2023 NHL Draft Thread

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Calum Ritchie and Nate Danielson are my faves for our pick.

Is this assuming guys like Wood, Perreault are gone? Or what is your reasoning behind these 2 particular? More curious about Ritchie as he's fallen a lot this year.

[Naitix]

I really want another 1st round pick in the draft - there will be plenty of good players in early 20s but every team knows this so it is hard trade to make

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

Who do you like more between Kasper Halttunen and Charlie Stramel?

Halttunen has a more developed offensive game right now, but Stramel has a higher floor. I would pick Halttunen, but Stramel might be a steal.

[the-rasta-masta]

If the Flames are happy with a range of picks left at 16, then I wonder if they look to Chicago and try to flip our 16th and 48th picks for the 19th and 35th picks.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Is this assuming guys like Wood, Perreault are gone? Or what is your reasoning behind these 2 particular? More curious about Ritchie as he's fallen a lot this year.

I would take Ritchie over Wood or Perreault. If you look at Ritchie away from the Oshawa Generals, his offense pops. He led the Hlinka tournament in points, beating guys like Stenberg and Sale, and he was one of Canada’s top scorers in the U-18s. He’s the whole package- size, skating, IQ, two-way acumen- and he plays the more important position of C. I still think he could be gone by our pick.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I just want Ritchie so we can deploy a Ritchie line for ***** and giggles.

[dammage79]

Ritchie may be dropping in rankings but it's kind of an arse backwards thing because this season he had a slow start and then he came on strong as the year went, and as Sandman stated, probably one of the stronger performances at the u-18s. I get big Sam Reinhart vibes from him.

[Sandman]

Ritchie didn’t have a lot to work with, playing for the 16th-placed team out of 20 in the OHL.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I would take Ritchie over Wood or Perreault. If you look at Ritchie away from the Oshawa Generals, his offense pops. He led the Hlinka tournament in points, beating guys like Stenberg and Sale, and he was one of Canada’s top scorers in the U-18s. He’s the whole package- size, skating, IQ, two-way acumen- and he plays the more important position of C. I still think he could be gone by our pick.

Appreciate it, so if you're picking 16th what's your top 5 based on who "could" be available? I'd appreciate even guys you might think are gone by then but could randomly slip... so a "dream" scenario even perhaps if that makes sense?

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Royle9

Appreciate it, so if you're picking 16th what's your top 5 based on who "could" be available? I'd appreciate even guys you might think are gone by then but could randomly slip... so a "dream" scenario even perhaps if that makes sense?

Thanks for asking! I would never entertain the thought of someone like Will Smith being available, but I would absolutely flip if Leonard fell to us. He’s got near-elite offense, and plays a well-rounded, power-forward game. Pretty much the same goes for Dvorsky. I also think that I’m a much bigger fan of Riley Heidt than most. Axel Sandin-Pelikka would be another amazing scenario. There’s so many players that I would be also be “content” with, like Honzek, Sale, and Moore to name a few.

1) Danielson
2) Ritchie
3) Wood
4) Heidt
5) Moore

What are your thoughts?

[bdubbs]

I'd personally love Ryan Leonard if he was available...

[FlamesAddiction]

Heidt sounds like the complete package. A playmaking center, with great skating, a high HQ, and some tenacity to his game. I've seen him ranked all over the place though, from mid-first to mid-second.

http://www.mynhldraft.com/2023-nhl-d...es/Riley-Heidt

Tony Ferrari - The Hockey News - Dec. 19th: "He’s consistently looking to exploit holes and show off his passing creativity, throwing pucks cross-body or through a defender's legs as if it’s a routine play. He has a bomb for a one-timer that makes him a legitimate scoring weapon, especially on the power play."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - Dec. 14th: "Doesn’t get enough credit for his ability to shoot the puck, which may be because he is so good at distributing that he misses shot opportunities."

Ben Jordan - Smaht Scouting - Nov. 25th: "Riley Heidt is one of the more premier skaters in this 2023 class. He has extremely great edges and accelerates very quickly in all zones. Heidt excels with the puck on his stick when he’s using his skating ability to create separation from defenders."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - Nov. 1st: "He’s the go-to center for the Cougars in the faceoff circle. He’s also a strong skater who is light on his edges, builds speed quickly into flight to put defenders on their heels and/or create separation, leads a lot of neutral-zone carries into entries, and makes plays into space for himself or his linemates at pace."

Nick Richard - Dobber Prospects - Oct. 20th: "Energetic and creative, he excels in transition and as a playmaker with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. He is a strong skater, processes the game at a high-rate, and has the skill to execute with pace and create offense."

Sam Cosentino - Sportsnet - Oct. 19th: "Plays with a chip on his shoulder by being in a smaller market and not getting the same love as his WHL counterparts."

Peter Baracchini - The Hockey Writers - Sept. 27th: "I’m absolutely captivated at how smart Heidt is and how quickly he is able to process the game. Everything he does, he does it with pace and executes plays flawlessly with his awareness and creativity."

Scott Wheeler - The Athletic - August 8th: "He’s also a strong skater who is light on his edges, builds speed quickly into flight to put defenders on their heels and/or create separation, leads a lot of neutral-zone carries into entries, and makes plays into space for himself or his linemates at pace."

Brook Otten - McKeen's Hockey - July 26th: "Yager, Heidt is already a strong two-way player thanks to his competitiveness and awareness. He battles for every inch of ice and uses his strong skating ability to impact the game in multiple ways. "

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by bdubbs

I'd personally love Ryan Leonard if he was available...

I’m a big Koehn Ziemmer fan, even more than most. He plays very similar to Leonard, in that they both play the power game at 6 feet tall, and have very well rounded games. KZ is a bit behind in terms of offense IMO. Coulson Pitre is another player of that ilk.

Pay attention to Mathieu Cataford-I don’t think he’s getting the proper respect in mocks. I think he could be another Cirelli/Point type.

[bdubbs]

I have this odd feeling with all the positive vibes from Conroy and him envisioning a younger team in the near / long term. Makes this Draft Thread feel better than previous ones where you'd wonder if Sutter would've ever let any kids play.

[Sandman]

More Draft Thoughts:

-LW Roman Kantserov is another fire hydrant, at 5'9", 176lbs, who will be picked in the second round of the Draft, despite having first-round talent. Kantserov is one of the older draft-eligibles in this year's crop, with a Sept.20 birthday, but even if he had been born 5 days earlier, he still would've been a second-rounder in 2021-22, as he finished 23rd in the MHL last year, with a stat line of 57 points in 55 games. This year, he finished 10th in that league, with 54 points in 45 games. Kantserov is a high-skill, elite IQ offensive contributor, but he's also extremely competitive, hard-nosed, and hustles his butt off- which are qualities that bode well for a player with his stature. He forechecks hard, goes to work in the trenches, and fights for position in front of the net like he was 6'3". He's not afraid of the rough-going, and will take a hit to make a play, and he will also dish out the physicality. Playmaking is his specialty, and though he usually keeps it simple, he can thread a pass as well as anyone. Kantserov has an elite offensive toolkit, with high-end vision, and the ability to exploit open space. His shot is a bit weak, but his accuracy, deception, and release are not, which gives him success in this area, as his 27 goals puts him 5th in the MHL for goal-scoring. Skating is good, but he's more shifty and slippery than outright fast, with excellent agility, and short-burst quickness to weave around opponents, along with tight puck control and protection. Defensively, his motor and compete keeps his head well above water, with his specialty being his pickpocketing skills, as well as his active stick. Many scouts say that he still has more offense than he's shown, and that he has the ability to drive play more often than he does. 2nd/3rd round.

-LW Ethan Miedema was one of the principle assets that was sent to Kingston from Windsor in the Shane Wright trade, after being a 4th-overall pick by the Spits in 2021. Miedema is a 6'4",201lb power-forward who moves well for his size, and plays a 200-ft game. His game is still raw in many areas, and he will need time to develop, but he is said to have a tantalizing size/skill ratio. Offensively, he is known more for his vision and playmaking, and his strong instincts, with the ability to find teammates in open space with crisp, hard passes. Despite being known as a playmaking winger, he is also a sniper, owning a hard and accurate array of shots with a quick, deceptive release, and a nice set of hands in tight. He plays hard and heavy all over the ice, and is a load to handle along the boards, down low, and in front of the net. He can dominate in the greasy areas, but needs more consistency in regards to his physicality. He can push the pace, but will often defer to his teammates to carry. Defensively, he shows good positioning, and brings his size and strength to separate man from puck, but can sometimes get caught watching the play, and not being aggressive enough. Mobility-wise, he needs more explosiveness, and perhaps better agility, but gets around fairly well for a guy his size, sometimes exhibiting a knack for getting ahead of the play. His offensive numbers took a hit when he was sent to a weaker Kingston team, having 31 points in 36 games before the trade, and only 21 points in 32 games after. Miedema may have a high floor, possibly in the role of third-line winger in the NHL, if he doesn't make it up to being a regular top-6 player. He can also play C. 3rd/4th round.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by the-rasta-masta

If the Flames are happy with a range of picks left at 16, then I wonder if they look to Chicago and try to flip our 16th and 48th picks for the 19th and 35th picks.

I could absolutely see Chicago doing that if there was a player at 16 they like more than the rest. They have tons of draft capital and can easily afford to make such a move.

[dammage79]

Okay, hypothetical time.

Say in the rainbow unicorn fart universe where CLB actually traded pick 3 to the Flames for Lindholm:

Who you got?

For me it Leo Carlsson 7 times a week and twice on Sundays.

Does anyone think Smith jumps up of Carlsson?

[Tkachukwagon]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I could absolutely see Chicago doing that if there was a player at 16 they like more than the rest. They have tons of draft capital and can easily afford to make such a move.

I didn't realize how many picks they have in the first 100. I ran the FC Hockey Draft tool for Chicago and picked up:

#1 Connor Bedard C
#20 Ryan Leonard C
#35 Matthew Wood RW
#44 Daniil But LW
#52 Akey Beau D
#56 Tom Willander D
#67 Jakub Dvorak D
#89 Jaden Lipinski C
#99 Cam Squires RW

The Blackhawks are going to clean up in this draft. Instant rebuild if even half their picks pan out.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Okay, hypothetical time.

Say in the rainbow unicorn fart universe where CLB actually traded pick 3 to the Flames for Lindholm:

Who you got?

For me it Leo Carlsson 7 times a week and twice on Sundays.

Does anyone think Smith jumps up of Carlsson?

Seems like Fantilli could even fall to 3rd at this stage. Carlsson's getting lots of love in the lead up to the draft.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Okay, hypothetical time.

Say in the rainbow unicorn fart universe where CLB actually traded pick 3 to the Flames for Lindholm:

Who you got?

For me it Leo Carlsson 7 times a week and twice on Sundays.

Does anyone think Smith jumps up of Carlsson?

I pray Anaheim falls in love with Carlsson or Smith so we can take Fantilli. If not Fantilli then I go with Carlsson. Smith and Carlsson are pretty much neck and neck for me but the nationality is the deciding factor. Yes, I went there.