2017 NHL Draft - Players to Watch List

[JTech780]

What about Klim Kostin, I am starting to see him fall a bit on some draft boards. He's a big, strong winger who can skate, is skilled and works hard. If he he ends up falling to where we are picking I wouldn't mind taking a chance on the Russian. Like a lot of Russians he likes to play his off wing, LHS RW.

[JTech780]

http://www.tsn.ca/2017-nhl-cs-mid-term-draft-ranking-europe-1.652827

 

Timothy Liljegren fell to number 7 on Central Scouting's list of European skaters. Do we have another Oliver Kylington on our hands? Can we pick up another smooth skating Swedish defenseman.

[cross16]

13 hours ago, JTech780 said:

http://www.tsn.ca/2017-nhl-cs-mid-term-draft-ranking-europe-1.652827

 

Timothy Liljegren fell to number 7 on Central Scouting's list of European skaters. Do we have another Oliver Kylington on our hands? Can we pick up another smooth skating Swedish defenseman.

 

Guess we'll see, but the buzz also seems to be that he is failing mostly due to not playing (he had Mono) and missing the World Juniors as opposed to his skill set. 

[JTech780]

On 1/19/2017 at 0:54 PM, cross16 said:

 

Guess we'll see, but the buzz also seems to be that he is failing mostly due to not playing (he had Mono) and missing the World Juniors as opposed to his skill set. 

 

It really seems like teams are shying away from drafting defensemen high in the draft unless you are getting someone like Ekblad that can jump in and play at high level right away. Defensemen are hard to predict and take longer to develop and learn their position. So it wouldn't surprise me to see teams pass on Liljegren as he will probably take a few years to reach the NHL, where you can get a forward and have a much shorter development time.

[robrob74]

Are there any players with size, speed and some skill in this draft? 

 

I am tired of drafting the small skilled forwards. We are a really easy team to play against. Stop Backlund's line and whack attack Johnny and we are done. 

Same will continue to happen if we keep drafting small skilled forwards.

[JTech780]

Just watched the CHL top prospects game, here are a few of my impressions.

 

Nico Hischier: Really like this player, love his skill and compete, seems to take his game to another level for the big games.

Gabe Vilardi: Really sound two-way game, plays a powerful game.

Kailer Yamamoto: Really slick with the puck, has a better shot than I thought, showed some real good compete.

Nolan Patrick: Didn't really show up till the 3rd and then he was quite noticeable. Was more physical than I thought.

Kole Lind: Showed some good flashes, showed some good smarts.

Markus Phillips: Noticeable at both ends, good skater.

Nikita Popugayev: Good skater and skill for his size, but really doesn't use his size at all.

Michael Rasmussen: Big guy who uses his size to his advantage and has a nose for the net.

Alex Formenton: Really, really fast.

Matthew Strome: Not as flashy as his brothers, but he plays a pretty straight forward game.

Isaac Ratcliffe: Big guy with good hands and a solid skater, when he fills into his 6'6" 195 frame, could be quite the force. 

[Flyerfan52]

On 2017-01-22 at 1:34 PM, JTech780 said:

 

It really seems like teams are shying away from drafting defensemen high in the draft unless you are getting someone like Ekblad that can jump in and play at high level right away. Defensemen are hard to predict and take longer to develop and learn their position. So it wouldn't surprise me to see teams pass on Liljegren as he will probably take a few years to reach the NHL, where you can get a forward and have a much shorter development time.

That's a rather broad statement. Team circumstances dictate.

There have been many defense taken in the 1st round with the expectation they won't be in the NHL for a # of years while they play junior or college that have surprised. Trouba was ready before expected so became a full time player 1/2 years early which was a bonus. Morrissey was seen as worth waiting for since the pipe was full of forwards.

In Philly Hextall set out to fix the Flyers from the back end taking guys like Ghost, Sanheim, Propolov in consecutive years & building an enviable bunch for the future. 

[JTech780]

2 hours ago, Flyerfan52 said:

That's a rather broad statement. Team circumstances dictate.

There have been many defense taken in the 1st round with the expectation they won't be in the NHL for a # of years while they play junior or college that have surprised. Trouba was ready before expected so became a full time player 1/2 years early which was a bonus. Morrissey was seen as worth waiting for since the pipe was full of forwards.

In Philly Hextall set out to fix the Flyers from the back end taking guys like Ghost, Sanheim, Propolov in consecutive years & building an enviable bunch for the future. 

 

I was meaning within the top 5 or top 10 of the draft. 

 

Ghost was drafted in the 3rd round and IMO is a bit over rated.

[Crzydrvr]

On 1/10/2017 at 11:28 AM, cross16 said:

Cryzdrvr, what seems to be the buzz on Nic Hauge? He seems to be sliding down some ranking in to the mid teens. I know he came with a lot of hype into the OHL so perhaps not quite living up to expectations?

I saw alot of really good raw physical tools when I watched him last year. Moves great for his size and seems to have a commanding presence in the O zone. Reminded me alot of Dougie Hamilton at the same age actually so if he is sliding into the range the Flames may be i'd be pretty excited. 

 

Answering this now as I didn't see it my first run around this thread.

 

As you said, big guys with skill are rare and when they're around as defensemen, you make sure to give them due diligence. He's an above average skater speedwise (I have him as an 8 out of 10) but his lankiness makes it difficult to gauge his footwork. Is he still growing into his body, and will it improve itself with more time and work, or is it simply one of those skills that'll never get better?

 

He's good enough offensively. I think he has a bit of work to do in the other 2 zones; he can be pressured into bad plays and doesn't have a high panic threshold. Transition-wise the entire Steelheads team can be a bit of a crapshoot and it's hard to judge whether he was a victim of that or a cause of that. Defensively, he benefits a lot from sheer size and range of coverage, but he'll need time like most young prospects to fully develop that sense of where to be and where to look.

 

Raw is exactly the word I would use, but he's been very impressive all things considered and if he works out like you hope he's going to be a PP threat and a two-way anchor at the NHL level on one of the top 2 pairings.

 

On 1/17/2017 at 11:05 PM, JTech780 said:

What about Klim Kostin, I am starting to see him fall a bit on some draft boards. He's a big, strong winger who can skate, is skilled and works hard. If he he ends up falling to where we are picking I wouldn't mind taking a chance on the Russian. Like a lot of Russians he likes to play his off wing, LHS RW.

 

He doesn't look as dynamic as he did in the summer or at the end of last season. He's got a bit of that Valeri Nichushkin syndrome, where he's got his size and speed but doesn't really have the hockey sense to use it effectively. He wasn't creating chances, wasn't backchecking well, had some tunnel vision and just generally was a nonfactor in the few games I saw of him since.

 

A lot of pure athleticism in him, though. He's a project player who if he works out is going to be a presence on the ice, I just don't know if he ever reaches that potential.

 

On 1/19/2017 at 0:40 AM, JTech780 said:

http://www.tsn.ca/2017-nhl-cs-mid-term-draft-ranking-europe-1.652827

 

Timothy Liljegren fell to number 7 on Central Scouting's list of European skaters. Do we have another Oliver Kylington on our hands? Can we pick up another smooth skating Swedish defenseman.

 

On 1/19/2017 at 2:54 PM, cross16 said:

 

Guess we'll see, but the buzz also seems to be that he is failing mostly due to not playing (he had Mono) and missing the World Juniors as opposed to his skill set. 

 

Liljegren is an interesting one, because you can see the talent, but like Kylington was he's been generally hit or miss so far in terms of his ability to process the play. Going by pure talent, he's a top 3 pick without question; excellent skater, good shot, great passer, decently physical and plays solid positional defense for an 18-year old, but his transition abilities are reliant on his decision-making and he does some odd stuff at times. As well, in the offensive zone he hasn't been great at reading the play and will pinch at the wrong time, or make an ill-advised pass that is turned over. It's very much a case of overcomplicating the play, he hasn't shown the elite hockey sense to use the right plays at the right time.

 

Kylington was genuinely playing poor and didn't get any better in his draft year, but Liljegren has been getting better since returning from his stint in the J20 league which might salvage his draft status.

[jjgallow]

23 hours ago, robrob74 said:

Are there any players with size, speed and some skill in this draft? 

 

I am tired of drafting the small skilled forwards. We are a really easy team to play against. Stop Backlund's line and whack attack Johnny and we are done. 

Same will continue to happen if we keep drafting small skilled forwards.

 

I don't mind them in rounds 4-6.    The top half of the draft (rounds 1-3), I agree.  think they have to be pretty incredible to do that.

 

Fans don't like it, but there's a solution to the Gaudreau problem.   Trade him for an equally valuable D.   Not a popular move but a smart one.

 

BPA is the way to go imho, but it does imply that trades are required.    Sometimes a small player is the best player.   But not as often up high in the draft.

 

[robrob74]

I guess we can't really judge a player's impact. I would call that a BIP. Sure we could get a BPA, but I also want a BIP, or most impact players. There's no real meter to judge a player's hopeful impact. 

[cross16]

On 1/30/2017 at 10:17 PM, robrob74 said:

Are there any players with size, speed and some skill in this draft? 

 

I am tired of drafting the small skilled forwards. We are a really easy team to play against. Stop Backlund's line and whack attack Johnny and we are done. 

Same will continue to happen if we keep drafting small skilled forwards.

 

At the top yes. I think in the top 15 you will find some players who have a good combo of that (albeit not elite) but outside of the top 15 you are starting to roll the dice on guys that have skating issues or skill issues etc. Part of the reason i'm a big fan of Owen Tippett, great total package of speed, size and skill. 

 

I think finding players with all 3 of those things is becoming one of the hardest things to find in the draft. You really have to take them in the top half of the draft or you don't tend to get them so while I get what you are saying about small skilled forwards, skill IMO is still the number 1 thing you should look for in a draft eligible prospect. I'll take a small skilled guy over big guys who can't play any day of the week. It's a skilled game now. 

[robrob74]

16 minutes ago, cross16 said:

 

At the top yes. I think in the top 15 you will find some players who have a good combo of that (albeit not elite) but outside of the top 15 you are starting to roll the dice on guys that have skating issues or skill issues etc. Part of the reason i'm a big fan of Owen Tippett, great total package of speed, size and skill. 

 

I think finding players with all 3 of those things is becoming one of the hardest things to find in the draft. You really have to take them in the top half of the draft or you don't tend to get them so while I get what you are saying about small skilled forwards, skill IMO is still the number 1 thing you should look for in a draft eligible prospect. I'll take a small skilled guy over big guys who can't play any day of the week. It's a skilled game now. 

 

I still think size is important though, and we are seeing that in our issues with how teams treat Gaudreau. But is that because there is no pushback from other players? How much has P. Kane had to suffer through that, or is the fact he doesn't have to due to hockey sense and spreading the other team out when they're defending?

 

for me, high end is important, yes. But in an apparent lower quality draft, making sure we are getting someone to play down the lineup is important in the long run when we have to start roster turn over. 

 

How many players in Chicago are making 1.5M or less?

 

so for me, this draft is about making sure we have future NHL players. If we find a gem then our scouts are doing a great job.

[cross16]

27 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

 

I still think size is important though, and we are seeing that in our issues with how teams treat Gaudreau. But is that because there is no pushback from other players? How much has P. Kane had to suffer through that, or is the fact he doesn't have to due to hockey sense and spreading the other team out when they're defending?

 

for me, high end is important, yes. But in an apparent lower quality draft, making sure we are getting someone to play down the lineup is important in the long run when we have to start roster turn over. 

 

How many players in Chicago are making 1.5M or less?

 

so for me, this draft is about making sure we have future NHL players. If we find a gem then our scouts are doing a great job.

 

Of course size is important, but I just think skill is more important. Were are grossly oversimplifying drafting here, but my main point is a player with skill, at any size, has a much greater chance of playing in the league, that a guy who only has size. All you have to do is look at see how the Flames have drafted better since Darryl Sutter left to know that size and speed are more valuable than size. Obviously you want to find both, i'm just saying I think its much, much more difficult than most fans give it credit that's all. 

I look at last year's draft as a perfect example of what I like to see the Flames doing. They focused on skill and if it came with a bit of size great, but they weren't going to take a big player just because. I favor that approach and because skill is so much harder to find you can always trade them later. Part of the draft is accumulating assets too. 

 

Kane dealt with the same thing when he was younger for sure and he had to fight through it. The Hawks didn't exactly build a rough and tumble team to project Kane either, they are build on speed, skill and skating ability more so than size. Kane had to start fighting back first and then he also changed his game a bit to adjust, Gaudreau will have to do the same. If you look at the Hawks roster it isn't exactly an intimidating force. 

 

I think you are also underrating the job the Flames have done. Right now the Flames have 7 players on their roster that they drafted or developed who were not taken in the first round and 11 players overall. That is pretty good in terms of a ratio. Of cousre your job is always to get future NHL players but it's also not really realistic to draft based on someone being a future NHL player. Draft based on a skill set and then develop them best you can. 

 

 

[JTech780]

4 hours ago, robrob74 said:

 

I still think size is important though, and we are seeing that in our issues with how teams treat Gaudreau. But is that because there is no pushback from other players? How much has P. Kane had to suffer through that, or is the fact he doesn't have to due to hockey sense and spreading the other team out when they're defending?

 

for me, high end is important, yes. But in an apparent lower quality draft, making sure we are getting someone to play down the lineup is important in the long run when we have to start roster turn over. 

 

How many players in Chicago are making 1.5M or less?

 

so for me, this draft is about making sure we have future NHL players. If we find a gem then our scouts are doing a great job.

 

Size is important, as long as it used. For example Nikita Popugayev is 6'6" 205, he is skilled and has size, but he doesn't use it he is very soft and easily knocked off the puck. There is a lot that goes into a winning player, size does come into the equation, but for me skill, skating ability, hockey IQ, compete and drive come before size. If you can get all those ingredients in one player you have the winning combination.

[travel_dude]

Any thoughts on Nick Suzuki?

64 gp 45g 59a  95p

 

5'11"  183 lbs  RHS C

 

He's a young player for the draft, born August 1999

 

[Crzydrvr]

48 minutes ago, travel_dude said:

Any thoughts on Nick Suzuki?

64 gp 45g 59a  95p

 

5'11"  183 lbs  RHS C

 

He's a young player for the draft, born August 1999

 

 

He's a smart player who's made the most of his opportunities. Very well rounded guy, is more of an all situations type than a pure playmaker or shooter offensively. 

 

He could use some more top end speed and agility, but he's consistently been one of the most impactful draft eligible prospects in the OHL. I think he's done enough to put himself in the discussion as one of those players in the 5-15 range.

 

He's not the most physically talented player, but he makes up for it with his hockey sense and his effort. I like him a lot for that reason, I think he cares about doing well on a small market team and that's not always/often the case with some of these elite prospects, so he gets bonus points for showing drive and not acting entitled about where he wants to go. 

[travel_dude]

53 minutes ago, Crzydrvr said:

 

He's a smart player who's made the most of his opportunities. Very well rounded guy, is more of an all situations type than a pure playmaker or shooter offensively. 

 

He could use some more top end speed and agility, but he's consistently been one of the most impactful draft eligible prospects in the OHL. I think he's done enough to put himself in the discussion as one of those players in the 5-15 range.

 

He's not the most physically talented player, but he makes up for it with his hockey sense and his effort. I like him a lot for that reason, I think he cares about doing well on a small market team and that's not always/often the case with some of these elite prospects, so he gets bonus points for showing drive and not acting entitled about where he wants to go. 

 

I am not a good predictor of how teams see players, but there is a reasonable chance he could fall to the Flames.  It could depend on his showing in the playoffs.  Or it could depend on how teams load up on defensive prospects.  He seems to be the type of player the Flames would be interested in; hockey sense 1st.

[JTech780]

1 hour ago, travel_dude said:

 

I am not a good predictor of how teams see players, but there is a reasonable chance he could fall to the Flames.  It could depend on his showing in the playoffs.  Or it could depend on how teams load up on defensive prospects.  He seems to be the type of player the Flames would be interested in; hockey sense 1st.

 

Suzuki, Robert Thomas and Kole Lind kind of all seem fairly similar to me, of the 3 at this moment I kind of like Lind the most with Thomas not far behind. Though I should admit that I haven't seen much of Suzuki.

[robrob74]

On 2017-02-01 at 7:36 PM, JTech780 said:

 

Size is important, as long as it used. For example Nikita Popugayev is 6'6" 205, he is skilled and has size, but he doesn't use it he is very soft and easily knocked off the puck. There is a lot that goes into a winning player, size does come into the equation, but for me skill, skating ability, hockey IQ, compete and drive come before size. If you can get all those ingredients in one player you have the winning combination.

 

True.

 

but at the same time, he can't use size if he doesn't have it.

[robrob74]

http://www.mynhldraft.com/2017/NHL-Draft-Profiles/Owen-Tippett

 

What about Owen Tippett?

He sounds like a good skater and has a nose for the net. Size is good too.

[JTech780]

10 minutes ago, robrob74 said:

http://www.mynhldraft.com/2017/NHL-Draft-Profiles/Owen-Tippett

 

What about Owen Tippett?

He sounds like a good skater and has a nose for the net. Size is good too.

 

He would be nice get, but he will be drafted way before he gets to us.

 

Tippett should be a top 10 pick and with this run we are on we will most likely be drafting anywhere from the late teens to 31.

[robrob74]

2 minutes ago, JTech780 said:

 

He would be nice get, but he will be drafted way before he gets to us.

 

Tippett should be a top 10 pick and with this run we are on we will most likely be drafting anywhere from the late teens to 31.

 

In Craigs' List, Button has him at 20. If it goes Button's way, that could be right in our wheel house. But other teams for sure would be looking at him.

 

http://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-lots-of-talent-after-patrick-hischier-1.702428

 

[robrob74]

What about Klim Kostin??

 

I was also looking at Owen Foote. 

What I've read of one fan's comments is he isn't very physical for his size. He has offensive tools. Looks to be a  3/4 D guy, which is what we might need. Although, we could use an elite D going forward down the road to replace Giordano. Although, 4 really good top4 D's could be good too.

[robrob74]

http://www.dobberprospects.com/juuso-valimaki/

 

Button has this Välimäki at ranked at 23rd overall. He could also be in our wheel house. 

I like that he's a QB on the PP. Has speed and the Flames' love of hockey sense.