Laine is arguably a better pre-draft prospect than Strome, Marner, Hanifin, Bennett, Ekblad, Reinhart, Draisaitl, Monahan, Seth Jones, Barkov, Drouin.
Not convinced about that at all.
I think Laine > Strome, Marner, Hanifin, Drouin, Monahan
Not convinced he's much higher if at all than guys like Bennett, Ekblad, Reinhart, Jones, Barkov, Draisaitl. To me he's right in that range. Hanifin could join this 2nd group too.
Last edited by Flames Draft Watcher; 01-30-2016 at 02:36 PM.
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FWIW, that means nothing when talking about 17YOs. So much can go wrong. Even John Tavares probably isn't living up to that kind of claim.
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Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
Not convinced about that at all.
I think Laine > Strome, Marner, Hanifin, Drouin, Monahan
Not convinced he's much higher if at all than guys like Bennett, Ekblad, Reinhart, Jones, Barkov, Draisaitl. To me he's right in that range. Hanifin could join this 2nd group too.
I specifically meant pre-draft. I think guys like Barkov, Ekblad, Draisaitl are exceeding where you would have pegged their prospect-value before the draft. I don't mean I would trade Bennett for Laine for example. I wouldn't. But I don't buy Bennett would ever have been drafted ahead of Laine.
Last edited by GranteedEV; 01-30-2016 at 02:44 PM.
I think almsot all of those prospects are better than Laine and Puljujarvi. Their stats aren't anything special when you compare them to other Finnish players last few years.
Mi. Granlund had much better numbers in his draft year. Does he have hall of fame potential as well?
Anyways I think their hot WJC play is clouding your judgement on this one.
of all the recent high end draft picks, the player Laine reminds me the most of is Draisaitl. The main difference though is Laine is legitimately fast, where skating was an issue with Draisaitl at this point in his development. For me, there are only three players since 2013 that I would clearly take over him and that's McDavid, Eichel and Matthews. After that the waters are a lot more murky and it largely would depend on organizational need moreso than anything due to the fact that most of the guys at the high end are really good players. If you are in a situation like the Flames currently are, where they are flush with LW C and D, Laine probably would emerge as the #1 on your list after those three players. If you needed a D-man, it would be a battle between Jones, Ristolainen and Ekblad. Everything just depends on the team picking at that point.
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For me, there are only three players since 2013 that I would clearly take over him and that's McDavid, Eichel and Matthews.
I would take MacKinnon over Laine. MacKinnon's offensive skill/toolset is still absurd, the day he plays on a good team he will be in the conversation for Hart/Art Ross. The Avs just suck.
I think Marner and Srome are being underrated here. These guys just had the best statistical season by CHL players since Kane. Much better than Hall/Seguin/Bennett/Reihart/Mackinnon/Drouin etc...(Not counting Mcdavid)
Should that not count for more than a 2 week tournament? I mean Laine wasn't even in the top 5 earlier...
Like I said their stats in Finland are nothing special. I think they are extremely overrated at this point.
I think Marner and Srome are being underrated here. These guys just had the best statistical season by CHL players since Kane. Much better than Hall/Seguin/Bennett/Reihart/Mackinnon/Drouin etc...(Not counting Mcdavid)
Should that not count for more than a 2 week tournament? I mean Laine wasn't even in the top 5 earlier...
Like I said their stats in Finland are nothing special. I think they are extremely overrated at this point.
Time will tell.
You only refer to stats. Did you watch the tournament?
Dammage mentioned it in the prospects game thread, but it's not something that I would mind, and that's Sean day with an early second.
I liked what I saw in the prospects game. He needs to be better with the puck but he's good defensively. I think he gets overlooked though because he hasn't lived up to the pomp and circumstance of being a player that the exceptional player status was used on.
Still one of the youngest players in the draft. He could go anywhere between the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
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I think Marner and Srome are being underrated here. These guys just had the best statistical season by CHL players since Kane. Much better than Hall/Seguin/Bennett/Reihart/Mackinnon/Drouin etc...(Not counting Mcdavid)
Should that not count for more than a 2 week tournament? I mean Laine wasn't even in the top 5 earlier...
Like I said their stats in Finland are nothing special. I think they are extremely overrated at this point.
Time will tell.
Laine is right on track with Barkov's production in his draft year. Heck, a couple of good games and he may even beat Barkov's draft year totals. And Puljujarvi isn't that far off their pace. IMO we have two new Barkov's to drool over in this draft. No they're not centers and I don't think either will get the golden helmet at any point this season, but they're not being overrated.
__________________ "Everybody's so desperate to look smart that nobody is having fun anymore" -Jackie Redmond
of all the recent high end draft picks, the player Laine reminds me the most of is Draisaitl. The main difference though is Laine is legitimately fast, where skating was an issue with Draisaitl at this point in his development. For me, there are only three players since 2013 that I would clearly take over him and that's McDavid, Eichel and Matthews. After that the waters are a lot more murky and it largely would depend on organizational need moreso than anything due to the fact that most of the guys at the high end are really good players. If you are in a situation like the Flames currently are, where they are flush with LW C and D, Laine probably would emerge as the #1 on your list after those three players. If you needed a D-man, it would be a battle between Jones, Ristolainen and Ekblad. Everything just depends on the team picking at that point.
Boy, the Flames could use a Draisaitl. God I hate the fact the Oilers have him. What a player.
__________________ "Everybody's so desperate to look smart that nobody is having fun anymore" -Jackie Redmond
I think Marner and Srome are being underrated here. These guys just had the best statistical season by CHL players since Kane. Much better than Hall/Seguin/Bennett/Reihart/Mackinnon/Drouin etc...(Not counting Mcdavid)
Should that not count for more than a 2 week tournament? I mean Laine wasn't even in the top 5 earlier...
Like I said their stats in Finland are nothing special. I think they are extremely overrated at this point.
Time will tell.
Strome. He's pulled a total disappearing act in last year's OHL playoffs when the checking got tight. He's a player who's really good at beating bad junior defensemen. I'm sure he'll be effective in the NHL in time. But I see him as being that kind of player who disappears in crunch time. We saw that in the World Juniors this year too, Strome fading as the going gets tougher and tougher. Hall was a much better playoff performer in Junior, same with MacKinnon. As a 2C to Connor McDavid Strome should have taken advantage of the extra space he was getting, instead he was more invisible. I don't even think Strome was as good a prospect as Draisaitl, stats be damned. The mental makeup isn't there, and the World Junior performance with Strome as the top center resulted in the worst showing Canada has had in over a decade.
Marner's different. He's an impressive player. But there's no way he's a better NHL prospect than Laine/Puljujarvi. The same question marks about every sub-190lb / 6'0" player applie to him - translating his game to the big leagues. He has a high ceiling but his floor is the same as Jonathan Drouin. Size matters.
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I'd take Marner and Strome over Laine any day of the week and twice on Fridays. Those guys have #1C 100 point ceilings.
IMO Laine's s much much lower. Closer to 70-75. Plus he's a winger.
Edit- I found a HFpoll on Bennett/Reinhart vs Marner/Strome vs the Finns and the Finns won easily.
I guess a lot of people agree with you Granteed.
I personally don't see it.
Ah HF, were could be's are worth much more than sure things. A site where the general consensus is such things as Austin Mathews has much more value than Carey Price. Here is a tried and true thing I have discovered about that site, whatever the general consensus is, bet on the exact opposite happening.
Marner's different. He's an impressive player. But there's no way he's a better NHL prospect than Laine/Puljujarvi. The same question marks about every sub-190lb / 6'0" player applie to him - translating his game to the big leagues. He has a high ceiling but his floor is the same as Jonathan Drouin. Size matters.
When was Gaudreau ever the top NHL prospect in the world? Never. He had to prove himself. The quality of a prospect is a combination of ceiling and likelyhood to reach that ceiling.
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