Welcome to the Dark Side Minions: The Top Draft Prospects'14

[Chef Boi RD]

A lot of scouts feel he should go no. 1 arachnid but some also feel he will drop. Apparently the Oilers have their hearts set on him

[SKYO]

I'm really hope'n Draisaitl drops to 6. We need skill AND power and Leon would be ideal. He looked good in the Worlds against the vets. Maybe he really is NHL ready next year. Would be ideal fit for Bo & Brendan.
Stop lowballing our pick and aim high!

Deutschland! Deutschland! Deutschland!

Why I want to move up to at least the #5 spot, I think we could realistically make a trade with the NYI swapping picks, with us adding a roster player as they really want to win next season and so their 2015 pick won't be in lottery contention for Buffalo next year.

#5 you're guaranteed one of MDC or Draisaitl, and not as likely but possibly even Bennett if Edm is serious about the big german and burkie/flames go for the powerforward MDC.

[Betamax]

I'm really hope'n Draisaitl drops to 6. We need skill AND power and Leon would be ideal. He looked good in the Worlds against the vets. Maybe he really is NHL ready next year. Would be ideal fit for Bo & Brendan.
Stop lowballing our pick and aim high!

Deutschland! Deutschland! Deutschland!

Why I want to move up to at least the #5 spot, I think we could realistically make a trade with the NYI swapping picks, with us adding a roster player as they really want to win next season and so their 2015 pick won't be in lottery contention for Buffalo next year.

#5 you're guaranteed one of MDC or Draisaitl, and not as likely but possibly even Bennett if Edm is serious about the big german and burkie/flames go for the powerforward MDC.

Why even bother with any of those guys when the most explosive offensive player available, Nylander should fall into the Canucks' hands @ 6th overall ..... if they don't trade the pick for Myers .....

[SKYO]

Why I want to move up to at least the #5 spot, I think we could realistically make a trade with the NYI swapping picks, with us adding a roster player as they really want to win next season and so their 2015 pick won't be in lottery contention for Buffalo next year.

#5 you're guaranteed one of MDC or Draisaitl, and not as likely but possibly even Bennett if Edm is serious about the big german and burkie/flames go for the powerforward MDC.

Why even bother with any of those guys when the most explosive offensive player available, Nylander should fall into the Canucks' hands @ 6th overall ..... if they don't trade the pick for Myers .....

I wouldn't mind Nylander however it appears TL/Gilman will in all likelihood draft a big player.

[Betamax]

Why I want to move up to at least the #5 spot, I think we could realistically make a trade with the NYI swapping picks, with us adding a roster player as they really want to win next season and so their 2015 pick won't be in lottery contention for Buffalo next year.

#5 you're guaranteed one of MDC or Draisaitl, and not as likely but possibly even Bennett if Edm is serious about the big german and burkie/flames go for the powerforward MDC.

Why even bother with any of those guys when the most explosive offensive player available, Nylander should fall into the Canucks' hands @ 6th overall ..... if they don't trade the pick for Myers .....

I wouldn't mind Nylander however it appears TL/Gilman will in all likelihood draft a big player.

http://insider.espn.go.com/nhl/story/_/ ... draft-2014

By Corey Pronman | ESPN Insider rates Nylander as the third best player available after Ekblad and Bennett.

3. William Nylander | RW | Modo (SHL)
DOB: 5/1/96 | 2013-14 stats: 22 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 6 PIM

The son of longtime NHLer Michael Nylander may be the most gifted pure offensive talent in the draft. William had a so-so first half when he struggled to find a role, but had a tremendous second half. Because of that turnaround, I've heard NHL scouts rank him anywhere from No. 2 overall to the 20s. He was over a point per game pace with Sodertalje in the SHL-2, setting a season record for points by an under-18 player, and played around 20 minutes per game with Modo down the stretch. Nylander's pucks skills are elite, as he can be described as "an artist" by some scouts in terms of how well he controls the puck, and the unique plays he makes. Nylander's hockey sense is fantastic as well, in terms of his vision, and offensive intellect. You combine that with a pretty good top gear and Nylander can create all sorts of havoc offensively. Nylander can deke a defender out, make a highlight-reel pass, speed by players. He's not the biggest guy (5-11, 181 pounds), his defensive play needs work, and he can try to do too much sometimes.

Ranking explanation: Nylander has a better skill level than Reinhart, but Reinhart is better physically, and worlds better defensively. Nylander has more upside than Reinhart, but carries more risk in terms of his all-around game. Reinhart's probably a better player right now, but Nylander is in his 17-year-old season (as compared to Reinhart being in his 18-year-old season) and Nylander seems to have more room to grow. For the latter reason, being that I think he has so much upside, and it's easier to close the gap defensively than offensively for an under-20 player, I give the edge to Nylander.

You should take comfort that Corey Pronman is also a member of hfboards!

re: http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showt ... ?t=1672177

[SKYO]

LoL hey I was the first to put Nylander on the map across Canucks country so your preaching to choir man.

Nylander will be a talent no doubt, its too bad swedes take like 5 years to develop though, I'd much rather go for a faster impactful type of player like Reinhart or Draisaitl or MDC, these guys should be key factors in a championship series and they'll be ready to play either next season or the season after, so we gotta find a way to trade up!

[Chef Boi RD]

There is always the Filatov factor with slight skilled Europeans like Nylander and Ehlers, then again, there is always the Stojanov factor with guys like Ritchie. When in doubt I'd still take the big Canadians like Ritchie or Virtanen over the slight, skilled Europeans. Fuckin roll the dice see what comes, picking 6 is a crap shoot, either way we should be getting a good prospect

[herb]

Virtanen is out 4-6 months after shoulder surgery. Yikes. Surely that will hurt is draft value.

[Island Nucklehead]

Virtanen is out 4-6 months after shoulder surgery. Yikes. Surely that will hurt is draft value.

I imagine he will still be drafted between 6-12. He's not NHL ready next season, and it's not like he's the first prospect to go through surgery.

[SKYO]

' Isles will be keeping their 2014 1st-round pick and will send 2015 1st to Sabres to complete Thomas Vanek deal. Announcement to come. '

So the Islanders have to be competitive next season, wonder if we can unload a roster player, so they can compete and we clear some cap/roster space, to the Islanders along with our #6 to get their #5?

[Boston Canucker]

' Isles will be keeping their 2014 1st-round pick and will send 2015 1st to Sabres to complete Thomas Vanek deal. Announcement to come. '

So the Islanders have to be competitive next season, wonder if we can unload a roster player, so they can compete and we clear some cap/roster space, to the Islanders along with our #6 to get their #5?

Man, Garth Snow is an idiot. By no accounts is this deemed to be a deep draft. He is gambling like crazy on next year. Good point, he could be rife for a trade pillage if he needs to grab some vets to keep his team as far away from a high pick as possible.

[Topper]

Virtanen is out 4-6 months after shoulder surgery. Yikes. Surely that will hurt is draft value.

At least it is not a concussion.

[Island Nucklehead]

' Isles will be keeping their 2014 1st-round pick and will send 2015 1st to Sabres to complete Thomas Vanek deal. Announcement to come. '

So the Islanders have to be competitive next season, wonder if we can unload a roster player, so they can compete and we clear some cap/roster space, to the Islanders along with our #6 to get their #5?

Man, Garth Snow is an idiot. By no accounts is this deemed to be a deep draft. He is gambling like crazy on next year. Good point, he could be rife for a trade pillage if he needs to grab some vets to keep his team as far away from a high pick as possible.

Well, with a healthy Tavares and Halak locked up for four more years, along with natural development from his own prospects, the Islanders should be a better team next season.

[herb]

Virtanen is out 4-6 months after shoulder surgery. Yikes. Surely that will hurt is draft value.

At least it is not a concussion.

At least he didn't die after getting drafted in the top 10.

[Boston Canucker]

' Isles will be keeping their 2014 1st-round pick and will send 2015 1st to Sabres to complete Thomas Vanek deal. Announcement to come. '

So the Islanders have to be competitive next season, wonder if we can unload a roster player, so they can compete and we clear some cap/roster space, to the Islanders along with our #6 to get their #5?

Man, Garth Snow is an idiot. By no accounts is this deemed to be a deep draft. He is gambling like crazy on next year. Good point, he could be rife for a trade pillage if he needs to grab some vets to keep his team as far away from a high pick as possible.

Well, with a healthy Tavares and Halak locked up for four more years, along with natural development from his own prospects, the Islanders should be a better team next season.

Possibly so, and it likely motivated him to get Halak's name on the dotted line. It may be that he simply can't give the Sabres the '14 pick b/c it tells the team and the fans he does not have confidence in next year's club. In that sense, Snow is less of an idiot for not giving up the pick now (although I think that's a mistake) than for that moronic Vanek deal in the first place...man, what a dope.