Bo as the third line center?

[-AJ-]

6 hours ago, 48MPHSlapShot said:

If we were to draft Hughes, I imagine either him or Pettersson would eventually be moved to the wing. 

This. Bo is good enough to be a first line guy never mind even 2nd line. The thought of him on the third line is laughable.

[iceman64]

7 hours ago, canuckistani said:

Yep. And from what i've seen, its most likely going to be Hughes - Petey is stronger at center, plus the 'Patrick Kane-like puck on a string circling around till you find an outlet' style of Hughes is better suited at wing. 
He most likely goes on wing with Bo or if on Petey's wing, we better trade for a Hulk/King-kong to keep these two lightweights from dying due to having way too much skill compared to brawn. 

I thought that what schaller was for... exactly that but it seems that greener has reeled him back because our penalty kill was/is sucking but that boy can fight pretty good when he's pissed. Seems like a waste of a signing unless in the next cpl of yrs we actually make the playoffs and need AND USE his fists when other teams have no other choice then to run our guys or lose and it's not like we haven't seen that story for years... 

 Anyway who knows.. 

Some of the way this team has been run has left me shaking my head, going.. wtf?

[iceman64]

1 hour ago, -AJ- said:

This. Bo is good enough to be a first line guy never mind even 2nd line. The thought of him on the third line is laughable.

You'd think so BUT can you imagine Petey, Boes, and Bo having their own lines? Wow... like 3 scoring lines and the 3 rd line more than shut down a top opposing line and score too?  Wait...  could we get that lucky? Nah... not usually...

[iceman64]

4 hours ago, EdgarM said:

Another Center is Not what is needed. A big D with offensive upside(Broberg) or a big winger is what is needed to balance out this team. 

a big D? How about 2? And i don't mean big unskilled pylons either.. 

[DADDYROCK]

I'm hoping that GMJB continues to do his thing at the LOTTO DRAFT,it would certainly be nice to get our very first 10A pick in nearly 50 years however, especially here at home.

But, knowing the luck that we have at this luck and no skill event it seems unlikely.We do really really need some great defense men ,this is where champions are forged.

We can always dream.

 

[JeremyCuddles]

Oddly enough 3 of the top 5 draft eligible players are centers, although I don't think Hughes plays center at the NHL level. Dach and Cozens could very easily be drafted by us, assuming we keep losing 1 goal games and draft top 5. It's a great problem to have. Too many top level centers. We'll just flip one of them for a top end young D-man, just like Johansen/Jones. I'd rather have too many top end centers rather than not enough. 

 

That's not even including the fact we could just move some centers to wing if we have to. Petey had success on the wing in the SHL. If we draft Hughes just put him on the wing, or any center for that matter. Cozens sounds like your prototypical powerforward type. I imagine he'd have 0 trouble moving to the wing if need be.

[Samgagner'sface]

14 hours ago, Dungass said:

First off, the draft lottery sucks.  As bad as we’ve been the past 3 years, we’ve drafted exactly where, statistically speaking, we had the best odds.  Hence, even if we end up, say second worst, we still are statistically most likely to pick 5th.  It’s a crappy system, but we have gotten Petey and Hughes out of it, so...it is what it is.

 

Having said that, Petey moves to the wing.

I doubt petey ever moves to the wing. It would be a waste of his defensive awareness. They decided he would play centre before the season started, and that's unlikely to change

[JM_]

13 hours ago, janisahockeynut said:

Nah.....I think he is a great center

 

I was just thinking that everyone wants Hughes and I don't think there is anything wrong with Pettersson

 

then I just visualized Bo coming down the wing......and thought "OH GOD!" the bull is loose..

 

Just a random thought.....that is all

 

I just think the ideas of traditional 1-2-3-4 lines are disappearing. With EP, Bo and Hughes we'd have 3 scoring lines, with some guys better with more o-zone time and some better for d-zone draws.

 

I could see something like having a guy like Sutter as a winger and as an extra defensive C for a Hughes line for the times they take more defensive draws as Hughes gains more experience. Notice how I have Hughes as a Canuck already  Green likes pairings and having something like this wouldn't leave any of the 3 lines exposed defensively and all could be scoring lines too:

 

EP-Boeser

Bo-Jake

Hughes-Sutter

 

[smokes]

I like EP as a center but I can't see both EP and Hughes on a team together as the one and two center. I know the NHL is trending smaller but not that small of a one two punch. I would try to convert Hughes as Horvat's wong simply because Horvat is awesome in the faceoff circle. Horvat-Huges then Pettersson-Boeser one after another would be a dream.

[Goal:thecup]

 

 

Is Jack Hughes good enough to justify trading all these assets mentioned above?

 

I don't know (of course) but I can't see trading too many assets just to move up from whatever spot we end up picking from in this year's first round.

 

We should already be 'able to get a really good player from where we are picking' (to paraphrase JB in previous drafts).

 

Got this from www.nzherald.co.nz while searching for "How good is Jack Hughes" (don't know if it has been posted already):

 

USA Hockey's Jack Hughes expected No. 1 pick in NHL draft

5 Dec, 2018 8:25pm

 6 minutes to read

AP

 

 

 

PLYMOUTH, Mich. (AP) — Jack Hughes draws a crowd.

Detroit general manager Ken Holland and former Red Wing star Steve Yzerman chatted during the first intermission of one of Hughes' recent games. Scouts from the NHL were scattered throughout USA Hockey Arena that night, taking notes for teams paying them to evaluate the world's best hockey players.

Hughes, a 17-year-old center , will likely be the top pick in the NHL draft in June.

USA Hockey has developed the nation's top players for more than two-plus decades and four of them have been selected No. 1 overall — including Auston Matthews and Patrick Kane — from its National Team Development Program. Hughes is expected to be next.

"He's as good as I've seen come through here in terms of talent, work ethic and being the complete package on and off the ice," said senior director of operations Scott Monaghan, who has been with the program since its inception in 1996. "He's more like Patrick because of his skating and shiftiness than Auston, who was really big and strong.

"We have 30 to 40 scouts at most of our home games and as many as 60 because Jack is on a team with as many as six, seven or eight first-round picks."

Hughes chose to surround himself with the best American hockey players his age as an amateur instead of getting paid as the No. 1 pick in the Ontario Hockey League. He also could have graduated high school a year early to play with his brother, Quinn, a freshman at Michigan and a defenseman drafted No. 7 overall last summer by the Vancouver Canucks.

"I feel like it's the best place to be for a 16-year, 17-year-old," Hughes told The Associated Press. "No one trains as hard as us. We skate every day. We lift three days a week. We play a great schedule. I think it's the best place to be to groom yourself to be an NHL player someday."

Hughes was born in Orlando, Florida, where his father, Jim, was assistant coach for the Solar Bears in the International Hockey League. He wasn't there long. Jim Hughes moved his family a few months later to Boston because he got a job as an assistant with the Bruins. Two years later, the former Providence defenseman went to New Hampshire — where he, his wife and three boys vacation each summer — to be an assistant and later head coach with the Manchester Monarchs in the American Hockey League.

Jim Hughes' next job appears to have been pivotal in the development of his sons' hockey careers because it landed him in Toronto as an assistant with the AHL's Marlies. He later became director of player development for the Maple Leafs.

"I always played him a year up and that's not easy to do in the hockey mecca of the world," Jim Hughes said. "Even when he was 5, you could see he had a special skill set. As he got older, coaches were yelling at their players to hit him and teams were trying to attack him. And quite frankly, he was still dominant."

While Jim Hughes was often busy with his job when the boys were growing up, Ellen Hughes taught her sons how to skate. She drew on her experience from playing for the U.S. women's national hockey team and at New Hampshire, where she was also on the soccer team.

"When Jack would go outside to play, older boys would always pick him even though he was at least two years younger than the rest of them and he always wanted the puck," Ellen Hughes recalled. "We never had to push him. It was always organic and Toronto was just the best place for him to prepare him for what he's doing now."

Jack Hughes starts his day at 6:15 a.m. with two eggs on a bagel with cream cheese and salami along with some fresh fruit, orange juice and a vitamin. He has to arrive at school shortly after 7 a.m. and if he's tardy or misses a class, USA Hockey has a staff member who knows it and there are consequences.

"There's no sleeping in," Jack Hughes said. "They'll sit you for a period if you're late or skip a class, or if you're late for the bus."

Hughes, who plans to graduate this month, takes four classes before heading to USA Hockey Arena in suburban Detroit to drill on a shooting pad, lift weights and go through an intense, two-hour practice before going to study table. His favorite meal is his father's grilled steak. Shortly after dinner, his parents don't have a hard time getting him to go sleep.

"If you don't go to bed early, this place will eat you alive," Jim Hughes said.

The 5-foot-10, 168-pound Hughes feasts on the competition wherever he goes, playing U.S.-based colleges against players much older and bigger than him, as well as in the United States Hockey League and international competition.

With 16 points in just four games, he was tournament MVP at the under-18 Five Nations tournament in the Czech Republic last month. He had 116 points in 60 games last year and he is averaging about two points a game this season, putting him on pace to set the NTDP career record for points. Hughes skates effortlessly in any direction and has soft hands, allowing him to dangle to puck to set up a shot for a teammate or himself.

"Jack Hughes is the leading candidate to be the No. 1 pick at this point and scouts are out evaluating him as often as possible," Holland said. "He's an incredibly talented player, who is destined to have a fabulous NHL career."

[Gurn]

15 hours ago, Brovat said:

No one is trading the 1OA or even 2OA this year without getting a 1st round pick from us, plus one of Brock, Bo, EP, Hughes.

No way I trade the Canuck's first rounder and one of those four for just the first over all. 3 of the 4 are already establishing damn fine career trajectories and Hughes, the d-man, is doing very, very well in college play.

To much to give up. EOS.

[J.I.A.H.N]

2 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

 

I just think the ideas of traditional 1-2-3-4 lines are disappearing. With EP, Bo and Hughes we'd have 3 scoring lines, with some guys better with more o-zone time and some better for d-zone draws.

 

I could see something like having a guy like Sutter as a winger and as an extra defensive C for a Hughes line for the times they take more defensive draws as Hughes gains more experience. Notice how I have Hughes as a Canuck already  Green likes pairings and having something like this wouldn't leave any of the 3 lines exposed defensively and all could be scoring lines too:

 

EP-Boeser

Bo-Jake

Hughes-Sutter

 

Yeah, I am of 2 minds with Hughes

 

1st is Hughes is crazy talented and the #1 OA......right now

2nd is Kaapo is a close 2nd and may be #1 by draft time

 

3rd which just eeks into my thoughts is, is there a 3rd candidate that is rising?

Here is the thing.....you see it in Toronto right now...…….Matthews, and Tavares both going to make big money

Mariner, Nylander and Rielly all needing big pay raises...……...they could never handle paying for 3 big contracts

 

Is allstar depth worth more than having an elite 3...…..which you can't afford

 

So, it just makes me wonder, more than anything would trading down and picking up Dach and an A - prospect +

be better? This is the new NHL, and GM's have to look at things differently...….

 

I understand that drafting BPA is the conventual thinking, but I am not sold on Hughes......another thing that concerns me alittle

is that the NTDP program basically brings all the US born elite together, and the concern is that they have inflated values.....

Not saying they are not good, but just remember Laine, Poolparty and Juolevi together, they were unbeatable at the World juniors

My question is was Laine carrying them some what, and does the NTDP collectively carry each other to some extent, where as, are

Kaapo, Dach, and the rest get judged playing alongside lesser talent?

 

My bet is that the draft rankings change somewhat after this Christmas, because of the play at the juniors tournament…...

it will be interesting to see!

 

 

[JM_]

1 hour ago, janisahockeynut said:

Yeah, I am of 2 minds with Hughes

 

1st is Hughes is crazy talented and the #1 OA......right now

2nd is Kaapo is a close 2nd and may be #1 by draft time

 

3rd which just eeks into my thoughts is, is there a 3rd candidate that is rising?

Here is the thing.....you see it in Toronto right now...…….Matthews, and Tavares both going to make big money

Mariner, Nylander and Rielly all needing big pay raises...……...they could never handle paying for 3 big contracts

 

Is allstar depth worth more than having an elite 3...…..which you can't afford

 

So, it just makes me wonder, more than anything would trading down and picking up Dach and an A - prospect +

be better? This is the new NHL, and GM's have to look at things differently...….

 

I understand that drafting BPA is the conventual thinking, but I am not sold on Hughes......another thing that concerns me alittle

is that the NTDP program basically brings all the US born elite together, and the concern is that they have inflated values.....

Not saying they are not good, but just remember Laine, Poolparty and Juolevi together, they were unbeatable at the World juniors

My question is was Laine carrying them some what, and does the NTDP collectively carry each other to some extent, where as, are

Kaapo, Dach, and the rest get judged playing alongside lesser talent?

 

My bet is that the draft rankings change somewhat after this Christmas, because of the play at the juniors tournament…...

it will be interesting to see!

 

 

yeah its hard to say if Hughes will be 1st oa, but you have to believe that if he somehow falls to us Benning will snap him up. With the recent drafts who the hell knows what some GMs will do. 

 

I do agree with many here tho that landing one more elite type defenceman is what this team really needs to avoid becoming TO or Edmonton.

 

If we want to think more along classic lines as well, we do have Gaudette who is more of a classic 3C in the making, who may also find his scoring touch. I think thats why he's still getting ice time up here, to keep improving without the puck, which he is doing. If he can take over from Sutter after next year that would be ideal imo. 

 

With EP, Bo, Gaudette, Beagle/Bealge type 4C we're in good shape down the middle, and who knows maybe Jim can find one more sniper winger dropping to the early 2nd round. 

 

Adding in a top pairing d to Hughes, Juolevi, Rathbone and Woo is the way i hope it goes down if we don't win the draft lotto. 

 

 

 

[IBatch]

8 hours ago, DADDYROCK said:

I'm hoping that GMJB continues to do his thing at the LOTTO DRAFT,it would certainly be nice to get our very first 10A pick in nearly 50 years however, especially here at home.

But, knowing the luck that we have at this luck and no skill event it seems unlikely.We do really really need some great defense men ,this is where champions are forged.

We can always dream.

 

There are three that as of now are predicted to go in the top ten,  and another maybe too (10-11), no Dahlin but otherwise a great crop much like last draft (Hughes, Bouchard (who went on a tear when demoted) Dobson etc) .  It’s possible that two of those guys can play right away but most likely will require more development.   I think Benning should take BPA unless it’s close enough to draft for a positional need we need another blue chipper and preferably one that won’t take more than draft plus one to make the show and make an impact.  There are holes up and down the line-up (winger and a d first, but another Center would help too, Sutter won’t be around forever and one can always move to wing)...

[canuckistani]

10 hours ago, iceman64 said:

I thought that what schaller was for... exactly that but it seems that greener has reeled him back because our penalty kill was/is sucking but that boy can fight pretty good when he's pissed. Seems like a waste of a signing unless in the next cpl of yrs we actually make the playoffs and need AND USE his fists when other teams have no other choice then to run our guys or lose and it's not like we haven't seen that story for years... 

 Anyway who knows.. 

Some of the way this team has been run has left me shaking my head, going.. wtf?

Nah, Schaller doesn't have the hands to hang with elites. We need someone who's basically a RW version of Rousell at the bare minimum. 

[Provost]

Can I take “things to not worry about for $1000, Alex”...

 

If that stunning turn of unlikely events happened (we got the top pick and he turned out to be better than either Bo or Alien), we have plenty of options.

 

- convert someone to wing and still have an extra Top 6 C in case of injury.

-  Roll three lines with similar 5 on 5 icetime and little drop off, play all of them on special teams for extra minutes.  No team in the league could match that centre depth.  Do you think Pittsburgh is worried that Kessel is on their 3rd line when he is a top 6 anywhere else?  In that spot he makes everyone better including himself.  No matter the match up, someone with skill gets to avoid top D pairing in their opposition.

- Trade one of them for a ridiculous haul of assets to set up our future for years.  Young top C are valued more than anything except a 1D.

[Tomatoes11]

Horvat definitely should be a 3rd liner. He can crush everyone in the playoffs like Bonino did when everyone was centering in on Crosbitch and Malkin. And kopitar, carter, Richards, stoll destroyed everyone down the middle.

 

Why would you move your center strength to the wing when you have such center strength? Lol

 

I wouldn’t trade any major assets to move up to get Hughes because it would cost an arm and a leg, but I definitely want the best odds to draft him and would love to have a too many good centers problem. It’s like Nashville having too many d men problems, not an issue at all.

[Tomatoes11]

3 hours ago, smokes said:

I like EP as a center but I can't see both EP and Hughes on a team together as the one and two center. I know the NHL is trending smaller but not that small of a one two punch. I would try to convert Hughes as Horvat's wong simply because Horvat is awesome in the faceoff circle. Horvat-Huges then Pettersson-Boeser one after another would be a dream.

Kane and toews are smaller overall than both and EP is like 6’2 and should fill out. Horvat isn’t exactly big either, isn’t he like barely 6’0?

 

Horvat and Hughes is basically Sakic size and EP is a way skinnier and way less Viking Forsberg but...if Sakic and Forsberg was big enough for the old NHL, EP and Hughes and Horvat are plenty big enough for today’s.

 

 

[Brovat]

51 minutes ago, Tomatoes11 said:

Kane and toews are smaller overall than both and EP is like 6’2 and should fill out. Horvat isn’t exactly big either, isn’t he like barely 6’0?

 

Horvat and Hughes is basically Sakic size and EP is a way skinnier and way less Viking Forsberg but...if Sakic and Forsberg was big enough for the old NHL, EP and Hughes and Horvat are plenty big enough for today’s.

 

 

Horvat is a big guy. He doesn’t skip leg day. Saw him on the grouse grind and he has a freakish lower body. 

[EoH]

19 hours ago, canuckistani said:

No one is trading the 1OA or even 2OA this year without getting a 1st round pick from us, plus one of Brock, Bo, EP, Hughes. Thats where the conversation starts, really. We are either going to get 1/2OA with the lottery favoring us or we are not drafting either Hughes or Kakko. Its just that simple, bud. Other teams are not fools. They know that these two guys are gonna hit the ground running straight-away and have potential to be HoF players. 

I just want to quote this incase we do pick 1st or 2nd OA.