2015 NHL Draft

[sureLoss]

Boeser has been compared to Okposo and tries to model his game after him.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Boeser has been compared to Okposo and tries to model his game after him.

Tuch's wheelhouse too. Heavy RW PWF game.

[azzarish]

Originally Posted by Igster

So Cox's list has this prospect at 15:



No one interested in him? Bigger version of Krejci. Sounds good to me. Can you ever have too many centres?

Read somewhere that he doesn't skate that well or move the puck up the ice quickly.

edit:
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...t-class/page/5

I don't trust them too much but it was interesting nonetheless.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Igster

So Cox's list has this prospect at 15:



No one interested in him? Bigger version of Krejci. Sounds good to me. Can you ever have too many centres?

You can never have too many centers. Here was Button's thoughts on Chlapik.

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Craig Button - TSN Director of Scouting
March 28th - TSN 1260

QMJHL focus. bonus talk on Mike Reilly

https://soundcloud.com/pipeline-show/craig-button-mar28



C Filip Chlapik

• Filip is an all around centerman
• not going to wow you with end to end rush or jaw dropping skill
• smart and competitive
• in the guts of the action
• willing to play defence as much as offence
• these type of centers find their ways onto successful teams
• a player like Pavel Zacha came in with a lot of hype and right now don't see a lot of difference between Zacha and Chlapik
• a team with 2 first rounders might decide to pass on Zacha and get a similar player in the late 1st round with Chlapik
• comparison: Antoine Vermette but not as good a skater as Vermette. An all around center - not a #1 center but a center that rounds out your group

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

You can never have too many centers. Here was Button's thoughts on Chlapik.

Not at #15, please.

[Ro]

My younger brother in BC has played high level minor hockey his whole life, and this would be his draft year. My Dad has been involved with his hockey career as either a coach or team doctor for almost all that time. As a result, they know this WHL draft class really, really well. Here's a very basic summary of some big name WHL kids they like and don't like, relative to their rankings and NHL potential:

Barzal- has been a prodigy for a decade, and things have always come easy to him. Lacks fire and intensity. But really smart, and makes his linemates better. Some bust potential.

Harkins- way overrated, not even the best draft eligible guy on his own team (they like Brad Morrison, C, from Prince George a lot as a mid round pick with offensive upside)

Bittner- their pick for who the Flames should select. Blazes up and down the ice. Tenacious. Smart. Big.

Merkley- they live in Kelowna so they've seen him a lot. Has a lot of skill but is not a great skater, and his numbers are sometimes a product of playing with such a strong team, rather than being indicative of his offensive talents. We have all seen similar junior players with 90+ points flame out in the pros, and they worry he is of that ilk. I for one hope the Flames pick somebody else.

That's all I can recall of the top of my head, I'll ask them in more detail about later round kids and post it here if anyone is interested.

[sureLoss]

Cody Nickolet - FC WHL Scout
WHL players in the 2015 draft - June 2, 2015
https://soundcloud.com/pipeline-show/cody-nickloet-jun2

D Ryan Pilon
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=119271
2-3 years ago thought he was an elite talent - thought he would be a top 15 or 20 pick in the draft
has all the tools that has failed to put it all together
got the size and offensive zone ability
has a lot of poise and moves and shoots the puck well
has concerns about his intensity and play away from the puck
want to see him play with a little more fire
not the most physical defender
to his credit as the playoffs went on, he did play with a little more jam
have some reservations because he didn't play as hard as you would like to see from time to time
some teams might have him rated as a late 1st, but for me late 2nd or early 3rd
not sure if he projects to an offensive player at the next level - might have benefited from playing with Provorov and a very offensive minded team
moves the puck well but doesn't blow you away offensively
needs to ultimately develop defensively to make the NHL
combine interviews might determine where he ends up - if teams don't like what they hear don't be surprised if he falls out of the top 50


D Devante Stephens
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=268073
had a great Memorial Cup
fighting to make the Rockets at the start of the season and made his way up the depth chart
has gained confidence throughout the year and has really showed what makes him tick as a player
long kid, kind of skinny
has all the tools - can see the sense that he has - can pinch, can read the plays well at both ends
played the last 22 games of the season paired with Madison Bowey and the pairing didn't miss a beat
can play physical and move the puck a little bit
is a raw kid... looks like he is going to continue to grow and fill out which makes him more appealing to the scouts
have him rated as a late 5th round pick just because he is so raw and at the end of the day he didn't produce as much as you would like to see, but some NHL teams might have him as a top 90 guy
he is one of those upside guys you grab in the draft and hope he continues to develop and make strides like he has this year


C/RW Nick Merkley
fantastic Memorial Cup - really solidified his draft stock
no matter the situation he is going workd hard and give it his all
one of the best playmakers in the entrie draft - great vision and passing ability
will outwork you
will play physical despite his size - he is thick though
has a nice goal scoring touch as well
not the best skating stride - not the prettiest - his edges are fantastic though
he can beat you in just a variety of ways
some might be concerned about size (under 5'11), but when you see how he handled the national stage that becomes reduced
probably top 20... could possibly be even a top 10 pick
protects the puck well being able to get low to the ice and get under checks
his size is not ideal, especially if you want him to be a defensive player at the next level
teams likely won't be scared off by his size though because he is so well rounded despite his size


LW/C Austin Wagner
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=161117
grown by leaps and bounds as year has wore on
was a 4th line player in Regina and scored only 1 goal in 40 games last year
6'2 and is one of the fastest guys in the draft
he accelerates really well and can burn guys in the middle of the ice or down the wing
doesn't process the game offensively as quick as he would like - his hands and heads are a step behind his feet (which you might expect from a guy who has as little experience as he does)
if he can continue to develop and grow his hands and ability to score he could be a 2nd round pick that ends up setting the world on fire and is a solid top 9 NHLer in 3 or 4 years
has all the tools along skating
is agressive, physical and really good on the forecheck
the size is obviously really attractive to teams
would like to see him score even more despite scoring 20 goals this season
generates 4 or 5 scoring chances per game but only finishing one of them
with some refining he can be a very dangerous player at this level and the next


G Adin Hill
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=62230
really put Portland on his back and gave them stability
highest save percentage in the whl .921
has really good size (6'3'')
2nd year draft eligible
protects the bottom of the net really well
not most fluid in movements - can be clumbsy
sees a moldable kid that can really stop the puck
top ranked goalie in the WHL - Hill and Nick McBride are likely the only draftable goalies in the WHL this year

doesn't think a goalie gets taken in 1st round
only player that might is Samsanov, but have ranked 40 at future considerations

[JohnnyT]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Cody Nickolet - FC WHL Scout
WHL players in the 2015 draft - June 2, 2015

Nickolet has a full prospect profile for his top 100(!) WHL players here:
http://whl-from-above.blogspot.ca/20...nhl-draft.html

He sees there being about 40 draftable players from the WHL this year but has done full draft profiles and rankings for the top 100, honorable mentions for 101 - 150 in no specific order and 20 more players that he feels deserve a sentence or two.

Of note rated number 9 on his list is Tyler Wotherspoon's brother Parker. He is the 3rd Dmen on list, bested only by Provorov (2), Juulsen (6) Carlo (8).

#9 Parker Wotherspoon
Team: Tri-City Americans
Position: D
Shoots: L
Height: 6’0.25
Weight: 171
GP: 72
Goals: 9
Assists: 33
Points: 42
Pts/Gm: 0.58
PIM: 93


Player Analysis: Parker Wotherspoon is a smooth-skating blueliner for the Tri-City Americans…owns an extremely powerful and composed stride…wouldn’t consider him to be an “effortless” skater, but it is close…his strong edges allow for quick acceleration and power, which in turn generate above-average top speed…owns good hip and foot action which aids him greatly in defending against the rush…backwards stride isn’t quite as powerful or dynamic as his forward stride and would be an area needing to show some growth to excel similarly at the next level…passes the puck hard and accurately on a consistent basis…does seem to force pucks into bad spots from time to time and does skate himself into trouble here and there…essentially, he could clean up some of his decision-making processes when the puck is on his tape…uses his good skating stride to push the pace and get up into the rush…receives a pass very well and can receive and shoot in the same motion…wrist shot is hard…is more of a puck mover than puck shooter but his shot is quite good especially due to his release…plays a rather smart and composed style on defence…strong stride aids him in his gap control…good footwork and stick placement allows him to excel both while defending the rush and the cycle…picks his spots well when it comes to when he engages physically…isn’t a crushing physical player but has shown a temper at times this year and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves when things get overly heated…I do wish he was a bit bigger as added length and mass would help add that extra dimension to his game, including making him harder to play against in general…overall consistency to his game, especially on the defensive side of the puck, is an area to improve…his game can be a tad “vanilla” at times, but I think that is partially due to just how well-rounded he is with no pure standout traits aside from his skating stride…was a regular both on the powerplay and penalty kill for the Americans this season…spent nearly the entire second half of the season on a defensive pairing with Justin Hamonic…his older (and larger) brother Tyler was a 2nd round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2011…a guy like Trevor Daley is probably not a bad comparable for Wotherspoon, at least style-wise…showed remarkable offensive consistency through the year by putting up 21 points in his first 36 games and 21 points in his next 36 games as he dressed in every one of the Americans 72 regular season games…finished T-6th among all first-year draft-eligible WHL defenceman in goals with 9 and also in primary assists with 15…his 42 points were 4th best among all first-year draft-eligible WHL defenders, as was his PPG rate…pushed the pace for his team, either scoring or assisting on 22.58% of all Americans goals during the regular season, the 2nd best percentage of any first-year draft-eligible WHL defenceman…scored 4.84% of their goals, trailing only Ethan Bear and Ivan Provorov in that area relative to each player’s own team…his even-strength PPG rate of 0.35 was 4th best among all first-year draft-eligible WHL defenders…was a 1st round pick, 21st overall, by the Tri-City Americans at the 2012 WHL Bantam Draft…overall I think that at his peak Wotherspoon projects as a middle pairing defender at the NHL level who shouldn’t be a liability in one particular area of the game…if his game doesn’t fully bloom to that level, he would be an ideal #6 style of defender due to his ability to move the puck and not be a complete liability on defence…all season I have felt I have valued him more than many of the “consensus” rankings out there so I’ll be intrigued to see when his name gets called…I expect him to come off the board some time before the middle of the 3rd round even though I likely value him more as a top 50 type of guy…

[Mony]

I went to junior high and high school with Adin Hill and he was a bit of a d*ck. Though I didn't speak to him at all in high school and its been almost 4 years since middle school and 6 years since we spoke so he's probably different. Just thought I'd share a small personal anecdote haha. Don't think the Flames even need to draft a goalie this year anyway.

[Glo Boyz]

The cutest girl in my HS had a crush on Nick Merkley, let that kid go elsewhere

[H2SO4(aq)]

Whichever prospect is the closest to a Claude Giroux clone in this draft is who we should take. A player exactly like Claude Giroux is just what this team needs.

[Glo Boyz]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

Whichever prospect is the closest to a Claude Giroux clone in this draft is who we should take. A player exactly like Claude Giroux is just what this team needs.

Barzal?

Also, Colin White is like a Cogliano clone?

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

Whichever prospect is the closest to a Claude Giroux clone in this draft is who we should take. A player exactly like Claude Giroux is just what this team needs.

I would argue that the Flames need more elite young defense than they need smallish playmaking centers.

ex. The Flames need Doughty more than Giroux

[icarus]

Even with a two-round playoff run this draft seems to be taking forever to arrive...

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

Whichever prospect is the closest to a Claude Giroux clone in this draft is who we should take. A player exactly like Claude Giroux is just what this team needs.

Unfortunately, McDavid is going 1st overall and we're stuck at 15.

[868904]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

Whichever prospect is the closest to a Claude Giroux clone in this draft is who we should take. A player exactly like Claude Giroux is just what this team needs.

Beauvilier's write up sounds a lot like Giroux.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

I would argue that the Flames need more elite young defense than they need smallish playmaking centers.

ex. The Flames need Doughty more than Giroux

Im mostly just joking.

Starting to lean toward Kyle Conner or Svechnikov just due to where we are drafting and who is expected to be there.

Then go heavy on D prospects in the 2nd round.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

Im mostly just joking.

Starting to lean toward Kyle Conner or Svechnikov just due to where we are drafting and who is expected to be there.

Then go heavy on D prospects in the 2nd round.

Best way to go IMO. Ad in Eriksson Ek, Konecny to that FW list and going heavy on defense in the 2nd round is a fantastic way to go.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Best way to go IMO. Ad in Eriksson Ek, Konecny to that FW list and going heavy on defense in the 2nd round is a fantastic way to go.

Yep. But due to our draft position and the overall draft depth, as fans we're really going to have to wait and see the entire body of work on draft day before evaluating. Perhaps we take Chabot or Roy or hell even Kylington in the first, it'll take a lot of patience to wait and see how we use our second round picks. Lots of forward depth their as well. Theres just so many things that can happen (trades?) and its tough as fans to not go crazy if they don't fill perceived roster holes on draft day.

However, if we go grab a goalie in the first 3 rounds, ill probably be pretty upset.

[Bingo]

Quick question for something I'm working on ...

When it comes to the last 10 or so drafts what team quickly comes to mind (no research) as the best when it comes to drafting?