Detroit: Circa June 2018...

[wingsfan4795 552]

Nichushkin could fall-Russian and lready signed a 3 year extention in Russia. yes I understand the value thing, but there is plenty of value in this draft without taking a blueliner.

You seem to be the Junior hockey guru around here... can you give me an assessment of a few of the players in this draft?:

Anthony Mantha is someone who I'm really curious about because everyone seems to talk about him. Judging by his highlights, he seems like a sniper, which we need. That coupled with his size makes me think his playing style is molded after Alex Ovechkin. Is that an accurate assessment?

I'm also curious about Zykov, Rychel and Gauthier, but I don't know much about them. They are just ranked right around where Detroit will be picking, so I want to know a little more about them.

Max Domi interests me a lot because he seems to have loads of skill along with a mean streak. A nasty guy with skill is likely exactly what we need to protect all of our undersized prospects

If you could give me a brief analysis of some or all of these guys, I would really appreciate it.

Also, who do you think Kenny will go for? I know a lot of his picks are somewhat out of left field and sometimes they are high risk-high reward prospects

Edited May 6, 2013 by wingsfan4795

[LeftWinger 4,936]

Forwards I want Detroit to draft: Mantha, McCarron, Rychel, Fasching, Zykov, Gauthier...not in that order, but any combo of these guys in the 1st and 2nd round.

Defenders not named Jones: Poluck, Santini, Bowey...please no Haag or Ristolainen...

If they could somehow land BOTH Poluck and Santini I would be happy! I know our D prospects are filling up, but these guys are the real deal and are both right handed. This could allow us to move a couple D prospects in a deal for a legit #1 guy or a Super scorer...

Edited May 6, 2013 by LeftWinger

[wingsfan4795 552]

Forwards I want Detroit to draft: Mantha, McCarron, Rychel, Fasching, Zykov, Gauthier...not in that order, but any combo of these guys in the 1st and 2nd round.

Defenders not named Jones: Poluck, Santini, Bowey...please no Haag or Ristolainen...

If they could somehow land BOTH Poluck and Santini I would be happy! I know our D prospects are filling up, but these guys are the real deal and are both right handed. This could allow us to move a couple D prospects in a deal for a legit #1 guy or a Super scorer...

I don't think getting defensemen should be a priority this year, especially with all the uncertainty surrounding Datsyuk.

If we did get some solid defensemen in the draft, I guess we could trade some of our D prospects. Smith could probably draw in either a solid prospect or an established 3rd liner (2nd liner if Holland pulls off some magic)

[Richdg 267]

You seem to be the Junior hockey guru around here... can you give me an assessment of a few of the players in this draft?:

Anthony Mantha is someone who I'm really curious about because everyone seems to talk about him. Judging by his highlights, he seems like a sniper, which we need. That coupled with his size makes me think his playing style is molded after Alex Ovechkin. Is that an accurate assessment?

I'm also curious about Zykov, Rychel and Gauthier, but I don't know much about them. They are just ranked right around where Detroit will be picking, so I want to know a little more about them.

Max Domi interests me a lot because he seems to have loads of skill along with a mean streak. A nasty guy with skill is likely exactly what we need to protect all of our undersized prospects

If you could give me a brief analysis of some or all of these guys, I would really appreciate it.

Also, who do you think Kenny will go for? I know a lot of his picks are somewhat out of left field and sometimes they are high risk-high reward prospects

Not a guru by any stretch, just done a lot of reading and research.

Max Domi. he is not his father. he is 5-9/180 and a skilled forwarded, not a block head like his dad. Other than he has an edge he is no different than guys like Nyquist, tatar, helm, jarnkrok etc.... small and skilled.

Rychel is a success becasue he works hard. At his best he is dan Cleary at 28/29. Works hard, plays both ways, will get you 20 goals a year. he isn't very big 6-0/200, nor fast. In the second or third round he makes sense, not as a first rounder. if he is taken in the 1st round-and he will be, he will be considered a bust by most in 5 years. There is just nothing special about him, other than his work ethic.

The rest already have a bunch of info posted about them in this thread, scroll up and read/enjoy. Highlights as well.

mantha to me is the best pick for us, if he is there, in the 1st. Size, speed, skill, and puts the puck in the net. is he perfect? no. other than the top 3-5 every year, everyone has 1 or 2 questions about them. But who amoung us didn't at 18?

[wingsfan4795 552]

Not a guru by any stretch, just done a lot of reading and research.

Max Domi. he is not his father. he is 5-9/180 and a skilled forwarded, not a block head like his dad. Other than he has an edge he is no different than guys like Nyquist, tatar, helm, jarnkrok etc.... small and skilled.

Rychel is a success becasue he works hard. At his best he is dan Cleary at 28/29. Works hard, plays both ways, will get you 20 goals a year. he isn't very big 6-0/200, nor fast. In the second or third round he makes sense, not as a first rounder. if he is taken in the 1st round-and he will be, he will be considered a bust by most in 5 years. There is just nothing special about him, other than his work ethic.

The rest already have a bunch of info posted about them in this thread, scroll up and read/enjoy. Highlights as well.

mantha to me is the best pick for us, if he is there, in the 1st. Size, speed, skill, and puts the puck in the net. is he perfect? no. other than the top 3-5 every year, everyone has 1 or 2 questions about them. But who amoung us didn't at 18?

I know he's small, but I've seen some video of max domi and he seems to have a little of his dad's fire. He must be a pain to play against.

I heard that people question mantha's consistency.

Who do you see Kenny picking? Mantha seems like someone Kenny would pick, but I could also see him picking the fastest available player. Thoughts?

[wingsfan4795 552]

De la rose looks big, fast, physical and loves to have the puck. Those highlights also showed some incredible passes. You can't have too many guys like him on your team.

Bailey looks a little slower, but looks like he has more of a finishing ability. I dont know if he uses his size, but if he does he would be a great asset

[LeftWinger 4,936]

I can see Holland taking Zykov... and of the Europeans available this guy is someone I wouldn't mind seeing here.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/valentin-zykov/

Don't get me wrong, I would still love Mantha here or even Santini or Pulock. But if Holland picked Zykov, I wouldn't be too upset...

Edited May 6, 2013 by LeftWinger

[Richdg 267]

I know he's small, but I've seen some video of max domi and he seems to have a little of his dad's fire. He must be a pain to play against.

I heard that people question mantha's consistency.

Who do you see Kenny picking? Mantha seems like someone Kenny would pick, but I could also see him picking the fastest available player. Thoughts?

Still to early to tell. A lot can/will happen between now and the draft. What UFA/RFA get resigned? Are there any trades? Is there a hawken Anderson special we don't know about yet? How much did Nill factor into the draft? How about his replacement? all of that being said, if i was to guess.... I would say 1 of the following 5: Pulock, Mantha, Wannberg, De la Rose, or Horvat. Now all are rated pretty close. Horvat, Wannberg, and de la Rose are more 2 way complete players, but lack the high end scoring potential. Pulock of course is a very good Dman and mantha is a goal scorer.

One more thing on Mantha. he is the oldest player in the draft. He missed by 1 day. He is nearly a full year older than a lot of these guys, and will be ready 1 year sooner.

De la rose looks big, fast, physical and loves to have the puck. Those highlights also showed some incredible passes. You can't have too many guys like him on your team.

Bailey looks a little slower, but looks like he has more of a finishing ability. I dont know if he uses his size, but if he does he would be a great asset

That is why bailey is most likely a high second rounder. The difference between him and Mantha is yes their speed. Mantha has great speed vs Bailey has good speed. bailey is almost a year younger and it shows. 1 more year in junior and we may be talking about him scoring 50 goals.

he uses his size mainly to protect the puck. yes he checks, but he is closer to Perry minus the fights. In 3 years he will be in the 210 range and could be the same type of offensive player Perry is.

[MasterPavel 115]

My wishlist in order would be: Mantha, Gauthier, Zykov. If all three are gone then a trade down or Domi. I have a fear that Lehkonen will be the pick. Maybe it's just my cynical side telling me we will take another small euro.

[Richdg 267]

My wishlist in order would be: Mantha, Gauthier, Zykov. If all three are gone then a trade down or Domi. I have a fear that Lehkonen will be the pick. Maybe it's just my cynical side telling me we will take another small euro.

I understand the fear thing. Everytime we seem to be set to take a player with size and skill, we seem to pass. Now that in fact is false, but it just feels that way.....

[wingsfan4795 552]

I was watching the ohl finals (mostly watching Jake Patterson and Andreas athanasiou) and Bo Horvat scored a great shorthanded goal. The announcers were saying he'll be a steal in the mid 1st round. Does anyone know anything about this kid?

[lomekian 201]

I think too many people are using our current prospect pool to judge drafting priorities. When you are drafting 27th -30th (if at all in the first round) or mid 2nd round, you are generally better off drafting skill with a high compete level, as the skilled big guys have mostly gone. But looking over the last few drafts

Mckee, de Haas, Bodin, Jurco, Oullett, Sproul, Tvrdon, Backman, Nedomlel, Marchenko, Sheahan, Aubry, Nestrasil are still in the system with good size. Of them only, Sheahan & Jurco look like good bets for the big team in terms of forwards, but our defence is the biggest its been in a while with big guys coming through. There seems to have been a greater focus on big guys who can skate over the last 3 years, and given the current wings roster and prospects beyond the potential home-run big guys, I actually think we are just as much in need of medium size guys who can play. If Sheahan & Jurco (and maybe Ferraro) can come up in the coming seasons, size and speed will be less of an issue (assuming helm returns), but with the big question mark over Dats, Zetterberg struggling to play a whole season without being slowed by injury and the decline of Flip, our greatest need may yet turn out to be a 2-way playmaking centre.

That said, i agree with the OP that if we could get Mantha and McCarron in the first two rounds, it would be remiss to not take them (unless someone better unexpectedly drops), as we are generally short of north-south scorers, regardless of size. But I don't think a desire to get bigger should cloud us too much, as I think the way the rule changes in the NHL etc are developing, speed will be a bigger factor. Which is why, though a bit of a wild card, AA (aka Greek Lightning) is an exciting kid to have on the farm.

[Buppy 1,720]

I was watching the ohl finals (mostly watching Jake Patterson and Andreas athanasiou) and Bo Horvat scored a great shorthanded goal. The announcers were saying he'll be a steal in the mid 1st round. Does anyone know anything about this kid?

Bo Horvat (C, 2013) – London - 6' 0", 200 lbs, LH shot

A smart, consummate team player who plays a solid and consistent two-way game .. trusted by the coaching staff and used in all situations .. excels at face-offs .. makes responsible plays, exploiting an above-average skill set .. routinely matches up against the opposition’s best players which factors in blunting his plus-minus totals .. makes clever puck decisions in close – and is a threat posting up in the slot as he packs a quick, heavy shooting release .. a growing slot presence as he shows improved timing and anticipation .. reads the play better than most and knows when to pounce into the open slot .. continues to get stronger physically which has permitted him to win an increasing majority of his board battles – not to mention a better base to hold his ground in the slot and exercise his shot .. not only possesses the good vision to distribute the puck – but is also an unselfish player by nature .. charges efficiently to the net and can put the puck on his weak side and still make a play, showcasing his overall strength – and ability to operate on all sides of his body .. can be a tyrant down low using his thick body to absorb checks, and is skilled at putting the puck in his skates to make a play .. excels sheltering the puck and then finding the open man .. would benefit from adding more of a physical dimension to his game .. will finish his checks, but doesn’t really go out of his way to do so .. his speed and quickness have notably improved as he appears a tad lighter on his skates – even though he still needs to develop his agility and use his edges more effectively .. a low-maintenance player and sound draft pick whose game is somewhat comparable to that of Boone Jenner, a Columbus second-rounder last summer.

Not sure about mid-1st, but late-1st or in the 2nd round would be nice.

[Richdg 267]

I think too many people are using our current prospect pool to judge drafting priorities. When you are drafting 27th -30th (if at all in the first round) or mid 2nd round, you are generally better off drafting skill with a high compete level, as the skilled big guys have mostly gone. But looking over the last few drafts

Mckee, de Haas, Bodin, Jurco, Oullett, Sproul, Tvrdon, Backman, Nedomlel, Marchenko, Sheahan, Aubry, Nestrasil are still in the system with good size. Of them only, Sheahan & Jurco look like good bets for the big team in terms of forwards, but our defence is the biggest its been in a while with big guys coming through. There seems to have been a greater focus on big guys who can skate over the last 3 years, and given the current wings roster and prospects beyond the potential home-run big guys, I actually think we are just as much in need of medium size guys who can play. If Sheahan & Jurco (and maybe Ferraro) can come up in the coming seasons, size and speed will be less of an issue (assuming helm returns), but with the big question mark over Dats, Zetterberg struggling to play a whole season without being slowed by injury and the decline of Flip, our greatest need may yet turn out to be a 2-way playmaking centre.

That said, i agree with the OP that if we could get Mantha and McCarron in the first two rounds, it would be remiss to not take them (unless someone better unexpectedly drops), as we are generally short of north-south scorers, regardless of size. But I don't think a desire to get bigger should cloud us too much, as I think the way the rule changes in the NHL etc are developing, speed will be a bigger factor. Which is why, though a bit of a wild card, AA (aka Greek Lightning) is an exciting kid to have on the farm.

No one skill: size, speed, strength, puck handling is enough. You want guys with several talents. A big fast skilled guy is better than a small fast skilled guy. I like a balanced team. Size and speed and skill.

[MasterPavel 115]

Seeing that Mantha and Gauthier will most likely be gone by 22+ a high risk/high reward pick is the way to go. Zykov has the most upside of who should be left.

[Richdg 267]

If we win another series we will be to low to get mantha. But we are also now in the area bailey is a good option. Very similier player.

[MasterPavel 115]

I like Bailey, he just doesn't have the offensive upside of Mantha. At this stage bailey is a better two way player tho.

[Richdg 267]

As of today, if we lose we will pick 23? IIRC everyone else in the PO's has more points than us.

[Richdg 267]

But if we keep winning........ With the 30th pick in the 2013 NHL draft, the Detroit Red Wings take: ........gets a little more interesting.

[Richdg 267]

Ok, season is over. BOOOO! It was a hell of a nice ride though. That being said, next major thing is the draft. We should have the 18th pick. This is the exact spot guys like Mantha are supposed to go. Now if I have my math correct our picks are:

1st round-18

2nd round-48

3rd-78

4th round-108

5th-138

6th-168

7th-198

In a perfect world we would pick up an extra pick between 18 and 48. Lets see what happens over the next couple of weeks.

Edited 5/30/2013. Order is now set for us. We have the 18th pick in each round.

Edited May 31, 2013 by Richdg

[MasterPavel 115]

ISS in their latest mock draft, have Mantha/Gauthier/Zykov all selected by 23. They also moved McCarron to 26. I hope they are wrong.

[Richdg 267]

Yup. Now that the U18 WC's are over, some guys are rising and others falling. Mccarron is rising fast. He had a great U18 WC and we may have to take him in the first to get him, which is fine by me.

I will have some up dated scouting reports, videos, and my own personnel RW draft over the next couple of days.

[Richdg 267]

updated the order.

[wingsfan4795 552]

Cool! 18!

I'm still in love with Bo Horvat. I hope he falls back to 18 but he'll probably go earlier

[Richdg 267]

Sorry I haven't had time to update the draft/prospects etc lately. Been busy as hell working 2 jobs, going to classes at night and still taking cate of my wife and 3 kids at home while packing to move. Yikes!

The biggest thing is who is moving up/down now that the Juniors are finished, WC U18 is completed, and most combines are done. Some of the movers that I have read about:

Nichuskin moving down... Russian factor

Big Fred Guatherier down... Have a hard time beliving this, but is rumored

McCarron up, big time. Had a great U18 and being a 6-5/230 American RW

Mantha up-scoring is always popular

Bailey-down but only because others are movin up

Taking some of this into account, here is what I would love to see the first 2 rounds:

1st-McCarron

2nd-Bailey

No that wold be a dream draft. But most of the guys I have been talking about are still the names in play. Some may be in the 1st now, instead of the second.

Another mover:

Haag-dropping like a stone. Had a terrible WC U18. Same with de la Rose and Wannenberg.