both the next Eric Lindros .

Its far easier to see NHL potential in guys like Ehlers because of their speed and skill. He isnt bullying over kids . He is so fast that you can actually clock his speed and know for a fact he will be effective at the NHL level.

Big guys who use their body are playing against amateur boys . Most of whom arent fully grown or filled out. Its very easy to see a power forward from a guy who is just bigger and stronger than junior boys. They get to the NHL level and they do not have the same size or speed advantage, and are at a loss to figure out a plan B.

So they end up being grinders. Ask Steve Bernier , Raffi Torres, and Taylor Pyatt. All whom bullied they way around junior. True power forwards are very rare.

So when you have a real chance to draft unusual talent, you throw it away to draft a big winger? Big wingers being touted as the next power forward are proclaimed every draft. We just got Jensen and Gaunce at 29 and 26. They will be there next year and the year after too.

Finding guys like Ehlers and Nylander are very rare. Lets take advantage of it.

Agreed.

Although personally I would throw Kapanen in with those two aswell. I really don't see a reason not to take Kapanen when you consider his upside, that he has a complete game, that he's among the best skaters, that he's an offensive dynamo both as a sniper & playmaker, he's gritty, he goes to the dirty areas and battles, he has a great work ethic and attitude, and that he's a bit bigger than those guys, all things considered a safer pick.

I just hope the guy we take is one of those offensive guys, I wouldn't be too upset if we took Ritchie because I think he can be an impact 2nd liner, but I would prefer one of those other high skill guys.

[Smashian Kassian]

There are guys like Ehlers and Nylander in every draft and maybe with a bit more size

Ya and they always go in the top 5-10. We haven't had a pick high enough to get guys like this, so now that we finally do, we should get one.

[MayRayDown]

That's one player.

Look how deep some of these teams are offensively, look at SJ and how many scoring threats they had.

Kennedy & Havlat were scratched, just speaks to there depth. We need more than one (or two if you count Jensen) high offensive scoring threats.

FWIW I don't think either of them have the offensive, gamebreaking ability that some of the guys available at our pick have, Shinkaruk is close but with his injury taking away a valuable year of development who knows.

Tyler Kennedy sucks though.

[BanTSN]

Kapanen is simply not worth a 6th, nor are Nylander or Ehlers. Esp. when you consider a top-5 could drop. Taking a pointless risk on them instead of just picking up a better player is foolhardy.

Lol at them being 'incredibly rare' though. Another absent minded thought.

Dime a dozen. In next years' draft they'd probably be 2nd rounders.

They have 'unusual speed' because they're just undersized.

Meanwhile, Ritchie is fat. Certainly the combine will expose him as being fairly out of shape. Surely there's some middle ground. Dal Colle. Virtanen. These guys look like gamers.

[asian player]

Kapanen is simply not worth a 6th, nor are Nylander or Ehlers. Esp. when you consider a top-5 could drop. Taking a pointless risk on them instead of just picking up a better player is foolhardy.

It seems like you have something negative to say about anybody that's not in the top 5

[DrChill]

I think there are a lot of good options but the choice really comes down to who is picked 1-5. Then make your choice. Also if we can grab another top 10 pick from say Anaheim, that gives us more options in our choices.

[BanTSN]

It seems like you have something negative to say about anybody that's not in the top 5

You were too quick with this response.

[Smashian Kassian]

Tyler Kennedy sucks though.

He seemed to be a pretty good addition when the Sharks got him, not saying he's great, just saying he's a capable top 9 guy, and they got the depth offensively to where they don't need him.

Kapanen is simply not worth a 6th, nor are Nylander or Ehlers. Esp. when you consider a top-5 could drop. Taking a pointless risk on them instead of just picking up a better player is foolhardy.

Lol at them being 'incredibly rare' though. Another absent minded thought.

Dime a dozen. In next years' draft they'd probably be 2nd rounders.

They have 'unusual speed' because they're just undersized.

Lol the irony of you bringing up absent minded thinking. Seems like your not open to any players with high skill. And make up stuff as reasoning why.

This myth you keep bringing upabout Kapanen somehow being a risky pick has to stop.

Its as inaccurate as me saying Nick Ritchie's absolute ceiling is to be the next Tom Sestito.

If one of the top 5 drop, they are automatically the guy I would take above anyone, regardless of who it is, but wouldn't say its highly likely, so we have to be looking at our options if that doesn't happen.

Saying negative things about Ehlers/Nylander/Kapanen is one thing, having informed & valid reasons/concerns as to why you feel that way is another. Care to share the second part of that?

[BanTSN]

I think there are a lot of good options but the choice really comes down to who is picked 1-5. Then make your choice. Also if we can grab another top 10 pick from say Anaheim, that gives us more options in our choices.

What makes anyone think that trading proven assets to our division rival for unproven assets is a sound plan?

This years' draft is not worth making a needless trade in. If we acquire 2015 picks instead, you might be onto something, but even then forget Anaheim.

[BanTSN]

He seemed to be a pretty good addition when the Sharks got him, not saying he's great, just saying he's a capable top 9 guy, and they got the depth offensively to where they don't need him.

Lol the irony of you bringing up absent minded thinking. Seems like your not open to any players with high skill. And make up stuff as reasoning why.

This myth you keep bringing upabout Kapanen somehow being a risky pick has to stop.

Its as inaccurate as me saying Nick Ritchie's absolute ceiling is to be the next Tom Sestito.

If one of the top 5 drop, they are automatically the guy I would take above anyone, regardless of who it is, but wouldn't say its highly likely, so we have to be look at our options if that doesn't happen.

Saying negative things about Ehlers/Nylander/Kapanen, having informed & valid reasons/concerns as to why you feel that way is another. Care to share the second part of that?

Since Kapanen isn't a 6th overall-worthy pick in this years' draft, I suppose it doesn't really matter what you or I think of him, does it? At least as it pertains to the Canucks.

I've expressed valid reasons and concerns about said players multiple times, but I will again, because it's nice to remind people.

Ehlers is a lightweight and always will be due to his skinny frame and therefore his speed will easily be nullified after a few hard hits by our division rivals' much, much bigger skaters. He is fast, but so was Anton Rodin. The QMJHL and Claude Drouin overrated him, but he is still not worth a 6th overall pick. Pass.

Nylander is too small to be an effective NHL centerman unless he's sheltered. Problem with that is that he has an attitude problem similar to Coho and he'll whine his way off the team. His skill is perimeter/powerplay style and really, he's a mid-1st rounder due to these issues. Pass.

Kapanen is better than Nylander overall, and he has a better attitude, but he is still not skilled enough to be a 6th overall pick. I think Carolina picks him up, and he'd be better off there.

This is a weak draft partly because there are no excellent pmd defensemen beyond Ekblad and the euro class is puffed wheat.

To be fair, there are concerns for some of the top-5 as well. Every prospect has his flaws. Some more than others. We should cross out the ones with major risk factors though. Like the undersized ones.