2011 NHL Entry Draft Watch

CockRoche wrote:

SDH89 wrote:As much as I would love to see a top 5 pick, it's more realistic that our pick will be in the 6 to 10 range.

Based on what exactly?

Just a hunch. We're bad, but I'm not sure if we'll end up being bottom 5 bad when it all plays out. If we start to trade some guys, the young guys will come in playing for jobs next season. It usually works out that the young guns end up picking up an extra couple of wins. We'll see.

SDH89 wrote:

CockRoche wrote:

SDH89 wrote:As much as I would love to see a top 5 pick, it's more realistic that our pick will be in the 6 to 10 range.

Based on what exactly?

Just a hunch. We're bad, but I'm not sure if we'll end up being bottom 5 bad when it all plays out. If we start to trade some guys, the young guys will come in playing for jobs next season. It usually works out that the young guns end up picking up an extra couple of wins. We'll see.

Fair enough and I don't necassarily disagree.

The problem is, the deadline is a ways away and I think by the time Spezza gets back, Ottawa could be in 28th place. Plus, all the teams in 26th through to 29th will be in the same boat as us with the younger influence.

Meh. We shall see.

After going through this hellacious season, I really want one of RNH or Landeskog.

With Spezza out.. and who knows about Fisher.. this team could take a big nose dive.

They have played more games than anyone behind them. (1 to 3 games more that is).

Toronto is playing better and they can put the puck in the net.. something Ottawa is sorely lacking. They are 2 points behind with 2 games in hand. I hope they finish higher than Ottawa to avoid Boston getting another high lottery pick.

For Ottawa to get a possible lottery pick this season, combined with about 15M in cap space is, in my opinion, good timing. Some of Murray's prospects in Bingo look good. Same as in Sweden & US college. We don't know at this point if any of them can 'step' in. Some of these young prospects are having very good seasons. That probably will not guarantee good pro careers.. but those US college players will be older and may be able to step in pretty quickly. - Caporusso as an example. Sens could look a lot different next season -- which is a good thing.. younger.

This team has been mediocre for about the past 3 seasons. Time to re-tool through the draft & free agency and who knows about a possible 'diamond in the rough' in a prospect or two.

Ottawa is *already* a lottery team. If Toronto, Edmonton and the Islanders win their games-in-hand then two of them will pass Ottawa, and the other will be just a point behind. I said yesterday that we could be a top-three (draft) team by Tuesday; right now I have to say the only team that doesn't have a chance to pass up is the Devils.

wprager wrote:Ottawa is *already* a lottery team. If Toronto, Edmonton and the Islanders win their games-in-hand then two of them will pass Ottawa, and the other will be just a point behind. I said yesterday that we could be a top-three (draft) team by Tuesday; right now I have to say the only team that doesn't have a chance to pass up is the Devils.

I realize that. I would sooner they stay low in the standings rather than make a run and finish 9th or 10th.
This team needs a change... no more mediocre. Go young and fast..

Yeah but being a lottery team is one thing, but being the last place team is much better. Though I have a horrible feeling Ottawa would get bumped in the lottery.

Dash wrote:Yeah but being a lottery team is one thing, but being the last place team is much better. Though I have a horrible feeling Ottawa would get bumped in the lottery.

I don't think they could catch the Devils.

KITCHENER'S LANDESKOG HEADS MID-SEASON NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

Dash wrote:Yeah but being a lottery team is one thing, but being the last place team is much better. Though I have a horrible feeling Ottawa would get bumped in the lottery.

That would be a typical Ottawa thing to happen.

Flo The Action wrote:KITCHENER'S LANDESKOG HEADS MID-SEASON NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

BOOOO now he is more well-known!

I still think a couple of the lottery teams: Islanders, Oilers and Devils could use defenceman, so you never know.

I'd be shocked if the Oilers and Devils don't draft a d-man. NYI on the other hand have some good D already (Streit, MacDonald) and some intriguing D prospects (de Haan, Hamonic), so they my be better off picking a forward (and it could be Couturier, who would be really nice as a 2nd line centre behind Tavares. I've read that his pro game could be like Jordan Staal's so he may be perfect in that role for the Isles.

So we can still get Landeskog or RNH!

Hopefully RNH keeps it quiet til the end of the season and falls a bit in the 4-6 range. TO me he's still easily the most skilled player in the draft.

But to be honest, instead of a lottery pick I'd rather have a pick in the 5-10 and another in the 10-15. If we could get a combo of something like Strome/Huberdeau we're laughing.

Big Ev wrote:I'd be shocked if the Oilers and Devils don't draft a d-man. NYI on the other hand have some good D already (Streit, MacDonald) and some intriguing D prospects (de Haan, Hamonic), so they my be better off picking a forward (and it could be Couturier, who would be really nice as a 2nd line centre behind Tavares. I've read that his pro game could be like Jordan Staal's so he may be perfect in that role for the Isles.

So we can still get Landeskog or RNH!

I'm pretty much in full agreement here. The Oilers and Devils should be looking defence first IMO.

IMO, the Islanders will want to take a D as well. GM Snow and New York are just loaded everywhere in terms of their prospects depth chart, but I would suggest that their forward ranks are stronger than their defence. Casey Cizikas is their Jordan Staal.

SDH89 wrote:I still think a couple of the lottery teams: Islanders, Oilers and Devils could use defenceman, so you never know.

I missed your post, but yes, I just said the same thing. Not sure what they think, but from my point of view, those 3 teams should be looking defence first.

The problem lies in the fact that there is only 2 stud defencemen in the draft and 3 teams want them IMO. Something has to give; maybe we will see Garth Snow trade down again.

Big Ev wrote:I'd be shocked if the Oilers and Devils don't draft a d-man. NYI on the other hand have some good D already (Streit, MacDonald) and some intriguing D prospects (de Haan, Hamonic), so they my be better off picking a forward (and it could be Couturier, who would be really nice as a 2nd line centre behind Tavares. I've read that his pro game could be like Jordan Staal's so he may be perfect in that role for the Isles.

So we can still get Landeskog or RNH!

The Oilers need a centre for Hall and Eberle.

marakh wrote:Hopefully RNH keeps it quiet til the end of the season and falls a bit in the 4-6 range. TO me he's still easily the most skilled player in the draft.

RNH is my choice out of this draft, too. A lot of people are getting swept up in the Landeskog hype, which is understandable:

• Swedish but also seemingly Canadian
  
• Leadership + intangibles
  
• Power-forward style
  
• Scores goals, at least at the Junior level
  
• Beastly defensively
  
• I'm told he's quite handsome

But the fact remains, at least in my opinion, that RNH's offensive ceiling is (maybe quite a bit) higher than GL's. Where Landeskog should succeed is in a position like Skinner this year, on a team already featuring a big-time centre. I guess some could argue we have that in Spezza, but the injuries on his part are starting to get worrisome/irritating to me and I'd rather take the opportunity to move away from our dependency on Spezza rather than continue to build around him.

Of course, the problem with RNH from a fan perspective is he's way less NHL-ready than Landeskog. Duchene is often cited as a comparable in style to RNH, but MD was considerably more physically developed at the draft. This also brings up the fact that RNH is a bit of a risk - whereas Landeskog possibly has the upside of being a 2005-2008 Morrow or Mike Richards type, he also comes with an NHL-calibre downside, and a middle that's good as well (say, 20-25 goal, 20-25 assist-style good Fisher from last decade). RNH has more bust potential because of question marks about his weight/strength and his low goal-totals at the Junior level. On the flip side, though, if RNH can get significantly stronger and overcome his pass-first, pass-only mentality, he could be a really special player in the NHL.

This draft is fairly good as far as depth picks in the first are concerned, but it doesn't boast much by way of super-elite prospects, with the possible exception of Larsson. I'd rather have Hall, Seguin, Tavares, Duchene, Stamkos, Kane etc. over any of the forwards in this draft. But I will say that the character of the forwards seems to me less questionable than in years past. There were questions, especially about Hall, last year, for example. But RNH in his interviews really strikes me as a humble, down-to-earth, nice kid. And obviously no one's questioning Landeskog's character.

EDIT: Of course, I'd be ecstatic to land either of these guys and I doubt we're in that position on draft day.