2023 NHL Draft Thread

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Lots of good WHL talent in this draft. Cristall is from Burnaby, Benson is from Chilliwack, Yager is from Saskatoon.

Being from Lethbridge I’d hope Wood is a flames fan and not an oilers fan. His favorite player is Malkin though

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Danielson is from Red Deer.

Excellent.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Does Musty smell?

Smells like the Saddledome after the flood!

[CroCop]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Being from Lethbridge I’d hope Wood is a flames fan and not an oilers fan. His favorite player is Malkin though

Wood was born there but I’m quite certain he didn’t grow up there. For sure never played any minor hockey in Lethbridge.

[Sandman]

The clock has ticked past midnight, so let me be the first to wish all my CP friends a very MERRY DRAFTSMAS EVE!!!!!

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by CroCop

Wood was born there but I’m quite certain he didn’t grow up there. For sure never played any minor hockey in Lethbridge.

He played in Vancouver with Bedard. Lived at Bedards house for a bit too

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Uncut Gems, Vol.9):

-I keep seeing American High School star, C Jake Fisher shooting up the rankings. It's very hard, at least for me, to form an opinion on players from that circuit, because the level of competition is simply inferior to that of the USHL or CHL. Fisher was 32nd in scoring in the Minnesota High School league, with 63 points in 39 games as Captain of Cretin-Durham Hall; to give a little perspective, this year's title of Mr.Hockey, given to the best player in the State, went to Jayson Shaugabay, who amassed 96 points in 31 games. Fisher was unable to leave much of a mark in his stint with the Fargo Force of the USHL, with only 1 goal and a -5 in 12 games, followed by zero points in 2 playoff games. He didn't get a lot of ice-time or responsibility in Fargo, but he still had issues adjusting his pace and timing. By all accounts, Fisher has it all at the HS level, being 6'2" and pretty fleet of foot, with an excellent array of shots, that he can use to score from anywhere. He stands out among his peers with his IQ and vision, and he's a dominant offensive weapon for his team, with plenty of hustle and motor. He stickhandles well, and pushes pace in transition with carries or passes for clean entries. Fisher's game is very well-rounded, with a sublime off-puck game, and he shows a dedication to doing his job in defensive situations. He's hard and disruptive on the forecheck, and plays a physical brand of hockey- battling in the dirty areas, winning pucks along the boards, bullying his way through traffic, and establishing a net-front presence. There aren't many holes to uncover in his game, other than the level he played at this season. He's committed to the University of Denver for the 2024-25 season, and he might be picked as early as the third round.

-D Larry Keenan, as I have learned, comes from a deep hockey lineage. His Grandfather, also named Larry Keenan, scored the St.Louis Blues' first-ever goal, and went on to be a part of their Cinderella cup-run, and his Father, Cory Keenan, was a pro-hockey player at lower levels. The younger Larry Keenan is another HS player who is rocketing up the charts, evidenced by the fact that he was invited to this year's Combine. Keenan is a solid 6'3", and 185lbs, and is quite raw, but he has shown some very translatable skills. First off, Keenan is an excellent skater with smoothness and agility, and is a developing offensive defenseman. The other pillar of his game might be his booming shot that beats goalies from the point, or his ability to skate the puck through transition. He can also connect with high-end stretch passes, or start the breakout with an accurate first-pass to a streaking teammate, and his playmaking and distribution skills are sound. He has the puck-control and elusiveness to move around in traffic, and can play a physical game- although he's quite skinny and a little weak right now. This season, he skated for Culver Military Academy in the High School circuit, compiling 37 points in 49 games- good for 2nd in the league in D scoring. Questions arise in regards to Keenan's defensive game though, and how it will translate to the next level; his effort and engagement is inconsistent, and his defensive skating needs work, but he's good enough in his own zone to be useful at the high school level. He shows the ability to stop the rush, and play hard in front of his net, but he needs to develop more in this area. The good news is that he has a long runway, as he's committed to an excellent program next year at UMass. Many scouts believe there’s top-4 potential here.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by CroCop

Wood was born there but I’m quite certain he didn’t grow up there. For sure never played any minor hockey in Lethbridge.

Not that it means much but there was a pick on twitter supposedly of him as a little kid in a Flames jersey, personally I think he needs a new one...and a hat!

[tkflames]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts (Uncut Gems, Vol.9):

-I keep seeing American High School star, C Jake Fisher shooting up the rankings. It's very hard, at least for me, to form an opinion on players from that circuit, because the level of competition is simply inferior to that of the USHL or CHL. Fisher was 32nd in scoring in the Minnesota High School league, with 63 points in 39 games as Captain of Cretin-Durham Hall; to give a little perspective, this year's title of Mr.Hockey, given to the best player in the State, went to Jayson Shaugabay, who amassed 96 points in 31 games. Fisher was unable to leave much of a mark in his stint with the Fargo Force of the USHL, with only 1 goal and a -5 in 12 games, followed by zero points in 2 playoff games. He didn't get a lot of ice-time or responsibility in Fargo, but he still had issues adjusting his pace and timing. By all accounts, Fisher has it all at the HS level, being 6'2" and pretty fleet of foot, with an excellent array of shots, that he can use to score from anywhere. He stands out among his peers with his IQ and vision, and he's a dominant offensive weapon for his team, with plenty of hustle and motor. He stickhandles well, and pushes pace in transition with carries or passes for clean entries. Fisher's game is very well-rounded, with a sublime off-puck game, and he shows a dedication to doing his job in defensive situations. He's hard and disruptive on the forecheck, and plays a physical brand of hockey- battling in the dirty areas, winning pucks along the boards, bullying his way through traffic, and establishing a net-front presence. There aren't many holes to uncover in his game, other than the level he played at this season. He's committed to the University of Denver for the 2024-25 season, and he might be picked as early as the third round.
.

Jankowski?

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by tkflames

Jankowski?

I dunno, sounds like Nieuwendyk to me 😬😅

[Bingo]

JFresh with what almost looks like a troll job in his final rankings.

I chose not to include them in my average as it was causing too much chaos.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1673702933156724738

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Bingo

JFresh with what almost looks like a troll job in his final rankings.

I chose not to include them in my average as it was causing too much chaos.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1673702933156724738

Plus there are a pile of made up names, its definitely a troll job.
Flames select Fagorn Legge-Horne?

[Groot]

Nm

[Erick Estrada]

Anything can happen but that list looks pretty out of whack. Michkov at 14 is not going to happen, nor is Perrault at 23, or Musty at 10.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by Bingo

JFresh with what almost looks like a troll job in his final rankings.

I chose not to include them in my average as it was causing too much chaos.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1673702933156724738

Rudolf Nose?
Fagorn Legge-Horne?

These cant be actual people can they?

[Tkachukwagon]

JFresh does this every year and it's lame every year he does this.

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

Rudolf Nose?
Fagorn Legge-Horne?

These cant be actual people can they?

No. The list is full of made up players.

Seems like a giant waste of time on his part. Not really all that funny, either.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Bingo

JFresh with what almost looks like a troll job in his final rankings.

I chose not to include them in my average as it was causing too much chaos.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1673702933156724738

Imagine being a Coyotes fan, and getting Ritchie at #6 OA and then Binkley at #12 OA. Getting all the Ritchies at all cost imaginable. Both picks taken while Michkov is still on the board.
Or a Redwings fan and getting Curak at #9 and then Kwiatkowski at #17,

Throw in the Theodore Tugboat pick at #41, and I'd say that rankings list is as reliable and legit as it gets.

[Major Major]

What a strange thing to do...

[fotze2]

It's got to be a play on that Key and Peele sketch about ridiculous NFL draft names but not funny.