Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[sureLoss]

Bob Stauffer @Bob_Stauffer
Assuming Aaron Ekblad is gone, and based on feedback from NON-Oilers sources, to me Leon Draisaitl makes the most sense as Oilers pick

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Bob Stauffer @Bob_Stauffer
Assuming Aaron Ekblad is gone, and based on feedback from NON-Oilers sources, to me Leon Draisaitl makes the most sense as Oilers pick

Please do this Edmonton. That is definitely the right pick for your team.

[SHOGUN]

Draisaitl + Yakupov is a scary combo, not going to lie.

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

Draisaitl + Yakupov is a scary combo, not going to lie.

Yep. Some Flames fans don't seem to realise that Draisaitl might actually be the best pick for the Oilers. Big, talented player that completly changes the way that second line would play. Best center available considering there current circumstances. Better chance of surviving the sub-par developement system in Edmonton as well IMO.

[kehatch]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Here are the 4th overall picks since 2000. Based on that list I think you'd be pretty happy landing a player like Dustin Brown or Mike Richards. Quite a few quality players but no definitive franchise players really. Since will likely be taking a forward a top 6 forward would be a successful pick in my eyes. A legit first liner would be a home run.

2000: Rostislav Klesla
2001: Stephen Weiss
2002: Joni Pitkanen
2003: Nikolai Zherdev
2004: Andrew Ladd
2005: Benoit Pouliot
2006: Nicklas Backstrom
2007: Thomas Hickey
2008: Alex Pietrangelo
2009: Evander Kane
2010: Ryan Johansen
2011: Adam Larsson
2012: Griffin Reinhart
2013: Seth Jones

Originally Posted by Hackey

Here are the 5th place picks since 2000 which kinda gives similar results. But ya I think the main thing to be taken from it is that if we are able to land a serviceable top 6 forward then were doing alright because the pick is definitely no slam dunk. We don't need to land a superstar we just need to make it count.

2000: Raffi Torres
2001: Stanislav Chistov
2002: Ryan Whitney
2003: Thomas Vanek
2004: Blake Wheeler
2005: Carey Price
2006: Phil Kessel
2007: Karl Alzner
2008: Luke Schenn
2009: Brayden Schenn
2010: Nino Niederreiter
2011: Ryan Strome
2012: Morgan Reilly
2013: Elias Lindholm

Best guy in the draft from 4 to 10

2000: Scott Hartnell (6)
2001: Mikko Koivu (6)
2002: Joffrey Lupul (7)
2003: Ryan Sutur (7)
2004: Andrew Ladd (4)
2005: Carey Price (5)
2006: Nicklas Backstrom (4)
2007: Logan Couture (9)
2008: Alex Pietrangelo (4)
2009: Oliver Ekmann-Larson (6)
2010: Jeff Skinner (7)
2011: Sean Couturier (8)
2012: Morgan Rielly (5)
2013: Seth Jones (4)

Some of those are debatable. And the jury is still out on the more recent drafts. But I agree with a premise. Not every draft has a game breaker in the 4 to 10 range. The drafts where they exist rarely have more than one.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by ignite09

Yep. Some Flames fans don't seem to realise that Draisaitl might actually be the best pick for the Oilers. Big, talented player that completly changes the way that second line would play. Best center available considering there current cercumstances. Better chance of surviving the sub-par developement system in Edmonton as well IMO.

But Bennett plays a grittier style and would help add some sandpaper to the Oilers which they need.

I hope Bennett falls to the Flames I think he is exactly the type of player we need moving forward. His style fits with what the flames are trying to build

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

But Bennett plays a grittier style and would help add some sandpaper to the Oilers which they need.

Yep, but he's only average size and they need size as badly or more than they need grit. And he's so skinny now that he probably shouldn't start in the NHL right away.

Draisaitl on the other hand has NHL size now and seems more ready to step in. An immediate second line centre with size and skill should help them win sooner. And at this point you have to think that could be a big consideration for them more than it is for us.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Yep, but he's only average size and they need as badly or more than they need grit. And he's so skinny now that he probably shouldn't start in the NHL right away.

Draisaitl on the other hand has NHL size now and seems more ready to step in. An immediate second line centre with size and skill should help them win sooner. And at this point you have to think that could be a big consideration.

IMO, it's about who is the best player moving forward, as in 3 or 4 years down the road, not next year
The Flames are a ways away from being a Cup contender.

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by timbit

IMO, it's about who is the best player moving forward, as in 3 or 4 years down the road, not next year
The Flames are a ways away from being a Cup contender.

Yes, but we're talking specifically about the Oilers in this case, not the Flames.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

But Bennett plays a grittier style and would help add some sandpaper to the Oilers which they need.

I hope Bennett falls to the Flames I think he is exactly the type of player we need moving forward. His style fits with what the flames are trying to build

Totally agree. Generally, it's the personality and smarts that is hard to get a read on (especially from a fan and especially from watching youtube). But Bennett's style of play (feisty) tells you a bit about him as a competitor/doesn't take shinguard type.

Draisaitle....who knows. Could be Getzlaf (similarly complacent type if i recall).

[Husky]

The oilers will ruin any prospect they pick. They don't understand how to develop players.

[indes]

Originally Posted by Husky

The oilers will ruin any prospect they pick. They don't understand how to develop players.

But they have the best development program in the league! The 6x6 plan is infalliblr

[Gaskal]

More playing time in NHL = more development!


Amirite?

[badger89]

I'm not sure why there's so much concern about Bennett's size. He's 6 foot and will fill out, so he should end up average sized, not small. He's also on the younger side of his draft class, so has an extra year of playing Jr to catch up. If he does project to a 6 foot, 195 lb Doug Gilmour type, he'd be one heck of an exceptional player.

[Bourque's Twin]

I think this draft's top 4/5 picks will be mostly catered to need rather than to best player available. There is no consensus order of draft picks.

FLA - Ekblad
BUF - Reinhart
EDM - Draisaitl
CGY - Bennett

I think it makes the most sense from each organization's standpoint.

It will make even more sense down the road when Bennett is the best player of the top 4 and Draisaitl is the worst, because Edmonton is no good.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Bourque's Twin

I think this draft's top 4/5 picks will be mostly catered to need rather than to best player available. There is no consensus order of draft picks.

FLA - Ekblad
BUF - Reinhart
EDM - Draisaitl
CGY - Bennett

I think it makes the most sense from each organization's standpoint.

It will make even more sense down the road when Bennett is the best player of the top 4 and Draisaitl is the worst, because Edmonton is no good.

I think it really depends on who Buffalo picks.

Technically, there are three centers that three teams are going to pick. From what I assume, every team has two centers that they want to have.

I think Buffalo is looking at Reinhart and Draisaitl, Edmonton is looking at Draisaitl and Bennett, and we kind of get the remaining pick from the 3 centers, with the option of Dal Colle as well.

We may get the "last pick" but anybody in the 4th drafting spot is going to be a wonderful pick to add to our prospect pool.

My order of preference is Reinhart - Bennett - Draisaitl/Dal Colle (still 50/50 on those two).

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by badger89

I'm not sure why there's so much concern about Bennett's size. He's 6 foot and will fill out, so he should end up average sized, not small. He's also on the younger side of his draft class, so has an extra year of playing Jr to catch up. If he does project to a 6 foot, 195 lb Doug Gilmour type, he'd be one heck of an exceptional player.

Gilmour was listed at 5' 11" and 175 lbs so Bennett won't be small. Gilmour used his grit to battle for bucks and I expect Bennett would do the same. I don't see him as a hitter and/or fighter particularly.

[bubbsy]

other than trading the pick, i just can't see florida pondering many options like taking a C over ekblad. If the top 4 are considered all relatively close, then ekblad makes most sense for this, given how strong their prospect pool at forward already is.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

other than trading the pick, i just can't see florida pondering many options like taking a C over ekblad. If the top 4 are considered all relatively close, then ekblad makes most sense for this, given how strong their prospect pool at forward already is.

The wild card is if Florida trades the pick and it sounds like they want to.

[Money Baer]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

Gilmour was listed at 5' 11" and 175 lbs so Bennett won't be small. Gilmour used his grit to battle for bucks and I expect Bennett would do the same. I don't see him as a hitter and/or fighter particularly.

That might not be his game, but he does both really well. He's really the complete package.

Fast, good skating, high skill, grit, hits, fights, 2-way game, etc.