2023 NHL draft rankings

[GASabresIUFAN]

On 4/26/2023 at 3:05 PM, PerreaultForever said:

Interesting player. I'd be afraid of him becoming another doesn't sign guy that holds out to play in some other city. 

 

The Athletic’s Wheeler has Gabe up to 8th on his May rankings after Perreault dominated at the U18’s.  If you watch the Sweden/USA gold medal game highlights, there is a great clip of Perreault making a 180 degree spin with a behind the back pass onto his linemates’ stick for a point blank scoring chance. 

 

[Crusader1969]

4 hours ago, French Collection said:

We’re getting to the time of year when draft lists get finalized. I want to see where the Dmen rank, I think the Sabres have a shot at all of them. This isn’t a year where there are Dmen solidly in the top 10.

Sandin-Pellikka’s stock probably rose with a strong U18 tournament.

Reinbacher would be my choice, I think a team may take him earlier than Buffalo, like the Wings did with Seider a few years ago.

Gulyalev I have not seen but I will watch a few videos of him before the draft.

Simashev sounds like a Mule type Dman with some offensive upside.

Bonk could end up in the second round but he will get a lot more views as London is looking like an OHL finalist and have a shot at the Memorial Cup.

Dragicevic did not impress me at the U18s. There were a few good plays but he didn’t dominate vs his peers. A point per game Dman in the WHL but his defensive game is weak.

Molendyk is getting extra views in the playoffs but I haven’t read too much about him.

Price was OK at the U18s.

Lindstein played well for Sweden at the U18s.

Willander also looked good for Sweden.

There will be lots of options for a Dman in the 2nd round. It would be awesome for the Sabres scouts to luck out on other teams passing a guy they want like the Kulich pick last year.

Good analysis 

I doubt Simashev will be that high on a lot of lists.  
a lot of guys , wheeler in particular, really emphasize skill over defensive ability 

If the Sabres believe he is a shut down Dman in the mold of Mule, then I think they should take him.  Draft rankings and post draft grades by internet expects be damned 

[Brawndo]

11 minutes ago, Crusader1969 said:

Good analysis 

I doubt Simashev will be that high on a lot of lists.  
a lot of guys , wheeler in particular, really emphasize skill over defensive ability 

If the Sabres believe he is a shut down Dman in the mold of Mule, then I think they should take him.  Draft rankings and post draft grades by internet expects be damned 

Personally I hope they move the pick for a D Man. 
 

That being said if there is a forward that they have ranked higher, they need to draft him over a D Man 

[Crusader1969]

7 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Personally I hope they move the pick for a D Man. 
 

That being said if there is a forward that they have ranked higher, they need to draft him over a D Man 

Might just happen.  Can still get a couple of good D in 2nd round

next couple of months will be interesting to say the least 

[French Collection]

30 minutes ago, Brawndo said:

Personally I hope they move the pick for a D Man. 
 

That being said if there is a forward that they have ranked higher, they need to draft him over a D Man 

A 4/5 Dman with term would be a good move, much better than a guy who needs 2-3 years of development.

Another move I would consider is moving back to get another pick if the guy they want is gone or if they think their guy will be around later.

Detroit has 18,41,42,43

Chicago has 20,35,44,52,56

Trade them 13 for their first rounder and a second.

[Crusader1969]

13 hours ago, French Collection said:

A 4/5 Dman with term would be a good move, much better than a guy who needs 2-3 years of development.

Another move I would consider is moving back to get another pick if the guy they want is gone or if they think their guy will be around later.

Detroit has 18,41,42,43

Chicago has 20,35,44,52,56

Trade them 13 for their first rounder and a second.

Why not get your #4 in free agency and then trade a 2nd and mid tire prospect for a #5/6?

KEEP your 1st and fill in the roster this off season

 

[French Collection]

1 minute ago, Crusader1969 said:

Why not get your #4 in free agency and then trade a 2nd and mid tire prospect for a #5/6?

KEEP your 1st and fill in the roster this off season

 

Depends what is available in both avenues.

UFAs are usually older and as much as I’d like a guy like Graves or Dumba, 7 year deals are not the direction I would go in if that is what it takes. There are a lot of teams tight to the cap right now so the competition for good talent may not be as heated as past years. The Sabres may be able to get a good player at a fair price.

Getting a 24-25 year old Dman with term or an RFA you think can be extended may only be available via trade. A guy like Hronek that went from Detroit to Vancouver is an example of the kind of Dman I am thinking of.

There is also the possibility of a cap dump. I’m thinking of a Nick Leddy type deal from a couple of years ago. Some team may have its sights on a shiny UFA but doesn’t have room. You can even gain a draft pick or two for taking on such a guy.

[French Collection]

Thomas Milic, goalie for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, is having a great playoff.

He had a .928 sv% in the regular season and has upped that number to .956 in ten playoff games. He plays for a powerhouse team but those are impressive numbers.

 He was also Canada’s goalie at the WJHC.

He just turned 20 and is undrafted.

[Flashsabre]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

Thomas Milic, goalie for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL, is having a great playoff.

He had a .928 sv% in the regular season and has upped that number to .956 in ten playoff games. He plays for a powerhouse team but those are impressive numbers.

 He was also Canada’s goalie at the WJHC.

He just turned 20 and is undrafted.

He is also 6 feet tall which makes him kryptonite to most scouts. Hopefully the Levi’s and Wolf’s of the world are opening up the scouts eyes that it is not about size but ability to stop the puck.

[French Collection]

23 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

He is also 6 feet tall which makes him kryptonite to most scouts. Hopefully the Levi’s and Wolf’s of the world are opening up the scouts eyes that it is not about size but ability to stop the puck.

Saros, Shesterkin, Raanta.

Lundqvist talked about this a bit the other night on TNT.

[Flashsabre]

https://theathletic.com/4448811/2023/05/01/nhl-draft-prospects-2023-u18-worlds/?amp=1

[Brawndo]

 

[French Collection]

1 hour ago, Brawndo said:

 

Looking forward to this as it is usually accurate. There will be some guys moving up and down of course.
Anyone not on this list is a potential Sabres pick.

[dudacek]

Kid I’m quite curious about from a Sabres perspective is Matt Wood, who’s from my neck of the woods.

On the surface he seems to lack the uptempo speed and fire that Adams seems to favour, but he is highly skilled and has some intriguing numbers.

He led UConn in scoring as an 18-year-old - putting up similar numbers to what Thompson, Tuch, Zegras and Caufield did as 19-year-olds. The only U18 NCAA prospect to produce more in the last 20 years was Jonathan Toews.

He also led his BCHL team in scoring as a 17-year-old the previous year, with the most productive year from anyone that age in that league in at least 20 years - ahead of guys like Turris, Newhook and Kent Johnson.

In short, he drives offence. I suspect our analytics team has done a deep dive into this kid and found some intriguing results. I also know Jerry Forton will have an excellent handle on his character, since he is “very close” to the UConn staff.

And he does seem to be one of those Quinn/Power personalities the Sabres love: a hockey nerd constantly looking for ways to upgrade his game.

https://theathletic.com/4457512/2023/04/29/nhl-draft-matthew-wood/

I’ve barely started looking into the draft, and this kid seems to be ranked on the low side of where the Sabres are picking, (although I’d imagine the fact he tore it up at the U18s last week has pushed him closer to the centre of people’s radar) but I’m going to predict right now he has a good chance of being the Sabres choice.

Edited May 4, 2023 by dudacek

[French Collection]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Kid I’m quite curious about from a Sabres perspective is Matt Wood, who’s from my neck of the woods.

On the surface he seems to lack the uptempo speed and fire that Adams seems to favour, but he is highly skilled and has some intriguing numbers.

He led UConn in scoring as an 18-year-old - putting up similar numbers to what Thompson, Tuch, Zegras and Caufield did as 19-year-olds. The only U18 NCAA prospect to produce more in the last 20 years was Jonathan Toews.

He also led his BCHL team in scoring as a 17-year-old the previous year, with the most productive year from anyone that age in that league in at least 20 years - ahead of guys like Turris, Newhook and Kent Johnson.

In short, he drives offence. I suspect our analytics team has done a deep dive into this kid and found some intriguing results. I also know Jerry Forton will have an excellent handle on his character, since he is “very close” to the UConn staff.

And he does seem to be one of those Quinn/Power personalities the Sabres love: a hockey nerd constantly looking for ways to upgrade his game.

https://theathletic.com/4457512/2023/04/29/nhl-draft-matthew-wood/

I’ve barely started looking into the draft, and this kid seems to be ranked on the low side of where the Sabres are picking, (although I’d imagine the fact he tore it up at the U18s last week has pushed him closer to the centre of people’s radar) but I’m going to predict right now he has a good chance of being the Sabres choice.

I’m not opposed to picking him at 13 if they feel he is BPA.
Craig Button was at the U18s and compared him to Tage Thompson. Part of the reason was he goes to UConn.

He’s a big kid but not TNT sized. He’s more Tuch sized but doesn’t have that speed.

Great numbers in the NCAA for a 17 year old.
He did well at U18s 13 pts in 7 games. He was 5pts in 5 games at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup a year ago.

He will be one to watch at the World Juniors.

[Flashsabre]

35 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Kid I’m quite curious about from a Sabres perspective is Matt Wood, who’s from my neck of the woods.

On the surface he seems to lack the uptempo speed and fire that Adams seems to favour, but he is highly skilled and has some intriguing numbers.

He led UConn in scoring as an 18-year-old - putting up similar numbers to what Thompson, Tuch, Zegras and Caufield did as 19-year-olds. The only U18 NCAA prospect to produce more in the last 20 years was Jonathan Toews.

He also led his BCHL team in scoring as a 17-year-old the previous year, with the most productive year from anyone that age in that league in at least 20 years - ahead of guys like Turris, Newhook and Kent Johnson.

In short, he drives offence. I suspect our analytics team has done a deep dive into this kid and found some intriguing results. I also know Jerry Forton will have an excellent handle on his character, since he is “very close” to the UConn staff.

And he does seem to be one of those Quinn/Power personalities the Sabres love: a hockey nerd constantly looking for ways to upgrade his game.

https://theathletic.com/4457512/2023/04/29/nhl-draft-matthew-wood/

I’ve barely started looking into the draft, and this kid seems to be ranked on the low side of where the Sabres are picking, (although I’d imagine the fact he tore it up at the U18s last week has pushed him closer to the centre of people’s radar) but I’m going to predict right now he has a good chance of being the Sabres choice.

He is one of a handful of forwards that the Sabres can choose from.

I have to believe Oliver Moore is right in Adams wheelhouse.

Moore, Wood, Yager, Perrault and others will probably be there at 13.

Bob’s top 12 drops tomorrow so it will be interesting to see how he has the top of the draft ranked.

[French Collection]

Bob McKenzie’s top 12 is out.

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/plenty-of-intrigue-after-connor-bedard-in-bob-mckenzie-s-nhl-draft-lottery-edition-ranking-1.1956585

 

[Brawndo]

16 hours ago, dudacek said:

Kid I’m quite curious about from a Sabres perspective is Matt Wood, who’s from my neck of the woods.

On the surface he seems to lack the uptempo speed and fire that Adams seems to favour, but he is highly skilled and has some intriguing numbers.

He led UConn in scoring as an 18-year-old - putting up similar numbers to what Thompson, Tuch, Zegras and Caufield did as 19-year-olds. The only U18 NCAA prospect to produce more in the last 20 years was Jonathan Toews.

He also led his BCHL team in scoring as a 17-year-old the previous year, with the most productive year from anyone that age in that league in at least 20 years - ahead of guys like Turris, Newhook and Kent Johnson.

In short, he drives offence. I suspect our analytics team has done a deep dive into this kid and found some intriguing results. I also know Jerry Forton will have an excellent handle on his character, since he is “very close” to the UConn staff.

And he does seem to be one of those Quinn/Power personalities the Sabres love: a hockey nerd constantly looking for ways to upgrade his game.

https://theathletic.com/4457512/2023/04/29/nhl-draft-matthew-wood/

I’ve barely started looking into the draft, and this kid seems to be ranked on the low side of where the Sabres are picking, (although I’d imagine the fact he tore it up at the U18s last week has pushed him closer to the centre of people’s radar) but I’m going to predict right now he has a good chance of being the Sabres choice.

McKenzie has Him 12th

[Flashsabre]

1 hour ago, French Collection said:

Bob McKenzie’s top 12 is out.

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/plenty-of-intrigue-after-connor-bedard-in-bob-mckenzie-s-nhl-draft-lottery-edition-ranking-1.1956585

 

Smith moving up to 3rd is a big development. Perrault moving up 23 spots to 9th is a giant development. Scouts will go back and forth on Perrault because he is 5’10 without electric wheels, and put up insane numbers this year with Smith and Leonard but hasn’t put up similar numbers in previous years.

Will be some good talent at 13 for sure.

[Flashsabre]

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/scouts-analysis-ranking-the-top-60-prospects-for-the-2023-nhl-draft/

 

Great article to dig into in preperation for the draft

[French Collection]

18 hours ago, Flashsabre said:

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/scouts-analysis-ranking-the-top-60-prospects-for-the-2023-nhl-draft/

 

Great article to dig into in preperation for the draft

Yes, there is quite a bit of information in there. Bukala was director of amateur scouting for the Panthers, so he has done this stuff in real life.

Sam Cosentino is another draft junkie from Sportsnet who should be putting a list out shortly.

[PerreaultForever]

On 5/5/2023 at 7:00 AM, Brawndo said:

McKenzie has Him 12th

and Button has his NHL comparable as Tage Thompson. Matthew Wood would be an interesting pick. 

[Curt]

What are the odds that Oliver Bonk would be there for Buffalo to draft with the Flyers pick in the early 2nd?

[PerreaultForever]

11 minutes ago, Curt said:

What are the odds that Oliver Bonk would be there for Buffalo to draft with the Flyers pick in the early 2nd?

Maybe, but I think he's likely going to go late first round.  If he isn't, definitely. 

I think you could definitely reach and get Strbak a little early with that pick. In a perfect draft you can wait and get him with our own pick if he's not gone.

 

[Buffalonill]

22 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

and Button has his NHL comparable as Tage Thompson. Matthew Wood would be an interesting pick. 

That comparable makes zero sense to me they're nothing alike