Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[Da_Chief]

Bennett is 181 lb right now. If he can get up to 190 come training camp, he will likely be kept just like Monahan was.

Monahan
Bennett
Knight

Big 2-way centers down the middle. Just need skilled wingers.

[Poe969]

building a strong group of centres is important but we're still going to need someone to play defense.

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Poe969

building a strong group of centres is important but we're still going to need someone to play defense.

To be fair, not only can you acquire those in a draft during later rounds, but we also HAVE Gio and Brodie.

Gio is a top level defenceman, and Brodie is coming into his own as a really strong 2/3 defenceman.

Could we get away with having those two for another 5 years? Absolutely. Could we get away without having top level talent up the middle? Absolutely not.

[Da_Chief]

D can come out of nowhere, look at Brodie.

We have Giordano who was considered for team Canada so we have 2 guys who can play top 4. Both came out of lower round/UFA.

Couple more of those guys and the top 4 is set. Obviously they're not just going to grow on trees. But easier then centers imo.

[Poe969]

but I think drafting Ekblad would help because he wouldn't be an NHL ready defenseman for a few years anyway. He might make our team next year but he wouldn't be as good as he's going to get. Getting a solid young guy like him and letting him develop into something more will take time. Forwards don't usually take as much time to hit their stride. We could get a few gems in the late rounds but we could just be wasting picks with them too. Defensemen are just too hard to predict, Ekblad has the best odds to become a solid NHL top 2 guy. Sure, other picks could actually turn out to be better but the odds of him being a star are better than any other draft pick.

I guess a forward has an even better chance at developing than Ekblad but at some point we're going to need defensmen. Personally, I think Ekblad is a better hockey player than anyone else in the draft this year. Next year I don't see any defensmen who have the potential he does so I'd lean more on getting forwards next year.

[indes]

I'm not sold on Ekblad and really hope we can pick up Reinhardt or Bennet and then draft D with the rest of our picks. Must have all the reinharts!

[CliffFletcher]

I think people are underestimating how difficult it is to find true stud d-men. Guys who play 28 minutes a night in the playoffs and shut down the top forwards in the league while contributing on the powerplay. They don't grow on trees. There are maybe eight of them in the NHL. You usually need one to win the Cup. Keith. Doughty. Chara. Pronger. Lidstrom. The Penguins are the only recent Cup winner that didn't have one, and having the two top forwards in the league isn't a model any other team can follow.

I'm convinced Burke is going to take a run at Ekblad, and he won't hesitate to overpay to get him. That's his modus operandi.

[FakenHaken]

Originally Posted by strombad

To be fair, not only can you acquire those in a draft during later rounds, but we also HAVE Gio and Brodie.

Gio is a top level defenceman, and Brodie is coming into his own as a really strong 2/3 defenceman.

Could we get away with having those two for another 5 years? Absolutely. Could we get away without having top level talent up the middle? Absolutely not.

As well I think we likely have some 3/4 or 4/5 type defencemen that will start making a push in a few years. Wotherspoon, Seiloff, Ramage, Breen, Kulak, Kanzig, Culkin, Roy all will be pushing each other for the 4 or 5 spots left. Could we use that number 1 defencemen? You bet I think they are required to win the Stanley Cup. We need a Doughty or Keith or Chara. Will Gio or Brodie be that type of defencemen I don't think so, but I don't have a crystal ball either. At the same time I don't believe Ekblad is that either so I'd be more than fine with Bennett or Reinhart this year and if Ekblad was available I'd draft him too ahead of Bennett or Reinhart. At this point I'm fine with all 3 none will be superstars but they will be good.

[Poe969]

Originally Posted by FakenHaken

As well I think we likely have some 3/4 or 4/5 type defencemen that will start making a push in a few years. Wotherspoon, Seiloff, Ramage, Breen, Kulak, Kanzig, Culkin, Roy all will be pushing each other for the 4 or 5 spots left. Could we use that number 1 defencemen? You bet I think they are required to win the Stanley Cup. We need a Doughty or Keith or Chara. Will Gio or Brodie be that type of defencemen I don't think so, but I don't have a crystal ball either. At the same time I don't believe Ekblad is that either so I'd be more than fine with Bennett or Reinhart this year and if Ekblad was available I'd draft him too ahead of Bennett or Reinhart. At this point I'm fine with all 3 none will be superstars but they will be good.

I think one of the issues we face is that we have too many 5-6 defensemen and bottom 6 forwards. I think it's easier to get good forwards with late first round picks than it is to get good defensmen. I think in a couple of years, Ekblad will be better than most of our defensmen if not all of them.

[FakenHaken]

Originally Posted by Poe969

I think one of the issues we face is that we have too many 5-6 defensemen and bottom 6 forwards. I think it's easier to get good forwards with late first round picks than it is to get good defensmen. I think in a couple of years, Ekblad will be better than most of our defensmen if not all of them.

Somewhat agreed, but as you have stated in many other threads this rebuild is going to take time. Likely we are still 3 years away and that's with us being smart along the way. I agree you take Ekblad if available, but please let us be patient IE Don't trade the farm today to get'em. IE Don't trade away our first next year to do that deal today.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by FakenHaken

Somewhat agreed, but as you have stated in many other threads this rebuild is going to take time. Likely we are still 3 years away and that's with us being smart along the way. I agree you take Ekblad if available, but please let us be patient IE Don't trade the farm today to get'em. IE Don't trade away our first next year to do that deal today.

I agree with this. I like Eckblad, but I wouldn't want to give up other assets to get him, when we have holes up and down the line up.

As much as I would hate to see the oilers get him, it isn't worth trading up just to spite them.

EDIT: oilers need to go on a tear. I don't want them to get Bennett, Reinhart, Dal Colle, etc., either.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Poe969

Next year I don't see any defensmen who have the potential he does so I'd lean more on getting forwards next year.

Where do you get that impression? Noah Hanifin is being hyped as someone who will be in the mix with McDavid and Eichel as a top 3 pick. Oliver Kylington is 16 years old, and he is playing in Sweden's top men's league, the SHL, and putting up 6 pts in 20 games.

While I don't certainly advocate using what's available in a future draft to influence the decision in an upcoming draft, the early reports are there will be at least 2 dmen of Ekblad's calibre or better.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Where do you get that impression? Noah Hanifin is being hyped as someone who will be in the mix with McDavid and Eichel as a top 3 pick. Oliver Kylington is 16 years old, and he is playing in Sweden's top men's league, the SHL, and putting up 6 pts in 20 games.

While I don't certainly advocate using what's available in a future draft to influence the decision in an upcoming draft, the early reports are there will be at least 2 dmen of Ekblad's calibre or better.

And of those two who would take either of them over McDavid and Eichel? Just a hunch but none. Not even I would advocate supplementing a D-man over McDavid or Eichel at this point. That's the mitigating factor in all this for me though. Not any of the forwards present themselves as a better player than Ekblad in this years draft. I'm all for bulking up on centers and would look to 2015 to do so. This year would be the perfect opportunity to address an equally dire need at defense. While putting all the chips down in 2015 for one of those centers.

EDIT: Julius Honka would be a nice consolation prize mind you if the Flames managed to snag another first this year. then I could live with passing on Ekblad.

[moon]

I prefer Ekblad over everyone in this draft, but Reinhart and Bennett would be nice as well. After those 3 I think there are a lot of question marks. Draistl or Dal Colle could end up as best players in draft but I think they have much more bust potential than the 3 guys I mentioned.

I think Ekblad has a floor of a top 4 Regehr type and wiling if Weber, that may be overrating him but I think he plays 10+ years in the league.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by dammage79

And of those two who would take either of them over McDavid and Eichel? Just a hunch but none. Not even I would advocate supplementing a D-man over McDavid or Eichel at this point. That's the mitigating factor in all this for me though. Not any of the forwards present themselves as a better player than Ekblad in this years draft. I'm all for bulking up on centers and would look to 2015 to do so. This year would be the perfect opportunity to address an equally dire need at defense. While putting all the chips down in 2015 for one of those centers.

EDIT: Julius Honka would be a nice consolation prize mind you if the Flames managed to snag another first this year. then I could live with passing on Ekblad.

Again its too early to tell but Hanifin has some real hype to him, may surpass Eichel

Chris Peters ‏@chrismpeters May 10
MA-born D Noah Hanifin committed to the NTDP U17 team for next season. One scout told me Hanifin was best D he's ever seen at NTDP tryouts.

That includes Seth Jones.

He is approaching franchise dman status from the sounds of it.

edit more recent update on him:
http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/201...hort-shifts-2/

People at the world under-17 hockey challenge at Sydney, N.S., came away raving over USA defenceman Noah Hanifin. “He’s better than Seth Jones at the same age. He’s 16 and six-foot-four and close to 200 pounds already. I think he can be as good as that Jake Eichel (U.S. world junior team forward), but Hanifin will go third in the 2015 draft with (Canada’s Connor) McDavid and Eichel to see who’s first. Eichel skates like Taylor Hall,” said the NHL amateur scout.

[moon]

American D always get ridiculous hype.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I think people are underestimating how difficult it is to find true stud d-men. Guys who play 28 minutes a night in the playoffs and shut down the top forwards in the league while contributing on the powerplay. They don't grow on trees. There are maybe eight of them in the NHL. You usually need one to win the Cup. Keith. Doughty. Chara. Pronger. Lidstrom..

Keith-54th overall
Toews-3rd overall, Conn Smythe

Doughty-2nd overall
Kopitar-11th overall

Chara-UFA
Krejci-63rd overall
Bergeron-45th overall

Pronger-Trade
Niedermayer-UFA, Conn Smythe
Beauchemin-Trade
Getzlaf-19th overall

Lidstrom-53rd overall
Datsyuk-171st overall
Zetterberg-210th overall, Conn Smythe

Gonchar-UFA
Crosby-1st overall
Malkin-2nd overall, Conn Smythe

Hedican-Trade
A. Ward-Trade
Staal-2nd overall

I think there's room to argue which is the more important position. Malkin and Crosby were far more important than Gonchar, as was Staal more important than Ward and Hedican (although all of them less than Cam Ward). Pronger, Niedermayer and even Beauchemin (played over 30 minutes a night, more than both the other defenseman) were more important than the young Getzlaf. I think the others you can start making legitimate cases for both sides even if they lean one way or another (Chara for the Bruins, Toews for the Hawks etc.).

But, at least based on the Stanley Cup winners since the lockout, it's far more likely to acquire that game-breaking defenseman through trade or UFA than it is grabbing that top line center. And outside of Doughty, the other elite defenseman drafted by the original teams were later picks. Whereas Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Toews and Kopitar were taken in the first half of the first round.

I think you got to look at it on an individual basis but recent history would seem to suggest the center might be the way to go all us equal.

[nik-]

I had a dream last night that Buffalo took Ekblad to troll the hockey world and then Edmonton took Reinhart leaving us with Bennett.

I woke up grumpy.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

But, at least based on the Stanley Cup winners since the lockout, it's far more likely to acquire that game-breaking defenseman through trade or UFA than it is grabbing that top line center. And outside of Doughty, the other elite defenseman drafted by the original teams were later picks. Whereas Crosby, Malkin, Staal, Toews and Kopitar were taken in the first half of the first round.

Thing is, some of us don't think Reinhart or Bennet project as top line centers. I'll take a top pairing d-man over a 2nd line center every day of the week.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Thing is, some of us don't think Reinhart or Bennet project as top line centers. I'll take a top pairing d-man over a 2nd line center every day of the week.

That how I've thought about this top draft group for some time.

But then after watching Reinhart, he does come off as a special player to me, better than I thought. I think he could have that potential. But Ekblad is the most sure thing for me still in the end.

Either and I'll be satisfied. If Buf and Edm take both I'll be kind of unhappy. I just haven't seen enough of Bennett to really be as excited about him as the others. And Dal Colle show some great offensive instincts, but is still below Reinhart for me.