2022 NHL Entry Draft

[hammertime]

EDM takes Lambert prediction

[DeNiro]

Just now, hammertime said:

EDM takes Lambert prediction

Already taken by the Jets.

[Darius]

1 minute ago, hammertime said:

We will see I had him ahead of our pick on my board but I was hoping we would take a pick that fit into a greater plan a vision for our team. 

my top priority is to fix the d - i dont know if management sees the same.  d prospect pool is awful, and we need talented top tier RHD.   Most of the highly touted d were off the board at 15.  Picking D in the bottom half of the first round and beyond is a crap shoot too  I think they took the safe choice which can be translated into future currency used to fill holes on D -either trade the player or trade the winger that he makes redundant.

[R3aL]

1 minute ago, DefCon1 said:

The future is great for Canucks right now, adding Kuzmenko and Lekker (who was projected to go top 10 by CSS, SNet and NHL scouting). Its like Canucks added 2 top 10 picks and they have young forwards like Garland, Podkolzin, Hoglander, Pettersson and Boeser. I like the direction of how this team is trending and I think Canucks just need maybe a Copp and some gritty forward to balance the forward group a bit. 

 

Kuzmenko-Pettersson-Podkolzin

Garland-Horvat-Boeser

Hoglander-Copp-Lekkerimaki

Highmore-Lammikho-Lockwood

 

Future looks great even if we were to trade Miller.

I don’t think that’ll be the forwards when we get to that time. And I think that’s too many left handed centers. But hell ya lots of forward depth.

 

Hopefully we can find a C or D gem in the rough tomorrow.

 

and make some trades to help fill our holes

[-Vintage Canuck-]

And that concludes day 1 of the draft.

 

It took four hours to make 32 picks.

[24K PureCool]

5 minutes ago, stawns said:

not really as my comment was on the hypocrisy of soaking up the positive press from hiring women and then just sending old white dudes to the podium.  I have no issue with treating them as just another employee........just don't make a big deal of it when you hire them.

Think that is the media making a big deal of it. Management didn't go parading it around from my recollection. 

[hammertime]

Great pick in Reid!!!!! I'm actually very impressed.

[Sharpshooter]

Just now, hammertime said:

EDM takes Lambert prediction

Is there another Lambert?

[R3aL]

Howard to Tbay great pick. Kids got super star energy haha 

[stawns]

2 minutes ago, Jester13 said:

So make a big deal of it when you hire them, as well as every other situation moving forward? 

Or don't make a big deal of it at all, including the hire.  They soaked up a lot of positive press at the hire, then leave the women at the table.  Again, just a tad hypocritical

 

[R3aL]

5 minutes ago, Beary Sweet said:

Tampa pick Howard. The rich get richer

Bunch of jerks 

[hammertime]

Just now, Sharpshooter said:

Is there another Lambert?

Oh I walked outside for a few picks. oops

[Seannnp]

Jonathan Lekkerimakki is a dynamic Swedish winger who took me longer than I would have liked to fully grasp him. Normally, I’m not a big fan of this type of player so I played it safe with him, even when he started producing in the SHL. In all transparency, I started to make up my mind on his case from my 15th viewing.

His best asset is without a shadow of a doubt the quality of his shooting and his scoring skills. Lekkerimakki has one of the best shots in the entire draft, if not just the best. What makes him so dangerous is the power and precision of his wrist shot, managing to beat goalkeepers from distance when there isn’t even a screen in front of them, every of his shots are dangerous. Nowadays, not only are goalkeepers extremely imposing in front of their net, they are also experts in dissecting the position of the different body segments of the shooters (position of the hands, shoulders, rotation of the trunk and hips, etc.) in order to anticipate where they will shoot the puck. Even near-perfect shots aren’t enough to beat them, to do that you have to mislead them or limit the amount of information they can take. Lekkerimakki encapsulates this last point wonderfully. The release on his shot is subliminal. It requires no momentum and he does not continue the motion of his shot after the puck leaves his stick. In fact, when the puck goes, Lekkerimakki’s stick blade position is still inside his skate base, giving goalies no time to react. He uses his stick flex a lot on his shots as well. Another aspect that makes the Swede so dangerous is the placement of his shots. Every shot he takes make goalies work. He will always opt for shots that will be difficult for them even if his primary intention is not to score. Being a right-hander, when he comes on the right flank, he will prioritize low shots, against the direction, aiming for the opposite leg of the goalkeeper to cause rebounds in the slot. The final noteworthy aspect of Lekkerimakki’s shot is his shot selection. Too often young players who have such a weapon tend to rely on it too much and when they rise through a higher caliber, they are no longer able to do as they please. For excellent shooters, this can be seen in attempts to shoot without a screen or from too far on the ice. Lekkerimakki is no victim of this, as he never rushes his shots, showing patience instead. He does not take low success percentage shots even if there is a chance in front of him. To top it all off, Lekkerimakki also has great scoring instincts, knowing how to get forgotten in front of the net net.

The second thing that jumps out when looking at the winger is his excellent skating and high speed. He has the speed to create separation from his pursuer and he is also very skilled as he can mystify his coverers with small changes of direction and shoulder movements. Lekkerimakki is also very agile and possesses remarkable escapability in small spaces, being able to turn on himself skillfully. To complement this skill, he also has excellent balance on his skates, maintaining a good posture even when pushed by an opponent when in motion and/or pivoting. In the use of his speed, Lekkerimakki demonstrates the same intelligence and the same maturity as with his shooting as he recognizes well the situations to let his talent speak, as well as the situations where it would be better to opt for a play with higher success rate. He is not a player who plays at one speed and always tries to beat opposing defensemen, he knows how to slow down the game to his advantage and how to involve his teammates in his attacks. The last thing to mention, and this might be the most important of all regarding his speed, is that Lekkerimakki plays at a high pace when it comes to his decision making. His brain seems to operate at the same speed as his feet and hands, and that’s a very desirable trait that translates wonderfully well to the NHL.

Which brings me to what I consider to be the most important aspect to me that ultimately sold me in Lekkerimakki’s case, which is: His intelligence. This is what differentiates Lekkerimakki from other players advocating the same style of play that I mentioned in the introduction not being a fan (Fabian Lysell, Joakim Kemell, Samu Tuomaala, etc.) These players are all guilty of the same faults on the rink ; they hold onto the puck far too long, makes a ton of turnovers, misuse their teammates (especially in the neutral zone), and have questionable shot selections. Lekkerimakki does not commit such sins on the rink. When carrying the puck, he is good at evaluating the information in front of him while keeping his head held high. He is not a player prone to turnovers.

Another aspect that makes mention of Lekkerimakki’s intelligence is his skills as a playmaker. Although he is not considered a ‘Playmaker’, he wants to be effective in this facet without fanfares. His passes are always precise and well timed. His passes always while playing at a good speed, which translates well to the NHL. He is also capable of passes on his backhand on occasion. On the power plays, he is not a predictable player by the threat of his shot, he incorporates his teammates very well in the collective attack and he is able to use his teammate inside the defensive box. He shows some signs of creativity where he uses his main assets (shooting and skating) to push back the opposing defenders and after giving a glimpse of a wrist shot, he hands the puck behind him to his teammate who comes in 2nd wave.

To top it all off, Lekkerimakki plays with an appreciable level of intensity, finishing some of his checks and not hesitating to get his nose dirty in the high-danger areas. Defensively, he is doing well, showing a good ability to cut passing lanes by extending his stick completely on the ice, which is easy for him given that he has a relatively low center of gravity.

It will be curious to see where Lekkerimakki will play next year since his club in Sweden, Djurgardens, have been relegated to the 2nd division in the Allsvenskan. Maybe the NHL team that selects him will be tempted to bring him to the AHL right away, which would be a good option, in my opinion.

[-Vintage Canuck-]

 

[R3aL]

1 minute ago, -Vintage Canuck- said:

And that concludes day 1 of the draft.

 

It took four hours to make 32 picks.

It felt excessively long I agree lmao 

[DeNiro]

Just now, R3aL said:

Howard to Tbay great pick. Kids got super star energy haha 

He flops hard.

 

Guy is all ego. Won’t put in the work or take his development seriously.

[Dixon Ward]

While we need Centers and Dmen, while we need speed, and while we need size, we picked a RWer with average skating and who is small.  However, I am excited that we got the BPA.  I did not see him below 10 on a mock and he was as high as 7.  We got him at 15, this was a brainer.   They obviously like him more than Kemmel.  We should be pumped EP, Quinn, Podz, Hogs, and now Maki all drafted later than they should have been.

[Ghostsof1915]

So clearly we need to draft Pettersson with our next pick.

 

That way we can throw off other teams. And he can wear 49, or 80. Lol.

Edited July 8, 2022 by Ghostsof1915

[winthecup]

19 minutes ago, hammertime said:

I have no issue with taking skill over size but I do have issue with taking a small winger with skating issues for our team in a position we have a log jam. 

 

Pod Boeser Garland Karlsson Klim 

 

Where does he play is he the guy to ride shotty with Pete? Does he help Bo's line taking on teams top lines?

where are you hearing he has skating issues? All the scouting reports I have read say his skating is good to average and has good mechanics. 

[DefCon1]

Just now, hammertime said:

Great pick in Reid!!!!! I'm actually very impressed.

I don't know, looks like a Jake Virtanen 2.0 lol. Uses his size to get to the net. Not really anything to lose sleep over. I was more worried of Oilers getting Lambert