2021 NHL Entry Draft

[4petesake]

The rumor mill is heating up about Buffalo maybe owning 2 1st round picks and what that might mean.

 

 

[86Viking]

3 hours ago, VancouverHabitant said:

I don’t want to derail this thread but I’m realizing that Myers is criminally underrated by our own fans.  
 

if true then trade him for a good return, why have 6m on your bottom pair. Oh ya, that is how you get into cap trouble...

[R3aL]

10 hours ago, N4ZZY said:

If McTavish goes top five. Then who drops down? 

There’s no set top 5 at all from what I’ve seen.

 

Only thing that is sure is Power is going most likely one and if not at 2

[86Viking]

1 hour ago, Sp3nny said:

Why does everyone seem to think you need to be big and tough to be good in the playoffs? Can we please look at the top 20 playoff scorers in the last 5 years and tell me where all the big tough guys are?

 

2021: Landeskog?

2020: Jamie Benn

2019: Not sure there is one?

2018: Ovie, Wheeler

2017: Malkin, Getzlaf, Draisaitl

2016: Thornton, Malkin, Backes

 

Yes, it helps playing a tough, strong game, and size isn't usually frowned upon in the playoffs. But the last 5+ years top 20 is dominated by average sized skill players that know how to show up when its needed. We can't just say these young guys with size will perform in big games over the smaller guys. Thornton is essentially built for the playoffs, and everyone dogs him cause he doesn't have a lot of success. Anyone taking him over 5'11 Kucherov or 5'8 Point?

Are you serious??? Every player on that list has size, some use it more than others but there is not 1 who is soft AND an undersized player

[DeNiro]

11 minutes ago, 4petesake said:

The rumor mill is heating up about Buffalo maybe owning 2 1st round picks and what that might mean.

 

 

I mean if the Sabres are discussing trading Eichel, Reinhart and Ristolainen then of course they’re gonna get at least another top 10 pick.

 

Not much there really.

[86Viking]

1 hour ago, Alflives said:

Would be awesome to hit another home run in round two like with Hogs.  

We need it to be on a C or RHD tho not another small winger, to me at least

[HighOnHockey]

12 minutes ago, Bertuzzipunch said:

Because its obviously way more likely than keep picking a RHD every single draft with their 1st pick

Every single year? You mean like the one and only time they have in the past decade, two years ago? Man you're really bad at this.

[86Viking]

1 hour ago, N4ZZY said:

I'll take 5'8 Point and 5'11 Kucherov please.

 

You can have those guys when your team is still top 3 in the league for size on a team average basis

[HighOnHockey]

2 minutes ago, Canuckster86 said:

Are you serious??? Every player on that list has size, some use it more than others but there is not 1 who is soft AND an undersized player

Lol. You badly misunderstood. He was saying those are the only ones who are big.

[4petesake]

4 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

I mean if the Sabres are discussing trading Eichel, Reinhart and Ristolainen then of course they’re gonna get at least another top 10 pick.

 

Not much there really.

Well if it was Reinhart for something that included Vancouver’s first I think that would be of interest for discussion here.

[86Viking]

Eichel and Ristolainen for #5 overall, Jones, Domi? 

 

Is Eichel's injury something to be worried about long term, or was he shut down to protect himself and him knowing that he wanted to be healthy when he tried to force a trade out?

 

An underdog guess I have is Anaheim makes a play for Eichel. They have quite a few good young players who may not have made the impact yet they had hoped but they do need a new #1C to take over for Getzlaf. They always draft quality D so probably have a decent prospect in that department they may be willing to move

[Sp3nny]

5 minutes ago, Canuckster86 said:

Are you serious??? Every player on that list has size, some use it more than others but there is not 1 who is soft AND an undersized player

I'm saying look at the rest of the top 20 from those years. The players I listed are the only players with above average size, so like 10-15%. And ya, they are all also extremely talented to go along with their size.

 

My point is, it's not the size that makes you good in the playoffs, yet everyone keeps reiterating about size being the biggest contributor to playoff success. It's been typical of a lot of posters going back to "Virtanen will dominate the playoffs" when it just is not true at all.

[DeNiro]

Just now, 4petesake said:

Well if it was Reinhart for something that included Vancouver’s first I think that would be of interest for discussion here.

For sure, but that seemed like they’re just guessing.

 

Could be any one of the other teams with top 10 picks for any one of those guys. 
 

Im sure Benning will kick some tires like he always does. But I doubt we wanna get in a bidding war for him.

[4petesake]

Just now, DeNiro said:

For sure, but that seemed like they’re just guessing.

 

Could be any one of the other teams with top 10 picks for any one of those guys. 
 

Im sure Benning will kick some tires like he always does. But I doubt we wanna get in a bidding war for him.

Me either. 

[Alflives]

Just now, DeNiro said:

For sure, but that seemed like they’re just guessing.

 

Could be any one of the other teams with top 10 picks for any one of those guys. 
 

Im sure Benning will kick some tires like he always does. But I doubt we wanna get in a bidding war for him.

I hope Benning doesn't give up our top pick for Rhino or Risto.  

[Sp3nny]

57 minutes ago, HighOnHockey said:

I've been thinking about this point about "knowing how to show up when its needed". And I've come to a conclusion. I'd been thinking for years about the best ways to judge how translatable prospects are to the NHL. And the one thing you constantly hear from young players making the jump, from junior to AHL to NHL, is about how everything happens to much faster, and how much less time and space there is. When I'm scouting, just about the most important factor I'm looking for is how well they react and make plays when space-time is limited. Particularly down low, in the areas coming out of the corners and the inside, the areas below and between the hashmarks. But now that I've had that ingrained in my head for a couple years now, it got me wondering.

 

Take two prospects, one who likes to show off with elite skill, and one with pretty good skill but can make plays in tight spaces - the pretty good skill kid is more likely to translate at higher levels. So my theory is, we don't really need to think about it as playoff performers "step up their game". Instead, playoffs is just another higher level of hockey, where things keep happening faster and there is even less time and space available. So guys like Justin Williams, Henrik Zetterberg, Claude Lemieux, Jordan Eberle, etc., they are just the equivalent of those prospects who aren't flashy in junior, but are more adaptable to the pro game. It's not the players who are stepping up their performance in the big games so much (of course that may be part of it), but more rather that the general level of hockey goes up, and those guys just keep doing their thing, but their thing is precisely conducive to success at these higher levels.

100% agreed. And to me, making plays fast, and especially the correct play, comes down to hockey IQ. Not only understanding the right play to make, but to reach that decision faster than others do. It's almost like a game of chess, where you are making moves vs the other players ie. Forwards vs defense, and you are also on the clock. Many people equate this to "showing up", and some players do have a reputation of it such as Mr. Game 7 Justin Williams. But for the most part, I think it's just as you say, the game gets tighter and faster so to say.

[86Viking]

3 minutes ago, Sp3nny said:

I'm saying look at the rest of the top 20 from those years. The players I listed are the only players with above average size, so like 10-15%. And ya, they are all also extremely talented to go along with their size.

 

My point is, it's not the size that makes you good in the playoffs, yet everyone keeps reiterating about size being the biggest contributor to playoff success. It's been typical of a lot of posters going back to "Virtanen will dominate the playoffs" when it just is not true at all.

Whole team can't have size but you do need it at a few different areas on the team, especially playing with your top skilled guys who may be smaller in size to protect them

[86Viking]

2 minutes ago, Alflives said:

I hope Benning doesn't give up our top pick for Rhino or Risto.  

He is in get to the playoffs now mode otherwise he will get fired next year. I won't like a 9th overall for Reinhart too much but if we can send back cap back in the deal we have to take it. He has put up decent numbers, I would want to have a decent contract worked out with him going forward though as he is 1 year from UFA status

[Marv-the-wet-bandit]

2 minutes ago, Canuckster86 said:

Eichel and Ristolainen for #5 overall, Jones, Domi? 

 

Is Eichel's injury something to be worried about long term, or was he shut down to protect himself and him knowing that he wanted to be healthy when he tried to force a trade out?

 

An underdog guess I have is Anaheim makes a play for Eichel. They have quite a few good young players who may not have made the impact yet they had hoped but they do need a new #1C to take over for Getzlaf. They always draft quality D so probably have a decent prospect in that department they may be willing to move

I don’t think you’re close on the projected trade, Buffalo wants 4 1st round caliber assets for Eichel. The only teams with cap space AND the assets to give without burying themselves are the Rangers and Kings. The Rangers seem to be the favourite for Eichel but those are the only 2 teams that seem to make sense in general. And Eichel, Ristolainen and Reinhart are more then likely moved in separate deals, it would be a nightmare combining them for the receiving team 

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, Sp3nny said:

100% agreed. And to me, making plays fast, and especially the correct play, comes down to hockey IQ. Not only understanding the right play to make, but to reach that decision faster than others do. It's almost like a game of chess, where you are making moves vs the other players ie. Forwards vs defense, and you are also on the clock. Many people equate this to "showing up", and some players do have a reputation of it such as Mr. Game 7 Justin Williams. But for the most part, I think it's just as you say, the game gets tighter and faster so to say.

All true, and (if I might add) passing the puck is an iq thing too.  Some guys carry the puck into trouble, or make bad reads and pass to slowly.  I really like how Quinn passes.  He reads the play very fast.  He's an early easy passer.  We need guys with high hockey sense, so they move the puck by passing and not as much with just carrying it.  The Avs got crushed by Vegas because they relied too much on carrying the puck.