[Poll] Dman 5th overall

[-AJ-]

I'd prefer a centreman, but I wouldn't be devastated if we took a d-man. Wouldn't really be on board for Makar though.

[Ichiban604]

30 minutes ago, Nessnuck27 said:

The only way I would select a D-man if i was the canucks. is if we somehow did a Tanev for Drouin trade first.

I would mind trading Tanev for a top 7pick this year or a package for a 1st pick next year

[Noble 6]

55 minutes ago, Blömqvist said:

Heiskanen. Definitely Heiskanen. Some Finnish posters over at HFBoards believe Heiskanen, like Juolevi, are just as good if not better defenseman than Ristolainen was when he was a young prospect playing over there. Ristolainen is now a 40 point #1 defenseman. They play different styles and have different physiques, but nonetheless the level of #1 defenseman isn't out of the question for Juolevi or Heiskanen.

 

Juolevi - Heiskanen

Hutton - Gudbranson

Brisebois - Stecher

 

Juolevi and Heiskanen being the top pairing, all purpose shutdown or offense pairing. Can match up against speedy forwards. 

 

Hutton and Gudbranson being used for a shutdown role as well, especially against bigger forwards.

 

Brisebois and Stecher provide good depth on defence. They both are great skaters and can move the puck, and they both can hold their own defensively. 

 

Juolevi and Heiskanen pairing for the next decade plus would be amazing for this franchise. They would in all likelihood be the top pairing for Finland at the World Championships, World Cup, and Olympics, where they would also get to play alongside Barkov, Laine, and Puljujarvi.

 

 

If we ended up with Heskainen, I would probably prefer that he and Juolevi play on different pairs. That way we have a smart, 2-way defenseman that can initiate the quick strike attack with a nice breakout pass on the ice more often. Pair them each with someone who can take the strict defensive assignments away from them so they can always be involved in the play. 

 

Juolevi - Tanev

Heskainen - Gudbranson

Brisebois - Stetcher

 

I don't think Heskainen would solve our need for a commanding offensive presence on the backend, but I would not complain if we landed another solid defenseman.  

[D.B Cooper]

It seems like most people forgot that Liljegrin was in the top 2 before he got sick.  

In his limited season, he still showed why he was rated up there.  

He is easily still the best dman in the draft. 

[kloubek]

3 minutes ago, drummerboy said:

It seems like most people forgot that Liljegrin was in the top 2 before he got sick.  

 

He is easily still the best dman in the draft. 

I believe you're probably right on the 2nd point, but where did you get your information that Liljegrin was in the top 2?  I NEVER saw him that high, from ANY source. 

 

Not calling you a liar... I just hadn't seen it.

[Nucker 67]

6 minutes ago, drummerboy said:

It seems like most people forgot that Liljegrin was in the top 2 before he got sick.  

In his limited season, he still showed why he was rated up there.  

He is easily still the best dman in the draft. 

Just from the videos I've seen, there are two issues I have with Liljegren

 

1) He's not a physical player, and

2) he is a bit of a puck hog and hangs on to the puck too long. I can see this causing big problems being stripped of the puck, or getting caught up ice, etc.

[Noble 6]

There are 3 defensemen that I like. I think Heskainen and Liljegren should both at least be considered at our position at 5th. Foote is someone I like, but he wouldn't be an ideal pickup at 5th. 

 

Liljegren is an anomaly. He had a down year but was also ill for an unknown duration of it. His skills are apparent but his decision making could use some tuning. He fills our organizational need for an offensive defenseman better than anyone in this draft in my mind. We could work closely with him to develop him properly as soon as next year as well. Some of his decisions could have been based in mental fatigue, but it's impossible to know when he would've been 100%, if at all. If he was making some of those decisions while he was healthy, then he might be too risky for us. 

 

Heskainen would add another solid defenseman to our prospect pool. He is similar to our very own Juolevi and having 2 solid, high IQ, 2-way defenseman is in no way a bad thing. I would be very comfortable knowing that most of the time, one of those two will be on the ice. He wouldn't solve our problem in regards to an offensive defenseman, but we shouldn't pass on him because of that. Heskainen could possibly play on the powerplay, but I would prefer having a more dynamic, commanding presence running it. 

 

I would be pretty happy if we landed on of those 2. At this point, I don't think I could choose given the lack of information on Liljegren. If it's determined that the entire year was affected by mono, I might be more inclined to go with him given he would also fill an organizational need for us. However, if it's determined that he was pretty much healthy for even the last quarter of the year, then I would lean towards Heskainen. 

[Father Ryan]

Our needs at C far outweigh any needs/picks on D this high. Not sure that ANY of the top 5 centers are going to be true 1st liners, but...looking at what we have right now, we don't even have 2 2nd line centers; not Sutter, not Gaunce, likely not Gaudette, and certainly not anyone else in system. We end up with a terrific D, but worse offense than we have right now...no, no, I don't want to even think that

[HKSR]

Just putting this out there for GMJB and the Canucks.... PLEASE don't shy away from the 'falling' ratings of Liljegren.  We've seen it time and time again... particularly with defencemen, that they end up proving everyone wrong for passing them up.  Some of the recent ones that come to mind (I'm sure there's others):

 

Jakob Chychrun

Seth Jones (was supposed to go #1 or #2)

Cam Fowler

Kasperi Kapanen (from what I've seen, he's gonna be a good player) -- I know, not a defenceman... but still proves my point

 

Don't make the mistake again...

[HKSR]

26 minutes ago, Father Ryan said:

Our needs at C far outweigh any needs/picks on D this high. Not sure that ANY of the top 5 centers are going to be true 1st liners, but...looking at what we have right now, we don't even have 2 2nd line centers; not Sutter, not Gaunce, likely not Gaudette, and certainly not anyone else in system. We end up with a terrific D, but worse offense than we have right now...no, no, I don't want to even think that

Nashville did fine building their team this way... from the goalie out.  If our top prospects pan out, we'd have Demko in net, and Juolevi, Liljegren/Heiskanen/etc, Stecher, and Hutton rounding out the Top 4.  That's a solid core to work with.  Then if/when other defencemen come along, we trade one of our D for the forward(s) we need (a la Jones for Johansen)

[HKSR]

41 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

Just from the videos I've seen, there are two issues I have with Liljegren

 

1) He's not a physical player, and

2) he is a bit of a puck hog and hangs on to the puck too long. I can see this causing big problems being stripped of the puck, or getting caught up ice, etc.

PK Subban, Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns all say hi.

[vancan2233]

53 minutes ago, kloubek said:

I believe you're probably right on the 2nd point, but where did you get your information that Liljegrin was in the top 2?  I NEVER saw him that high, from ANY source. 

 

Not calling you a liar... I just hadn't seen it.

Timothy Liljegren

2016-17 Teams: Rögle BK and Timrå IK (on loan) (#18)
Date of Birth: April 30, 1999
Place of Birth: Kristianstad, Sweden
Ht: 6’0″ Wt: 192 lbs
Shoots: Right
Position: Defenseman
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2017 first-year eligible
Twitter: @Timmeliljegren

Rankings:

• THW Alternate: 2nd (January)
• Future Considerations: 2nd (Winter)
• ISS: 2nd (January)
• Bob McKenzie: 3rd (Mid-season)
• Craig Button: 3rd (January)

It’s fair to say that Timothy Liljegren’s 2016-17 season hasn’t been ideal. This was supposed to be the year where he would really make an impact on the elite level in Sweden and internationally. Instead, he has suffered from a bad case of mononucleosis which put him out of the first half of the season, and the rest has been a struggle for him to get back on the development chart.

Timothy Liljegren is often compared to star player Erik Karlsson (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

The extraordinary talent and star potential of Liljegren, however, is so vast that not even this season seems to have ruined his reputation. He was a top prospect going into the season, and he still is. What is it about his game that makes few people doubt him? Well, the secret (which is no secret) lies in his offensive qualities. To underline this point, the fact that he is compared to Erik Karlsson and Drew Doughty, two of the NHL’s most dominant offensive d-men, probably says it all.

Liljegren is not only gifted with an intelligent hockey mind, making him a playmaking asset for his team everywhere on the ice. He has also acquired a certain toolbox of skills to put his intelligence into practice. His skating as well as his puck handling abilities, and not to forget his shot, are some of the things that make him stand out of the horde. He doesn’t necessarily have some additional layers that allow him to do more than his peers. He just does everything better.

On the other hand, there are aspects of Liljegren’s game that he needs to improve in order to meet the high expectations that come with being a projected early pick in the NHL draft. Please note that his size isn’t one of them – even though he’s only six feet tall, I refuse to downgrade him for that cause. However, the way he uses his size can get better. That applies to his defensive game in general.

Read Also:  Jesper Boqvist - 2017 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

We can go on and on about Liljegren’s impressive production numbers during his years with Rögle’s junior team and talk even more about his elite-level potential. But, ultimately, he is yet to prove his worth in a senior league. It will be interesting, to say the least, to follow Liljegren’s further development. And also how he will answer to all this attention that comes with being a top prospect in the draft. It will be a mental test for him.

In spite of all the commotion, young Liljegren seems undisturbed and focused. In response to being monitored by 20 scouts in a game in the Swedish Hockey League in November, he said: “Of course it’s fun that they come to see me, but I’ve learned to shut that out.”

He also said, upon aiming to impress the NHL organizations: “Hockey is always the best thing I know, but now I have that little extra excitement. It’s fun coming to practice every day, trying to get better.”

Timothy Liljegren – NHL Draft Projection:

As of now, he still trails Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier as the top two picks. That being said, the final outcome very much depends on what position the draft teams seek to fill. Because it’s pretty safe to say that the first team in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft that goes after a defenseman, goes after Timothy Liljegren.

Quotables:

“Scouts say his offensive game is far more developed than his defensive game. He is an elite skater, both in terms of speed and agility, and adept at running a power play. He is seen as both a puck mover and an offensive point producer. No one is suggesting he’s the next Erik Karlsson, not by any means, but scouts say he has some of the same qualities and, therefore, has the potential to be projected as a possible top pairing defenceman in time.” – Bob McKenzie, TSN

“Very gifted skater who uses his feet to his advantage defensively and in transition. Smart, poised, anticipates the play, sees where to exploit opponents and can dictate play in all areas. Excellent in the defensive zone because he beats pressure, fends it off and the puck gets moving ahead quickly. Has a command of the game and he finds a way to be a contributor at critical times.” – Craig Button, TSN Director of Scouting

Read Also:  2017 OHL Finals Preview: Steelheads vs. Otters

“Top blueliner available. Remarkable and tireless skater with outstanding mobility and range. Can QB your power play with confidence. Sees the ice and all of his options really quickly.” – Jeff Marek, Sportsnet

[Grape]

3 hours ago, hatedkid666 said:

Lots of Scandinavian D, unusual for the top 10

Finns aren't Scandinavian. 

[Father Ryan]

21 minutes ago, HKSR said:

Nashville did fine building their team this way... from the goalie out.  If our top prospects pan out, we'd have Demko in net, and Juolevi, Liljegren/Heiskanen/etc, Stecher, and Hutton rounding out the Top 4.  That's a solid core to work with.  Then if/when other defencemen come along, we trade one of our D for the forward(s) we need (a la Jones for Johansen)

I see your point, but there's one small consideration here. I just looked at the numbers, yearly, for Nashville. Yes, their offense has rarely been good; the best I saw was 10th overall with 250+ goals. But...the last time they were under .500 was 2002-2003, when they scored 183 goals. Since then, they have neither been below .500, nor have they scored less than 213 goals in a season (the strike season excepted).

Now, we can have a good to very good defense by continuing to draft Dmen high. I'm not saying we don't have needs. Edler isn't anywhere near what he was, Sbisa is...well, he's a 5-6 on a good team, and Stetch is a nice story, but he also is a 5-6 on a good team, if not a 7. Sure, one of the three that are being talked about would improve our D, eventually. But, scoring 170-200 goals yearly isn't going to cut it. The 169 we scored this year is honestly a joke. We could've had Shea Weber and P.K. Subban back there, and likely wouldn't have made the playoffs with the forward core we currently have.

[HomeBrew]

12 minutes ago, Grape said:

Finns aren't Scandinavian. 

Really?

"Finland is a Nordic country situated in the geographical region of Fennoscandia, which also includes Scandinavia." wiki

[Grape]

17 minutes ago, HomeBrew said:

Really?

"Finland is a Nordic country situated in the geographical region of Fennoscandia, which also includes Scandinavia." wiki

Brooo, reading comprehension. That means Scandinavia is part of Fennoscandia, nowhere does it say that Finland is part of Scandinavia.

 

Takes a simple google search to find out that Finland is not part of Scandinavia. https://www.google.ca/search?q=is+finland+part+of+scandinavia&oq=is+finland+part+&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.4173j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[HomeBrew]

4 minutes ago, Grape said:

Brooo, reading comprehension. That means Scandinavia is part of Fennoscandia, nowhere does it say that Finland is part of Scandinavia.

 

Takes a simple google search to find out that Finland is not part of Scandinavia. https://www.google.ca/search?q=is+finland+part+of+scandinavia&oq=is+finland+part+&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l4.4173j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Broooo, it also says sometimes Finland is included in Scandinavia, but most commonly is referred to as Nordic. Just saying it is not as definitive as you make it sound. 

[Ichiban604]

Timothy Liljegren is boom or bust

Miro Heiskanen is a safe pick 

 

much like Juolevi and Sergachyov

 

[AlwaysACanuckFan]

Prefer a centreman but as for preferred D... Heiskanen then Liljegren. 

[DeNiro]

1 hour ago, HKSR said:

Just putting this out there for GMJB and the Canucks.... PLEASE don't shy away from the 'falling' ratings of Liljegren.  We've seen it time and time again... particularly with defencemen, that they end up proving everyone wrong for passing them up.  Some of the recent ones that come to mind (I'm sure there's others):

 

Jakob Chychrun

Seth Jones (was supposed to go #1 or #2)

Cam Fowler

Kasperi Kapanen (from what I've seen, he's gonna be a good player) -- I know, not a defenceman... but still proves my point

 

Don't make the mistake again...

I think Liljegren is definitely on their short list from the sounds of it.

 

If I had to guess I would say their first choice is one the top centers (possibly Vilardi). If he's not available I could see them going for Liljegren, who is most likely the powerplay QB that JB has alluded to in his interviews.