2014 NHL Draft Thread

[LeafGm]

Anyone you guys will be really disappointed if we pick?

Out of all the guys who are rated to go above, at or around our pick, the only one that I really have no interest in at all is Haydn Fleury. With all the highly talented forwards that are available in the top-10 (including a few centers), it would just be really disappointing to come out of the draft with a "smart and steady" defenseman with OK offensive numbers. Besides that though, I'd be pretty happy with any number of guys. Even the "truculence" picks like Ritchie and Virtanen seem to have plenty of skill to spare.

 

[TimHorton]

Out of all the guys who are rated to go above, at or around our pick, the only one that I really have no interest in at all is Haydn Fleury. With all the highly talented forwards that are available in the top-10 (including a few centers), it would just be really disappointing to come out of the draft with a "smart and steady" defenseman with OK offensive numbers. Besides that though, I'd be pretty happy with any number of guys. Even the "truculence" picks like Ritchie and Virtanen seem to have plenty of skill to spare.

Ditto.

 

[leafman101]

I'd be disappointed with Fleury, Kapanen, McCann, Ritchie.

IMO at 8 Nylander, Ehlers, Virtanen are the obvious targets with high end skill sets. I also really like Fabbri and think he belongs in the mix despite his size. He put up elite numbers, that only good NHL players put up.

After that there are a bunch of guys I like (Milano, Larkin, Sandheim, Scherbek, Honka, Barbashev, Perlini) so I wouldn't necessarily be disappointed, but I wouldn't pick them at 8 either.

 

[MyNameIsJonas]

I really want Josh Ho-Sang at 27

 

[BG]

Not an option for the Leafs at 8, but has anyone read much about Fiala?

 

[hockeylover]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...k-draft-nhl-kevin-allen-first-round/11367851/

Kevin Allen has us picking William Nylander.

8. Toronto Maple Leafs:Forward William Nylander (MoDo). He is the son of former NHL player Michael Nylander. He can score dazzling goals.

 

[leafman101]

Not an option for the Leafs at 8, but has anyone read much about Fiala?

Little guy, but he's a good hockey player. Played against men this year, and scored at the highest rate of any 17 year old in the SEL since Forsberg, and followed that up with 6 points in 8 playoff games and then made Swedens World Championship team. He's a very good skater and has a lot of skill.

 

[BG]

Little guy, but he's a good hockey player. Played against men this year, and scored at the highest rate of any 17 year old in the SEL since Forsberg, and followed that up with 6 points in 8 playoff games and then made Swedens World Championship team. He's a very good skater and has a lot of skill.

Thx.

 

[hairnova]

Just a little correction: Fiala made Switzerland's world championship team, not Sweden's.

 

[Montana]

I'd be disappointed with Fleury, Kapanen, McCann, Ritchie.

IMO at 8 Nylander, Ehlers, Virtanen are the obvious targets with high end skill sets. I also really like Fabbri and think he belongs in the mix despite his size. He put up elite numbers, that only good NHL players put up.

After that there are a bunch of guys I like (Milano, Larkin, Sandheim, Scherbek, Honka, Barbashev, Perlini) so I wouldn't necessarily be disappointed, but I wouldn't pick them at 8 either.

101, your thoughts on this draft have been bang on brother.....don't think I've seen you say one thing about it that I've disagreed with.

 

[JaysCyYoung]

Josh Ho-Sang bitches.

As good numbers as virtually any player in the draft and a **** you I'm the best attitude.

 

[Leafin']

He probably drops to the 2nd round and a team gets a very good prospect.

I really don't know who i want in this draft. You can make an argument for everyone in the top 10.

And to be honest, Hayden Fleury looks to be as good a prospect as any in the top 10. If management feels he is the guy to get at our spot, so be it. By the time any of these picks are in a position to have impact in the NHL (2-3 years), a lot will have changed by then.

Take best player available, position should not matter at the draft. You get the best guy you can, and let the rest fall into place.

 

[hockeylover]

He probably drops to the 2nd round and a team gets a very good prospect.

I really don't know who i want in this draft. You can make an argument for everyone in the top 10.

And to be honest, Hayden Fleury looks to be as good a prospect as any in the top 10. If management feels he is the guy to get at our spot, so be it. By the time any of these picks are in a position to have impact in the NHL (2-3 years), a lot will have changed by then.

Take best player available, position should not matter at the draft. You get the best guy you can, and let the rest fall into place.

That's fair enough, I feel like Fleury wouldn't be BPA at 8 though. There's definitely forwards available there that have elite offensive numbers.

I'm leaning towards Nylander at this point in terms of preference but there's a number of guys I like.

 

[leafman101]

Love Ho-Sang. He's just like Kadri. All the skill in the world, but has a lot of bad habits because of it.

I think there are better players at 8 in this draft though. Ho Sang's production doesn't touch Ehlers or Fabbri's and they don't have as many red flags either. Ehlers and Fabbri's 17 year old production is up there with all the elite players to come out of the Q and O the last decade.

 

[Montana]

Ho-Sang is the kind of kid you pray the Leafs makes a move to acquire a 2nd 1st rounder so they can snag him........instead, he's likely to fall into the laps of a team like Detroit.

 

[leafman101]

Top OHL 17 year old seasons since 2005-06
1. Gagner - 53 gp, 35 gls, 118 pts, 2.23 ppg
2. Tavares - 59 gp, 40 gls, 118 pts, 2.00 ppg
3. Stamkos - 61 gp, 58 gls, 105 pts, 1.72 ppg
4. Seguin - 63 gp, 48 gls, 106 pts, 1.68 ppg
5. Strome - 65 gp, 33 gls, 106 pts, 1.63 ppg
6. Bennett - 57 gp, 36 gls, 91 pts, 1.60 ppg
7. Yakupov - 65 gp, 49 gls, 101 pts, 1.55 ppg
8. Fabbri - 58 gp, 45 gls, 85 pts, 1.50 ppg
9. Couture - 58 gp, 26 gls, 78 pts, 1.44 ppg
10. Hall - 63 gp, 38 gls, 90 pts, 1.43 ppg

Top QMJHL 17 year old seasons since 2005-06
1. Drouin - 49 gp, 41 gls, 105 pts, 2.14 ppg
2. Mackinnon - 44 gp, 32 gls, 75 pts, 1.70 ppg
3. Ehlers - 63 gp, 49 gls, 104 pts, 1.65 ppg
4. Huberdeau - 67 gp, 43 gls, 105 pts, 1.57 ppg
5. Giroux - 69 gp, 39 gls, 103 pts, 1.49 ppg
6. Bouchard - 69 gp, 33 gls, 102 pts, 1.48 ppg
7. Voracek - 59 gp, 23 gls, 86 pts, 1.46 ppg


Posted this a few pages ago. All the players to have 1.4+ ppg 17 year old seasons since 2005-06. The only players on those lists that aren't/aren't definitely going to be first line NHLers are Gagner and Bouchard. I have no idea what Bouchard's problem was, but Gagner just fed off of Patrick Kane that year.

Nylander scored the most points in Sweden's 2nd division of any 17 year old ever. He had the 7th best ppg all time in their top U20 division the year before as a 16 year old. The only other guys to do that at his age were Robert Nilsson and Daniel Sedin. He was heads and shoulders above the kids his age at the U18 too. All three of those guys have elite production.

At least one of those guys will be there at 8. Maybe you get a choice. Unless one of the top 4 fall I am taking one of those guys.

 

[hockeylover]

Don't think we've picked a European player higher than the third round since 2006. Hoping that's mostly coincidence for this year...

 

[leafman101]

I have also read that Halifax might convert Ehlers to center next season like they did with Drouin. So all three of those guys are centers too.

 

[MyNameIsJonas]

Ho-Sang is the kind of kid you pray the Leafs makes a move to acquire a 2nd 1st rounder so they can snag him........instead, he's likely to fall into the laps of a team like Detroit.

He reeks of Boston, Detroit, Chicago, LAK, or St Louis.

Teams that draft super well and ignore negative nonsense.

 

[JaysCyYoung]

Out of all the guys who are rated to go above, at or around our pick, the only one that I really have no interest in at all is Haydn Fleury. With all the highly talented forwards that are available in the top-10 (including a few centers), it would just be really disappointing to come out of the draft with a "smart and steady" defenseman with OK offensive numbers. Besides that though, I'd be pretty happy with any number of guys. Even the "truculence" picks like Ritchie and Virtanen seem to have plenty of skill to spare.

Fleury's numbers are pretty good actually. The Leafs could do worse than a 50 point, big, mobile defender with good offensive instincts and puck-moving skills.