BobbyClarkeFan16

The Washington Capitals are proud to select from the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League, the second best Connor Mc in the game, Connor McMichael!!!!

Some of the scouting reports include:

Sam Cosentino - SportsNet: "Shoots and passes like a pro. Great skating ability allows him to transition well and consistently be a part of the rush."

Chris Peters - ESPN: "A high-end skater, McMichael shows excellent touch and an ability to be a threat to shoot or pass."

Hannah Stuart - theScore: "Last year, McMichael had six points in 28 games. This year, he put up 72 points in 67 games - and 63 of those were primary points. His production is driven by excellent hockey sense and puck skills, and he's strong in his own zone as well. "

Sam Conentino - SportsNet: "Was a force early- to mid-season, but has taken a step back of late as others have bypassed him for high-leverage minutes."

Connor McMichael comes from the hockey factory and there's familiarity in his game with regards to Dale Hunter being his coach. The Capitals know they're getting a forward that can play all three zones and has an offensive touch to boot. To make matters even more appealing, McMichael is a producer during even strength and produces a number of primary points. With Ovechkin, Backstrom, and Oshie all approaching their mid-30s, the Capitals decide now is the time to start replenishing the system with prospects with offensive upside. McMichael fits that bill and will be a welcome addition to the Washington Capitals prospect pipeline.

@CreaseAndAssist you're up!!!!

I’m currently at work in training and I’ll make my pick around 4

59 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Ok so trade Jake...i can't be open to that...but maybe Seattle would like him...

I'm fine with trading Jake. The only untouchable out of the long term players is Giroux. He retires a Flyer. As well, the Flyers are going to have an eventual money problem and you might as well get ahead on the curve. I also remeber the 1989 - 1990 season when it all fell apart. I don't want a repeat of that. 

1 hour ago, ruxpin said:

 

Yeah, to go with your hypothetical, Hayes is fine as a 2C, but he's a 2C that at your cost/term would be a decent fit at 3C should Patrick ever become half of what was advertised.    All this is assuming, of course, that Patrick survives the summer in Philly.

 

I'm willing to be that if a winger is coming from the Jets -- especially the pipe dream of Laine -- that it's a #2 for a cheaper #2 and  maybe a pick.    The Jets need a center, too.

But Hayes is versatile. So, if Patrick does become the number 2 (hehehe number 2) and if Frost is ready to be the number 3, you move Hayes to the wing and you've got ridiculous depth on both sides of center. 

Don't forget that Hayes will get pk time, so he'll get to still take draws and take pressure off Couturier and Laughton. So, you're probably gonna get 3 to 4 solid seasons out of him before fully committing to him at wing and by then, van Useless will be gone and Giroux will probably be moved to the right side to accommodate Lindblom, Farabee and Ratcliffe. Then your right side becomes Konecny, Giroux and Hayes (I think they'll move Voracek in the next year or two). 

That's pretty disgustingly good depth at forward that's young and skilled and Hayes will be one of those guys that can be a big assistance in helping that young talent along. If you look at the lines, it's already one solid veteran with youth in each line. 

I'm sold on bringing Hayes onboard. He doesn't block anyone. 

After reading the press conference today, it looks like Fletcher and Nature Boy are going to draft a defenseman. I expect that Soderstrom leads the list, but with the Flyers having some good luck with the USNTDP, it won't surprise me if York is high on the list as well. Gut leads me to believe it's going to be Soderstrom just because they talked about someone between 3 - 15. They have lots of left handed defensemen, but they don't have a potentially elite right handed defender in the system. OK, now I'm really intrigued by what's going to happen at the draft.

2 hours ago, yave1964 said:

Defense is a meh area of this draft and IMHO Byram is clearly the head of the class by a considerable amount. In real life I wouldnt be surprised if Colorado trades out of four to a team wanting to move up and nab him. 

I don't think defense is a meh area of this draft as much as the forward depth in this draft is greater than the defense depth. There's potentially five top pairing defensemen in the first round and a high number of quality second pairing throughout. 

1 minute ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Nice pick. 

 

It is time to restock and I think he will be given the time to fill out and work on his game.

I was iffy on Soderstrom at first, but he's really grown on me. One of the things that caught my attention was how calm and composed he is. You can just see how smart he is. And then the skating, wow. I know this will drive people insane, but his skating is Rasmus Dahlin good. I have no doubt in my mind that if he were 6'2, 6'3 he'd easily be top 5. This is a really good defenseman. Like Provorov good. 

This was a tough decision for the Flyers. The forward depth is very good and the defense has some very good depth as well. It came down to who the best player available was and that was the direction the Flyers took. The Philadelphia Flyers are proud to select from Brynas of the Swedish Elite League, defenseman Victor Soderstrom.

After going forward the past few drafts, the Flyers decided to go with rebuilding the blueline pipeline and are very happy to select a potential number one defenseman in Soderstrom. At the combine, it should be noted that Soderstrom actually measured in at 6 feet and weighing 182 pounds, so there's one more growth spurt that should put Soderstrom to the 6'1, 6'2 mark. Add in the physical and mental ability and he might just end up being the best defenseman of this draft. Some of the scouting reports include:

Cam Robinson - Dobber ProspectsMay 15th: "A puck-moving and fast-paced blueliner who loves to create offence. Enjoys controlling the pace of play. Quick outlets, sharp edges and nice vision. Could use more power on his shot."

Sam Cosentino - SportsNetMay 8th: "Top-notched skating ability is the basis for a solid two-way game. Played big minutes in 44 SHL games this season."

Chris Peters - ESPNMay 6th: "A mature defender who skates well and plays a solid two-way game despite average size, Soderstrom impacts the game in simple, subtle ways while making his team better when he is on the ice."

Hannah Stuart - theScoreMay 1st: "His elite skating allows him to pivot quickly and transition from offense to defense - crucial in today's NHL. His vision and puck skills are also high end."

Sam Conentino - SportsNet

This was a tough decision for the Flyers. The forward depth is very good and the defense has some very good depth as well. It came down to who the best player available was and that was the direction the Flyers took. The Philadelphia Flyers are proud to select from Brynas of the Swedish Elite League, defenseman Victor Soderstrom.

After going forward the past few drafts, the Flyers decided to go with rebuilding the blueline pipeline and are very happy to select Soderstrom. At the combine, it should be noted that Soderstrom actually measured in at 6 feet and weighing 182 pounds, so there's one more growth spurt that should put Soderstrom to the 6'1, 6'2 mark. Add in the physical and mental ability and he might just end up being the best defenseman of this draft. Some of the scouting reports include:

Cam Robinson - Dobber Prospects: "A puck-moving and fast-paced blueliner who loves to create offence. Enjoys controlling the pace of play. Quick outlets, sharp edges and nice vision. Could use more power on his shot."

Sam Cosentino - SportsNet: "Top-notched skating ability is the basis for a solid two-way game. Played big minutes in 44 SHL games this season."

Chris Peters - ESPN: "A mature defender who skates well and plays a solid two-way game despite average size, Soderstrom impacts the game in simple, subtle ways while making his team better when he is on the ice."

Hannah Stuart - theScore: "His elite skating allows him to pivot quickly and transition from offense to defense - crucial in today's NHL. His vision and puck skills are also high end."

Sam Conentino - SportsNet: "A hybrid of Adam Boqvist and Nils Lundqvist from last year’s first round."

This is going to be the eventual right side defender that will play with Provorov and will play 28 to 30 minutes a night. His maturity is beyond his years. In a game earlier this year, coach Magnus Sundquist said “I forgot which game it was, but he came into the room during an intermission and told everyone, ‘Guys, this is how we will run the power play,’ and started to draw up plays.”

This is going to be the eventual right side defender that will play with Provorov and will play 28 to 30 minutes a night.

@CreaseAndAssist you're up

Hello everyone and welcome to the HF.net annual mock draft. 

It was a struggle between selecting the physical mature and dominating Finnish winger in Kaapo Kakko or the dimunitive, but electrifying center in Jack Hughes. In the end, look at the needs of the team, the New Jersey Devils are proud to select from the US National Team Development Program, Jack Hughes.

Just some quotes from three of the top scouts:

“Hughes has tremendous first step which sets him apart; at times you don’t notice him cause he is small but when he gets the puck, watch out.” – Tyler Marshall,ISS Hockey

“Turbo-charged center with blinding speed and fantastic vision who has dominated his peers at every level. Hughes’ skill is noticeable from the second he hits the ice, but his ability to make every single one of decisions seem calculated is what separates him from a very talented group of draft-eligible forwards. His sixth sense allows him to sniff out trouble before it’s within striking distance while simultaneously identifying weaknesses within the opponent’s scheme to stop him. It’s cliche to say he makes everyone around him better, but Hughes does so in more ways that one.” – Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst

“We’re running out of superlatives for the electrifying 17-year-old. Hughes brings dynamic acceleration, top-end speed, edgework, puck skills… I can keep going but you get the idea. He’s been at his best when his USNTDP team has played high-end NCAA squads. Despite an injury slowing him down at the WJC, he still displayed his impressive skills against players two years his senior.” – Cam Robinson, Dobber Prospects

In the end, Hughes is just a better fit for what the Devils are trying to rebuild. 

Are we good to go to start? 

1 minute ago, Podein25 said:

 

Ok fair enough I guess. But Hayes was out of shape when he was traded to the Jets. And has a bit of a history with it, so if I'm Flecth I'm asking the tough questions...

I'm hesitant to believe that a hockey player was out of shape 3/4 of the way through a season before he was dealt. I remember when John Stevens said that about the guys after taking over from Hitchcock and same with Laviolette taking over for Stevens, Berube taking over for Laviolette, Hakstol taking over for Berube, etc......It's tired excuse when coaches say that. These guys are professional athletes and multi-millionaires to boot. They aren't going to do anything to jeopardize that. 

What I think about Hayes is that he's a big guy, but he's light. 6'5, 215 pounds? He's simply not heavy enough, which to me indicates he's not eating enough. A guy that big who plays a physical game needs to have more muscle on his frame. Not only that, having that extra muscle will help him on first step acceleration, especially if he's adding more muscle mass to his legs. He'll get a better push off and with the length of his stride, that's huge. 

I know Hayes only has one 20 goal season under his belt, but you know he's going to get an awfully big role on the power play in Philadelphia. He's going to be the net presence guy a la Simmonds and that's going to add about 10 goals a year to his goal totals. Playing with Giroux, Voracek and Ghost (should they not move him) on the power play is going to make him lethal. Don't forget that having a Hayes means they won't have to play Couturier on the PK for the full two minutes and that the time on the PK can be balanced between Hayes, Patrick and Laughton, which means there's two minutes of ice time less for Couturier on the PK and you can add that to his even strength and PP time. 

I'm starting to think the Flyers will overpay Hayes for those reasons alone. And don't forget that once Patrick and Frost are ready (it's possible Frost could be ready this year, but I think giving him the Giroux treatment to start his career is a good thing), Hayes moves to the wing and you've got a big solid body there. 

I'm really starting to warm up to the idea of Hayes and what he can bring to the table. If Hayes is a poor man's version of Couturier and if Patrick can become another Couturier, that's an AWFULLY tough three headed center monster to play against. Of course, that leaves where do you play Frost, but that's a good problem to have.

I think we're starting to get far ahead of ourselves here with regards to some of the 'potential' deals we think might go down. Fact is, we're seeing deals in which the Flyers are giving up a ton in Gostisbehere and the 11th overall. If you're making that kind of deal, that kind of return should get you a guy like Taylor Hall. None of the players listed are Taylor Hall. 

In terms of guys like Trouba, Karlsson, etc......everything is going to be dependent on whether they agree to a contract with the Flyers first, especially Trouba. There's no way Fletcher gives up a haul for him without getting his name on a 7-8 year contract first. It's just not happening. As for Karlsson, he has no leverage in getting a 7-8 million a year deal. We can throw that out the window as well.

Right now, the best thing that Fletcher can do (and I think he will) is to have teams approach him (which from everything I've read on Twitter and the likes, that's exactly what he's doing). Make them come up with an offer and then counter from there. The fact is, as much as Fletcher and the Flyers say they need lots of pieces, they really don't need much in the grand scheme of things. A veteran defenseman who can play and drive a pairing, a back up goalie and a 2nd-3rd line center plus a right wing are the requirements. They have money, they have prospects and they have a boatload of picks. I'm certain that Fletcher and Nature Boy are relying on the scouts to help them through this and the scouts are probably going to have a large voice in the room. 

As for dealing Patrick, it's a long shot. When you consider his history with Provorov and Ivan is the future leader on the blueline, they're going to do all they can to keep him happy. Honestly, I expect the second tier of prospects like O'Brien, Allison, Laczynski, Rubtsov, etc....will be the prospects used as trade bait.

9 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

unless they didn't want to get into a bidding war.

You nailed it with this. They don't want a bidding war. As for Hayes being lukewarm to Philadelphia, it's all agent talk to drive up the price for his services. The difference between Hayes and Hamhuis is that Hamhuis openly said he didn't want to go to Philadelphia. 

Fletcher won't move Farabee, Frost or Ratcliffe. He knows what he has in those guys and you can bet that he's not moving them. I expect Fletcher though will move guys like Allison and Laczynski. As for the 11th overall, I'm all for moving it if they can get a player who is between 22 and 25 years of age and just about ready to break through. I know the name Kapanen has come up a lot, but I'm also thinking of players like Roslovic in Winnipeg or Colin White in Ottawa (although I'm not sure the Sens would move him). 

What I want to see is if they can get Hayes' name on a contract and what that contract will be worth. 

If there's ever a deal that can go in either direction (good or bad), this is it. This deal will be about what kind of contract they sign Hayes to.

18 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

This. 

Ratcliffe and 11th doesn't get Karlsson. I don't mind trading for Karlsson and there can't be a lot of cap going back, but it will take at least one more prospect or an NHLer drill on an entry level. Like Patrick. I'm not advocating for that, but now we're in the ballpark. 

Take a look at what players are being moved for and it's nowhere near the amount it used to be. Look at what Erik Karlsson was moved for. He was moved for peanuts. Look at the O'Reilly trade. Not exactly huge either. Look at when Tampa Bay acquired JT Miller and Ryan McDonagh. I could go on and on. No exchange of top prospects took place. The first round picks were late. The players that were used were, to be honest, mediocre. 

It's a different time now. Everyone is on a level playing field and the days of overpaying are pretty much at an end. If the Flyers are offering their first and a top prospect line prospect for William Karlsson, Vegas is jumping all over that. The other thing to factor into everything - the upcoming expansion draft. 

Now I'm not advocating moving Ratcliffe. I'd rather see the Flyers move Wade Allision or Tanner Laczynski instead. 

I have no problem with choosing a player on where they play. My issue with the NCAA is the actual program they're playing at. For instance, I would NEVER recommend any prospect to go to a school like the University of New Hampshire. It's a trash program. Now, if they're going to one of the Boston schools, Minnesota, Wisconsin, etc....(one of the schools with a great hockey program), then I'm all for it.

It's the same with junior hockey. Under no circumstances would I take anyone from a program like Flint, where there has been TONS of issues. That just saps the development from players and they end up developing real bad habits. 

I really do think though that the pick is going to be moved. I look around the league and there are numerous teams with cap issues that are going to look to move guys. If Fletcher targets Vegas, Toronto, Tampa Bay and Nashville, there's no reason to believe that they can't walk away with two good players that can help elevate the team to the next level, especially since it seems like Fletcher has no problems taking on salary.

SB Nation has their mock draft and they had the Flyers taking Alex Newhook. Another had them taking Podkolzin. One was Caulfield. Krebs is in the one you were looking at @OccamsRazor and then there have been others where they were taking Soderstrom. With all the talk as of late coming out of Philadelphia, I'm convinced that the 11th will be moved on a package to land a center and defenseman. Think similar to the Hartnell/Timonen deal. Fletcher has been real vocal about improving the club and trade route seems to be the obvious choice, especially if they can take advantage of a team with cap issues. 

On 4/17/2019 at 11:10 AM, OccamsRazor said:

Don't know anything about this guy so I can't say just posting an opinion....

 

 

He has the Flyers taking Matthew Boldy.

 

6-2 188 LW so let's see....

I like Boldy. Big kid that can skate and has incredibly soft hands and a high IQ, plus a non-stop motor. He's also a full 200 foot player, which will appeal to the Flyers if he's still available at 11 (I have a sneaking suspicion that Edmonton and Vancouver might be interested). If he's gone when the Flyers pick, I hope the Flyers swing for the fences and select Arthur Kaliyev. The more I think about it, the more they need a pure offensive player who makes things happen in the offensive zone. The guy can finish and he's magic on his off wing. This is a boom-type pick, especially when you read his coach say that Kaliyev has really worked on other areas of his game and that he's still a work in progress, but things are coming together. I'm fine with either guy.

Draft the best player available on your board. If Cole Caufield is the best player at 11, then take him. He just turned 18 and he's probably got one final growth spurt that should be good to bring him up to 5'9 - 5'10. The 5'7 doesn't bug me though as he's got natural talent and skill and that more than makes up for any size issues that there is. 

38 minutes ago, OccamsRazor said:

 

Oh yeah i guess but you can turn those if need be into other pieces that you miss...tradable assets are good to have.

 

And defensemen are worth their weight in gold. You can only play 6 on a given night. Well 7 if you're Gordon.

Just wait if Gordon is made full time. We might see 9 defensemen dressed..... Lol

9 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

 You can get a very good player at 11. If you know what to do with the pick. And that's if you actually keep the pick. With the trio of clowns managing this franchise now I can't say I have a lot of faith

 

 

 Well so far he hasn't done anything crazy...but he's made several deals during the regular season that look like they were made just for the sake of making one. And I really hope he doesn't go all Ryan Suter/Zack Parise on us. God those contracts look bad and i doubt they get better over the next SIX seasons.

 

 

Fletcher wasn't exactly a draft pick hoarder in Minnesota. Holmgren isn't exactly one either. And Scott wants to win now, even though he has no clue how. 

 

 I won't be surprised if the pick is dealt. I will be surprised if it brings in a near elite right handed anything. Prepared to eat crow and hope i do.

So a couple of things. 

First, Fletcher never had the scouting staff in Minnesota that the Flyers have. If anything, I expect Fletcher to really rely heavily on the scouting staff in Philadelphia this draft. As well, unlike Hextall, I'm certain that Fletcher is keeping Scott and Holmgren up to date with what his intentions are. Don't forget, a big reason Hextall was let go was that he essentially shut out Holmgren and he thought Scott was an idiot. Even if you don't like your boss, you don't treat him like he's a less than. Hextall's abrasive personality got the best of him and when people tried to reason with him, he ignored them. I think as long as Fletcher keeps everyone notified of what he's doing, they'll be off his back.

Now, as for Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, Craig Leipold bought the Wild in 2008. How much of Parise and Suter signing in Minnesota was a direct result of Leipold ordering Fletcher to make a big splash? Every owner does it. Even the late Ed Snider directed Holmgren to sign players (see Bryzgalov, Ilya). So, I'm fairly certain that Leipold played a huge role in signing those two, especially when you consider there's history with Suter when Leipold was the owner in Nashville.

I get that Fletcher wasn't a pick hoarder in Minnesota. I also get that when the owner directs you to do what you can to make the team get into the playoffs and to do anything you can to get the club to advance, draft picks become the easiest currency to swap out. Also, let's not forget that this was Fletcher's first GM job. Every GM learns from the first experience. I really think Fletcher learned a lot from his days in Minnesota and his press conference after the season ended really reiterated that. He wasn't talking about full blown rebuild or going crazy and trading everything. He had a very astute take on things. He identified the problem that he saw with the club. He identified what kind of players he needs going forward to help the team and he identified what he's looking for in the next coach. 

I'm willing to give him a pass and I'm willing to give Holmgren and Scott a pass as well. When Fletcher was brought in, they could have very easily told him to make moves to shake up the team and qualify for the playoffs. They didn't and that's the key. They let him make his evaluations and while his moves were nothing earth shattering, he accomplished something in that his additions were subtractions, with the exception of Hartman, who is the new Clutterbuck for this team -> the steam rolling ball of hate that can contribute 10 to 15 goals a year in a bottom six role. Everyone seems to think Simmonds was going to secure a blue chip prospect and a first. That boat sailed when Hextall failed to move him last year (when his value was higher than it was this year). 

Maybe I'm the optimist, but I think things are going to be OK. Holmgren is going on 64 years old and has said he doesn't want to be a GM or make GM decisions. He's quite content where he is and as long as Fletcher is keeping everyone in the loop, there's nothing to worry about.

I'm fine with 11. There's ALWAYS good players that fall and questionable players that ALWAYS rise. Out of the forwards, I'm expecting Boldy, Turcotte, or Krebs to fall. The Flyers are going to get a very good player (I'm hoping for Boldy to be honest). The Flyers don't need to do anything crazy and everything that Fletcher has done so far has indicated he's not going to go crazy. Aggressive? Yes, but not crazy. He'll make big offers to one of the UFA defensemen and forwards, but he's not going to make a deal for the sake of making a deal. He could have done that during the regular season. The only way he moves the pick is if he does manage to package it and a player and get a near elite right handed defender.