2013 NHL Draft Thread

LeKing wrote:There's no guarantee, but the guy is huge, has incredible hockey sense, skates awesomely and moves the puck like the best of them. I'd say he's better than Hedman at the same age.

How many years did it take for Hedman to be noticed for anything other than mediocrity, though (and knocking Crosby out)? He's now leading the league in +/-, and that's his basic claim to fame in his fourth full year. Karlsson is the reigning Norris winner and it took him two years to get noticed.

Not sure how Karlsson even comes into this discussion, but I'm pretty sure Hedman had top 3 ice time on his team every year since he joined the league. He doesn't need to be a Norris winner or candidate to be the 2nd best defenseman in Ottawa with the group we have.
And like I said, I think Jones is better than Hedman in every single area.

wprager wrote:

How many years did it take for Hedman to be noticed for anything other than mediocrity, though (and knocking Crosby out)? He's now leading the league in +/-, and that's his basic claim to fame in his fourth full year. Karlsson is the reigning Norris winner and it took him two years to get noticed.

I think Karlsson started getting notice in his first year, even Clouston was playing him top minutes at times(against Pittsburgh in the playoffs). Last year was the first year he put it all together. Does anyone else think Karlsson would be a bust on at least half the teams in the league ? Karlsson is what he is but he has a coach that actually encourages his play while still preaching defensive responsability. It's a perfect storm for him here. I can imagine Karlsson on the Rangers being made to block shots by Tortorella.....

Hedman's been a disappointment until this year, even then I wonder if he's living up to the hype.

He has not been a disappointment, people just expect too many things too soon.
Alex Pietrangelo who is supposed to be the 2nd best defenseman in the league by many had his coming out party last year, which is the same age as Hedman this year.

LeKing wrote:He has not been a disappointment, people just expect too many things too soon.

Well that's what I mean .. he's been disappointing so far. Doesn't mean he's a bust just up until this year you don't see any "#2 overall" in him.

LeKing wrote:Not sure how Karlsson even comes into this discussion, but I'm pretty sure Hedman had top 3 ice time on his team every year since he joined the league. He doesn't need to be a Norris winner or candidate to be the 2nd best defenseman in Ottawa with the group we have.
And like I said, I think Jones is better than Hedman in every single area.

They were drafted in the same 1st round and are both Swedish defensemen. First year I was tracking their progress to see which one was coming out on top. That's how Karlsson comes into this discussion.

Hoags wrote:

wprager wrote:

How many years did it take for Hedman to be noticed for anything other than mediocrity, though (and knocking Crosby out)? He's now leading the league in +/-, and that's his basic claim to fame in his fourth full year. Karlsson is the reigning Norris winner and it took him two years to get noticed.

I think Karlsson started getting notice in his first year, even Clouston was playing him top minutes at times(against Pittsburgh in the playoffs). Last year was the first year he put it all together. Does anyone else think Karlsson would be a bust on at least half the teams in the league ? Karlsson is what he is but he has a coach that actually encourages his play while still preaching defensive responsability. It's a perfect storm for him here. I can imagine Karlsson on the Rangers being made to block shots by Tortorella.....

Hedman's been a disappointment until this year, even then I wonder if he's living up to the hype.

Karlsson was -30 in his second year. In his first year he got sent down to bingo for some time. It wasn't until the end of the second year that Clouston started giving him some PK time.

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:Not sure how Karlsson even comes into this discussion, but I'm pretty sure Hedman had top 3 ice time on his team every year since he joined the league. He doesn't need to be a Norris winner or candidate to be the 2nd best defenseman in Ottawa with the group we have.
And like I said, I think Jones is better than Hedman in every single area.

They were drafted in the same 1st round and are both Swedish defensemen. First year I was tracking their progress to see which one was coming out on top. That's how Karlsson comes into this discussion.

Karlsson drafted in 2008
Hedman drafted in 2009

wprager wrote:
Karlsson was -30 in his second year. In his first year he got sent down to bingo for some time. It wasn't until the end of the second year that Clouston started giving him some PK time.

He was awful in his first year, got sent down for a while and slowly started playing better when he came up. He lots of icetime against the Pens in the playoffs(6Pts in 6G and -4). In his 2nd year he went up to 45pts on a bad team. Everyone was a huge minus that year(#4 was -35). The team sucked and Elliott sucked even more. Clouston did give some PK time (avg was 30 seconds I think). MacLean cut his PK time to almost zero last year and gave him way more this year.

Karlsson has been improving every year in all aspects IMHO on what was a bad team at times with a coach who didn't get along with his players. It seems a waste to play him on the PK when he is so good on the PP and 5on5 anyway. It was only an issue when the haters came out of the woodwork after he won the Norris.

LeKing wrote:

wprager wrote:

LeKing wrote:Not sure how Karlsson even comes into this discussion, but I'm pretty sure Hedman had top 3 ice time on his team every year since he joined the league. He doesn't need to be a Norris winner or candidate to be the 2nd best defenseman in Ottawa with the group we have.
And like I said, I think Jones is better than Hedman in every single area.

They were drafted in the same 1st round and are both Swedish defensemen. First year I was tracking their progress to see which one was coming out on top. That's how Karlsson comes into this discussion.

Karlsson drafted in 2008
Hedman drafted in 2009

Well thanks for making me feel stupid

What I clearly meant was that they broke into the league at the same time (2009-10). They were born the same year but Hedman has a December b/d so he missed the draft eligibility cut-off (Sept. 14). They both spent two seasons in the SEL, then entered the NHL the same season.

I see what you mean. Still, Big Dmen like Hedman I think take more time and he's looking better and better. We should look at him as a 22 year old defenseman and not compare him to a generational talent that clearly no one predicted to be this good this fast. Karlsson is the exception, not the rule.

Back on topic:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Ev wrote:

SeawaySensFan wrote:

Hoags wrote:

NEELY wrote:Hamilton is nothing special really.

A guy with that size, speed and skill plus a RH shot is nothing special ?

Whatever, I hope we win the lottery, someone up there owes us big time.

I'd sooner have that debt paid with a Cup. Being a lottery team sucks balls and wishing for a lottery pick this early in the season is just wrong unless you're some kind of prospect groupie of which there are many here.

There's like 2 months left.

There's like 3/4 of the season left.

Spezza is supposed to be back Apr 1st -- that leaves 3 weeks left in the season... It will be too late to make the playoffs.

sandysensfan wrote:
Spezza is supposed to be back Apr 1st -- that leaves 3 weeks left in the season... It will be too late to make the playoffs.

No point in him coming back and risking further injury if we're not anywhere near a playoff spot at that point.

Plus they're hoping he'll be back around that time, no one really knows. Originally they said he could start rehab one week after surgery, but last I heard it's been 2 weeks and he still hasn't started.

I'll allow myself to dream about Jones or Drouin or Mackinnon in Sens colours.

Preferably Drouin at this point - although there's clearly nothing wrong with the other two.

Skill please...and if not, the destroyer on the back end to finish that particular puzzle.

Methot - Karlsson
Cowen - Jones
Phillips - Gryba/Boro/Wiercioch/Benoit/whatever

Yes please.

SpezDispenser wrote:I'll allow myself to dream about Jones or Drouin or Mackinnon in Sens colours.

Preferably Drouin at this point - although there's clearly nothing wrong with the other two.

Skill please...and if not, the destroyer on the back end to finish that particular puzzle.

Methot - Karlsson
Cowen - Jones
Phillips - Gryba/Boro/Wiercioch/Benoit/whatever

Yes please.

that's pretty sick.
but another top end forward prospect is a sexy thought...

We need a forward. Jones would be sick, but I'd rather have 2 sick skilled players on the ice at the same time and that would be Karlsson + forward. We have great goaltending. Let's just have a great power play, that would win 90% of the games.
The plays that Karlsson makes that end up disappearing like a fart in winter because the forward can't do Dung is starting to irritate me.

don't want Drouin

You're entitled to your opinion but that's probably not based on anything on the ice