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2015 NHL Draft thread


Commandant

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If are thinking of trading down from 26th.

May be able to swing a deal for Two 2nd round picks with 4 teams;

  1. Columbus has 34th, 38th & 60th.
  2. Calgary has 45th, 52nd & 53rd
  3. Coyotes has 32nd & 59th
  4. Sabres has 31st & 51st.

I kind of thought might be good to trade down last year also for extra pick, but am very pleased they said screw it and picked Scherbak.

No matter who is taken before 26th, Habs should still have a good 15- to -20 quality kids to pick from.

Seems will be a bunch of QMJHL should fall in that range, several Swedes, and couple from each of OHL/WHL/USA.

(Also likely will be a McCarron 2.0 available from USA hockey, in 6'5' 223lb (LW) Jordan Greenway)

(also I did see Juulsen in couple top 30 rankings, but late 20s)

i like those buffalo picks. Might be an interesting way to tackle it if its such a deep draft. pick 31 is essentially a first rounder anyway

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Greenway on the left and mccarron on the right would also be amazing.

And it would be funny if another russian, Svechnikov, drops like Scherbak did (He's ranked 18 by ISS) and we pick him up. It's funny because he's 6'2, and posted 78 points in his rookie season (just like Scherbak). Imagine the russian line Svechnikov-Galchenyuk-Scherbak

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With McCarron-Greenway the Habs could match the Leafs picks of Tyler Biggs- Fred Gauthier.

Yes the Russian from Cape Breton looks too good to last ill 26, but have seen him ranked 21st couple times, 22, 18, 15, 9., so who knows.

Which is bit better but similar to Scherbak who was ranked 21st couple times, 18, 25.

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I've seen Greenway play a few times at Clarkson U in Potsdam NY when he was a kid..a big kid..and he was a special talent even back then. Didn't surprise me when I heard he went to Shattuck's. Be real nice if we could move up a few spots in the draft..Pleks maybe?

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If still available a Paul Bittner (LW) might be a good choice at 26 (34g 71pts 66gms/12pts 17gms in playoffs), if looking for jumbo LWer like Greenway, but with more offensive skill. Otherwise be smart, ignore size and take a more skilled 'normal sized' forward/d-man.

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Majority of HabFans will simply look at oversized kid and start drooling at possibility of future power player.

As they do with McCarron and once did with Tinordi.

But, late 1st round is best to look for skill no matter size, like a skilled forward (even if only 5'9") or skilled offensive d-man. Those who are both 'Big & Skilled' are normally limited to top tier of draft. And Big grinder/defensive d-men can easily be found in 2nd/3rd rounds.

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Let's look from 2002-2008 on the final six picks:

2002

25th: Cam Ward

26th: Martin Vagner

27th: Mike Morris

28th: Jonas Johannsen

29th: Hannu Toivinen

30th: Jim Slater

Analysis: Two goalies with one becoming a starter, three forwards, one d-man. Vagner never made the NHL. Morris and Slater were 6" forwards with only Slater having a career. Johansson was 6'3" and played a grand total of one NHL game.

2003

25th: Anthony Stewart

26th: Brian Boyle

27th: Jeff Tambellini

28th: Corey Perry

29th: Patrick Eaves

30th: Shawn Belle

Analysis: One of the best first rounds ever produces a lot of NHLers. Stewart had size but never put it together. Eaves was smaller and played 400 games. Belle was a big boy who busted. Tambellini played 250 games and didn't do much. Boyle is a big forward, one of the best bottom sixers in the league and Corey Perry is Corey Perry.

2004

25th: Rob Shremp

26th: Cory Schneider

27th: Jeff Schultz

28th: Mark Fistric

29th: Mike Green

30th: Andy Rogers

Analysis: Shremp was super skilled but wasn't much else. Green was a big defenceman who became all offence and had some big numbers. Schultz was a big strong defensive D-Man with Fistric fitting the same bill. Rogers busted. Schneider is a top goalie.

2005

25th: Andrew Cogliano

26th: Matt Pelech

27th: Joe Finley

28th: Matt Niskanen

29th: Steve Downie

30th: Vladimir Mihalik

Analysis: Cogliano was a skilled guy who ended up more a bottom sixer. Pelech, Mihalik and Finley were big hulking D-men who busted. Niskanen is a Top 4 d-man while Downie was a troublesome power forward who bounces around the league now.

2006

25th: Patrick Berglund

26th: Leland Irving

27th: Ivan Vishnevsky

28th: Nick Foligno

29th: Chris Summers

30th: Matt Corrente

Analysis: Berlund is a big skilled centerman who everyone thought was gonna be a top sixer but hasn't quite put it together (Eller is Berglund 2.0), Irving was a goalie bust. Vish was a smallish D-man who didn't do much. Summers was a bigger D-man who didn't do much and Corrente was an average sized D-man who didn't do much. Foligno developed into a top forward.

2007

25th: Patrick White

26th: David Perron

27th: Brendan Smith

28th: Nick Petrecki

29th: Jim o'Brien

30th: Nick Ross

Analysis: Perron finally proves you can draft pure skill guys in the tail end of the first round. Smith is a good NHL defenceman. Ross and O'Brien busted as 6'2" forwards, same with White at 6'1". Petrecki was a busted D-man.

2008

25th: Greg Nemisz

26th: Tyler Ennis

27th: John Carlson

28th: Victor Tikonov

29th: Daultan Leville

30th: Thomas McCollum

Analysis: Nemisz was the big powerforward that Calgary drafted with our first round pick for Alex Tanguay. He did nothing. Ennis is a small skilled forward doing well in Buffalo. Carlson is a top four D-man in the league. Tikhonov was a string bean forward who couldn't crack the NHL and went back to Russia. Leveille was a stupid draft pick, drafted out of Junior B into the first bloody round and busted spectacularly, even playing some games in Hamilton. McCollum is an AHL goalie at best.

Final Analysis: There's a bigger risk of busting on a skill guy (Shremp, Leveille, Morris) or ending up with an average guy (Eaves, Cogliano, Slater, Ennis) than it is to get a big star (Perron) compared to the big power busts (Stewart, Johansson, Nemisz) the average big guys (Boyle, Downie, Berglund) and the big guys that ended up stars (Perry, Foligno). Goalies range from busts (Irving, McCollum) to stars (Ward, Schneider) and defencemen is a total wash with a lot of guys picked and some of them becoming stars (Green, Niskanen, Carlson) but a lot of them being big D-men who don't go anywhere. This is of course just a small sample size of drafts, but one sees that if you got the later pick, you might as try to boom and bust it instead of playing safe and going on a skill guy.

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Habs only have Koberstein going to U of Alaska and that is extent of d-prospects left in all of NCAA/CHL/Overseas. (Sullivan likely toast & I assume Lernout will be AHL bound.)

So I would be darn surprised if a d or 2 isn't selected from the 5 picks. And with a handful of good looking Q d-men likely available at 26, not a big stretch to see one of them taken.

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Habs only have Koberstein going to U of Alaska and that is extent of d-prospects left in all of NCAA/CHL/Overseas. (Sullivan likely toast & I assume Lernout will be AHL bound.)

So I would be darn surprised if a d or 2 isn't selected from the 5 picks. And with a handful of good looking Q d-men likely available at 26, not a big stretch to see one of them taken.

I agree that the D position could use a little bolstering for the future but it is really enticing to select a forward with skill if available.

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Yes some dozen good looking forwards also look like smart picks in 26 range and Timmins likely would still go best player available with 1st pick if a 'Scherbak-like' kid is available, even if lack many amateur d in the system.

And if one or two of Tinordi/Dietz/Bennett/Thrower/Didier/Lernout can develop well, wont be terribly desperate for d., but bit 'thin' for sure.

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Majority of HabFans will simply look at oversized kid and start drooling at possibility of future power player.

As they do with McCarron and once did with Tinordi.

But, late 1st round is best to look for skill no matter size, like a skilled forward (even if only 5'9") or skilled offensive d-man. Those who are both 'Big & Skilled' are normally limited to top tier of draft. And Big grinder/defensive d-men can easily be found in 2nd/3rd rounds.

Disagree-- It is the smurfs that you can pick off in any round-- it is the big boys that everyone are looking for--- we have enough little guys--- don't waste a pick. The big guy has to have skill--- It is not one or the other as you try to project.

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That's right Blue. We have enough little guys. The difference with our littles are that they all don't have the heart and compete level of Gallagher. If they did, we'd probably still be playing

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Yours is pretty standard fan opinion...bigger is better. But regardless of size, Habs simply lack skill in top six.

Tampa all 6 of top six forwards <200lb, led by 5'8" Johnson

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Heart, high compete level, skill and speed is the mix required by small players. From our small guys, Gally is the only one who possesses all off these qualities. If there is another small players with the same qualities available over a big project player, I'd take the little guy without even thinking twice.

That's right Blue. We have enough little guys. The difference with our littles are that they all don't have the heart and compete level of Gallagher. If they did, we'd probably still be playing

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MB has been gradually changing the dynamic in Mtl..guarantee he won't pick a small skilled forward in 1st rd. I suspect that in round 3-4 a small forward will mysteriously "fall to us" and we'll pick him and thank the heavens.

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Guest Stogey24

We really only have one legit prospect who has a good chance of playing top 6 in the NHL and that's Sherbak. The rest for the most part are bottom 6 guys. Thomas, Andrighetto and Hudon are so undersized it scares me a bit what their potential with this Club really is. Thomas got derailed every time he has the puck last year

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We really only have one legit prospect who has a good chance of playing top 6 in the NHL and that's Sherbak. The rest for the most part are bottom 6 guys. Thomas, Andrighetto and Hudon are so undersized it scares me a bit what their potential with this Club really is. Thomas got derailed every time he has the puck last year

hudon isn't that small. Pretty sure he's listed as 5'10 sometimes

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Yours is pretty standard fan opinion...bigger is better. But regardless of size, Habs simply lack skill in top six.

Tampa all 6 of top six forwards <200lb, led by 5'8" Johnson

Note: Don that Tampa is only carrying one guy that size. Not a whole bevy.

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Just a bevy of average to small guys playing all the top six skill roles and doing all the scoring for them, that's all.

And their McCarron was easily picked up from Rangers (as was Habs version in Prust) and Boyle/McCarron types arnt that expensive ($2.0m/yr) on market and 1st round picks should never be wasted on lower skilled grinders.

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Just a bevy of average to small guys playing all the top six skill roles and doing all the scoring for them, that's all.

And their McCarron was easily picked up from Rangers (as was Habs version in Prust) and Boyle/McCarron types arnt that expensive ($2.0m/yr) on market and 1st round picks should never be wasted on lower skilled grinders.

i agree with McCaron being a reach but that is where market was for him. What i didn't agree with is picking a smurf with the first round pick. A - we don't need anymore because we have more than our quota and B - the market says you can pick these guys up in later rounds. The first round pick should have size and skill period.

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Just a bevy of average to small guys playing all the top six skill roles and doing all the scoring for them, that's all.

And their McCarron was easily picked up from Rangers (as was Habs version in Prust) and Boyle/McCarron types arnt that expensive ($2.0m/yr) on market and 1st round picks should never be wasted on lower skilled grinders.

Better to get a Boyle than a schremp.

Bottom line is don't read into the size too much. If he should be drafted in the first round draft him. Big guys bring one element to the table, small guys bring another.

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But you don't need to draft a Boyle early in draft, can be found in free agency for cheap or later in draft.

Same as defensive d-men like Tinordi, dosent pay to draft them early.

D-men normally take years to develop, when can be found on market without spending years in farm system, or just better sought in 2nd-or later rounds.

(Such as solid looking 2nd pick d-men like; Madison Bowey (53), Ville Pokka (34), Damon Severson (60), Ian McCoshen (31), Stephen Johns (60), Xavier Ouelette (48), Steve Santini (42), Ryan Sproul (55), Chris Bigras (32) and Habs did quite well a while back with PK Subban at 43.)

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