2020 Draft Thread

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

59 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

I don’t know if people count them among the contenders or not but it doesn’t seems to be a lot of talk about them.  They are definitely a ”dark horse” in my book. 

Also; Aube-Kubel>Abdelkader. 

I think the Flyers are in a very nice spot all of the sudden besides goaltending. But Hart was a high ranked goalie in his draft year. He could pop off and be a darkhorse goalie. He was ok for them as a 20 year old last year...

Imagine if Patrick, Sanheim, and Provorov decide to go off this season. Suddenly they'd be one of the deeper skating groups in the entire league I would think. They've got room to shed people if they want to too, because they have plenty of good prospects lying in wait:  Rubstov, Laberge, Matt Strome, Ratcliffe, Frost, O'brien, Farabee. Not sure which ones are eligible to play when, but Philly has been quietly stacking a lot of decent talent.

[Akakabuto 1,750]

19 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

I think the Flyers are in a very nice spot all of the sudden besides goaltending. But Hart was a high ranked goalie in his draft year. He could pop off and be a darkhorse goalie. He was ok for them as a 20 year old last year...

Looked around a little bit and Flyers-fans seems pretty hyped about the guy. The Flyers have been trying to win for a bunch of years. Wouldn't mind them winning ECF. I never wish another team a cup though..

Edited September 17, 2019 by Akakabuto

[Dabura 12,207]

20 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

I think the Flyers are in a very nice spot all of the sudden besides goaltending. But Hart was a high ranked goalie in his draft year. He could pop off and be a darkhorse goalie. He was ok for them as a 20 year old last year...

Imagine if Patrick, Sanheim, and Provorov decide to go off this season. Suddenly they'd be one of the deeper skating groups in the entire league I would think. They've got room to shed people if they want to too, because they have plenty of good prospects lying in wait:  Rubstov, Laberge, Matt Strome, Ratcliffe, Frost, O'brien, Farabee. Not sure which ones are eligible to play when, but Philly has been quietly stacking a lot of decent talent.

You, an intellectual: "I'd rather see my team suck ass for a few years than see them make the playoffs every other year and get bounced in the first round. What's the point of being a bubble team?"

Flyers: [Giroux, Voracek, Couturier, van Riemsdyk, Konecny, Patrick, Farabee, Provorov, Gostisbehere, Sanheim, York, Hart.]

1 hour ago, Akakabuto said:

Looked around a little bit and Flyers-fans seems pretty hyped about the guy. The Flyers have been trying to win for a bunch of years. Wouldn't mind them winning ECF. I never wish another team a cup though..

Flyers culture is the same as Habs culture in that there's no tolerance for prolonged sucking. The fans are intense as f***. (I live in Flyers territory.)

As for Carter Hart, he's a stud. Goaltending has been Philly's downfall for decades and now they have a highly touted homegrown guy who put up a .917 save percentage through 31 games as a 20-year-old NHL rookie.

[Akakabuto 1,750]

1 hour ago, Dabura said:

Flyers culture is the same as Habs culture in that there's no tolerance for prolonged sucking. The fans are intense as f***. (I live in Flyers territory.)

I like that. Am I wrong for not hating the Habs too? Don't really see the as a rival to the Red Wings.

I hate the Leafs, Blackhawks, Bruins, Pens, Ducks and the Avalanche, I promise!

 

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

1 hour ago, Dabura said:

You, an intellectual: "I'd rather see my team suck ass for a few years than see them make the playoffs every other year and get bounced in the first round. What's the point of being a bubble team?"

Flyers: [Giroux, Voracek, Couturier, van Riemsdyk, Konecny, Patrick, Farabee, Provorov, Gostisbehere, Sanheim, York, Hart.]

I would feel like more of an intellectual with names like Giroux, Couturier, and Gostisbehere on the roster...

Perhaps I will play le hockey? Write my memoir in the cafe? Enjoy a cigarette in the moonlight? Alas, I do not know. Time is so fleeting and the grave so near. C'est la vie.

When did the Flyers become a buncha soft frenchie nerds?

1 hour ago, Dabura said:

Flyers culture is the same as Habs culture in that there's no tolerance for prolonged sucking. The fans are intense as f***. (I live in Flyers territory.)

As for Carter Hart, he's a stud. Goaltending has been Philly's downfall for decades and now they have a highly touted homegrown guy who put up a .917 save percentage through 31 games as a 20-year-old NHL rookie.

The Wings are like the biggest boom or bust franchise of all time. Production line era greatness --> 30 years of dead wings ---> The glorious streak era ---> Whatever you wanna call this current dump heap.

We really don't do mediocrity well, unless you wanna count the end of the streak

I'm not ready to call Hart a stud yet after 30 games, cause I hope he's not. If that's the case I think that club is a definite dark horse. If not this year, soon.

 

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

3 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

I like that. Am I wrong for not hating the Habs too? Don't really see the as a rival to the Red Wings.

I hate the Leafs, Blackhawks, Bruins, Pens, Ducks and the Avalanche, I promise!

 

Current mood:

1. Leafs <----- Perpetually my most hated. Only the turn of the century Avs could dethrone them.
2. Hawks
3. Bolts <------ New thing
4. Pens <------ Still bitter
5. Bruins
6. Avs <-------- Falling quickly
7. Ducks <----- Why are they always so easy to hate?
8. Sharks
9. Blues
10. Ottawa <-- Purely for incompetence. Like what're you even doing?

[Akakabuto 1,750]

Just now, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Current mood:

1. Leafs <----- Perpetually my most hated. Only the turn of the century Avs could dethrone them.
2. Hawks
3. Bolts <------ New thing
4. Pens <------ Still bitter
5. Bruins
6. Avs <-------- Falling quickly
7. Ducks <----- Why are they always so easy to hate?
8. Sharks
9. Blues
10. Ottawa <-- Purely for incompetence. Like what're you even doing?

Yeah, forgot about the lightning(all team names in singular are stupid). Seriiously, f**k Tyler Johnson.

Can't bring myself to hate on the sens, just feel bad for the poor souls who cheer for that team. Imagine having Eugene Melnyk as the owner of your favorite sports team.

8 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

7. Ducks <----- Why are they always so easy to hate?

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

10 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

Yeah, forgot about the lightning(all team names in singular are stupid). Seriiously, f**k Tyler Johnson.

Can't bring myself to hate on the sens, just feel bad for the poor souls who cheer for that team. Imagine having Eugene Melnyk as the owner of your favorite sports team.

Ottawa Senators fan... AKA a total brainlet who should've been rootin' for the Habs or Leafs the last 30 years

[Akakabuto 1,750]

2 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Leafs

Isn't the Leafs fan the typical canadian NPC?

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

6 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

Isn't the Leafs fan the typical canadian NPC?

Me: "Meh, I don't really buy the TSN hype, I don't think it's the Leafs year (again)"

Torontonian: "STOP! You've violated the law. Pay the court a fine or serve your sentence. Your stolen goods are now forfeit."

[Dabura 12,207]

31 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

I would feel like more of an intellectual with names like Giroux, Couturier, and Gostisbehere on the roster...

Right. I'm using "intellectual" as a pejorative here. The longer our rebuild drags on without that immediate and glorious payoff that everyone secretly hopes the rebuild gods will bestow upon their team, the more I dislike the "There's nothing worse than being a team stuck in no man's land" line.

50 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

When did the Flyers become a buncha soft frenchie nerds?

I dunno, but for the first time in forever I find myself not actively hating them. Which is weird because Frenchies are super-hatable.

55 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

We really don't do mediocrity well, unless you wanna count the end of the streak

The frustrating thing about those end-of-an-era years is that we were arguably just a couple of home run draft selections away from things going very differently and this rebuild never happening. While it's not really fair to say our drafting failed us, we really didn't give the aging core much to work with.

1 hour ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

I'm not ready to call Hart a stud yet after 30 games, cause I hope he's not. If that's the case I think that club is a definite dark horse. If not this year, soon.

Well, stud in the sense that he's highly touted and thus far he's more than delivered on the HYPE! But, yeah, time will tell. Flyers fans will jump off bridges if they get bait-and-switched with a goalie who looked like everything they'd been praying for but ended up being a nobody.

[Dabura 12,207]

1 hour ago, Akakabuto said:

I like that. Am I wrong for not hating the Habs too? Don't really see the as a rival to the Red Wings.

I hate the Leafs, Blackhawks, Bruins, Pens, Ducks and the Avalanche, I promise!

TBH, I don't truly hate any teams atm. I mean, I hate the Leafs on principle (insufferable fans and media), but it ain't the real thing.

That might actually be the worst part of the Wings' slide into irrelevance. There's a whole bunch of hockey fan feels that I don't get to feel anymore because my team is a doormat that isn't good enough to be able to develop legit, reciprocal beef with another other team.

[Akakabuto 1,750]

3 minutes ago, Dabura said:

TBH, I don't truly hate any teams atm. I mean, I hate the Leafs on principle (insufferable fans and media), but it ain't the real thing.

That might actually be the worst part of the Wings' slide into irrelevance. There's a whole bunch of hockey fan feels that I don't get to feel anymore because my team is a doormat that isn't good enough to be able to develop legit, reciprocal beef with another other team.

Yeah, you're right. It is somewhat hard to get really going.

 

 

But then the blackhawks jump up to nr 3 in the draft and my blood starts to boil.

 

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

5 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Me: "Meh, I don't really buy the TSN hype, I don't think it's the Leafs year (again)"

Torontonian: "STOP! You've violated the law. Pay the court a fine or serve your sentence. Your stolen goods are now forfeit."

I always heard that Mounties got lots of beaver. Or was it Beiber?

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

6 minutes ago, Neomaxizoomdweebie said:

I always heard that Mounties got lots of beaver. Or was it Beiber?

Jesus Christ!!! Your 6th month ban finally get lifted or something? 

Edited September 18, 2019 by The 91 of Ryans

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

14 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

Jesus Christ!!! Your 6th month ban finally get lifted or something? 

I needed a break. The wife was feeling neglected.

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

9 minutes ago, Neomaxizoomdweebie said:

I needed a break. The wife was feeling neglected.

This is why I only date chicks who are into sports. They get it.

Granted thou I would never date a hockey chick. That's my thing, don't start fights and ruin it for me with your dumb opinions.

The current slam piece is a big handegg fan, which is a respectable enough sport for me.

[Dabura 12,207]

Prospect Deep Dive: Anton Lundell [Dobber Prospects]

Quote

At age 16, Lundell mostly played at the Jr. A SM-liiga level which is the top junior league in Finland. While there, he put up eight goals and 20 points in 22 games. At the international level, he was the top player on his team at his age group at the U17 World Hockey Challenge where he put up three goals and seven points in five games.

And as if that wasn’t enough, he also played an important third line center role at the U18 Worlds as an underager and put up two goals and six points in seven games, and took home a gold medal. It was incredible how reliable and responsible he was defensively while being able to put up points as well – all while playing against players who were, for the most part, at least a year older than him. At this point, Lundell had become a household name in Finland, and a lot of draft-enthusiasts around the world started to take notice as well.

At age 17, Lundell mostly played at the Liiga level and put up nine goals and 19 points in 38 games. He played a middle-six role and was used both at center and at wing. He averaged 14:23 of ice time per game, with a little less than two minutes of that coming on the power play. He also had a very encouraging 54.9 Corsi percentage which was definitely a positive sign.

At the international level, he became a household name in North America when he was used as the second line center for Finland at the World Junior Championship. While there, he put up four points in seven games and once again took home a gold medal. He also once again represented Finland at the U18 Worlds where he was given a leadership role. Lundell was one of the top players on the team and put up four points in five games but it was a disaster of a tournament for the team.

Quote

Lundell is a projected top ten pick with definite top five potential. He is on the older side for his draft class, and he also plays a very mature and reliable two-way game, so it’s reasonable to think he could jump straight to the NHL after he’s drafted.

Quote

Whoever is lucky enough to draft him next summer will get a reliable two-way player with potential to develop into a very good number one center and possibly even a Selke Trophy contender

[Dabura 12,207]

Shift Work: Tim Stützle [Dobber Prospects]

Quote

Today’s focus is one of the most intriguing players in the 2020 NHL draft, Tim Stützle. The German-born and raised prospect tore apart the DNL (German Junior Hockey) last year and this year he looks to show what he can do against men in the DEL (Top German league). He is following in the footsteps of 2019 sixth overall pick Moritz Seider and playing for the strong Alder Mannheim squad that won the DEL title last season, with the help of Seider. Stützle has played well in Champions Hockey League play and in his first four games in the DEL regular season, he has four points and a beautiful shootout winner. Stützle blends lightning-fast hands with excellent footwork and skating. He does everything at a high pace, pushing an opponent back on their heels before making a move like an NFL running back. His quick-twitch muscles are among the best in the draft class with the ability to change speed and direction with ease.

(Prospect Shifts is an elite, elite resource.)

[ely s 457]

1 hour ago, Dabura said:

Shift Work: Tim Stützle [Dobber Prospects]

(Prospect Shifts is an elite, elite resource.)

he is at a point/game rate in the DEL, 4 games and 4 points and the same in the CHL. Last years DEL topscorer had 57 points in 52 games. As you can see with Seider, playing against men at the age of 17 is only going to help you. He is not going to have the same situation as a NA player where it´s NHL or juniors. He is having experience against men and the option if he doesn´t make the team in his draft year he could play AHL right away

Edited September 27, 2019 by ely s

[Dabura 12,207]

18 hours ago, ely s said:

he is at a point/game rate in the DEL, 4 games and 4 points and the same in the CHL. Last years DEL topscorer had 57 points in 52 games. As you can see with Seider, playing against men at the age of 17 is only going to help you. He is not going to have the same situation as a NA player where it´s NHL or juniors. He is having experience against men and the option if he doesn´t make the team in his draft year he could play AHL right away

Excellent. I really appreciate the insight. Soon enough, LGW.com will have a network of Euro spies scouts all across Europe.

Assuming he becomes a good NHLer, do you think he'd be a center or winger?

[ely s 457]

1 hour ago, Dabura said:

Excellent. I really appreciate the insight. Soon enough, LGW.com will have a network of Euro spies scouts all across Europe.

Assuming he becomes a good NHLer, do you think he'd be a center or winger?

He is playing 2nd line LW in the moment, just like Larkin in his first 1 1/2 years. I don´t know what would be the better position for him, his skating opens a lot of options. I need to see more of him, just two full and 2 condensed games so far this season, but what i´ve seen makes me very hopeful for our national team, Seider, Stützle, Kahun, Draisaitl, Greiss, Grubauer, Bokk, Bergmann... We are getting there

in the podcast with Ben Simon you get a nice first hand evaluation of the DEL. He played there for a few years. Just to put the league in perspective NA juniors/AHL

[Dabura 12,207]

Quinton Byfield has put up 6 goals and 11 points through the first 5 games of his season. I believe only one of his 5 assists was a secondary assist.

He's bigger, stronger, faster than his OHL peers, so maybe his production should have a tiny asterisk. On the other hand, he's one of the youngest top draft-eligible prospects in 2020, his skill level is undeniable, and he plays a mature two-way game. So, even if you could nerf his natural physical advantages a bit, he'd probably still be a top-tier monster.

If his scoring rate hovers around 2 PPG through the whole season, he might end up going 1st overall. He's a complete centerman. And he's 11 months younger than Lafreniere.

Edited September 29, 2019 by Dabura

[Akakabuto 1,750]

Might be one of those years you kinda wish you get the 2OA pick. 

[krsmith17 7,191]

34 minutes ago, Dabura said:

Quinton Byfield has put up 6 goals and 11 points through the first 5 games of his season. I believe only one of his 5 assists was a secondary assist.

He's bigger, stronger, faster than his OHL peers, so maybe his production should have a tiny asterisk. On the other hand, he's one of the youngest top draft-eligible prospects in 2020, his skill level is undeniable, and he plays a mature two-way game. So, even if you could nerf his natural physical advantages a bit, he'd probably still be a top-tier monster.

If his scoring rate hovers around 2 PPG through the whole season, he might end up going 1st overall. He's a complete centerman. And he's 11 months younger than Lafreniere.

Byfield is a hell of a prospect, but I highly doubt anyone will dethrone Lafreniere. I'm sure there'll be plenty of "speculation" all season, with a few different players "challenging" for the top spot, but in the end, it will undoubtedly be Lafreniere.

23 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

Might be one of those years you kinda wish you get the 2OA pick. 

This is said just about every draft, but is it really a thing? I don't think there's ever a situation where a GM would prefer to have the number two pick over the number one pick...