2022 NHL Entry Draft

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

I think it's about time to talk about who the Habs should take not only with their first pick (likely top 5, hopefully higher) but with their other 1st round pick and a high 2nd.  The top  consensus picks seem to be;

 

1) Shane Wright - Centre

2) Logan Cooley - Centre

3) Juraj Slafkovsky - LW

4) Simon Nemec - RHD

5) David Jiricek  - RHD

6) Mathew Savoie - C

 

I have to admit, I have become fond of Slafkovsky, a rare combination of size and skill. I think he could be a beast in the NHL, led the Olympics in scoring as a 17 year old. Any other thoughts?  Who could fall later in the 1st round that could be a steal? 

 

 

[tomh009]

The Olympics are a really, really small sample size. He has 1g+3a in 21 Liiga games this season (6g+12a in 11 U20 games) so the Olympics are a bit of an aberration at the moment.

 

By comparison, Kemell (also considered a top pick) has 12g+6a in 27 Liiga games. And he's a month younger than Slafkovsky.

[DON]

Hope for 2 good choices in 1st round, last time had 2 1st round picks they did pretty well.

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

1 hour ago, tomh009 said:

The Olympics are a really, really small sample size. He has 1g+3a in 21 Liiga games this season (6g+12a in 11 U20 games) so the Olympics are a bit of an aberration at the moment.

 

By comparison, Kemell (also considered a top pick) has 12g+6a in 27 Liiga games. And he's a month younger than Slafkovsky.

 

True, but perhaps the Olympics were his coming out party. 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

5 minutes ago, DON said:

Hope for 2 good choices in 1st round, last time had 2 1st round picks they did pretty well.

 

Yup, Pacioretty and McDonagh (although traded) was a big haul for a 1st round.  I think of Anaheim getting Getzlaff at 19 and Perry at 28 the same year, set them up for a long time.  It's a big draft year for the Habs  and hopefully more 1st round picks to come although I would be good with them getting an extra one in 2023 instead of  another one this year. 

[alfredoh2009]

8 hours ago, DON said:

Hope for 2 good choices in 1st round, last time had 2 1st round picks they did pretty well.

 

Have the Habs communicated who is their director of amateur scouting? I cannot remember any more

[GHT120]

45 minutes ago, alfredoh2009 said:

 

Have the Habs communicated who is their director of amateur scouting? I cannot remember any more

They've said that Lapointe is filling the role ... at this point their only choices would be folks that are unemployed.

No team is going to allow someone to leave now with knowledge of that team's draft prep and plans once the draft is complete the prospect field opens up (Martin Madden Jr. ? 🤞 ?  🤞 ? perhaps).

[dlbalr]

10 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

They've said that Lapointe is filling the role ... at this point their only choices would be folks that are unemployed.

No team is going to allow someone to leave now with knowledge of that team's draft prep and plans once the draft is complete the prospect field opens up (Martin Madden Jr. ? 🤞 ?  🤞 ? perhaps).

 

Bobrov and Lapointe are now Co-Directors of Amateur Scouting.

[alfredoh2009]

1 hour ago, dlbalr said:

 

Bobrov and Lapointe are now Co-Directors of Amateur Scouting.

thanks Brian

 

One European and one North-America, eh?!

 

If I remember correctly, Habs European head scout has been close to retirement for a few years (Swedish fellow, Markstrom? Bramstrom? *strom) and this setup should work well for the Habs.

 

Go Habs Go!!!

 

Make us proud of being a Habs fan again

[dlbalr]

2 hours ago, alfredoh2009 said:

thanks Brian

 

One European and one North-America, eh?!

 

If I remember correctly, Habs European head scout has been close to retirement for a few years (Swedish fellow, Markstrom? Bramstrom? *strom) and this setup should work well for the Habs.

 

Close - Christer Rockstrom.  

[DON]

2 more picks like #7 would be OK.

[Neech]

4 hours ago, dlbalr said:

 

Bobrov and Lapointe are now Co-Directors of Amateur Scouting.

 

Surely Bobrov is the de facto director with Lapointe being the old regime's man.

 

 

[GHT120]

37 minutes ago, Neech said:

Surely Bobrov is the de facto director with Lapointe being the old regime's man.

Or they plan on effectively having European and NA directors

[Neech]

3 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

Or they plan on effectively having European and NA directors

 

Still, someone has to make the final call on player evaluations. Just like with Hughes and Gorton, we know who has the last word (the one who hired the other guy).

[Commandant]

25 minutes ago, Neech said:

 

Still, someone has to make the final call on player evaluations. Just like with Hughes and Gorton, we know who has the last word (the one who hired the other guy).

 

The final call goes to Gorton after Bobrov, Lapointe, Hughes, Sedgwick and others have made their pitches. 

[Neech]

1 hour ago, Commandant said:

 

The final call goes to Gorton after Bobrov, Lapointe, Hughes, Sedgwick and others have made their pitches. 

But he's not spending all his time scouting.  Bobrov's advice will obviously carry more weight than Lapointe's.

[GHT120]

7 minutes ago, Neech said:

But he's not spending all his time scouting.  Bobrov's advice will obviously carry more weight than Lapointe's.

In fairness to both Bobrov and Lapointe ... their advice is not only their own opinion but the distillation of input from their scouts

[Commandant]

1 hour ago, Neech said:

But he's not spending all his time scouting.  Bobrov's advice will obviously carry more weight than Lapointe's.

 

No he's not spending all his time scouting, but when it comes to a top 5 pick, he's going to have seen those players. 

 

Later picks are where the Scouts (and its more than just the two of them) will have more input.

 

[tomh009]

2 hours ago, Neech said:

Bobrov's advice will obviously carry more weight than Lapointe's.

I wouldn't say "obviously" as none of us are privy to the discussions inside the Habs' front office. Bobrov didn't replace Lapointe but rather complements him, so I expect that Gorton and Hughes also value Lapointe's advice.

[Neech]

4 hours ago, tomh009 said:

I wouldn't say "obviously" as none of us are privy to the discussions inside the Habs' front office. Bobrov didn't replace Lapointe but rather complements him, so I expect that Gorton and Hughes also value Lapointe's advice.

The organization doesn't want or need to completely clean house and pay people to not work for them.  They'll collaborate and pool their resources with the remnants of the old regime. That said, Bobrov has the professional track record as well as the personal history with Gorton that it's not a stretch to say that his seniority would hold water. 

[ehjay]

On 2/24/2022 at 6:56 PM, tomh009 said:

I wouldn't say "obviously" as none of us are privy to the discussions inside the Habs' front office. Bobrov didn't replace Lapointe but rather complements him, so I expect that Gorton and Hughes also value Lapointe's advice.

sooo you think I heard wrong that Timmins draft plan was to clone Mario Lemieux the last 10 years and his resources went there and not in scouting the 1st round?? ;)

[alfredoh2009]

On 2/24/2022 at 6:56 PM, tomh009 said:

I wouldn't say "obviously" as none of us are privy to the discussions inside the Habs' front office. Bobrov didn't replace Lapointe but rather complements him, so I expect that Gorton and Hughes also value Lapointe's advice.

Maybe Lapointe was kept to provide the muscle since all the new hires are flimsy or doughboys 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

Good to see the Islanders beat Anaheim for a couple reasons;

 

1) Habs need to finish bottom 8 to guarantee a top 10 pick and the Islanders have the 9th worst record, now 15 points ahead of the Habs

2) The Habs have Anaheim's 3rd round pick and they are now slipping away a bit from a wild card spot. If they miss the playoffs that pick will definitely be higher

[hockeyrealist]

Got to play poker with a former pro scout recently (has worked for Pitts, Chi, LA), now works in mgmt for one of those orgs.

He said this years and next years draft are most likely going to result in lower than average numbers of NHL players.  
He said a glut of NHL quality bottom six players already exists in professional ranks and team will be inclined to work with them instead of young draft picks, because there is too much unknown in these draft classes.   The players have had their development disrupted too much, they’ve not faced high level competition enough, and the abundance of known players currently toiling to semi-pro/pro leagues are mostly all willing to play for next to entry level money and know systems better, handle adjustment/travel better, and are generally a known commodity.

His organization’s strategy is  to move draft picks forward to future drafts and trade for current prospects in the 21-24 age range with at least a year of pro hockey.
He says their motto is that the draft isn’t meant to stock to your team with bottom six players, that’s what the AHL/Europe is for, he said you draft impact players or bust and get your role players from the millions of hard working players toiling in AHL, Europe, semi pro NA who will all jump at chance to prove themselves and have less sense of entitlement.   

 

Should note he was with a couple of the listed organizations when they won cups and generally knows what he is talking about.  He and my cousin asked that we don’t mention his current team, he is friends with/client of one of my cousins and joined a regular online game we have.  I tried to be respectful, all I wanted to do was talk hockey biz, but half the poker players are American and only wanted to talk football.

I did win some money from him as well! 

[dlbalr]

Definitely some interesting points to consider in there.  I think we'll see a few teams look for prospects over picks (including Montreal to an extent).  Personally, I'd think last year would be more of a concern than the 2023 draft as by then, those prospects would have a couple of 'normal' years under their belt so it's interesting that there could be red flags on next year's class as well.