LGR4GM

Haven't finished doing homework yet. Need all the draft guides to get the final feel. But let's do a little report on Yakemchuk. He's 6'3" 194lbs and racked up 120pm this past season. He has a VERY VERY early birthday for the draft being only 13 days removed from being 2023 draft eligible. So he is old for the draft class. He has 3 full WHL years already under his belt. He's gotten better each year but there hasn't been some massive jump, it has been steady growth. He was second on his WHL team this season in both goals (30) and points (71) which is notable for a defender. Really quick, he had the most goals for a defender in the WHL, not draft eligible, I mean alllll WHL defenders. Next closes guy is 26 and the 3rd guy is 18g. His team isn't particularly good and there is not a single player on that roster that was already drafted in the NHL. To put that in perspective, Savoie is on a roster where there are 6 other drafted prospects and the highest scoring one had 126 pts versus the 80pt leader of Yakemchuk's team. To recap, this is an older prospect for his class, steady increase in production, plays on a bad team in the WHL, would be Rochester eligible after this next season, is big and powerful. One final note from the Athletic article about him last month is this quote: He has good not great skating. I think his short area quickness and acceleration needs work. I agree with other scouts who question those aspects and you can see at times it takes 3,4,5 strides to get going and that worries me a little bit. His edges are fairly good though and he has agility so hopefully the quickness comes. Defensively, I think he is solid. He still has some work to do with managing risks and being better positionally but since everyone worries about a defender being gritty... he doesn't have 120PIM because he is a lazy stick checker. He is a little over aggressive which is great because he will physically remove you from the play... but also sometimes you can't just knock a guy over. He needs to pick his spots a bit better but he is a physical defender and his defensive highlights show that in spades. Gritty is a good word. Again, work to do defensively but he isn't Parekh where the defensive side of the game is more of a afterthought. His shot is great, there's a drag wrister I love and he has a solid slapper too. I think the shot will only get better in time. He is the type of guy on a PP2 that you could let drop bombs from the point. Dude has some moves too, dekes and the like. I think there is a fair amount of manipulation for a defender. I actually appreciate how slow it looks like he moves when he dekes but how fast the puck is actually moving. It is a because when he moves that big old frame, the end of his stick moves way more than the top of his body. Honestly his puckhandling might be one of my favorite qualities he has. Go watch highlights, there are dekes and fakes and quite honestly that ***** which you love to see in forwards... but he's a defender. Honestly if you moved him to forward, I think it would work. Still, the offense is the best part of his game and in the ozone he is really good. Bottom line is that at 11, he would be an option. Not my first option, judging by how I think of others but it wouldn't be a major reach. He would add a big strong RHD to the pool that would have another year in jr and then 1-2 years in Rochester before joining the team. Very much could be a replacement for whichever defender 3 years from now we need to move on from and fills a hole next to either Dahlin or Power, I think Power on line 2 is a better fit. I like the player but he is old for the class, has some quickness questions, and overall might not be the best player available at 11.

Here's a somewhat bizarre mock in which Catton doesn't go top 16, which seems suspect.

Got it, you favor Power.

Great movie

Which player will end their career, being talked about and ranked above the either, because most or all definitions of better apply to one more than the other.

Nope

Do you think Rasmus Dahlin or Owen Power will have a better career?

Unsure currently.

Calgary is gonna take him.

Lol now we get to the heart of it.

Here's a thread dedicated to everyone who wants the pick traded. You wanna trade it and talk about trading it and tell everyone you want it traded, here's the thread for you. This thread is an attempt, which ik will fail, to keep the takes of "trade the pick" out of the 2024 draft thread which is about picks and draftable players. So, here yea go. Have at it.

Oh cool, what was the insult?

Okay, trade it. Find a gritty top 6 guy and trade the pick with a prospect.

I think maybe in 2023, 2019 Maroon would have helped.

Oh ***** well if you remember it, it must be true right? Very well could have been against Maroon in 2019. Don't think he moves the needle for that team, it has significant issues.

God, if there is a God, maybe you could help the Sabres win a little. I'd really like to see the playoffs again.

thxs ... i hate it

All the assistants who were being fired have been fired. Ellis might be reassigned but I would guess Lindy adds 1 person to that staff sometime this summer. Bales has UPL's improvement to hang his hat on right now so he's safe. Wilford being around is a little surprising but they must believe in the defense.

No