2023 NHL Draft Thread

[Monahammer]

Danielson is the pick in my eyes, and he's being consistently placed in our potential range. Big, good base on defensive skills, strong yet unflashy offensive output. Alberta boy.

[Moneyhands23]

I guess if we make our 1st and 2nd round picks and we do a bit above average (I think our scouts are good). We will add 2 if not 3 really solid prospects. I expect our pick at 14ish will be a solid 2nd line star or 2nd pairing stud.

With wolf, coranato, Pelltier and Zary we are not horrible in the young talent.

Get us a stud number 2 dman in this draft!

[dammage79]

Sandin Pelikka is my choice. Go for one of the top 2 ranked d men. But again I suspect he and the other one go in the top 10. Sparse d depth this year at the top. Very center heavy. Take that center with the 1st. Then dig around with the rest of the picks for d.

[EverfresH15]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

https://twitter.com/user/status/1640176626867785728

The Pentincton Vees finished with an okay 50-3-1 record in the BCHL.
Led by draft eligible Bradley Nadeau who had 113 points in 54 games. Right handed right wing. Looks like he's projected to go early in the 2nd round has committed to Univ. of Maine in the NCAA.

Flames prospect Cade Littler is also the the BCHL and is 6th in scoring with 68 points in 51 games.

It’s a shame they don’t play for the national championship

[dammage79]

Callum Ritchie looks very intriguing. I think I have him above Danielson on my list.

Seem a mock draft where the Flames take Matthew Wood. He looks interesting as well. Early thoughts are I'd take Ritchie.

[dammage79]

I'm gonna a say this about Ritchie: he's got Monnies mitts and Bennetts speed it looks like.

[Sandman]

Ritchie is my guy. I take him over Yager, Danielson, Barlow, or Wood.

EDIT: Maybe not Danielson. I would have to think on that one.

[bigrangy]

Originally Posted by EverfresH15

It’s a shame they don’t play for the national championship

https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/na...ional-junior-a

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

I wouldn’t be upset with Ritchie. RHS center with play making and size is tempting.

[Monahammer]

Last year I would have said Ritchie too. But Danielson was close, had a better season, and is an Alberta boy. There's something about being in the player's backyard.

[Macindoc]

It seems that the Flames always feel a need to have a Ritchie on the team.

[butterfly]

Michkov is 18 and in the KHL already? 20 points in 27 games, and one of the only plus players on the worst team in the league. Pretty impressive.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Michkov is 18 and in the KHL already? 20 points in 27 games, and one of the only plus players on the worst team in the league. Pretty impressive.

Michkov is also signed with his KHL team for another 3 years. He won’t cross the pond until 2026-27, a fact that may scare a team or 2 away from drafting him.

[Arsenal14]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/na...ional-junior-a

My understanding is that the BCHL isn't part of the national junior A program because they allow out of province players. Which is also why the Vees are such a dominant team - they recruit top college-bound players from around the country. Nadeau is from Manitoba for example and would normally be playing in their junior A system.

[the-rasta-masta]

Originally Posted by Arsenal14

My understanding is that the BCHL isn't part of the national junior A program because they allow out of province players. Which is also why the Vees are such a dominant team - they recruit top college-bound players from around the country. Nadeau is from Manitoba for example and would normally be playing in their junior A system.

Don't think that's true at all. I have friends from Calgary who went and played in Saskatchewan Junior A, and a quick look at some AJHL rosters shows lots of out of province players.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by EverfresH15

It’s a shame they don’t play for the national championship

They withdrew from the CJHL. How is that a shame?

[Arsenal14]

Originally Posted by the-rasta-masta

Don't think that's true at all. I have friends from Calgary who went and played in Saskatchewan Junior A, and a quick look at some AJHL rosters shows lots of out of province players.

OK, I did some more reading around the BCHL withdrawal from the CJHL and it looks like it's specifically 16 and 17 year old players that they wanted to be able to bring in from out of province. They mention Owen Power as an example of a player who went to the USHL as a path to the NCAA because the only other option was Ontario Junior A and they feel he should have been able to play in BC.

[bigrangy]

Well as long as the Flames lose their must lose next game, looks like the pick will be 14th with a low (<2%) chance of being 4th, or 13th/3rd if Buffalo can pass them.

Some interesting players available around then, likely not too much of a difference maker but there’s usually some solid top liners available there, just have to find them. Lots of talent in the WHL especially.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Still think in the mid teens they might go for a d

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Danielson is the pick in my eyes, and he's being consistently placed in our potential range. Big, good base on defensive skills, strong yet unflashy offensive output. Alberta boy.

Shoot us in the ####ing head why don’t you.

You know what’s nice? Flashy. Flashy really works. Every year, the Stanley Cup is hoisted by a team chock full of flashy players.

And the team with more flashy players, more often than not, wins the series. It’s an upset when they don’t.

This team missed the playoffs because they only have one flashy player, and you need at least four or five, plus a goalie.

So don’t please please please don’t waste this pick on a corn fed D whose offense won’t show up at the next level, which is always what happens with “unflashy” Junior production.