2019 Draft

[Dabura 12,207]

9 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

Who's this magical-mystical 3rd player not named Hughes, or Kakko?

https://dobberprospects.com/prospect-deep-dive-vasili-podkolzin/

[krsmith17 7,191]

17 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

Hey. Anyone (that doesn't hate me) know of a way to stream this torture-porn tonight? I live in Canada but think that cable TV is the spawn of satan. 

I cancelled my cable a few years ago and I'll never go back. I get the NHL package every year for hockey and have an android box for TV / movies. It's amazing to me that there are still people paying for cable with all the cheaper (or free) options available...

16 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

Who's this magical-mystical 3rd player not named Hughes, or Kakko?

Podkolzin seems to be the next guy on most people's list. For me it's Cozens though...

[krsmith17 7,191]

59 minutes ago, Learn2LuvIt said:

Yep.  Also IMO, this goes against strategy of trying to create consistent parity within the league.  The way it is now, the poorest get the best chance to get significantly richer.  If they changed it to "play for the pick", then it changes the equation to: the poorest will likely remain poor because as stated, they were the poorest and shouldn't be expected to miraculously become better in the final stretch of the season to win the highest or very high draft pick.  They are the poorest/worst team for a reason and the league has a vested interest in making sure these teams have a fighting chance at becoming rich in the future.

Last thought...playing for the pick might actually cause teams to "fake tank" ...."lying in the bushes and wait" until the "play for the pick" sweepstakes begin...then they kick it in gear and suddenly look like the best of the worst teams and win the highest for a very high draft pick.

Sure, they get the "best chance" at the top pick now, but that chance is still really low. They're playing against the field, and have less than a 1 in 5 shot at the top pick. There's a 50/50 chance the worst team in the league gets a top 3 pick or the 4th pick. Those aren't great odds...

Any team can beat any team on any night. If the "worst team" in the league has 15 games to accumulate points, and the "best of the worst teams" has 1 or 2 games to accumulate points, who do you think will end up with more points? Obviously the former... With the "Gold Plan", no team is likely to move up or down more than a few spots, especially with the motivation to win every night.

[Learn2LuvIt 245]

44 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

Sure, they get the "best chance" at the top pick now, but that chance is still really low. They're playing against the field, and have less than a 1 in 5 shot at the top pick. There's a 50/50 chance the worst team in the league gets a top 3 pick or the 4th pick. Those aren't great odds...

Any team can beat any team on any night. If the "worst team" in the league has 15 games to accumulate points, and the "best of the worst teams" has 1 or 2 games to accumulate points, who do you think will end up with more points? Obviously the former... With the "Gold Plan", no team is likely to move up or down more than a few spots, especially with the motivation to win every night.

Fair point for sure

[F.Michael 4,590]

1 hour ago, Dabura said:

https://dobberprospects.com/prospect-deep-dive-vasili-podkolzin/

 

1 hour ago, krsmith17 said:

 

Podkolzin seems to be the next guy on most people's list. For me it's Cozens though...

So...He's like a 'mini-Ovi' ?

Me likey.

[krsmith17 7,191]

8 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

So...He's like a 'mini-Ovi' ?

Me likey.

I don't see much Ovechkin in him. I see him as more of a Tarasenko type player...

[Dabura 12,207]

2 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

So...He's like a 'mini-Ovi' ?

Me likey.

He does qualify as a power-winger. Plays a hard-nosed, determined game, extremely skilled. In that sense he's maybe a bit like Ovie. But I think what make him special is the all-around game; he can be trusted to play in all situations and he can be leaned on in critical moments. He's a remarkably mature player for his age. So, personally, I liken him more to Datsyuk, Zetterberg.

[F.Michael 4,590]

1 minute ago, krsmith17 said:

I don't see much Ovechkin in him. I see him as more of a Tarasenko type player...

 

1 minute ago, Dabura said:

He does qualify as a power-winger. Plays a hard-nosed, determined game, extremely skilled. In that sense he's maybe a bit like Ovie. But I think what make him special is the all-around game; he can be trusted to play in all situations and he can be leaned on in critical moments. He's a remarkably mature player for his age. So, personally, I liken him more to Datsyuk, Zetterberg.

C'mon - I can dream - can't I ?

[kipwinger 8,524]

The article that came out the other day compared him to Rick Nash.  I can see that a little bit stylistically. 

[Dabura 12,207]

Just now, F.Michael said:

C'mon - I can dream - can't I ?

NO DREAMING ALLOWED

[F.Michael 4,590]

2 minutes ago, Dabura said:

NO DREAMING ALLOWED

 

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

2 hours ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

Hey. Anyone (that doesn't hate me) know of a way to stream this torture-porn tonight? I live in Canada but think that cable TV is the spawn of satan. 

I'll PM you a stream about an hour b4 it starts. I think CBS might have a free official stream online though.

2 hours ago, krsmith17 said:

I cancelled my cable a few years ago and I'll never go back. I get the NHL package every year for hockey and have an android box for TV / movies. It's amazing to me that there are still people paying for cable with all the cheaper (or free) options available...

Podkolzin seems to be the next guy on most people's list. For me it's Cozens though...

Google NHL streams. Don't even need the NHL package. Most all streams are HD too these days.

[Akakabuto 1,750]

If we draft Cozens we can call him Cozy. 

[krsmith17 7,191]

26 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Google NHL streams. Don't even need the NHL package. Most all streams are HD too these days.

That's great, but for me the NHL package is well worth the money. I haven't missed a Red Wings game in the past 10 years, but there are only about 20 games a season that I can sit down and watch live from start to finish. I'm either out for the night (watch it the next day), late getting home from hockey (an hour or so behind), or have to pause it multiple times during the game (to do dad stuff)...

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

Just now, krsmith17 said:

That's great, but for me the NHL package is well worth the money. I haven't missed a Red Wings game in the past 10 years, but there are only about 20 games a season that I can sit down and watch live from start to finish. I'm either out for the night (watch it the next day), late getting home from hockey (an hour or so behind), or have to pause it multiple times during the game (to do dad stuff)...

Probably smart. It's 2019 and I still have to run to piss and grab beers during the commercial breaks.

[Dabura 12,207]

11 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

If we draft Cozens we can call him Cozy. 

No we're calling him Baseball.

[F.Michael 4,590]

Only 1 Dman ranked in the top 10...What's the chance of Holland nabbing Byram?

 

3 minutes ago, Dabura said:

No we're calling him Baseball.

R2D2.

R - because he's a righty, 2 - because he'll instantly become our 2nd best center...D2 - because he's the 2nd Dylan on the team (unless McIlrath is in the line up). 

Edited April 9, 2019 by F.Michael

[krsmith17 7,191]

3 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

Only 1 Dman ranked in the top 10...What's the chance of Holland nabbing Byram?

Not unless he trades back. I don't see Holland picking Byram 1st overall...

[Dabura 12,207]

2 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

Only 1 Dman ranked in the top 10...What's the chance of Holland nabbing Byram?

He's #3 on my list and I'm thinking he's probably #3 or #4 on the Wings' list. Wings made it known that they were planning on getting a defenseman with the first pick in last year's draft and Byram is a bona fide stud. I'll be somewhat surprised if he doesn't get taken in the top five or six.

[Learn2LuvIt 245]

3 hours ago, Dabura said:

https://dobberprospects.com/prospect-deep-dive-vasili-podkolzin/

This video compilations of players are always really interesting to me.  I tend not to pay too much attention to the one-timers directly in front of the net (that's really more of a product of a great assist), or the wrist shots from 15' out...those plays and associated skill set don't typically translate on equal par to the NHL game as other qualities (IMO). What I DO (or stood out) like about this Podkolzin kid is his calmness and power in controlling the puck through traffic...and then the finish.  Very small sample size, but impressive.  One last thing that i noticed was his teammates reaction when he scored...although a national/pride game being played, they all seemed super pumped for him and swarmed him..I wouldn't even consider drafting a player on this last  observation alone...but it doesn't suck that he seems to be well liked by his teammates.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Learn2LuvIt

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

1 minute ago, Learn2LuvIt said:

This video compilations of players are always really interesting to me.  I tend not to pay attention too much attention to the one-timers directly in front of the net (that's really more of a product of a great assist), or the wrist shots from 15' out...those plays and associated skill set don't typically translate on equal par to the NHL game as other qualities (IMO). What I DO (or stood out) like about this Podkolzin kid is his calmness and power in controlling the puck through traffic...and then the finish.  Very small sample size, but impressive.  One last thing that i noticed was his teammates reaction when he scored...although a national/pride game being played, they all seemed super pumped for him and swarmed him..I wouldn't even consider drafting a player on this last  observation alone...but it doesn't suck that he seems to be well liked by his teammates.

Pods is gonna be the Pettersson of this draft

[krsmith17 7,191]

1 minute ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Pods is gonna be the Pettersson of this draft

Wouldn't be surprised to be honest...

[Jonas Mahonas 1,872]

I'm not worried about the durability of Kakko, V-Pod, Cozens, or Dach as much as I am Hughes.  The NHL has a lot of traffic, and that can make it challenging for little guys.

[Dabura 12,207]

18 minutes ago, Learn2LuvIt said:

This video compilations of players are always really interesting to me.  I tend not to pay attention too much attention to the one-timers directly in front of the net (that's really more of a product of a great assist), or the wrist shots from 15' out...those plays and associated skill set don't typically translate on equal par to the NHL game as other qualities (IMO). What I DO (or stood out) like about this Podkolzin kid is his calmness and power in controlling the puck through traffic...and then the finish.  Very small sample size, but impressive.  One last thing that i noticed was his teammates reaction when he scored...although a national/pride game being played, they all seemed super pumped for him and swarmed him..I wouldn't even consider drafting a player on this last  observation alone...but it doesn't suck that he seems to be well liked by his teammates.

Those two things -- the control and the teammate HYPE! -- are a big part of why he reminds me of Datsyuk and Zetterberg. I think his skating is actually kind of sub-optimal (seems like I'm the only person in the world who feels this way), but he more than makes up for it with possession prowess, playmaking ability, hockey sense, and sheer force of will. He plays like a pro, to the point where it can actually be a bit surreal at times. The teammates being so pumped for him speaks to his leadership, imo. Dude goes 100% all the time, in every situation. When you have a leader who's as skilled as he is AND he's running the power play and he's killing penalties and he's going HAM on every shift and he's scoring goals, that's huge for a team.

Here's a rundown I did back in January:

On 1/30/2019 at 10:17 AM, Dabura said:

It's fair to say Podkolzin has emerged as the midseason consensus #3...

• Bob Mckenzie ranks him third, based on a ten-scout survey
• Craig Button ranks him third
• Adam Kimelman, Mike G. Morreale, and Guillaume Lepage rank him third (or they simply believe the Kings should take him if they get the #3 pick)
• Central Scouting ranks him second among international skaters, behind only Kakko

Do I think this level of HYPE! is justified? I don't think there's truly a clear-cut #3 guy at this point in time, so, in that sense, I would say the Podkolzin HYPE! is a bit much. I think he'd be a good pick at 3rd overall. I just don't feel he, or anyone else, should be considered THE #3 guy right now.

But make no mistake: there's a whole lot to love about Podkolzin.

Like Kakko, he's an all-around scoring winger with enormous upside. Lethal shooter from as far out as the tops of the circles, like Zadina. Willing to get dirty and crash the net, like Bertuzzi. Sophisticated, deliberate playmaker, like Larkin. Has a motor that's always going at 100%, like Larkin. Is a natural leader who leads by example, like Larkin. Plays in all situations and is leaned on in critical moments, like Larkin. Is committed to being a good all-around player, like Larkin. Ultra-competitive, will put everything he has into getting the job done, like Larkin. Very strong on his skates, like Larkin. Heavy on the puck and knows how to "lean on" guys in a checking context, like Zetterberg.

What really stands out to me is how mature his game is. It's hard to explain, but when I watch him...he almost looks like a pro player trapped in a kid's body. He plays a smart man's game. He's the kind of player Mike Babcock adores: all the skill in the world plus a blue-collar ethos. He's not really what you'd call an elite two-way player, but I think he has the potential to be a Delta Force Swiss Army Knife Ninja Jedi Operator who can be counted on to do a ton of heavy lifting and consistently win power-versus-power matchups.

My only concern lies with the skating. It's not bad, but he needs to generate more power in his strides and in his first steps. If he's to continue playing an effective Larkin-esque game at higher levels, he has to get more out of his legs, IMO.

tl;dr Not sure I'd take him 3rd overall (especially if I'm the Wings), but, all things considered, he's as tantalizing as anyone not named Hughes or Kakko.

Here's a more comprehensive scouting report, done by a French dude:

 

Edited April 9, 2019 by Dabura

[F.Michael 4,590]

25 minutes ago, Dabura said:

He's #3 on my list and I'm thinking he's probably #3 or #4 on the Wings' list. Wings made it known that they were planning on getting a defenseman with the first pick in last year's draft and Byram is a bona fide stud. I'll be somewhat surprised if he doesn't get taken in the top five or six.

Is there any current/former NHL'er that Byram would be compared to?