I think I'd rather see the Oilers win and break out of the bottom 5 than see them get one of those guys.
I'd rather see the Oilers lose enough to tie for lowest in the league (but finish 3rd from the bottom on tie-breakers) and then watch as teams higher then them in the standings get all the lotto picks so they remain worst in the league but still don't get one of those guys.
I'd rather see the Oilers lose enough to tie for lowest in the league (but finish 3rd from the bottom on tie-breakers) and then watch as teams higher then them in the standings get all the lotto picks so they remain worst in the league but still don't get one of those guys.
4 could be Laine though so I'd rather just see them win. The only Oiler wins that will really start bugging me are the ones that matter. Until their winning playoff games I'd rather not see them get any more elite prospects.
It may have only been a phase that he's out grown. The saving grace here is that there is a picture in the background of people dressed up...so maybe as he matures he'll lean farther away from the sweatpants and mullet.
It also looks like he doesn't give up on plays so he clearly won't fit in with the oilers.
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wow Gauthier at 15 is a bit odd too. This really looks like a deep draft and IMO we should be looking at getting another first rounder instead of trading ours away. I really like the looks of this draft.
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The Top 7 seem to have plenty of fanfare...very likely the Flames pick in this range, could be a nice consolation prize if things don't turn around
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... Eakins' claims Gagne's line played Kessel's line even...
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Yeah, Gagner's line was -4 and Kessel's was +4, so it all evened out.
This draft is shaping up very nicely. It was looked at like a weak draft because of all re Eichel, McBroken hype. If the Flames pick in the top 7 Wicked! But it looks like they could grab a positional need in the top 15 easily if they went that route too.
wow Gauthier at 15 is a bit odd too. This really looks like a deep draft and IMO we should be looking at getting another first rounder instead of trading ours away. I really like the looks of this draft.
The top 7/8 are all pretty much as good as last year's top 7/8. I think Mathews is in the same group as McEichel, although I would take the former over Mathews. Puljujarvi is not far off. After that, all the players have some warts. There should still be some quality guys available after 15 if the Flames do make the playoffs, although you're likely looking at another Poirier/Klimchuk calibre guy if so. Not bad, but nothing to get blown away by.
If the Flames struggles continue, it may not be a bad thing entirely as they would be able to sell off some quality players for picks and have a top 5 selection of their own. With the amount and quality of the RW in this draft, it would be a blessing for the future of the team. Imagining Pool Party lining up across from Gaudreau would be a fun thing to watch.
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Riley Tufte could be a real interesting project pick. 6'5'' 190lbs. Projected to be a 1st round pick by central scouting but could drop into the 2nd round.
While most forwards his size are assumed to eventually become power forwards, that may not be the case for Tufte. He has traits commonly associated with more skilled forwards such as strong skating ability and excellent hands.
"I don't see him being a guy that's going to be a huge pounder and the prototypical power forward, but I see him understanding how to use his size more and make that a part of his game because he's going to have to to be a successful player in the NHL," NHL Central Scouting's David Gregory said. "There's going to be that sweet spot somewhere in between that skilled and power forward for him in my mind. Maybe it's a Rick Nash-type of player where he has unreal hands for a big guy but can eventually understand he's using his size because it can give him such an advantage."
Bigger players that are skilled come along only so often, and that helps make Tufte out to be a more interesting prospect, but he realizes what skills he has and how best to use them.
"I think I'm a good skater, but I still need to work on it a little more," Tufte said. "I kind of call myself a power forward that likes to make plays and put the puck in the net."
One aspect of Tufte's game that helps set him aside and differentiates him from being a typical power forward is his ability to get a shot off in difficult areas of the ice or in tough situations. Good hands on a big forward can help set him apart from others relying on their size alone to get them by.
"I think when you have a player that big that has the mobility and the stick skills that Riley has, it makes him a tough combination to hold back and I think that will happen at every level as he adjusts to the level of play; he has that upside," Gregory said. "He gets his shot off so quickly, he can move in traffic and get clear to make a pass or shoot the puck, and those are things that when a guy has the size that he does it's a great combination."
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"Riley's got a great future ahead of him," Fargo coach Cary Eades said. "He's almost 6-6 and can skate like the wind. His game was maturing and growing here. He's adding some more stop and start to his game, a little more physicality, winning more puck battles, utilizing his size, speed, and strength to go to the net and getting to the net creating scoring chances. He was tied for our team lead in scoring goals with five. He was really showing some nice progression."
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