2014 NHL Entry draft discussion

[Nick]

So let's hear some predictions ?


Off the cuff:


#1 FLA: Ekblad
#2 BUF: Leon Draisaitl
#3 EDM : - trade it for a dman - Reinhart selected
#4 CGY: Sam Bennett
#5 NYI : Virtanen - because I don't like and they suck
#6 VAN : Dal Colle
#7 CAR : Fleury - gem at this spot
#8/9/10 : Ritchie, Nylander, Kapanen
# 11NSH: Ehlers
#12 ARZ: Fabbri
#13 WAS: Perlini
#14 DAL: honka
# 15 DET: Fiala
#16 CBj: Kempe
#17 PHi : Travis Anaheim
#18 MIN: varna
#19 TBL: Pettersson
#20 SJS : Alex Tuch
Really tough to call after 15

[bills09]

I'd be shocked if Reinhart falls past buffalo

[The BBKL Insider]

Never heard of Travis Anaheim

[Nick]

So with so much interest in the #1 pick, who is it? lots of teams seem to want it, more than years past at least...

[bills09]

So with so much interest in the #1 pick, who is it? lots of teams seem to want it, more than years past at least...

Teams always want it but most years the pick is untouchable

[The BBKL Insider]

this is the year to move it, no clear cut superstar and always a big price tag on 1.

[Nick]

Didn't 'feel' untouchable to me last year with MacKinnon - Drouin - Jones all in the talk. Seemed last year to me the top 4 were all happy with who they would get, yet this year #3-10 all want to move into the top 2... who the hell is it?

There were a few MacKinnon believers, but that was no where near the given pick.

[The BBKL Insider]

Didn't 'feel' untouchable to me last year with MacKinnon - Drouin - Jones all in the talk. Seemed last year to me the top 4 were all happy with who they would get, yet this year #3-10 all want to move into the top 2... who the hell is it?

There were a few MacKinnon believers, but that was no where near the given pick.

ekblad and reinhert seem to be on everyones top 2

hell, it seems as if the german may go 3rd and bennett will drop to 4

[Shoalzie]

This is the kind of year where you use the #1 pick but you could be coaxed into moving it if the price is right. Probably more temptation to move the first pick since a defenseman is considered the best option at #1.

There's probably some who would hesitate taking a defenseman at the spot. Only 5 have gone #1 overall in the last 30+ years. None of them to me were generational talents but have at least had good careers...Hamrlik, Jovanovski, Berard, Phillips and Johnson. You'd want that guy to at least become a top pair guy the same way you'd expect a forward as the #1 pick to be on your top line.

I think the only way to unseat Ekblad at #1 would've been to have a consensus #1 forward but there seems to be varying opinions. I can't see a team trading up to #1 and not taking Ekblad. He's probably the safest pick at #1.

[Shoalzie]

Never heard of Travis Anaheim

I assume Sanheim?

[The BBKL Insider]

This is the kind of year where you use the #1 pick but you could be coaxed into moving it if the price is right. Probably more temptation to move the first pick since a defenseman is considered the best option at #1.

There's probably some who would hesitate taking a defenseman at the spot. Only 5 have gone #1 overall in the last 30+ years. None of them to me were generational talents but have at least had good careers...Hamrlik, Jovanovski, Berard, Phillips and Johnson. You'd want that guy to at least become a top pair guy the same way you'd expect a forward as the #1 pick to be on your top line.

I think the only way to unseat Ekblad at #1 would've been to have a consensus #1 forward but there seems to be varying opinions. I can't see a team trading up to #1 and not taking Ekblad. He's probably the safest pick at #1.

i agree with this

[Arian The Insider]

1 FLA: Aaron Ekblad
#2 BUF: Sam Reinhart
#3 EDM : Leon Draisaitl
#4 CGY: Sam Bennett
#5 NYI : Michael Dal Colle
#6 VAN : Nikolaj Ehlers
#7 CAR : William Nylander
#8 TOR: Nick Ritchie
#9 WPG: Haydn Fleury
#10 ANA: Sonny Milano

[Lee]

Fuck I hope we get Ritchie.

[Arian The Insider]

Fuck I hope we get Ritchie.

we will, i'm an insider

[bills09]

I want Ehlers or Virtanen from a leafs perspective won't be upset with Ritchie but don't see the same upside

[kyuss]

Off Nick's template:

#1 ? (trade?): Ekblad
#2 BUF: Reinhart
#3 TOR (trade) : Sam Bennett
#4 CGY: Draisaitl
#5 NYI : Ritchie
#6 VAN : Nylander
#7 CAR : Dal Colle
#8 EDM (trade): Fleury
#9 WPG : Ehlers
#10 ANH: Virtanen
#11 NSH: Larkin
#12 ARZ: Tuch
#13 PHI (trade): Sanheim
#14 DAL: Scherbak
# 15 DET: Kapanen
#16 CBj: Barbashev
#17 PHI? (trade?) Milano
#18 MIN: Fiala
#19 ? (trade?): Perlini
#20 SJS : Bleackley


Some thoughts:

- feel like 50% Tallon will trade the 1st overall. I would expect more than one trade in the first 20.
- don't think Sanheim will drop past Detroit at 15.
- I expect Larkin to go higher than where i picked him (#15)
- Perlini seems to me like a good candidate to drop
- draft should get 'crazy' as soon as the 2nd round starts

[Shoalzie]

I can't see the Wings drafting a defenseman...it's probably going to be another forward in the first round. Kenny may pull another move like he did last year and trade back a few spots but he's not going to find another Mantha. This draft will be about adding depth.

[kyuss]

I can't see the Wings drafting a defenseman...it's probably going to be another forward in the first round. Kenny may pull another move like he did last year and trade back a few spots but he's not going to find another Mantha. This draft will be about adding depth.

I actually had the Red Wings drafting a forward above.. and I'll disagree about the depth thing:
forwards in this draft certainly don't lack talent and potential (and total number, and diversity..), it's just that almost all of them come with some current flaws, so there are probably more risky prospects in the first round than usual.

[The BBKL Insider]

after watching Nonis interview yesterday i suspect he will do nothing, probably draft Ritchie or Virtanin and keep the same top 6 as they had last season.

I will say, it is nice to see them let:

Bolland, Kulemin, McClement, Raymond, Brodie (i do like him) all hit the UFA market.

The leafs bottom six needs a big make-over. Dreger also said he suspected Nonis to shop Lupul at the draft for a pick + prospect, and the leafs would try to move him out and sign Milan Michaelk who's a better 2 way player and would fit randy's system better.

[Nick]

@lkorac10: Blues GM Doug Armstrong confirms Patrik Berglund extension at 3 yrs, $11.1 million (AAV $3.7 million). #stlblues