How do you know these guys won't be franchise players? Nobody REALLY knows how a draft is going to turnout until 10 years down the road. Ekblad was the 2nd guy after Tavares to get the nod for early entry into the OHL. How does he not project to be elite?

Kadri, JVR and Gardiner are not elite players. They are good players. You don't trade a 1st overall for one good player.

Kessel is elite as I said, so I would definitely think about that but would analyze the makeup of my team first.

Posters like you make Toronto fans generally look bad. When did I bring the Oilers into it? I said if I was CALGARY.
- ystoil

You didn't read the beginning of this thread when I was praising Ekblad. You are being too sensitive if what I wrote offended you. Your team has made the wrong choice twice at #1 in recent years. I would listen to your evaluations of Leaf players with as much seriousness as I would a priest telling me about singularity.

JVR and Kessel are easily worth a top 5 #1, but we wouldn't do that because permanent rebuilding is only fun for so long.

...good thing we arent meeting up tonight for a beer, cause I have a feeling Ive worked up a punch from you!
- Colin Dambrauskas

i'm smart enough not to answer that

You're half right, Ek is here to entertain, that's about it, most if not all of his so called "rumors" are stuff he just makes based on what he hears from twitter, TSN etc.. The one person is right, check his accuracy it's pretty pathetic. But using the term "rumors" helps him hide behind the accuracy by calling it just a rumor.

Look up PJ Stock fooling Eklund and you'll get a kick out of it. IF EK was so connected in the NHL why did they drop him like a bad habit from NHL Home Ice on Satellite? take a guess... I remember the one year on the eve of trade deadline he came out and I'm paraphrasing .. " It's a done deal, Brian Campbell is going to Montreal, don't expect him to play tonight..." Not only did Campbell play that night, he got traded to San Jose.. so yeah.. you are right, he is here for entertainment that's about it, anyone with half a brain isn't going to Ek to get real information.
- sliprock65

http://hfboards.hockeysfu...m/showthread.php?t=482001

Am I the only person who thinks Sam Reinhart is going to be legit? He just turned 18 earlier this month, kids going to be a stud. I really like him as a prospect personally and would take him over Ekblad first overall.

Am I the only person who thinks Sam Reinhart is going to be legit? He just turned 18 earlier this month, kids going to be a stud. I really like him as a prospect personally and would take him over Ekblad first overall.
- LeafsFan64

I agree 100%! Ekblad will be good but it's hard to pass on a stud centre imo.

I agree 100%! Ekblad will be good but it's hard to pass on a stud centre imo.
- whipper334

Stud center by comparison to the rest of the class. If he was in a stronger year there's no way he'd be top 5. Ekblad would.

Stud center by comparison to the rest of the class. If he was in a stronger year there's no way he'd be top 5. Ekblad would.
- PotvinFan

He's going to be a very good player. Drafting a dman first overall would be trouble imo. Both will be good players but I would go with the center over the dman.

He's going to be a very good player. Drafting a dman first overall would be trouble imo. Both will be good players but I would go with the center over the dman.
- LeafsFan64

There have only been bad examples of drafting a defenceman first, but it happens so seldom, that I'm not sure the rule should apply. Will be interesting to see it play out, most of the projected bottom teams need D as bad or worse than they need offence.

Why can't other T.O. posters be mature like this? I guess time will tell. But I honestly believe no GM would trade a 1st overall for one of Kadri, JVR, or even Rielly. Kessel, probably find several GM's that would.
- ystoil

Why do you keep saying 1st overall??
If it were guarenteed 1st overall, you are right...Calgary might not even pick in the first 5 slots!!!!

Please, stick with the facts of the topic.

There have only been bad examples of drafting a defenceman first, but it happens so seldom, that I'm not sure the rule should apply. Will be interesting to see it play out, most of the projected bottom teams need D as bad or worse than they need offence.
- PotvinFan

True, both will be good players either way. Got to wait and see how the rest of their seasons play out.

You didn't read the beginning of this thread when I was praising Ekblad. You are being too sensitive if what I wrote offended you. Your team has made the wrong choice twice at #1 in recent years. I would listen to your evaluations of Leaf players with as much seriousness as I would a priest telling me about singularity.

JVR and Kessel are easily worth a top 5 #1, but we wouldn't do that because permanent rebuilding is only fun for so long.
- PotvinFan

Care to explain this? Hall > Seguin, Nuge and Landeskog is still up in the air, would give the edge to Landeskog as of now, but with that said #1 centers are harder to come by, and if you mean Murray > Yakupov then you're either just a troll or an idiot.

Care to explain this? Hall > Seguin, Nuge and Landeskog is still up in the air, would give the edge to Landeskog as of now, but with that said #1 centers are harder to come by, and if you mean Murray > Yakupov then you're either just a troll or an idiot.
- SpoiledByOil

I'm not sure I'd say Hall is better than Seguin.
He has a better attitude, apparently. But as a player, I'm not sure that's true.

Stud center by comparison to the rest of the class. If he was in a stronger year there's no way he'd be top 5. Ekblad would.
- PotvinFan

I've read all your comments in this thread and just have no clue where you are coming from. I find it comical when casual fans (such as myself) think they are in the know in terms of draft prospects.

How many times have you watched these kids on TV? Live? Or is it just a scoreboard tally that somehow indicates ability? It makes no sense to claim to know anything about kids in the 16-17 year old range unless you have seen them play more than a handful of time, y'know, like a professional scout.

I've read all your comments in this thread and just have no clue where you are coming from. I find it comical when casual fans (such as myself) think they are in the know in terms of draft prospects.

How many times have you watched these kids on TV? Live? Or is it just a scoreboard tally that somehow indicates ability? It makes no sense to claim to know anything about kids in the 16-17 year old range unless you have seen them play more than a handful of time, y'know, like a professional scout.
- IggyOnly

I watch a vast amount of OHL both on tv and live, and have been following both players careers fairly closely. I admit I haven't seen as much of Reinhart and I am fully aware that my opinion on the matter is null and void. In terms of overall worth to a team, Ekblad takes it.

Care to explain this? Hall > Seguin, Nuge and Landeskog is still up in the air, would give the edge to Landeskog as of now, but with that said #1 centers are harder to come by, and if you mean Murray > Yakupov then you're either just a troll or an idiot.
- SpoiledByOil

Seguin is better than Hall, and smarter.

Landeskog over Nuge (If you drafted Tyler instead of Taylor)

Stud center by comparison to the rest of the class. If he was in a stronger year there's no way he'd be top 5. Ekblad would.
- PotvinFan

True!

Don't do it Leafs, Burke will eventually fleece us

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

my 2.5 month old baby knows more about hockey than you, how does this make you feel?
- big_dion

Congrats your kids already twice as smart as you

Congrats your kids already twice as smart as you
- Redmile247

Give him a red inch and he'll take a red mile.

The flames have nothing..

honestly, i think soccer is your sport.
- big_dion

hb77 said none of those guys are worth a first overall. including kessel.
none of them are worth reinhart either. (prob a #2)

you get too much value, promise and elc out of a top 2.
and kessel and reilly are the only ones close atm. not kadri, nor jvr, nor even close to gardiner.

he also said that a package of two of the aforementioned leafs are worth MORE than the pick.

I see no problem in any of those statements. if you do, maybe you should heed your own advice, or try watching something other than just your leafs.

you've decided what the parameters of the debate were afterwards ( a lottery pick. he just said first overall. some other bozo with poor reading comprehension thought he meant a first rounder..??) and thus decided to call him stupid..


are you sure soccer isn't your sport??

hold on a sec.

everyone one of those players mentioned is valuable and is very appealing.
id say gardiner the least of them, but he's still got value.

but you do now how hugely valuable a first overall is right?

the chance to draft a stamkos, Tavares, even hall.

and straight up, none of those pieces are worth a first. even kessel. and when the dude mentioned kessels contract in relation to the elc you get with said pick, that also made sense.

a package including 2 of them is certainly worth enough. and in some cases a fair bit more. (eg; reilly and kessel)

but none straight up one for one
- hugefemale dog77

No no leafs b grade players are worth firsts ...


Glad to see someone has common sense

it amazes me that someone can actually be this dumb, and yet, here they are on hockeybuzz.
- big_dion

lots of stones being thrown around here with a bunch of glass houses...dangerous

The flames have nothing..
- Mapleleafs_91

Cap space ??

No no leafs b grade players are worth firsts ...


Glad to see someone has common sense
- Redmile247

I love how the all got together to pat themselves on the backs and claim other peoples stupidity. after some very reasonable arguments were made.

b grade is a stretch to be sure. kessel and jvr are not b grade. neither is reilly.
but nonetheless. none of them are worth a first overall. period.
kessel would be the onl possibility, but his contract in relation to what u get on an elc doesn't make it worth it.

that group of leaf fans was classic tho!!!

ekblad will not be very good!!!
his opinion somehow became fact


ignorance is bliss they say