The draft second-timer I am most interested is C
Rem Pitlick. On the smaller side at 5'9", but not at all undersized at 195lbs - he's a tank with one of those St. Louis / Cammalleri type builds. The numbers he put up in the USHL as an 18 year old (88 points in 54 games) are
not insignificant. These are elite numbers for that league, comparable to what Kyle Connor and Brock Boeser did as 17-18 year olds just a year ago. The upside here is worth drafting.
These are the other guys I'm thinking would be good uses of our seconds:
RW
Alex DeBrincat
C
Clayton Keller
Some might argue these are both first round talents. The skill is there. But size. Just a season ago, another NTDP forward, Bracco fell from "rankings" that had him in the mid-twenties yet he was not drafted until around 61 OA. As volatile a pick as any, the Flames would be remiss to let Keller slip if he's there at any of our later picks.
DeBrincat on the other hand is one of the top OHL scorers, he's a right handed shot, and he's a player who has been putting up huge numbers in that league for a long time despite his youth. One of the two could very well be there at 27, 28, 29, 30, or 36.
RW
Pascal Laberge
Another first round ranked guy, It's probably optimistic for him to fall to one of our picks. But he was mighty impressive at the CHL Top Prospects game. He's got the stats of a primary passer, but in that game he was sniping all over the place with a
lethal right handed shot. Can play the corners game as he's got a similar build to Backlund.
LW
Cameron Morrison
Did I mention the USHL is not an easy league to put up the biggest numbers? Morrison was a PPG in that league despite playing a style that usually takes a longer time to fully develop. 6'2, 200lb power forward. Ranked 59 by CSS Midterm rankings, but I expect him to be a strong target at #36.
LHD
Sean Day
A headcase, "supposedly". Didn't put up amazing numbers, apparently. Who cares? This guy is massive, he can skate, he has offensive talent, and we can let him develop at his own pace. There's way more raw talent there than Wotherspoon or Sieloff. Doesn't even need to develop into a top 4 guy, if he can be a smooth skating #6 he would be a heavily coveted asset. Take him, and develop him. Who knows, maybe he hits his potential, which I'd put around a #2 Dman. If not, then NBD, because he's got the kind of tools worth working with for a depth player.
C
Mitchell Mattson
High Schooler. Probably best described as a project pick. He's 6'4" and he's
skilled though. Absolutely worth a gamble with the Florida pick if he's still there. Scouting report from Red Line Report:
Quote:
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....we’ve been able to see the lanky 6-4 center showcase his creativity and skill in all three zones, and he strikes us as being similar to Blake Wheeler at the same age. ....lack some urgency at times, but we do like his development path...North Dakota next season ... program has a long history of breaking down bad habits and turning players into monsters...surprisingly effective lateral movement ...ability to slow the play down.
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http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...epth/80668094/
RW
Taylor Raddysh
Pretty much the kind of prospect we have in Brett Pollock, except a RW version.