Quote:
Originally Posted by stemit14
Sandman - is there a player ranked outside the top 15 that you think has the highest upside? As a similar example, many (including you if I remember correctly) were high on Hage last year. That is looking like a great call as he looks like a steal of pick. Is there any prospect you’re getting a similar vibe on in this draft? Not necessarily the same type of player - just one that is potentially under-rated and you think should go higher in the draft.
|
Thanks for asking, and I would love to hear from other posters on the subject (Ba'alzamon, dammge,etc.). I'm not sure there are any players with Hage's ceiling, but here's a few I really like in the latter half of the first round:
-If Jake O'Brien is available, it's a no-brainer. He's a 6'2" center who is one of the top pure playmakers in the draft.
-C Cole Reschny is a cross between Travis Konecny and Brayden Point. I think he may surprise with how high he's taken in the draft.
-C Brady Martin is a one-man wrecking crew, and a responsible two-way C that some fans may be tempted to label as a future checker. Truth is, his numbers would go up on a team better than the Soo, who are 15th out of 20 teams, and 15th in goals-for. Love this kid!
-C Braeden Cootes isn't as mean as Brady Martin, but his profile is similar. One big difference is that Seattle is much worse than the Soo, sitting 20th out of 22 teams, and 20th in goals-for. I have Martin ahead of him, but Cootes could very well be the surprise of the draft, as some say BC is the more cerebral player.
-C Jack Murtagh is another player who is being dragged down by the team he's playing for, a very weak edition of the NTDP. Murtagh was one of the few players who could slow down the Canadians at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge, and one of the few who were able to produce anything offensively. Between Martin, Cootes, and Murtagh, I would bet on Murtagh having the highest ceiling, and he's the one I could see having the best chance of playing on an NHL first-line.
-C Cole McKinney. See the three players listed above, lol.
-Keep a close eye on C Will Horcoff. He's an amazing center, and he's got 6 points in 5 games since going to the NCAA. I have him in the second currently, but if he keeps producing he'll have scouts clamoring to call his name in the first.
-I'm about to put out a write-up on D Henry Brzustewicz. He's got everything you want in a top-pairing D, including size, speed, and high IQ. His numbers are not where they should be , as he playing on a defense that includes Sam Dickinson,and Oliver Bonk (two of the CHL's best D), along with Jared Wooley and now, Cam Allen (who came over in a trade in December). However, when Bonk and Dickinson were away at the WJC in December, Bru put up 7 points in 5 games! He's bigger than his brother, faster than his brother, much more mean and physical, and I would bet he matches his brother's DY production if he were on a different team. Watch him explode next year when those other D move on. The more I digest on Bru, the more I believe he goes in the first-round.
-RW Justin Carbonneau is a lot like Beckett Sennecke, but maybe a step below. Like Sennecke, he could be a huge riser on Draft day. He's got size (6'2"), speed, and a robust offensive game. Word is, he's really working on his all-around game as well.
-Not likely a potential first-rounder, but LW Eddie Genborg is like a poor-mans version of a Swedish Micheal Ferland.
-D Kurban Limatov is having one of the best seasons ever for an U-18 Defenseman, in a 6'3",198lb package. He could go in the late-first, early-second.
I could go on and on, but those are the ones we could see in the first....