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

[RyZ]

I wonder if the Flames will do a mini combine like they did last year? Anybody know?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by RyZ

I wonder if the Flames will do a mini combine like they did last year? Anybody know?

I believe the league has told teams to stop doing those this year.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by getbak

I believe the league has told teams to stop doing those this year.

They are allowed to bring them back to interview and medically test any prospect that was at the combine. If they physically test (on or off ice) a prospect that has attended the combine, the team will get hit with a significant fine.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/hoc...-meetings.html

Here's what is allowed:

"After the combine, you can bring a player to your city, interview him, take him out to dinner, medically test him, MRI him, whatever you need to do," said NHL senior executive vice-president Colin Campbell. "But you can't physically test him, you can't put him on the ice, you can't do any of that."

Players who are not invited to the combine can be brought to a city and physically tested and/or put on ice.

So what's the punishment for team's that break the rule?

"It's a significant fine," Campbell said. "[Commissioner Bettman] has to get approval from the board of governors to do that. In the past, it was a smaller fine... Our guys even talked about the possibility of attaching a draft choice to it, to make it significant. We didn't go there."

[nik-]

I don't see what the big deal is with them doing that.

[codynw]

Yea, it seems ridiculous. Insurance thing maybe, if they were to get hurt? I don't know.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by nik-

I don't see what the big deal is with them doing that.

I can. What Buffalo was doing in extra testing close to a 100 prospects every draft was giving them extra information for the draft and putting pressure on other teams to do their own testing so they could have that same advantage.

The whole point of the combine is that a prospect could be physically tested once and the results shared among all the teams.

Imagine if a prospect had to go to 30 different cities and repeatedly do physical tests. He wouldn't be home for months and exhausted by the end of it.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I can. What Buffalo was doing in extra testing close to a 100 prospects every draft was giving them extra information for the draft and putting pressure on other teams to do their own testing so they could have that same advantage.

I don't have a problem with that if they (or anyone else) want to try and get an information edge they should be able to do that. I mean are they going to tell teams "no scouting departments allowed... that's what CSS is for"? I don't see how this is all that different, there's a universal resource available which is supplimented by individual resources.

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Imagine if a prospect had to go to 30 different cities and repeatedly do physical tests. He wouldn't be home for months and exhausted by the end of it.

But they don't have to. If they don't want to go they can just say "no", it's up to teams to convince them to travel (or alternatively travel themselves) and undergo more testing and if they can't do that then sucks to be them.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Parallex

I don't have a problem with that if they (or anyone else) want to try and get an information edge they should be able to do that. I mean are they going to tell teams "no scouting departments allowed... that's what CSS is for"? I don't see how this is all that different, there's a universal resource available which is supplimented by individual resources.



But they don't have to. If they don't want to go they can just say "no", it's up to teams to convince them to travel (or alternatively travel themselves) and undergo more testing and if they can't do that then sucks to be them.

It is quite different from central scouting as there is nothing limiting the number of scouts from viewing a prospect at a game. Any of the 30 teams can have their scouts watch any game they want.

Time and physical endurance limits how many times a prospect can go through physical testing once their season ends. Every team would do extra physical testing, if they could.

How is it fair to all teams that a couple of teams gets to do extra physical testing behind closed doors, just because the prospect agreed to do it for that team and not others?

[sureLoss]

Nikita Scherbak not at the combine.

Kim Thue ‏@GlobalThue 15m
Blades leading scorer & NHL top prospect Nikita Scherbak is not participating in this weekends NHL Draft Combine. He's still in Russia.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Nikita Scherbak not at the combine.

Kim Thue ‏@GlobalThue 15m
Blades leading scorer & NHL top prospect Nikita Scherbak is not participating in this weekends NHL Draft Combine. He's still in Russia.

Getting a KHL contract lined up in case the Oilers draft him.

[Parallex]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

How is it fair to all teams that a couple of teams gets to do extra physical testing behind closed doors, just because the prospect agreed to do it for that team and not others?

Because they could have (and should have) convinced him to let them be one of the teams.

I'm not gonna shed any tears for teams that can't or won't. These organizations are supposed to be in competition with one another, they're supposed to look for that extra edge.

[saXon]

I'm actually surprised at the combine video coverage this season. Last year was a petting zoo when it came to the combine with video coverage of almost all the tests. The previous year as well.

This year seems to have been taken down a few notches.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Because they could have (and should have) convinced him to let them be one of the teams.

I'm not gonna shed any tears for teams that can't or won't. These organizations are supposed to be in competition with one another, they're supposed to look for that extra edge.

You are pretty much arguing against the reason drafts exist in professional sports. They are there to ensure the fair distribution of new talent to all teams. It is not about which team a prospect wants to go to or is willing to do stuff for.

Anyways the NHL has always maintained that independent testing by NHL teams was against the rules. The fine was insignificant and it was mostly overlooked when teams invited small groups of players until Buffalo basically re-did the whole combine after the NHL held theirs.

edit:
Just to be clear, I am not against other teams going for an extra edge when it comes to drafting. What it comes down to for me is that physical testing behind closed doors provides only a few teams with potentially advantageous information because a prospect can only be physically tested a limited number of times. An edge becomes an unfair advantage, unless every team has the opportunity to gain the same "edge". If every team has an opportunity to get that edge but for whatever reason doesn't pursue it, then that is their own fault.

[sureLoss]

Ah, that clears some things ups. Scherbak and Goldobin are not at the combine because they could not obtain the necessary visas.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=721117

Scherbak with the "Russian factor" may drop to the Flames 2nd pick. Gritty and skilled RW would fit an organizational need.


Vlad Kamenev sounds like a guy that a team craving top line talent (cough Nashville/New Jersey cough) might take a chance on in the mid rounds:

Of all the Russians eligible for the draft, Kamenev would seem to be the most curious. He plays overseas in the KHL and is under contract for two more seasons through 2015-16.

There's no doubt Kamenev (6-2, 203), No. 13 on NHL Central Scouting's final list of the top international skaters eligible for the 2014 draft, is a top-end talent. He's projected as a future first-line player with a good chance of playing in the NHL with further development.

Where that development takes place is the question.

"I want to come here next season and my agent is currently in talks with team management in Magnitogorsk and I hope they will let me come here," Kamenev told NHL.com through interpreter Natalia Taran.


Rostyslav Saglo, who serves as Kamenev's agent in the KHL, confirmed for NHL.com that conversations have been ongoing with Magnitogorsk with regard to his contract. He said a decision should be rendered within the week.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

119 prospects invited



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

1. Why should the NHL entry draft go beyond 4 rounds? There are only 120 prospects that the NHL teams are interested.

2. Are there any stats available on how many players don't get invited to the combine and make it to the NHL?

3. Johnny Gaudreau (#104 pick) was not at the 2011 combine. Only 102 players were invited. Did the Flames interview / test him before drafting him?

Of the 17 Guys drafted after Gaudreau in the 4th round 6 were invited to the combine 11 were not. 5 of the 11 not invited played their draft year in Europe.

Guys attending combine drafted in the 4th round after Gaudreau:

Michael St. Croix #106, Colin Jacobs #107, Olivier Archambault #108, Tobias Rieder #114, Marcel Noebels #118, Zach Yuen #119.

Did the Flames pull a fast one? They were obviously interested in Gaudreau but did not get him invited to the combine.


4. Would the NHL be okay with teams having their own on ice physical testing for players outside the 119?

[sureLoss]

Sonny Milano showing off some of his stick skills:

[ForeverFlameFan]

Another one committed to Boston College, I wouldn't mind taking Milano.

[dammage79]

Man I'd really like the Flames to nab Kamenev.

[The Fonz]

Would love for the Flames to grab Scherbak in the 2nd round.

[Wolfman]

I would like RW Nikita Scherbak or RW Eric Cornel and a D like Jack Doughtery or Jack Glover in the 2nd round if possible. Scherbak shoots left but I guess has played RW like Poirier.