2019 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, BC

[stawns]

1 hour ago, theo5789 said:

This is an interesting take on Caulfield. How many would pass on a 100 point regular season player? For example, I feel like players like Virtanen may come up bigger in the playoffs with his size and speed, but he's not the big time regular season point producer type. I imagine based on the comments over the years here that many would take the Caulfield over Virtanen types.

 

I think right now we are in a greater need for the elite offensive player (or top end dmen) that if Caulfield can become a 100 point type player, we cannot pass up on him. We need someone like him to take us to the playoffs first and hopefully we have the guys that can step up if guys like Caulfield get shutdown. Size isn't the issue to me, but whether he can actually translate his game to the NHL level. It's a very risky pick that could pay off or be a complete bust as he likely won't be able to provide too much beyond pure offense.

Caufield and JG don't play the same style.......Caufield is a pure finisher

[Odd.]

21 minutes ago, Kanukfanatic said:

I have not once said Podkolzin won't be a good player or a very good player.

 

I just don't like russian picks because of some of them not coming to North America to play. Like a couple others have said, this is a very important pick for the Canucks and I prefer they don't pick a russian (that isn't already over here playing junior). However, if JB does his homework (and I trust in him that he will) and for some reason Podkolzin dropped to 10 and JB picked him then so be it.

 

As you say we may end up with a very solid player. I have no idea if GMs are afraid enough about russians that he will drop that much but we do know in reality some GMs are a bit shy about picking russians. 

 

PS: that was a good article. Thanks. I found this line very interesting:

 

His tools make him look like a top five pick, and his production in international tournaments has matched that. But his production in the Russian leagues looks more suitable for a top 20 pick.

 

Most importantly, his tools are exactly what this team needs. It's why I'm really high on Podkolzin, Zegras, and Broberg because they have aspects to their game that our team could really use. Podkolzin and Zegras play a very robust, tenacious, yet very skilled game. Broberg plays with high energy and north-south game on the back-end, which I find very unique.

 

Podkolzin is also just 17 years old and turns 18 after the draft. Compared to his other peers at Russia, his numbers are actually pretty solid. Dorofeyev who often gets compared to Podkolzin is dominating the junior league there, but he's also one of the oldest players in the drafts and has 8+ months of development which again doesn't seem a lot it but it really is. He's still maturing physically but at 17 he can definitely hold his own. 

[Alflives]

7 minutes ago, Odd. said:

Most importantly, his tools are exactly what this team needs. It's why I'm really high on Podkolzin, Zegras, and Broberg because they have aspects to their game that our team could really use. Podkolzin and Zegras play a very robust, tenacious, yet very skilled game. Broberg plays with high energy and north-south game on the back-end, which I find very unique.

 

Podkolzin is also just 17 years old and turns 18 after the draft. Compared to his other peers at Russia, his numbers are actually pretty solid. Dorofeyev who often gets compared to Podkolzin is dominating the junior league there, but he's also one of the oldest players in the drafts and has 8+ months of development which again doesn't seem a lot it but it really is. He's still maturing physically but at 17 he can definitely hold his own. 

I heard some draft guru on 650 this week saying Podkolzin could drop, because there are worries about his interest in playing over year.  The guy did say he felt Podkolzin would become the third best NHL player from this draft though.  If this kid falls JB has to take a chance on him.  

[messier's_elbow]

On 4/20/2019 at 3:32 PM, flickyoursedin said:

Hasn’t looked as good as Boldy

Boldy will be gone by 10th I’m thinking. 

[messier's_elbow]

7 hours ago, Canuckster86 said:

Not impressed with the so called #3 ranked player in this upcoming draft...the Russian player

I think he’s going to drop into the teens possibly.

[theo5789]

38 minutes ago, stawns said:

Caufield and JG don't play the same style.......Caufield is a pure finisher

I never compared their styles. Pure finishers can be shut down in the playoffs regardless of size. See Stamkos.

[Smashian Kassian]

I'm just watching the USA/Russia game now. Podkolzin had a nice assist on the 2nd goal. 

 

 

 

 

[Alflives]

3 minutes ago, messier's_elbow said:

Boldy will be gone by 10th I’m thinking. 

I watched a lot of the US v Russia games, and there are a lot of future NHL stars on that US team.  They looked like the Big Red Machine from the 70’s.  Boldy is really good.  Hughes is spectacular.  Caufield might have a lot of trouble getting to scoring areas against NHL D men. 

[messier's_elbow]

4 hours ago, 73 Percent said:

Oh for sure. I could see him dropping as far as low 20s if his interviews dont go well. But you cant put him in a lower class because of that. He still has top 5 talent.

He’s probably going to tank his interviews so he has a chance to go to Washington. 

[messier's_elbow]

6 minutes ago, Alflives said:

I watched a lot of the US v Russia games, and there are a lot of future NHL stars on that US team.  They looked like the Big Red Machine from the 70’s.  Boldy is really good.  Hughes is spectacular.  Caufield might have a lot of trouble getting to scoring areas against NHL D men. 

Caufield is definitely a gamble. His goal scoring makes you drool, but there’s always a risk taking a guy that small. If we took him at ten I wouldn’t be mad though. He has potential to be a star for sure. Zegras looks like a potential target as well. 

[Smashian Kassian]

Boldys got soft mitts. 

 

 

 

[R3aL]

11 hours ago, Wolfgang Durst said:

most likely he will become a anaheim duck at draft day:

Number 1- Matt Boldy (USA NTDP)

I’ve got a feeling that Matthew Boldy will be an Anaheim Duck at the 2019 NHL draft. A 6’2 185lb winger who checks almost all the boxes that Bob Murray looks for in his players. He’s responsible defensively, he’s a big-bodied guy who isn’t afraid to get into the dirty spots of the ice. He’s not selfish consistently looking for an open passing option but not overly afraid to shoot the puck.

Boldy also excels at screening the goaltender, blocking out the sun while also having a tendency to tip pucks. Boldy is a quick player who has a pretty graceful stride for a bigger body, I think Boldy will be a good NHL player but doesn’t exactly have the highest ceiling. He seems like the low-risk type player that Murray frequently takes, he may not set the world on fire, but he’ll at least try and at the very least might be able to make a few sparks.

Team Fit- 6/10- He’s not a center, he’s a winger, but he fits all the other intangibles that Murray frequently looks for.

Likelihood- 9/10- I think he’s the most likely option for the Ducks short of them winning a lottery spot. I think that he’s not a high-ceiling enough for some of the other teams to take him over the other options meaning he will likely be available anywhere in the 8-11th range that the Anaheim Ducks are likely to pick.

I don’t know I agree but at the same time Anaheim could take Soderstrom. And Edmonton could take Broberg

[Blömqvist]

13 hours ago, Wolfgang Durst said:

Philip Broberg could be a divisive player in the rankings this year. He’s ranked as high as fifth overall in some rankings, while others — including ISS — see him ranked in the back half of the draft. Jeremy Davis from Canucks Army and JD Burke of Elite Prospects don’t even have him in the first round of his mid-season rankings.

 

That seems to be because Broberg has tantalizing physical attributes — a 6’3” frame and blazing speed — but seems to lack the hockey IQ to make best use of those attributes. He had a standout performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but produced just nine points in 41 games in the Allsvenskan.

 

One scout described Broberg as “A Swedish defenceman version of Jake Virtanen.” Still, if Broberg drops at the draft, then figures his game out, he could make a lot of teams look silly, because he has tremendous raw talent.

 

Cam Robinson from dobber prospects has him currently at #20.

https://dobberprospects.com/cam-robinsons-2019-nhl-draft-rankings-april-2019/

 

Holy, I said the same thing a few pages back... lol

[stawns]

32 minutes ago, theo5789 said:

I never compared their styles. Pure finishers can be shut down in the playoffs regardless of size. See Stamkos.

I know, I think you quoted the guy I was referring to.

[Blömqvist]

Prior to the U18s, I was really hoping the Canucks would be able to draft Matt Boldy. The way he is playing it seems like he's playing his way up the rankings and just outside our reach. You never know how things will go with teams picking on need or prioritizing centres and defenseman, though.

 

Cam Robinson of DobberProspects has this extended take on Matt Boldy. Definitely worth a read, and note the player comparison at the end, which I thought was interesting. 

 

 

https://dobberprospects.com/prospect-deep-dive-matthew-boldy/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

 

Scouting Report 

Shoots: Left

DOB: 04-05-01

Height: 6-2

Weight: 187lbs

 

Skating

Balance and precision are the names of the game when exploring the 18-year-old’s skating stride. He uses a wide stance to create a strong centre of gravity. This aids in providing power and balance to his stride which affords him strength when cutting into high traffic areas.

He offers sharp edges and clean cuts to compliment his overall speed. Here is an example of him using those edges to turn a difficult pass into a goal.

While Boldy doesn’t own elite speed, he’s regarded as a player with average acceleration and good top-end speed. His skating shouldn’t be a hindrance in his path towards the NHL, and as he continues to fill into his frame, the power generated by his base should only improve.

The acceleration has already witnessed improvement from 2017-18 to this season and there have even been some incremental in-season improvements as well. Despite not having blistering speed off of the mark, he uses his processing skills to get a quick jump on loose pucks and anticipate plays developing.

 

Shot 

For many, Boldy is considered a playmaker first and foremost. And that is justifiable. The way he can see the ice and distribute the puck is drool-worthy (more on that later), but his penchant for finding the back of the net is nearly as impressive.

There are two aspects of his shot which impress me the most. Firstly, is his ability to release the puck with very little pullback – thus offering less time for a netminder to become set and predict the target. This is a common-theme with deadly finishers. You don’t need the heaviest shot if you can get it off your blade with a quick twitch.

This makes his snap-shot one of his most lethal options, but he also boasts a wrister with a lot of zip and he has a capable one-timer as well. His ability to change the release point to fool netminders is a strength.

The second aspect is his accuracy. Unfortunately, The Program doesn’t provide us with micro stats and heat maps for their players, but having watched him dozens of times over the last two seasons, I can assure you that no angle is too sharp for him. He can pick a corner while on the goal line almost of accurately as he can while being left alone in the slot.

Heading into the World U18 Championships, Boldy has produced 30 goals on 177 shots for a 17 percent conversion rate. Last season with the U17 team, he converted on 18.5 percent of his shots when he scored 29 goals on 157 total shots.

His increase in shot rate – from 2.57 to 3.21 represents his willingness to use his shot more often and not simply defer to his teammates. I believe it has also been the result of his deployment. It should be noted that Boldy was the premier player on the U17 for much of the 2017-18 campaign as Hughes and Alex Turcottespent much of the season up with the U18s.

That role placed him alongside the sharpshooting, Caufield for nearly all their all-situations minutes. Boldy was able to create space to distribute to Caufield for the finish. This season, he’s played primarily on the second line with Turcotte or Trevor Zegras as his pivot while Caufield spent his season beside Hughes on the top line. That put Boldy in a position to be leaned on to be the finisher on the line for much of the campaign. He did not disappoint.

Of his 30 goals, 22 came at even-strength – while being completely removed from Jack Hughes. That number becomes even more impressive when separating his USHL vs NCAA game sheets. In 17 contests versus Division I opponents Boldy recorded nine goals on 59 shots.

Putting 3.47 shots on net per game as a 17-year-old against NCAA opposition is quality. Converting on 15.2 percent of those shots is damn impressive. For reference, his 0.52 goals-per-game versus Division I teams would’ve ended up as the fourth most of any freshman or sophomore this season – trailing only 21-year-olds, Ludwig Stenlund, and Alex Limoges, as well as 22-year-old, Johnny Walker (not the whiskey guy). Granted, it was a small sample size, but you get the picture.

 

Passing

As mentioned earlier, Boldy has long been known as a playmaking left-winger. He’s earned that billing by providing his teammates with buckets full of grade-A chances. There really is only one word to describe his passing game: silky.

Boldy has creativity in his blood and what appears to be eyes in the back of his head. His ability to hold onto the puck for just the right amount of time for lanes to open and mates to land into soft spots stands out. He blends that ability with extremely soft hands that allow him to thread the needle or saucer it over a stick or two.

He relies on his superior hockey IQ and knack for reading the play as much as he does on the physical action of distributing the puck. Those are all translatable skills and ones I place a great deal of value on when assessing a player.

 

Puck Skills

Boldy’s ability to maneuver in tight spaces is one of his most distinguished qualities. He owns very quick and soft hands that open up space for himself and can draw defenders in before creating plays. Often times a player who can dangle in a phone booth as he can, will lack the ability to carve around and explode through those holes. While Boldy continues to work on his explosiveness, his expert edge work operates hand-in-hand with his dynamic puck-skills. 

The puck skills and patience also lead to a ton of controlled zone entries. As we know, those lead to a higher percentage of quality chances. According to Mitch Brown’s tracking metrics, Boldy has operated at a 92 percent rate for attempted controlled entries and was in the 91st percentile for controlled entries per 60 minutes. 

 

Defensive Ability 

Once considered something of a liability in his own zone, Boldy has put many of those fears to rest this season. Through improved effort in the back portion of the rink and applying his intelligence away from the puck, the former Cape Cod Whaler is should now be considered a capable defensive player.

It’s unlikely he’ll ever be confused for Jere Lehtinen, but Boldy offers strong enough skills to provide the coaching staff little pause in rolling him out there with regularity and little fear of opposition opportunities.

 

Conclusion

As discussed at the beginning of this piece, predicting the order of things on draft day is an exercise in futility. But the tools and IQ that Boldy brings to the table screams productive top-six winger. He can act as a chameleon by tailoring his game to fit the needs of his line. This makes him invaluable to his coaching staff as they can use him to get a line going as a playmaker or finisher. 

Those traits will surely make him a target early this June. However, with the emphasis on pivots and blueliners these days, a talented winger like Boldy could find himself sitting there longer than his talent-level would indicate. If this is the case, a team in the 8-11 range will have themselves a steal of a deal

 

Comparison  

David Pastrnak.

[TGokou]

6 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

Like when? When has the Russian factor caused a top Russian to fall & it ended up being good? 

 

2010 was around the height of the "russian factor". Yet because Alex Burmistrov played in Barrie he was deemed fine & taken high. (I think Canucks had him at #3). 

 

Teams have for the most part moved past it now. 

 

Yakupov, Nuke & Guryanov were taken at or around where they were rated/projected. Were talking about the russian factor & players falling. 

 

Last year Kravstov & Deniseko went pretty high. Kravstov is looking like a great pick. I don't think the Russian factor is as much of a fear anymore.

 

Podkolzin said its his dream to play in the NHL. He could fall because he's a winger, similar to Zadina last year, but I don't think he'll be a huge faller due to the Russian factor.

 

*Ahem* Bo Horvat....Nichuskin was ranked much higher and everyone was in a tizzy because we drafted Horvat over the big russian.

[86Viking]

5 hours ago, theo5789 said:

This is an interesting take on Caulfield. How many would pass on a 100 point regular season player? For example, I feel like players like Virtanen may come up bigger in the playoffs with his size and speed, but he's not the big time regular season point producer type. I imagine based on the comments over the years here that many would take the Caulfield over Virtanen types.

 

I think right now we are in a greater need for the elite offensive player (or top end dmen) that if Caulfield can become a 100 point type player, we cannot pass up on him. We need someone like him to take us to the playoffs first and hopefully we have the guys that can step up if guys like Caulfield get shutdown. Size isn't the issue to me, but whether he can actually translate his game to the NHL level. It's a very risky pick that could pay off or be a complete bust as he likely won't be able to provide too much beyond pure offense.

I want to see the Canucks win a Cup, a Canuck could score 100pts but if he disappears, gets hurt in the playoffs or easily gets shut down due to his stature....then no thanks, Season ticket holders may prefer the 100pt guy as they pay big bucks all year, I don't just select games.

 

I like Jake, just hope he can put it together to be a 20-30 goal guy during the year then be a beast in the playoffs. He has the speed and can play physical, will he step it up come post season...only time will tell.

 

 

[Smashian Kassian]

59 minutes ago, TGokou said:

*Ahem* Bo Horvat....Nichuskin was ranked much higher and everyone was in a tizzy because we drafted Horvat over the big russian.

But Nichuskin didn't fall he was taken the next pick.

[flickyoursedin]

3 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

Boldys got soft mitts. 

 

 

 

Guy is a beauty! Zegras and Boldy are my two hopefuls at our pick. They would be unreal with Pettersson and Boeser! If they are gone Krebs or Soderstrom. How much longer do I have to wait for this draft lol!

[theo5789]

51 minutes ago, Canuckster86 said:

I want to see the Canucks win a Cup, a Canuck could score 100pts but if he disappears, gets hurt in the playoffs or easily gets shut down due to his stature....then no thanks, Season ticket holders may prefer the 100pt guy as they pay big bucks all year, I don't just select games.

 

I like Jake, just hope he can put it together to be a 20-30 goal guy during the year then be a beast in the playoffs. He has the speed and can play physical, will he step it up come post season...only time will tell.

 

 

Anyone can get shut down. Look at Stamkos. The Jets are one of the biggest teams in the league and out first round (albeit it was another decent sized team that knocked them out). A 5'8 Cam Atkinson had 4 points in 4 games en route to sweeping the president's trophy winner. Gaudreau may have been shut down, but so was the majority of the team who is far from being small.

 

How do you say no to a 100 point player who would be someone that would help you get into the playoffs in the first place to give you that chance to win a Cup in the first place (and give someone like Jake to demonstrate what he can bring in the postseason)? I'm not saying Caufield will be a 100 point player for sure, but if he has that potential, that's a pretty good pick for the #10 spot.

 

Of course I would take the 70-80 point guy that can perform in the playoffs as well, but it's not really set that the stature of a player determines this.

 

It's interesting based on what you've said though about Virtanen. I'm not sure if you're a regular Virtanen supporter or not, but back to the whole debate about Virtanen vs Nylander/Ehlers, well Ehlers had 0 points in 6 games this postseason and while Nylander had a more respectable 3 in 6 so far, he hasn't really stood out to suggest that he's been the far better option than someone like Virtanen (but we have yet to see what Jake can do).