Hey Hey…How goes it BLH? Are you guys enjoying your Sunday? I know that I’m having a Lazy Sunday with the fam jam. Whatever you’re doing, get down with ya bad self, and enjoy the day! It’s freaking cold in Toronto today, but realistically, we don’t have that much longer until we’re all sipping pints on patios…
Now I know that there’s going to be a ton of people who absolutely disagree with my placement of this prospect. Trust me, I was torn myself. But know that there are only 4 prospects ranked higher than him, and only 2 are forwards. I’m sure that you already know who the forwards are, but the other 2 are ranked ahead strictly for the Oilers need on defence.
Check out the other prospects in my top ten below!
Ok, first off, if the Oilers didn’t have such a huge, glaring need on the back-end, I’d have Puljujarvi actually ranked 3rd, behind two other forwards. Puljujarvi is a grade “A”, top-end, elite prospect. There’s no doubt about it. Now the only reason that he’s ranked lower than another certain Finnish prospect, is because he is more of a playmaker than a sniper. Honestly, I believe that the Oilers need more finishers at this point. Also, I’ve been reading that he could benefit from learning how to use his size to his advantage. But I also take into account that he’s still only 17, and has been playing against men in Finland’s top league. From what I’ve seen though, he doesn’t exactly shy away from physical play.
So what is it about his game that has so many people stoked? It’s his combination of speed, smarts, and size. Jesse already has a strong two-way game to go along with his great offensive instincts. Offensively he loves too use his massive reach to his advantage, it helps him to keep the puck away from defenders. Another thing that I keep reading about Puljujarvi, is that he has a deadly, accurate, and hard shot, and that he needs to learn to use it more often. But when he does use it, it’s usually causing opposing goalies to have fits. Jesse Puljujarvi is pretty much a complete package, he possesses a strong hockey sense, and an excellent defensive awareness, and mixes that with his elite playmaking ability. His size, and skating ability set him apart from his peers. As it’s hard too find that combination of skills put to good use. There’s really not much to dislike about this kid, he basically has it all. One thing that I really like, is how defensively responsible he is, especially at such a young age. He’s a complete player, as he doesn’t really demonstrate any flaws. Yes, he isn’t as much of a sniper as one would like, but his playmaking abilities are superior. He possesses a high IQ, so he reads the play better than a lot of pro’s. His incredible on-ice vision helps with that. There really isn’t much to not like about this kid…he’s a bonafide elite prospect.
NHL Comparable(s): Jamie Benn, Mats Sundin, and Teemu Selanne
Why would this player be on the Edmonton Oilers Draft List? Well honestly, if this was a “draft the best player available” type of list….Puljujarvi would’ve ranked 3rd. I even thought about possible trade scenarios. But you just don’t trade a top 5 pick and win anymore, right? It’s a lot tougher these days, than previous years. So maybe you draft Jesse, and trade Eberle, RNH or Yak City for help on D? No? And can Puljajurvi step in immediately and make in impact, or does he need time in the minors? Well, for these possibilities, I have 2 defencemen ranked higher in the Draft List. As we all know, our biggest need is the back-end, and I more than believe that the Oilers are now in a position to draft for “needs” and not for “who’s available”. Although there’s two forwards that I just WOULDN’T say no to. If we landed Puljujarvi would I be pissed? OMFG No, he’s a tremendous talent! Would I much rather a defenceman? Does Pinnochio have wooden balls?..
BLH’s Comments: I’m with Kosmic all the way on this one. The Oilers could very well be in a position to draft for organizational need this June. With that said, if they do go ahead and deal Yakupov AND Eberle, they’ll need a RWer and Puljujarvi would be dynamite! Another plus to drafting one of the Finns is that they can be sent to the AHL no problem. But a playmaker this team doesn’t need.
Well ladies and gents, it’s been a slice y’all!! See you on that dreaded “M” day…stay trippy and weird my friends…it’s the best!!!
With all the talk centered around the Oilers and their need for a defenseman, and who they might deal to get it, that leaves a lot of talk about how the Top-6 should be structured next season. On the roster as it sits right now, about all we can assume is that a line of Korpikoski-Letestu-Hendricks should be the 4th line next season, and a guy like Pakarinen as the 13th forward. Beyond that, the Oilers have the following pieces for their top-9: Nail Yakupov, Zach Kassian, Benoit Pouliot, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall, Patrick Maroon
Now, this much we can likely assume for the forward lines:
Maroon-McDavid-xxxxxxx
Hall-Draisaitl-xxxxxxx
xxxxx-xxxxxxxx-Kassian
Now, there’s some statistical reasons for why these players will remain, and some to do with potential, or the fact they were obtained by Chiarelli, but let’s safely assume these are the best bets to still be in these spots come next season. That leaves out Yakupov, Pouliot, RNH, Eberle from the lineup. Now, you might look at this and think “well, those are exactly the pieces we need to flush that Top-9 out” and, conveniently, they are, however there’s some problems with that.
First, the odds are the Oilers will probably draft in the Top-3. If they draft 2nd or 3rd, that means they get either Patrik Laine or Jesse Puljujarvi, both of whom are hot-shot right-wing prospects. Now, you might be thinking “well fine, but we can still deal that pick”, and if you are, I wrote a lovely article a little while back about how teams dealing their draft picks always seem to lose the deal, so let’s call that a bad choice. Now, when it comes to these two, Laine has the higher skill-set with a shot that’s been compared to Ovechkin, and Puljujarvi is more of a playermaker with a strong two-way game. Both are 6’3 and 200lbs or so, and both are in their second season in the Finnish Elite League, and can likely step into the NHL.
From Eliteprospects.com on Laine:
“Laine is a towering winger with a knack for scoring big goals. A good skater, albeit not the most agile forward in traffic. Has a set of soft hands combined with good vision, but prefers to use his swift and heavy shot. Able to find openings to use his shot. Definitely likes to play physical, but doesn’t get carried away by hitting the opponents. Playing in the pro ranks has matured his game considerably.”
From Eliteprospects.com on Puljujarvi:
“Puljujärvi is a big winger who combines size, skating and skill. A strong skater who can blast past the opposition in full speed. Able to use his size, reach and stickhandling skills to retain the puck in speed. A smart player at both ends of the ice, both on and off the puck. Great work ethic and positive attitude. More of a playmaker than a scorer and could improve his shooting skills. Doesn’t shy away from physical play, but could use his size more to his benefit. A truly dominant two-way force that consistently demonstrates elite hockey sense, proactive defensive awareness, and a full array of offensive tools. Comparable to Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars, Puljujärvi owns a dangerously accurate shot, as well as exceptional playmaking ability that pairs up quite nicely with his superb vision and enthusiasm. Has the ability to absolutely dominate by using his size and speed to keep possession of the puck until he determines it to be the right time for the rubber to hit the back of the net. Everything that he does, he does well, to the fullest of his ability; there are no empty holes in this electrifying and hard-nosed forward’s game.”
Now, if the Oilers were to draft Laine, he immediately slots in next to McDavid as the shooter for that line, in place of Eberle or Yakupov. I know, you don’t want to rush your prospect, but Laine is NHL-ready, and it won’t be long before he seizes that spot one way or the other. If they draft Puljujarvi, however, then he likely slots in next to Hall and Draisaitl. Now, there was a great article done on Beer League Heroes by G-Money (here) about why Draisaitl’s performance has slowed down, and those are likely major factors in it. I’d add in that him and Hall also miss Teddy Purcell, who was the defensive conscience of that line and provided some solid playmaking skills, so it might be that Puljujarvi slots in here.
Now, these are hardly complete charts showing every aspect of their performance, but you can see that, even if Purcell wasn’t the greatest in his role, he did manage to provide some defense and some assists, and the Hall-Draisaitl line did flourish with him. Once again, courtesy of the amazing ownthepuck.blogspot.ca, here’s some pretty charts to visually illustrate the differences.
Either way, if the Oilers draft 2nd or 3rd, that means two of the three right-wing spots in the Top-9 are filled. This would also happen if the Oilers were to draft Auston Matthews, since he’d likely slot in between Hall and Draisaitl, pushing Draisaitl to the right-wing slot.
So, thanks to the draft, we’re now at (assuming we draft second):
Maroon-McDavid-Laine [this line is now complete]
Hall-Draisaitl-xxxxxx
xxxx-xxxxxxx-Kassian
Now, if this were to happen, this is where we likely see Chiarelli pursue someone like Kris Versteeg as a replacement for Teddy Purcell for the Draisaitl line. As you saw, Purcell (compared to Eberle or Yakupov or Kassian) was a strong defensive player. And if you look at Versteeg’s chart, you’ll notice he’s a very solid replacement in that role, and will be a UFA this summer. That will fill the void on that second line, and provide more veteran and playoff experience.
I know, there’s people who want a guy like Lucic, but other than his price, if you look at his chart he’s not a very good defensive player per say, and he’s not an ideal fit for this line. So, we can pencil in Hall-Draisaitl-Versteeg as a second line.
That now leaves us with Pouliot, Eberle, Yakupov and RNH left, and two 3rd line spots. We can set Eberle and Yakupov off to the side now as trade bait, both are right-wings and aren’t a good use on that 3rd line anyhow. This is a line that the Oilers will want able to do some heavy lifting and provide scoring. In that vein, if you look at the defensive performance of Pouliot, although he’s on a heavier contract, he provides good value and, barring a very good offer, will slot in here. Due to the insanely cheap contract for Maroon thanks to Anaheim retaining salary, the Oilers can afford Pouliot’s contract for a 3rd line LW, and he provides injury insurance in the Top-6. So we’ll take him out of the spare parts list.
Now we have to decide what to do with RNH. He’s not a right-side player, and there seems little value in displacing either Maroon or Hall from their spots in the Top-6. There is plenty of discussion regarding whether RNH is a good defensive player or not. His statistics say, no, he isn’t all that good at it as seen below. Having said that, he does play against heavy competition, but, if you look at Pouliot’s charts or Hall’s charts, they play with him and tend to do better. However, even if you believe he is a good defensive player, he tends to take substantial damage being an all-purpose center and it causes him to miss a significant amount of time. The usual concern is, the Oilers have had depth issues at center before, and dealing away a spare top-6 center with no depth behind you is a bad call.
But, on the other side, paying an injury prone center $6 million a year to be on the third line is also something good teams don’t do. That means, love him or hate him, the best use for RNH is to deal him, but to try and include, in any deal coming back, a different 3C. As it so happens, some of the teams (The Islanders and St. Louis) happen to have ideal 3Cs who are being used as either wingers, or they have the rights to 3rd line centers. With the Islanders, they have Anders Lee, and St. Louis has Patrik Berglund and Vladimir Svobotka. Any of these 3 players could slot into the 3C role and also perform as an emergency 2C if the situation called for it. And as it so happens, the odds are the Oilers will make a play for either Shattenkirk or Hamonic (or both), so there’s possible replacements available in those deals. This shows you Lee’s performance versus RNH to give you a rough idea.
That leaves us at the following forward structure:
Maroon-McDavid-Laine
Hall-Draisaitl-Versteeg
Pouliot-(Lee/Berglund/Svobotka)-Kassian
And the Oilers now can afford to deal Eberle, Yakupov, and RNH to address that 3C spot and fix the mess we call a defense down the right side. What this would amount to is essentially pulling the pin on the old “core” of the team, which will break more than a few hearts, and will likely lead to the Oilers overpaying to obtain a pair of right-side defensemen, and some of those traded Oilers performing the Jultz for their new team, further infuriating all of us fans. However, it’s time, we all accept this reality. And, let’s be honest, if we went into next season with a Maroon-McDavid-Laine first line (which would probably put up points like nothing we’ve seen for ages), a Hall-Draisaitl-Versteeg second line (which would probably be able to provide effective secondary scoring again and be solid enough defensively to get more ice time), a Pouliot-Lee-Kassian 3rd line (Oh my, the Oilers would have a 3rd line of all players over 6’0 tall who can hit, score, and be solid defensively, I don’t remember the last time we had this), we’d probably see a much more effective team on the ice. Keep in mind, defense is not just something the players on the back need to do, it’s required of the forwards also.
Now, I’m sure you’ve all read the various articles about which right-side defensemen are available, how much they’ll cost in trade, and whether there’s a legitimate chance for the Oilers to obtain them. I won’t bother you all with those details once again. And, once again, this is not meant to be a complete statistical analysis of all the players mentioned, this is more to show what the team could do to adjust the forward lines a tad further and result in better two-way play and a more preferably mix up front, and at the same time obtain trade bait (Eberle, Yakupov, RNH) to fix those flaws on the back-end, and completely change the core of the team to move forward. Thanks for reading, feel free to flame me below as usual.
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It’s that time ladies and gentlemen. We are looking down the barrel of a shotgun named playoffless for a tenth straight season and unless the return of Connor McDavid, Oscar Klefbom, and Brandon Davidson can propel this team past the likes of a surging Anaheim Ducks, the ever-present Arizona Coyotes, or the unpredictable Vancouver Canucks, we’re starting at a top 5 pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft… Again.
So it behooves me to introduce you to some of the prospects that could be available in the form of a mock draft. Now, I had my amazing prospects writer, Corey Mitchell (@corn_cwm), help me out a bit here by doing up a mock of his own to which I will comment on each of his picks.
From here I’ll turn it over to Corey.
I used Craig Button’s most recent draft rankings to conduct my draft. I’ve included the player’s current team, as well as Button’s draft ranking. My selections, with standings as of the All-Star break, are as follows. Note: this does not take into account any future trades, or the draft lottery itself.
1. Columbus Blue Jackets – Auston Matthews, Zurich ZSC, Swiss A (1) CM – Matthews is the consensus number one pick in all the draft rankings I’ve seen. This is a no brainer.
BLH – I agree. Ryan Johansen is gone and they need a true no.1 franchise centerman. Matthews is their man.
2. Buffalo Sabres – Jesse Puljujarvi, Karpat, SM-liiga (2) CM – Large right-winger, currently the overwhelming favorite to go number 2 in the draft, despite only 18 points in 38 games.
BLH – I wonder if the Sabres go with Puljujarvi’s sharp shooting teammate Patrik Laine here. Eichel’s the setup man with Laine sniping… Either way the Sabres need some scoring from the wing and they can definitely pick that up at this year’s draft.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs – Matthew Tkachuk, London, OHL (4) CM – This is where I go a bit off the board, only because of the chemistry Tkachuk has with Leafs prospect Mitch Marner.
BLH – I like Tkachuk here too but not because of his chemistry w/ Marner but because of the Mark Hunter/London Knights connection. I’m torn here though, what about Toronto’s mediocre depth on defense or would they take Jesse Puljujarvi due to his exquisite puck possession skills. We know Kyle Dubas is an analytics monster, how heavy will his opinion weigh on the final say and what about William Nylander’s brother, Alex, who we’ve heard could be better than William?
4. Edmonton Oilers – Jakob Chychrun, Sarnia, OHL (7) CM – For the Oilers, it’s about drafting for need, not best available. A large blue liner to help fill the lack of depth they continue to have.
BLH – I love Chychrun here. He’s a helluva skater, he can quarterback the powerplay, he’s got mad poise, and he’s drawn comparisons to Rob Blake. If Chychrun is gone at this point and Matthew Tkachuk is available, lock it in. Tkachuk will be an Oiler. Edmonton needs to add some character and Tkachuk has it in spades. Also, I’m not a fan of Laine’s history of mental lapses and injury history.
5. Winnipeg Jets – Patrick Laine, Tappara, SM-liiga (3) CM – The Jets would be ecstatic to see this large body forward still be available to them at number 5.
BLH – I dig this pick for the Jets too. His countryman Jesse Puljujarvi has drawn comparisons to former Jet, Teemu Selanne, but I see Laine becoming a great scorer alongside Kyle Connor and Nik Ehlers someday. I’ve heard him compared to Stamkos in regards to his scoring ability.
6. Calgary Flames – Alexander Nylander, Mississauga, OHL (5) CM – The Flames take the best player available to the at number 6, an offensive minded forward to fill the ranks with their young core.
BLH – I don’t see the Flames going with Nylander here. They’ve got Bennett and Monahan to cover the bases for the time being and Nylander doesn’t seem like a Burke/Treliving kinda guy. I could see his linemate in Mississauga, the lightning fast Michael McLeod going here or perhaps Boston University defenceman Charlie McAvoy. Burkie loves a good American boy and McAvoy did very well in the Ryan Suter role at this year’s World Juniors.
7. Anaheim Ducks – Olli Juolevi, London, OHL (6) CM – The top ranked defence man at the moment, the Ducks would be more than happy to add him to a system that could be lacking in top blue liners soon.
BLH – Here is a Ducks team that has Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Brandon Montour, Shea Theodore, Jacob Larsson, Cam Fowler… There’s no shortage of great young dmen there. They’re looking to add some top six scorers and I say they go after Alexander Nylander here or Julien Gauthier. It’s either skills to thrill (Nylander) or Mac truck power (Gauthier). Either way, they’d be adding a major threat to their offense.
8. Philadelphia Flyers – Pierre-Luc Dubois, Cape Breton, QMJHL (10) CM – The Flyers take Dubois two spots higher to add some youth, size, and offense to their forward prospects depth chart.
BLH – PLD wowed at the top prospects game and I can’t help but like him at this spot too. The Flyers are building a nice looking team here with the likes of Sam Morin, Ivan Provorov, and Travis Konecny coming in. Dubois fits right in here.
9. Arizona Coyotes – Mikhail Sergachev, Windsor, OHL (9) CM – Taken right were Button feels he should be to help add depth to the blue line.
BLH – The Coyotes are so boring so it makes perfect sense that they’d grab the least of the flashy defencemen here. Warren Rychel compared him to a former teammate of his, Alexei Gusarov, in that he’s Captain Cool out there and nothing fazes him.
10. Carolina Hurricanes – Tyson Jost, Penticton, BCHL (12) CM – With Eric Staal rumours about, the Canes could be needing to draft for need. In my mind, Jost is the best centre available to them.
BLH – I am in agreeance that the Canes will be looking at adding to their forward corps. but I’m not sure it’ll be Jost. Admittedly, I don’t know a lot about him, I reckon that Ron Francis would prefer to go for a Michael McLeod or Julien Gauthier if they’re still around when they pick.
11. Ottawa Senators – Dante Fabbro, Penticton, BCHL (8) CM – Fabbro drops a few spots because of teams drafting for need, and the BCHL being overlooked a bit. Decent size and offensive instincts could make him a dangerous addition to the Senators.
BLH – Where the ‘Canes need offense, the Senators need defense. If one of Juolevi, Sergachev or Fabbro are still here then I could really see the Sens selecting them. Each add their own special spice to the game but they would definitely be a great help to Ottawa down the road. The Senators did very well with their selection of Thomas Chabot last year, you can have faith if they go a similar route this year.
12. Montreal Canadiens – Julien Gauthier, Val-d’Or, QMJHL (15)
CM – The Canadiens love to take their French-Canadian players, and Gauthier is the best available to them, with good size, and offensive numbers.
BLH – Love the pick of Julien Gauthier here. I’m a sucker for romantic narratives like the French-Canadian leading the Habs to success or the local Toronto boy heading up the Leafs. That being said, they could use a bit of help at all positions. One has to wonder about Clayton Keller here too. The Habs are having trouble scoring and Keller is a crafty playmaker…
13. Nashville Predators – Clayton Keller, US NTDP, USHL (11) CM – After dropping a few spots, Nashville would be quick to take Keller to help with their issues of depth down the middle.
BLH – Not sure if the Preds would take Keller here now that they have Johansen and there’s Kevin Fiala coming up too. I like Kieffer Bellows here. Son of former NHL sniper, Brian Bellows. He’s lighting the USHL up right now with 32 goals in 40 games. A very tenacious player and would be a great fit in the Predators system.
14. Toronto Maple Leafs (PIT) – Michael McLeod, Mississauga, OHL (17) CM – Decent sized centre playing for his hometown Steelheads, and having a very productive year.
BLH – McLeod would be a lovely selection here for the Leafs but I’m still enamoured by the Mark Hunter/London Knights connection and if I were the Leafs I’d go for Max Jones. A very dangerous power forward with NHL size (6’3″ 200+lbs). He’s trapped behind some great talents in London at the moment but when all of those players left to play at the World Juniors, he stepped up his game. He’s a bulldog out there and might have a dusting of the Wendel Clark to him…
15. Vancouver Canucks – German Rubtsov, Russia MHL, RusJr (13) CM – The Russian centre drops a few spots, but with a young forward core ready to take over, I see the Canucks taking a chance on him.
BLH – I do like the Russian here. He’s a very responsible two-way player and add him to the likes of McCann and Horvat and you’ve got some sweet depth in the making. God know the Canucks are going to need it when the Sedins are gone… Best plan of attack might be to have the best defensive team in the league.
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16. Colorado Avalanche – Kieffer Bellows, US NTDP, USHL (14) CM – Another drop in the rankings, Bellows could be another productive addition to an already impressive young group of forwards in Colorado.
BLH – If I’m the Avs, I do what I can to add to the defense here. Be that by taking offensive dynamos Jake Bean or Samuel Girard, the aforementioned Charlie McAvoy or the yet to be mentioned Kale Clague. This team needs to shore that part of the organization up and pronto.
17. Boston Bruins (SJ) – Dillon Dube, Kelowna, WHL (18) CM – An offensive minded centre, if a bit on the small side at 5’ 10”, the Bruins are looking to fill organizational needs.
BLH – The Bruins are solid in regards to their prospect depth with Pastrnak, DeBrusk, Zboril, Subban and Morrow coming up. I think if they went with the best player available here it wouldn’t be a surprise. Two names pop out at me, Logan Stanley (6’7″ 220lbs) and Max Jones (if available). The inevitable Chara comparisons come out with Stanley and justly so. He’s a bit stay-at-home dmen with an edge. Jones’ comparison is obviously close to Milan Lucic and surely Bruins fans could get on board with that.
18. New Jersey Devils – Jake Bean, Calgary, WHL (19) CM – Always keen on defencemen, the Devils take Bean, although not the highest ranked player still on the board, because of his size, and his offense.
BLH – This team is bereft of any prospect depth with the highlights being Pavel Zacha, MacKenzie Blackwood, and Steve Santini. They are in dire need of some help everywhere and I’d like to see them go with Connor McDavid’s former linemate in Erie, Alex DeBrincat here. Devils fans from many moons ago will remember Steve Sullivan… DeBrincat is an elf of a player but he can put the puck in the net. If you’re a Devils fan, wouldn’t you like to see some more scoring?
19. Boston Bruins – Alex DeBrincat, Erie, OHL (21) CM – Although on the small side, DeBrincat is having a stellar year for the Otters. Has the ability to play centre or wing.
BLH – Here we are with the Bruins second pick in the first round and fifth first rounder in two years. I maintain, if Logan Stanley or Max Jones are still lingering here, they should go that route. If not then why not take a chance on Tyler Benson (injuries have derailed a promising junior career but he’s got mad character and loads of potential) or the towering Logan Brown (6’6″ son of former NHLer Jeff Brown).
20. New York Islanders – Vitalii Abramov, Gatineau, QMJHL (20) CM – Abramov doesn’t move out of his current ranking, and could be a dynamite player for the Islanders, as he’s lighting up the QMJHL at the moment.
BLH – I don’t see a lot of weaknesses on the Islanders pro squad depth or it’s prospect cupboard. The could very well take the talented Russian but I wonder if they’d take a chance on the top ranked goalie Carter Hart here. Then again Garth Snow is fairly unpredictable, maybe he’d go as far as to double-down on this pick and take Sean Day at this point?
21. Minnesota Wild – Riley Tufte, Blaine, High School (25)
CM – A big body forward, the Wild draft this local product a few spots higher because of the size he brings up front.
BLH – I like the Wild’s depth on D right now so I reckon they could be after a forward. More specifically a center and Tufte fits right in. Big guy, can skate like the dickens, and has an innate ability to get his shot off anywhere. Mikko Koivu isn’t going to be there forever and the next guy in line right now is Jarret Stoll… That being said Joel Eriksson-Ek is an outstanding center too and he’ll be giving Koivu a run for his money sooner than later.
22. Detroit Red Wings – Mitchell Mattson, Grand Rapids, High School (23) CM – A large forward at 6’4”, the Red Wings have a knack for finding hidden gems in the draft. This local product could be another one.
BLH – The Red Wings have some lovely prospects coming on the wing in Anthony Mantha and Evgeny Svechnikov. I don’t see them adding there. But they could use a guy like Kale Clague on defense. Very cool and collected, doesn’t get fazed and has a very good hockey IQ. Perfect for the Detroit system.
23. Tampa Bay Lightning – Samuel Girard, Shawinigan, QMJHL (16) CM – I have Girard dropping down because of his size. But with so much potential upheaval in the organization, Tampa takes the best player still on the board.
BLH – Sam Girard could very well go to the Lightning but with Anthony DeAngelo and Slater Koekkoek coming would he be a good fit? The Lightning’s roster is deep and varied in every sense of the word. It’s hard to say what kind of player they’d lean towards. Are Stamkos and Drouin still with the team this summer? Maybe Yzerman dips into his Swedish contacts and goes with two-way forward Rasmus Asplund or the gritty Carl Grundstrom.
24. Arizona Coyotes (NYR) – Charlie McAvoy, Boston U, NCAA (22) CM – Good size for a defenceman, with some offensive upside. Arizona has a nice set of young forwards already, and continue to build the blue line.
BLH – I’m with Corey on this one. If McAvoy is still available I think the Coyotes would be best served taking him.
25. Florida Panthers – Logan Stanley, Windsor, OHL (24) CM – With one of the best young groups of players in the league, and drafting in unfamiliar territory, the Panthers look to add size to their blue line.
BLH – This is definitely a team I could see picking Carter Hart. Goalies in the first round isn’t always a sure thing but the way he’s dominating the WHL this year. The Panthers’ roster is more or less set for the foreseeable future so they can afford to take a chance here on what could be a very good goalie in the future.
26. Carolina Hurricanes (LA) – Brett Howden, Moose Jaw, WHL (30) CM – With a second pick, the Canes go off board a bit, taking 30th ranked Howden at 25. Big body centre with nice offensive upside to help shore up the middle.
BLH – I had to take a second look when I saw Carolina picking here, I forgot they got LA’s 1st rounder in the Sekera deal. I like the skilled and amazingly named Sam Steel here. Great at creating offense and isn’t that just what the ‘Canes could use? If not him, then why not a flyer on Top Prospects game star, Pascal Laberge?
27. St. Louis Blues – Tyler Benson, Vancouver, WHL (26) CM – Benson stays on track, having fallen down the list over the season. A nice addition to the forward group in St. Louis.
BLH – Tyler Benson would be a great addition to the Blues and it’s hard to gauge where this team will be and what the make-up of it will be in 3-4 years when this prospect develops but if not Benson, why not a PP quarterback like Chad Krys?
28. Dallas Stars – Markus Niemelainen, Saginaw, OHL (33) CM – Things get interesting, as the Stars overlook a handful of players to take the large defenceman from Sarnia.
BLH – Woof! Another team that has a great NHL roster and a deep prospect cupboard. Corey has them taking the Finn, I’d like to see them take a Canadian. Power forward Nathan Bastian makes up 1/3 of the Mississauga Steelheads top line with Alex Nylander and Michael McLeod. He’s a big boy (6’3″ 195lb) and we know the Stars do alright drafting big wingers…
29. Chicago Blackhawks – Carter Hart, Everett, WHL (32) CM – The only goalie to go in the first round. He has sensational numbers this year, and could be the goalie of the future for Chicago.
BLH – Rough goalie depth for the Hawks right now. I agree with Corey, if Hart is there, they should take him.
30. Washington Capitals – Will Bitten, Flint, OHL (27) CM – The best player on the board with a few teams going for later ranked players, Washington would love to have this skilled player available at number 30.
BLH – What a name?! Will Bitten. I’m not sure if the Caps go for him, he’s a great two-way center but I think they’d likely want to re-stock the defense here. Libor Hajek is a wonderful blueline who models his game after LA Kings dman Drew Doughty. He’s got good hands and hockey sense and he’s willing to play a physical game.
Well there it is! 3000 words later we’ve come to the end. Let us know in the comments below if you agree with our picks!
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Can the Russians bounce back from last year’s loss to Canada to win gold in Finland?
Yesterday we looked at the teams in Group A of this year’s World Junior Hockey Championship. If you missed that one you can check it out here. Today we’re going to look at Group B. This group of teams include the hosts, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Belarus. It definitely looks to be the more competitive of the two.
Last year the Russians put on a good show in the elimination round but just barely made it there after a 3rd place finish in the group stage. In the end they fell short to the Connor McDavid-led Canadians. This year they’re back in full force! Leading the charge will be defenceman Ivan Provorov (PHI) and goaltender Ilya Samsonov (WAS). Returning from last year’s squad are the aforementioned Provorov, Vladislav Kamenev, and man mountain Alexander Dergachyov.
I’m not that high on the Ruskies, I’m just not convinced of their defence. Their forwards are as skillful as always with Guryanov (DAL) and Svechnikov (DET) but from what I’m hearing and reading, they’re just not being regarded as tournament favorites unless you’re talking to Craig Button. With that said, you can never ever count them out.
Bela-who? Honestly… Belarus has taken an eight year hiatus from the IIHF’s top U20 division. Can I be frank? This team is going to get their asses handed to them. The only notable player on their roster is a 6’7″ monstrosity named Stepan Falkovsky who plays for the Ottawa 67s in the OHL. Belarus’ best players aged out of the tournament leaving them bereft of any quality.
Player(s) to keep an eye on: You won’t miss Falkovsky. He’ll be the biggest player on the ice. He’s eligible for the draft this year so I imagine that will give scouts reason to watch him.
After equaling their best ever showing at the tournament and winning a bronze medal in the process this breaking a 15 year medal drought, the Slovaks are back for more but this year but they’ll be without two key players from last year’s roster, forward Martin Reway and goalie Denis Godla.
Returning however are the hulking Radovan Bondra, Erik Cernak, Christian Jaros, and Matus Sukel. The offense will come from a player plying his trade in the QMJHL, Kristian Pospisil.
Player(s) to keep an eye on: Erik Cernak(LA) is a beat of a defender. He’s very physical right-handed shooter. This will be his third World Junior Hockey Championships so the Slovakian team will be relying on him heavily.
Notable draft eligible(s): Krisitan Pospisil went undrafted last year but a great tournament and a solid year in the ‘Q’ could change thata quickly. Slovakia always has a player that makes some noise offensively, I reckon that player this year will be Pospisil.
The spotlight will definitely be on the hosts this year not only for being the hosts but they’ve also got two players who could go in the top 5 of the upcoming NHL entry draft, Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrick Laine. To add to those two are NHL/AHL loanees Kasperi Kapanen(TOR) and Mikko Rantanen(COL).
Last year the team had trouble scoring but that won’t be the case this year. The forwards are stacked! The defence will more likely be the team’s main weakness this year. The goaltending will be solid with Veini Vehvilainen and Kaapo Kahkonen. Finland’s goaltending is never in question, right?
Player(s) to keep an eye on: Vili Saarijarvi (DET), an undersized puck-moving defenceman that is getting ice time with the Flint Firebirds of the OHL. Might have a touch of the Kimmo Timonen or Sami Vatanen. Big time force on the PP though.
Notable draft eligible(s): Puljujarvi and Laine for sure. I’ve read that this is Finland’s version of Taylor vs. Tyler… Interesting. Both players are well over six feet tall and weighing in around 200lbs. I can’t distinctly remember Jesse Puljujarvi as a 16 year old in last year’s tournament standing out. He’s fast, he’s big and his shot was NHL last year.
There’s also a defenceman that is slotted to go in the first round of the draft, Olli Juolevi. He’s playing for the OHL powerhouse London Knights this year. He gets compared to Pittsburgh’s Olli Maata a lot.
It’s been over ten years since the Czechs won a medal at this tournament and in the twenty years since the split of Czechoslovakia the team has only won three medals. But things are changing for this country’s ice hockey program. More and more players are starting to come out of it including New Jersey Devils 2015 first rounder Pavel Zacha, Boston Bruins 2015 first rounders Jakub Zboril and David Pastrnak and potential 2016 first rounder Simon Stransky.
This year’s squad is a healthy mix of veteran players and 2016 NHL draft eligibles. Up in the air is the status of the aforementioned Pastrnak. The Bruins STILL haven’t made any indication as to whether he’ll be released or not. If he is loaned out to the Czechs that will greatly increase their odds of success in this year’s tournament.
The Czechs are still producing goalies like crazy. Vitek Vanecek (WAS) and Daniel Vladar (BOS) will be tasked with stopping pucks this year.
Player(s) to keep an eye on: You’ll find it hard not to notice Zacha. He’s very forthcoming in his style and he’s been on the radar since he was 16. The Sarnia Sting’s no.1 center can be a player that takes over games but it’s contingent on his mood.
Notable draft eligible(s): The Czechs will be taking over ten eligible players but the biggest name of them all will be Simon Stransky. He’s a little guy with big time skills. He plays for Prince Albert of the WHL.
So there you have it! The 2015/16 World Junior Hockey Championships are almost here! There’s no better feeling than watching the next flock of NHL superstars battling it out for their countries on the biggest stage. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year’s!
BLH
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