2021 NHL Entry Draft

[Isam]

5 minutes ago, iceman64 said:

Here's the thing about Owen Power, he's 6'6 and reportedly a pretty good skater, IF he has good hockey sense and a decent shot and decent passing, I'd be more than happy with him here in nuckland. 

JB was trying something which alluded him but I believe he was looking for BIG stay at home dmen (crease clearing) to pair with smallish PMD's like Hughes, IF Train came back we'd have 3, Train, Myers, and Power (if he's NHL ready) as soon as next season, but since Nate has second pairing locked, all we need is a good third PMD on 3rd line. 

 Myers befuddles me though, some night he plays good defensively and some nights.. not so much.. 

Anyway, would love to see Power in a Nux jersey, I doubt it though, if he stays high Uber high at the draft, we won't get him, since when are we ever that fortunate? 

Would be a odd sight for a change, 3 really good D pairings all at once in a season? That hasn't happened in a long time and wasn't for that long anyway.. sadly.. but who knows

 

 

I like power too. If we are are i  the top five it is between him edvinsson or clarke on who we pick

[HighOnHockey]

Lol, wishful thinking by some hoping for Clark, Hughes or Beniers. Realistically I would expect the Canucks to end up picking somewhere in the middle of the first round. Some possible gems in that range could be:

 

Nikita Chibrikov - He's up there with Lysell, Johnson and Eklund as the most dynamic offensive forwards in the draft. Skating agility and quickness, hands, and playmaking ability are elite. One of the few players who can create something out of nothing on a pretty regular basis. Size and ability/will to win battles consistently will keep him out of the top ten, but the upside is big.

 

Chaz Lucius - Has a wide array of pretty high end skills, but no one thing that stands out as elite aside from his vision and awareness, which might be the best in the class. He scores a lot of goals partly because he has a great shot, excellent hands in tight, and he likes to get to the net, but mainly because he is brilliant at reading and anticipating the play, hiding in coverage and slipping into openings with perfect timing. Same thing when he has the puck, he knows how to lay it perfectly into open areas to put his teammates in dangerous scoring positions. He's missed the entire season so far with injury, so there's some cause for concern, but he would have been an easy top ten pick had he been healthy.

 

Corson Ceulemans - A right shooting defenseman who is mainly known for his skating and offensive ability, but he's 6'2 and sound defensively at the junior A level, so there's potential for a really good two-way defenseman. His biggest strength is his ability to make breakout plays under pressure.

[Isam]

Just now, HighOnHockey said:

Lol, wishful thinking by some hoping for Clark, Hughes or Beniers. Realistically I would expect the Canucks to end up picking somewhere in the middle of the first round. Some possible gems in that range could be:

 

Nikita Chibrikov - He's up there with Lysell, Johnson and Eklund as the most dynamic offensive forwards in the draft. Skating agility and quickness, hands, and playmaking ability are elite. One of the few players who can create something out of nothing on a pretty regular basis. Size and ability/will to win battles consistently will keep him out of the top ten, but the upside is big.

 

Chaz Lucius - Has a wide array of pretty high end skills, but no one thing that stands out as elite aside from his vision and awareness, which might be the best in the class. He scores a lot of goals partly because he has a great shot, excellent hands in tight, and he likes to get to the net, but mainly because he is brilliant at reading and anticipating the play, hiding in coverage and slipping into openings with perfect timing. Same thing when he has the puck, he knows how to lay it perfectly into open areas to put his teammates in dangerous scoring positions. He's missed the entire season so far with injury, so there's some cause for concern, but he would have been an easy top ten pick had he been healthy.

 

Corson Ceulemans - A right shooting defenseman who is mainly known for his skating and offensive ability, but he's 6'2 and sound defensively at the junior A level, so there's potential for a really good two-way defenseman. His biggest strength is his ability to make breakout plays under pressure.

If we are middle of the first i am still looking at guys like chayka, sillinger, or even ollausson before those guys in the mid first round

[Isam]

14 minutes ago, HighOnHockey said:

Lol, wishful thinking by some hoping for Clark, Hughes or Beniers. Realistically I would expect the Canucks to end up picking somewhere in the middle of the first round. Some possible gems in that range could be:

 

Nikita Chibrikov - He's up there with Lysell, Johnson and Eklund as the most dynamic offensive forwards in the draft. Skating agility and quickness, hands, and playmaking ability are elite. One of the few players who can create something out of nothing on a pretty regular basis. Size and ability/will to win battles consistently will keep him out of the top ten, but the upside is big.

 

Chaz Lucius - Has a wide array of pretty high end skills, but no one thing that stands out as elite aside from his vision and awareness, which might be the best in the class. He scores a lot of goals partly because he has a great shot, excellent hands in tight, and he likes to get to the net, but mainly because he is brilliant at reading and anticipating the play, hiding in coverage and slipping into openings with perfect timing. Same thing when he has the puck, he knows how to lay it perfectly into open areas to put his teammates in dangerous scoring positions. He's missed the entire season so far with injury, so there's some cause for concern, but he would have been an easy top ten pick had he been healthy.

 

Corson Ceulemans - A right shooting defenseman who is mainly known for his skating and offensive ability, but he's 6'2 and sound defensively at the junior A level, so there's potential for a really good two-way defenseman. His biggest strength is his ability to make breakout plays under pressure.

Good post with some good players though. Even though i might disagree with them as mid firsts. 

[HighOnHockey]

5 minutes ago, Isam said:

If we are middle of the first i am still looking at guys like chayka, sillinger, or even ollausson before those guys in the mid first round

Well, I mean I could have just posted my whole list, but what I was doing specifically was trying to highlight some players who could end up being steals.

 

If you're interested in my takes on the three players you mentioned, I actually have Sillinger in my top ten, so that's a bit of a different story. Olausson I have right around the same range as the three I listed. I'm not as high on Chayka. I find his game boring, which I guess is what you want from a stay-at-home type defenseman. Makes smart, simple plays with the puck; more likely to use the boards or make a short pass than skate or stretch it out. But the difference between him and other safe, dependable defensemen, as far as NHL upside is concerned, is that he's 6'3 and skates very well.

[Isam]

1 minute ago, HighOnHockey said:

Well, I mean I could have just posted my whole list, but what I was doing specifically was trying to highlight some players who could end up being steals.

 

If you're interested in my takes on the three players you mentioned, I actually have Sillinger in my top ten, so that's a bit of a different story. Olausson I have right around the same range as the three I listed. I'm not as high on Chayka. I find his game boring, which I guess is what you want from a stay-at-home type defenseman. Makes smart, simple plays with the puck; more likely to use the boards or make a short pass than skate or stretch it out. But the difference between him and other safe, dependable defensemen, as far as NHL upside is concerned, is that he's 6'3 and skates very well.

Sillingecould be a sleeper but his skating will be an issue with some teams. Ollauson i just think is a slight bit more creative with the puck then lucius. I just get a sonny milano vibe from chaz. That almost but not quite feel. I do like chibrikov though.

[hammertime]

Time to fire this thread up. 

 

I hate watching the Canucks loose and when they are I cheer myself up by watching draft prospects. Of course there is only one player we all want "Puke for Luke". So I wont talk about him. 

 

If the Canucks stay on the pace they are on with many of the teams that are currently behind us having games in hand. We could potentially be looking at a pick in 5 to 15 range. As of this moment here is how I am ranking those players looking at position of need and BPA. After Luke of course.

 

#2 Aatu Raty: His stock has dropped like a rock after a slow start. This is an 18yo kid playing in the Liiga during a pandemic. It is not a shocker to me that he's a half step behind. JB should under no circumstances let him slip by us. With his 2 way play and smarts he could be just the 2Cb the doctor ordered.

 

#3 Willaim Eklund 5'10" 172 Just reminds me so much of Nils Hoglander but better at the same age. This kid is a buzzsaw on the forecheck  relentless on the puck and when he gets it he has the vision and puck skills to put it on a tee. He's just a perfect fit. 

 

#4 Jesper Wallstedt 

G Big mobile looking franchise caliber as a kid playing in the SHL.  If he gets past the wings he's found money. 

 

 

 #5 Kent Johnson

This kid is a beauty North Van boy. His jockstraps removed per 60 are un paralelled in this draft class. listed 6'1 165 he will fill out. 

 

 

 

 

[Isam]

23 minutes ago, hammertime said:

Time to fire this thread up. 

 

I hate watching the Canucks loose and when they are I cheer myself up by watching draft prospects. Of course there is only one player we all want "Puke for Luke". So I wont talk about him. 

 

If the Canucks stay on the pace they are on with many of the teams that are currently behind us having games in hand. We could potentially be looking at a pick in 5 to 15 range. As of this moment here is how I am ranking those players looking at position of need and BPA. After Luke of course.

 

#2 Aatu Raty: His stock has dropped like a rock after a slow start. This is an 18yo kid playing in the Liiga during a pandemic. It is not a shocker to me that he's a half step behind. JB should under no circumstances let him slip by us. With his 2 way play and smarts he could be just the 2Cb the doctor ordered.

 

#3 Willaim Eklund 5'10" 172 Just reminds me so much of Nils Hoglander but better at the same age. This kid is a buzzsaw on the forecheck  relentless on the puck and when he gets it he has the vision and puck skills to put it on a tee. He's just a perfect fit. 

 

#4 Jesper Wallstedt 

G Big mobile looking franchise caliber as a kid playing in the SHL.  If he gets past the wings he's found money. 

 

 

 #5 Kent Johnson

This kid is a beauty North Van boy. His jockstraps removed per 60 are un paralelled in this draft class. listed 6'1 165 he will fill out. 

 

 

 

 

People are forgetting carson lambos. I love drafts like this cuz a team could make a serious mistake and we might end up with a hell of an asset

[hammertime]

2 minutes ago, Isam said:

People are forgetting carson lambos. I love drafts like this cuz a team could make a serious mistake and we might end up with a hell of an asset

I don't think he is forgotten. I think he is a high floor LD so for that reason especially in this mystery draft class I could see him going in the top 10. However from  LD standpoint I have Luke and Power, who should both be gone before we pick unless something terrible happens, then Edvinsson ahead of him. 

 

I really feel if any of the fellas in my above post drop to us these are must pick's. Lambos isn't a guy who gets me out of my seat when his name is called on draft day. He's the girl you take to the dance when you waited until the last moment and you know she will put out.  

[iceman64]

3 hours ago, Isam said:

I like power too. If we are are i  the top five it is between him edvinsson or clarke on who we pick

this is, we need a BIG D on each pairing.. you know if we have an average sized dmen the bigger forwards in the league like to park themselves in front of the crease and on each line pairing we need someone big enough to move them AND not a D liability (pylon) either, Power seems to be that sized plus skilled but at this rate, ottawa will snag him unless some phenom forward's  breaks in and teams before us are heavy on D and don't need another one BUT you know how our luck goes.. 

[iceman64]

6 hours ago, hammertime said:

I don't think he is forgotten. I think he is a high floor LD so for that reason especially in this mystery draft class I could see him going in the top 10. However from  LD standpoint I have Luke and Power, who should both be gone before we pick unless something terrible happens, then Edvinsson ahead of him. 

 

I really feel if any of the fellas in my above post drop to us these are must pick's. Lambos isn't a guy who gets me out of my seat when his name is called on draft day. He's the girl you take to the dance when you waited until the last moment and you know she will put out.  

nah that's not good enough, we need depth in the run that's coming and we can't settle for that and I bet JB knows it and trades up.. kids like OP don't come along often enough and we need a D core that will be around for awhile and depth to go along with it.. 

Actually this problem is nothing new, in the past we only had a fairly bigger than average D taking on Buffy though without even a Train or Myers to even think about moving Buffy from in front of Luongo and we lost to the Blackhawks because of it... that was heart breaking to watch, it needs to be a thing of the past, WE need to have some more pushback as well so, hard to go wrong trading up to get OP

Edited February 7, 2021 by iceman64

[HighOnHockey]

7 hours ago, hammertime said:

I don't think he is forgotten. I think he is a high floor LD so for that reason especially in this mystery draft class I could see him going in the top 10. However from  LD standpoint I have Luke and Power, who should both be gone before we pick unless something terrible happens, then Edvinsson ahead of him. 

 

I really feel if any of the fellas in my above post drop to us these are must pick's. Lambos isn't a guy who gets me out of my seat when his name is called on draft day. He's the girl you take to the dance when you waited until the last moment and you know she will put out.  

Interesting. This seems to be the general impression I'm getting on Lambos from most sources, but this has not been my impression at all. Almost the opposite. I see a defenseman who is simply dominant in the defensive zone at the junior level, who can sometimes take himself a little out of position to make a play on the puck, causing a lot of disruption and leading to very little OZ time for opponents. But at higher levels this could backfire badly. He also ought to be way more physical given his size.

 

I see a very smooth skater with some deceptiveness who moves exceptionally well in all directions, but isn't blazing fast. His multidirectional skating is a big part of his dominance in the defensive zone, allowing him to break up rushes before they go anywhere, again limiting opponents OZ time. And he has that rare ability to break up a rush and make a quick transition play in almost a single movement. He stickhandles and protects the puck well, and in Sarja he goes end to end like it's a stroll in the park; he also likes to make plays around the net and has the hands to do it.

 

But I also see a player who consistently makes bad decisions, particularly with the puck, but not only. He loves to challenge forecheckers and to try breakaway stretch passes, and far too often these blow up in his face. All in all, I don't see a high-floor, low-ceilling kind of prospect. I think his upside is tremendous both offensively and defensively, but his decision making really worries me, to the point that I think it is quite possible that the supposed high floor falls out entirely.

[R.Dahlin26]

1. Eklund

2. Hughes

3. Clarke

4. Johnson

5. Beniers

6. Power

7. Lambos

8. Edvinsson

 

Clear top 8 IMO. Looks like we’ll  get one of these guys hopefully.

 

[73 Percent]

1 minute ago, R.Dahlin26 said:

1. Eklund

2. Hughes

3. Clarke

4. Johnson

5. Beniers

6. Power

7. Lambos

8. Edvinsson

 

Clear top 8 IMO. Looks like we’ll  get one of these guys hopefully.

 

Owen power please 

[HighOnHockey]

16 minutes ago, R.Dahlin26 said:

1. Eklund

2. Hughes

3. Clarke

4. Johnson

5. Beniers

6. Power

7. Lambos

8. Edvinsson

 

Clear top 8 IMO. Looks like we’ll  get one of these guys hopefully.

 

Great list. The order is quite a bit different from mine but almost all the same players. Only difference is Edvinsson, who there is no way I can put inside my top ten right now, although I can totally understand the sentiment. Excellent skater, probably the best stick skills of any defenseman in the draft.

 

But he's brutal defensively - was constantly getting burnt by skilled forwards at both the U17 tournaments, and now in SHL he makes brutal defensive reads on a regular basis. He is already able to be an impact player offensively at the SHL level, but he just can't get opportunities cus the coaches can't trust him.

 

Again, I get the temptation to say, "well, he's 6'5 with remarkable natural talents, he can learn the defensive side later", but the problems are just so egregious I think they needs to be taken dead seriously. I'd be terrified to draft this player.

 

Switching gears, I'd be interested to hear your reasoning on Eklund at number one. I've had very limited viewings on him, but his offensive talents are glaringly obvious. I would have no issue calling him the most dynamic offensive player in the draft, even ahead of Johnson, but I'm curious about his hockey sense, compete, and other intangibles, which I haven't seen enough of him to develop an informed opinion about.

[YearoftheNuck]

It sounds like there a lot of high end D men that are going to go early in this draft. I truly hope we manage snag one of them. I just hope we pick the one who is the best on the defensive side of the game. We already have Hughes who can rack up points and run the power play, but now we just need another high caliber defender who is elite on the defensive side of the game. 

[Smashian Kassian]

Power, Clarke, Lambos, Hughes. A group of good defenseman available. Power or Clarke would be awesome. 

 

I also really like Matthew Beniers. Was more impressed with him than Zegras at the World Junior. He's got skill, compete, and a complete game.

 

Then Dylan Guenther, maybe if we don't pick right at the very top, seems like a complete play driving winger. Could be a nice piece for our group.

 

These are my early impressions. I wouldn't rule out the goalie either, but not top 5. 

[Junkyard Dog]

University of Michigan is stacked.

 

Powers, Beniers and Johnson are all likely top 10 picks. early round picks already on the team.

 

Next year they get Luke Hughes too.

[HighOnHockey]

1 hour ago, Smashian Kassian said:

Power, Clarke, Lambos, Hughes. A group of good defenseman available. Power or Clarke would be awesome. 

 

I also really like Matthew Beniers. Was more impressed with him than Zegras at the World Junior. He's got skill, compete, and a complete game.

 

Then Dylan Guenther, maybe if we don't pick right at the very top, seems like a complete play driving winger. Could be a nice piece for our group.

 

These are my early impressions. I wouldn't rule out the goalie either, but not top 5. 

Completely agree on everything, but especially Beniers. He's pretty much locked in at number one for me at this point. The numbers don't look all that flashy, but essentially everything he does will continue to work at higher levels. Dynamic skater, elite hockey sense and vision, exceptional defensively, and his compete level is off the charts - second, third efforts, no play is ever dead.

 

Zegras was doing all kinds of damage in the offensive zone and on the scoreboard, but Beniers was doing everything all over the ice, and it's no different at Michigan, where he centers the second line but plays big minutes in all situations. He and Kent Johnson compliment eachother so well, where Johnson is free to be creative and take risks knowing that Beniers is always staying above the puck, but also putting himself in positions to be dangerous. I think he'll be something like a Jonathan Toews or Dylan Larkin.

[Smashian Kassian]

6 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

Completely agree on everything, but especially Beniers. He's pretty much locked in at number one for me at this point. The numbers don't look all that flashy, but essentially everything he does will continue to work at higher levels. Dynamic skater, elite hockey sense and vision, exceptional defensively, and his compete level is off the charts - second, third efforts, no play is ever dead.

 

Zegras was doing all kinds of damage in the offensive zone and on the scoreboard, but Beniers was doing everything all over the ice, and it's no different at Michigan, where he centers the second line but plays big minutes in all situations. He and Kent Johnson compliment eachother so well, where Johnson is free to be creative and take risks knowing that Beniers is always staying above the puck, but also putting himself in positions to be dangerous. I think he'll be something like a Jonathan Toews or Dylan Larkin.

 

Yup was very impressed. Haven't followed Michigan but I'll have to do some research as Johnson is projected to go high too.

 

Just love his compete, everytime I've seen him play I've come away impressed. And I imagine he could play winger if needed too. No doubt a driver of a line/team. Probably better than Turcotte too honestly.

 

As a young player breaking in he could be a great 3C, then when he gets better shift him or Pettersson to wing in the top 6.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Smashian Kassian