2019 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, BC

[R3aL]

4 hours ago, Wolfgang Durst said:

The Above Average 2019 draft

I canvassed NHL draft experts on the quality of this draft. The consensus seems to be this is a B/B+ draft.

Not great, not bad, but good, maybe even very good.

Here are their responses:

 

Cam Robinson @Hockey_Robinson
It may sound vanilla of me, but I’d rate this class around a B. It offers two elite, non-generational talents at the top. A handful of potentially impactful forwards. A possibly elite D and G, and then something of a mixed bag. 2020 is shaping up to be an A. Get excited for that.

 

Scott Wheeler @scottcwheeler of The Athletic:
B/B+ due to the depth of high-end Cs. I’d probably rank the last five drafts (tentatively) like this:
1. 2015
2. 2016
3. 2019 (with room to catch 2016 and room to fall behind 2018).
4. 2018
5. 2017

This draft is weak at D. Decent depth at goalie. Two A-level guys at the top.

 

Steve Kournianos @TheDraftAnalyst
Best draft after 2015 & 2018. Best center draft since 2015. Best goalie draft in years. Deep in Euro defensemen but not CHL. Best USHL crop in years. Historic NTDP group likely gets 7 players in top-20.

2015 A+
2018 A
2019 A-
2016 B+
2014 B
2017 B-

 

Ryan Kennedy @THNRyanKennedy
I would give it a solid ‘B.’ You’re getting two sure things in Hughes and Kakko, plus another tier with loads of potential (Turcotte, Byram, Cozens, Caufield, etc.)… I usually think of recent drafts based off the high end. So this year isn’t McDavid/Eichel or Matthews/Laine, but probably better than Hischier/Patrick

 

HockeyProspect.com @ScoutingService
Top 2 are in their own tier, very different players but both getting ranked #1 overall by team Scouts we’ve spoken to. 1st round as a whole would be weaker than recent drafts. Probably rate Rounds 2-7 weaker than recent drafts but probably not quite as bad as we initially thought… 3-12ish is a solid group. 1st round falls off more after that. Weak OHL class is a big factor. Without the great USNTDP group this 1st round would be really ugly.

 

Chris Peters @chrismpeters of ESON
I tend to agree with the answers you already got. I think it’s B, B+. I like the draft as a whole better than last years, but 2015 and 2016 were exceptional in comparison. Think 2019 Top 12 is excellent, tapers off more beyond that. Still good value beyond, but not exceptional.

 

I’m pretty confused how is Kakko not considered generational be these draft experts?

 

he has set a record for under 18 Finnish goal scoring in the Liiga.

 

he won 3 gold medals including the gwg for the jrs and was a monster for the men’s team.

 

which is also a record.

 

dont get why people are so scared to talk this kid up more. If I was a GM I would take him first overall without hesitation. For us it would be hard we would probably take Jack for the Hughes connection but honestly I think Kakko Is an absolute stud and the best player in the draft.

 

he is the most NHL ready, has the highest ceiling maybe the same ceiling as Jack with a higher floor. He already proved he can physically handle NHL defencemen at the WC. He protects the puck very well for a kid, he skates great for his size, he shoots the puck very well. Guy does everything and scores goals when it matters most. He also showed at the end of the year that he may even be a C as well. 

 

Like Kakko is a higher end prospect coming into draft day than:

 

Barkov, Laine, Rantanen, Poolparty etc.

 

Hughes I think isn’t as NHL ready as Kakko. He would probably benefit most from 1 year in College. But he’s most likely going to start in the NHL and I’m not sure if that is best for him but we will see. 

 

We will see its just so strange seeing how some of these experts talk about this draft and how they rank it. It’s just all over the place.

[Off_The_Schneid!]

2019 NHL Scouting Combine results: Top 10 at each drill

9

Check out how the prospects performed at the combine.

By Brandon M. Cain@brandonmcain  Jun 1, 2019, 4:00pm CDT

SHARE

 

Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images

The NHL Scouting Combine is in the books, so let’s take a look at the top 10 performers in each drill from NHL Central Scouting. The top 25 from each drill are available, here.

The Blackhawks hold the No. 3 overall pick in this month’s NHL draft and have cut their list of potential prospects to six. Here are the six players Chicago is believed to be deciding on along with their NHL Central Scouting ranking among North American skaters:

• Left-handed defenseman Bowen Byram of WHL Vancouver (No. 2 NA)
• Center Kirby Dach of WHL Saskatoon (No. 3 NA)
• Center Alex Turcotte of NTDP/Wisconsin commit (No. 4 NA)
• Center/Right wing Dylan Cozens of WHL Lethbridge (No. 5 NA)
• Center/Left wing Trevor Zegras of NTDP/Boston University commit (No. 6 NA)
• Right wing Cole Caufield of NTDP/Wisconsin commit (No. 8 NA)

Height, weight

Standing Height – Athlete stands against a wall (barefoot, heels together with the backs of the feet touching the wall) and their height is measured to the nearest quarter inch.

• Byram: 6-foot 1/4, 195 pounds
• Dach: 6-foot-4, 198 pounds
• Turcotte: 5-foot-11 1/4, 186 pounds
• Cozens: 6-foot-3, 183 pounds
• Zegras: 6-foot 1/4, 173 pounds
• Caufield: 5-foot-7 1/4, 163 pounds

Anaerobic fitness — Wingate test

Wingate Cycle Ergometer Test – The athlete warms up by pedaling at a low resistance for two minutes. When given the start command, the player will perform the following intervals while seated.

Mean Power Output (watts/kg)

 

Peak Power Output (watts/kg)

 

Fatigue Index

 

• Zegras — 48.5 (No. 13)

Bench Press

Bench Press – Conducted using a standard padded bench with the athlete lifting 50% of his body weight (pre-determined) utilizing free weights (including the barbell). The athlete lies on his back on the bench and grips the barbell with thumbs approximately shoulder width apart. The buttocks must remain on the bench with the feet on the floor. The starting position is with the arms fully extended. The bar is lowered to the chest, after a slight pause, athlete pushes the bar as quickly as possible until their arms are fully extended. Each athlete will perform three reps at maximum velocity, with a slight pause between each rep at the chest position. A “Gym Aware” device will be used to measure the velocity of the bar and the athlete’s ability to produce power. The reported score will be measured in watts/kg.

50 percent of body weight (Power - watts/kg)

 

• Cozens — 6.3 (No. 16)

Jump Station — Force plate

Jump Station (AccuPower Dual Force Plate System) – An AccuPower Dual Force Plate system will be used to objectively measure the direction, strength and timing of the three-dimensional (3D) forces that the athlete produces during hockey related movement. The AccuPower system also captures synchronized video data from two high speed cameras and overlays the 3D force vector produced from each leg. The test will provide immediate feedback allowing teams to assess movement efficiency, physical performance and injury potential.…

Three jump types will be performed: Vertical Jump (with arm swing), No Arm Jump (no arm swing / hands on hips) and Squat Jump (squat start / hands on hips). Each jump test will include three separate maximum effort vertical jumps separated by 10 seconds of rest. The athlete’s best vertical jump height from the three attempts of each jump will be recorded.

Vertical jump (inches)

 

Squat jump (inches)

 

• Byram — 17.33 (No. 11)
• Cozens — 16.88 (No. 16)

No arm jump (inches)

 

• Caulfield — 18.85 (No. 19)
• Byram — 18.58 (No. 23)
• Cozens — 18.49 (No. 25)

Grip Strength

Grip Strength – The athlete adjusts a hand grip dynamometer to his hand size, fully extends his arm and squeezes the dynamometer as forcefully as possible. The test is conducted on both hands.

Left hand grip (lb)

 

• Caufield — 140 (No. 12)

Right hand grip (lb)

 

Wingspan measurements

Wingspan – Athlete extends his arms straight out to the sides. Wingspan is measured to the nearest quarter inch from the middle finger tip to middle finger tip.

Wingspan (inches)

 

• Dach — 76.75 (No. 16)

Pro Agility — Shuttle run

Pro Agility Test – The 5-10-5 yard shuttle (or 15-30-15 feet) evaluates multi-directional speed, agility and whole body reaction plus control. Each player will perform one sequence starting to the right and one sequence starting to the left.

Pro agility left (sec)

 

• Turcotte — 4.38 (No. 12)
• Byram — 4.4 No. 14)
• Cozens — 4.43 (No. 23)

Pro agility right (sec)

 

• Byram — 4.51 (No. 25)

Pull ups

Pull Ups – Athlete does as many consecutive pull ups they can while maintaining the correct technique.

Pull ups consecutive (max number)

 

• Byram — 13 (No. 11)

Standing long jump

Standing Long Jump – Athlete stands with feet slightly apart with toes behind the jumping line. Using an arm swing to assist, the athlete jumps as far as possible.

Long Jump (inches)

 

• Byram — 111.0 (No. 11)

Aerobic fitness — VO2max

Aerobic Fitness VO2max – Aerobic fitness is assessed by measuring the amount of oxygen utilized (VO2 max) during maximal exercise employing volume determination and analysis of expired air. In addition, heart rate is monitored continuously, providing data for heartrate-based training. This test will be performed on a professional grade spin bike (Watt Bike) cycle ergometer using a Cortex Metalyzer VO2 cart.

The end point is determined by either:

a) the athlete physically stops pedalling

b) the athlete experiences difficulty breathing or chest pain or

c) the appraiser stops the subject because the athlete can no longer maintain the required rpm despite intense effort.

Test Duration

 

• Cozens — 14:30 (No. 13)
• Dach — 14:13 (No. 20)
• Turcotte — 14:10 (No. 23)

VO2 Max (ml/kg/min)

 

• Caufield — 57.0 (No. 19)

Descriptions of the tests were provided by the NHL.

[R3aL]

3 hours ago, filthycanuck said:

You kidding me? If somebody offered a 1st for Gaudette, I'd jump on that immediately, without even blinking

Really? So if canucks got offered a mid to late pick in the first round for AG you would take it. 

 

Can you explain why? 

 

Gaudette we took time in developing. Gaudette is a hobey baker winner. Gaudette has improved progressively and linearly at a very steady rate. He showed he is too good for the AHL in his first season there while going up and down. He showed some flashes in the NHL as well.

He is on pace to be a middle 6 nhl C with goal scoring potential. Gaudette is tenacious and a hard worker.

 

you want to trade that for a lottery ticket at someone who could potentially be as good or get really lucky and get someone better against the odds I wouldn’t be onboard with that at all.  

[JM_]

5 minutes ago, R3aL said:

Really? So if canucks got offered a mid to late pick in the first round for AG you would take it. 

 

Can you explain why? 

 

Gaudette we took time in developing. Gaudette is a hobey baker winner. Gaudette has improved progressively and linearly at a very steady rate. He showed he is too good for the AHL in his first season there while going up and down. He showed some flashes in the NHL as well.

He is on pace to be a middle 6 nhl C with goal scoring potential. Gaudette is tenacious and a hard worker.

 

you want to trade that for a lottery ticket at someone who could potentially be as good or get really lucky and get someone better against the odds I wouldn’t be onboard with that at all.  

No one is going to offer a top 15 for him, and below that the chance of anyone becoming a top 6 player is a long shot. I don't get it either, AGs a found wallet. 

[Isam]

14 minutes ago, Off_The_Schneid! said:

2019 NHL Scouting Combine results: Top 10 at each drill

9

Check out how the prospects performed at the combine.

By Brandon M. Cain@brandonmcain  Jun 1, 2019, 4:00pm CDT

SHARE

 

Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images

The NHL Scouting Combine is in the books, so let’s take a look at the top 10 performers in each drill from NHL Central Scouting. The top 25 from each drill are available, here.

The Blackhawks hold the No. 3 overall pick in this month’s NHL draft and have cut their list of potential prospects to six. Here are the six players Chicago is believed to be deciding on along with their NHL Central Scouting ranking among North American skaters:

• Left-handed defenseman Bowen Byram of WHL Vancouver (No. 2 NA)
• Center Kirby Dach of WHL Saskatoon (No. 3 NA)
• Center Alex Turcotte of NTDP/Wisconsin commit (No. 4 NA)
• Center/Right wing Dylan Cozens of WHL Lethbridge (No. 5 NA)
• Center/Left wing Trevor Zegras of NTDP/Boston University commit (No. 6 NA)
• Right wing Cole Caufield of NTDP/Wisconsin commit (No. 8 NA)

Height, weight

Standing Height – Athlete stands against a wall (barefoot, heels together with the backs of the feet touching the wall) and their height is measured to the nearest quarter inch.

• Byram: 6-foot 1/4, 195 pounds
• Dach: 6-foot-4, 198 pounds
• Turcotte: 5-foot-11 1/4, 186 pounds
• Cozens: 6-foot-3, 183 pounds
• Zegras: 6-foot 1/4, 173 pounds
• Caufield: 5-foot-7 1/4, 163 pounds

Anaerobic fitness — Wingate test

Wingate Cycle Ergometer Test – The athlete warms up by pedaling at a low resistance for two minutes. When given the start command, the player will perform the following intervals while seated.

Mean Power Output (watts/kg)

Peak Power Output (watts/kg)

 

Fatigue Index

 

• Zegras — 48.5 (No. 13)

Bench Press

Bench Press – Conducted using a standard padded bench with the athlete lifting 50% of his body weight (pre-determined) utilizing free weights (including the barbell). The athlete lies on his back on the bench and grips the barbell with thumbs approximately shoulder width apart. The buttocks must remain on the bench with the feet on the floor. The starting position is with the arms fully extended. The bar is lowered to the chest, after a slight pause, athlete pushes the bar as quickly as possible until their arms are fully extended. Each athlete will perform three reps at maximum velocity, with a slight pause between each rep at the chest position. A “Gym Aware” device will be used to measure the velocity of the bar and the athlete’s ability to produce power. The reported score will be measured in watts/kg.

50 percent of body weight (Power - watts/kg)

 

• Cozens — 6.3 (No. 16)

Jump Station — Force plate

Jump Station (AccuPower Dual Force Plate System) – An AccuPower Dual Force Plate system will be used to objectively measure the direction, strength and timing of the three-dimensional (3D) forces that the athlete produces during hockey related movement. The AccuPower system also captures synchronized video data from two high speed cameras and overlays the 3D force vector produced from each leg. The test will provide immediate feedback allowing teams to assess movement efficiency, physical performance and injury potential.…

Three jump types will be performed: Vertical Jump (with arm swing), No Arm Jump (no arm swing / hands on hips) and Squat Jump (squat start / hands on hips). Each jump test will include three separate maximum effort vertical jumps separated by 10 seconds of rest. The athlete’s best vertical jump height from the three attempts of each jump will be recorded.

Vertical jump (inches)

 

Squat jump (inches)

 

• Byram — 17.33 (No. 11)
• Cozens — 16.88 (No. 16)

No arm jump (inches)

 

• Caulfield — 18.85 (No. 19)
• Byram — 18.58 (No. 23)
• Cozens — 18.49 (No. 25)

Grip Strength

Grip Strength – The athlete adjusts a hand grip dynamometer to his hand size, fully extends his arm and squeezes the dynamometer as forcefully as possible. The test is conducted on both hands.

Left hand grip (lb)

 

• Caufield — 140 (No. 12)

Right hand grip (lb)

 

Wingspan measurements

Wingspan – Athlete extends his arms straight out to the sides. Wingspan is measured to the nearest quarter inch from the middle finger tip to middle finger tip.

Wingspan (inches)

 

• Dach — 76.75 (No. 16)

Pro Agility — Shuttle run

Pro Agility Test – The 5-10-5 yard shuttle (or 15-30-15 feet) evaluates multi-directional speed, agility and whole body reaction plus control. Each player will perform one sequence starting to the right and one sequence starting to the left.

Pro agility left (sec)

 

• Turcotte — 4.38 (No. 12)
• Byram — 4.4 No. 14)
• Cozens — 4.43 (No. 23)

Pro agility right (sec)

 

• Byram — 4.51 (No. 25)

Pull ups

Pull Ups – Athlete does as many consecutive pull ups they can while maintaining the correct technique.

Pull ups consecutive (max number)

 

• Byram — 13 (No. 11)

Standing long jump

Standing Long Jump – Athlete stands with feet slightly apart with toes behind the jumping line. Using an arm swing to assist, the athlete jumps as far as possible.

Long Jump (inches)

 

• Byram — 111.0 (No. 11)

Aerobic fitness — VO2max

Aerobic Fitness VO2max – Aerobic fitness is assessed by measuring the amount of oxygen utilized (VO2 max) during maximal exercise employing volume determination and analysis of expired air. In addition, heart rate is monitored continuously, providing data for heartrate-based training. This test will be performed on a professional grade spin bike (Watt Bike) cycle ergometer using a Cortex Metalyzer VO2 cart.

The end point is determined by either:

a) the athlete physically stops pedalling

b) the athlete experiences difficulty breathing or chest pain or

c) the appraiser stops the subject because the athlete can no longer maintain the required rpm despite intense effort.

Test Duration

 

• Cozens — 14:30 (No. 13)
• Dach — 14:13 (No. 20)
• Turcotte — 14:10 (No. 23)

VO2 Max (ml/kg/min)

 

• Caufield — 57.0 (No. 19)

Descriptions of the tests were provided by the NHL.

Thrun was a &^@#ing beast, same with knight.

[Wolfgang Durst]

1 hour ago, R3aL said:

Don’t wanna be a teams euro scout who slept on him do you! Haha

No, for sure not.

It's amazing what efforts those scouts made to see him playing.

Mannheim does not even has an airport.

They had to take the train from Frankfurt  to get to Mannheim.

Haha...

84 scouts; that means 3 scouts from 28 teams.

[RetroCanuck]

Prediction: The Canucks are going to draft a top 10 player that no one talks about on this site because he seems out of reach.

 

Therefore the Canucks are happy to select Kirby Dach!

[Hogs & Podz]

1 hour ago, Off_The_Schneid! said:

2019 NHL Scouting Combine results: Top 10 at each drill

9

Check out how the prospects performed at the combine.

By Brandon M. Cain@brandonmcain  Jun 1, 2019, 4:00pm CDT

SHARE

 

Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images

The NHL Scouting Combine is in the books, so let’s take a look at the top 10 performers in each drill from NHL Central Scouting. The top 25 from each drill are available, here.

The Blackhawks hold the No. 3 overall pick in this month’s NHL draft and have cut their list of potential prospects to six. Here are the six players Chicago is believed to be deciding on along with their NHL Central Scouting ranking among North American skaters:

• Left-handed defenseman Bowen Byram of WHL Vancouver (No. 2 NA)
• Center Kirby Dach of WHL Saskatoon (No. 3 NA)
• Center Alex Turcotte of NTDP/Wisconsin commit (No. 4 NA)
• Center/Right wing Dylan Cozens of WHL Lethbridge (No. 5 NA)
• Center/Left wing Trevor Zegras of NTDP/Boston University commit (No. 6 NA)
• Right wing Cole Caufield of NTDP/Wisconsin commit (No. 8 NA)

Height, weight

Standing Height – Athlete stands against a wall (barefoot, heels together with the backs of the feet touching the wall) and their height is measured to the nearest quarter inch.

• Byram: 6-foot 1/4, 195 pounds
• Dach: 6-foot-4, 198 pounds
• Turcotte: 5-foot-11 1/4, 186 pounds
• Cozens: 6-foot-3, 183 pounds
• Zegras: 6-foot 1/4, 173 pounds
• Caufield: 5-foot-7 1/4, 163 pounds

Anaerobic fitness — Wingate test

Wingate Cycle Ergometer Test – The athlete warms up by pedaling at a low resistance for two minutes. When given the start command, the player will perform the following intervals while seated.

Mean Power Output (watts/kg)

Peak Power Output (watts/kg)

 

Fatigue Index

 

• Zegras — 48.5 (No. 13)

Bench Press

Bench Press – Conducted using a standard padded bench with the athlete lifting 50% of his body weight (pre-determined) utilizing free weights (including the barbell). The athlete lies on his back on the bench and grips the barbell with thumbs approximately shoulder width apart. The buttocks must remain on the bench with the feet on the floor. The starting position is with the arms fully extended. The bar is lowered to the chest, after a slight pause, athlete pushes the bar as quickly as possible until their arms are fully extended. Each athlete will perform three reps at maximum velocity, with a slight pause between each rep at the chest position. A “Gym Aware” device will be used to measure the velocity of the bar and the athlete’s ability to produce power. The reported score will be measured in watts/kg.

50 percent of body weight (Power - watts/kg)

 

• Cozens — 6.3 (No. 16)

Jump Station — Force plate

Jump Station (AccuPower Dual Force Plate System) – An AccuPower Dual Force Plate system will be used to objectively measure the direction, strength and timing of the three-dimensional (3D) forces that the athlete produces during hockey related movement. The AccuPower system also captures synchronized video data from two high speed cameras and overlays the 3D force vector produced from each leg. The test will provide immediate feedback allowing teams to assess movement efficiency, physical performance and injury potential.…

Three jump types will be performed: Vertical Jump (with arm swing), No Arm Jump (no arm swing / hands on hips) and Squat Jump (squat start / hands on hips). Each jump test will include three separate maximum effort vertical jumps separated by 10 seconds of rest. The athlete’s best vertical jump height from the three attempts of each jump will be recorded.

Vertical jump (inches)

 

Squat jump (inches)

 

• Byram — 17.33 (No. 11)
• Cozens — 16.88 (No. 16)

No arm jump (inches)

 

• Caulfield — 18.85 (No. 19)
• Byram — 18.58 (No. 23)
• Cozens — 18.49 (No. 25)

Grip Strength

Grip Strength – The athlete adjusts a hand grip dynamometer to his hand size, fully extends his arm and squeezes the dynamometer as forcefully as possible. The test is conducted on both hands.

Left hand grip (lb)

 

• Caufield — 140 (No. 12)

Right hand grip (lb)

 

Wingspan measurements

Wingspan – Athlete extends his arms straight out to the sides. Wingspan is measured to the nearest quarter inch from the middle finger tip to middle finger tip.

Wingspan (inches)

 

• Dach — 76.75 (No. 16)

Pro Agility — Shuttle run

Pro Agility Test – The 5-10-5 yard shuttle (or 15-30-15 feet) evaluates multi-directional speed, agility and whole body reaction plus control. Each player will perform one sequence starting to the right and one sequence starting to the left.

Pro agility left (sec)

 

• Turcotte — 4.38 (No. 12)
• Byram — 4.4 No. 14)
• Cozens — 4.43 (No. 23)

Pro agility right (sec)

 

• Byram — 4.51 (No. 25)

Pull ups

Pull Ups – Athlete does as many consecutive pull ups they can while maintaining the correct technique.

Pull ups consecutive (max number)

 

• Byram — 13 (No. 11)

Standing long jump

Standing Long Jump – Athlete stands with feet slightly apart with toes behind the jumping line. Using an arm swing to assist, the athlete jumps as far as possible.

Long Jump (inches)

 

• Byram — 111.0 (No. 11)

Aerobic fitness — VO2max

Aerobic Fitness VO2max – Aerobic fitness is assessed by measuring the amount of oxygen utilized (VO2 max) during maximal exercise employing volume determination and analysis of expired air. In addition, heart rate is monitored continuously, providing data for heartrate-based training. This test will be performed on a professional grade spin bike (Watt Bike) cycle ergometer using a Cortex Metalyzer VO2 cart.

The end point is determined by either:

a) the athlete physically stops pedalling

b) the athlete experiences difficulty breathing or chest pain or

c) the appraiser stops the subject because the athlete can no longer maintain the required rpm despite intense effort.

Test Duration

 

• Cozens — 14:30 (No. 13)
• Dach — 14:13 (No. 20)
• Turcotte — 14:10 (No. 23)

VO2 Max (ml/kg/min)

 

• Caufield — 57.0 (No. 19)

Descriptions of the tests were provided by the NHL.

Hoglander, Caufield... WOW!

[Nucker 67]

Interesting that Hughes is skipping the combine. Says he wants to rest because he's played a lot of hockey and doesn't want to risk injury. Wasn't he a healthy scratch for the last couple of games at the Wolds? Well, I guess in comparison to his peers (who have had time off) he has played more. I still think Kakko is the best player. 

 

Also interesting to me, article on Caufield in the paper where he says that he feels he brings more speed than other players his size, and has strength. He also says he wouldn't be the same player if he was a big player, that he uses his small stature to 'get lost' in the crowd. I've noticed this as well during the U18.  He's very elusive. 

 

I know the Canucks can use a good Dman, but I feel, after Byram, it's a toss-up between Harley, Soderstrom, York, Broberg, Seider and Heinola. Then after that, there's still Robertson, Bjornfot, Vlasic, Warren, Johnson, Honka, Thomson, Korczak, etc. Lots of good D. My heart is kind of leaning towards drafting a top 6 forward with the #10, for Pettersson line, to get excited about the amazing offence to come.  I would be very happy with Cozens or Zegras with the 1st, and maybe Bjornfot or Thomson with the 2nd.

[Noble 6]

19 minutes ago, NUCKER67 said:

Interesting that Hughes is skipping the combine. Says he wants to rest because he's played a lot of hockey and doesn't want to risk injury. Wasn't he a healthy scratch for the last couple of games at the Wolds? Well, I guess in comparison to his peers (who have had time off) he has played more. I still think Kakko is the best player. 

 

Also interesting to me, article on Caufield in the paper where he says that he feels he brings more speed than other players his size, and has strength. He also says he wouldn't be the same player if he was a big player, that he uses his small stature to 'get lost' in the crowd. I've noticed this as well during the U18.  He's very elusive. 

 

I know the Canucks can use a good Dman, but I feel, after Byram, it's a toss-up between Harley, Soderstrom, York, Broberg, Seider and Heinola. Then after that, there's still Robertson, Bjornfot, Vlasic, Warren, Johnson, Honka, Thomson, Korczak, etc. Lots of good D. My heart is kind of leaning towards drafting a top 6 forward with the #10, for Pettersson line, to get excited about the amazing offence to come.  I would be very happy with Cozens or Zegras with the 1st, and maybe Bjornfot or Thomson with the 2nd.

 

I've seen this notion a lot (drafting a forward for Pettersson) and I just wanted to say that finding wingers for Horvat is much more important issue in my opinion. Pettersson played with Boeser almost the entire year, our best winger. Finding a missing third piece on that line would be great, but putting a complimentary piece with them should be fine for the foreseeable future (Virtanen, Leivo, Pearson, etc.). Horvat on the other hand played with a whole slew of players with Baertschi out, guys like Schaller, Eriksson, Motte, Roussell, etc. Finding him some help talentwise is much more important for me, especially considering Baertschi's health. Pearson is a start, but isn't a long term solution in my opinion. 

[I.Am.Ironman]

2 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

No one is going to offer a top 15 for him, and below that the chance of anyone becoming a top 6 player is a long shot. I don't get it either, AGs a found wallet. 

That's the thing, to the Canucks he is worth that but not to other teams. AG is great and it doesn't make sense for the Canucks to trade him for a 25-30 pick taht you hope turns into something like Gaudette. That being said, if the opportunity to trade AG for Moritz Seider was there I would take it bc of team need - but that scenario is unlikely to happen.

[John_Guest]

Off a single factor I'd hope for Alex Vlasic to drop to us in the second round. Still remember Willie Mitchell. He made me a fan of wing span. Love to see more of it on D again.

[Rollieo Del Fuego]

24 minutes ago, I.Am.Ironman said:

That's the thing, to the Canucks he is worth that but not to other teams. AG is great and it doesn't make sense for the Canucks to trade him for a 25-30 pick taht you hope turns into something like Gaudette. That being said, if the opportunity to trade AG for Moritz Seider was there I would take it bc of team need - but that scenario is unlikely to happen.

I wouldn't trade him for anything but a top 3 pick...I know AG is going to be a valuable player for us...3rd line centre or 2nd line winger...I don't know if anyone outside the top 3 in this draft will be better than him...AND ..it will be 2-3 years before they are as ready as AG is now.

 

Also it looks like Jayden Struble was killing it at the combine....good to see Seider was 2nd in the V02Max...which is maybe the most important test for a D.man...!

[nergish]

 

1 hour ago, NUCKER67 said:

Interesting that Hughes is skipping the combine..

Quinn skipped too. Have still yet to see an official measurement for him.

I'm still a little suspicious of it, and every instance I've seen of Quinn I have to admit he looks closer to 5'8 than 5'10.

 

Doesn't mean a damn thing when you can skate like those boys do. 

 

 

[I.Am.Ironman]

57 minutes ago, Rollieo Del Fuego said:

I wouldn't trade him for anything but a top 3 pick...I know AG is going to be a valuable player for us...3rd line centre or 2nd line winger...I don't know if anyone outside the top 3 in this draft will be better than him...AND ..it will be 2-3 years before they are as ready as AG is now.

 

Also it looks like Jayden Struble was killing it at the combine....good to see Seider was 2nd in the V02Max...which is maybe the most important test for a D.man...!

So you wouldn't trade Gaudette for one of Cozens, Turcotte, Dach, Byram, Zegras?! Those players have a higher probability of becoming 2nd line players that Gaudette does. You never know where players will end up.. Hughes might be a RNH #1 pick (I actually take Kakko 1st OA). Gaudette may develop into a Kesler-lite or a Brad Richardson. Those players in the top 10 have a higher probability to be impact players than Gaudette does - to say you wouldn't trade AG for one of those guys is asinine IMO. And I really value Gaudette.

[Screw]

1 hour ago, John_Guest said:

Off a single factor I'd hope for Alex Vlasic to drop to us in the second round. Still remember Willie Mitchell. He made me a fan of wing span. Love to see more of it on D again.

He is my wish for the 2nd pick.  Not a home run pick but pretty sure you will get a NHL player with him.

[Odd.]

Is it me or was the combine held earlier than normal?

[JM_]

2 hours ago, I.Am.Ironman said:

That's the thing, to the Canucks he is worth that but not to other teams. AG is great and it doesn't make sense for the Canucks to trade him for a 25-30 pick taht you hope turns into something like Gaudette. That being said, if the opportunity to trade AG for Moritz Seider was there I would take it bc of team need - but that scenario is unlikely to happen.

sure, thats a trade for filling a need if it could work out that way and MS is scouted very highly, but to just blanket "move AG for a 1st" doesn't stand on its own imo. 

[Nucker 67]

1 hour ago, Horvat is a Boss said:

 

I've seen this notion a lot (drafting a forward for Pettersson) and I just wanted to say that finding wingers for Horvat is much more important issue in my opinion. Pettersson played with Boeser almost the entire year, our best winger. Finding a missing third piece on that line would be great, but putting a complimentary piece with them should be fine for the foreseeable future (Virtanen, Leivo, Pearson, etc.). Horvat on the other hand played with a whole slew of players with Baertschi out, guys like Schaller, Eriksson, Motte, Roussell, etc. Finding him some help talentwise is much more important for me, especially considering Baertschi's health. Pearson is a start, but isn't a long term solution in my opinion. 

I think Benning is going to sign a UFA for Bo's line this off season? That's what I gathered anyway. I agree that Bo needs an upgrade to his RW, he certainly deserves it. I wouldn`t mind seeing them sign Eberle, Nyqvist or Donskoi as his RW. I do like Pearson as his LW.

 

I was thinking more that Pettersson is the star C on the top line and he'll need top wingers, like Boeser. Baertschi is a 2nd liner at best IMO, and there is the health concern. He's the Canucks best LW, they need an upgrade here. They don't have any (projected) top 6 wingers in their system either, unless they see Lind taking huge strides. Whether it's a winger for Pettersson or Horvat down the road, my hope is they draft Dach, Cozens, Zegras or Boldy, in that order. If those guys are gone, maybe they go with a D? I'm also really curious where the Canucks have Caufield ranked.

[I.Am.Ironman]

1 minute ago, Jimmy McGill said:

sure, thats a trade for filling a need if it could work out that way and MS is scouted very highly, but to just blanket "move AG for a 1st" doesn't stand on its own imo. 

The thing is I don't see it being possible. As you said, Seider is heavily scouted and likely gone by pick 15. I love Gaudette and think he fits in with our long term plan BUT if a GM would take AG for that pick (Seider) then I make the trade (even add a 3rd) but I don't think any GMs could be coaxed into that. That being said I wouldn't trade AG for a pick in the 20-30 range, or even Heinola as based on needs that is kind of a lateral move and in that range you are hoping you get a Gaudette level player anyway. And yes, I agree, you can't just 'trade AG for a 1st' bc there is a wide range of value across the first 2 rounds and really it depends on the players available at that spot. I wouldn't be actively shopping Gaudette by any means.