2023 NHL Entry Draft

[Warhippy]

3 hours ago, Tank4Bedard said:

 

Scroll back.  I mentioned him for 2025 a few times 

 

This kid is absolutely monstrous AND we might see him AND Bedard suit up for team Canada at the world he's at the same time

[JustABandwagoner]

45 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

Scroll back.  I mentioned him for 2025 a few times 

 

This kid is absolutely monstrous AND we might see him AND Bedard suit up for team Canada at the world he's at the same time

Bedard aint going back to the WJC haha. Unless ur talking about the olympics

[Ilunga]

49 minutes ago, Warhippy said:

Scroll back.  I mentioned him for 2025 a few times 

 

This kid is absolutely monstrous AND we might see him AND Bedard suit up for team Canada at the world he's at the same time

I remember you mentioning him in last year's thread.

I have been following him since.

 

[HighOnHockey]

2 hours ago, Warhippy said:

Scroll back.  I mentioned him for 2025 a few times 

 

This kid is absolutely monstrous AND we might see him AND Bedard suit up for team Canada at the world he's at the same time

From what I've seen so far, I like James Hagens over Misa for 2025, but yeah they both look pretty special.

[BPA]

Hindsight being 20/20…if only Benning stayed the course of building through the draft.

 

2013 - 9th pick - Horvat - I was OK with this pick.

2014 - 6th pick - Virtanen- I wanted Nylander.

2014 - 24th pick - McCann - I was OK with this pick.

2015 -  23rd pick - Boeser - I was OK with this pick.

2016 - 5th pick - Juolevi - I wanted Tkachuk

2017 - 5th pick - Pettersson - my bad..I wanted Glass.

2018 - 7th pick - Hughes - no brainer. He fell into our laps.

2019 - 10th pick - Podkolzin - I wanted him at that spot.

2020 - 20th pick - traded with TB to get Miller.  I would have not done the trade and Canucks probably would’ve been in the 15th pick area.  Probably would have taken Schneider.

2021 - 9th pick - traded to ARI for OEL and Garland.  Did not want to trade and just let those bad contracts expire in one year.  Probably would have dropped to 5th pick area.  Would have taken Clarke.

2022 - 15th pick - Lekkerimaki - wanted Pickering.

 

 

Could of had a lineup of…

 

Tkachuk Horvat Nylander

Boeser McCann Podz

             Glass 

 

Hughes Schneider

Pickering Clarke

 

 

[Ilunga]

21 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

From what I've seen so far, I like James Hagens over Misa for 2025, but yeah they both look pretty special.

Misa 7 points in 7 games at the WHC.

 

 

Hagens 21 points in 7 games at the WHC. 

 

Misa 44 in 34 games in the OHL 

 

Hagens 69 points combined 51 games USDP - USHL 

 

Similar builds , Misa's got an inch on Hagen. 

 

What would you say are the differences in their game ?

 

 

[HighOnHockey]

Just now, Ilunga said:

Misa 7 points in 7 games at the WHC.

 

 

Hagens 21 points in 7 games at the WHC. 

 

Misa 44 in 34 games in the OHL 

 

Hagens 69 points combined 51 games USDP - USHL 

 

Similar builds , Misa's got an inch on Hagen. 

 

What would you say are the differences in their game ?

 

 

Misa is more dynamic, more purely skilled. Hagens is more cerebral. Misa is more likely to carry the puck into danger areas, to attack defenders head on with speed. Hagens does his best work down low, making small area plays, starts and stops, spinning off defenders. Hagens also looks to me to be the more effective two-way player by a wide margin, although Misa gets some benefit of the doubt for two reasons. First, although Hagens is only a few months older, he's a year older in hockey seasons. But then with Misa being exceptional, they've both played one year of U16 and are both rookies in major junior, so I'm not sure how significant a difference that should be. Second, pretty much all my viewings on both came from the U17s, and Hagen's supporting cast was far superior. They played twice head to head and USA dominated Canada Red all over the ice.

 

That said, I thought Hagens was the driving force behind an awful lot of USA's dominance. Inside the offensive zone of course Cole Eiserman is a freak of nature - reminiscent of guys like Matthews or Miroshnichenko how dangerous he is from anywhere inside the offensive blueline, but Hagens was the engine, making plays in the defensive zone, disrupting through the neutral zone, and carrying the puck in transition. For Canada Red I thought the elder Berkly Catton was more of the 200 foot play driver, although when Misa had the puck on his stick carrying through the middle and in the offensive zone, he was simply a magician.

[DownUndaCanuck]

This thread is really going to heat up the deeper we drop into the top 10. I know Michcov and Sale are ranked around where we may pick but really hope we don't go for BPA, the last thing this organisation needs is another winger. Not many D in the top 10 unless some team gambles high on Sandin-Pellikka (it's got Allvin written all over it) but our franchise could use a solid center under Petey. Wouldn't mind Will Smith or Dvorsky or Yager...

[spook007]

2 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

This thread is really going to heat up the deeper we drop into the top 10. I know Michcov and Sale are ranked around where we may pick but really hope we don't go for BPA, the last thing this organisation needs is another winger. Not many D in the top 10 unless some team gambles high on Sandin-Pellikka (it's got Allvin written all over it) but our franchise could use a solid center under Petey. Wouldn't mind Will Smith or Dvorsky or Yager...

If Michcov and sake are as good as expected, you've got to take them... 

 

[Alflives]

9 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

 

Misa is more dynamic, more purely skilled. Hagens is more cerebral. Misa is more likely to carry the puck into danger areas, to attack defenders head on with speed. Hagens does his best work down low, making small area plays, starts and stops, spinning off defenders. Hagens also looks to me to be the more effective two-way player by a wide margin, although Misa gets some benefit of the doubt for two reasons. First, although Hagens is only a few months older, he's a year older in hockey seasons. But then with Misa being exceptional, they've both played one year of U16 and are both rookies in major junior, so I'm not sure how significant a difference that should be. Second, pretty much all my viewings on both came from the U17s, and Hagen's supporting cast was far superior. They played twice head to head and USA dominated Canada Red all over the ice.

 

That said, I thought Hagens was the driving force behind an awful lot of USA's dominance. Inside the offensive zone of course Cole Eiserman is a freak of nature - reminiscent of guys like Matthews or Miroshnichenko how dangerous he is from anywhere inside the offensive blueline, but Hagens was the engine, making plays in the defensive zone, disrupting through the neutral zone, and carrying the puck in transition. For Canada Red I thought the elder Berkly Catton was more of the 200 foot play driver, although when Misa had the puck on his stick carrying through the middle and in the offensive zone, he was simply a magician.

We should always choose the BPA on our scout’s lists.  Don’t want to do a Benning and overrule our scouts and get another Juiolevi 

[stawns]

15 hours ago, BPA said:

Hindsight being 20/20…if only Benning stayed the course of building through the draft.

 

2013 - 9th pick - Horvat - I was OK with this pick.

2014 - 6th pick - Virtanen- I wanted Nylander.

2014 - 24th pick - McCann - I was OK with this pick.

2015 -  23rd pick - Boeser - I was OK with this pick.

2016 - 5th pick - Juolevi - I wanted Tkachuk

2017 - 5th pick - Pettersson - my bad..I wanted Glass.

2018 - 7th pick - Hughes - no brainer. He fell into our laps.

2019 - 10th pick - Podkolzin - I wanted him at that spot.

2020 - 20th pick - traded with TB to get Miller.  I would have not done the trade and Canucks probably would’ve been in the 15th pick area.  Probably would have taken Schneider.

2021 - 9th pick - traded to ARI for OEL and Garland.  Did not want to trade and just let those bad contracts expire in one year.  Probably would have dropped to 5th pick area.  Would have taken Clarke.

2022 - 15th pick - Lekkerimaki - wanted Pickering.

 

 

Could of had a lineup of…

 

Tkachuk Horvat Nylander

Boeser McCann Podz

             Glass 

 

Hughes Schneider

Pickering Clarke

 

 

He traded two first for three very good players.......I don't see an issue with that 

[HighOnHockey]

6 hours ago, DownUndaCanuck said:

This thread is really going to heat up the deeper we drop into the top 10. I know Michcov and Sale are ranked around where we may pick but really hope we don't go for BPA, the last thing this organisation needs is another winger. Not many D in the top 10 unless some team gambles high on Sandin-Pellikka (it's got Allvin written all over it) but our franchise could use a solid center under Petey. Wouldn't mind Will Smith or Dvorsky or Yager...

 

Not sure what the obsession with Sandin-Pellikka is around here. I don't have an issue with people liking him, but to think he's the only D that might go in the top 10? There's Dragicevic, Reinbacher, Gulyayev all look better for my money.

 

4 hours ago, spook007 said:

If Michcov and sake are as good as expected, you've got to take them... 

 

I'm not as sold on Sale as some are. Michkov is complicated. I think people are forgetting that for the past couple of years he's been considered in a tier alone with Connor Bedard. Kid is on the cusp of generational. If not for the Russia situation and his contract, he'd be a virtual lock at number two. But it's been a weird year for him being kind of caught between putting up almost a goal per game in VHL and struggling to crack SKA full time (the 2nd best team in KHL), and the biggest issue is he's been unable to play at international tournaments, where he could have reminded everyone just what he is capable of, but instead he's been sort of lost in the shuffle. Those of us who have seen him at international events in the past will not soon forget just how special he is.

 

To clarify, I'm not saying I think we should take him or not take him, just think we ought to be clear on why we would take him if we do (borderline generational upside) and why not to take him if we don't (Russian factor, contract with SKA through 2026).

Edited January 16, 2023 by HighOnHockey

[spook007]

5 minutes ago, HighOnHockey said:

 

Not sure what the obsession with Sandin-Pellikka is around here. I don't have an issue with people liking him, but to think he's the only D that might go in the top 10? There's Dragicevic, Reinbacher, Gulyayev all look better for my money.

 

I'm not as sold on Sale as some are. Michkov is complicated. I think people are forgetting that for the past couple of years he's been considered in a tier alone with Connor Bedard. Kid is on the cusp of generational. If not for the Russia situation and his contract, he'd be a virtual lock at number two. But it's been a weird year for him being kind of caught between putting up almost a goal per game in VHL and struggling to crack SKA full time (the 2nd best team in KHL), and the biggest issue is he's been unable to play at international tournaments, where he could have reminded everyone just what he is capable of, but instead he's been sort of lost in the shuffle. Those of us who have seen him at international events in the past will not soon forget just how special he is.

Cheers HoH...

Valuable information amigo. If he struggles to get into the 2nd top team in the KHL, maybe he isn't as hot as expected. 
Still wouldn't mind taking him as we are not going to push for anything the next few years. But ofcourse without a measuring scale, who knows... Podz earned rave reviews and seemingly only dropped due to the russian factor... He has been good but still ways to go... it is slightly concerning that Michov can't get proper time on the main team like Podz. 

My original post was a response to start draft for positional needs instead of probably BPA, and if you pick in top 5 you have to be brave if you start picking for positional need instead. 
Both OJ and JV was picked after that criteria and that didn't turn out too well...

 

But thank you for letting us know. Much appreciated. 

[HighOnHockey]

5 minutes ago, spook007 said:

Cheers HoH...

Valuable information amigo. If he struggles to get into the 2nd top team in the KHL, maybe he isn't as hot as expected. 
Still wouldn't mind taking him as we are not going to push for anything the next few years. But ofcourse without a measuring scale, who knows... Podz earned rave reviews and seemingly only dropped due to the russian factor... He has been good but still ways to go... it is slightly concerning that Michov can't get proper time on the main team like Podz. 

My original post was a response to start draft for positional needs instead of probably BPA, and if you pick in top 5 you have to be brave if you start picking for positional need instead. 
Both OJ and JV was picked after that criteria and that didn't turn out too well...

 

But thank you for letting us know. Much appreciated. 

It's not an unreasonable concern. But I think it's a little over-stated. You occasionally see NHL players jump right in at 18, but it's usually for bad teams. Michkov was 17 until December, and I believe the KHL is close enough to the NHL in quality that the very top KHL teams are probably a little better than the very worst NHL teams. Also size is always a major factor when it comes to kids playing in top pro leagues. Easier for a player that's 6'1 and 190; a 5'10, ~160 kid is going to have trouble no matter how good they are. He's now being listed at 150, down from what he had been listed previously. If that's accurate, then it could be a bit of a concern long-term, as it would mean he'll need to add 25 lbs just to get to Patrick Kane/Artemi Panarin playing weight.

 

Also it might not have been so much a question of whether he could crack the lineup for SKA, but rather would it be better for him to play bottom six minutes for the big club or be the go-to guy down in the minor pro affiliate. He was recently loaned to KHL Sochi, and has 6 points in 10 games there while playing 16 minutes a night.

[stawns]

8 hours ago, HighOnHockey said:

 

Not sure what the obsession with Sandin-Pellikka is around here. I don't have an issue with people liking him, but to think he's the only D that might go in the top 10? There's Dragicevic, Reinbacher, Gulyayev all look better for my money.

 

I'm not as sold on Sale as some are. Michkov is complicated. I think people are forgetting that for the past couple of years he's been considered in a tier alone with Connor Bedard. Kid is on the cusp of generational. If not for the Russia situation and his contract, he'd be a virtual lock at number two. But it's been a weird year for him being kind of caught between putting up almost a goal per game in VHL and struggling to crack SKA full time (the 2nd best team in KHL), and the biggest issue is he's been unable to play at international tournaments, where he could have reminded everyone just what he is capable of, but instead he's been sort of lost in the shuffle. Those of us who have seen him at international events in the past will not soon forget just how special he is.

 

To clarify, I'm not saying I think we should take him or not take him, just think we ought to be clear on why we would take him if we do (borderline generational upside) and why not to take him if we don't (Russian factor, contract with SKA through 2026).

I agree about SP.......he had a good tourney, but nothing about him said sure fire NHL player to me.

 

I think the current situation with Russia has really dropped Michov off the radar and in previous international tournaments he's looked almost on par with Bedard.  I really wish we could have seen Russia at the WJHC.

 

Will the Russia contract situation scare enough teams to see him drop like Podz?  Would PA have the stones to take that risk?

[Diamonds]

16 hours ago, stawns said:

I agree about SP.......he had a good tourney, but nothing about him said sure fire NHL player to me.

 

I think the current situation with Russia has really dropped Michov off the radar and in previous international tournaments he's looked almost on par with Bedard.  I really wish we could have seen Russia at the WJHC.

 

Will the Russia contract situation scare enough teams to see him drop like Podz?  Would PA have the stones to take that risk?

If Michkov ends up sliding down to 8-10 he will likely be a huge steal for whoever is patient enough. 3 more years to develop in the KHL and then could easily make a similar impact to Kaprizov and instantly revitalize a franchise. Even though Kaprizov didn't come over until he was 23 I'm sure most people would put him top 10 in a redraft (even considering 2015 was actually a pretty deep draft).

 

If the Canucks were actually thinking about things logically for where they are at, Michkov could fit our rebuild/retool timeline perfectly.

[stawns]

36 minutes ago, Diamonds said:

If Michkov ends up sliding down to 8-10 he will likely be a huge steal for whoever is patient enough. 3 more years to develop in the KHL and then could easily make a similar impact to Kaprizov and instantly revitalize a franchise. Even though Kaprizov didn't come over until he was 23 I'm sure most people would put him top 10 in a redraft (even considering 2015 was actually a pretty deep draft).

 

If the Canucks were actually thinking about things logically for where they are at, Michkov could fit our rebuild/retool timeline perfectly.

Man, that would be such a risk taking him, but the possible payoff could be a franchise player outside of the top 5

[Fanuck]

40 minutes ago, Diamonds said:

If the Canucks were actually thinking about things logically for where they are at, Michkov could fit our rebuild/retool timeline perfectly.

Great point.

 

It would give this management group plenty of time to figure out a real direction and also address the cap-issue - even if their solution is to simply wait out the contract expiry dates. 

 

I've said it in another thread, if JR insists on young roster players in return for BoHo for example, they could be creating a huge issue for themselves because the trend in the NHL right now for the good young players coming off ELC is to sign massive dollar/term and NOT do the 'bridge' type deals anymore.  We simply couldn't afford that. 

[stawns]

2 minutes ago, Fanuck said:

Great point.

 

It would give this management group plenty of time to figure out a real direction and also address the cap-issue - even if their solution is to simply wait out the contract expiry dates. 

 

I've said it in another thread, if JR insists on young roster players in return for BoHo for example, they could be creating a huge issue for themselves because the trend in the NHL right now for the good young players coming off ELC is to sign massive dollar/term and NOT do the 'bridge' type deals anymore.  We simply couldn't afford that. 

I was arguing that point yesterday.  Befard seems like a complete win on all fronts, but his second contract will almost surely be $10m+.  These huge rga contracts are terrible for the game......to the point where it makes more sense to deal them and get vets back because veteran teams win Cups.

 

It's like the universe has flipped upside down

[Fanuck]

2 minutes ago, stawns said:

I was arguing that point yesterday.  Befard seems like a complete win on all fronts, but his second contract will almost surely be $10m+.  These huge rga contracts are terrible for the game......to the point where it makes more sense to deal them and get vets back because veteran teams win Cups.

 

It's like the universe has flipped upside down

Contracts are definitely getting out of hand - have been for some time.  Especially with the recent trend of jumping directly to 'career' contracts from ELC and skipping this 'bridge' entirely.

 

That said, it's a no-win issue imo with reference to the CBA.  The NHLPA will oppose any changes to the CBA that weaken player salary/contract positions and the NHL will drop that word nobody wants to hear 'lockout'. 

 

Sadly, it's management/ownership that created this contact issue imo - you can't blame players/agents for signing these ridiculous contracts that are being offered around the league.