TSN concensus top 15 picks in order - big drop after 9. List and full explanation at this link:
https://www.tsn.ca/the-bi...n-draft-ranking-1.1066345

BOB MCKENZIE
Apr 27, 2018
The Big Four solidify spots in TSN Draft Ranking

Four traits that separate Dahlin from the field
TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button joins That's Hockey to explain four traits that makes Rasmus Dahlin so special.

By Bob McKenzie
With the NHL draft lottery set for Saturday night, we will get clarity on two fronts.
One, we will find out who is choosing No. 1 overall at the draft in Dallas on June 22.
Two, we will find out which team will select Swedish defenceman Rasmus Dahlin with that first overall pick.
Because winning the draft lottery and getting Dahlin are one and the same. It’s not even up for debate.

Dahlin was the unanimous choice of TSN’s panel of 10 NHL scouts in the preseason rankings in September, as he was in the mid-season rankings in late January and now yet again in the Draft Lottery Edition Top 15 rankings that have been compiled specifically in honour of Saturday’s lottery. There is no reason to believe he won’t be No. 1 on TSN’s final rankings, which are released the week prior to the draft.
In fact, the Big Four in this year’s draft — Dahlin, Russian winger Andrei Svechnikov, Czech winger Filip Zadina and American winger Brady Tkachuk — hold down the same spots as they did at mid-season.
Svechnikov is No. 2, Zadina No. 3 and Tkachuk No. 4.
While there was technically no change at the top of the rankings, there have been some subtle shifts worth noting.
If anything, Barrie Colt winger Svechnikov seems to have solidified his position as the consensus No. 2 pick in the draft. Nine of 10 scouts surveyed this week had him at No. 2. In January, the same panel of scouts gave him only six second-place votes.
And while both Halifax Moosehead winger Zadina and Boston University winger Tkachuk remain solidly in the consensus top four, there were a few more scouts who slid a defenceman into their top four at the expense of either Zadina or Tkachuk.
London Knight defenceman Evan Bouchard, for example, was No. 3 on one ballot and No. 4 on another. Acadie-Bathurst Titan blueliner Noah Dobson was No. 4 on one ballot. They are the only Canadians in the Top 10.
Bouchard was the very clear No. 5 prospect on the Draft Lottery edition rankings, a notable cut below the Big Four but also notably ahead of the rest of the draft class, including the three other defencemen who appear locked and loaded as Top 10 picks this year.
Swedish defenceman Adam Boqvist dropped one spot, from No. 5 to No. 6; QMJHL blueliner Dobson remained at No. 8 and University of Michigan freshman defenceman Quinn Hughes dropped from No. 6 to No. 9.
U.S. forward Oliver Wahlstrom moved up to No. 7 on the current rankings. He was No. 9 in January. Finnish forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi rounded out the TSN’s Draft Lottery Top 10.
There are a couple of other notes worth mentioning on the makeup of the Top 10.
There was almost nothing separating Boqvist, Wahlstrom and Dobson in the spots between six and eight. They appear to virtually interchangeable, based on voting results.
And while there was a little bit of separation between those three and Hughes at No. 9, understand one thing about this year’s draft: Based on our survey, there is a huge drop off in consensus after No. 9.

[quote=Marlowe]
Quotes not working.

Only 2 Canadians in the top 10?

What is the hockey world coming to?

Does this mean ppssibly that Oesterle gains confidance playing with and against this high level of talent. If he plays....and how much TOI. Oesterle is going to develop into a better player than we saw. I bet not.

Sharks take a bite out of Vegas express. How does SJ match up against the Eastern Conference representative? Wonder if Thorton returns use him sparingly
Don't mess with chemistry. If so, it is his skating the issue.
- jhawk59

What Oesterle being named means is that nobody in Team USA management actually watched him play.

I'm also thinking that if anyone drops out of top 5, it will be Tkachuk. I think he is the most "boom or bust" one plus there is the college factor.
- 67hawks

I’ve said before that Tkachuk is a very dangerous pick. He has not proven that he has high-end or arguably even average offensive skill. You can teach many things to a player but you can’t teach more base skill.

[quote=StLBravesFan]

NHL in Vegas is a big enough culture shock. How an expansion team can rise up and be such a good story the maiden season, is just amazing. I imagine Seattle will not be as successful. But what in the world will be their team name?

Blackhawks would need more than Dahlin.
- 35Tony0

Kane and Jurco?

I’ve said before that Tkachuk is a very dangerous pick. He has not proven that he has high-end or arguably even average offensive skill. You can teach many things to a player but you can’t teach more base wskill.
- Z3Hawk

Ok there is that. But did you see everything in that scouting report. Wicked shot. Immoveable with his size. Ultra competitive. Worse case scenario maybe Alex Tuch.
With some young guys that have the sought after size, yet they are too focused on offense and are not a big physical presence. The Hayes brothers come to.mind. So too does Bgjustad in Florida. He has back injury or surgery (whatever surgery type?)and is not the same as he was highly touted.

Kane and Jurco?
- DarthKane

For Dahlin and O'Reilly?

Ok there is that. But did you see everything in that scouting report. Wicked shot. Immoveable with his size. Ultra competitive. Worse case scenario maybe Alex Tuch.
With some young guys that have the sought after size, yet they are too focusrd on offense and are not a big physical presence. The Hayes brothers come to.mind. So too does Bgjustad in Flirida. He has back injury or surgery (whatever surgery type?)and is not the same as he was highly touted.
- jhawk59

I make it crystal clear that at the very top of my list is skil and it is a long way down to number 2. For me if a player does not have the high-end skill I am not interested at all. It is why I was stunned that DeBrincat fell out of the First Round to the Hawks in the Second Round. His base skill was off the charts snd the main reason I could correctly predict he’d not only make the Hawks but have a fine first season.

For me you look at other attributes only once you have established high-end skill. Size? It is only relevant if combined with high-end skill. It is why not every Svedberg is a Chara.

I make it crystal clear that at the very top of my list is skil and it is a long way down to number 2. For me if a player does not have the high-end skill I am not interested at all. It is why I was stunned that DeBrincat fell out of the First Round to the Hawks in the Second Round. His base skill was off the charts snd the main reason I could correctly predict he’d not only make the Hawks but have a fine first season.

For me you look at other attributes only once you have established high-end skill. Size? It is only relevant if combined with high-end skill. It is why not every Svedberg is a Chara.
- Z3Hawk

Oh you are correct, ok
But i just point out that Tzachuk has other attributes that stand out. He can find success but not as much as when you have high end skill

Does any player we draft at 8, step in next season from the get-go?
- SoftServe

Not likely, mid or late season maybe.

For Dahlin and O'Reilly?
- 35Tony0

Well at least a reasonable offer
Critical to start somewhere, get that dman. Then trade Keith at trade deadline to Toronto. Shulanov next season his last developmental in Russia.
Dahlin and O'Reilly exactly what we need
But i don't know if i could trade Kane!

Interesting. Add Wahlstrom from this draft.
Here is my prediction; after a couple years you will see Mitchell, Jokijarku on second and third pair. Eventially Carlsson, Krys, Hillman, Gilbert. Maybe Forsling, Murphy here WHO knows Dahlin? Keith Seabrook gone. Tuulola?

The Dahlin/Kane trade proposals should stop, that’s ridiculous.

Hawks are likely getting one of: Dobson, Veleno, Hughes, Bouchard, Wahlstrom, or another guy ranked after them in the top 15.
We should focus on the ones I just mentioned. Dahlin, Svech, Zadina, Tkachuk, and Boqvist will be gone unless things change drastically over the next two months.

Well at least a reasonable offer
Critical to start somewhere, get that dman. Then trade Keith at trade deadline to Toronto. Shulanov next season his last developmental in Russia.
Dahlin and O'Reilly exactly what we need
But i don't know if i could trade Kane!

Interesting. Add Wahlstrom from this draft.
Here is my prediction; after a couple years you will see Mitchell, Jokijarku on second and third pair. Eventially Carlsson, Krys, Hillman, Gilbert. Maybe Forsling, Murphy here WHO knows Dahlin? Keith Seabrook gone. Tuulola?
- jhawk59

No doubt, only way Kane should go is if he asks to leave.
If I were to imagine him asking, Buffalo would be one of those places he would ask to go. But I think he would want the Sabres to be a much better team first, even though they just took a huge step forward with Dahlin.

Malkin still out of Pitt lineup.
Cryin' a river over here, boss. Cryin' a river...

The Dahlin/Kane trade proposals should stop, that’s ridiculous.

Hawks are likely getting one of: Dobson, Veleno, Hughes, Bouchard, Wahlstrom, or another guy ranked after them in the top 15.
We should focus on the ones I just mentioned. Dahlin, Svech, Zadina, Tkachuk, and Boqvist will be gone unless things change drastically over the next two months.
- ObeseOprah

Or maybe Stan goes off the board a bit and drafts Kotkaniemi?

For Dahlin and O'Reilly?
- 35Tony0

Maybe...if Buffalo threw in their 2019 first and retained 50% of ROR.

Looks like Wilson might get a game or two off.

Looks like Wilson might get a game or two off.
- 35Tony0

How do you get no penalties on that???????

How do you get no penalties on that???????
- walleyeb1

I love how these simple wrist shots from the point keep going in, game after game. I honestly don't remember any Blackhawk defenseman doing that during the year. They continually threw the puck into the corner and had our forwards expect to cycle out a scoring chance with size, power and finesse. Never worked. That's Q's system once again and a terrible one with no power forwards or centers to get it done.....and with nobody willing to take a stance in the slot. So....either Quenneville changes the offensive zone approach or Bowman finds the players needed to grind it out in the corners. Which will it be ?? Total disconnect here in philosophy.

Probably going to hear the same BS from everybody that we need players to get to the net !!! It's been years now that we've heard that in every interview with all the coaches and management.

Get the puck to the net and find the players with the guts to play around the net for rebounds and deflections please.

Or maybe Stan goes off the board a bit and drafts Kotkaniemi?
- DarthKane

Don't think that is off the board at all. McKenzie had him at #10 in his latest and in Button's mock draft Blackhawks drafts him.

Kotkaniemi played tuli season in FEL and scored 29 points against men. One of the youngest players in this years draft. Has really powerful shot, great hockey IQ and good passer too. Could improve his skating but that is not really a concern. Wouldn't mind :it Hawke grap him.

Well no lottery pick fell from heaven, so no NHL-ready players coming at #8 or #31.

Will/can Stan trade up to get an NHL ready guy, or will it be another potato chip fest of doing nothing, or getting taken to the cleaners by Jim Nill again?

I don’t know guys - there is no class of players like Pittsburgh’s Rust/Sheary/Guentzel hiding in Rockford to re-energize this squad.

As for Toews.....leaders lead by example. Boston is a great example of how the truly great ones find their way back.

How about our 8th overall and Seabrook to Buffalo for ROR.

So I am probably in the minority here but if Hughes is the only defenseman of the top 4 after Dahlin and the Hawks want a defenseman then I would opt for Bode Wilde (6'2", 194 lb) over Quin Hughes. Wiz is very high on him as he has good speed, a hard shot and is physical (ala a young Seabrook). Watching the playoffs it is clear the Hawks have no one in the pipeline to replace what Seabrook brought us in our cup winning years. As a long time season ticket holder, I am tired of seeing the team moving further and further from a well-balanced team with skill MIXED with grit to a smallish team with little or no push back as many here have noted. How many smurfs can you have on the blueline? If I recall, wasn't Seabrook the leader in blocked shots this year despite everyone's complaining of his play? And listening to the Washington feed on the radio, you would have to think Kempny is in the top 4 for a reason that Q could never see. Oh well, if we have another year of Smurfs and Q and Bowman as seen last year then we will see the end of the great run by our Hawks for some time. I, for one, am not at all confident that Q or Bowman can turn this disaster around. So much for my b1thching.........

Well no lottery pick fell from heaven, so no NHL-ready players coming at #8 or #31.

Will/can Stan trade up to get an NHL ready guy, or will it be another potato chip fest of doing nothing, or getting taken to the cleaners by Jim Nill again?

I don’t know guys - there is no class of players like Pittsburgh’s Rust/Sheary/Guentzel hiding in Rockford to re-energize this squad.

As for Toews.....leaders lead by example. Boston is a great example of how the truly great ones find their way back.
- Return of the Roar

Hawks are stuck in the basement of the Central until 2020 IMO. Either Toews gets back to being an Elite center, or the Hawks need to get a new top line center. Oh, they also need 3 Top 4 Dman, and possibly a new starting goalie with Crawford's age/injury issue.