Free Agent "Frenzy" Day

[Blob Mckenzie]

Guys like Mercer, Point, Horvat, Konecny and Jarvis who are guys he's compared to were playing and contributing within two years of being drafted.

He is a mid round first rounder, not a mid round pick. But hey have a glass of Mëds' Eeyore Juice.

I have no idea what his trajectory will look like but he's 6 ft 185. He' isn't some scrawny elf. I try to be optimistic about these kids but that's just me.

[Chef Boi RD]

Guys like Mercer, Point, Horvat, Konecny and Jarvis who are guys he's compared to were playing and contributing within two years of being drafted.

He is a mid round first rounder, not a mid round pick. But hey have a glass of Mëds' Eeyore Juice.

I have no idea what his trajectory will look like but he's 6 ft 185. He' isn't some scrawny elf. I try to be optimistic about these kids but that's just me.

I’m with you on this, Blobcat. A 4 year timeline is asinine

[theman]

Based on what I have read, he seems like a 2/3 year away prospect.

[Picker of Cherries]

Forwards don’t take as long as defensemen, so I wouldn’t limit my expectations. It certainly could take four years, but that is not set in stone. Two months from now may be pushing it, but if he has a dominate WHL season, I could see him joining the club at the end of next season, especially if the Canucks are dealing with injuries at centre by then. There are lots of kids that join their big clubs after draft +1, particularly forwards. Every kid is different. There is no set rule.

[Meds]

Based on what I have read, he seems like a 2/3 year away prospect.

He will likely make the club as a regular in 2027-28…..and score 25-30 points. If he tracks as expected the following year will see a big jump similar to other comparable players and he will be in the 40-50 point range…..and hopefully improve even more from there.

So in his draft+4 year we will have a meaningful contributor.

From what I’ve read, and the clips I’ve seen, I like the pick. If he develops more quickly then that’s great. But when you consider that McDavid’s rookie year saw his PPG drop off a cliff from his junior days (still phenomenal for a rookie), that MacKinnon didn’t become a truly impactful NHL player until his 5th season…..and Cootes wasn’t even remotely heralded as a junior player the way they were. This is just remembering that the CHL to NHL jump, where top 18 year olds go from beating kids (many who won’t even be drafted), to playing against men good enough to make it in the best league in the world.

This isn’t “Eeyore juice”, it’s realism. I hope he surprises me and is on the team next (2026) season…..but I would rather he cook in Abby for as long as he needs to set him up for maximum success.

[Nuckertuzzi]

Draft +1 or even +2 is probably unrealistic. Not impossible but not something we should expect.

We could maybe look no further than our last 10-15th OA picks as parallels. Although Willander is a little different given he's a D, who normally take longer, and amateured in college. Whereas Lekkerimaki could be a better comparison. He looks like he'll need at least another year in minor pros at this point before we're ready to give him a regular spot, and everybody's OK with that for what's best for his development path. That would take him to draft +4.

To me I don't give a shit how long it takes as long as these guys hit. Tho rather not see anything longer than +4. Then you're getting into questions of bust and/or settling for role players. My hope is Cootes size and character can help fast track him into the bigs, otherwise no rush.

[2Fingers]

Cootes will do this year in the W and maybe get in a few AHL/NHL games depending on his season goes. Next season I can see him 100% in the AHL with more time in NHL. I think this is reasonable with my rose coloured glasses on. at worse he spends 1 more year in the W and then comes up but I see the Nucks giving him a lot of opportunity to play in the NHL in 3 seasons.

[Meds]

Draft +1 or even +2 is probably unrealistic. Not impossible but not something we should expect.

We could maybe look no further than our last 10-15th OA picks as parallels. Although Willander is a little different given he's a D, who normally take longer, and amateured in college. Whereas Lekkerimaki could be a better comparison. He looks like he'll need at least another year in minor pros at this point before we're ready to give him a regular spot, and everybody's OK with that for what's best for his development path. That would take him to draft +4.

To me I don't give a shit how long it takes as long as these guys hit. Tho rather not see anything longer than +4. Then you're getting into questions of bust and/or settling for role players. My hope is Cootes size and character can help fast track him into the bigs, otherwise no rush.

I agree with everything you said except for the comparison to Lekkerimaki. As Blobcat rightly pointed out, Cootes is 5'11" - 185 lbs.....at 18 years old. Lekkerimaki is 5'11" - 172 lbs at 20 years old. Chances are good that Cootes plays at 6'0" - 200 lbs. By virtue of genetics Cootes posses an advantage because his frame is more naturally built for the rigours of the NHL.

A couple of scouting reports......

A one-man forecheck, Cootes’ motor and energy are undeniably elite. In a single shift, he can amass multiple retrievals, guiding opponents into a big hit, spinning off a check and passing, winning another race by winning inside position metres before the boards, and repeating over and over until the puck finds twine. Primarily a playmaker, he escapes with quick passes inside and occasionally deceives opponents to find a backdoor option. After passing, he dashes to the net to create traffic and collect loose pucks. - eliteprospects.com

You’d be hard pressed to find a harder worker than Braeden Cootes. Whenever the Seattle Thunderbirds centre was on the ice, he made something happen, making him one of the most fun players to watch in the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season. But he’s more than just a highly competitive player, and his combination of a strong work ethic, high intelligence, and solid tools has made him a highly coveted prospect ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft.

Cootes’ work ethic is infectious. He has an unrelenting motor and no matter the score, he never stops pursuing the puck and pushing the play. Few teams in the league have a counter to him simply because he’ll just outwork whoever he’s up against. For that reason, he’s often the first player into the corner or the front of the net and fearlessly challenges bigger players for positioning. Some more strength could help him win more of these battles, but already, he doesn’t lose many because he keeps coming back when he’s pushed away.

With an insatiable drive and never-say-die attitude, it stands to reason that Cootes might get into some penalty trouble, but he finished this season with just 18 penalty minutes. Only six Thunderbirds who played at least 30 games had fewer penalties than him. That’s because Cootes is a highly intelligent player who knows where to put himself to gain a clean advantage. He doesn’t get caught because he’s aware of all players on the ice, allowing him to put himself in the right place at the right time. - thehockeywriters.com

He's a good, if not very good skater who plays with a lot of pace. He has strong offensive skills, playmaking and finishing abilities. He creates offense at fast tempos and in a direct manner. - The Athletic

Cootes plays with speed and brings a high work rate. His offensive game has always been the question, because although there were flashes of high-end ability, he was doing everything else for the team as well. - The Hockey News

He’s a strong skater who plays with energy and detail, earning the trust of coaches with his diligent, complete game. He’s a good athlete. He plays the game with determination. He’s a good penalty killer and five-on-five driver. - The Athletic

There is a lot to be hopeful for in this pick.

[Meds]

Cootes will do this year in the W and maybe get in a few AHL/NHL games depending on his season goes. Next season I can see him 100% in the AHL with more time in NHL. I think this is reasonable with my rose coloured glasses on. at worse he spends 1 more year in the W and then comes up but I see the Nucks giving him a lot of opportunity to play in the NHL in 3 seasons.

This is the most likely pathway. I can't see them rushing him at all right now, and keeping him out of NHL/AHL action this coming season pushes year one of his ELC back a year.

[Blob Mckenzie]

Yeah, ideally his team junior improves somewhat, he pushes towards 100 points and makes the WJ team. Gets a good look at training camp in 2026 and we go from there.

I like this pick. He ticks a lot of the boxes and seems like a real solid kid. Being from Western Canada doesn't hurt either.

[Nuckertuzzi]

Yeah my mention of Lekkerimaki wasn't a direct comparison in terms of player profile but simply expectations given where he/they were drafted. I do get that Lekk should be expected to take longer given his physical limitations. And I mentioned Cootes could/should have an edge there to help him develop quicker, let's hope. Ultimately my point was Lekk is tracking to take roughly draft +4 to get to the bigs and nobody's really batting and eye. Thus, nor should we with Cootes should it take some time. Anything sooner will be a huge bonus. His physical and character edge should be good news for everybody.

[Nuckertuzzi]

Was going to say it would be tremendous if he pulls a Benson and enters the league right away. That said, I wonder if the Sabres would've been better served giving him a little more seasoning. There's no harm in taking time, there can be if you do the opposite. Benson looks poised to breakout though.

End of the day we just need these guys to hit no matter how long it takes. Cootes, Lekkerimaki, Mueller, D.Petey, Willander, Mancini, Kudryavstev, Mynio, Medvedev are a good foundation for the next wave that needs to come a few years from now when our current core start to tilt over the peak. We still need to add to the group.

What I really want to see from this franchise, this regime, is something we almost never see and that is a forward to come out of nowhere and star for this group. Someone from later rounds that nobody's expecting anything from. We've seen it from a few D-men (Edler, Bieksa, hopefully D.Petey, Kuds & Mynio), but how many forwards could we cite? Hansen maybe, though he wasn't exactly a star. I'm talking Jamie Benn kind of found gold. There was Pavel but there was an asterisk attached to that "find". Am I missing someone else?

Let me ask you draft experts. Are there any later round prospects you could see coming? I suppose Mueller can turn into something. Any other? I don't have a clue what we actually have in the prospect pool beyond the realistic hopefuls. (I suppose this belongs in the draft thread but we're on the topic anyway)

[Megaterio Llamas]

Was going to say it would be tremendous if he pulls a Benson and enters the league right away. That said, I wonder if the Sabres would've been better served giving him a little more seasoning. There's no harm in taking time, there can be if you do the opposite. Benson looks poised to breakout though.

End of the day we just need these guys to hit no matter how long it takes. Cootes, Lekkerimaki, Mueller, D.Petey, Willander, Mancini, Kudryavstev, Mynio, Medvedev are a good foundation for the next wave that needs to come a few years from now when our current core start to tilt over the peak. We still need to add to the group.

What I really want to see from this franchise, this regime, is something we almost never see and that is a forward to come out of nowhere and star for this group. Someone from later rounds that nobody's expecting anything from. We've seen it from a few D-men (Edler, Bieksa, hopefully D.Petey, Kuds & Mynio), but how many forwards could we cite? Hansen maybe, though he wasn't exactly a star. I'm talking Jamie Benn kind of found gold. There was Pavel but there was an asterisk attached to that "find". Am I missing someone else?

Let me ask you draft experts. Are there any later round prospects you could see coming? I suppose Mueller can turn into something. Any other? I don't have a clue what we actually have in the prospect pool beyond the realistic hopefuls. (I suppose this belongs in the draft thread but we're on the topic anyway)

Who knows, Anthony Romani lit it up in the OHLand now he's off to powerhouse Michigan State. He would qualify if he hits.

I would prefer to see Cootes challenging himself at a big NCAA program next year rather than returning to the Dub.

[Hockey Widow]

Cootes will do this year in the W and maybe get in a few AHL/NHL games depending on his season goes. Next season I can see him 100% in the AHL with more time in NHL. I think this is reasonable with my rose coloured glasses on. at worse he spends 1 more year in the W and then comes up but I see the Nucks giving him a lot of opportunity to play in the NHL in 3 seasons.

Is he eligible for the AHL next season? Is it not the big club or back to jr?

[Meds]

Cootes will do this year in the W and maybe get in a few AHL/NHL games depending on his season goes. Next season I can see him 100% in the AHL with more time in NHL. I think this is reasonable with my rose coloured glasses on. at worse he spends 1 more year in the W and then comes up but I see the Nucks giving him a lot of opportunity to play in the NHL in 3 seasons.

Is he eligible for the AHL next season? Is it not the big club or back to jr?

I think the AHL changed their minimum age to 18 from 19, and he's 18 now.