For the first time since Brad Park, the NYR are in the top 3
First time ever to make the top 3 in a lottery
The real loser here is Alex Lafreniere, who won’t have Hughes to mentor him on the pressures of being a first overall pick in Edmonton.
For the first time since Brad Park, the NYR are in the top 3
First time ever to make the top 3 in a lottery
Consider Sim Hockey because guys who play shutdown minutes, deflect shots and clear creases build championships. Yet in fantasy they litter the unwanted UFA lists.
10 Team, Points Only, Cash League
25 Man Roster (no position), top 20 point getters count at end of month
Keep 20/25 at seasons end, Cut 5 to FA for redrafting
Goalie points W=2pt L=-1pt SHO=2pt
Stamkos, Tavares, Eichel, Mercer, JRobertson, RThomas, Kucherov, Nugent-Hopkins, Tuch, KConnor, Necas, Point, Konecny, SJarvis, Cozenz, Morrissey, Bouchard, Josi, Novak, Tolvanen, Peterka, Brink
G- Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Oettinger
"Cleavage is like the sun. You can look, but dont stare.. Unless you're wearing sunglasses."
Jack Hughes at 5'10" 170lbs, does he jump in as C2, PP1? Prolly not to start the yr, but by December is he on C2 with little help, or is he centering Hall?
Top 9 were:
Hall-Nico-Palm
Wood-Zajac-Coleman
Johansson-Zacha-Bratt
And MJ isn't on the team anymore. However, if they can get Zacha in the right direction...That's some pretty good 1-2-3 down the middle.
12 Team, H2H, Keep 6 (in Bold)
G, A, Pts, PPP, FW, SOG, Hits, Blocks
W, Saves, S%, GAA, Game Started
2C, 2LW, 2RW, 4D, 1Util, 2G, 5BN, 2IR, 1IR+, 1NA
C: Horvat, Trocheck
LW: J. Robertson, Byfield (C), Guenther
RW: Pavelski (C), Giroux (C), Svechnikov (LW)
D: Fox, Makar, Bouchard, Morrissey, Gudas
Util: Meier (LW, RW)
G: Oettinger, Georgiev, Samsonov, Woll
10 Team, Points Only, Cash League
25 Man Roster (no position), top 20 point getters count at end of month
Keep 20/25 at seasons end, Cut 5 to FA for redrafting
Goalie points W=2pt L=-1pt SHO=2pt
Stamkos, Tavares, Eichel, Mercer, JRobertson, RThomas, Kucherov, Nugent-Hopkins, Tuch, KConnor, Necas, Point, Konecny, SJarvis, Cozenz, Morrissey, Bouchard, Josi, Novak, Tolvanen, Peterka, Brink
G- Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Oettinger
"Cleavage is like the sun. You can look, but dont stare.. Unless you're wearing sunglasses."
I think NJ will play Hughes on a partial-share C/W for most of his first year, with NJ's depth.
Both MacKinnon and Seguin turned out just fine playing oodles of first year wing.
Probably line 2, on Zajac (RH) wing with Hughes practicing draws & center-matching on Zajac's toss-outs. Hughes is LH.
NYR could actually do same thing, with Kaako (LH) playing top line wing with Ziba (RH).
Most GMs/coaches want a young player to sidle up with a veteran in their first year.
There's a LOT gained from bench communication in-between shifts.
1/2 as Hughes/Kaako is gonna happen tho to NJ/NYR. Write that in pen.
CHI should be leaning towards the upside Podkolzin at pick #3... but they also seem like the kind of team that would shy away from a Russian (why do I go there.... hmmm... not like they lose Anisimov and Panarin trades...)
They have their C1 (Toews) and C2 (D.Strome), but need more wing firepower.
Byram is also in the mix for CHI... and that would make for a quick rebuild of what was (in May 2017) the NHL's worst D pipeline (since: Jokiharju, I.Mitchell 2017, Boqvist, Beaudin 2018).
I could also see CHI trading down and still trying to land Byram.
COL needs a C2 bad, so Cozens looks prime for a #4 slot pick, I think - if he's there.
Jost is coming along, but I feel like he's more of a C/W than a pure C anchor.
I could see a line 2 wing veteran with a future Jost/Cozens... but I'm not sure Cozens in 2019 NHL material.
At #5, LA would surely taking Byram if he's there... otherwise, best of the forwards.
(I disagree with mynhldraft listing Turcotte... I'll have to read up more on Turcotte - just haven't seen enough glowing on Turcotte yet.)
Though I think Trevor Zegras is gaining traction in draft-consideration, I can see him being a reach here.
#6: Detroit will take one of Turcotte/Zegras/Dach - I don't honestly have a feel how they'd lean.
I see them going with a smaller guy with footspeed though, they already have Rasmussen as the guy I think they want to see as future C2.
Sporstnet just issused their prospect list for April, here.
I like mynhldraft.com as a reference because they update collections of different mocks/orders. Nice graphics on that site too.
As for my Flyers... #11 is nice spot for them.
The top 10 are all solid players, but it sounds like Cole Caufield is a riser... and his size and shiftiness is something that would compliment some of the bigger Flyer forward bodies.
That almost feels like a draft pick "meant to be".
Well... we can say "Wings have had bad luck"... but some might say they had ultimate luck when a #3 ranked prospect (Zadina) fell all the way to them at #6. (thanks to Chayka taking Hayton).
Byram would be a nice project... but I'm starting to really swoon to what I see in Filip Hronek.
I really wanted Cholowski to be the guy - but he stunk a bit (/wasn't ready) in his play this year.
Hronek meanwhile... mmm... gotta try and make a play for him in some of my league this offseason.
Kid looks solid, future D1 for the Wings.
It's the Filip-and-Filip show....
now they just need...
I don’t think it’s out of consideration that NJ takes Kakko
10 Team, Points Only, Cash League
25 Man Roster (no position), top 20 point getters count at end of month
Keep 20/25 at seasons end, Cut 5 to FA for redrafting
Goalie points W=2pt L=-1pt SHO=2pt
Stamkos, Tavares, Eichel, Mercer, JRobertson, RThomas, Kucherov, Nugent-Hopkins, Tuch, KConnor, Necas, Point, Konecny, SJarvis, Cozenz, Morrissey, Bouchard, Josi, Novak, Tolvanen, Peterka, Brink
G- Vasilevskiy, Sorokin, Oettinger
"Cleavage is like the sun. You can look, but dont stare.. Unless you're wearing sunglasses."
We'll probably never know whether Kakko gets serious consideration (that is... unless they draft him).
Shero is the type of GM that will say all the right things.
And he certainly will NOT put Hughes on a pedestal, pre or post-draft.
A mathematical way to discuss it would be this:
Say you are forced to be $1000.
At what odds do you bet it on Hughes going #1?
At what odds do you bet it on Kakko going #1?
If I'm Vegas... I'd probably set this line on Hughes going #1:
1:10 - Hughes goes #1 (Bet $1000, get $100)
8:1 - Kakko goes #1 (Bet $1000, win $8000)
Set your own number, ye pundits.
And let the bets fly!
[btw - When was the last time a consensus #1 did NOT go #1?... for discussion]
Per mynhldraft, one site does have Kakko listed #1: DraftBuzz
The main argument for NJ jumping onto the Kakko bandwagon would be that last time they had a first overall pick, they had a choice between the NA C who had been hyped as the number one for the two years leading up to the draft, and the European native who was a mighty riser in their draft year. They went for the latter, and it has worked out fairly well. Now, apples to oranges, Hughes and Kakko aren't Hischier and Patrick, but the logic is fairly similar.
I would put it as more of a 70%/30% likelihood that Hughes is first vs Kakko.
As another tidbit, make of it what you will that Brian Burke said on the pre-show for the draft lottery that three of the lottery teams he had spoken to, had Kakko over Hughes. Say he had spoken to 10 of the 15 teams there, and I'm pretty comfortable with my 70/30 bar.
Associate Editor for DobberHockey (Wednesdays). Click that Ramblings button on the the menu bar!
(No I don't have a hockey problem...)
^Fair enough to say... but drafting is chess/war/mind-games.
If the vote is close... and your party wants Hughes... what would one publicly "leak" to help those chances...
I'm seeing 9/10 prospect pundits go with Hughes.
And the one that isn't, Draft Buzz, had Zadina over Svechnikov last year... so....
Also - re: Hischier vs. Patrick.
Nationalities are not important.
The junior league is a bit important... and Hischier being in the Q really gave GMs better confidence level on his skill vs. Patrick in the W.
I would reference that rather than Swiss/Euro vs. CDN.
The gap btw Hughes & Kakko isn't as big as Matthews & Laine... but that's a better comparable for discussion of "situation" since it's USNDP vs. Liiga.
Transition league factors (is that what they are called) are pretty dependable these days.
I think Hughes numbers just have too much solid-ness in them. (not saying Kakko's don't... but Hughes is considered a lock-stud, with minimal upside MISS-ability)
Hughes unlikeliness as a "bust" is what, I think, makes him a consensus #1.
I sit with the #1 pick in one of my pools. I have to admit, I'm underwhelmed with NJ at #1. Maybe it's past bias... but I might be swayed to who the Rangers take at #2 - likely meaning - taking Kakko over Hughes.
In this specific pool. periphs are converted to .25 fpt. g/a are 2.5pts each. Kakko figures to fill those cats better than the slim/trim Hughes. From this league specific viewpoint, Kakko is neck and neck with Hughes... Add in that he plays wing and well.... It becomes really close
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