2020 Draft Thread

[krsmith17 7,191]

1 minute ago, marcaractac said:

It's the combination of elite talent and position that makes Crosby what he is. Not just the talent. 

As for Rossi, I already said I'd take Drysdale over him, as I think he'll be a better dman than Rossi will center. Rossi is merely an example of taking the center over the winger if all else is equal. 

For me, Rossi over Raymond is a given. Both are about equal as far as rankings go, but Rossi IS a center. Even if he plays wing in the NHL because of center depth, guess what? In the case of injuries, Rossi can play center. Raymond can't. 

The Pens would be a much different team if Crosby was a winger. Would they still be a contender? Sure. But that second line suddenly gets far easier to play against doesn't it? 

And as I've said several times now... IF all else is equal, I would take the center. The problem is, I don't necessarily think Rossi will be a center at the NHL level. If he isn't a center at the NHL level, he ISN'T a center. He WAS a center in the past. Like I said before, a lot of NHL forwards have played center at some point in their career, most as recent as juniors or even the minors. That doesn't mean they have what it takes to be an NHL center. So no, if Rossi isn't an NHL center, he likely won't be playing it, even if there are injuries...

If Crosby were a winger, I think he would be just as an effective player. If he were a winger, the Pens would have likely constructed their team completely different, so it's hard to say if they would have won as many or more Cups in that time, or where they would be now.

Anyway, we agree that if all else is equal, you take the center.

[nyqvististhefuture 1,002]

7 hours ago, krsmith17 said:

I agree with the top 3. I'd prefer one of the Swedish bros over Rossi / Askarov though.

Agreed , Like raymond/holtz as well leaning more towards raymond but id have no problem with askarov if push came to shove but id hope we would at least move back a spot or 2 and collect an extra pick. Think askarov +seider+hronek would be a great back end for the future 

Seen some people mention drysdale , id prefer the high end forward this year and if need be we can always trade up and get a helge grans or another dman if we think theyd be gone before we pick again

i dont even wanna think 4th overall though as until the lottery happens im just focused on lafraniere

[Dabura 12,207]

13 hours ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

It warms my heart to know that skill, compete, and IQ are high on Yzerman and Draper's list of desired qualities and that they give zero sheeets about size. 

My impression is Yzerman values size in defensemen but doesn't really give a s*** about it with forwards. Big, mobile, two-way defensemen. Smallish, tenacious forwards.

Loooots of smallish forwards in the top tiers of this draft class, so I fully expect us to take a forward with our first pick.

[Dabura 12,207]

January Draft Report: Mid-Season Rankings Breakdown [Dobber Prospects]

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Alexis Lafrenière is the cream of the crop. Currently scoring at a 2.167 points-per-game pace, the Rimouski Oceanic star has been everything that was expected and more in his draft-eligible season. He understands the game at a level that very few players do and his ability to convert on what he sees is what makes him special. The best description of his playing style is “Elite Skilled-Grinder”. He has the ability to go into the corners with the puck against a good defenseman, win that battle and then walk the second defenseman on his way to putting his excellent shot past the netminder.

Lafrenière is a special talent and should make an immediate impact on whatever team is lucky enough to win the lottery. He will bring an elite IQ, insane vision and an NHL ready offensive toolset. He has a sturdy frame that should be ready to take on the wear and tear of an NHL season. He helped the Canadian World Junior team capture the Gold medal with a literal MVP performance as an 18-year-old. His production in the QMJHL is beyond impressive and he just keeps passing tests with flying colours. This kid is a stud.

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Tier two is another solo tier, the second of three. Quinton Byfield is the star here. Did your team miss on the lottery but still land the second pick? Well, you’re in luck because this year, we have an extra 1st overall caliber prospect! It’s not often that you can get a player who would go with the top pick without winning the lottery but Quinton Byfield truly is that special. His blend of size, speed, strength, and skill is enough to make most general managers salivate. A true physical specimen, Byfield has all of the tools to be the best player from this draft class. He has an elite shot that he pairs with precision passing and the ability to lower his shoulder and drive the net. No matter how you defend him, he has the ability to beat you.

There have been concerns over his World Junior performance, especially due to the fact that he was on the same team as Alexis Lafrenière. Byfield wasn’t given the same opportunity and likely wasn’t ready for it anyway. He is almost a year younger than Lafrenière. His performance this year should be compared, if anything, to Lafrenière’s performance at last year’s World Juniors where he recorded just a single point, just as Byfield did this year. Byfield has just as high of an upside as Lafrenière, we just have an extra 10 months of development in Lafrenière’s case.

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The final single-plater tier. While many have downgraded Lucas Raymond based on his lack of production, opportunity, and visibility, the skill-set and IQ that the young Swede possesses is far too tantalizing for a drop in these rankings. He has the upside of an elite scoring winger who plays a solid 200-foot game, nearly equaling the potential of Lafrenière and Byfield. Raymond does come with a bit more risk, however. He doesn’t have the pro-ready frame that the top two ranked players have and the fact that he is playing so sparingly this year has to be taken into account. He can’t gain ground on the ‘Big Two’ because he isn’t playing. With both Lafrenière and Byfield having phenomenal seasons, Raymond is at the disadvantage.

The skillset of the Frölunda forward is electrifying. He is one of the top skaters in the draft with his blazing speed and insane agility, Raymond is an exciting player. He has a stop-and-start ability that helps create space and the vision to use it. His passing ability is something to marvel at as he melds creativity and precision. He has an underrated shot that excels because of a lightning-fast release. He is a crafty player along the boards, relying on excellent stickwork and small-area agility. If Raymond reaches his full potential, the fortunate team that selects him could have a bonafide star on their hands.

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This is where the draft truly begins in my opinion. Any of these players are more than worthy of being top-five selections, likely top-three in many years, but one will get left out. At four, the Detroit Red Wings (Let’s be honest, they aren’t winning the lottery) will have to decide between a legitimate offensive dynamo on the back end in Jamie Drysdale, a future Selke-level center with 30+ goal upside in Lundell or the dynamic and predatory forward Tim Stützle. Regardless of who is selected at four (by Detroit), They will be getting a very high-end player that wouldn’t be available at this point in the draft many years. If there is any year to drop, this year certainly isn’t the worst.

Tim Stützle is one of the best skaters in this draft, right up there with Lucas Raymond. The video above shows his skating and playmaking ability. He is agile on his edges, accelerates with ease and blows by opponents with his speed. He is able to be the primary puck carrier on his line and excels in the role, cutting through neutral zone defenses like a hot knife in butter. Once in the offensive zone, pick your poison. He can make plays with the kind of creativity usually reserved for the NHL video game franchise or he can beat you with a shot that jumps off his stick as if it’s on fire.

Drysdale is an elite skater is just about every sense. He is mesmerizing as he patrols the offensive zone at times. His ability to walk the blueline, stop-and-start laterally and then make a beeline towards the slot, all with the puck, is impressive. He is an offensively intuitive player and knows how to attack opponents with whatever they give him. His defensive game is quite good for a young defender, using his skating and puck skills to regain control of the puck and turn it up ice.

Anton Lundell is maybe the safest pick in this draft. The team drafting him will get about as close to a readymade top-line center. He will be able to affect the game at both ends of the ice almost immediately. He likely won’t have to go through the usual stint on the wing that many young centers have to go through in the NHL because of how mature his game is already. He has an excellent shot (video above) and good vision on the offensive end of the ice. He is capable of beating goaltenders from anywhere on the ice but he lives in between the dots.

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This next tier is where things start to spread out a bit more with the top-11 having separated themselves with standout play this season and sky-high upsides. Normally goalies don’t rank this high on draft boards but Yaroslav Askarov might be the best goalie I’ve scouted. His play in his net, World Juniors notwithstanding, is so calm, cool and collected. He is structurally sound in his crease but he very athletic and has the ability to come out of his structure to make save. In the video below, we see Askarov take away the bottom of the net while being able to deal with the mess in front. Another divisive prospect has been Noel Gunler. The flashy Swede has a boatload of skill, constantly making passes to the high danger areas around the net and attacking through the middle of the ice. His transition game is excellent despite fairly average skating. He needs to become a more consistent player but the offensive skills are too much to pass up in this range, especially when he has improved his two-way game as much as he has over the last 18 months.

Alexander Holtz and Cole Perfetti are two of the best goal scorers in this draft. Holtz may have the best pure goal-scoring ability in this draft class. His shot is unreal and makes him dangerous from the blueline in. Perfetti, on the other hand, struggled to put the puck in the net initially this season after a Hlinka-Gretzky Cup that saw him tear the world apart with his goal-scoring. He’s rebounded quite nicely in that department though, currently sitting at 24 on the year. Where he has taken his game to the next level is in the playmaking department. His 51 assists are tied for tops in the OHL with Marco Rossi. Speaking of Rossi, he’s pretty good. Currently pacing the entire CHL in points with 78 in just 35 games. The young Austrian has missed time due to injury and suspension this season but his production speaks for itself. He and Perfetti both have concerns with their skating but they have both improved over the course of the season, lessening that worry.

[krsmith17 7,191]

8 hours ago, Dabura said:

My impression is Yzerman values size in defensemen but doesn't really give a s*** about it with forwards. Big, mobile, two-way defensemen. Smallish, tenacious forwards.

Loooots of smallish forwards in the top tiers of this draft class, so I fully expect us to take a forward with our first pick.

I think you need a mix of both at all positions.

[marcaractac 3,963]

16 hours ago, krsmith17 said:

And as I've said several times now... IF all else is equal, I would take the center. The problem is, I don't necessarily think Rossi will be a center at the NHL level. If he isn't a center at the NHL level, he ISN'T a center. He WAS a center in the past. Like I said before, a lot of NHL forwards have played center at some point in their career, most as recent as juniors or even the minors. That doesn't mean they have what it takes to be an NHL center. So no, if Rossi isn't an NHL center, he likely won't be playing it, even if there are injuries...

If Crosby were a winger, I think he would be just as an effective player. If he were a winger, the Pens would have likely constructed their team completely different, so it's hard to say if they would have won as many or more Cups in that time, or where they would be now.

Anyway, we agree that if all else is equal, you take the center.

That's literally the only point I was making. Because they are more valuable. Having a couple elite centers makes a team a hell of a lot more difficult to play against than one with a couple of elite wingers. 

You don't think Rossi will be a center at the NHL level. That's fine. I think he will be, which is why I take him over Raymond any day. 

Outside of Lafreniere, who is no doubt the best player in the draft, there is no way I'd draft a winger with the top pick. Not with the quality of ceters and the defenseman available.  We've already had a recent draft of choosing the winger over the dman (Zadina). We don't need to do it again already (unless Lafreniere). We have only two sure things as far as top 4 dmen go (Hronek and Seider) and no guarantees for a second line center. With the exception of getting a guaranteed elite talent like Lafreniere, those positions have to be addressed. Luckily in picks 2-4 there will be players in those positions who can absolutely be considered best player available. Rossi doesn't even factor in at this point, as even if we pick 4th we can get Drysdale or Stutzle. Not a chace I'd draft a winger over those two. If you would, that's fine. Not gonna try and convince you otherwise. Yay opinions!

[krsmith17 7,191]

10 minutes ago, marcaractac said:

That's literally the only point I was making. Because they are more valuable. Having a couple elite centers makes a team a hell of a lot more difficult to play against than one with a couple of elite wingers. 

You don't think Rossi will be a center at the NHL level. That's fine. I think he will be, which is why I take him over Raymond any day. 

Outside of Lafreniere, who is no doubt the best player in the draft, there is no way I'd draft a winger with the top pick. Not with the quality of ceters and the defenseman available.  We've already had a recent draft of choosing the winger over the dman (Zadina). We don't need to do it again already (unless Lafreniere). We have only two sure things as far as top 4 dmen go (Hronek and Seider) and no guarantees for a second line center. With the exception of getting a guaranteed elite talent like Lafreniere, those positions have to be addressed. Luckily in picks 2-4 there will be players in those positions who can absolutely be considered best player available. Rossi doesn't even factor in at this point, as even if we pick 4th we can get Drysdale or Stutzle. Not a chace I'd draft a winger over those two. If you would, that's fine. Not gonna try and convince you otherwise. Yay opinions!

It seems like you're saying one thing, "draft best player available", and then in a roundabout way, saying the complete opposite, "draft for need"... Correct me if I'm wrong there, but that's what it sounds like to me...

Let's say Yzerman's list is...
1. Lafreniere
2. Byfield
3. Raymond
4. Stutzle
5. Drysdale

We end up dropping to 3rd overall.

Do you think we should pass on Raymond who Yzerman and his scouts believe is the best player available, and take Stutzle or Drysdale because they fill a "more valuable" position?

I personally have Stutzle slightly ahead of Raymond at this point, but would be thrilled with either. But it seems like you prefer Stutzle and Drysdale, just because of the position they play... If that's the case, fine, but I strongly disagree.

[marcaractac 3,963]

12 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

It seems like you're saying one thing, "draft best player available", and then in a roundabout way, saying the complete opposite, "draft for need"... Correct me if I'm wrong there, but that's what it sounds like to me...

Let's say Yzerman's list is...
1. Lafreniere
2. Byfield
3. Raymond
4. Stutzle
5. Drysdale

We end up dropping to 3rd overall.

Do you think we should pass on Raymond who Yzerman and his scouts believe is the best player available, and take Stutzle or Drysdale because they fill a "more valuable" position?

I personally have Stutzle slightly ahead of Raymond at this point, but would be thrilled with either. But it seems like you prefer Stutzle and Drysdale, just because of the position they play... If that's the case, fine, but I strongly disagree.

How many times do I have to say it? If all is equal, which I think is the case for this draft, in terms of players that will be available at picks 3 and 4, I'd pick for positional need. 

I prefer Stutzle and Drysdale over Raymond because I think it terms of where they rank, they are all about equal. I don't think either of those players will be better than the other in their respective positions. 

So yes, I think if we pick #3, Yzerman should pass on Raymond. My personal opinion. Either Raymond, Drysdale or Stutlze could easily be considered BPA at that spot. Because of that, I'd draft for position and go with Stutzle or Drysdale. 

If Yzerman feels Raymond is better than Drysdale or Stutzle than fine. He and his team are the experts, not you are I. They are the ones attending the games to watch these kids play. All we get to see if what video feeds show us. They get to watch what the players do away from the play. They get to interview them. They get to know them. So based on what I have personally seen, I don't think Raymond is any better or worse than Drysdale or Stutzle. If Yzerman sees otherwise, I'm sure I could live with it.  

I honestly have no idea how many more times I need to re-iterate that in this scenario I'd draft for need only because all else is equal in my eyes. At least the Rossi discussion finally stopped, I guess. 

[krsmith17 7,191]

7 minutes ago, marcaractac said:

How many times do I have to say it? If all is equal, which I think is the case for this draft, in terms of players that will be available at picks 3 and 4, I'd pick for positional need. 

I prefer Stutzle and Drysdale over Raymond because I think it terms of where they rank, they are all about equal. I don't think either of those players will be better than the other in their respective positions. 

So yes, I think if we pick #3, Yzerman should pass on Raymond. My personal opinion. Either Raymond, Drysdale or Stutlze could easily be considered BPA at that spot. Because of that, I'd draft for position and go with Stutzle or Drysdale. 

If Yzerman feels Raymond is better than Drysdale or Stutzle than fine. He and his team are the experts, not you are I. They are the ones attending the games to watch these kids play. All we get to see if what video feeds show us. They get to watch what the players do away from the play. They get to interview them. They get to know them. So based on what I have personally seen, I don't think Raymond is any better or worse than Drysdale or Stutzle. If Yzerman sees otherwise, I'm sure I could live with it.  

I honestly have no idea how many more times I need to re-iterate that in this scenario I'd draft for need only because all else is equal in my eyes. At least the Rossi discussion finally stopped, I guess. 

"All is equal" is rarely ever the case though. That's my point. For exactly the reason bolded. 

Regarding the underlined. That's all I was looking for...

You were acting as if it would be a huge mistake to draft Raymond over Stutzle or Drysdale, because of position. Now, you're saying that Yzerman and his scouts know much more than any of us, thus likely having a different list. You've finally admitted that if Raymond is deemed to be the best player available, we should draft him. Yes, we should. Which brings me back to the original point... From the little I do know, at this point I'd draft Raymond over Drysdale or Rossi, because I think he is that much better. You disagree, which is fine. We'll see how it all plays out.

[marcaractac 3,963]

9 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

"All is equal" is rarely ever the case though. That's my point. For exactly the reason bolded. 

Regarding the underlined. That's all I was looking for...

You were acting as if it would be a huge mistake to draft Raymond over Stutzle or Drysdale, because of position. Now, you're saying that Yzerman and his scouts know much more than any of us, thus likely having a different list. You've finally admitted that if Raymond is deemed to be the best player available, we should draft him. Yes, we should. Which brings me back to the original point... From the little I do know, at this point I'd draft Raymond over Drysdale or Rossi, because I think he is that much better. You disagree, which is fine. We'll see how it all plays out.

******* of course Yzerman knows more than either of us. All we can develop our own opinions on is the information available to us. Doesn't necessarily make us wrong, as we can only estimate the value of players based on what we know. Maybe Yzerman likes Raymond at 3, maybe he absolutely does not. I'm not here to discuss what I think Yzerman will do. I'm here to discuss my own opinion, and what I hope to see happen. Yzerman's list has nothing to do with my opinion on the players expected to be available at 3 or 4.

Just look at all the various rankings out there. Loads of disagreement from picks 3-10. Including where Raymond sits. This goes to show that either of these players could be considered BPA depending who you ask. And based on that, if it is me making the choice, I'd draft based on position. If Yzerman thinks Raymond is the best at #3 than so be it. What am I gonna do, cry about it? 

And once again, I do not think Rossi belongs in the conversation at picks 3 or 4. Whether I'd choose Raymond or Rossi is irrelevant, because I'd take neither at 3 or 4. 

If you like Raymond more than Drysdale or Stutzle, that's fine. Not trying to change your opinion, just giving insight to mine. I'd take Drysdale or Stutzle without question. I think it would be s***ty to take Raymond, because based on the information I have at my disposal, all seems about equal between Raymond, Drysdale, and Stutzle. Just like you'd probably be disappointed if we get Drysdale or Stutzle instead of Raymond. Them's the breaks. We simply rank these three players differently. What Yzerman wants to do is irrelevant. 

It's certainly not uncommon for the centers and dmen to be snatched up before wingers once the top 1 or 2 players are off the table. Just look at the Zadina draft. Kotkanwqjdncuioq2wemi and Hayton were taken over the potential elite winger in Zadina. It's not some unprecedented thing. 

[krsmith17 7,191]

4 minutes ago, marcaractac said:

******* of course Yzerman knows more than either of us. All we can develop our own opinions on is the information available to us. Doesn't necessarily make us wrong, as we can only estimate the value of players based on what we know. Maybe Yzerman likes Raymond at 3, maybe he absolutely does not. I'm not here to discuss what I think Yzerman will do. I'm here to discuss my own opinion, and what I hope to see happen. Yzerman's list has nothing to do with my opinion on the players expected to be available at 3 or 4.

Just look at all the various rankings out there. Loads of disagreement from picks 3-10. Including where Raymond sits. This goes to show that either of these players could be considered BPA depending who you ask. And based on that, if it is me making the choice, I'd draft based on position. If Yzerman thinks Raymond is the best at #3 than so be it. What am I gonna do, cry about it? 

And once again, I do not think Rossi belongs in the conversation at picks 3 or 4. Whether I'd choose Raymond or Rossi is irrelevant, because I'd take neither at 3 or 4. 

If you like Raymond more than Drysdale or Stutzle, that's fine. Not trying to change your opinion, just giving insight to mine. I'd take Drysdale or Stutzle without question. I think it would be s***ty to take Raymond, because based on the information I have at my disposal, all seems about equal between Raymond, Drysdale, and Stutzle. Just like you'd probably be disappointed if we get Drysdale or Stutzle instead of Raymond. Them's the breaks. We simply rank these three players differently. What Yzerman wants to do is irrelevant. 

It's certainly not uncommon for the centers and dmen to be snatched up before wingers once the top 1 or 2 players are off the table. Just look at the Zadina draft. Kotkanwqjdncuioq2wemi and Hayton were taken over the potential elite winger in Zadina. It's not some unprecedented thing. 

I'm not saying we should be predicting what Yzerman is going to do. I'm saying, you made it seem like if Yzerman drafted Raymond (winger), over Stutzle (center / winger) or Drysdale (defenseman), it would be a mistake, because YOU see them as equal.

I'm also not assuming that Raymond is high on Yzerman's list. I'm just making the point that he could be, and higher than any other center (outside of Byfield) or defenseman. So if that were the case, it would be wise to take the winger (BPA).

I've never said I like Raymond over Stutzle. In fact, I said the exact opposite.

As of right now, my list would be 1. Lafreniere, 2. Byfield, 3. Stutzle, 4. Raymond... Which could and likely will change before the draft...

Anyway, we have different preferences at this point. No big deal.

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

Never have I seen such a polite argument go on this long. 

[marcaractac 3,963]

4 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

Never have I seen such a polite argument go on this long. 

We're Canadian

[krsmith17 7,191]

5 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

Never have I seen such a polite argument go on this long. 

LOL I'm not even sure what we were arguing to be honest. I think there was some miscommunication from the beginning...

We're basically arguing for a page and a half who should be ranked number 4... Who cares...

[marcaractac 3,963]

7 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

I'm not saying we should be predicting what Yzerman is going to do. I'm saying, you made it seem like if Yzerman drafted Raymond (winger), over Stutzle (center / winger) or Drysdale (defenseman), it would be a mistake, because YOU see them as equal.

I'm also not assuming that Raymond is high on Yzerman's list. I'm just making the point that he could be, and higher than any other center (outside of Byfield) or defenseman. So if that were the case, it would be wise to take the winger (BPA).

I've never said I like Raymond over Stutzle. In fact, I said the exact opposite.

As of right now, my list would be 1. Lafreniere, 2. Byfield, 3. Stutzle, 4. Raymond... Which could and likely will change before the draft...

Anyway, we have different preferences at this point. No big deal.

We've all had a moment where we felt a draft pick is a mistake. We'll always be influenced by our own opinions. Human nature, my dude. Remember how pissed we both were because of Ras over Vilardi? Yes, if Yzerman drafts Raymond at 3 or 4 I'll be disappointed. I'd feel like it is not the right move. But I'd certainly expect that it's because they obviously know s*** that I do not. I'd also still think we got some major holes to fill down the middle and on the blueline.

My list would be Lafreniere, Byfield, Drysdale/Stutzle, Drysdale/Stutzle. I flip flop between those two depending on my mood. Both would be dynamic offensive forces in their respective positions that we very much need. 

3 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

LOL I'm not even sure what we were arguing to be honest. I think there was some miscommunication from the beginning...

We're basically arguing for a page and a half who should be ranked number 4... Who cares...

It's a better debate over whether or not to claim Comrie, at least 

[krsmith17 7,191]

37 minutes ago, marcaractac said:

We've all had a moment where we felt a draft pick is a mistake. We'll always be influenced by our own opinions. Human nature, my dude. Remember how pissed we both were because of Ras over Vilardi? Yes, if Yzerman drafts Raymond at 3 or 4 I'll be disappointed. I'd feel like it is not the right move. But I'd certainly expect that it's because they obviously know s*** that I do not. I'd also still think we got some major holes to fill down the middle and on the blueline.

My list would be Lafreniere, Byfield, Drysdale/Stutzle, Drysdale/Stutzle. I flip flop between those two depending on my mood. Both would be dynamic offensive forces in their respective positions that we very much need.

I still think position may be influencing your opinion a bit too much, but whatever. No need of getting into that again...

I just scoured the internet looking at draft rankings, and of the 10-12 I looked at, all but one had Raymond ahead of Drysdale. Some as many as 3 or 4 spots. I'm not saying that should influence your opinion, but it is something. From what I've seen / read at this point, I think Raymond is the better prospect with a much higher ceiling.

In saying that, if we end up drafting Drysdale, I won't be disappointed, especially if he ends up a Hughes / Makar caliber defenseman.

A lot of great choices in the 3-7 range. Hopefully we don't have to worry about that and we get to pick 1st or 2nd overall...

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

Take Lafreniere/Byfield/Stutzle/Rossi this year.

Take Luke Hughes next year. 

Find a long term goalie solution. 

Rebuild (mostly) over. 

[marcaractac 3,963]

28 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

I still think position may be influencing your opinion a bit too much, but whatever. No need of getting into that again...

I just scoured the internet looking at draft rankings, and of the 10-12 I looked at, all but one had Raymond ahead of Drysdale. Some as many as 3 or 4 spots. I'm not saying that should influence your opinion, but it is something. From what I've seen / read at this point, I think Raymond is the better prospect with a much higher ceiling.

In saying that, if we end up drafting Drysdale, I won't be disappointed, especially if he ends up a Hughes / Makar caliber defenseman.

A lot of great choices in the 3-7 range. Hopefully we don't have to worry about that and we get to pick 1st or 2nd overall...

Position is only influencing my opinion because I do not think Raymond will be any better or worse of a winger than Drysdale will be on d, or Stutzle will be at center. As I said, if all is equal, which in my opinion, is the case with those three players. The rankings have so much fluctuation after the first 2 picks, that it's just more or less a wash in the 3-7 range as far as I'm concerned. 

Perhaps you've looked into Raymond a lot more than I have. Who knows? He will be a great player, no doubt. I just don't think he'll be any better (or worse!) than the other two that I'd prefer. You see Raymond in a tier above Drysdale and Stutzle. I see all three in the same tier, which is why I use position solely as a tiebreaker.

I think Drysdale will be the steal of the draft tbh. Like Byfield, he is one of the younger players in the top 10. The way he stepped up in high pressure situations in the WJC when Byram got hurt was also wonderful to see. I do think he will end up as a Hughes/Makar calibre dman. He is also known for playing well on the defensive side of things too. He'll be a beast in the WJC next year, no doubt. The Bobfather also has no doubt he'll be a top pairing dman in the NHL. Dude says the kid is legit, and I see nothing out there to argue otherwise. Raymond will be awesome as well, of course.    

[krsmith17 7,191]

11 minutes ago, marcaractac said:

Position is only influencing my opinion because I do not think Raymond will be any better or worse of a winger than Drysdale will be on d, or Stutzle will be at center. As I said, if all is equal, which in my opinion, is the case with those three players. The rankings have so much fluctuation after the first 2 picks, that it's just more or less a wash in the 3-7 range as far as I'm concerned. 

Perhaps you've looked into Raymond a lot more than I have. Who knows? He will be a great player, no doubt. I just don't think he'll be any better (or worse!) than the other two that I'd prefer. You see Raymond in a tier above Drysdale and Stutzle. I see all three in the same tier, which is why I use position solely as a tiebreaker.

I think Drysdale will be the steal of the draft tbh. Like Byfield, he is one of the younger players in the top 10. The way he stepped up in high pressure situations in the WJC when Byram got hurt was also wonderful to see. I do think he will end up as a Hughes/Makar calibre dman. He is also known for playing well on the defensive side of things too. He'll be a beast in the WJC next year, no doubt. The Bobfather also has no doubt he'll be a top pairing dman in the NHL. Dude says the kid is legit, and I see nothing out there to argue otherwise. Raymond will be awesome as well, of course.    

I want Yzerman to pull some strings and somehow acquire another top 10 pick...

[marcaractac 3,963]

That would be lovely, but sadly a pipe dream haha. He'd have to do something like part ways with Mantha.

Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll land a first for AA to a team expected to be good next year but ends up sucking, like SJ now. 

[krsmith17 7,191]

Athanasiou for a 1st is also a pipedream, but let's say Yzerman does somehow pull it off... That pick ends up being in the 20's, and we trade that pick and our 2nd (32nd overall)...

We have a better chance of winning the draft lottery than any of that happening though...

[ely s 457]

to get another lottery pick we need to get AA on a role or we have to trade Fabbri and hope that the receiving team misses the playoffs

[marcaractac 3,963]

12 minutes ago, krsmith17 said:

Athanasiou for a 1st is also a pipedream, but let's say Yzerman does somehow pull it off... That pick ends up being in the 20's, and we trade that pick and our 2nd (32nd overall)...

We have a better chance of winning the draft lottery than any of that happening though...

If a contender gets desperate enough at the deadline...

It's nothing I expect to happen, but crazier things have happened. 

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

I know Stutzle is the popular pick these days if we don't win the lottery, but I honestly don't see this player projecting out as an NHL center

[marcaractac 3,963]

4 minutes ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

I know Stutzle is the popular pick these days if we don't win the lottery, but I honestly don't see this player projecting out as an NHL center

Too smol