1st and 3rd Overall Picks Advice Needed

[horseflyhab]

Through some wheeling and dealing I was able to snag the first pick in our Salary Cap pool this year. I also have the 3rd overall. I am looking for some elite young talent that I can keep for many years to come. With the 1st pick overall I am leanign toward RW Yakupov. It will shore up the R Wing for many years. It is my 3rd pick that is really troubling me.
Do I take a D stud like Hamilton or Schultz, or a dynamic C like Granlund or Galchenyuk? Then I am also thinking that Holtby could be great long term.

Here is the list of those best players available. Who are your top three picks? I have no idea who will go 2nd overall. Thanks for the advice, I draft tomorrow.


C: Granlund, Galchenyuk, Grigorenko
LW: Baertschi
RW: Yakupov, Coyle, Tarasenko
D: Hamilton, Schultz, Gardiner, Voynov
G: Subban, Holtby, Neuvirth

[theslymonkey]

Through some wheeling and dealing I was able to snag the first pick in our Salary Cap pool this year. I also have the 3rd overall. I am looking for some elite young talent that I can keep for many years to come. With the 1st pick overall I am leanign toward RW Yakupov. It will shore up the R Wing for many years. It is my 3rd pick that is really troubling me.
Do I take a D stud like Hamilton or Schultz, or a dynamic C like Granlund or Galchenyuk? Then I am also thinking that Holtby could be great long term.

Here is the list of those best players available. Who are your top three picks? I have no idea who will go 2nd overall. Thanks for the advice, I draft tomorrow.


C: Granlund, Galchenyuk, Grigorenko
LW: Baertschi
RW: Yakupov, Coyle, Tarasenko
D: Hamilton, Schultz, Gardiner, Voynov
G: Subban, Holtby, Neuvirth

The top four are pretty easy, but the order you could probably juggle.

Yakupov
Granlund
Baertschi
Galchenyuk

That's how I'd draft them.

[horseflyhab]

I had Granlund #2 as well, I think he will be chosen second.
Baertschi would be nice at LW and he has a low Entry Level cap hit as well. I hadn't considered him as a 3rd or 4th pick overall though.
Something more for me to consider.
Thanks

[kenzle1r]

For your team I would rank them:

1. Yakupov
2. Schultz
3. Granlund

I rank Schultz high because your D seems to be the thinest positioin on your team and you can't deny how good he's playing in the AHL with the likes of Hall/Eberle. He is the corner stone for the EDM D going forward and his opportunity to succeed is through the roof.

Granlund comes in 3rd but I also like Gally from MTL. Both are going to be their respectively #1 C's down the road. It's really a coin flip to just how good either will be in terms of production at this point.

Good luck.

[kevinsrangers]

Yakupov
Granlund
schultz
this looks like how id rank the top 3.

[Kofax]

Yakupov is the obvious 1st.

Schultz/Granlund. One of these guys is who I'd take in the 3rd spot as they seem to be closest to being NHL ready. I would stay away from drafting for positional need. Take the best available.

Schultz has the hype machine working for him right now and is probably closest to NHL ready if you will be competing soon.

Granlund is probably second in being ready for the NHL, plus have some significant upside.

Galchenyuk/Grigorenko/Hamilton aren't quite as ready, but have significant upside, so if you're looking to compete in 2 to 3 years, one of these guys might be the way to go.

Holtby if you needed goalie help, but there's a degree of uncertainty there.

Baertschi, I don't quite get the hype with him, but if you wanted to draft for positional requirements, then he's you're only LW option I suppose, although I advise against it.

[hockeymanG23]

I'd target Schultz with that 3rd since D looks like your biggest position of need by far, though any of the other D you mentioned are solid choices also

[Kitchen]

I would be going with Schultz for sure with Grandlund in a close second. Edmonton has the potential of having one of the best power plays in the league with Schultz at QB. Mature defenceman with his skill set do not come along too often.

[Fast Tony DeNiro]

Yakupov at 1st is a given.

Picking 3rd is tough as so many of those players are realistically worth that choice. Granlund, Galchenyuk, Bartschi, Tarasenko, Schultz, and Hamilton probably lead the pack.

Your defense is weak, but has a couple solid two-way guys to build around in OEL and Carlson, adding Schultz or Hamilton could really make the position a strength. Schultz will give you more immediate impact as he'll be handed the keys to Edmonton's PP from the get-go, but in a few years Hamilton might be more valuable.

You're extremely weak at center for an 8 team league, with only two NHL centers on your roster and Scheifele on the way maybe when the season starts. I would go Galchenyuk and then Granlund in my rankings due to Granlund already piling up an extensive injury list.

I would give some real thought to taking Tarasenko. RW is a very thin position, and with Hossa and Iginla getting up there in age and Okposo not showing a ton it might be worth it to double-down on the position with Yak and Tara. Also, Tarasenko might be the best prospect on the list regardless of position.

Bartschi I would hope makes it around to my next pick. I like him a lot but I'm not sure he's in quite the same class as some of these others players. Plus LW is maybe your strongest position.

In an 8 team league everyone is competing, so for that reason I would give a lot of thought to Schultz or Tarasenko as I think they're the two most NHL ready players on the list. Granlund as well but like I said, injuries. Gally should be in the NHL next season but he's a little younger....I would have him ahead of Granlund still.

1. Yakupov
2. Schultz/Tarasenko
4. Hamilton
5. Granlund
6. Bartschi

[horseflyhab]

Thanks for the thoughts everyone. You are all pretty much in line with what I was thinking. That is take Yakupov #1 then grab Schultz at the #3 spot if available. My D could use a guy to put up some points and I will be able to keep him for awhile.
If Schultz goes #2 then I would lean toward cleaning up my Center position and take Granlund or Galchenyuk, either of who would be just fine in my estimation.

[Axeman33]

Go with Yakupov at one. Thats the easy choice. If Schultz goes at two, I would take Granlund over Galchenyuk. He's more NHL ready and his upside is as good if not better then Galchenyuk's.

[arctic_rogue]

Go with Yakupov at one. Thats the easy choice. If Schultz goes at two, I would take Granlund over Galchenyuk. He's more NHL ready and his upside is as good if not better then Galchenyuk's.

I'm similar... except I'd take Yakupov, Schultz, and Galchenyuk (I see he a Granlund as being very close, just personal preference).

[The Hockey Hitman]

I would take Yakupov then Tarasenko. If Tarasenko is gone, I'd take Baertschi, followed by Granlund then Galchenyuk. I wouldnt pass up any of the 5 guys I just named in favor of taking Schultz.