2014 NHL Draft Combine May 26-31 aka the Pull-Up thread

[sureLoss]

119 prospects invited

"For the 2014 Combine, a two-stage process was adopted. In the initial stage, the top 75 players on Central Scouting's Players to Watch List were invited [at an earlier date] and the final stage involved the NHL clubs voting in the remaining 45 players. The number of invites increased this year."

Central Scouting provided NHL.com the list of invites to the Scouting Combine. The Combine consists of three elements (team interviews, medical examinations, physical testing) and players participate in all segments.

Invitee list: http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=718423

[sureLoss]

bunch of NHL profile videos for Ekblad, Bennett, Reinhart, Draisaitl and Dal Colle.

Spoilered so people don't have to reload the video everytime they view this thread

Spoiler!

[sureLoss]

No fitness testing for Virtanen:

Aaron Vickers @AAVickers
Hitmen announce Jake Virtanen underwent successful shoulder surgery and will be out 4-to-6 months. No fitness testing for him. #NHLDraft

[sureLoss]

Mike Morreale ‏@mikemorrealeNHL
Here are a few #NHLCombine interview totals w/ NHL clubs: Bennett 18; Ekblad 16; Reinhart 16; Demko 25; Nylander 25.

Mike Morreale ‏@mikemorrealeNHL
Def Ryan Mantha of Indiana Ice (@USHL) said whichever team drafts him will determine his fate: Either the UofNorth Dakota or Sault St. Marie

Mike Morreale ‏@mikemorrealeNHL
Alex Tuch of the @usantdp on the interview process at #NHLCombine: "Some teams try to intimidate more than others."

Mike Morreale ‏@mikemorrealeNHL
LW Kevin Fiala said he will not be doing the bike tests on Sat after playing in over 100 gms this season in SWE and internationally for SUI

Mike Morreale ‏@mikemorrealeNHL
I also think Fiala wanted to sock me in the face after I asked him if teams were questioning his height (5-10) at next level. #mum

[ignite09]

what the hell does combine interview totals mean?

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by ignite09

what the hell does combine interview totals mean?

how many teams interviewed a prospect

[nik-]

number of teams interviewing.

[ignite09]

K, so when do we finally learn how tall/heavy the top three centers actually are?

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by ignite09

K, so when do we finally learn how tall/heavy the top three centers actually are?

all the physical testing will be done on Saturday.

[sureLoss]

http://ww2.nationalpost.com/m/wp/blo...at-much-harder

This year’s draft, in which Tallon is picking No. 1 as GM of the Florida Panthers, is more or less the same. Sam Bennett? Aaron Ekblad? Sam Reinhart? Leon Draisaitl? Depending on whom you ask, they could each go No. 1 or fail to crack the top five.

“Is there a consensus guy that’s one, two or three? Probably not,” Tallon said in the lobby of the Westin Bristol Place hotel, where the NHL Draft Combine is being held this week. “But it’s a draft where we’re going to get two really good players. And that’s all I care about.”

“I would consider it an average draft,” said Dave Morrison, the Toronto Maple Leafs director of amateur scouting. “I wouldn’t say it’s as weak as everybody thought it was. It just doesn’t have that superstar at the top. Having said that, I think there’s players there where, who knows, they might have that potential. There’s skill there, there’s enough talent where, all of sudden, he’s a superstar.”

From there, it’s a crapshoot. When Marr and his staff were rating the players on an A, B, C scale (A represents a potential first-round pick, B is a second-round pick), he said they had difficulty coming up with 30 A-rated players. Even B-rated players were scarce.

“This year’s draft, it’s like a jar of marbles,” Marr said. “Teams will be taking players everywhere. It’s not deep. But I think this draft is deep enough where there are players that are not in your top four D or your top six forwards, but there’s still a lot of candidates to play in the NHL.”

[sureLoss]

John Quennville interviewed with 25 teams, including Chicago were his 2nd cousin is the head coach.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?...etails=2-29342

[bubbsy]

From there, it’s a crapshoot. When Marr and his staff were rating the players on an A, B, C scale (A represents a potential first-round pick, B is a second-round pick), he said they had difficulty coming up with 30 A-rated players. Even B-rated players were scarce.

“This year’s draft, it’s like a jar of marbles,” Marr said. “Teams will be taking players everywhere. It’s not deep. But I think this draft is deep enough where there are players that are not in your top four D or your top six forwards, but there’s still a lot of candidates to play in the NHL.”

arghh.... if true, not the best year to have so many picks in the 2nd/3rd rounds.

[codynw]

Flames should probably try to trade some of those 2nd/3rd rounders for a mid-late 1st.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I think Detroit is yet again the team that we can possibly do a 2nd/3rd/prospect for their 1st rounder. Pretty sure they could snag Demko at #34 and gain a 3rd and prospect while they are at it.

[puckedoff]

I think the lack of consensus leads to a better chance that some "sleeper" picks will be available in the 2nd or 3rd rounds. Identifying them is the tricky part this year.

[sureLoss]

18 teams scheduled to interview with Ho-Sang:
http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/nh...aeLHu8.twitter

[sureLoss]

Mike Morreale ‏@mikemorrealeNHL
USNTDP's Dylan Larkin, No. 17 on @NHLCentralScout final list, has interviews w/ all 30 NHL teams at NHL Combine.

First confirmed Flames interview.

Mike Morreale ‏@mikemorrealeNHL
Dylan Larkin told me he is definitely attending the U of Mich next season; will not go to Erie (w/ McDavid). "I'm a Jack Eichel fan anyway"

[Yrebmi]

Aaron Ekblad pupils remind me how much I liked shrooms when I was his age.

[ignite09]

What are the chances you will get ahold of the full list of Flames interviews sureLoss?

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by ignite09

What are the chances you will get ahold of the full list of Flames interviews sureLoss?

Not very good. They haven't been leaked in the past from the team side.

Usually a prospect won't publicly say who they interviewed with either.

Sometimes people who are close to a particular prospect (e.g. billets, friends and families, local media types) will put out some information on which teams a prospect met with.