Quoting: Lenny7
Beauty! Love these!
I'd be absolutely ecstatic if Jiricek falls to 10 OA so the Ducks can snag him. It's pretty much a dream scenario. That being said, it would blow my mind if he made it past the Jackets or Sabres.
Firm believer in taking the best available player over team needs in the first round, especially given that most of these guys are 1-2-3 years away from hitting the lineup and so much can change, but he's pretty much a perfect fit for both of those two clubs if they miss out on Nemec. Fingers crossed that the Ducks win a lotto spot and move wayyyy up (Quite unlikely). I'm pretty much settled on the fact that Lekkerimaki is likely the guy that goes at 10 OA.
I'm not 100% sure why, but I feel like McGroarty and Howard are guys that fall below 15 OA.
Something tells me that you're spot on in that Miroshnichenko falls to around 40-50 OA, but I'd be willing to bet that when he shows up in the NHL at 22 or 23 years old, he's the next big Russian beauty. I think Gaucher will be a steal as well. He's played a bit of a different role this year with Bolduc and Rochette putting up a lot of the offence, but to me, he looks like he could be a very responsible 3C with the potential to be a 2C if he can improve his foot speed (Dylan Strome-type upside?)
Casey/Korchinsky could both be steals as well. I haven't really settled on where I'd put Sam Rinzel, but he's got great size, and could be an impact player in 4 or 5 years (long time to wait for a 2nd rounder, I know!).
Wild to see Cruz Lucius keep dropping on everyone's board. He looked like a potential late 1st rounder last year, and just disappeared. Not a bad showing with the USNTDP over 10 games, but he really seemed to turn into a wildcard.
I have a feeling that once we hit pick #13 or so, this draft is going to go nuts. Pretty similar impact/ceiling guys from 15-50ish OA. Should be some major falls/jumps, which will keep this draft exciting.
Hot take: The American team coming out of this draft could be the deepest team at the WJC when these guys are in their age 19 seasons.
Yeah a lot of teams need defenders this year. Nemec and Jiricek both have a shot at being top 5 picks. I dunno about outside top 15 with McGroarty and Howard. Maybe one but I doubt both. Then again, it is a very good draft both at the top of the class and depth-wise, so it could happen.
The problem with Miroshnichenko is his lack of effort away from when he has the puck and overall consistency. These are major red flags for me when evaluating prospects. Then again, I had the same red flags with Kaliyev on the Kings, and he's worked out well. His skill is top round worthy, but he should fall (like Kaliyev) due to those issues. A team will bet on themselves and try to break those bad habits. If it works out, Miro should be a star at the NHL level.
Gaucher's size makes me think that he'll be taken quite high, but the fact that he's barely improved in the last 2 years makes me question his upside. His size alone should allow him to dominate in the QMJHL, but he hasn't. Makes me wonder... High floor, but maybe low ceiling? And in this good of a draft class, I'd rather take other options, especially in the first round.
I like a lot of those second-round type of defensemen (Casey, Korchinski, Rinzel, Kyrou, etc.) as potential steals. It appears to be such a deep class, steals could be common in rounds 2-4.
Team USA has at least 1 WJC gold medal in their near future.
Lenny7, drambui et A_Habs_fan a aimé ceci.
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