A day early but FIRST
I am already exhausted from watching these prospects, and the thing is I like the class.
You won't see me doing any articles anywhere, but my blowharting here...but along that thought line...I saw a Daily Face-off article about teh USA prospects by a Steve Ellis...I used the site for fantasy but didn't even know it was more than that.
So I figure this guy must have a good opinion and I wanna read it...until I read him saying this:" It’s not the strongest class we’ve seen, but it’s a solid one, and one with more than a handful of quality future NHLers."
I should have stopped reading after I quickly noticed he was going to write about the guys basically in the top end of the draft of the USA graduates in this draft.
No mention of defenders Paul Fischer (River Forest Illinois), Drew Fortescue, Zeev Buium, Brady Cleveland, or forwards Will Vote, Ryan Fine.
This US program has proven long term that is graduates solid smart quick minded hockey players, who no matter if they become stars CAN be taken mid draft and late and play in the NHL. Maybe not the best example is the Blackhawks Vlasic except he was taken in the second. The program has a good track record so a kid is there late on his way to college to take chance.
But I do want to go back to the not the strongest class we’ve seen, but it’s a solid one" statement.
I constantly rearrange the prospects; I guess I am fickle, as I like a guy and then the live disappears as did his ferocity, pace and impact the next views, and he gets replaced by a new kid who I am mentally building into my next could be one."
So I try and work the entire 7 rounds I have there another 75 in the database right now you are not seeing in the top 224.
Today I only go to almost my top 100 in a rearrange. Sure, that is "only three rounds", but they all are guys that I think can play, and they shift up and down in my ranks but they are players.And I see them as really finely skilled ones...who with time can be players. Now in 8 years, if you wanna post here I had it wrong, well at 80, I probably will take your criticism better than an enema, so have at me.
This is a good class.
No matter if the Lightning keep pulling victories out of their butts, that second first rounder now at 22 overall is going to be a GOOD prospect too, one better than the likes of any and all of the second first rounders we have had through the last decade.
Team building is going to be about feet and hands and on ice results, so I keep "what if ing" about the players who WILL actually be around in the last first early and late second, let alone any additional ones they acquire.
Re:
Matvei Michkov
More and more you arguing to see him drifting to the lower spots in the top ten.
That has nothing to do with his draft rank. He is clearly better than the everyone but Bedard. But the uncertainty involved will cause everyone who mocks to drop him.
So did I
I moved him to slot three.
Michkov is better by far skill wise than Adam Fantilli.
https://www.tankathon.com/nhl/mock_draft
But you may not get as many set-ups and finished from Fantilli but you get a big smart playmaker scorer who doesn't back off from anybody. And teams love that but I am not sure Fantilli fits the unicorn status of a Tkachuk.
Don't think there isn't a lot I personally like about a fantilli selection, but...
Are the Hawks going to need a Michkov in two years, three years? four?
I am not gonna just assume Conner Bedard drops in our laps but if does, or Fantilli is gone when the Hawks come to the mike, I see more than one player who WILL be on the board that wuilladd the same type "won't back off forward" available with Tampa pick or any possible add-on first rounder.
There is so many spirited skilled forwards and it make take a little luck but it is easy for me to make the case that we harvest more than Medicare with those first picks.
The who stays and who gets traded to playoff teams / and for what is a lot more to speculate about, but I think after the gold dust twins decide, I got think that they will try and re-up and keep Domi for the time being, one year deal like Athanasiou, who is their type pace player, but I think they will be more readily willinging to take whatever they are offered in the form of a pick.
Ok that was quite enough time off; You all know I have a strong first round up for 2024 and 2025 is coming along...but maybe you rest and spend time on this 2023:
https://www.lines.com/nhl/drafts/2023
(note: It is all revised now, Thursday, 12/01/2022)