How about another prospects list?

[DragonfromTO]

I mentioned the league being better but didn't have NHL equivalent point data available. I did a little googling and found them though (all data is for 82 games)

03-04 Ovechkin: 16 goals, 12 assists
15-16 Laine: 9 goals, 8 assists

The SM Liiga just isn't that good a men's league. Hell, the NLA (where Matthews played) is also rated as remarkably better than SM Liiga and Matthews scored well over a point a game there. In case you're curious, here's the NHL equivalencies for his 17 year old season in Switzerland (once again per 82 games):

15-16 Matthews: 22 goals, 20 assists

Now you see part of why I'm excited about Matthews.

More on this... I just took a look at Tappara's roster and discovered that they have zero games of NHL experience among their forwards and D (ex-Sabre Mika Noronen played 3 games in net for them at age 35). Keep in mind that these are the league champions we're talking about.

 

[dash]

Ryan Kennedy @THNRyanKennedy
Auston Matthews interviewed with the top 6 teams in the draft plus the Isles and Caps. Washington always talks to top guys.

 

[forty_three]

Lot of talk that the Blue Jackets might take Matthew Tkachuk instead of Jesse PullyourRV...

Where the hell are you hearing that?

I mean, I know the Jackets love players with old NHLer names, but I have honestly not heard that at all.

(Foligno, Rychel, Quennville, Savard, Bourque, Campbell, Ramage, Forsberg... In case you were wondering.)

 

[dash]

Where the hell are you hearing that?

I mean, I know the Jackets love players with old NHLer names, but I have honestly not heard that at all.

(Foligno, Rychel, Quennville, Savard, Bourque, Campbell, Ramage, Forsberg... In case you were wondering.)

Sports talk radio here in Vancouver (TSN 1040 specifically)

/Of course, they might have ulterior motives

 

[forty_three]

Sports talk radio here in Vancouver (TSN 1040 specifically)

/Of course, they might have ulterior motives

Keeping that second rounder as high as possible?


They would burn that arena to the ground if Jarmo doesn't come home with one of those Finns.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Sports talk radio here in Vancouver (TSN 1040 specifically)

/Of course, they might have ulterior motives

Didn't Friedman have something in his "30 Thoughts" about this too? I thought I saw that.

 

[dash]

Didn't Friedman have something in his "30 Thoughts" about this too? I thought I saw that.

He did indeed my friend.

30 Thoughts: Matthew Tkachuk's draft stock 'gaining momentum' - Sportsnet.ca

 

[forty_three]

Tkachuk is a big guy. The Blue Jackets play a heavy game. DRAFT DAY SOOO-PRISE!!!

C'Mon Friedman!

 

[puckhead]

He did indeed my friend.

30 Thoughts: Matthew Tkachuk's draft stock 'gaining momentum' - Sportsnet.ca

Maybe, just maybe, The Big Three is now a Big Four



aaaaand, of course we pick 5
(DuBois still seems like a pretty good consolation prize)

 

[KennyBanyeah]

He did indeed my friend.

30 Thoughts: Matthew Tkachuk's draft stock 'gaining momentum' - Sportsnet.ca

From the article.

As for Calgary, the Flames interviewed Ralph Krueger at the Worlds. I think GM Brad Treliving is paring down his list.

Looks like he's pretty excited about it too!!

 

[dash]

^

Glad to see Dr. Van Nostrand is on the case

/RIP Daniel von Bargen (fine character actor)

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

I mentioned the league being better but didn't have NHL equivalent point data available. I did a little googling and found them though (all data is for 82 games)

03-04 Ovechkin: 16 goals, 12 assists
15-16 Laine: 9 goals, 8 assists

The SM Liiga just isn't that good a men's league. Hell, the NLA (where Matthews played) is also rated as remarkably better than SM Liiga and Matthews scored well over a point a game there. In case you're curious, here's the NHL equivalencies for his 17 year old season in Switzerland (once again per 82 games):

15-16 Matthews: 22 goals, 20 assists

Now you see part of why I'm excited about Matthews.

Oh, I am very excited about Matthews.

I just also think Laine could be a generational scorer.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

PullyourRV is apparently capable of playing centre? If so, even if they're even on every other metric you go for the centre.

 

[DragonfromTO]

PullyourRV is apparently capable of playing centre? If so, even if they're even on every other metric you go for the centre.

If I were drafting him I'd absolutely try him there first. He's got the general skill set.

 

[DaBoltsNIsles]

The Islanders have apparently interviewed Austin Mathews. Due diligence or is their anything to it. The Caps interviewed him as well.

 

[forty_three]

If I were drafting him I'd absolutely try him there first. He's got the general skill set.

Plus he is defensively aware. I bet he can play center without much issue, and even if the Jackets, should they draft him, don't try him there his long term linemate will probably be Bjorkstrand, who can dish the puck better than most centers.

Poolparty (that's the nickname he got here because someone's phone autocorrected to that) at center with Bjork and Saad would be delicious. Or Bjork and Poolparty flanking Wennberg...

 

[puckhead]

The Islanders have apparently interviewed Austin Mathews. Due diligence or is their anything to it. The Caps interviewed him as well.

Just asking for an autograph so they can sell it at Barclays

 

[forty_three]

BCHL prospects hoping to make Draft history

Poolparty and Kachook sitting out the combine with injuries. Didn't know that Poolparty actually had knee surgery.


Please don't let that scare you off you bald Finnish fuckwit.

 

[puckhead]

Final ISS ranking before the draft



Below is the ISS Top 30, highlighting the rankings for the top 30 prospects:
Rank Player Position Team League
1 Matthews, Auston RW Zurich ZSC SuiA
2 Laine, Patrik RW Tappara FinE
3 Puljujarvi, Jesse RW Karpat FinE
4 Tkachuk, Matthew LW London OHL
5 Dubois, Pierre-Luc LW Cape Breton QMJHL
6 Nylander, Alexander RW Mississauga OHL
7 Brown, Logan C Windsor OHL
8 Chychrun, Jakob LD Sarnia OHL
9 Jost, Tyson RW Penticton BCHL
10 Sergachev, Mikhail RD Windsor OHL
11 Juolevi, Olli LD London OHL
12 Keller, Clayton C USA Under-18 NTDP USHL
13 McLeod, Michael C Mississauga OHL
14 Jones, Max LW London OHL
15 Rubtsov, German C Russia MHL 98 RusJr
16 Bean, Jake LD Calgary WHL
17 Bellows, Kieffer C USA Under-18 NTDP USHL
18 Kunin, Luke RW Wisconsin BigTen
19 Fabbro, Dante RD Penticton BCHL
20 Howden, Brett LW Moose Jaw WHL
21 Gauthier, Julien RW Val-d'Or QMJHL
22 Tufte, Riley LW Blaine MN-HS
23 McAvoy, Charles RD Boston University H.E.
24 Thompson, Tage C Connecticut H.E.
25 Stanley, Logan LD Windsor OHL
26 Derincat, Alexander C Erie OHL
27 Katchouk, Boris LW S.S. Marie OHL
28 Raddysh, Taylor RW Erie OHL
29 Moverare, Jacob LD HV71 SweJE
30 Laberge, Pascal C Victoriaville QMJHL

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

If the Leafs can do anything at all to get a second top ten pick and draft one of the defencemen I'll be happy as a pig in shit.

Unfortunately, given how low their pick from the Pens will be my guess is they're far likelier to trade down.