NHL Transactions, Injuries & Rumours

[Mike]

vs bulldogs or griffins?

will this be the day i meet god (mike)

Bulldogs, sat night game. Going with a former short-term BBKL GM (nashville/seabs).

[anton]

would you two be too intimidated to sit next to a BBKL champion?

[Mike]

would you two be too intimidated to sit next to a BBKL champion?

Hah let's do it

[MSP4LYFE]

Andreas Athanasiou scored a hat-trick in tonight's contest against the Windsor Spitfires, giving him 5 goals in his past 3 contests.

[Peter]

Without a season I'm just finding myself scouting hard for this 2013 draft, and I'm just getting more and more excited everyday. Feels like more than a few players are breaking out to be top 3-5 talents. So much to like.

[anton]

Of any player in the last two drafts, I dont think anyone fills the leafs biggest need better than sasha barkov. List every player from 2011, 2012, and 2013 and ill take him first for the leafs over anyone. Besides trading for getzlaf, drafting barkov should be any leafs fan dream.

[MSP4LYFE]

You would take Barkov over: RNH, Huberdeau, Mackinnon, Jones, Landeskog, Murray and Yakupov?

[bills09]

Yeah Id rather MacKinnon or Monahan for the leafs personally and thats no knock on Barkov.

MacKinnon over anyone in this draft really.. Kid is a month or so shy of being 2014 elidgible..

[anton]

from the leafs' perspective, absolutely.

[MSP4LYFE]

I'm not sure how an unproven Finnish kid is more valuable to the Leafs than a proven #1 center in RNH or proven PF in Gabriel Landeskog. You could make an argument for Barkov over: Yakupov, MacKinnon, Jones and Murray because they are similarly unproven, but even then I think you are reaching.

[anton]

barkov just turned 17 years old. he already has a man's body (6'2 205) and is already dominating a professional men's league (15 pts in 11 games). despite his goal count this season (8), he's a pass first player. he will step immediately into the NHL and be an impact player without needing to add any size or adjust to the pro game (he'll have already played 2 pro seasons).

if i'm columbus or colorado or montreal or edmonton, then mackinnon seems like the choice to make, but i think the leafs will be drooling over barkov this year. i also think it'll be mackinnon/barkov by the end of the year fighting for #1 with jones and monohan being the next tier down.

I'm not sure how an unproven Finnish kid is more valuable to the Leafs than a proven #1 center in RNH or proven PF in Gabriel Landeskog. You could make an argument for Barkov over: Yakupov, MacKinnon, Jones and Murray because they are similarly unproven, but even then I think you are reaching.

and that's not what i meant. i mean i like barkov for the leafs more than ive liked anyone else in their draft year since 2010.

and even then, do i think barkov is a better fit for the leafs than RNH - yes. landeskog is perhaps the only comparable imo, but barkov gets the edge as the centerman we so sorely need.

[bills09]

Nathan MacKinnon>Michael Granlund>Sasha Barkov

[anton]

having said all that, conor mcdavid is the best 15 year old hockey player i've ever seen. speed like kessel, vision like RNH, and hands like pat kane.

absolutely insane how good he is at 15. he may not put up the numbers tavares did at 15, but his overall game is more impressive imo at the same age.

[MSP4LYFE]

barkov just turned 17 years old. he already has a man's body (6'2 205) and is already dominating a professional men's league (15 pts in 11 games). despite his goal count this season (8), he's a pass first player. he will step immediately into the NHL and be an impact player without needing to add any size or adjust to the pro game (he'll have already played 2 pro seasons).

if i'm columbus or colorado or montreal or edmonton, then mackinnon seems like the choice to make, but i think the leafs will be drooling over barkov this year. i also think it'll be mackinnon/barkov by the end of the year fighting for #1 with jones and monohan being the next tier down.

I'm not sure how an unproven Finnish kid is more valuable to the Leafs than a proven #1 center in RNH or proven PF in Gabriel Landeskog. You could make an argument for Barkov over: Yakupov, MacKinnon, Jones and Murray because they are similarly unproven, but even then I think you are reaching.

and that's not what i meant. i mean i like barkov for the leafs more than ive liked anyone else in their draft year since 2010.

and even then, do i think barkov is a better fit for the leafs than RNH - yes. landeskog is perhaps the only comparable imo, but barkov gets the edge as the centerman we so sorely need.

I'm aware of who Barkov is, he's been on the prospect radar for the better part of two years, but it is way too early to be making the claims you have, IMO. Were in October, alot can and will change between now and the draft.

I also think RNH is the perfect fit for the leafs,a centerman with generational playmaking ability.

[MSP4LYFE]

Nathan MacKinnon>Michael Granlund>Sasha Barkov

I like Barkov more than Granlund at the same age, he has a bigger frame, and is a better skater at 17 than Granlund is at 19.

[anton]

so im jumping the gun by saying barkov will challenge mackinnon for #1, but calling RNH a generational playmaker is ok?

the kid's played 62 total professional games. we might wait until we see how his slight frame holds up in the NHL long term before we start throwing around the "generational" tag. injuring your shoulder twice on innocent looking plays isn't exactly an excellent way to start.

[bills09]

At the Moment my top 5 for 2013 is

1. Nathan MacKinnon
2. Seth Jones
3. Sean Monahan
4. Sasha Barkov
5. Curtis Lazar

[anton]

ive watched every winterhawks game this season and while i can absolutely see the hype with seth jones, i see him as a bit more of a project than most. i certainly do not see him stepping into the NHL right away.

he is an incredible athlete and is a very, very big man. his shot is excellent, he is positionally sound and he has an almost chara/pronger like reach, but imo his mobility needs a bit of work. he seems to "lumber" around the ice. with some added fluidity to his skating, he will be a top notch all round player in the mold of pronger.

i need to watch monahan more, but i really liked him at the Can/Rus challenge.

i see:

1. Mackinnon
2. Barkov
3. Jones
4. Monahan
5. Shinkaruk
6. Pulock
7. Lindholm
8. Lazar
9. Ristolainen
10. Rychel

as my top 10 right now. Lindholm is my darkhorse to sneak into the top 5.

[bills09]

ive watched every winterhawks game this season and while i can absolutely see the hype with seth jones, i see him as a bit more of a project than most. i certainly do not see him stepping into the NHL right away.

he is an incredible athlete and is a very, very big man. his shot is excellent, he is positionally sound and he has an almost chara/pronger like reach, but imo his mobility needs a bit of work. he seems to "lumber" around the ice. with some added fluidity to his skating, he will be a top notch all round player in the mold of pronger.

i need to watch monahan more, but i really liked him at the Can/Rus challenge.

i see:

1. Mackinnon
2. Barkov
3. Jones
4. Monahan
5. Shinkaruk
6. Pulock
7. Lindholm
8. Lazar
9. Ristolainen
10. Rychel

as my top 10 right now. Lindholm is my darkhorse to sneak into the top 5.

watch more Monahan kid is an absolute treat to watch, and will end up a player in the mold of Johnathan Toews.

Other than the big 4, Curtis Lazar is probably my favorite for the '13 class, tons of skill, defensively aware.

[MSP4LYFE]

so im jumping the gun by saying barkov will challenge mackinnon for #1, but calling RNH a generational playmaker is ok?

the kid's played 62 total professional games. we might wait until we see how his slight frame holds up in the NHL long term before we start throwing around the "generational" tag. injuring your shoulder twice on innocent looking plays isn't exactly an excellent way to start.

RNH demonstrated elite playmaking ability at the age of 18 in the NHL. So to answer your question, yes.

*Note that I called an aspect of RNH's game generational, not the total package.*