Buttons has Kotkaniemi at 5
- VANTEL

Craig Button does have an outstanding draft record to back up his opinion... or no wait.

OJ has been in the minors 2 years
Sautner looks almost ready
Chatfield is getting close
Brisebois has been progressing
Tryamkin is still part of our prospects
- VANTEL

I'm sorry but none of those names have top pairing potential. I don't want to stay stuck in our current situation of having 8 thousand 5/6/7/8 Dmen. We need high end prospects at that position

But we don't draft for the immediate, we draft for the future.

Edler and Tanev won't be around forever. Bo will be here a long time, Pettersson will be here a long time, Gaudette hopefully will be here a long time.

The Defense pipeline is empty at the moment.
- NorthNuck

You can draft an NHL level Dman at 37 . Plenty of very good prospects around there

I was talking forwards, because the conversation was around Pettersson. Dmen yes they tend to arrive a couple years later. Goalies are totally their own breed.

https://hockey-graphs.com...s-for-nhl-skaters-part-1/

Here's an example, not the only piece I've read on the subject but this guy goes into a fair amount of detail and concludes that past the age of 25 or so players start to decline.
- NorthNuck

Interesting. Ya I could see the case being made for forwards, probably not superstar forwards but the average as bottom 6 players are getting younger and faster.

I'm sorry but none of those names have top pairing potential. I don't want to stay stuck in our current situation of having 8 thousand 5/6/7/8 Dmen. We need high end prospects at that position
- NorthNuck

Dobson or Bouchard are not top pairing either.

You need 4 Cs and 6 Dmen per night.

We have a hole at 2C but we have Bo who can manage in the 1C role, Sutter is a good 3C, and a few guys who can play 4C. If you draft a C prospect this year, he is not going to be our 2C this coming season. Theoretically, by the time he is ready to be our 2C, Pettersson will already be in that role or will have swapped 1/2 roles with Bo.

At D, we have 3 competant Dmen in Edler Tanev and Stecher. MDZ, Gudbranson, etc. are just there to fill the slots until we have someone better to replace them with. Juolevi hopefully can establish himself within 2 years as a 2nd pairing, but by that time we'll want to be rid of Edler and Tanev also might not be here. That leaves AT MINIMUM 2 top 4 D slots totally unfilled and we have 0 prospects in the system who are likely to fill them.

Drafting D over C in the 1st round seems like a no brainer to me unless the C is the substantially better player.
- NorthNuck

Unless one of the top forwards drop, I agree, draft a D.
Plus you can get some promising D prospects throughout round 2 and 3. Start to farm a D crop, like Nash. Raise, groom, and trade them for other needs.
Also, is there a nicer airport anywhere then Vancouver?

You can draft an NHL level Dman at 37 . Plenty of very good prospects around there
- VANTEL

High end potential Cs:
Horvat
Pettersson

High end potential Ds:
Juolevi

# of high end Cs needed: 2
# or high end Ds needed: 3/4

I don't know how to make it any clearer

Craig Button does have an outstanding draft record to back up his opinion... or no wait.
- neem55

I think he is batting the same as our GM

You can draft an NHL level Dman at 37 . Plenty of very good prospects around there
- VANTEL

Can draft a center there too. Not a fan of reaching at 7, but I do trust JB and his staff if they really think he’s that good.

High end potential Cs:
Horvat
Pettersson

High end potential Ds:
Juolevi

# of high end Cs needed: 2
# or high end Ds needed: 3/4

I don't know how to make it any clearer
- NorthNuck

Name me one team that has 4 high end D

Dobson or Bouchard are not top pairing either.
- VANTEL

Pure speculation.

Name me one team that has 4 high end D
- VANTEL

Nashville

But it doesn't matter if you need 2 or 3 or 4 the fact remains we have 1 player with that potential. Just 1.

Pure speculation.
- NorthNuck

Isn't most of drafting speculation or did they figure out an equation to guarantee the process?

I think he is batting the same as our GM
- VANTEL

No JBs guys have already combined for more nhl games than all of Craig buffoon’s.

Interesting. Ya I could see the case being made for forwards, probably not superstar forwards but the average as bottom 6 players are getting younger and faster.
- neem55

What I do find amusing is that the stats tend to take a sudden upward turn in the mid to late 30s, probably just because the only guys still playing at that age are former superstars who are still pretty good

Isn't most of drafting speculation or did they figure out an equation to guarantee the process?
- VANTEL

We need more than 1 potential top 4 Dman. In fact you need more than 3 or 4 because they're not all guaranteed to get there.

It's the same argument as picking up more draft picks. Can't win the lottery if you don't buy the tickets.

Yes I'm aware of the list, my 80% rule still stands.

2003 Peter Sejna
2004 Junior Lessard
2005 Marty Sertich
2006 Matt Carle
2007 Ryan Duncan
2008 Kevin Porter
2009 Matt Gilroy
2010 Blake Geoffrion
2011 Andy Miele
2012 Jack Connolly
2013 Drew LeBlanc
- LeftCoaster

You need to compare the age of these players as well. I believe they are mostly a year older...NCAA has changed

Goldobin's only going to turn 23 in October I'd say that's still pretty youthful
- NorthNuck

But he is right, a fringe player. I doubt he is on the team in 2 years.

Nashville

But it doesn't matter if you need 2 or 3 or 4 the fact remains we have 1 player with that potential. Just 1.
- NorthNuck

Ellis drafted 1 st round
Jossi drafted 2 nd round
Ekholm drafted 4 th round

Subban traded for

Unless one of the top forwards drop, I agree, draft a D.
Plus you can get some promising D prospects throughout round 2 and 3. Start to farm a D crop, like Nash. Raise, groom, and trade them for other needs.
Also, is there a nicer airport anywhere then Vancouver?
- carsonagenic

BPA. If he thinks that’s wahlstrom or kotiniemi, I’m all for it. I suspect it will be a dman though.

Name me one team that has 4 high end D
- VANTEL

I think just from a value standpoint, raising
D men pays off more for rebuilding. AKA what is Hanifan going to fetch, what Larsson got for NJ.... minus Chia factor. You can flog them as needed later for forwards.

Be interesting to see in a few years where Sven and granlund are and what Ras becomes
- Redmile247

It'll be interesting in a couple of years to see if Shink is flipping burgers or whoppers.

But he is right, a fringe player. I doubt he is on the team in 2 years.
- CanuckDon

I think I said this in a discussion about him a couple months ago but I won't have my mind made up about him until the end of the 18/19 season. It's make or break time for sure, but I hope they give him a good chance this season

Name me one team that has 4 high end D
- VANTEL

Calgary, Nashville and Carolina.
Edit: Boston too. They’ve got a impressive d pipeline right now

I think just from a value standpoint, raising
D men pays off more for rebuilding. AKA what is Hanifan going to fetch, what Larsson got for NJ.... minus Chia factor. You can flog them as needed later for forwards.
- carsonagenic