2011 NHL Entry Draft Watch

asq2 wrote:

hemlock wrote:Nice write up as usual.

The key for me as far as Landeskog goes is that he's got everything you look for in a player. If we start trading guys like Fisher and Phillips and The Alfie retires, we'll be in need of some leadership and character.

Like you said, he's probably not the #1 option offensively, but I am fine with that because of everything else he brings. RNH is a higher risk/higher reward selection, but still one I'd welcome with open arms.

Actually, if we pick fourth (I don't think 2nd or 3rd is out of the realm of possibility now that the Islanders are playing better) we'll land our best offensive prospect since Jason Spezza was drafted. Something to get excited about for sure.

Oh, definitely. There's so much to like about Landeskog.

From a re-building perspective, though, I'm worried -- well, that's too strong a word -- that he's more a "make a good team great" than a "make a bad team good" type. Certainly the leadership and grit and defence and potential goal-scoring are going to help, but I just don't know if he can elevate a team as the focal point of its offence, rather than an awesome complementary piece who is the team leader in all other areas. Maybe I'm under-estimating his offensive abilities.

From a re-build perspective, I don't know if we aim to get a lottery pick in 2012. Granted, I don't know if we have a choice about that. But we should have some cap-space to work with, so we may try the fabled "Flyer Reload." With that in mind it's probably best to get an offensive focal point now -- I mean, who's going to centre Landeskog long-term, Silfverberg? Or do we go with Spezza, which would potentially be a nice combination? The downside there is we're still depending on Spezza and his injury issues rather than adding a potential replacement - which could, NTC and willing partner willing, let us trade him for some young wingers for RNH (of course, then Nugent-Hopkins wouldn't have any centre as a potential mentor figure on the team, but I don't know if Spezza is an ideal mentor anyway).

Probably the most hyped forward in the 2012 draft, Yakupov, is a winger. But there are some centres near the top in Galchenyuk and Grigorenko (I think he's a centre; he's listed as such on Russianprospects but I've never seen him play), so if we took Landeskog and promptly stunk again it's not like we'd have no options for finding him a centre.

I haven't really organized my thoughts (can you tell?) but jumping way back to the point about Landeskog being more of a complementary offensive player -- I think RNH's elite skating, both in terms of speed and maybe especially in terms of quickness/agility, coupled with his hands, shot, and vision, will allow him to create offence for himself. This is maybe more of a concern people might have with Couturier, and Landeskog although I wouldn't say he's a bad skater. But the Sens need speed (they need a lot of things, granted), and in general the game seems to be trending that way. Tavares, who is a better prospect than any of these guys, is struggling a bit (still has more points than any Sen) relative to Duchene in large part because of the difference in quality of their teams but also because his foot-speed limits his ability to create offence for himself, which is necessary for players on bad teams. But obviously foot-speed doesn't limit a player on a good team, although inequality in other areas could.

For RNH to be a focal point, he's got to get way stronger (like, 30-40 lbs stronger) while maintaining his agility and speed, and while learning to shoot more. But if he does that, he could be something else offensively, while boasting a pretty good, Datsyuk-style (though not calibre) defensive game. I think he can do it but there's also a risk that he struggles in the NHL because of how skinny he is.

This is almost like a Kane vs. Toews scenario, IMO. Except I don't think either is as good, but also the positions are reversed (I maintain that centre is a more important position than wing) and RNH strikes me as having much better character than PTK Jr.

I think the obvious solution is to just get them both.

BTW, here's Central Scouting's take on RNH. Apparently also Ken Hitchcock pointed to him at some on-ice thing and said "That's Sakic." Of course, a major difference is Sakic scored 60 goals in 72 games in the WHL in his draft year while RNH only has 10 so far, which legitimately raises some eye-brows.



EDIT: At least on HF, I should say that there is more of a divided opinion on RNH than there is on Landeskog. Some people really don't think he's special and above the "non-top-4" prospects in the draft. I don't know if that's a sentiment echoed amongst scouts.

asq2 wrote:By the way, a Bruin fan pointed out that if Boston nabs Landeskog with the Toronto pick, they'll eventually be able to play him with Knight and Seguin.

The KSL line. Awesome.

Big Ev wrote:

asq2 wrote:By the way, a Bruin fan pointed out that if Boston nabs Landeskog with the Toronto pick, they'll eventually be able to play him with Knight and Seguin.

The KSL line. Awesome.

I don't get it. Am I missing something

SpezDispenser wrote:Read this in Dan Sallow's Mock Draft. Sounds like someone we should be looking at as well.

Tyler Biggs (U.S. National Development Team, USHL, 11 GP, 4 G, 2 A, 6 PTS)

Thanks to the Leafs, Boston got a quality centre last season in Tyler Seguin, and it only makes sense that the big bad Bruins took a chance on 6-foot-2, 200-pound right winger Tyler Biggs from Cincinnati, Ohio. He has good bloodlines, and is a Cam Neely-type of player, which should excite the fans in Boston and anger those in Leaf Nation. The Bruins will be good for years to come on the shoulders of the two Tyler’s.

stempniaksen wrote:Since we're throwing in names of mid/late first rounders I have a couple of my own.

1. Niklas Jensen, Oshawa Generals, OHL
2. Mark McNeil, Prince Albert Raiders, WHL
3. Mika Zibanejad, Djugardens, SEL
4. Matt Puempel, Peterborough Petes, OHL
5. Rocco Grimaldi, USNDT, USHL

Anyyone of these guys would look fantastic in a Sens uniform, although most are risers and could play themselves right out of Ottawa's range.

SpezDispenser wrote:Brother.

If we could get a 2nd 1st rounder, Biggs might be a nice mid-round option to add to whoever we draft in the top 5. _;

SeawaySensFan wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:Brother.

If we could get a 2nd 1st rounder, Biggs might be a nice mid-round option to add to whoever we draft in the top 5. _;

Or assure us of a top 3 if someone wants to trade down for that extra pick? Lots of options to look at down the road. We'll start to get a clearer picture in a little over a month.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:

stempniaksen wrote:Since we're throwing in names of mid/late first rounders I have a couple of my own.

1. Niklas Jensen, Oshawa Generals, OHL
2. Mark McNeil, Prince Albert Raiders, WHL
3. Mika Zibanejad, Djugardens, SEL
4. Matt Puempel, Peterborough Petes, OHL
5. Rocco Grimaldi, USNDT, USHL

Anyyone of these guys would look fantastic in a Sens uniform, although most are risers and could play themselves right out of Ottawa's range.

I'll hang onto this list for when the SIM draft happens.

Big Ev wrote:We'll wait and get Alex Forsberg.