Draft Pick Watch - WE PICKED NYLANDER!!1!!

[hap_leaf]

As far as NHL blogs go, hockeywriters.com kinda sucks. But I've always liked their draft coverage. They compile a lot of what's been said about prospects from people more in the known and put them in a players profile. You can check out their full list of profiles here. Here are the profiles for the guys I mentioned earlier:

http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-draft-war-room-nick-ritchie/
http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-draft-war-room-jake-virtanen/
http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-draft-war-room-brendan-perlini/
http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-draft-war-room-kasperi-kapanen/
http://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-draft-war-room-william-nylander/
http://thehockeywriters.com/jared-mccann/
http://thehockeywriters.com/nikolaj-ehlers/
http://thehockeywriters.com/ivan-barbashev/

I think I'm on board with your bold statement. He seems to have the highest ceiling of the guys who could be available for when the Leafs pick.

Interesting how all over the map his ranking is.

I've read the pros and cons of Nick Ritchie and if he can get it together and show up every night, well he'd be my vote.

 

[bustaheims]

And with next month?s NHL draft fast approaching ? the Leafs have the No. 8 pick ? he is advising scouts to take more chances with high-risk, high-reward players who have the potential to become difference-makers.

That's a good thing.

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/05/15/toronto-maple-leafs-president-brendan-shanahan-is-in-no-rush-to-fix-the-team/

Good. That pretty much means no Haydn Fleury.

 

[Highlander]

What about Nicole Ritchie?  I like the kid they call the 'Hitman". Was good at the world Jr. championships.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

What about Nicole Ritchie?  I like the kid they call the 'Hitman". Was good at the world Jr. championships.

If we're looking at big men I'd prefer Jake Virtanen. He seems to have a higher offensive ceiling and he's supposed to be very fast too.

 

[Kin]

I know there's a cult that preaches nothing but best player available but I really feel like they need to come out of this draft with a center with a high offensive upside.

 

[louisstamos]

I know there's a cult that preaches nothing but best player available but I really feel like they need to come out of this draft with a center with a high offensive upside.

I'm of the same mindset - Jared McCann seems like a "safe" pick (and tyipcally ranked in the low-teens) but for the organizational requirement for a centre, I think he would be a good pick.

 

[Highlander]

Actually we are very deep in the Marlies at Centre: Holland, Carrick, McKegg with Gautier coming up, so do we actually need a Centre. What about Jake Virtanen aka The Hitman?  Played very well at the JR Worlds. And if we get Komrade Komarov back and have a guy named the hit man then we are set.

 

[Redleaf]

What about Nicole Ritchie?  I like the kid they call the 'Hitman". Was good at the world Jr. championships.

Yeah. If you're looking at high risk/high reward, this guy stands out. Could end up being the best power forward in the draft, but is considered inconsistent. If he can overcome this, he could be a steal at number 8.

Hockey News report...

Nick Ritchie, LW ? Peterborough Petes (OHL)

When Ritchie goes into beast mode, it?s tough to stop the young winger. At 6-foot-3 and 229 pounds, he?s got the carriage to be an NHLer right now, but the Petes are happy he?s still with them. The power forward had two goals and a helper in Peterborough?s shocking come-from-behind Game 6 win over Kingston, a game in which the Petes trailed 3-0 before Ritchie got the 5-4 comeback started. But to hear the kid tell it, this was always a tight series.

?We were down 3-0 and all three games we lost were close ones,? he said. ?Because we were playing so well, we knew the series was far from over.?

Part of the Petes? success lately has been the top line of Ritchie and fellow 2014 prospect Eric Cornel with speedy center Hunter Garlent, who came over in a trade from Guelph and once played lacrosse with Ritchie.

?Ever since we picked up Garlent, we?ve been clicking,? Ritchie said. ?We complement each other pretty well and we all like to move the puck.?

Citing Milan Lucic and Jamie Benn as NHL models for his game, Ritchie also has older brother Brett, the Dallas prospect, to lean on.

?I?ve tried to do everything he?s done,? Nick said. ?I still try to watch his games when I can and we get excited for each other when we do well.?

Thanks to his combination of size, skill and snarl, Nick will likely be chosen in the top 12 this summer, besting his second-rounder brother. But Brett is already succeeding in the pros with AHL Texas, so Nick will have to keep working hard if he wants to keep the family tradition going. Draft eligible in 2014.

5 Goal Game.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLVO9Ec2cno

 

[Kin]

Actually we are very deep in the Marlies at Centre: Holland, Carrick, McKegg with Gautier coming up, so do we actually need a Centre.

None of those guys are top tier prospects with elite offensive upside.

 

[93forever]

Anyone else here think the Leafs will package the first rounder for get a top centre?

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I like Ritchie, but part of me also worries about guys who are huge in juniors and when they lose that size advantage in the NHL aren't nearly as dominant.  But a huge caveat is I haven't seen him play at all, so what do I know? Nuthin'.

 

[Redleaf]

Anyone else here think the Leafs will package the first rounder for get a top centre?

No. Nonis preaches too much patience to do this IMO.

 

[Kin]

Anyone else here think the Leafs will package the first rounder for get a top centre?

This might go without saying but that decision would depend on a ton of things we can't know. Things like what sort of "top centre" might be available, what the scouts tell Nonis about the various players in the draft and who Nonis thinks will be on the board when he picks.

 

[nutman]

Actually we are very deep in the Marlies at Centre: Holland, Carrick, McKegg with Gautier coming up, so do we actually need a Centre.

None of those guys are top tier prospects with elite offensive upside.

Don't be so quick to knock them. I'll bet at least one of them will be a top 6 center, and more likely two of them.
This team needs the defensive game fixed, I don't believe for one second we need any offense at all via any where from other then within(Karmorov is from within). We also have the defense in our system, but it may be to far off to wait on. This is where we need to do our repairs. Defense and a better system.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

I know there's a cult that preaches nothing but best player available but I really feel like they need to come out of this draft with a center with a high offensive upside.

I'd agree with you, but this is a pretty poor year for centres where we're drafting. It basically goes from Bennett/Reinhart/Draisaitl in the top-5 to McCann/Kempe/Tuch who are all slated to go outside the top-10. And nobody in that 2nd group has that high offensive upside that you're looking for.

Now if we could move up to grab a guy from that 1st group, particularly Bennett or Reinhart, I'd be all for that. Our prospect pools need quality now, not quantity so I'd be willing to pay a decent price.

 

[Redleaf]

I know there's a cult that preaches nothing but best player available but I really feel like they need to come out of this draft with a center with a high offensive upside.

I'd agree with you, but this is a pretty poor year for centres where we're drafting. It basically goes from Bennett/Reinhart/Draisaitl in the top-5 to McCann/Kempe/Tuch who are all slated to go outside the top-10. And nobody in that 2nd group has that high offensive upside that you're looking for.

Now if we could move up to grab a guy from that 1st group, particularly Bennett or Reinhart, I'd be all for that. Our prospect pools need quality now, not quantity so I'd be willing to pay a decent price.

The Problem with moving up, at least the way I see it, is that those centers appear to be good fits for the clubs that will have them as options when they pick (ahead of Toronto). I think it would have to be one helluva package to move up, and I just don't see Nonis willing to offer up enough to make it happen when they can still get a half decent winger at number 8.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

The Problem with moving up, at least the way I see it, is that those centers appear to be good fits for the clubs that will have them as options when they pick (ahead of Toronto). I think it would have to be one helluva package to move up this year, and is just don't see Nonis willing to offer up enough to make it happen when they can still get a half decent winger at number 8.

You're probably right. Realistically the only team that would probably trade our of the top-5 is Florida. They're picking 1st of course but this year it kind of seems like 1st overall doesn't have as much value as it does in other years, as Ekblad/Reinhart/Bennett are so closely grouped.

Our best-case scenario would be Edmonton trading up to get the 1st overall to secure Ekblad, and then the Leafs going from 8 to 3 with Florida somehow to pick one of those centres.

 

[Redleaf]

The Problem with moving up, at least the way I see it, is that those centers appear to be good fits for the clubs that will have them as options when they pick (ahead of Toronto). I think it would have to be one helluva package to move up this year, and is just don't see Nonis willing to offer up enough to make it happen when they can still get a half decent winger at number 8.

You're probably right. Realistically the only team that would probably trade our of the top-5 is Florida. They're picking 1st of course but this year it kind of seems like 1st overall doesn't have as much value as it does in other years, as Ekblad/Reinhart/Bennett are so closely grouped.

Our best-case scenario would be Edmonton trading up to get the 1st overall to secure Ekblad, and then the Leafs going from 8 to 3 with Florida somehow to pick one of those centres.

Now that would make for a real interesting first half hour of the draft!

 

[Highlander]

I can't see Kadri or Bozak going anywhere so the immediate needs for a first or second line Centre are 5 years down the road. Holland will certianly be in the mix depending on Bolland and Bolland can always go to the wing. If we do trade Lupul and Kulemon then we will need someone like Virtanen or Ritchie in the wings

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I'd go all in trying to get this guy:

@Hope_Smoke 

Pronman "Sam Bennett is an incredible all around talent. Speed, skill, hockey sense and his intangibles."

@Hope_Smoke

Pronman "I think Bennett still has a lot more room to grow. This is still only his second CHL season"

From around the league, something like 80% of teams have drafted their #1 C and a couple of the teams who haven't will see their picks supplant that #1 C.  Maybe Kadri will here, but sure would be nice to draft a high-end C this year.