All prognosticators are gonna drive themselves nuts with the 2023 draft. A stacked draft, add in all the yearly risers and fallers, injuries, the Russian factor, two WJC's means it'll be crazier than usual. ........ Only advice I have is don't right down anything in pen cuz it's gonna change over and over.
Enjoy!!
- Mr Ricochet
Oh, I am loving these HLINKA-GRETSKY games!
Training and coaching is so far advanced now, and I totally understand this has never been a tourney with equal footing except by age,
all 16 or 17 in same birth year (which could let a few be class of 2024 kids.
It is an EQUAL age group, but these different countries programs are all on upward trajectories, but very different ones.
The USA team in this tourney is cobbled together, and hasn't ever been dominant.
Canada hold a camp and takes their best kids, so there are like 9 centre-wings who are asked to play different roles or positions to win. ONLY Bedard was absent.
The speed of that Canada team was reminiscent of the Flying Frenchman Montreal teams where few were average skaters, and most are not only high end, their skill along with they smarts with their foot speed, changes in speed, quick reads was basically off the charts and besides the scorers were MORE scorers, and generators, and although I haven't started attempting to direct their 7 defenseman and rank them, man they are smart and good too.
(I just am not settled on the
Cam Allen rank, but he is a quality beast of a physical defender and an attacker and just so good everywhere and fearless.
I can't decide how a team decides to take a defender before which possible scorer on the top 15 board.)
The studs on other teams cannot be neglected, they have them BIG ones, and all have speed too.
These Swede and Finns are good, and it is difficult to gauge how they go (especially after the drop downs of the two Finns in the 2022 draft that lasted for Vancouver #15(Jonathan Lekkerimaki) and Nashville #15 (Joakim Kemel)...why didn't the Hawks ever get a shot at smaller sharpshooters like these two in past drafts. (oops they did when they selected Finn Teuvo Teravainen @ #18)
At 18, both Lekkerimaki and Kemell need a lot more strength and Mono (former)and shoulder issues (fatter), may have dropped them down
Well the 17 yr old Finns (and Swedes) in the HLINKA are also kids with toolboxes and may advance up the boards as they get bigger/stronger and display their toolboxes.
(Again it is tough in a tourney for me to direct the Finn Swede, Czechia, Slovakian and
German defenseman and try and rank them with the North American ones.)
I having trouble even losing my terrific feelings for QMJHL Shawingan defenseman,
Jordan Tourigny and where he drafts. He was a real player in the Memorial Cup and again here at Hlinka, UNLESS my eyes are fooling me on him, and the size stats have him at 157 and 5'11. It is almost like Riff riff danced the time warp and I am back when the Quebec defenders were all this size and the forwards 5 8...
I am better understanding that the idea that size is not as large an impediment but I have trouble swallowing the NHL team scouting community doesn't still see the bigger skilled guys or the
Šalé types who seem so elusive playing in their age class.
I watch Canada's
Zach Benson
Last season he is surrounded by more than one first rounder on a really good Dub team so I come in skeptical of where he fits in his draft year, is he a NHL scorer eventually? ETC
At Hlinka, I downgrade any part of him and it not just the gun; he enters the zone NOT THINKING ABOUT HIMSELF, where he will go, he quickly acts in his feet to separate slow things down and has already understanding where his line mates are going and his actions are continuing to be totally complimentary to smartly holding and generating perfect set ups...no rush.
There is more than little Patrick Kane there. Oh Zachary CAN shoot, but like the early NHL Kane, he surveys reads, re surveys and get his team looks and goals through passes. Benson does a ton of little thing and again fearless.
He is 5 10 and 160 soaking wet, delegated to wing (and not centre) and spends his time being a magician with his stick, holding pucks, regaining pucks and stifling passes with calmness of a real attacker.
How come he is 8th pick on my list?
How can you not love Denis Gauthier's kid a center wing under six feet who plays 6 3. ?
FIFTEEN on my board!
Or on his way to college this September (Upon) Matthew Wood? A 6'3" centre who is terrific
ELEVEN oin. my board!
Being a homer, I tagged
Colby Barlow for the Hawks with Tampa Pick. Will he be there?
(I was gonna say "I hope so" but unless the Hawk's scouting staff is nuts, there will be an excellent forward prospect here AND in the second round picks(s).