2023 NHL Draft Thread

[cral12]

unexpected death in the family and trip back to the Rock put me behind on updating Upside Hockey with Sandman's brilliant prospect profiling - will get a big update in on the weekend hopefully

[bdubbs]

Originally Posted by cral12

unexpected death in the family and trip back to the Rock put me behind on updating Upside Hockey with Sandman's brilliant prospect profiling - will get a big update in on the weekend hopefully

Sorry for your loss.

[Gaskal]

Sorry for your loss and take your time, always appreciate your prospect writeups

[DSIM420]

I hope the Flames take Cristall with their pick. He is the creative player that Conroy has been talking about in his interviews and the type of player we have missed since Gaudreau left. His skating isn't the best but we do have a skating coach for him to work with.

[Sandman]

More Draft Thoughts:

-RW/C Tanner Adams is one of the youngest players in this year's crop, with a Sept.2nd birthday. In 2021-22, he put up 12 goals and 32 points in 62 USHL games for the Tri-City Storm, compared to 12 goals and 33 points in 49 games in 2022-23. This year's edition of the Storm scored 213 goals in 62 games, which is 47 less than the previous year, which probably cut into how much he was able to progress numbers-wise. He still managed to tie a 20 yo for the highest point total on the team in the playoffs, with 5 points in 4 games. Adams is a very strong skater, who plays a very hard-nosed, physical style, evidenced by his 65 PIM, despite being only 5'11". He does a lot of the dirty work for his line, digging the puck out of the hard areas all over the ice, and battling for possession- showing relentless puck-pursuit. He has displayed very good transitional numbers, being able to enter and exit with control, and confidently carry through the neutral zone. He's a fierce forechecker, and plays with high motor and energy. Adams comes with a solid base of 3-zone awareness, but he has room to further develop his offense, and he will get a chance to do that next year at Providence College-being so young, he might have a slightly longer runway. He could have a fairly high floor perhaps, with his speed, snarl, and all-around game already giving him a shot at an NHL team's bottom-6 in the future. 4th/5th round is my prediction.

-Now for one of the oldest players in the Draft, with a Sept.30th birthday, 18 yo Slovakian C Martin Misiak, with 10 points in 29 games for HC Nove Zamky of the top-tier Slovakian pro-league, and 17 points in 27 games for Youngstown of the USHL. For U-20 players in the Slovakian league, his 10 points ranked 2nd. While his regular-season numbers for Youngstown look paltry, he managed to lead the team in playoff scoring, with 10 points in 9 games- ahead of fellow draft-eligible teammate, William Whitelaw. Misiak already has the physical tools, being 6'2" and a good skater, but he also plays a steady 200-ft game, and uses that size well to win battles and separate man from puck. Though his skating has some room to grow, he exhibits good edges and agility, with excellent acceleration that he can use to win races to loose pucks. He can also weave around, and through traffic with his tight puck-control, and shielding abilities. He is far more of a passer than scorer, and he has the vision and IQ of a playmaker- he needs work on his shot. He understands how to position himself and use his body and stick in the D zone, but he is also a very competent transitional player, never cheating good defensive play for offense. It is said though, that he may not possess high-end offensive chops right now, but he could perhaps make a good 3C in the NHL someday. 3rd/4th round.

[DeluxeMoustache]

Sorry for your loss, cral

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

It is pretty crazy that potentially the best player in the draft could fall to 8-9 just based on nationality. I think Bedard convincingly made his case for 1 regardless, but michkov has shown pretty surreal talent and every level, consistently. 20 points in 30 Khl games as a 17 year old is excellent.

Less about the nationality and more about the contract.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Ped

Less about the nationality and more about the contract.

The mysterious circumstances around the death of Michkov’s father are likely also worrying teams considering taking him.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by cral12

One word, as Peter Loubardias would say, "look out".

Talked with CP's outstanding residential NHL draft specialist Sandman and I've put together his awesome prospect profiles (so far) on our website - Upside Hockey.

Have them in the order of our most recent lottery edition rankings by E-Mac.

Check it out at:
https://bit.ly/upsidenhldraftprofiles

Another update done - think it's up to 95 prospect profiles now!!!

[Sandman]

More Draft Thoughts:

-6'0"176lb Belarussian LW Yegor Sidorov passed through last year's draft without getting picked, but his play this year has picked up noticeably, putting him on the radar to be drafted this year. In 2021-22, with the Saskatoon Blades, he had 23 goals and 35 points in 58 games. If he were drafted last year, he would've been rather young, with a June 18th birthday. This year, he's learned to attack more, rather than letting the play come to him, and it's paid off with 40 goals and 76 points in only 53 games, followed by 19 points in 16 playoff games. Sidorov is that player you might describe as,"one-dimensional, but it's a damn good dimension", as he's all goal-scorer, with the skills and mentality to match. Sidorov has a solid array of hard, accurate shots that he gets on net consistently, and he can pick off the smallest holes to put the puck in behind the goalie. He has a rocket of a one-timer from the half-wall on the PP, and he seemingly needs only a flick of the stick with very little time and space to get his wrister off from high-danger, even in traffic. His release is deceptive and lightning quick. He makes traversing the ice through traffic look easy, as he's an effortless skater with good speed, as well as edges and agility. He's very mobile east-west, and his puck-control and stickhandling skills are top-tier- he could stickhandle in a broom closet, and he can beat opponents 1-on-1. A lot of his assists come from rebounds and tips that come from his shots, as he doesn't use his teammates very well, and I've read that he still stays on the outside too much. Defensively, he still has a long way to go as he lacks urgency and effort. A team may still like his skills enough to take him, with the hopes he can round out his game.

-Drew Fortescue is a 6'3" defenseman with the USNTDP who seems to get mixed reviews. Joey Padmanabhan, the American Scout from EP Rinkside said this in his team USA U-18 Tournament Preview: "There's a lot to like about Drew Fortescue's game; he's a bit more defensive-minded than some of his teammates, stopping rushes early, using pre-scans consistently on his retrievals, and making a good first-pass through defensive layers. Fortescue has some offensive upside, too. He doesn't have the heaviest shot, but walks the line well and gets pucks on net, or finds an outlet in dangerous space. He will be a valuable asset down the lineup for the Americans". For me, watching him at the U-18's, I didn't see a player that looked like a very good NHL prospect. His mobility looked a bit sub-par, and his passing and stickhandling were clunky. With these two deficiencies, the rest of his game is affected from there, including his defensive coverage. He ended up getting 3 points, with 2 assists coming against the surprising Slovaks, and a goal against the Swiss, and he did have a plus/minus of +9 in 7 games, but that might not be so impressive considering the firepower on Team USA. For my money, Zach Schulz and Paul Fischer looked better in the "defensive defenseman" role. Fortescue had 5 points in 22 games for the USNTDP Juniors in the USHL, along with 26 points in 62 games for the USDP Under-18 Team- hardly earth-shattering numbers. He will have time to work on his game next year at Boston College, as many scouts say there is still a ton of unlocked potential.

-I mentioned D Zach Schulz, so here he is. Schulz, like Fortescue, had 3 points in the U-18's, but was +11 and had more ice-time- including 21:01 in the Gold-Medal game against Sweden, which was third-most for D in that game. Only 13 points in a combined 71 games in the USDP, but he will never be counted on for offense. Schulz is a very strong 6'1", and 195lbs, and is a powerful skater. He plays an intelligent, reliable, defense-first shutdown game. His mobility enables him to track down puck-carriers and deliver the body to separate them from the puck, and remove them from the play. Excellent gap-control, and net-front presence, along with a physical style. His play with the puck seems to be efficient, with the capability of making a good first-pass, and he handles the puck reasonably well. Offensively, he doesn't really try to do too much, but he's capable of moving the puck, and he does have an NHL-calibre shot, but he's considered very raw in that end of the ice. High compete, and a team-first kid, who captained Team USA despite being 17 until June, which says something about his character. He will be attending the University of Wisconsin in the fall. I like him a lot. 4th round.

-Paul Fischer, like Schulz, is a 6'1" defensive defenseman, but you hear more about "long-term potential" and "project", when it comes to Fischer. It may have to do with Fischer's confidence in carrying the puck- although he doesn't always make the best decisions. Fischer has a big frame, and is tough and physical below the goal-line, along the boards, and in front of the net. I wouldn't call him outright fast, but he's a good skater capable of winning races to loose pucks at times. He's very good against the rush, and has a good stick to break up plays. Fischer is comfortable carrying, or passing through transition, and he can connect with breakouts. In the offensive zone, he can activate at times, but is more comfortable walking the line, extending offensive zone time. He has apparently had some PP time this year, where he showed off a good point-shot that he was able to get on net through traffic, and an ability to distribute from the point. Only 27 points in a combined 78 USDP games, and 1 point in 7 games at the U-18's, so he's obviously very raw. He'll be going to Notre Dame in the fall. 4th/5th round.

-C/LW Tanner Ludtke put up some very interesting numbers for the Lincoln Stars of the USHL- 32 goals and 66 points in 57 games, good for 8th in scoring, and 6th for goals. His 1.16 ppg were just behind Jayden Perron's 1.18 ppg. He added 7 points in 9 playoff games. They say that what might hurt Ludtke's stock is his lack of dynamic qualities- he's good at many things, but not elite at any one thing, and he's average sized at 6'0",170lbs. He plays a simple game built around his work ethic. He skates well, but doesn't possess elite, game-breaking speed, although he shows good enough mobility and puck control to be useful in transition, and he has the skill to beat opponents 1-on-1. He shoots very well, and from his highlights he has an excellent one-timer. Ludtke's IQ and vision are above-average, and while not all of his passes connect, he shows offensive awareness. Defensively, he is entrusted by his coaches to match up with the other team's best players every night as a first-line C, and he's very good in face-offs. Next year, he will attend the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

[sureLoss]

McKeen's has published their final rankings. Top 32 available for free:
https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-bl...nkings-top-32/

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKeen's has published their final rankings. Top 32 available for free:
https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-bl...nkings-top-32/

Yager way down at 30.
I like McKeens because their list is different and they aren't afraid to put out a differing POV.

[Sandman]

Yeah, I like McKeens. Their annual yearbook with NHL Player profiles and predictions is the best.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by cral12

Another update done - think it's up to 95 prospect profiles now!!!

Make that 100 prospect profiles done!


(just added Sandman's latest 5)

[Spurs]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

McKeen's has published their final rankings. Top 32 available for free:
https://www.mckeenshockey.com/nhl-bl...nkings-top-32/

Don't really like any of those guys ranked around us at 16, but always good to see different perspectives and lists that aren't afraid to put out there own views on players.

[Flamesfan05]

Just let Button picks the BPA

[Sandman]

Please check out Upside Hockey, and support a fellow CPer! (Talking about cral) Would love to hear everyone’s opinions on the write-ups too!

[Jiri Hrdina]

Another VERY different list is out:
https://smahtscouting.com/2023/05/28...raft-rankings/

You've got Gavin Brindley at 9, Quentin Musty at 13 and Jayden Perron at 15.
On the other hand you've got Dalibor Dvorsky at 19, David Reinbacher at 20, Colby Barlow at 30, Matthew Wood at 31, Calum Ritchie at 33 and Tom Willander at 35.

It seems like SMAHT may have a slight bias towards smaller skilled guys.

[Monahammer]

Love that smaht list. This draft is crazy, I hope we're able to pick up another 1st. Even another 2nd would be an excellent snag.

[Spurs]

Going off that list I am going to guess it is a US based scouting group?