• Moderators, please send me a PM if you are unable to access mod permissions. Thanks, Habsy.

2014 NHL Draft Thread

Sorry, thats exactly how I've always looked at it. Age is more relevant that whether they have been drafted or not IMO. Having a 95 is a benefit because you see their post draft years IMO. Eg. with Reinhart and Draisaitl. They had elite 18 year old years, which is great, but its not as impressive as Bennett doing the same thing at 17.

I'm just saying he is ranking with much more skilled guys because of the Lucic comparison. Guys who have elite 17 year old production, and Ritvhie didn't even produce at an elite 18 year old level.

I am not comparing him to Biggs etc. I never even brought up guys like that.
 
leafman101 said:
I don't want guys like Perlini, Ritchie, Fleury, Virtanen or McCann. Solid players, but there are guys with higher upside at 8. Ritchie is the "Lucic" of this draft. I've read articles that said some scouts have him as high as two because he is the next Lucic with better hands. Crazy.

Dal Colle, Ehlers, Fabbri and Nylander all have elite production in their respective leagues that. And one of them will be there at 8. Ehlers and Fabbri in particular. They scored at a level at 17 that non impact NHLers just don't score at.
Click to expand...

I object to the notion that Virtanen doesn't belong in the "higher end skill" discussion. One player, one, in the entire draft class has more goals. Virtanen, on a lacklustre Calgary team had 45 goals, was Canada's best forward at the U-18s and is one of the youngest players on offer.

On skill, taking aside his superior physicality and nasty side, and just on skill, I'd put him on par with Ehlers easily and ahead of Nylander and Fabbri.
 
Yeah his goalscoring is impressive, but there are other more complete players IMO. He is more one dimensional than some of the other names at 8. I have him at 9 or 10. I agree he is ahead of those other names.
 
No one here ever said Kadri's draft year stats should actually be considered his "post draft" year since he was a 90.
 
hockeylover said:
No one here ever said Kadri's draft year stats should actually be considered his "post draft" year since he was a 90.
Click to expand...

I don't care what anyone said. That was his 18 year old season. Not his 17 year old season. And that is how I have always broke it down and will continue to.

I am not saying its a negative thing. You get the benefit of seeing them at an advanced age level before the draft. Its useful information. Would be silly to ignore it. You are trying to bet on guys that will have good 18 year old seasons, and you already knew Kadri took that step before the draft.

This is pretty off track anyway. Even if you pretend Ritchie is the same age as guys like Fabbri and Ehlers the production still doesn't compare. He is being thrown in that mix because of size and truculence.
 
Last edited:
My gut says the Leafs pick is on your avoid list of Perlini, Ritchie, Fleury, Virtanen or McCann rather than Ehlers, Nylander, Fabbri. But we shall see.
 
And not just that mix. Like I said earlier Gare Joyce posted an article with scouts saying they have Ritchie at 1 or 2. He's being placed into the same mix with Ekblad, Reinhart and Bennett by some. Its certainly not because of his skill and production.
 
leafman101 said:
And not just that mix. Like I said earlier Gare Joyce posted an article with scouts saying they have Ritchie at 1 or 2. He's being placed into the same mix with Ekblad, Reinhart and Bennett by some. Its certainly not because of his skill and production.
Click to expand...

First I've ever heard of Ritchie being considered that high. You certainly don't have to convince me he's not that.
 
hockeylover said:
My gut says the Leafs pick is on your avoid list of Perlini, Ritchie, Fleury, Virtanen or McCann rather than Ehlers, Nylander, Fabbri. But we shall see.
Click to expand...

Hope not. Thats the same thing people said last time they had a top pick. They were going to pick Reinhart or Trouba not Rielly or Grigorenko.

They've gone high skill both times in the top 10. Of course that was Burkie though, so we'll see.
 
How big of a gamble is Ritchie even turning into a top 6 let alone the next Lucic?

If the guy has legit top 6 potential then go for it but let's not go down the next Lucic road again. It was bad enough wasting a 1st on that once already. We dont need to do it with a top ten
 
Artnes said:
How big of a gamble is Ritchie even turning into a top 6 let alone the next Lucic?

If the guy has legit top 6 potential then go for it but let's not go down the next Lucic road again. It was bad enough wasting a 1st on that once already. We dont need to do it with a top ten
Click to expand...

When I posted earlier about Ritchie's numbers, this is the kind of post I was making a point against really.
 
Yeah Ritchie has top 6 potential. He scored 39 goals and 1.2 ppg this year. He has good hands and a good shot, and unlike Biggs he actually plays physical. At 6'2 235 he actually needs to lose some weight not get bigger. I think he pretty safely has Scott Hartnell type upside. 20 goal 40/50 point second line winger that makes and impact physically. And he could be better than that too.

I like him. Just not at 8. And especially not at 3... Sportsnet the home of hockey.
 
hockeylover said:
Why has Dal Colle been dropping everywhere lately?
Click to expand...

I don't get it either. That guy has it all to be a high end goal scorer in the NHL. The size, the skating, the shot, the goalscorer mentality in finding the open spaces and the patience to take the extra second. Just a natural goal scorer. To me this is the most likely guy in the draft to be that Carter/Nash/Ryan consistent 30 goal scorer. He has those same tools.
 
That article said a top line LW to play with Tavares or a top pair dman. They are looking to move the pick outright.

I'm not sure if we could dump Lupul or Gardiner on them for the pick, but they are desperate to win this year and protect their 2015 pick so you could probably take advantage of them.
 
With the Isle moving to Brooklyn soon, Lupul would probably LOVE to play for the Isle's... and playing the LW would make him happy as well. Intredasting if they would give it up just for the player and not the player and the eighth
 
Hoss said:
With the Isle moving to Brooklyn soon, Lupul would probably LOVE to play for the Isle's... and playing the LW would make him happy as well. Intredasting if they would give it up just for the player and not the player and the eighth
Click to expand...

I don't think it would take lupul+8th to move up 3 spots, that would be a hefty price for just 3 spots.

Something like Lupul + D prospect + mid round pick(3-5th round) may peak interest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top