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2018 Draft Thread

Nik the Trik said:
I don't hate the pick or anything but they've really got to add some options down the middle to the prospect base at some point.

I get what you're saying but with Dermott graduating and me not considering guys like Borgman and Rosen "prospects", Toronto's best LD prospect before this was who... Andrew Nielsen?

Basically, the Leafs prospect depth really isn't great anywhere.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
I get what you're saying but with Dermott graduating and me not considering guys like Borgman and Rosen "prospects", Toronto's best LD prospect before this was who... Andrew Nielsen?

Basically, the Leafs prospect depth really isn't great anywhere.

No, but I think you're more likely to draft a relatively high upside D later in the draft than you are a C.

Likewise, it's a NHL position the Leafs are pretty good at and I think it's one you can address in the meantime pretty easily via free agency.
 
Nik the Trik said:
No, but I think you're more likely to draft a relatively high upside D later in the draft than you are a C.

Likewise, it's a NHL position the Leafs are pretty good at and I think it's one you can address in the meantime pretty easily via free agency.

Fair enough. Like I said, I think Veleno would have been a great addition to the prospect group.

But who knows, maybe after July 1st we'll be pretty comfortable with how our centre-ice position looks for the next 7 years or so.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
Nik the Trik said:
No, but I think you're more likely to draft a relatively high upside D later in the draft than you are a C.

Likewise, it's a NHL position the Leafs are pretty good at and I think it's one you can address in the meantime pretty easily via free agency.

Fair enough. Like I said, I think Veleno would have been a great addition to the prospect group.

But who knows, maybe after July 1st we'll be pretty comfortable with how our centre-ice position looks for the next 7 years or so.

I like Bozak and all but I don't think he's re-signing for *that* long.
 
https://theathletic.com/401472/2018/06/22/pronman-pick-by-pick-breakdown-of-the-nhl-draft-first-round/

29. Toronto Maple Leafs: Rasmus Sandin
(pick acquired from Blues)

D, Sault Ste. Marie-OHL

March 7, 2000 | 5-foot-11 | 184 pounds

Sandin?s best trait is his hockey sense. He?s a very smart puck-moving defenseman. He can see the ice at a high level on outlets but also up on the attack, hitting tight seams and creating chances with his passes, which occasionally rise to the level of remarkable. His skating is decent, but he lacks an explosive gear, especially for a smaller defender. Despite average speed and just fine hands, he is still quite elusive with the puck and is able to spin off pressure fine. Sandin is small, but he?s a tough competitor and he?s solid defensively despite his size, with fine gap control, and wins his fair share of battles.

Pronman?s take: Sandin kept growing on me as the season went along and was very good for a top CHL team in the Greyhounds. I?m not super sold on the speed/skills, but I know some scouts who are. His hockey sense is high-end, as is his work ethic. He?s a leader and a very solid two-way defenseman. He becomes one of the Leafs top prospects but is behind Timothy Liljegren in terms of defensemen.

30. Detroit Red Wings: Joseph Veleno
Center, Drummondville-QMJHL

Jan. 13, 2000 | 6-foot-1 | 193 pounds

Veleno is an excellent skater and he gets up to top speed quite easily with a powerful stride. Veleno works hard and plays a powerful style on the puck without taking many bad penalties. I don?t think he?s a dynamic playmaker, but he?s certainly above-average with the puck and can flash a tier higher. I like his puck skills, he?s a very smart player and he can consistently make above-average plays. While his shot/finishing ability is a bit worrying, Veleno has the speed, skills, smarts and physicality to be a very good playmaker and zone entry artist as an NHLer, combined with being a reliable two-way center.

Pronman?s take: Veleno fell because scouts in the industry don?t believe in his skill level. I don?t think he has high-end skill, but I believe he has offense to him and can make plays. For me, this was very good value for the Wings. He?s in the same category of prospect as Michael Rasmussen, who they picked in the top 10 last year.

 
herman said:
Hands up if you heard of Joseph Veleno before the 15th pick today...

I don't know what this would say about someone. I didn't know much about him but that's only because I wasn't really looking into prospects lately expected to go 10-15 or so.
 
Good report on Sandin here: https://www.milehighhockey.com/2018/5/7/17324330/2018-nhl-draft-prospect-profile-rasmus-sandin-scouting-report

Smart is the first thing you?ll hear when talking about Sandin. Any disadvantage caused by his lack of size or speed, is overcome because of how well he thinks the game. He has great gap control in his own end and is really good at funneling attackers away from dangerous spots on the ice. His defensive zone position is some of the best you?ll see in the CHL and he anticipates plays well to cut down passing and shooting lanes.

Sandin has excellent puck retrieval and is very smooth with his transition from defense to the breakout. He?s calm with the puck and won?t rush to make a quick pass just to get the puck out of his zone - he makes the right pass. He stretches the ice extremely well and is able to lead his teammates through the neutral zone with an accurate outlet pass. When he does skate the puck out of his own end, he will often slow down the pace, waiting for the breakout to develop around him.

From an offensive perspective, Sandin doesn?t have a big slap shot from the point. He will use a strong and low wrister or snapshot, erring on the side of accuracy over power. He knows when to creep in from the blue line, giving his teammates an extra option inside the faceoff circle. His great vision and strong passing skills allow Sandin to quarterback the powerplay when needed.

He finished third among draft eligible OHL defenders with 45 points in 51 games and trailed only Evan Bouchard with 0.24 goals per game. During even strength play, Sandin had more points per game than elite offensive defenseman Ryan Merkely and finished tied with Merkley for 5v5 best goal production among defenders.

The one negative people like to point out about Sandin?s game is that he?s not the fastest skater around. He?s a good skater but not to the level that you usually see from undersized defenders. He makes up for this by using his elite awareness to keep the play in front of him as much as possible. While he lacks the high-end speed, he?s got great agility and balance thanks to a low center of gravity. These help him to win battles for loose pucks and clear the front of the net, something that might become harder when playing against professionals.

If he can follow Dermott's path and improve his skating this could really be a home run of a pick.
 
CarltonTheBear said:
herman said:
Hands up if you heard of Joseph Veleno before the 15th pick today...

I don't know what this would say about someone. I didn't know much about him but that's only because I wasn't really looking into prospects lately expected to go 10-15 or so.

I think it says they have a life, at the very least. I glossed over him much like you did.
 
#01: Rasmus DAHLin
#29: Rasmus SANDin

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roald_Dahl
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Sand

Just sayin'.

 
CarltonTheBear said:
Good report on Sandin here: https://www.milehighhockey.com/2018/5/7/17324330/2018-nhl-draft-prospect-profile-rasmus-sandin-scouting-report

Smart is the first thing you?ll hear when talking about Sandin. Any disadvantage caused by his lack of size or speed, is overcome because of how well he thinks the game. He has great gap control in his own end and is really good at funneling attackers away from dangerous spots on the ice. His defensive zone position is some of the best you?ll see in the CHL and he anticipates plays well to cut down passing and shooting lanes.

Sandin has excellent puck retrieval and is very smooth with his transition from defense to the breakout. He?s calm with the puck and won?t rush to make a quick pass just to get the puck out of his zone - he makes the right pass. He stretches the ice extremely well and is able to lead his teammates through the neutral zone with an accurate outlet pass. When he does skate the puck out of his own end, he will often slow down the pace, waiting for the breakout to develop around him.

From an offensive perspective, Sandin doesn?t have a big slap shot from the point. He will use a strong and low wrister or snapshot, erring on the side of accuracy over power. He knows when to creep in from the blue line, giving his teammates an extra option inside the faceoff circle. His great vision and strong passing skills allow Sandin to quarterback the powerplay when needed.

He finished third among draft eligible OHL defenders with 45 points in 51 games and trailed only Evan Bouchard with 0.24 goals per game. During even strength play, Sandin had more points per game than elite offensive defenseman Ryan Merkely and finished tied with Merkley for 5v5 best goal production among defenders.

If he can follow Dermott's path and improve his skating this could really be a home run of a pick.

8) granted Sandin had much better teammates than Merkley.
 
Yeah, again, I don't think they missed out on any player by trading down but I still don't think that's a very good return regardless.
 
Nik the Trik said:
Yeah, again, I don't think they missed out on any player by trading down but I still don't think that's a very good return regardless.

25 for 29 and 76. In 2015 the trade was 24 for 29 and 61. So yeah doesn't look great in comparison but if St. Louis was the only team looking to trade up you have to kinda take what you can get. And I doubt they would have been interested in giving up 45, which was their only other pick.

I think value-pick charts (which of course aren't an exact science) still have the Leafs coming way ahead here.
 

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