2019 NHL ENTRY DRAFT - Vancouver

[Strangelove]

Buffalo, NYR, LA, Anaheim and Colorado all have two first round picks in the upcoming draft. Who of those is willing to let the later one go? It’s Buffalo and Colorado IMO they are done with the rebuild, to much pressure to make post-season, the other 3 teams are starting their rebuilds. What do Colorado and Buffalo need and do they need goaltending? Both those teams are stacked at the forward position

Do we actually think Jimbo will trade for another 1st? This is a guy who has actually made 1 less pick than he was supposed to over the last 5 seasons, while supposedly rebuilding, even while being handed an extra pick by Gillis and one more for Torts. He doesn’t like extra picksespite what he says - actions speak much louder than words. Why would he change his tune now?

My guess is he will make another ‘hockey trade’ or two, probably for another Goldy type and hope to catch lightning in a bottle, and then try to sign some FAs. I’ve seen nothing in the last 3 seasons to make me think he’s going to go out and try to secure more picks, though I sure would welcome it if he does.

He's got 9 picks in this year's draft.

And by gum you best believe him if he says he's gonna try for another 1st!

[Hockey Widow]

I have no idea how successful, or unsuccessful, he will be in landing another first. I just know that, that is his priority heading into he draft. It's all about driving up excitement for the upcoming ticket drive. I don't know what assets he is willing to part with to acquire that 1st.

The following players I think he will try to move:

Pouliot
Goldobin
Tanev
Sutter
Ericksson
Schaller

I think he may be willing to part with one of Virtanen or Pearson or Leivo.

Think there are some players in Utica he will move on from.

But I don't know if he is willing to part with a player in the core or a blue chip prospect.

If he plays it right I think he could land a bottom 10 1st. Higher than that will take some doing.

Will he be successful? When you look at the list of who we would like to see made available it will be tough.

[Madcombinepilot]

I have no idea how successful, or unsuccessful, he will be in landing another first. I just know that, that is his priority heading into he draft. It's all about driving up excitement for the upcoming ticket drive. I don't know what assets he is willing to part with to acquire that 1st.

The following players I think he will try to move:

Pouliot
Goldobin
Tanev
Sutter
Ericksson
Schaller

I think he may be willing to part with one of Virtanen or Pearson or Leivo.

Think there are some players in Utica he will move on from.

But I don't know if he is willing to part with a player in the core or a blue chip prospect.

If he plays it right I think he could land a bottom 10 1st. Higher than that will take some doing.

Will he be successful? When you look at the list of who we would like to see made available it will be tough.

I would add Grandlund and Spooner to that list. Only way he gets a first for that is by moving a couple guys for 3rd or 4ths, then packaging up Tanev (or perhaps Sutter), Goldobin and that 3/4th. If he sold that entire list for a 1st, 2x 2nds, And some change, I would be estatic. Heck, even a fistful of 2nd-5th picks would be awesome.

[Island Nucklehead]

I have no idea how successful, or unsuccessful, he will be in landing another first. I just know that, that is his priority heading into he draft. It's all about driving up excitement for the upcoming ticket drive. I don't know what assets he is willing to part with to acquire that 1st.

The following players I think he will try to move:

Pouliot
Goldobin
Tanev
Sutter
Ericksson
Schaller

I think he may be willing to part with one of Virtanen or Pearson or Leivo.

Think there are some players in Utica he will move on from.

But I don't know if he is willing to part with a player in the core or a blue chip prospect.

If he plays it right I think he could land a bottom 10 1st. Higher than that will take some doing.

Will he be successful? When you look at the list of who we would like to see made available it will be tough.

I would add Grandlund and Spooner to that list. Only way he gets a first for that is by moving a couple guys for 3rd or 4ths, then packaging up Tanev (or perhaps Sutter), Goldobin and that 3/4th. If he sold that entire list for a 1st, 2x 2nds, And some change, I would be estatic. Heck, even a fistful of 2nd-5th picks would be awesome.

Yes it seems every spring we get the same boilerplate wish list, but we just don't have the pieces that are likely to fetch high-end picks on their own. Sutter might have some value (low-2nd?/3rd?), but Eriksson is essentially worthless for futures (maybe a garbage in-garbage out deal).

As well, most teams have their own versions of Pouliot/Goldobbin/Shaller/Pearson etc. Keep in mind, Vancouver is one of the least talented teams in the league. If you can't hack it here...

Perhaps if you packaged Tanev with one of those guys you could get a late-1st, but with him being so brittle I feel his value is really low. A defensive, shot-blocking dman that is injury prone? Good luck.

[Diehard1]

Buffalo, NYR, LA, Anaheim and Colorado all have two first round picks in the upcoming draft. Who of those is willing to let the later one go? It’s Buffalo and Colorado IMO they are done with the rebuild, to much pressure to make post-season, the other 3 teams are starting their rebuilds. What do Colorado and Buffalo need and do they need goaltending? Both those teams are stacked at the forward position

Do we actually think Jimbo will trade for another 1st? This is a guy who has actually made 1 less pick than he was supposed to over the last 5 seasons, while supposedly rebuilding, even while being handed an extra pick by Gillis and one more for Torts. He doesn’t like extra picksespite what he says - actions speak much louder than words. Why would he change his tune now?

My guess is he will make another ‘hockey trade’ or two, probably for another Goldy type and hope to catch lightning in a bottle, and then try to sign some FAs. I’ve seen nothing in the last 3 seasons to make me think he’s going to go out and try to secure more picks, though I sure would welcome it if he does.

He's got 9 picks in this year's draft.

And by gum you best believe him if he says he's gonna try for another 1st!

9 picks this year, you are correct, did I say otherwise? I mean, we can't forget about those extremely valuable three 6th rounders right?

Jimbo is allergic to trading players for picks, he loves his reclamation projects (Baertschi, Pouliot, Etem, Vey, Pedan, Larsen, etc.) and he loves trading picks to get them. Pick for Baertschi (I'd trade Sven for Andersson any day of the week now), a pick and player for Pouliot (oops), pick and player for Etem (oops), pick for Vey (oops), pick and player for Pedan (oops), pick for Larsen (oops) - notice a pattern? I'm sure I missed a few in there as well, but the fact is Jimbo loves trading picks for players.

Fact is, Jimbo has made exactly 1 trade in his 5 years with the team where he got a pick straight up for a player - Bieksa in 2015. That's a long time ago and it sure seems like his strategy has changed since then.

Again, happy to be proven wrong but given past history it's unlikely.

[Diehard1]

I have no idea how successful, or unsuccessful, he will be in landing another first. I just know that, that is his priority heading into he draft. It's all about driving up excitement for the upcoming ticket drive. I don't know what assets he is willing to part with to acquire that 1st.

The following players I think he will try to move:

Pouliot
Goldobin
Tanev
Sutter
Ericksson
Schaller

I think he may be willing to part with one of Virtanen or Pearson or Leivo.

Think there are some players in Utica he will move on from.

But I don't know if he is willing to part with a player in the core or a blue chip prospect.

If he plays it right I think he could land a bottom 10 1st. Higher than that will take some doing.

Will he be successful? When you look at the list of who we would like to see made available it will be tough.

All this makes sense, my point was just that Jimbo hasn't seemed to want to trade for picks, he's wanted young-ish players who he can plug in even if the upside isn't there. Maybe that changes with the draft here?

For the guys you've indicated, the only one who has a bit of value is Tanev, IMHO. Sutter would have a bit if money was retained, which is likely to be necessary. Goldy maybe a mid round pick, Pouliot I'm not sure who be picked off waivers, Eriksson's contract as we all know is awful so Jimbo likely has to sweeten the pot. Schaller who knows, he wouldn't get much but there always seems to be an old hockey guy who wants players like him on their 4th line.

I'd also add Granlund, Hutton (numbers game with Edler, Hughes, Juolevi, Sautner, Teves, Brisebois, etc all on the left side), and Spooner to the list. Granlund again a mid round pick, Hutton maybe a 2nd/3rd, and Spooner my guess will be bought out.

Just way too many middling players on this team, need to move a number of them out.

[Hockey Widow]

He will try to get a first but I expect at the end of the day he says there wasn’t a hockey trade to be made and the cost was too high.

[Chef Boi RD]

Colorado and Buffalo are so done with “the rebuild”. Yes they are going to keep the higher of their two firsts but they certainly would be open to listening to offers for the lower of their two firsts to improve their team now. The last thing those two teams need are more prospects/young players.

[SKYO]

I have no idea how successful, or unsuccessful, he will be in landing another first. I just know that, that is his priority heading into he draft. It's all about driving up excitement for the upcoming ticket drive. I don't know what assets he is willing to part with to acquire that 1st.

The following players I think he will try to move:

Pouliot
Goldobin
Tanev
Sutter
Ericksson
Schaller

I think he may be willing to part with one of Virtanen or Pearson or Leivo.

Think there are some players in Utica he will move on from.

But I don't know if he is willing to part with a player in the core or a blue chip prospect.

If he plays it right I think he could land a bottom 10 1st. Higher than that will take some doing.

Will he be successful? When you look at the list of who we would like to see made available it will be tough.

I think he'll move a player for a 2nd (a common NHL trade) and then try to move two 2nd's for another 1st.

[Topper]

Colorado and Buffalo are so done with “the rebuild”. Yes they are going to keep the higher of their two firsts but they certainly would be open to listening to offers for the lower of their two firsts to improve their team now. The last thing those two teams need are more prospects/young players.

Think of a time line and place those two teams a year or two apart with Colorado furthest along. Now place Vancouver a year behind Buffalo.

[Madcombinepilot]

Colorado and Buffalo are so done with “the rebuild”. Yes they are going to keep the higher of their two firsts but they certainly would be open to listening to offers for the lower of their two firsts to improve their team now. The last thing those two teams need are more prospects/young players.

With the league getting so much younger and faster, can you ever not need more porospects/young players??

[ESQ]

All this makes sense, my point was just that Jimbo hasn't seemed to want to trade for picks, he's wanted young-ish players who he can plug in even if the upside isn't there. Maybe that changes with the draft here?

That's been the pattern, I don't think that's neccessarily been what Jim "wanted" in those deal.

He was trading not-very-desirable assets, and other teams weren't willing to cough up picks. He took what he could get, usually prospect project types, without moving any of his (very few) valuable assets.

This year's crop of moveable or expendable players likely won't fetch much if traded for picks, but more prospect project types could be acquired. If its a prospect vs a 4th - which is what I see the value of Granlund - its not a big deal to take the prospect over the pick IMO.

[SKYO]

Colorado and Buffalo are so done with “the rebuild”. Yes they are going to keep the higher of their two firsts but they certainly would be open to listening to offers for the lower of their two firsts to improve their team now. The last thing those two teams need are more prospects/young players.

With the league getting so much younger and faster, can you ever not need more porospects/young players??

Albeit true, at some point like chess you gotta spring into action and quit playing it safe, hit the fast & furious nitrous button, it's all about timing when to add some high end scoring.

As I mentioned before Chicago did that after they drafted Toews and Kane, signing Hossa then went onto become a dynasty.

Boston drafted developed then signed Chara.

Anaheim with Niedermayer.

Kings went hard 2011 offseason after kovalchuk & B Richards but missed out, so they signed Willie Mitchell and made a huge trade moving Simmonds + Schenn for M. Richards as they wanted to match up with 1/2 center punches of H.Sedin/Kesler, Zetterberg/Datsyuk, Thornton/Pavelski. Luckily we don't have to trade for a #2C with Horvat here, just need to add another sniper up front....and of course another QB right shot.

[Diehard1]

Colorado and Buffalo are so done with “the rebuild”. Yes they are going to keep the higher of their two firsts but they certainly would be open to listening to offers for the lower of their two firsts to improve their team now. The last thing those two teams need are more prospects/young players.

Colorado is getting close, assuming Makar comes in this playoffs and plays like he should, Timmins comes back from his injury and they get one of Kakko or Hughes with the Ottawa pick. They've got plenty of good young talent and likely just need a year or two of seasoning before they are a genuine contender.

Buffalo, however, has been the worst team in the NHL for the past almost 60 games. Yes, they have Eichel and Dahlin, who are both very good, and good support pieces like Reinhart, Risto, Montour and hopefully Mittelstadt, but they also missed on Nylander, Skinner is a UFA, and their goalies are below average. I think they need another year or two and some good signings to turn the corner. I prefer the Nucks roster and prospect pool to where Buffalo are.

I wouldn't be surprised if a contender moves their pick at the draft after getting close but losing out - Preds, Bruins, Flames, Islanders, maybe Carolina are all good candidates that may think adding a player or two will get them over the top. The Rangers are definitely rebuilding but have 3 1sts and 2 2nds, so perhaps they move one.

There are teams that could move picks, it's just that Jimbo has to have the assets and the desire to get them.

[Diehard1]

Colorado and Buffalo are so done with “the rebuild”. Yes they are going to keep the higher of their two firsts but they certainly would be open to listening to offers for the lower of their two firsts to improve their team now. The last thing those two teams need are more prospects/young players.

With the league getting so much younger and faster, can you ever not need more porospects/young players??

Albeit true, at some point like chess you gotta spring into action and quit playing it safe, hit the fast & furious nitrous button, it's all about timing when to add some high end scoring.

As I mentioned before Chicago did that after they drafted Toews and Kane, signing Hossa then went onto become a dynasty.

Boston drafted developed then signed Chara.

Anaheim with Niedermayer.

Kings went hard 2011 offseason after kovalchuk & B Richards but missed out, so they signed Willie Mitchell and made a huge trade moving Simmonds + Schenn for M. Richards as they wanted to match up with 1/2 center punches of H.Sedin/Kesler, Zetterberg/Datsyuk, Thornton/Pavelski. Luckily we don't have to trade for a #2C with Horvat here, just need to add another sniper up front....and of course another QB right shot.

I'd say we need a winger for Pettersson/Boeser line, ideally somebody with some speed and grit (yes, really easy to find), a consistent winger for Horvat (again easy), and probably two top 4 dmen to either emerge via trade, signing or organic growth. If we can get 3 of those 4 this off-season then I think we are lower level playoff team which would be a big improvement.