TSN Post BBKL Draft Analysis - 2019 Edition

[Media]

*****please note this was recorded prior to the 2019 NHL Entry Draft*****

...and with the final pick the Buffalo Sabres close out the 2019 BBKL draft.  Thanks for watching; from Vancouver, goodnight.

*Queue Sportscentre music*.  

Hello and welcome to the 2019 BBKL Post Draft special. Here we'll sit down with our panel of experts and dissect each team and their selections.  With me is Bob MacKenzie, Craig Button and Darren Dreger to help us sift through each of the teams' 2019 draft class.  So let's get started!


#31 - Boston  Bruins    Grade F-

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: None

Button's take:  For an aging team like the Bruins one would think the GM would begin to acquire the next generation of Bruins players to help secure the future.  Unfortunately that did not happen as the Bruins had a grand total of zero picks. For a team in the twilight of its competitiveness; GM Kyle has very little time to change the direction of his team.


#30 Pittsburgh Penguins      Grade F

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: None

Dreger's take: Another team with zero picks in this draft; the Penguins are a team who aren't strong enough to compete but too strong to tank.  With one of the weaker farms in the league the Penguins lack a true high end prospect behind Cody Glass.  GM Mike has to hope that some of his depth prospects can suddenly find their games as help isn't coming anytime soon.


#29 Minnesota Wild    Grade F

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: None

MacKenzie's take: The third team and final team to not have any picks; the Wild sold the future to make a solid run at the Cup. Unfortunately that run fell short but the Wild still have a number of solid prospects and future NHLers in their farm.  It's a strong present and a bright future for GM Hong and the Wild.


#28 Los Angeles Kings    Grade F+

Value Pick: Marc Del Gaizo

Reach Pick: None

Button's take: The BBKL runner up this year also traded the future to continue his perpetual playoff run.  GM Steve makes a very savvy pick in second year eligible Del Gaizo in the 6th round.  The other two prospects aren't prospects of note.  The Kings have some work to do this off-season but Steve has shown the ability needed to pull it off.


#27 Vancouver Canucks     Grade F+

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Henri Nikkanen

Dreger's take: The Canucks had 6 total picks in this draft; albeit very late ones.  With their first pick the Canucks select a solid darkhorse in Nikkanen. That being said was it the best player available at 66 is debatable.  Raty and Hatakka also draw some interest but overall it was a rather uninspiring draft for GM Fraser.


#26 Detroit Red Wings     Grade D-

Value Pick: Alexander Campbell

Reach Pick: None

MacKenzie's take: The second team lacking a pick in the first two rounds; GM Scott managed to extract some value in the later rounds.  Campbell leads the way as a smart and skilled player who loves to compete. Drafting Campbell and Moynihan in the 5th round gives Detroit some solid value for later picks.  It will be interesting to see if Pinto can develop into a legit NHL Prospect or not.  No real reaches here.


#25 Ottawa Senators     Grade D-

Value Pick: Maxim Cajkovic

Reach Pick: Danil Antropov

Button's take: GM Billy is another aging team trying to establish the future of his team. Unfortunately for the Sens they lacked their first round pick which turned into Kappo Kakko.  A fairly large misstep by Billy there.  Billy did his best to make up for that but was only mildly successful.  Beckman is a respectable pick although likely taken a bit early. Cajkovic is one of this draft's sleepers and fantastic value in the third round if he can replicate his second half this year.  Antropov in the fourth round was a bit of a stretch.


#24 Tampa Bay Lightning     Grade D

Value Pick: Oscar Steen

Reach Pick: Fedor Gordeev

Dreger's take: Tampa GM tbone did an admirable job extracting value considering his first pick wasn't until the 3rd round. Tbone caught other GMs napping by nabbing Swede Oscar Steen in the 6th round.  Second year eligible Attard, along with Keppen and Caulfield were solid picks at their respective draft positions. In a weak OHL class Gordeev is one of its best second year players but will likely go undrafted.


#23 Carolina Hurricanes     D

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Marshall Warren

MacKenzie's take: with only 4 picks Cane's GM Paul didn't have much to work with.  That being said he did a respectable job acquiring decent pieces for what he had.  Afanaseyev is a building block for the future and Warren was also a nice piece; although I wonder if Paul could have traded back and still got his man.  Gritsyuk is also an interesting piece.  A quiet but respectable job done.


#22 Las Vegas Golden Knights     Grade C+

Value Pick: Xavier Simoneau

Reach Pick: Justin Bergeron

Button's take:  Without his first rounder and having six 6th rounders out of a total 9 picks GM Malette didn't leave much room to work with.  Mastrosimone is a solid pick in the second round. Gildon also looks like a serviceable prospect. Simoneau and Rybinski both present some value in the 6th.  Bergeron has some upside but 3rd round was a bit of a stretch.


#21 Buffalo Sabres     Grade C-

Value Pick: Jayden Struble

Reach Pick: Trey Fix-Wolansky

Dreger's take:  The resident BBKL Champion sold to future to secure his title reign.  GM Matt's first pick went far off the board early taking 2018 pick Fix-Wolansky. While he has out produced his 2018 draft position the third round was very much a stretch.  Struble and Spence provided value in the 4th and Mironov is sneaky value in the 7th.  Overall a nice haul from both mid and late picks.  A lack of high end picks hurts the overall ranking.


#20 Philadelphia Flyers      Grade C-

Value Pick: Bryce Brodzinski

Reach Pick: Leevi Aaltonen

MacKenzie's take: GM Shep makes his triumphant return to the BBKL draft and does a respectable job in the process. Dorofeyev is a borderline 1st rounder so hopefully Shep gets his value back. While Aaltonen is a decent prospect 56 Overall is a reach. Janicke in the 5th has a plus shot and liked in some scouting circles.  Brodzinski the USHS Player of the Year and Mr Hockey award winner is great value in the 6th.

[Media]

#19 Calgary Flames      Grade C

Value Pick: None

Reach Pick: Tukka Tieksola

Button's take: Flames GM Josh only had two picks to work with but he made the best of them. Suzuki is a solid prospect who the Flames can build around in the future. Tieksola was a prospect who flew under the radar on many scouts.  Fantastic puck skills highlight his abilities. Could Josh have maximized his assets by trading back and still drafting Tieksola is the question.  No quantity but a pair of quality picks.


#18 Dallas Stars     Grade C

Value Pick: Layton Ahac

Reach Pick: None

Dreger's take: Dallas only had 4 picks to work with and GM Willy did well to maximize his value.  Spencer Knight highlights his draft class as the best goalie that has come available in years.  This adds a scary third elite goaltending prospect to Willy's farm.  Pitlick was a nice acquisition and Ahac capped off a solid 4th round for Willy. No real reaches here.


#17 New York Islanders     Grade C

Value Pick: Dimitri Sheshin

Reach Pick: Samuel Bolduc 

MacKenzie's take: With 7 picks this year GM Tony had an opportunity to continue hid quest to remake the Islanders franchise. Slow and steady seems to be his mantra and Tony took another step towards that goal again.  Broberg is a big piece towards that goal and was a nice acquisition. Albeit small; Sheshin brings a ton of talent to Long Island.  Wolf isn't given the respect he deserves because of his size.  Bolduc was is a decent prospect but there was better available at that draft position.


#16 Winnipeg Jets     Grade C

Value Pick: Eric Ciccolini

Reach Pick: Tarmo Reunanen

Button's take: The Jets had a nice selection of picks to use in this draft and had an opportunity to truly restock the cupboard.  GM Monk struck a solid balance with his acquisitions. Tomasino headlines this group as a solid 1st round pick. Beecher is a big body that was buried in a deep US team.  Ciccolini caps off a nice finish to the draft in the 6th round. Reunanen had a great D+1 year but the 2nd round seemed a bit premature.


#15 Arizona Coyotes Grade C+

Value Pick: Kirby Dach

Reach Pick: Anttoni Honka

Dreger's take: anytime a team can draft a Dach it's an immediate upgrade to your club. With his size, mobility and deft puck skills Each will be terrorizing the BBKL for years to come. Honda is this year's most polarizing prospect with opinions ranging from end of the first round talent to another fail in the Honda family. Haider is a real question mark coming out of the NAHL but the tools are there.


#14 New Jersey Devils     Grade C+

Value Pick: Sasha Mutala

Reach Pick: Albert Johansson

MacKenzie's take: Newhook is a solid acquisition for a retooling Devils team.  Grewe is a stud in BBKL's h2h format as he excels on both sides of the puck.  Mutala presents big value as he went through significant struggles at home which he admitted affected his game. With that behind him I'm interested to see where his potential takes him.  Johansson was a stretch in the third.


#13 St. Louis Blues      Grade B-

Value Pick: Dylan Cozens

Reach Pick: Nikola Pasic

Button's take: Cozens is a game-changer for any team that is lucky enough to get him.  Vlasic is a controversial prospect as some view him as a first round talent and others as a potential fringe NHLer. Knyazev and Fibonacci are decent depth prospects. Pasic could have gone much later.


#12 Toronto Mplae Leafs (aka Lee)     Grade B

Value Pick: Nick Robertson

Reach Pick: Cameron Rowe

Dreger's take: Lavoie is solid selection and some pundits have Robertson as a potential first rounder. Rowe was a bit of a stretch given what goalies were still on the board. Protas in the fifth was solid value for the big bodied forward.


#11 New York Rangers     Grade B

Value Pick: Jakob Pelletier

Reach Pick: Lucas Rheyneuclaudes

MacKenzie's take: Boldy is a very nice pickup for Ranger GM Kyle. He will be a fixture on the wing for many years to come. Pelletier in the second round is a steal.  Miner and Gylander are both decent mid range goalie prospects.  Tikkanen has darkhorse value in the 6th. Rheyneu-WHO?

[Media]

#10 San Jose Sharks     Grade B+

Value Pick: Alex Turcotte

Reach Pick: Antti Saarela

Button's take: Sharks GM foofnik had a significant number of picks to work with including a coveted #3 pick. With that he drafted BBKL future stud in Turcotte who excels at both ends of the ice.  Kuokkanen is a solid pick and foof hopes that Lindbom can bounce back from his injury plagued D+1 season. Nussbaumer and Saville provide excellent value in the 5th.  Saarela wasn't the best use of a 3rd rounder with who was still on the board.


#9 Columbus Blue Jackets     Grade B+

Value Pick: Mathias Lafferière

Reach Pick:  Blake Murray

Dreger's take: Columbus GM Dave walked into the draft with a nice balance of picks including two firsts.  Krebs at 8 is a nice selection but Dave will have to wait for him given his Achilles injury. Poulin brings a balanced game with some NHL pedigree. Both will be nice pieces going forward.  Malone provides some value in the 6th and Lafferière looks like a steal in the 7th.  Murray has some upside but there were better selections still on the board.


#8 Edmonton Oilers      Grade A-

Value Pick: Samuel Walker

Reach Pick: Ilya Konovalov

MacKenzie's take: Heinola and Brink are two very nice pieces to help solidify Edmonton's future.  Maccelli and Phillips both offer decent value in the 3rd.  Konovalov, while coveted; wasn't slated to go until much later and could have been waited on.  Sammy Walker has far outplayed his true NHL Draft position and Oilers GM Arian still manages to get fantastic value here on the NCAA's Rookie of the Year.


#7 Chicago Blackhawks     Grade A-

Value Pick: Bowen Byram

Reach Pick: None

Button's take: Only have 3 picks in a draft normally isn't a recipie for long term success but Hawks' GM Da_Hawks had two firsts to work with including the #4 pick.  With it he took arguably the draft's top defenseman in Byram who has top pairing upside.  With his second pick he went back to the defenseman well and selected Thomas Harley, a polarizing prospect with #2 upside. These two moves alone will reshape the Hawks' blueline for years to come. Jones is a decent goalie prospect to add to what is becoming a crowded farm.


#6 Montreal Canadiens      Grade A-

Value Pick: Nikita Okhotyuk

Reach Pick: Vladislav Kokyachonok

Dreger's take: tied for first in this draft with 16 selections, the Habs' GM Chuck had the opportunity to kickstart the rebuild process in Montreal.  Zegras will be the Habs' #1 center of the future after trading away Eichel prior to the draft.  Kolyachonok might have been a reach in the first round.  Søgaard has the potential to be the goalie of the future; while Vukojevic and Okhotyuk provide great value in the 5th.  Gauthier is a very athletic goaltender but has issues tracking pucks.


#5 Florida Panthers Grade A-

Value Pick: Nolan Foote

Reach Pick: Arthur Kaliyev

MacKenzie's take: Panthers GM Chris had a nice toolbox of 5 selections in the first two rounds to work with. Unfortunately things did not go off to the best start. Selecting Kaliyev when a similar but better player in Caufield still on the board left a number of us scratching our heads. Still a very nice piece if he can work out his defensive and compete kinks. Robertson is a safe, steady pick and Foote provides good value in the second after it was revealed he played his whole draft season with a broken wrist and didn't realize it. Korczak is also a nice shutdown defenseman in a similar mound to Robertson.


#4 Anaheim Ducks     Grade A 

Value Pick: Brayden Tracey 

Reach Pick: Moritz Seider

Button's take: Seider at 9 with all of the other elite forward prospects still on the board was a bit premature. That being said Seider is the premier shutdown defenseman in this draft so that in itself is a win.  McMichael and Leason both present as possible first rounder but far from locks.  Tracey looks to be a legit NHL Prospect and presents good value at 46.  Teply was a bit early at 40 and likely could have traded back and still got their guy.


#3 Colorado Avalanche     Grade A

Value Pick: Cole Caufield

Reach Pick: Dominic Basse

Dreger's take: Avs' GM Craig had a grand total of 6 picks this draft but half of the were first round selections. Shockingly the Avs selected Americans with two of their three 1sts.  At 15 the Avs' landed a steal in this drafts top goal scorer Caufield.  In some circles scouts had Cam York listed at this drafts' #1 defenseman.  Hoglander oozes puck skills and provides good value at his selection. Jones and Abramov provide sneaky value at their respective draft positions.  The only question in this draft is Basse who was not even listed by almost any scouting services.


#2 Washington Capitals     Grade A

Value Pick: Jack Hughes

Reach Pick: Erik Portillo

MacKenzie's take: is this the piece that finally gets Washington over the hump?  Christmas came early for Caps' GM Thom and he has Carolina's GM Paul and the lottery to thank.  Anytime a team gets a player of Hughes' calibre it can change the fortunes of a team drastically.  Hughes is truly a special player and the Caps might now have a shot at the BBKL Championship.  Pint-sized Fensore is intriguing if he can learn to play defense.  Daryin also got looks from some teams. Portillo was passed over in his first year; will NHL GMs take a chance on him after his D+1 season?  Lack of depth in his number of selections hold Thom back from top spot.


#1 Nashville Predators     Grade A+

Value Pick: Kappo Kakko

Reach Pick: Drew Helleson

Button's take: The other team with 16 picks in this draft and 8 in the first two rounds the Preds' GM Mik had a windfall of talent coming his way; and he did not disappoint. Starting off was #2 selection in Kakko who is arguably a better BBKL piece than even Hughes.  Follow that with 1st round selections Podkolzin and Bjornfot and you have one heck of a 1st round. In the second Mik made some very solid selections in Puistola, Rees and Kochetkov. Helleson's selection in the second might have been a tad early but still a nice piece.  If Gustav can work out the kinks he could be an NHLer and Hugo Has was early on showing 1st round promise but fell dramatically due to a poor season.  In typical Mik fashion in the later rounds Mik selected a number of Europeans no one has ever heard of and will likely get an NHler or two from them.  High end talent along with significant depth gives the Predators our #1 spot.

And with that we have completed TSN's Post Draft Analysis of the 2019 BBKL draft. From myself, Craig Button,  Darren Dreger and Bob MacKenzie we thank you for joining us. Goodnight from Vancouver!

[kimmer]

Shep didnt draft afanasyev. He drafted dorofeyev which became like a top 3 worst draft falls of the process thus far lol

[Jordan (VGK)]

Love this stuff. Didn’t have much to work with but whiffing on 2 3rds doesn’t help at all.

[KapG]

I love when you guys do this stuff lol

Thx as always

[Loki]

Nice, can't wait to see how bad I did

[thom54]

amazing , good job 'media' !!!!

[Bruyns]

Thanks for the work to whoever put in the time to write this. Looking forward to reading the rest.

[CasperX22]

Yeah if it was done pre-draft, where is the rest? Haha.

[Shep]

Shep didnt draft afanasyev. He drafted dorofeyev which became like a top 3 worst draft falls of the process thus far lol

Haha yep. Dorofeyev dropped hardddddd.

[Media]

Part two of the series is now available.

[Media]

Shep didnt draft afanasyev. He drafted dorofeyev which became like a top 3 worst draft falls of the process thus far lol

Thank you for that Paul. Correction has been made and the intern who did my research has been fired. Hope you can live with that on your conscience.

[KapG]

Almost made the top 10

[CasperX22]

Almost made the top 10

~top 35 percentile ain't bad.

[KapG]

Almost made the top 10

~top 35 percentile ain't bad.

I’m happy slotting in at number 11

I do think if this is a post nhl draft review I go top 10 tho

3 first rounders when I only had 1 to draft with. My third rounder is turned into an early 2nd as well.

Anyways...this is always great fun to read when this stuff gets posted. Whoever is taking the time to do this thank you so much. It’s one of the very fun aspects of this league.

[CasperX22]

Almost made the top 10

~top 35 percentile ain't bad.

I’m happy slotting in at number 11

I do think if this is a post nhl draft review I go top 10 tho

3 first rounders when I only had 1 to draft with. My third rounder is turned into an early 2nd as well.

Anyways...this is always great fun to read when this stuff gets posted. Whoever is taking the time to do this thank you so much. It’s one of the very fun aspects of this league.

And how many undrafted?

[KapG]

Almost made the top 10

~top 35 percentile ain't bad.

I’m happy slotting in at number 11

I do think if this is a post nhl draft review I go top 10 tho

3 first rounders when I only had 1 to draft with. My third rounder is turned into an early 2nd as well.

Anyways...this is always great fun to read when this stuff gets posted. Whoever is taking the time to do this thank you so much. It’s one of the very fun aspects of this league.

And how many undrafted?

Billy Constantinou (our 4th...still not sure why this one wasn’t drafted lol)
Lucas Rheyneuclaudes (our 6th round)
Henrik Tikkanen (our 6th round)

So 8/11 drafted. Two goalies and one Defender didn’t get picked

[CasperX22]

Not bad. As far as Constantiou not getting picked, probably has a lot to do with his defensive zone play and makes a lot of mistakes on both ends of the ice. There's enough offensive upside that it's mildly surprising he wasn't picked though. Players have gotten drafted for less. And how do you miss on 2 goalies when like 25 were selected? Just wow.

[KapG]

Not bad. As far as Constantiou not getting picked, probably has a lot to do with his defensive zone play and makes a lot of mistakes on both ends of the ice. There's enough offensive upside that it's mildly surprising he wasn't picked though. Players have gotten drafted for less. And how do you miss on 2 goalies when like 25 were selected? Just wow.

I picked like 6 of them lol

Lucas Rheyneuclaudes I took because he was big *shrug*

Tikkanen I thought would get drafted but didn’t.