ClamRussel wrote:
Yak+2 unknowns is way too much for Ekblad. Yak+ flipping picks this year should do it if Florida likes the Yak.
I don't think many teams "like the Yak" right now. Sure he's young, and he's got speed, but he's done nothing with it. 24 points in 63 games is brutal. RNH, Eberle, and Hall, all put up way better numbers in their first two seasons.....and we won't even discuss Yak's Edler-like plus/minus.
I would say that flipping picks is really not a huge trade when you are talking 1st and 3rd overall in the same year. For the Panthers to make that trade they would obviously have identified a team need to be drafting a forward over a defenseman, so they are basically giving up the option to make the choice between Reinhart and Bennet.....not really a big sacrifice, and I probably not "unknowns" in those two skaters.
Yak is probably as much of an unknown at this point as a 2016 first rounder, but there's a chance he still has some big upside in the NHL, probably more chance of it in the eastern conference.
So really it's just 2 unknowns for Ekblad.
Agreed, Yakupov is awful. Just a terrible 1st overall pick, the kid has no idea what he's doing out there if he's not scoring, and he's not scoring right now. The Oil screwed this one up again as he was nowhere near ready for the pros but they force fed him. That organization hasn't got a clue and I'm happy that's the case.
I'm not sure any of the top 5 picks will move given the top 5 players are pretty set in stone.
As for Virtanen, he's got some great tools but looks extremely raw. I like the fact he's a hometown kid but that should only come into play if he's as good or better than others. Ritchie is much more polished - I don't know who said he was a project like Kass but they are wrong. He's likely not ready for the league yet but that's mostly because he needs work on his conditioning, not his skills as much.
Guess we will see - still Ritchie as my pick assuming the top 5 stay as is, followed by Nylander who is looking very good at the u18s. Ehlers and Virtanen are the next two and there's some distance in my mind.
I can see the Oilers jumping for a guy like Draisaitl 6'1, 210 Centre. Can also see some teams jumping up to grab Ritchie because of the size/skill package. The Canucks could really luck out if a guy like Dal Colle falls to us.
If the Canucks do make a splash by trading Kesler/Edler, and grab a mid-round 1st, I'd look long and hard at Alex Tuch, 6'3/215 RW/C playing for the USDP.
Diehard1 wrote:Ritchie is much more polished - I don't know who said he was a project like Kass but they are wrong. He's likely not ready for the league yet but that's mostly because he needs work on his conditioning, not his skills as much.
Guess we will see - still Ritchie as my pick assuming the top 5 stay as is, followed by Nylander who is looking very good at the u18s. Ehlers and Virtanen are the next two and there's some distance in my mind.
I said that, usually w/ power forwards like this it takes longer to arrive at their potential than pure skilled forwards. It takes patience for proper development, it's not a criticism. Kassian needed to work on his conditioning as well, his skills were always there. Coaches wanted a more responsible error free game from him which is reasonable. Do you see Ritchie as sound defensively? Can he step in at 20? How effective would he be playing w/ men as a 19 or 20 yr old? What I was getting at was I saw him as a player who might take a few years to hit his stride. Kassian looked pretty damn good in junior as well, he's starting to look like that in the NHL consistently at 23. Most online opinions are based on limited tv or highlight videos. You've seen Ritchie multiple times so you'd have better insight on him than most.
I think they are different players, and both would be useful to the Canucks.
Ritchie has more skill (IMHO), and Kassian is one of the meaner players on the ice. Who knows if Ritchie winds up like a Dustin Penner, but he's got the physical tools to put up serious points if his work-ethic allows it. Kassian is a stone-cold killer, a guy who plays on the edge and hits with bad intentions. He enjoys punishing people much more than Ritchie, it seems. Kassian has good offensive instincts, but is more of the playmaker than shooter. I'd take both guys on my team any day, and they could form one of the scariest lines in the league if they are put together.
Hey paddycakes, if we do that rumoured trade deadline deal with Anaheim, snagging Ottawa's first (10th) who are you taking? With the presumption that Nylander, Virtanen, Ritchie and Ehlers are gone by then?
RoyalDude wrote:Hey paddycakes, if we do that rumoured trade deadline deal with Anaheim, snagging Ottawa's first (10th) who are you taking? With the presumption that Nylander, Virtanen, Ritchie and Ehlers are gone by then?
RoyalDude wrote:Hey paddycakes, if we do that rumoured trade deadline deal with Anaheim, snagging Ottawa's first (10th) who are you taking? With the presumption that Nylander, Virtanen, Ritchie and Ehlers are gone by then?
As soon as we have a coach who will give Kassian a legit shot on a top line we'll see his offence flourish. He's got a very decent shot and is already perhaps our best playmaker not named Hank. For that reason alone he'd work well w/ the Twins, create room for them, do the dirty work, cycle w/ them & protect them. He'd also do well w/ Kesler in he could BE the setup man 17 needs. Wingers who are setup men don't grow on trees and are invaluable for a shooter like Kesler. Down the road he could be laying the sauce for Shinkaruk or whoever we land at 6.
ClamRussel wrote:As soon as we have a coach who will give Kassian a legit shot on a top line we'll see his offence flourish. He's got a very decent shot and is already perhaps our best playmaker not named Hank. For that reason alone he'd work well w/ the Twins, create room for them, do the dirty work, cycle w/ them & protect them. He'd also do well w/ Kesler in he could BE the setup man 17 needs. Wingers who are setup men don't grow on trees and are invaluable for a shooter like Kesler. Down the road he could be laying the sauce for Shinkaruk or whoever we land at 6.
I agree that he's got all the tools, but I worry about his conditioning and mental make-up to play a top-6 role consistently. He was playing great in a depth role this year, and if that development continues he should be able to solidify a top-6 role. The biggest obstacle will be his conditioning and maintaining his awareness. If he can't keep the feet moving and the brain working at a high level for that 16-18 minutes/night he will be less effective.
ClamRussel wrote:As soon as we have a coach who will give Kassian a legit shot on a top line we'll see his offence flourish. He's got a very decent shot and is already perhaps our best playmaker not named Hank. For that reason alone he'd work well w/ the Twins, create room for them, do the dirty work, cycle w/ them & protect them. He'd also do well w/ Kesler in he could BE the setup man 17 needs. Wingers who are setup men don't grow on trees and are invaluable for a shooter like Kesler. Down the road he could be laying the sauce for Shinkaruk or whoever we land at 6.
I agree that he's got all the tools, but I worry about his conditioning and mental make-up to play a top-6 role consistently. He was playing great in a depth role this year, and if that development continues he should be able to solidify a top-6 role. The biggest obstacle will be his conditioning and maintaining his awareness. If he can't keep the feet moving and the brain working at a high level for that 16-18 minutes/night he will be less effective.
He definitely should be on the PP, though.
Maybe CoHo can get him invited to Roberts' summer training slumber party.
