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Official 2016 NHL Draft Thread

jeffbear

jeffbear

Mod Squad
Staff member
This is it, guys. We've started to scatter draft thoughts in other threads, so its time to pack it all into a comprehensive thread.

The Canes' final first round selections will be determined by the lottery which will be held on Saturday April 30 ... THIS Saturday. I think NBCSN has the coverage in the US. Carolina has two first round picks, one likely at 13 and one likely at 20 or 21. They have a 2% chance of moving up to first with that 13 pick, but let's just say the odds are better that they'll stay right there. Jim Carrey thinks they have a chance. Nobody else does.

OK ... somebody else flesh out the rest of the umpteen picks we've got in this draft and let's roll from there.
 
jeffbear said:
This is it, guys. We've started to scatter draft thoughts in other threads, so its time to pack it all into a comprehensive thread.

The Canes' final first round selections will be determined by the lottery which will be held on Saturday April 30 ... THIS Saturday. I think NBCSN has the coverage in the US. Carolina has two first round picks, one likely at 13 and one likely at 20 or 21. They have a 2% chance of moving up to first with that 13 pick, but let's just say the odds are better that they'll stay right there. Jim Carrey thinks they have a chance. Nobody else does.

OK ... somebody else flesh out the rest of the umpteen picks we've got in this draft and let's roll from there.
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Saturday will be fun to see who the lucky team is that wins the lottery...please anyone but the Oilers! It's starting to sound like Patrick Laine may be just as good as Matthews at first overall...that kid has just tore up the Finnish league playoffs and does just about everything but play center...which Matthews does!

The Canes Country guys over on that board are convinced that Francis will use the Kings first rounder to wheel and deal for immediate help at the forward position next year...so Chris Krieder come on down!!!
 
Canes at 13 and 19 in the first round should have some nice forwards still available...that 13th pick hopefully will see Francis go with a center...Tyson Jost, Michael McLeod, Logan Brown, Kiefer Bellows.

The 19th pick might see guys like Max Jones, Riley Tufte, Luke Kuenin and Julien Gauthier still available.

If the Canes decide to hold on to both first round picks I would like to see them go forward/forward with both picks.
 
CanadaCanes said:
Canes at 13 and 19 in the first round should have some nice forwards still available...that 13th pick hopefully will see Francis go with a center...Tyson Jost, Michael McLeod, Logan Brown, Kiefer Bellows.

The 19th pick might see guys like Max Jones, Riley Tufte, Luke Kuenin and Julien Gauthier still available.

If the Canes decide to hold on to both first round picks I would like to see them go forward/forward with both picks.
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Yall know I am down for Gauthier...
 
CanadaCanes said:
The Canes Country guys over on that board are convinced that Francis will use the Kings first rounder to wheel and deal for immediate help at the forward position next year...so Chris Krieder come on down!!!
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No offense to anybody who is a proponent of Kreider, but IMO he's not a No 1 center and probably never will be. I love the kid's game but to me he's not that different than Rask except that I don't think we've seen Rask peak offensively. Given that he's been used with fairly offensive line mates, Kreider is a proven 40-50 point center, but I'm not sold that he's got a lot more production in his trunk. For my money I'd rather see a guy who has been an effective number one guy already, even if he's on the back side of his career. I think we need Mister Right Now at this point, because Rask is already Mister Down the Road.

And again ... the thought of getting Kreider back in the Staal deal was VERY interesting to me, but that ship sailed with a prospect and 2 picks on board. Fine.

CanadaCanes said:
If the Canes decide to hold on to both first round picks I would like to see them go forward/forward with both picks.
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I absolutely agree with this, with the caveat that I'm also cool if they really, really like a goalie. Prospect-wise we've got a lot of eggs in Nedeljkovic's basket with only Altschulter as a Plan B. One more highly thought of prospect would not go amiss, methinks.
 
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Kreider may not be a clear cut #1 center, but he is definitely a top 6 player. He would also likely become the fastest Canes player on a team which need speed. If the Canes traded the 19th pick for him I would probably be ok with it. He is still young and plays a very aggressive fore-checking game. If you look at the odds of what later first round picks become in the NHL, statistically speaking you would be hard pressed to beat a guaranteed top 6 forward who will put up 20 goals and 50+ points at the 19th slot. Plus he still has some upside to improve on those numbers.

Honestly the deal would make less sense to me from the Rangers perspective as they should try to shed the higher older priced guys and build around the younger core that includes Kreider. Chris Kreider is not the Rangers problem.
 
Giants select Eli Apple, cornerback, Ohio St.

Oh, sorry. Wrong draft. Never mind.
 
Add me to the 'Rangers are not trading Chris Kreider for a mid-1st round pick' group. Why would they do that? If you want to shake Chris Kreider loose you are going to have to trade the LA first round pick and Roland McKeown (or maybe even more than that, ie Slavin or Pesce).

Even then the Rangers would be really foolish to start blowing holes in a forward mix that right now for 16-17 only includes Nash, Brassard, Zuccarello, Stephan, Lindberg, Fast and then RFAs Kreider, Etem, Miller and Hayes. Trading away 20 something forwards who can actually score 20 goals a year is the last thing the Rangers should be doing.
 
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CarolinaPen said:
Kreider may not be a clear cut #1 center, but he is definitely a top 6 player. He would also likely become the fastest Canes player on a team which need speed. If the Canes traded the 19th pick for him I would probably be ok with it. He is still young and plays a very aggressive fore-checking game. If you look at the odds of what later first round picks become in the NHL, statistically speaking you would be hard pressed to beat a guaranteed top 6 forward who will put up 20 goals and 50+ points at the 19th slot. Plus he still has some upside to improve on those numbers.

Honestly the deal would make less sense to me from the Rangers perspective as they should try to shed the higher older priced guys and build around the younger core that includes Kreider. Chris Kreider is not the Rangers problem.
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Yeah ... I really like the guy and do feel like he's a top 6 forward on most any team, but I do feel like with a more wide range of options, the Canes would be better served to look for a center that doesn't so closely duplicate Rask's game. He's a bit slower than Kreider, but similar in frame and probably already a better defender. He's less physical, but from what I've seen of both of them, Rask seems to have more of a natural nose for the net. In adding to what you've already got, I'd like to see Carolina go find a REAL playmaking center. A guy who's got a probing passing game in his bag of tricks.
 
Really really like RASK. Has surpased my own expectations and seems that he has more room to grow there.
Also would take a pass on Kreider. We got good on the Staal return, now let's aim specifically for a piece we sorely need to add to the mix - playmaking. Pure bonafide ala Francis, Cassels, Stillman....
Are there any of those even left out there??? Too bad Joe Thornton isn't a few years younger..
 
JamesNorthern said:
Really really like RASK. Has surpased my own expectations and seems that he has more room to grow there.
Also would take a pass on Kreider. We got good on the Staal return, now let's aim specifically for a piece we sorely need to add to the mix - playmaking. Pure bonafide ala Francis, Cassels, Stillman....
Are there any of those even left out there??? Too bad Joe Thornton isn't a few years younger..
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I really like Loui Eriksson, but I fear he may be out of our price range. He has the two way game Peters expects, and above average playmaking skills.
 
I expect every big money free agent to pass on the Canes (if the Canes even come calling). That said, again, the Canes do have to pay SOMEONE. We have a lot of cap room that we are going to have to fill up to reach the cap floor. Whether that is filled via more conservative UFA signings, trades, or a combo of both remains to be seen.

Anyone handicapping a home for Milan Lucic yet? David Backes? Kyle Okposo? Andrew Ladd? Mikkel Boedker? Jiri Hudler? Radim Vrbata (those are the 'top UFA forwards', I intentionally skipped Eric Staal and Stamkos)
 
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cmaleski2 said:
I expect every big money free agent to pass on the Canes (if the Canes even come calling). That said, again, the Canes do have to pay SOMEONE. We have a lot of cap room that we are going to have to fill up to reach the cap floor. Whether that is filled via more conservative UFA signings, trades, or a combo of both remains to be seen.

Anyone handicapping a home for Milan Lucic yet? David Backes? Kyle Okposo? Andrew Ladd? Mikkel Boedker? Jiri Hudler? Radim Vrbata (those are the 'top UFA forwards', I intentionally skipped Eric Staal and Stamkos)
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Lucic said he loves LA, wants to stay.

Hudler seems like the type of player that would do very well playing with skilled guys like Aho, Lindholm, Skinner. He also seems like the type of guy that would be in the Canes price range coming off a down year between Calgary and Florida.

Francis has to use that salary cap space to his advantage and pull off a lopsided trade with a cap strapped team.

If you pencil in Sebastian Aho for next year, I still think we all would love to see at least two if not three new forwards in the mix. One to replace Eric, one to replace Versteeg and one to replace Malone.
 
bagopux said:
How about Versteeg?

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I would prefer somebody younger and more likely to stick for a couple of years, but Kris really liked it here and I doubt he'd reject an offer out of hand. And let's face it, the guy did his job here. He's a solid playmaking forward who plays our systems well. Again, personal preference here, I'd rather have a wing who is more of a finisher and a center who is more of a playmaker, but there's a lot of ways to skin a cat. Say you did make a move for Kreider, then Versteeg would make a nice compliment to that kind of center.

Again ... NOT saying we're making a move for Kreider. I think we have other options and for me it wouldn't make sense for the Rangers, but for whatever reason that's a rumour du jour. As CM2 points out, we darned sure have to spend some money on SOMEBODY ... and Kreider is certainly both somebody and a quality player.

Couple of others I think would at least consider a Canes offer ... Andrew Ladd (obvious connection and Carolina has an obvious need for his type of game. He'll probably look for real contenders first, but we could pay the guy and the majority of those teams are cap-restricted. You could blow a big money contract on worse guys), Jamie McGinn (another obvious connection, but he's a power guy that has never really found a role. We could offer him top 6 time right up front ... with a straight face) and Franz Neilsen (older centerman who looks to be cap-roomed out in Brooklyn but still has plenty of game left for the short term. A nice high-pressure center who could compliment our returning group). I've already mentioned Hudler, who already took the dive in the small market water at Calgary and it paid off for him. We could offer him all the ice time his little legs could handle, and a system he already knows.

We might actually need a free agency thread for the first time in forever. Think I'll actually get on that at some point.
 
My draft (lottery) thought...

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I really, really hope Columbus pulls the big upset tonight! Anyone but Edmonton and Toronto, although millions already feel the Leafs have #1 wrapped up.
 
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