Yep, I heard that rumour a couple of weeks ago as well. It depends if there are any surprises and if someone else is available that they aren't counting on, but they are apparently comfortable drafting Iginla in that 5-8 spot.
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I hope we can draft a forward that's big like Tage Thompson, moves like Connor McDavid, scores like Alex Ovechkin, and plays responsible like Patrice Bergeron. That's not too much to ask.
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I hope we can draft a forward that's big like Tage Thompson, moves like Connor McDavid, scores like Alex Ovechkin, and plays responsible like Patrice Bergeron. That's not too much to ask.
After trading down, of course.
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LHC Markus Loponen is one to watch in my opinion, as he has some assets that GM's salivate over, but he's currently flying under the radar for the most part. He's a 6'1",185lb power-forward who is currently Captain of Karpat's U20 team in Finland, and he's been a leader and a producer at every level he's played at. Loponen finished the season third in scoring for his team, and 11th overall in the league, with 54 points in 45 games, to go with 31 penalty-minutes, and a plus-40, which was first in the league by 6. This is Loponen's second season wearing a "C" on his jersey, as he was Captain of Karpat's U18 team in 2022-23, and finished 4th in the league with 59 points in 42 games. At the most recent 5 Nations, Loponen was tied for 1st in scoring on team Finland, 5th in the tournament, with 4 points in 4 games, and made a one-game appearance in last summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup, registering a point in Finland's 9-6 win over Team Canada. Loponen is relatively young, with a June 17th birthday.
Loponen plays a rugged, physical brand of hockey, and is hard to play against when he's on top of his game- he's a simple, meat-and-potatoes scorer with very little flash or dash. He uses his size well in puck battles, and to leverage his way to the net. He can throw big hits, or absorb hits to make a play, and will bully his way around in traffic, and along the boards. He's an intimidating forechecker, and a force down low that will use his body to separate man from puck, and plays well around the net- he has excellent hand-eye co-ordination to score on tips and rebounds, and deploys a good screen in front of opposing goalies. His shot is hard and heavy, and his hands are soft, enabling him to score in-tight. Loponen has a good two-way game, and reads the play well defensively, while displaying effort in disrupting plays and intercepting passes. As he does on the forecheck. he uses his size and physicality to cause turnovers along the boards in the defensive zone. When it comes to his mobility, there's plenty of work to be done- his speed hovers around average, and his stride needs a tune-up in most areas, as his edges, acceleration, and top-speed are all deficient.
Loponen's effort shift-to-shift has way too many ebbs and flows- one shift, he will look like a world-beater, the next he will be invisible. There needs to be much more consistency of effort. His off-puck game is insufficient, as he's often in the wrong place, at the wrong time to make himself an option for passes- this issue might have something to do with his footspeed. It is a concern that Loponen has not been called up to higher levels, with no games at the pro level under his belt, which might be telling. Improving his strength, and especially his speed, is a must. Loponen might be found in later rounds, but I wonder if some teams are scouting him for the 4th, or 5th round, due to his size, scoring prowess, and power game....
Last edited by Sandman; 04-03-2024 at 07:38 PM.
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Kind of funny if they pass on a top pairing dman this year because they took Reinbacher last year. Reinbacher/iginla vs Michkov/Dickinson will be interesting to compare in a couple years
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Left-handed RW Juho Keinanen might be another forgotten Finn when all is said and done, but when I think about the fact that his countryman Rasmus Kumpalainen was taken last year in the second round by Minnesota, I think there's hope for Keinanen to be drafted, and earlier than expected. Kumpalainen can play C, which makes him more valuable than Keinanen, but both are power-forwards with a bit of skill. In 2022-23, Kumpalainen was 5th on the low-scoring Pelicans U20 team, who finished in the lower half of the standings, with 34 points in 41 games. Keinanen finished 2nd this season on the low-scoring Jokerit U20 team, who also finished in the lower half of the standings, with 31 points in 43 games. In the most recent 5 Nations tournament, Keinanen was tied for 1st on Team Finland, and 5th overall with 4 points in 4 games, but only managed 1 point in 4 games in last summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also took a 6-game spin on Jokerit's Mestis squad, their second-tier pro team, with no points in limited ice-time.
Keinanen is a 6'1",185lb power-forward who uses his size effectively, but still has some skill and finesse. He wins puck battles in the hard areas, and has an effective board game. He's good in front of the net, where he absorbs punishment to capitalize on tips and deflections, and to shovel in rebounds, while screening the goalie. He's got a bit of passing skill, with good vision, and he uses deception in the form of look-offs to disguise his intent. His shot is hard and heavy, but he could afford to improve it's accuracy, and use it more. His skating is average at best, and could an upgrade in all areas, but he offsets it a bit by keeping his legs pumping hard, and staying active. Still, he is sometimes late to the play in all 3 zones. Keinanen is a hard-working backchecker who uses his physicality to create loose pucks, but his off-puck game could use work, as he needs to make himself more playable by skating better routes. If Keinanen is drafted, it will be in the later rounds.
Last edited by Sandman; 04-03-2024 at 05:43 PM.
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If we draft Tij, I'd buy an Iginla jersey as soon as he picked his official number. I haven't bought a jersey since Monahan was drafted and picked his number.
There's one right answer...
It will even be on the jersey they hand him as a 2024 pick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by topfiverecords
His advisors should be giving him advice to mock the french accent during one of these meetings.
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Mathematically, Calgary cannot finish any lower than 29th this season.
That would require the Flames to lose all 8 of their remaining games and Columbus to win 6 of their remaining 7. Extremely unlikely scenario.
That said, if Calgary, Montreal, and Ottawa continue at their Last 10 Games pace, the Flames have a chance to finish as low as 28th (5th overall pick).
Barring any Draft Lottery changes, that would give Calgary the second highest draft pick ever in their history. Only Bennett at #4 would be higher.
Mathematically, Calgary cannot finish any lower than 29th this season.
That would require the Flames to lose all 8 of their remaining games and Columbus to win 6 of their remaining 7. Extremely unlikely scenario.
That said, if Calgary, Montreal, and Ottawa continue at their Last 10 Games pace, the Flames have a chance to finish as low as 28th (5th overall pick).
Barring any Draft Lottery changes, that would give Calgary the second highest draft pick ever in their history. Only Bennett at #4 would be higher.
Seems to me their is a Catton in that range. Would give a lot to see how the centers are ranked.
Myself i think its
catton
Helenius
Lindstrom
Connely?
However im good with snagging Dickinson as well. Still think he is going to be a stud .
Central Scouting thought enough of LHC Gabriel Frasca that they gave him a "B" rating at the beginning of the year, indicating a potential 2nd, or 3rd-round pick. Frasca comes from a hockey family, as older brothers Jacob and Jordan were OHL players, with Jordan being drafted by Pittsburgh- and there's still two younger brothers on the way. Like his older brothers, Gabriel plies his trade in the OHL with the Kingston Frontenacs, who finished 13th overall out of 20 teams, and has compiled 15 goals and 32 points in 44 games, missing the first 24 games of the season due to injury. More was expected offensively this season from Frasca, as he was named to the OHL Second All-Rookie Team in 2022-23, with 34 points in 58 games. Frasca stands 6'0", and weighs in at 170lbs.
Though he would have liked to put up more points this season, Frasca is still an intelligent, 200-ft player, who plays in all situations, with a mature, pro-style game. He is a dual threat, and a game-breaker who is at his best in big moments, when the stakes are high- in his first 8 games back this season from injury, he scored 2 OT game-winners, both off of beautiful snipes. Frasca has a hard-nosed approach, but applies a lot of finesse to his offensive game. He has excellent IQ and vision, with the anticipation to know where everyone on the ice is going to be, a few steps ahead. He makes teammates better with his unselfish play, and is a good passer, with the ability to connect with teammates through traffic, and off the rush. Frasca attacks open space in the middle to unleash his shot, which is powerful, and comes with a lightning-quick release. His one-timer is a laser- hard, heavy, and dangerous, and he can shoot from anywhere in the zone with accuracy, including from bad angles, and off the rush. On the PP, he is often the trigger man for the Fronts. Frasca is a good skater, but not a burner by any means, and could use a bit of a top-up in all areas. He is savvy off the puck, finding holes in coverage to make himself playable, including in transition, and sneaks in and out of high-danger, looking for opportunity.
Frasca is defensively responsible, and doesn't cheat or take short-cuts. He hounds puck-carriers like a dog on a bone, taking away time and space and stripping opponents of the puck- he brings this mindset to all 3 zones, along with an active stick, and a dose of physicality. He supports his D down low, helping to win pucks and start the breakout, and sticks to his man like glue in coverage. He employs a physical game to disrupt plays, and he will pin opponents to the boards in order to neutralize them. Frasca has high-end motor and compete, and fights hard in the trenches to win pucks and extend plays. He's excellent on faceoffs, and takes important draws for the team. Though Frasca has better offensive ability than he was able to show this season, he still has potential as a bottom-6 player in the NHL if his offense fails to develop- which makes him a fairly safe pick. Improving his strength and speed is a must, and he has to keep rounding out his game, but this might be the kind of player that ends up dominating the OHL as soon as next year. Look for him in the 3rd, or 4th round.
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