I am under the assumption that ASP and Reidbacher are gone by 16. If either are at 16, I am 'A' okay with that too. Goalie? I would be extremely disappointed if we drafted a goalie at 16. That would be extremely foolish. Is there even a goaltender projected to go in the 1st round? It's mainly forwards I thought.
Who are the top goalie prospects and where are they projected to go?
I am under the assumption that ASP and Reidbacher are gone by 16. If either are at 16, I am 'A' okay with that too. Goalie? I would be extremely disappointed if we drafted a goalie at 16. That would be extremely foolish. Is there even a goaltender projected to go in the 1st round? It's mainly forwards I thought.
Who are the top goalie prospects and where are they projected to go?
Hrabel is the top goalie in the draft and he is projected by most to go in the 2nd round at the earliest.
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To be clear, what I mean by "this is how it is done" is finding potential diamonds in the rough like Wheatcroft without giving up futures. All the Stars had to give up was a contract slot. The Flames have drafted overagers in later rounds that weren't even close to a Wheatcroft, and yet I see Flames fans defending those picks while at the same time criticizing me for saying the likes of Wheatcroft are lottery tickets worth scratching. I don't even understand the criticism, if it at most costs you an AHL salary, why not take a chance? If the kid can't hack it in the AHL, he becomes one of the Flames multiple ECHLers that they actually drafted.
I know what you are saying, but my argument is that Wheatcroft isn’t a “diamond in the rough”. His spike in development has come far too late in his junior career to turn him into any type of prospect of note.
Junior hockey is littered with players like this every season. There really shouldn’t be any criticism of the Flames here because odds are most NHL decision makers don’t see much potential in the player.
I am under the assumption that ASP and Reidbacher are gone by 16. If either are at 16, I am 'A' okay with that too. Goalie? I would be extremely disappointed if we drafted a goalie at 16. That would be extremely foolish. Is there even a goaltender projected to go in the 1st round? It's mainly forwards I thought.
Who are the top goalie prospects and where are they projected to go?
it was a general comment. You trust the scouts to draft a center or wingers. I was wondering if you thought they were less adept at evaluating D-men or goalies
I know what you are saying, but my argument is that Wheatcroft isn’t a “diamond in the rough”. His spike in development has come far too late in his junior career to turn him into any type of prospect of note.
Junior hockey is littered with players like this every season. There really shouldn’t be any criticism of the Flames here because odds are most NHL decision makers don’t see much potential in the player.
Yet the Dallas Stars, who have arguably better scouts than the Flames, gave him a $862K three year ELC.
Sorry if I put more credence there than some CP poster.
And the Flames were once led by an undrafted late bloomer like Wheatcroft in Giordano. There are approximately 175 undrafted players in the NHL.
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All of the top three or four d-men will go higher than the rankings have them. It happens every year. Wouldn’t be the surprised if the Flames grab Willander if he’s still available at 16.
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All of the top three or four d-men will go higher than the rankings have them. It happens every year. Wouldn’t be the surprised if the Flames grab Willander if he’s still available at 16.
Yea this is most certainly going to happen, scares me a bit lol.
I’d rather one of the 2 Russians if we’re swinging for a Dman at 16.
Willander feels like a safe Broberg type Dman… I would much rather swing for the fences and look for PP QB d man with speed or take one of the forwards who drops.
Yet the Dallas Stars, who have arguably better scouts than the Flames, gave him a $862K three year ELC.
Sorry if I put more credence there than some CP poster.
And the Flames were once led by an undrafted late bloomer like Wheatcroft in Giordano. There are approximately 175 undrafted players in the NHL.
When the Flames signed Giordano he already had 2 excellent seasons in the OHL, leading his team in defensive scoring both seasons and earning a spot on the OHL first rookie all star team during his 19 year old season. He isn’t a good comparable to Wheatcroft.
A better comparable would be Tye Felhaber who the same Stars signed in 2019 to a 3 year ELC after he had 109 points and 59 goals in 68 games in the OHL during his 20 year old season. Since then he has bounced back and forth between the AHL and ECHL.
Giordano was a late bloomer, but he popped as a 19 year old. Very similar to most players that get passed over in the draft and then go on to have successful careers. Mangiapane for example went from 51 points to 104 points from his 18 year old to 19 year old season.
Wheatcroft had 20 points as a 19 year old. Granted he has been hampered by injuries throughout his junior career, (probably the major reason why Dallas is giving him a shot) but it’s a classic case of too little too late. These players exist every single year in junior.
I get it, it’s a harmless gamble to take, but there’s no reason to be concerned that Calgary didn’t sign this guy. Regardless, they don’t get first dibs on a player just because he’s from the area. For all we know, they actually liked the player but he liked the opportunity in Dallas best.
FWIW I always found Hurricanes owner Dundon's philosophy on not drafting defencemen in the first round interesting. He feels that is easier to acquire defencemen in trades/free agency/later rounds than elite offensive talent.
I am really curious to see how that works out for the Canes.
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FWIW I always found Hurricanes owner Dundon's philosophy on not drafting defencemen in the first round interesting. He feels that is easier to acquire defencemen in trades/free agency/later rounds than elite offensive talent.
I am really curious to see how that works out for the Canes.
dmen do seem harder to project...often some of the best are found later in the draft
FWIW I always found Hurricanes owner Dundon's philosophy on not drafting defencemen in the first round interesting. He feels that is easier to acquire defencemen in trades/free agency/later rounds than elite offensive talent.
I am really curious to see how that works out for the Canes.
Flames have done better picking defensemen outside the 1st round in recent history. Fox, Andersson, Kylington > Valimaki. After that the last defenseman they picked in the 1st round is that Tom guy who busted. Unless the defenseman is extremely skilled I would rather take a skilled forward high as it seems like they translate a bit better.
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-I can't think of many defensive defensemen currently playing in the NHL who didn't put up some manner of offensive numbers when they were in junior. That's why I wonder about all the love D Brady Cleveland is getting. A short time ago, I wrote a fairly scathing description of Cleveland's USDP teammate, D Drew Fortescue- but at least Fortescue has some untapped potential in the numbers department, where Cleveland apparently does not. 9 points total, to go with 166 PIM's, in 74 games in the USDP, and no points in 7 games at the U-18's, where I wasn't really enamoured with either defenseman. I thought Zach Schulz and Paul Fischer looked much better in the "defensive defenseman" role, and they got more TOI as the second-pairing. Cleveland had ice-times of 6:15, 7:58, and 1:43 (I think he may have left early with an injury) in the gold-medal game against Slovakia. The reason that Cleveland will be in demand on the second day of the draft is that he's 6'5",210lbs, moves well for a big man, and is a good passer on the breakout, and through the neutral zone. BC takes pride in his defensive game, modeling his game after Brandon Carlo. He's a punishing hitter, very mindful on retrievals, and has the mobility to keep a good gap on attackers, eventually angling them into his own version of the "tunnel of death". He's very good against the rush, and hard to play against in front of the net, below the goal-line, and along the wall, plus- he blocks the shots he can't outright prevent. His passing game is good, and he knows how to move the puck quickly. He apparently has a blistering shot, not unlike Tyler Kleven (Senators' 2020 2nd-round pick #44), but he doesn't try to do too much in the offensive zone- and he will never be counted on for that side of the game. I can see there being room in the NHL for a big, mobile, mean defenseman like BC, and I can respect him for knowing what kind of player he is. If Kleven can go in the second-round, I can easily see Cleveland going in the 3rd/4th round of a draft like this one.
-LHD Emil Pieniniemi was another player from Finland's disappointing squad at the U-18's that I wanted to see, and I felt that while he was solid at times, he was largely disappointing- although he was Finland's Player of the Game in the quarterfinal against Slovakia, the game where the Finns were eliminated. 13 points in 31 games in Finland's U20 league, with 1 game in the Liiga. You can't expect a player like Pieniniemi to be spectacular, as parts of his game are raw, and other parts of his game have divided scouts as to whether or not he has an NHL future. EP has an NHL frame, at 6'2", and is a solid skater who flashes 2-way ability, although at this point, I would say his defensive game is far more developed, and will be his calling card to the pros. EP is often aware enough, and proactive enough, to be able to snuff rushes in the neutral zone by steering his man to the boards, and engaging physically. He is smart with his stick, and has the long reach to block lanes, and poke check the puck away from attackers. He has the gaps and mobility to stick to his man like glue, and takes away time, space, and options in the defensive zone with his tight positioning- however, he can be pressured into making bad decisions with the puck, a theme that seems to haunt his overall game. In transition, he's fully capable of carrying the puck out of the zone and through neutral ice, and he has a quality first pass. In the offensive zone, he shows an ability to beat the high forward and pinch into open space, but it too often doesn't go anywhere, and he needs work on the accuracy and velocity of his shot. Back home in Finland, he's shown the ability to run the offense from the point, and the skill to distribute from there, but he often makes senseless plays, instead of the simple ones, that make scouts question his hockey sense. He will need to speed up his decision-making going forward, and develop better awareness if he wants an NHL job, but he could be a good pick in later rounds as he exhibits the ability to turn defense into offensive transition.
-C James Hagens looks to be a sure-fire first-round pick in 2025, but he won't be the first member of the Hagens family to hear his name called in an NHL Draft, as his brother, LHD Michael Hagens, will surely be picked in the middle rounds this year. The elder Hagens is another raw D-man, standing 6'0" and weighing 165lbs, and displaying flashes of a good two-way game, leaning perhaps to the offensive side of the ice. He's a smooth skater, perhaps not elite in quickness, but he has the edges and agility to be slippery and elusive, and the puckhandling to play keep-away with opponents. He's fast and mobile, but needs better acceleration and top-speed. His specialty right now is transporting the play up ice, and he employs plenty of deception, such as head-fakes, looking off, and dekes to fool defenders into giving him space to move, and lanes to pass through. There's no need for quick touches, or panic- he can make the extra move and scan for options and extra space first. He has excellent distribution skills in the neutral zone, and from the blueline in the attacking zone, and he displays offensive vision that belies his rather meager point total of 26 points in 60 USHL games for the Chicago Steel. He can read the play well, and finds, or creates, open space to operate in- although he can sometimes activate at the wrong time, leaving his partner hanging out to dry. There are some mental errors at times, and instances where he gets too overzealous, or tries to do much, that lead to turnovers. His defensive commitment is hovering around average, and his decision-making needs refinement. Still, he looks to have the talent to be a modern, puck-moving defenseman in the NHL if he can round out his game, and he has the potential for much more offense.
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