Quoting: TheRealisticGuy
Dman going top 20 are probably : RHD Sandin Pellikka & David Reinbacher / LHD : Dmitri Simashev & Mikhail Gulyayev
If one of Sandin Pellikka or Reinbacher are on the board when MTL pick for the 2nd time, they will grab the RHD, but if they both went out, I could see them trading the pick
Do you think the Blues would be against drafting one of the Russian guys between Simashev or Gulyayev ?
Very tough to tell. The Russian factor isn't getting any better currently. However, we took the chance on Tarasenko, but he was rated alot higher than to where he fell. I don't think they'd trade up for either of them to be honest. I think it's very likely that they're still there around the 25-32 mark. I don't think Gulyayev will hold much interest to them. I feel like Armstrong is going to go back to having towers on defense. That cup team had the following d men: Pietrangelo 6'3, Gunnarsson 6'2, Parayko 6'6, JBo 6'4, Dunn 6', Bortuzzo 6'4 and Edmundson 6'4. Since then we have tried moving to more of a transition style for some reason I think Pietro leaving was the biggest factor and our defense has been pretty miserable. Pieces not fitting, coaching trying to fit square pegs into round holes etc. It just seems unlikely.
What seems a bit more likely is using the 2 firsts on guys in that 2nd tier of a guy like reinbacher isn't which i don't know if he will or not like Bonk, Strbak, Dragicevic etc. If you factor in the risk of taking a Russian there, it's not worth spending two picks close to that range to move up to possibly never get to use the player that you're moving up for with so many solid options that haven't really seperated themselves in that range. I'm not saying it's out of the question for them to move up, Armstrong talked about it in his presser after the Tarasenko trade. I just don't think they'll do it for a huge risk like that that isn't that far removed from the other options available.
I think a trade of one of the picks along with someone from our roster or other assets for an upgrade similar to the Schenn deal is more likely in which they dumped Lehtera and two firsts for Schenn.
Good news is there are lots of options and our amateur scouting team has been fantastic in the late 1st round. Very exciting to finally have a lotto pick and still be able to utilize our strength of drafting later in the 1st.