2023 NHL Entry Draft

[ilduce39]

1 hour ago, NUCKER67 said:

Bedard said that Danielson was the toughest opponent for him.

 

So, wouldn't it make sense?

 

Edit - I see a flaw in my question, as Bedard probably hasn't faced most of this Round 1 Draft class.  

I like Danielson but this made me think of old Cole “McLegend Killer” Cassels

[JustABandwagoner]

3 hours ago, NUCKER67 said:

I was against taking Michkov before, but now I'm thinking if he's there, they gotta take him. I see him going pretty early though. 

 

I'm hoping for Simashev at #11 or one of the Cs

If Michkov is there at 11, u dance on the podium while calling his name. He wont be there at 11. 

[hammertime]

2 hours ago, NUCKER67 said:

I recall that a lot of teams passed on Podkolzin, due to the Russian thing and him playing in Russia for 2 years etc. Not that he was the best pick in hindsight, but Michkov and Simashev could also drop a bit. It would be very exciting at the possibilities if the Canucks landed Michkov, who could turn out to be the 2nd best player in the Draft. 

 

Gotta trust Allvin and his crew on this. They could have inside info from Millstein, maybe Gonchar knows some things. 

 

 

Honestly as much as I was high on Boldy Caufield Newhook that year. Still feel Pod was the right pick. I know I know people said stuff about Kass and Virtanen they'll pay dividends 25yo+ and I didn't so much agree on those guys but I really do believe in Pods case he will be an elite middle 6 player not filler. 

[ilduce39]

Just now, hammertime said:

Honestly as much as I was high on Boldy Caufield Newhook that year. Still feel Pod was the right pick. I know I know people said stuff about Kass and Virtanen they'll pay dividends 25yo+ and I didn't so much agree on those guys but I really do believe in Pods case he will be an elite middle 6 player not filler. 

I was high on Boldy that year but I agree - definitely not giving up on Pods.  

[Nave]

7 minutes ago, ilduce39 said:

I was high on Boldy that year but I agree - definitely not giving up on Pods.  

I wanted Boldy, but didn't think Podz would be there. Still think he'll be a valuable middle 6 player you win with. 

[ilduce39]

2 minutes ago, Nave said:

I wanted Boldy, but didn't think Podz would be there. Still think he'll be a valuable middle 6 player you win with. 

I think this coaching staff fits well with Podkolzin.  He seems like a hard hat and lunch pail type of player so hope he responds well.

[TheQuietQuitter]

1 hour ago, Off_The_Schneid! said:

If you dropped Benson into last years draft would he get 1st overall consideration ? 

He would most definitely get consideration, and would probably get drafted ahead of Wright and the defensemen.

 

Would Montreal draft Benson ahead of Slafkovsky?

[Alflives]

3 minutes ago, TheQuietQuitter said:

He would most definitely get consideration, and would probably get drafted ahead of Wright and the defensemen.

 

Would Montreal draft Benson ahead of Slafkovsky?

Yup. The Habs wasted their 1OA on a bustaroo. It’s the same games there now who in New York wasted 4 high picks on bustaroos. I’m confident the pattern will continue and Hughes/Gorton will draft another bustaroo at 5OA. 

[hammertime]

9 minutes ago, TheQuietQuitter said:

He would most definitely get consideration, and would probably get drafted ahead of Wright and the defensemen.

 

Would Montreal draft Benson ahead of Slafkovsky?

No he would not. 

[Alflives]

1 minute ago, hammertime said:

No he would not. 

Yes he would. 100% Benson is better than Slowkofski. 

[hammertime]

5 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Yes he would. 100% Benson is better than Slowkofski. 

[Smashian Kassian]

2 hours ago, hammertime said:

Honestly as much as I was high on Boldy Caufield Newhook that year. Still feel Pod was the right pick. I know I know people said stuff about Kass and Virtanen they'll pay dividends 25yo+ and I didn't so much agree on those guys but I really do believe in Pods case he will be an elite middle 6 player not filler. 

 

2 hours ago, ilduce39 said:

I was high on Boldy that year but I agree - definitely not giving up on Pods.  

 

I also was on Boldy, think I had him one spot ahead of Podz on my list.

 

The thing with Podz is he's always flashed high end offensive ability - his vision is great & he has a bullet shot - I just wonder if coming up through Russia & trying to make the coaches happy on pro teams got him into a habit of playing more passively.

 

I still think Podz has massive upside, but his progression will probably be slower to reach his peak.

[TGokou]

4 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

I was watching this u20 game Russia had as Simashev & But were in it.

 

He covers so much ice with his skating ability but the thing that stuck out aswell is he has incredible hands, he handles so well & can dangle with the puck. 

 

First time posting this year about prospects. I have to say Simashev really intrigues me. His offence may not be that great but he has such a great frame it's hard not to see him eventually be able to develop that shot. As for his skating and size and defensive ability I see him as a very high floor and high ceiling first pairing defensive D man in his prime. If his offensive capabilities ever start to bloom it'd be a homerun of a pick. I think the reason he's listed so low is because of the Russian factor and perceived lack of offensive ability but if the offensive ability was more refined he'd be easily ranked 5th-8th overall. I would not be upset at taking him at 11. If there are multiple picks the Canucks are comfortable with itd be better to see if they could trade down a few spots but I would not want to miss out on this guy.

[Nucker 67]

Just got this feeling the Canucks will be selecting a D, either:

 

Hughes - Willander

? - Hronek

or

Hughes - ?

Simashev - Hronek

 

My guess is Willander.

 

Maybe they feel that Raty will take a big step this off season and next season. Or that they'll get a good C with the next pick (moving up to the 2nd Round?) 

[Pure961089]

6 hours ago, R3aL said:

The More clips I see of Simashev I’m just so impressed by his skating. Especially at his size it looks silly. 
 

i do really like Willanders skating too though he’s incredibly quick / mobile is always in guys faces pushing them to places they can’t make plays

of all the defencemen available in the 1st round Simashev if he breaks right is the only one with the potential to be a true number 1D.  Hedman, Dahlin tier D, the others, if things break right will be good top 4 D. Even Reinbacher doesn't have the potential to be a true #1. 

[R3aL]

5 hours ago, Smashian Kassian said:

 

I was watching this u20 game Russia had as Simashev & But were in it.

 

He covers so much ice with his skating ability but the thing that stuck out aswell is he has incredible hands, he handles so well & can dangle with the puck. 

 

Ya I’ve not seen a lot but what I have seen is really impressive… wouldn’t be upset at all to draft him. If a team gets him outside of the top half of the first round could be a massive steal 

 

I get why some of the public scouting community and guys here have been so pro his game 

[R3aL]

10 minutes ago, Pure961089 said:

of all the defencemen available in the 1st round Simashev if he breaks right is the only one with the potential to be a true number 1D.  Hedman, Dahlin tier D, the others, if things break right will be good top 4 D. Even Reinbacher doesn't have the potential to be a true #1. 

I see what your sayingZ like wallinder / Reinbacher could be 3/4 and maybe at best solid 2s whereas Simashev if it all goes right he actually has the profile of a number 1 dman.

 

i wouldn’t say it’s impossible for Reinbacher or Willander but I see what you are saying 

[Alflives]

45 minutes ago, Pure961089 said:

of all the defencemen available in the 1st round Simashev if he breaks right is the only one with the potential to be a true number 1D.  Hedman, Dahlin tier D, the others, if things break right will be good top 4 D. Even Reinbacher doesn't have the potential to be a true #1. 

Dahlin is craperolla. He’s a dumbo. Should never be mentioned with the likes of Hedman. Shimashev is 100% (if we draft him) going to be a home run! 

[Smashian Kassian]

1 hour ago, R3aL said:

Ya I’ve not seen a lot but what I have seen is really impressive… wouldn’t be upset at all to draft him. If a team gets him outside of the top half of the first round could be a massive steal 

 

I get why some of the public scouting community and guys here have been so pro his game 

 

If his name was Brandon Smith & he played for the London Knights it wouldn't be a question that he's the top D in the draft imo.

 

His biggest knock is he has a muffin of a shot & not the most creative. But given he's already 200 lbs I imagine as he gets stronger his shot will be average, and he doesn't have to be Quinn Hughes he just has to be average to above average - and with his puck control & willingness to jump up he definitely can be imo.

 

I haven't quite finished my list yet but he's very high for me. Prob my #1 target for the Canucks tbh.

[ilduce39]

Simashev is super intriguing but could he still be there if we trade down?  

If we stick at 11 I still hope we go C if Reinbacher is off the board as expected.

 

Pronman at the athletic is super high on Danielson but even then I was surprised to see him ranked 6 for upside:

 

Spoiler

6. Nate Danielson, C, Brandon-WHL

Danielson checks every box you want in an NHL forward. He skates like an NHL player, he has great stick skills, he can set up and finish plays, he has good size and he wins battles. The pure stats this season don’t blow you away, but his teammates were lacking in quality. From a pure pro projection and in thinking about what he could be, he has all the tools and has shown a history of scoring when with better players. If he hits, you could get a star.

FWIW Simashev was 17 and Willander was 16:

 

Spoiler

14. Dalibor Dvorsky, C, AIK-Sweden-2

Of the consensus top 10 prospects, Dvorsky’s pure tools may stand out the least. He’s very skilled, has a great shot and works hard, but he’s an average-sized, skating forward whose pure skill/sense are not “off the charts” good. A big appeal of Dvorsky’s game is his long track record of production and consistency at various levels, including often playing against older players.

15. Quentin Musty, LW, Sudbury-OHL

Musty is a player full of talent. His full-season scoring pace in the OHL would have been 100 points and it’s realistic he could have hit it. He has excellent hands, vision and overall offensive creativity. He’s an excellent playmaker, while also being a shot threat and having an NHL frame. Scouts have reasonable concerns about the pace of his game and his ability to give a more consistent effort, but there is legit top-six forward upside in Musty.

16. Tom Willander, RHD, Rogle-Sweden Jr.

It’s easy to watch Willander — especially on his best days, such as at the close of the season — and see a ton of NHL potential. A defenseman who is a top-level skater with good skill and hockey sense and decent size is a set of traits that tends to lead to a lot of NHL success. Whether his offense is for sure going to translate is a minor question up for debate in his projection, but if he hits he could be a very good top-four defenseman.

17. Dmitri Simashev, LHD, Lokomotiv-Russia

While I wouldn’t call anything about Simashev’s game truly dynamic or standout at the NHL level, there is a lot about him that gets high grades. He has NHL skill and mobility, and in a 6-4 frame that is a highly appealing combination of traits. You think of the careers players like Rasmus Ristolainenand Mattias Ekholm have had and I could connect the dots with Simashev as a possible outcome.

18. Axel Sandin Pellikka, RHD, Skelleftea-Sweden

Most evaluators tend to agree that in terms of pure offensive ability, Sandin Pellikka has among, if not the most of any defenseman in this draft. He has excellent skill and hockey sense and is a goal-scoring threat as well. The concern on his ultimate upside is the lack of size primarily and that he’s not a truly elite skater at that size, even though he’s a good skater. He may score, but can he defend in the NHL? If you told me any defenseman was going to end up a top-four type with 40-plus points regularly in this draft, though, I would guess it’s Sandin Pellikka.

Edit: Oliver Moore at 21 but then gets compared to a slightly less skilled Tim Stutzle… goes to show some of the potential firepower in this draft.
 

Edited June 25, 2023 by ilduce39