Post-draft Report Cards (Franchise A to B)
Oct 2, 2016 11:01:26 GMT -5
Travis (DET) and mbest (ANA) like this
Post by brentdog on Oct 2, 2016 11:01:26 GMT -5
ANAHEIM DUCKS
After chasing the playoffs this year, the Ducks came to Philadelphia without a first round pick, only one pick in the first three rounds and just five picks overall. With such a limited number of selections it’s important to get them all absolutely right and there have to be question marks over whether the Ducks accomplished that this year.
Things started off well with the selection of Jakub Skarek (45th), an athletic Czech goalie with hawk-like vision who has excelled at the international junior level. Taking two-way forward Carson Focht (92nd) in the fourth is when things started to go south. It’s not that Focht is a bad player, as he isn't - he adapted well to a depth role in the WHL this season and has a solid overall game. It’s more that he was the Ducks only pick at center, a puzzling choice for a franchise with only one recognised C prospect on the books coming into the draft.
Russian power winger Vladislav Kotkov (107th) was a solid next pick thanks to his hard-hitting play and goal-scoring ability, but defenseman Mitchell Prowse (165th) strikes us as something of a misstep – he handles the puck nicely enough, but his skating needs a lot of work and his defensive coverage has been suspect all season in the WHL.
Fortunately GM Wild bounced back in the dying embers of the draft by taking Jayden Platz (195th), a 6’6” monster of a defender who is a punishing checker and deceptively quick around the ice to boot.
Summary: Not a complete disaster and they were always up against it given their limited number of picks, but at least one other center should have been selected by Anaheim this year - C+
ARIZONA COYOTES
The ‘yotes are an organisation who take their drafting seriously and year-on-year it shows in their quality selections. Taking Mattias Samuelsson (2nd) earlier than predicted may have surprised some, but it seems the right move to us given the Coyotes depth in the forward positions and organisational need for a tough no-nonsense defenceman.
Arizona cleaned up further in the first round with the selection of skilled Swedish center Lukas Wernblom (9th) and an excellent goalie prospect in the shape of Drew DeRidder (28th). Wernblom has high-end smarts and doesn’t miss often in front of net, whilst DeRidder possesses an all-around athleticism that projects him as a future iNHL starter.
A late second round pick netted Jackson Leppard (56th), a power forward with an ugly yet effective skating style who adds goal-scoring threat and physicality down the wings. Swiss sniper Philipp Kurashev (97th) owns a great wrist-shot and scored in bunches in the National Liga this season. Shutdown defenseman Jack Lagerstrom (101st) represents a solid pickup and adds more meanness to a blueline in need of added snarl.
The ‘yotes then followed all this good work with three shrewd picks in the bottom reaches of the draft, starting with Jimi Uusitalo (159th) in the 6th round, a big goalie with excellent reflexes. Estonian center Otar Sakkhokiya (188th) is a skilled pivot with size who could be a high return pick, whilst two-way forward Erik Middendorf (197th) is a pain in the butt for any opposing defenseman due to his speed and ‘no quit’ attitude.
Summary: Another excellent draft for the Coyotes and one that only adds to arguably the best prospect pool in the iNHL - A+
BOSTON BRUINS
We’re not quite sure what happened to the Boston Bruins this year. For an organisation so on point with their selections the past two years, they seemed a little haphazard in terms of what they were doing, save for seemingly not wanting to draft a goalie prospect with any of their many 3rd round picks – a baffling decision given the strength of the netminding prospects still available at that point and the fact the Bruins lack a starting calibre netminer, either on their roster or in their prospect pool.
That’s not to say the Bruins drafted badly full stop. With regards to GM Beans first pick, let me be absolutely clear – Alexander Zhabreyev (31st) is an excellent prospect and someone who could have gone much higher in the draft. He does, however, have a KHL contract till 2020 and that makes this a high risk choice given the difficulties other franchises have experienced with convincing Russian talent to come to the iNHL.
Another area where the Bruins drafted strongly was on defense, with a trio of puck-moving blueliners added to their prospect corps in the shape of Calen Addison (38th), Filip Westerlund (68th) and Nicolas Beaudin (167th). Addison was a kid we were much higher on thanks to his dynamic puckhandling and overall level of development in the WHL, whilst Beaudin is a tad under-developed but still scored at a PPG in the Q thanks to his laser-like passing. The pick of the three, however, could be Filip Westerlund, an overager who should have been drafted last year thanks to his ability to kickstart the offense and quarterback a powerplay. GM Beans then rounded things out by taking Brady Smith (174th) in the sixth round, a mobile defensive D who is no slouch with the puck on his stick either.
However, we do have to take some marks off here for the ‘Sandin situation’, an unprecedented example of organisational disarray wherein the Bruins got themselves muddled in choosing between Jace Foskey, Isak Lundestrom and Rasmus Sandin, twice calling the wrong name and letting a legit prospect like Sandin slip through their fingers in the process.
That’s not to say the player they did pick, Isak Lunderstrom (61st), is a consolation prize – he’s a blue-chip forward prospect who was initially tipped to go higher in the draft, but fell due to a perceived lack of development this year in the Swedish junior leagues. The Bruins then made two other great choices up front – Team USA’s Tyler Weiss (67th), an excellent defensive minded center with offensive upside, and Marek Wazny (82nd), a real spark plug with the energy to skate all day on the ice. Jack Perbix (171st) meanwhile is a forward with a low center of gravity and a lot of upper body strength who has put up big points in the USHL, but probably needs to improve his choppy skating style if he’s to make the big time.
As for goalies, the Bruins did finally select one in the fourth round in the shape of the underwhelming Zach Bouthillier (95th), a kid who’s struggled in the Q and doesn’t really have a standout attribute in any particular area.
Summary: Not the best draft for Boston and one that could be labelled as ‘must do better’, starting with putting together a viable draft list next time around - C+
BUFFALO SABRES
Rumour has it that GM Dixon was late to the start of the draft due to being caught in traffic, which is a pretty remarkable display of unprofessionalism considering they were picking fifth overall. Fortunately for the Sabres they were left with something of a ‘no-brainer’ when Andrei Svechnikov (5th) wasn’t selected inside the Top 4. Svechnikov has true star potential and adds yet more size and skill to the Sabres right flank, so it’s hard to argue against the pick they made here.
Another excellent forward prospect followed not long after in the shape of Alexander Khovanov (33rd), a bulldozing two-way center who knows how to put the puck in the net, the Sabres arguably profiting from other GMs reluctance to commit to Russian prospects in general.
In fact, five of the Sabres next seven picks went on forward prospects, which is arguably too high a number and the biggest knock against them in this particular draft. Yes, there’s always a case for going BPA, but why not also go for positional need in your prospect pool when you have so many picks available?
Of those five forward picks, Finnish power-winger Samual Salonen (69th) was arguably a mean streak away from being a first rounder, but he’s huge and has an ability to get a quick shot off. Connor Roberts (140th) and big Swiss pivot Tobias Geisser (170th) are skilled centers who like to cause problems in front of net, whilst Gabriel Fortier (143rd) is a promising two-way winger who could do with maturing a bit more in the Q. Nikolai Kovalenko (149th), son of former NHL-er Alexei, rounds things off by adding extra flash and sizzle on the wings.
Given that they only selected two defenders and one goalie it was pretty important the Sabres got those choices right. In Ty Emberson (62nd), a gifted right-hand shot puck distributor, they arguably did so, with Slava Demin (200th) they arguably didn’t – although Demin does have the combo of size and skating that could make him a viable project down the line. Overage Belgian goalie Wouter Peeters (137th) strikes us as a smart choice late on in the draft given his frame and progression over in Switzerland.
Summary: A decent enough draft for the Sabres, but one that could have done with a little more positional variety and their GM turning up on time - B
After chasing the playoffs this year, the Ducks came to Philadelphia without a first round pick, only one pick in the first three rounds and just five picks overall. With such a limited number of selections it’s important to get them all absolutely right and there have to be question marks over whether the Ducks accomplished that this year.
Things started off well with the selection of Jakub Skarek (45th), an athletic Czech goalie with hawk-like vision who has excelled at the international junior level. Taking two-way forward Carson Focht (92nd) in the fourth is when things started to go south. It’s not that Focht is a bad player, as he isn't - he adapted well to a depth role in the WHL this season and has a solid overall game. It’s more that he was the Ducks only pick at center, a puzzling choice for a franchise with only one recognised C prospect on the books coming into the draft.
Russian power winger Vladislav Kotkov (107th) was a solid next pick thanks to his hard-hitting play and goal-scoring ability, but defenseman Mitchell Prowse (165th) strikes us as something of a misstep – he handles the puck nicely enough, but his skating needs a lot of work and his defensive coverage has been suspect all season in the WHL.
Fortunately GM Wild bounced back in the dying embers of the draft by taking Jayden Platz (195th), a 6’6” monster of a defender who is a punishing checker and deceptively quick around the ice to boot.
Summary: Not a complete disaster and they were always up against it given their limited number of picks, but at least one other center should have been selected by Anaheim this year - C+
ARIZONA COYOTES
The ‘yotes are an organisation who take their drafting seriously and year-on-year it shows in their quality selections. Taking Mattias Samuelsson (2nd) earlier than predicted may have surprised some, but it seems the right move to us given the Coyotes depth in the forward positions and organisational need for a tough no-nonsense defenceman.
Arizona cleaned up further in the first round with the selection of skilled Swedish center Lukas Wernblom (9th) and an excellent goalie prospect in the shape of Drew DeRidder (28th). Wernblom has high-end smarts and doesn’t miss often in front of net, whilst DeRidder possesses an all-around athleticism that projects him as a future iNHL starter.
A late second round pick netted Jackson Leppard (56th), a power forward with an ugly yet effective skating style who adds goal-scoring threat and physicality down the wings. Swiss sniper Philipp Kurashev (97th) owns a great wrist-shot and scored in bunches in the National Liga this season. Shutdown defenseman Jack Lagerstrom (101st) represents a solid pickup and adds more meanness to a blueline in need of added snarl.
The ‘yotes then followed all this good work with three shrewd picks in the bottom reaches of the draft, starting with Jimi Uusitalo (159th) in the 6th round, a big goalie with excellent reflexes. Estonian center Otar Sakkhokiya (188th) is a skilled pivot with size who could be a high return pick, whilst two-way forward Erik Middendorf (197th) is a pain in the butt for any opposing defenseman due to his speed and ‘no quit’ attitude.
Summary: Another excellent draft for the Coyotes and one that only adds to arguably the best prospect pool in the iNHL - A+
BOSTON BRUINS
We’re not quite sure what happened to the Boston Bruins this year. For an organisation so on point with their selections the past two years, they seemed a little haphazard in terms of what they were doing, save for seemingly not wanting to draft a goalie prospect with any of their many 3rd round picks – a baffling decision given the strength of the netminding prospects still available at that point and the fact the Bruins lack a starting calibre netminer, either on their roster or in their prospect pool.
That’s not to say the Bruins drafted badly full stop. With regards to GM Beans first pick, let me be absolutely clear – Alexander Zhabreyev (31st) is an excellent prospect and someone who could have gone much higher in the draft. He does, however, have a KHL contract till 2020 and that makes this a high risk choice given the difficulties other franchises have experienced with convincing Russian talent to come to the iNHL.
Another area where the Bruins drafted strongly was on defense, with a trio of puck-moving blueliners added to their prospect corps in the shape of Calen Addison (38th), Filip Westerlund (68th) and Nicolas Beaudin (167th). Addison was a kid we were much higher on thanks to his dynamic puckhandling and overall level of development in the WHL, whilst Beaudin is a tad under-developed but still scored at a PPG in the Q thanks to his laser-like passing. The pick of the three, however, could be Filip Westerlund, an overager who should have been drafted last year thanks to his ability to kickstart the offense and quarterback a powerplay. GM Beans then rounded things out by taking Brady Smith (174th) in the sixth round, a mobile defensive D who is no slouch with the puck on his stick either.
However, we do have to take some marks off here for the ‘Sandin situation’, an unprecedented example of organisational disarray wherein the Bruins got themselves muddled in choosing between Jace Foskey, Isak Lundestrom and Rasmus Sandin, twice calling the wrong name and letting a legit prospect like Sandin slip through their fingers in the process.
That’s not to say the player they did pick, Isak Lunderstrom (61st), is a consolation prize – he’s a blue-chip forward prospect who was initially tipped to go higher in the draft, but fell due to a perceived lack of development this year in the Swedish junior leagues. The Bruins then made two other great choices up front – Team USA’s Tyler Weiss (67th), an excellent defensive minded center with offensive upside, and Marek Wazny (82nd), a real spark plug with the energy to skate all day on the ice. Jack Perbix (171st) meanwhile is a forward with a low center of gravity and a lot of upper body strength who has put up big points in the USHL, but probably needs to improve his choppy skating style if he’s to make the big time.
As for goalies, the Bruins did finally select one in the fourth round in the shape of the underwhelming Zach Bouthillier (95th), a kid who’s struggled in the Q and doesn’t really have a standout attribute in any particular area.
Summary: Not the best draft for Boston and one that could be labelled as ‘must do better’, starting with putting together a viable draft list next time around - C+
BUFFALO SABRES
Rumour has it that GM Dixon was late to the start of the draft due to being caught in traffic, which is a pretty remarkable display of unprofessionalism considering they were picking fifth overall. Fortunately for the Sabres they were left with something of a ‘no-brainer’ when Andrei Svechnikov (5th) wasn’t selected inside the Top 4. Svechnikov has true star potential and adds yet more size and skill to the Sabres right flank, so it’s hard to argue against the pick they made here.
Another excellent forward prospect followed not long after in the shape of Alexander Khovanov (33rd), a bulldozing two-way center who knows how to put the puck in the net, the Sabres arguably profiting from other GMs reluctance to commit to Russian prospects in general.
In fact, five of the Sabres next seven picks went on forward prospects, which is arguably too high a number and the biggest knock against them in this particular draft. Yes, there’s always a case for going BPA, but why not also go for positional need in your prospect pool when you have so many picks available?
Of those five forward picks, Finnish power-winger Samual Salonen (69th) was arguably a mean streak away from being a first rounder, but he’s huge and has an ability to get a quick shot off. Connor Roberts (140th) and big Swiss pivot Tobias Geisser (170th) are skilled centers who like to cause problems in front of net, whilst Gabriel Fortier (143rd) is a promising two-way winger who could do with maturing a bit more in the Q. Nikolai Kovalenko (149th), son of former NHL-er Alexei, rounds things off by adding extra flash and sizzle on the wings.
Given that they only selected two defenders and one goalie it was pretty important the Sabres got those choices right. In Ty Emberson (62nd), a gifted right-hand shot puck distributor, they arguably did so, with Slava Demin (200th) they arguably didn’t – although Demin does have the combo of size and skating that could make him a viable project down the line. Overage Belgian goalie Wouter Peeters (137th) strikes us as a smart choice late on in the draft given his frame and progression over in Switzerland.
Summary: A decent enough draft for the Sabres, but one that could have done with a little more positional variety and their GM turning up on time - B