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Old Devils Thread (Lock 'er up please)


beekay414

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I'm not going to lie...Grans' inclusion was almost because i just wanted one more defender...he scares the crap out of me. I've really pushed down the defenders in this class the longer this has gone on, that's why I want to punt d-men if we don't take one at 7. I suppose i could have gone Poirier, but I'll be honest, I don't know if he's even  a defender lol. 

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6 minutes ago, Forge said:

I'm not going to lie...Grans' inclusion was almost because i just wanted one more defender...he scares the crap out of me. I've really pushed down the defenders in this class the longer this has gone on, that's why I want to punt d-men if we don't take one at 7. I suppose i could have gone Poirier, but I'll be honest, I don't know if he's even  a defender lol. 

If you're going to add an all offense, no defense dman, add Wallinder. At least his tools are ridiculous.

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10 minutes ago, Forge said:

I like how he presents things, but his data is a little too micro for me. There are some contexts where it's useful, and some where he has fallen too far in to his own wormhole. 

I don't know. He just gave me the wrong impression, I guess. Felt like he believes too much in his numbers and, as I said, you can't really compare across leagues and it gets even worse when comparing across talent levels of teammates and coaching. Just too many variables in the game of hockey to put so much stock in something like that.

Like, you can't compare Perreault to Raymond. Frolunda is a men's team and a good one at that. Sarnia is a cesspool in a league that does not value defense whatsoever. So comparing the defensive metrics of Perreault to Raymond just wouldn't make any sense.

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6 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

On HF? I don't see why not. I'm a little mad at you for the Greig placement and skills comment but I'll let it slide.

I almost had him below Gushchin, but having Gushchin that high is probably insanity run amok as is lol 

I do think he has the ability to grow into skills a little more, I just don't think its' there yet. I think he's ahead of the game mentally there. 

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3 minutes ago, Forge said:

I probably need to look in to Robins more

I'm working on my 31 right now as well. In detail like you did. It's getting difficult to place the last 10 or so. We'll disagree, I'm sure, but it's highly interchangeable one would think.

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4 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

I'm working on my 31 right now as well. In detail like you did. It's getting difficult to place the last 10 or so. We'll disagree, I'm sure, but it's highly interchangeable one would think.

The last ten were tough. I actually did them somewhat out of order as weird as that sounds. 

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1. Alexis Lafreniere | LW | Rimouski (QMJHL)
The consensus #1. No real reason to go into detail here.

2. Quinton Byfield | C | Sudbury (OHL)
From a H/W/S scenario, you won't find a more ideal mold than Byfield. The issues are whether or not he'll truly use that size. Ceiling is immense once he starts using his physical abilities to his advantage. Right now, he relies on speed/quickness more than size and that's a little disappointing, to say the least. The question then becomes whether you believe he'll do that or if he'll continue to shy away from the physical side of the game instead of embracing it.

3. Marco Rossi | C | Ottawa (OHL)
The little fire hydrant that could. You try telling this kid no. The work ethic, the hockey sense, the bulldog mentality, the individual skills, you name it, Rossi has it. He's every GMs dream in a top pick everywhere but H/W/S. Thing is, he's not your typical small forward. His base is unreal and he'll win far more board battles than he'll lose. This kid wants it all and I'm not sure I'm willing to be the GM that questions it.

4. Tim Stutzle | LW | Mannheim (DEL)
I don't think he's a center in the long run so that's why I dropped him below Rossi, who I have no doubt will man the dot. Stutzle is always moving, he's hectic on the ice and everywhere. He could be a superstar if it all clicks.

5. Jake Sanderson | LHD | USNTDP (USHL)
I'm higher on Sanderson than almost anyone. I think he's a true shutdown, give you 25 minutes a night #1 dman. I also believe his offense will take off once he gets comfortable implementing it more, as we saw during the last few months before the shutdown. You can't question the speed, as that's something his daddy gave him in spades. He gets the bump, for me, over Drysdale due to being a left hand shot.

6. Jamie Drysdale | RHD | Erie (OHL)
I have no doubt he'll be a #1 despite his size. He's not afraid of contact in his own zone and he's a gamebreaker when the puck is on his stick. True two way defenseman that'll score 50-60 a season. He's not a shutdown type though. If he was, he'd push for a top 3 spot in the class. Has everything you can't teach except size but he's not ever going to let that hinder him on the next level. He's a star.

7. Seth Jarvis | RW | Portland (WHL)
This kid's skating makes defenders shake in their skates. He forces action in dirty areas despite his size because he knows he has the defenders (and goalie's) heads spinning. He's also a two way, 200 foot player. He'll fall further than this due to the perceived size issue but don't let that be the reason you lose out on a dynamic player that's a potential all-star, top line play driver.

8. Jacob Perreault | RW | Sarnia (OHL)
I don't think I really need to explain myself here. I'm far higher on him than most. He has the ability to be the best player from this class if he wants it. He's got elite tools everywhere from his shot to his hands to his playmaking to his skating. This kid will go as high as he wants in the NHL. We're talking a potential superstar in the mold of David Pastrnak. I've even heard his skills be compared to Jack Eichel. He had the highest primary point percentage of this entire class at 90%. His compete level is the only thing holding him back.

9. Lucas Raymond | RW | Frolunda (SHL)
The only thing missing is the production and consistency. All the tools are there to be a franchise talent, it's just whether he wants it. People will probably question me for having Jarvis and Perreault over him but I don't question whether or not Jarvis wants it like I do Raymond and I have no reason to question Perreault's production. Talent alone, he's a top 5 player. 

10. Cole Perfetti | LW | Saginaw (OHL)
If he could skate, he's easily in the top 3. The hockey mind on this kid is out of this world. People have gone as far as to compare him to Nikita Kucherov in that regard. I do not think he's a center at the next level though. He has all the tools except skating and size so you just hope he can fix the skating enough to unleash his offensive upside.

11. Alexander Holtz | RW | Djurgardens (SHL)
I'm admittedly lower on Holtz than most. In the right situation, he's going to score 40 goals. No doubt, he's produced in a men's league already but there's more to scouting than just production. He never wows me and, outside of his shot, I question where his tools are anything more than decent. He'll probably make me look like an idiot but I don't care. I like several other wingers more, as made obvious by the rankings.

12. Yaroslav Askarov | G | SKA-Neva (VHL)
I don't know anything about goalies so I'm going with the consensus here and placing him just outside the top 10. There's no question he's been ultra-impressive as a teenager on the world circuit and in men's leagues. All the tools are there, it's just how long until he's on North American ice, as is the question with almost all Russians.

13. Rodion Amirov | LW | Ufa (KHL)
Speaking of Russians, Amirov is dazzling. He's an all-around 200 foot player. You can place him on PP1 and PK1 and not worry for a second. You question the production (unlike Holtz) but you don't question the skill. I don't see him getting outside of the top half of the first round.

14. Marat Khusnutdinov | C | SKA-1946 (MHL)
Oh look, another Russian! Dino is a favorite of mine (and many others for that matter) and just wows you when you watch him. The kid just does not quit. He's a dynamo, or as some have put it, high octane. Far from a finished product but unquestionable upside. Now, I don't see anyone gambling on him this high because that's the type of pick that gets ya fired if he doesn't click. However, it's also the type of pick that makes you look like a genius if it works, so.......

15. Jack Quinn | RW | Ottawa (OHL)
This placement is less about souring on Quinn than it is about falling more for other guys. Quinn is an all out, offensive threat. He's always looking to put pucks in front of the net when setting up teammates. As others have pointed out, he's not going to shoot as well as he did and he did it as more of an outside shooter, so it's not sustainable. Still, he grew exponentially in 2019-2020 and did a lot of the damage himself. He's also a 200 foot, highly effective defensive winger. There's value there even if he never reproduces his draft year numbers.

16. Lukas Reichel | LW | Berlin (DEL)
Reichel is a coach's dream. He does everything well. He's a 200 foot player that, once again, plays in a men's league, where he produced solid numbers. The question comes from the upside. Is he a top 6 winger? Some think he is in the end with a few more years growth in his game. That's the beauty of scouting...projection. He's young for the class and already has great hockey sense. 

17. Ridly Greig | C/LW | Brandon (WHL)
This little pest has my heart completely. The compete level is off the charts and, despite his current size, he is not afraid to throw his body around. Guaranteed fan favorite once he gets to the NHL. People question his skill but I don't. I see a 60 point, 2 way winger that you flat out win with and a player teammates would die for. I think he wears a letter someday.

18. Anton Lundell | C | HIFK (Liiga)
I don't think I've ever heard a better description of Lundell than the Christmas socks analogy lol. He'll definitely get drafted higher than this but the upside just isn't there. He's a good, two way #2 center in the mold of a Travis Zajac at his peak. Not thrilling in this draft but a pick that's necessary and has NHL value. 

19. Hendrix Lapierre | C | Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
The injury questions scare me. His 2019-2020 tape scares me. His vision, playmaking and hockey sense absolutely do not scare me. Lapierre is the biggest wildcard in this entire draft and almost all of that is beyond his control, so you feel bad for the kid. The on-ice issue I have is that his shot is absolutely not good and he's borderline afraid to shoot so he's predictable. You work on his shot and he stays healthy, you hit an absolute home run at this stage of the draft.

20. Noel Gunler | RW | Lulea (SHL)
What is it with this kid? Is it the league he plays in and how they approach things? Is he a primadonna? Does he just need to get out of Sweden? His shot is ridiculous and he's an easy 40 goal scorer alongside someone like McDavid, Point, Crosby or even Jack Hughes. He's not a line driver nor is he really a playmaker but he's going to absolutely bury goals for a living. 

21. Tristen Robins | C/RW | Saskatoon (WHL)
Robins is a wizard with the puck on his stick and nobody has risen higher, faster than Robins in this class. You watch the Blades, you're watching Robins. His hockey sense and ferocity rival anyone in the class and he skates like a man on fire. He's small but unafraid and he has clear top 6 upside. He can play on the dot, where he exploded the 2nd half of the season or he can drive a line from the wing. I have a feeling he's going to go much, much higher than projected come possibly as early as Tuesday.

22. Dawson Mercer | RW | Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
23. Jan Mysak | LW | Hamilton (OHL)
This might be a controversial spot for Mercer considering how much we've talked about him as a potential Devils target at 18 or 20. The upside just isn't really there but he's extremely safe and a perfect partner next to Jack Hughes. I just chose to go with more upside at the winger spot in my rankings. I'd absolutely adore Mercer if he was on the Devils.

There's really nothing that Jan Mysak can't do on the ice. He may not have an elite tool but everything he does is at a high level. He can play any role and not be out of place. He came over mid-season to get used to North American ice and all he did was produce. He's safe because I don't see any way this kid doesn't make an NHL roster. He's really interchangeable with Mercer in my rankings, being quite honest.

24. Mavrik Bourque | RW | Shawinigan (QMJHL)
25. Ozzy Wiesblatt | RW | Prince Albert (WHL)
26. Luke Evangelista | RW | London (OHL)

Considering I put emphasis on upside prior to Mercer, there's an argument to be made that I should've also put these three above him and Mysak. Bourque, while ranked ahead of Ozzy and Luke, is probably my least favorite of the group, though they are extremely interchangeable. I just question his desire when playing off the puck. Saying that, when the puck is on his stick, he's magnificient as he's an excellent playmaker and always finds a way to produce. I do not, however, think he's a center in the NHL so he'll have to be more in that playmaking role as a winger.

Wiesblatt should honestly be higher and right around where I have Ridly Greig placed. Wiesblatt has reckless abandon for his own body and is immensely skilled. Kid's compete level is ridiculous and his hockey sense is stupid. He was thrown into a top line role this year and all he did was impress. He forechecks, skates extremely well and plays a complete 200 foot game. If it all clicks, you get a top 6 steal in the late 1st or early 2nd. If not, you're getting a dynamic middle 6 winger who drives opponents nuts.

Evangelista is going to be a force once he grows into his body. He's already a bulldog on the puck and his hockey sense is extremely impressive. Almost all of his production came 5v5 and he's not afraid of doing the dirty work as he thrives in the high danger areas despite being 165 soaken wet. If it all clicks, you're getting a 2 way top 6 winger here.

27. Martin Chromiak | LW | Kingston (OHL)
He's a right handed shot but he'll play the left side, for sure. Chromiak is an offensive dynamo with top tier offensive hockey sense. The things holding him back are his skating and defensive play. I think, in the end, he's going to be a highly reliable middle 6 scoring winger that you play on a line with someone that can mask him on defense.

28. Kaiden Guhle | LHD | Prince Albert (WHL)
29. Dylan Holloway | C/W | Wisconsin (Big-10)
30. Connor Zary | C | Kamloops (WHL)
31. Braden Schneider | RHD | Brandon (WHL)
Finally, another defenseman! Guhle is big, skates well, has a good shot from the point and has great hockey sense on the defensive end of the ice. He's never going to put up a ton of points but he's capable of being a #3 who gives you 20+ minutes a night. No wow factor here, just a steady presence that won't compeltely hinder you on offense. 

Holloway has the H/W/S profile that a lot of people would kill for on the wing and he has the ability to play any forward spot, so there's value there. I just question the hockey sense. Yes, I know it's rare for a first-time draft eligible player to play in the NCAA but he was underwhelming when I watched Wisconsin this year. The entire team was. He's very likely to be a middle 6 winger in the end, so there's value to taking him day one but he's not a sexy pick whatsoever. Safe, which is why he'll go higher than this.

Yes, I'm lower on Zary than almost everyone. No elite skills at all so the production won't translate to the NHL. He's going to be a reliable middle 6 center but there's just no upside play with him. He'll go much higher than this, obviously, but he's not a thrilling pick.

I'm continuing with the "safe" trend to end my top 31. The simple fact is the game is going away from Schneider's type of defenseman more than it ever has. He's very likely to be the first defenseman from the class to make the NHL but he's a 2nd line, shutdown type. There's not much ceiling with Schneider. The Devils could certainly use his type in the system, someone you know will be reliable for you for years but there's more thrilling options that'll be on the board.

@Forge

Edited by beekay414
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Its funny how I thought i was being "different" with some of these rankings and then I see yours and nope LOL. I knew you'd be high on Khusnutdinov, but not top 15 high, which doesn't make my ranking seem so shocking. But you killed me with Ozzy. I really thought I'd be on a bit of an island there. 

I guess I have my ROR ranking, which is probably more surprising than I thought. 

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