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A Draft From A Different Perspective |
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I’ve got the morning off and really not much to do, yet I want to post something about hockey. Luckily my friend Étienne Pouliot provided the catalyst for a blog. As you know I love prospects and the draft, I really enjoy watching junior hockey. Yet in these times of playoff action it gets harder and harder to want to focus on that until ones team is out. You might remember the massive Mock Drafts that I and Brian Huddle (HB’s official prospect blogger) did last summer along with the 30 team prospect summaries, perhaps more recently the Mock Draft with the Canucks Ian Esplen. Any way you look at it, it’s all in fun and based on opinions. My friend Étienne loves the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League; some might even call him “in love.” Yet he’s a smart cookie and tries hard. I’d like to share the top-5 players he feels would be drafted if things happened right now, or better yet, how he would do it if he was in their position.
#1 Columbus:
Nail Yakupov, the Obvious pick. He's already wasting time in the OHL. He will have better rookie seasons than Stamkos, Hall and Tavares. He is stronger than Stamkos was when he entered the league, will remain healthy unlike Hall and has better foot speed than Johnny T. Plays a power forward guy with a 5'10 frame, pretty impressive. If Landeskog was the most 'NHL-ready' prospect available at the 2012 draft last year, this year, I would apply that label to Nail.
#2 (I'm projecting the Oils to pass the Habs when the will have 64 games played) There it is, The Montréal Canadiens.
This might come as a surprise to you, but I think the Habs will draft Alex Galchenyuk, as McCagg has been clear about the fact that drafting Grigo in the top5 would be a risk accord to Timmins. This all depends on his future return, but I'm pretty confident he'll be back in form. This guy can skate with Yakupov, and if not for that horrible injury, he'd be labelled as the 2nd overall pick, and he might have gave a run for his money to his good bud as it was a debate last year. On top of his great foot speed (which Trevor raves about), he's a skilled center, with a big frame (6'2 185, those are the numbers that I have, correct me if I'm wrong) that can both play the power and the skill game, whichever is needed. I haven't checked his face-offs numbers though, but having a top talent center has been a franchise for over 15 years or when we traded Damphousse to the Sharks. This guy is the typical Timmins pick, USA born, played in the USNTP, though he didn't go the college way, that's who I think he'll pick, and I think it will be the right pick.
#3 Edmonton Oilers
They have been drafting in the top5 for the past three years, they've drafted a power forward and a playmaker. People think they need help on D, but with Kleftbom, Musil, Gernat, Marincin and Teubert, they have their cupboard on D more than filled IMO.
Steve Tambellini will pick Mikhail Grigorenko. While the Nuge is a great playmaker and has a pretty incredible vision, he doesn't have a huge frame. And that's what they'll get with Grigorenko, who, with a few summers training with Brind’Amour, could become the next Malkin. He has that same ability to completely control the play, players against him in the 'Q seem to be focused and dazzled when he has the puck and completely forget his teammates, who more often than not happen to have the puck straight on their tape. This guy could become the best player of this crop, if he develops to his ceiling. He can skate with any other player, but it's not one of his strength. He could certainly develop his faceoff skills, but is quite reliable defensively. This guy will not play in the NHL next year, I can tell you.
#4 The Carolina Hurricanes
Your favourite, Filip Forsberg.
The Canes have their D cupboards filled too with Dumoulin, Mcbain, Murphy and Faulk. They desperately need help for their studs Staal and Skinner. The canes usually love those hardworking forwards. Forsberg is a big guy, plays hard in the corners, is a master at puck-protection and is quite physical when he wants to. As the Swedes usually are, he's quite reliable defensively too. Can play both the PP and the PK. Aside from Dalpe, they canes have nothing of interest coming up on the right wing. And they will be happy with that pick. This guy is on the same level as Grigo and Galchenyuk when it comes to the hands and the moves, even though he plays more of a north-south game compared to Mikhail. The puck seems to stick on his blade, and he can pull out a move all of a sudden, which will make nightmares for the D's on the next level.
#5 The New York Islanders.
Lately they have drafted JT, Nino and Strome with their top picks, so I think they'll turn around and draft a D this year. If you check what they have right now at the NHL and coming up, they have Streit who is good for another 4 or 5 years, Andrew Macdonald who came out of nowhere and can move the puck, a favourite of mine in Travis Hamonic, Calvin De Haan and Robbie Russo (LOL).
I think what they really need is a minute-eating D, and that's why I think they'll draft Ryan Murray.
I call him 'Steady Ryan' because you can always count on him, on any situation, whether it is PP or PK, the first or the last shift of a period or a game. An NHL comparable would Jay Bouwmeester. He has the same effortless strides, makes the same safe, higher-percentage plays, while still deploying loads of skill and confidence. He's so calm with and without the puck that it can seem that he's not caring enough, but that's just how he plays. Hey, this guy played on the top pair for team Canada, he outplayed many 1st round picks from the previous years to make that team. He has already NHL size, speed, strength and smarts. He could start his career as soon as next year, especially if the Isles draft him.
People see him too big though when it comes to offensive production, I don't think he'll be as productive in the show. That doesn't make him a bad player by any mean, this guy will be a stud.
Have at them. Not my top-5 to be sure, but it is well thought out. What do you think?
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Coyotes game tomorrow against the Flames; game day blog will be up as usual tomorrow.
There will be more draft stuff from me and my friend Brian Huddle once the season ends. We have a whole 7 round extravaganza planned with in depth details and predictions. We also have 17 analysts to just do the 7th round alone, they will be online 24/7 to listen to anything you could possibly say at anytime. We have also gotten Alyonka Larionov to monitor our twitter at the time and she will be providing...well...oh goodness I love her. So that stuff in several months when you forget about it after an amazing playoffs.
Follow me on Twitter @AdamFrenchReal
Follow le man le plan @Procastinateur
Thanks for reading.
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