Who we gonna Draft?

[John B]

I agree about Chychrun. I think his drop has more to do with Sergachev and Juolevi making a stronger push. I don't believe Chychrun got worse, just got passed by the other two. There's also the exposure factor. He's been heavily scouted since his rookie season in the OHL and has been the favorite since his rookie season. Lots of time to poke holes in his game compared to the other two. Especially Sergachev who just had his rookie season in North America. At the end of the day I like all 3 though and wouldn't be disappointed to see any of them get taken 9th by the Habs.

Matthews, Laine, and Puuljujarvi are the top 3 picks no question. Chychrun, Juolevi, and Sergachev and the top 3 defenseman no question (likely will go in the top 9 or 10, that will depend on who Montreal wants at #9). After that you have Tkachuk, Dubois, Nylander, Jost, and Keller to chose from. So basically the Habs are going to get a good prospect at #9 unless they decide to go off the board for the pick. For the record I don't mind Brown or Bean as well, though I agree with MoLG about the holes in Brown's game. The top 12 - 15 players should be top 6 Fs or top 4 Ds.

[kaos]

Tkachuk has worked his way into the conversation with his memorial cup run with the London Knights.

Highly unlikely Columbus takes him but he's in the conversation and is arguably the better prospect than Dubois.

Team will look to deal with Edmonton to get their hands on this kid.

Though I don't see Edmonton wanting to drop below 10th...they'll want a shot at Juolevi, Chychrun or Sergachev

[DON]

MoLG you cant like Pierre-Luc for a 1st name can you, so cross him off?

But he is a big skilled French winger/centre, so will be rumoured to be a target for the Habs at draft and maybe he is good enough to trade up for. I think just make pick at 9, given the options that should be available.

[ehjay]

MoLG you cant like Pierre-Luc for a 1st name can you, so cross him off?

But he is a big skilled French winger/centre, so will be rumoured to be a target for the Habs at draft and maybe he is good enough to trade up for. I think just make pick at 9, given the options that should be available.

Some might say you can add me to that list too

And I agree with the just make the pick at 9 given what should be available and that I think TT and his crew are like

[DON]

Just to be clear though, I am just joking and Pierre-Luc is as good as any other name, just responding to MoLG poking fun at prospect names that's all.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Just to be clear though, I am just joking and Pierre-Luc is as good as any other name, just responding to MoLG poking fun at prospect names that's all.

Oddly I'm fine with a first name having two names but not a last name. Mostly because players are rarely referred to by their first names. And you don't see them on the back of a sweater.

That said, nothing will beat Pierre-Luc Lebourneau-Leblond.

[ehjay]

Just to be clear though, I am just joking and Pierre-Luc is as good as any other name, just responding to MoLG poking fun at prospect names that's all.

I was laughing because my kid has 4 names(!!!! no jokes) none hyphenated (thankfully, I would not have been able to have say on 2 of them) but\and only one last name

(edit)

to be clear, I was not okay with the child having 2 names (1 pick by her, 1 by him) it becomes too easy to have disputes over the name (as 1 parent calls the kid by 1 name the other by...) or it becomes hyphenated when said (to me) is wrong, pick 1 name or give the seed more then 2. That way it can also pick the 1 it likes better later too

[DON]

Instead of trading up, would trading down, whereby adding a 3rd 2nd round pick and picking a slightly lesser prospect in d-man Jake Bean or winger Julien Gauthier be palatable to most?

[dlbalr]

Instead of trading up, would trading down, whereby adding a 3rd 2nd round pick and picking a slightly lesser prospect in d-man Jake Bean or winger Julien Gauthier be palatable to most?

I wouldn't advocate dropping that far down to where Gauthier will probably go (late teens range) but I'd look at Colorado (10) and Ottawa (12) and see if one of them wants to part with their 3rd rounder to go up slightly, depending on how the first eight picks go, of course. If they're looking at one of the top-3 d-men (Juolevi, Sergachev, Chychrun) or one of the two skilled but small forwards (Jost, Keller), at least one of each still could be there at 10 or 12.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

I wouldn't advocate dropping that far down to where Gauthier will probably go (late teens range) but I'd look at Colorado (10) and Ottawa (12) and see if one of them wants to part with their 3rd rounder to go up slightly, depending on how the first eight picks go, of course. If they're looking at one of the top-3 d-men (Juolevi, Sergachev, Chychrun) or one of the two skilled but small forwards (Jost, Keller), at least one of each still could be there at 10 or 12.

If we are moving down I want a lot more than a third rounder. We gave up a second to get Tinordi in the 20s.

[dlbalr]

If we are moving down I want a lot more than a third rounder. We gave up a second to get Tinordi in the 20s.

That was moving up 5 spots in the 20's with the picks going to Arizona being a lot less valuable than 10 or 12. If you're still getting a top-12 pick the other way, you can't realistically ask for a 2nd when you're only dropping a couple of spots. There's a big difference between 27/57 and 12/72. 12 is considerably more valuable than 27 so the second pick has to be less valuable than 57. If Montreal were to drop further down, say into the mid-teens, then I'd expect a 2nd rounder coming back at that time because it's a bigger drop.

For those that like the draft pick value charts, this one isn't bad and covers the first three rounds: https://bluebulletreport.com/2016/06/01/blue-bullet-draft-pick-value-chart/

[Commandant]

I'm not interested in trading down at all

I'm more interested in trading our 2 seconds and getting another first rounder.

The depth of this draft really drops after 25.

[KoRP]

I'm not interested in trading down at all

I'm more interested in trading our 2 seconds and getting another first rounder.

The depth of this draft really drops after 25.

Yep, me too, or trade up for another 1st rd maybe, not down.

[DON]

Coyotes have 7th & 20th, If traded 20th to Habs for both 2nds+prospect? would give Coyotes 4 2nd round picks

Bruins 14 & 29(or 30), same thing trade 29 for two 2nds, would give Bruins 4 2nd round picks also. But being Bruins cant see that happening, but maybe Habs have some deal for Coyotes would like that makes sense to swap 20th pick for?

(Carolina have 13th & 21st; Jets 2nd & 22nd, Leafs 1st & 29(30) also, so maybe other teams who might trade down their 2nd first rounder?)

[dlbalr]

This site is providing height/weight updates from the combine on a bunch of the prospects: http://thehockeywriters.com/2016-combine-heights-weights/

Interview Notes: Luke Kunin spoke with 29 teams so odds being odds, Montreal spoke with him at some point. Will Bitten and Lucas Johansen each met with 27/30 so again, they are probable interviews. Ditto for Olli Juolevi (23/30, pegged to go around the 7-12 range), Charlie McAvoy (29/30), and Dennis Chowloski (25/30). Tage Thompson also met with the Habs.

[DON]

Girard 5'9" 162lb is one small d-man, but is a shifty one and Matthews must have been eating well, 6'2.25" 216lbs

Jake Bean 6'1 skinny 173lb (but he is only a week too old, opposite of Matthews who is almost 1 year older, to be eligible for the 2017 draft)

Mikhail Sergachev 6'2" 221lb (ESPN guy noted "a lot of muscle" for a kid not quite 18 yet.

Logan Brown 6'6 220lb

[Guest Stogey24]

I'm pretty interested to see the direction Bergevin goes with the pick

[KoRP]

I'm pretty interested to see the direction Bergevin goes with the pick

You thinkin' defenseman?

[Guest Stogey24]

Sergachev looks pretty good man....

[DON]

Yes, maybe too good for Oilers, Flames, Arizona, Vancouver and Buffalo all to pass on.

Chychrun is supposedly a super skater and he had that windgate test on bike, which is like torture test to some, but they say he took test in stride and called it 'fun'.

So if either the big Russian or Chychrun are still available, either might be hard for Habs to pass on. Still think Joulevi I would skip, for a forward.

[DON]

Couple more sizes of 1st rounders;

Julien Gauthier 6'3" 230lb

Mike McLeod 6'2" 185lb

Alex Nylander 6'1" 178lb

[Guest Stogey24]

Yes, maybe too good for Oilers, Flames, Arizona, Vancouver and Buffalo all to pass on.

Chychrun is supposedly a super skater and he had that windgate test on bike, which is like torture test to some, but they say he took test in stride and called it 'fun'.

So if either the big Russian or Chychrun are still available, either might be hard for Habs to pass on. Still think Joulevi I would skip, for a forward.

Ya, from what I can see(doesn't mean much), they both look like quality picks.

Having a top D prospect in the system seems pretty appealing. Especially a lefty.

[DON]

Some other;

Clayton Keller 5'10" 165 (small shifty centre)

Pierre-Luc Dubois 6'2" 200lb

Jakob Chychrun 6'2" 190lb

others Laine 6'4" 201 lb and jumbo Spitfire d-man Logan Stanley 6'7" 225lb

[KoRP]

Sergachev looks pretty good man....

Does he ever, one scout said "8 years from now he may have become the best player out of this draft". It would be great to get him.

But as Don said, he will probably be gone before 9.

[dlbalr]

A writeup on the combine: http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/10-takeaways-2016-nhl-scouting-combine/

Of interest are tidbits on Brown (one scout thinks he could go top-5) and Chychrun (a group of scouts suggests top-10 for him would be a reach).