2025 NHL Draft Thread

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

Yeesh. I don't know if anyone is MacKinnon anything. He could go down as a top 50 player all-time.

I don't know how to prorate draft year production from jr leagues to the next but Misa put up 134 points in 65 gp this year compared to 75 points in 44 gp for Mak. Only difference as far as I can see if handedness.

How a players career unfolds is definitely different to a player draft stock but IMO, Misa has the draft year edge in comparison.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Wolven

These lists keep putting Bear as a LW... @Sandman, you say he is also a C? If he isn't a dedicated C at this level is he really able to translate to a C in the bigs?

Hagens dropping below McQueen is surprising. Misa and McQueen were the two that I wanted last summer when I thought we were cruising to a bottom 5 finish and now both of them have climbed so much that it would be impossible to land both.

Bear can play both C and LW, but he’s been playing more on the wing this year. It will be interesting to see which way he goes in the future, as he already plays like a C, even when he’s on the wing, with a superb, detailed defensive game, and an inside-driven mentality. On the other hand, a big chunk of his game is facilitated by his physicality and grit along the wall….

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Bear can play both C and LW, but he’s been playing more on the wing this year. It will be interesting to see which way he goes in the future, as he already plays like a C, even when he’s on the wing, with a superb, detailed defensive game, and an inside-driven mentality. On the other hand, a big chunk of his game is facilitated by his physicality and grit along the wall….

In that case, my (very small) money would be on him being groomed to be an NHL centre. There's a shortage of skilled centres around the league these days. Lots of players can be physical and gritty along the wall, but the skills of a good centreman are harder to come by. I recently read an article on the shortage of good second-line centres; it contained much gloom and handwringing.

Sometimes a player doesn't get to use all his skills; you have to choose which ones are most valuable to the team. Babe Ruth was a fantastic pitcher, but the Red Sox put him in the outfield because he won them more games by batting every day than by pitching every fourth day.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

If ryabkin falls i feel like we need to take a swing at the potential upside.

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

Disagree. Based on what I read, there are too many red flags around this guy.
Even his stats in the USHL are pedestrian.

Go for players trending upwards, not downwards.

6 goals and 8 points in his last 5 games. It would be hard not to take a swing at Ryabkin if he was there at the Jersey pick.

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I don't know how to prorate draft year production from jr leagues to the next but Misa put up 134 points in 65 gp this year compared to 75 points in 44 gp for Mak. Only difference as far as I can see if handedness.

How a players career unfolds is definitely different to a player draft stock but IMO, Misa has the draft year edge in comparison.

I get it, but MacKinnon was an end-to-end consensus #1 in a pretty good class.

The type of player that comes out once a decade or so. I'm not sure this class has a player with that upside, let alone more.

[traptor]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I don't know how to prorate draft year production from jr leagues to the next but Misa put up 134 points in 65 gp this year compared to 75 points in 44 gp for Mak. Only difference as far as I can see if handedness.

How a players career unfolds is definitely different to a player draft stock but IMO, Misa has the draft year edge in comparison.

It's so hard to project though.

Lafrenierre put up better numbers then MacK in the Q, and we can all see how that's turned out so far.

Who knows though, maybe Laf is a late bloomer too.

[Enoch Root]

There have been lots of guys over the years, with more points in junior than MacKinnon. But few of them were projected to have the NHL upside that people saw in MacKinnon very early. His size, strength, blazing speed, great offensive skills, and Messier-esque determination made him a pretty likely candidate for superstardom.

I doubt anyone is projecting Misa to be MacKinnon quality. And if they are, they are likely going to be disappointed.

As Howard_the_duck said, MacKinnon is (easily IMO) top 50 all time. I might be inclined to say top 20, but easily top 50.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by howard_the_duck

I get it, but MacKinnon was an end-to-end consensus #1 in a pretty good class.

The type of player that comes out once a decade or so. I'm not sure this class has a player with that upside, let alone more.

I remember when we were vectoring to bottom four that year, I wanted Drouin as a second choice . But that year solidified my cynicism on this team because we went on a bit of a tear IIRC for no good reason (we built a winning culture though ahahhahaahhahahahhaha). It was definitely MacKinnon as the top dog.

[Yanda]

Whats wrong with Ryabkin? is he a Trevor Zegras?

What are his red flags that has people turned off?

[howard_the_duck]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

There have been lots of guys over the years, with more points in junior than MacKinnon. But few of them were projected to have the NHL upside that people saw in MacKinnon very early. His size, strength, blazing speed, great offensive skills, and Messier-esque determination made him a pretty likely candidate for superstardom.

I doubt anyone is projecting Misa to be MacKinnon quality. And if they are, they are likely going to be disappointed.

As Howard_the_duck said, MacKinnon is (easily IMO) top 50 all time. I might be inclined to say top 20, but easily top 50.

I agree top 20 is probably accurate.

[Paulie Walnuts]

MacKinnon was the consensus #1 from start to finish if I remember correctly. Misa climbed the rankings throughout the year. He’s not even the consensus #1 at the moment.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

In that case, my (very small) money would be on him being groomed to be an NHL centre. There's a shortage of skilled centres around the league these days. Lots of players can be physical and gritty along the wall, but the skills of a good centreman are harder to come by. I recently read an article on the shortage of good second-line centres; it contained much gloom and handwringing.

Sometimes a player doesn't get to use all his skills; you have to choose which ones are most valuable to the team. Babe Ruth was a fantastic pitcher, but the Red Sox put him in the outfield because he won them more games by batting every day than by pitching every fourth day.

Very well put.

[Sandman]

MacKinnon is much more of a leader than Misa, and has that championship-caliber inner drive that I’m not sure exists as prominently in Misa.

Plus, as amazing a skater as Misa is, MacKinnon had some of the best quickness of his first few steps that scouts said they had ever seen in a junior aged player. Plus, he’s one of the few players that actually speeds up in possession of the puck.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Sandman

MacKinnon is much more of a leader than Misa, and has that championship-caliber inner drive that I’m not sure exists as prominently in Misa.

True enough. That said, Misa is at an age where his brain is still physically developing, and he could very well develop those qualities as he matures. The odds are against it; but who ever thought Brett Hull would quit chasing individual stats and learn to be a team player? Sometimes the unexpected happens.

[dammage79]

I wasn't trying to say Misa is the next MaKinnon. I just said he has the edge in scoring production in his draft year.

I did also say it's impossible to predict a players career from production stats.

Anyways, my point was if anyone deserves or has earned 1OA status in the 2025 NHL draft. It's Michael Misa.

[Monahammer]

I would give anything to draft Misa this year, minus parekh. Having the brothers and Zayne together would be a beautiful feeling.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I wasn't trying to say Misa is the next MaKinnon. I just said he has the edge in scoring production in his draft year.

I did also say it's impossible to predict a players career from production stats.

Anyways, my point was if anyone deserves or has earned 1OA status in the 2025 NHL draft. It's Michael Misa.

Oh yeah, no I don’t want you to think I was trying to refute your previous post, I actually agree with you, and I think MacKinnon is a pretty apt comparison. I also have Misa at #1 OA.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I would give anything to draft Misa this year, minus parekh. Having the brothers and Zayne together would be a beautiful feeling.

One at Center one on the wing. Not sure i see our Misa as a center but they would look good together i bet. Drool.

However i would happily take Frondell, Mqueen, or Obrien to fill that Center position as a consolation.

Personally im on the Cootes or Zonnon or Murtagh in the early twenties.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Oh yeah, no I don’t want you to think I was trying to refute your previous post, I actually agree with you, and I think MacKinnon is a pretty apt comparison. I also have Misa at #1 OA.

It seems whatever i was watching they just seem to downplay Misa for some reason. What does the guy have to do get three points a game?

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I would give anything to draft Misa this year, minus parekh. Having the brothers and Zayne together would be a beautiful feeling.

Are you saying you’d trade Wolf?