2019 Draft Discussion

[Kin]

Well, with the World Juniors here it's about time when we start seriously thinking about draft eligibles so I thought I'd start the thread. Here's Craig Button's latest rankings:

https://www.tsn.ca/craig-s-list-kakko-boldy-and-kaliyev-rise-up-draft-rankings-1.1196164

And another set of early rankings:

https://www.hockeyprospect.com/hockeyprospect-com-2019-nhl-draft-top-31-november/

A couple of early thoughts. For starters, I think this is maybe the year the Leafs can start looking beyond the blueline. While it's never a bad idea to look for defense, I think the Leafs last few drafts have turned the defense prospect base from the weak link for the Leafs into probably their strongest point.

Where they're weak right now is up the middle and in net, WJC aside. Personally, I'd like for them to take a serious look at finally drafting the sort of late round high scoring CHL centre that bounces around there or the sort of G who could legitimately push Andersen in a few years time.

 

[herman]

Net is actually not too bad right now; it?s just a bit spotty handing off from Andersen to Woll/Scott, which drafting will not necessarily solve. Sparks still has room to grow and might be an okay bridge.

Centres would be the players to target in lieu of anything compelling.

 

[Kin]

Net is actually not too bad right now; it?s just a bit spotty handing off from Andersen to Woll/Scott, which drafting will not necessarily solve. Sparks still has room to grow and might be an okay bridge.

I think we've been suckered in before by the "Great junior numbers, makes it to WJC" thing before so I'm pretty wary to say that Scott makes for a really good situation. Because the Leafs don't have any screaming needs elsewhere it seems like they'd be in a pretty good position to take one of the better G's available in the draft and stash them for a while.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Left-handed centres would be a focus, since even if they don't pan out in the middle they can slide to the left wing where we'll probably always have a rotating group of guys. And really you can never have enough right-handed defencemen so I'd still be focusing on that as well.

 

[herman]

Net is actually not too bad right now; it?s just a bit spotty handing off from Andersen to Woll/Scott, which drafting will not necessarily solve. Sparks still has room to grow and might be an okay bridge.

I think we've been suckered in before by the "Great junior numbers, makes it to WJC" thing before so I'm pretty wary to say that Scott makes for a really good situation. Because the Leafs don't have any screaming needs elsewhere it seems like they'd be in a pretty good position to take one of the better G's available in the draft and stash them for a while.

https://twitter.com/chrismpeters/status/1078128551939866624

Mads S?gaard is one of those highly touted goalies in the upcoming draft, and I kind of hope he falls to the drafting range the Leafs will be picking in. Going from one great Dane to a bigger one is frivolous, but that'd still be fun.

 

[Kin]

Someone I'm pretty interested in is Connor McMichael

Left handed shooting C with good size but not the sort of size that'll bump him too high up the draft. Seems like the kind of guy I'm talking about. The sort of guy who can turn into the real B+ prospect after a few years of big Junior scoring.

Nathan Legare too.

 

[herman]

Leafs are picking:

2nd - 53rd
3rd - 84th
4th - 115th
4th - 123rd
5th - 146th
7th - 204th
7th - 208th

Scott Wheeler outlines some options for those slots
https://theathletic.com/1008641/2019/06/06/wheeler-candidates-for-all-seven-leafs-picks-at-the-2019-nhl-draft/

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I know they're probably starving for Leafs content but trying to project who they might get at 53 seems like a gigantic waste of time... let alone the 208th pick.

 

[herman]

I'm more interested to see how many times we can trade down from 53.

 

[Deebo]

I know they're probably starving for Leafs content

They sure are.. They did an hour podcast pretty much exclusively on which RD they might target this summer.

 

[Highlander]

Great article by Wheeler in the A about our potential picks, Wolf may be the best G prospect left and he sounds very promising.  Wheeler seems to think we can get to future 2 NHL'ers out of this draft. 

 

[ZBBM]

I know they're probably starving for Leafs content but trying to project who they might get at 53 seems like a gigantic waste of time... let alone the 208th pick.

I mean, let's face it, being a hockey fan is a gigantic waste of time.*  So what you're talking about is metawaste.



* and that's just why we love it**

** case in point I'm sitting here typing this at 11pm on a Friday nite.  Believe me, when I was in my prime...***

***... I was typing on my Kaypro at 11pm on a Friday nite.****

****  :'( :'( :-[ :-[

 

[herman]

The Leafs were one of three teams (TBL, hometown CGY) who took a second look at Brayden Tracey after the combine. He fits the Dubas type: lots of hockey smarts, room for physical growth (skating, strength).

https://theathletic.com/1033450/2019/06/20/skys-the-limit-how-brayden-tracey-went-from-off-the-radar-to-top-nhl-prospect/

After the combine in Buffalo, he drove to Toronto and the Leafs? practice facility at the MasterCard Centre where he went on a tour and underwent more testing. In addition to talking to the Leafs medical staff ? they took a look at his previously injured shoulder ? they also put him through a virtual reality simulation.

?It tested your vision and how you respond to certain things moving,? Tracey said. ?I had done some mental-performance things with other teams, but nothing like that.?

It was the first time he had ever done that kind of testing.

?It was totally like a video game,? Tracey said. ?Things were like flying by your head and you had to hit a button before it flew by you. It was pretty cool, I think (the testing) was 20 minutes long with this thing on your head so afterward you were kind of dizzy a little bit.?

Probably not available at 53 (if that's where we end up picking), but still interesting to see how the Leafs approach the prospect hunt.

 

[herman]

Definitely happening this Friday:
Dubas trades for a 1st round pick
Promptly trades down for two 2nds and a 4th

 

[Highlander]

Definitely happening this Friday:
Dubas trades for a 1st round pick
Promptly trades down for two 2nds and a 4th

and pick Fred McMurray and his three sons. 

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Draft day! This is probably the least I've known about a draft, especially 1st round picks, in years.

 

[Zee]

Draft day! This is probably the least I've known about a draft, especially 1st round picks, in years.

I predict Hughes and Kakko go 1-2, not necessarily in that order but probably.  *Draft expert takes a bow*

 

[Bender]

Draft day! This is probably the least I've known about a draft, especially 1st round picks, in years.

Yeah, I mean we don't have much going on right now regarding picks so....meh.

 

[Bullfrog]

Draft day! This is probably the least I've known about a draft, especially 1st round picks, in years.

Same. This thread is the only reason I know the draft is on today.

Now, I can't wait for the NHL awards show.

 

[Guru Tugginmypuddah]

Draft shmaft.