TOP 5 PICK!!!

[Kaberle15]

I have 3 words for you:

Gal.  Chen.  Yukkk.

I was reading THN's draft preview, and while a small sample size from the scouting world, Galchenyuk would be my preference after Yakupov.  Based on what the scouts were saying, I am even more firm in my stance that I don't want to see the Leafs have anything to do with a d-man at #5 unless the "big four" forwards go ahead of us.

Remember when they took the 1984-85 WHL's Top Defenseman?

If Murray is "half of" Wendel Clark, I don't have any problem if he is taken 5th overall.

 

[ZBBM]

I have 3 words for you:

Gal.  Chen.  Yukkk.

I was reading THN's draft preview, and while a small sample size from the scouting world, Galchenyuk would be my preference after Yakupov.  Based on what the scouts were saying, I am even more firm in my stance that I don't want to see the Leafs have anything to do with a d-man at #5 unless the "big four" forwards go ahead of us. 

Agreed. I was a little hesitant on Forsberg and would have considered a defenceman ahead of him, but his strong performance at the U18's changed my mind there.

I was touting Murray before and still wouldn't mind seeing him on the Leafs if the forwards go before him.  But after Yakupov I'd go for Galchenyuk.  I might even go for Grigorenko over Murray at #5.  I keep reading he's got attitude problems but nothing more specific than that.  What's the deal with him?

 

[KW Sluggo]

I have 3 words for you:

Gal.  Chen.  Yukkk.

I was reading THN's draft preview, and while a small sample size from the scouting world, Galchenyuk would be my preference after Yakupov.  Based on what the scouts were saying, I am even more firm in my stance that I don't want to see the Leafs have anything to do with a d-man at #5 unless the "big four" forwards go ahead of us. 

Agreed. I was a little hesitant on Forsberg and would have considered a defenceman ahead of him, but his strong performance at the U18's changed my mind there.

I was touting Murray before and still wouldn't mind seeing him on the Leafs if the forwards go before him.  But after Yakupov I'd go for Galchenyuk.  I might even go for Grigorenko over Murray at #5.  I keep reading he's got attitude problems but nothing more specific than that.  What's the deal with him?

That is an excellent question.

While he is highly ranked in all of the draft projections there is an undercurrent of criticism best typified the one scout's comment that he projects as a "Chad Kilger" type of player.

If true, that is not what we need nor is it an appropriate use of the number 5 pick.

I guess this uncertainty is what makes retrospective draft analysis so interesting.

 

[Bender]

I have 3 words for you:

Gal.  Chen.  Yukkk.

I was reading THN's draft preview, and while a small sample size from the scouting world, Galchenyuk would be my preference after Yakupov.  Based on what the scouts were saying, I am even more firm in my stance that I don't want to see the Leafs have anything to do with a d-man at #5 unless the "big four" forwards go ahead of us. 

Agreed. I was a little hesitant on Forsberg and would have considered a defenceman ahead of him, but his strong performance at the U18's changed my mind there.

I was touting Murray before and still wouldn't mind seeing him on the Leafs if the forwards go before him.  But after Yakupov I'd go for Galchenyuk.  I might even go for Grigorenko over Murray at #5.  I keep reading he's got attitude problems but nothing more specific than that.  What's the deal with him?

That is an excellent question.

While he is highly ranked in all of the draft projections there is an undercurrent of criticism best typified the one scout's comment that he projects as a "Chad Kilger" type of player.

If true, that is not what we need nor is it an appropriate use of the number 5 pick.

I guess this uncertainty is what makes retrospective draft analysis so interesting.

I also read that there are very VERY few scouts who wouldn't list him that high. I mean, you're generally going to find criticism in some facet, but the overwhelming majority I've read is that he's nearly as high end as Yakupov and Galy.

Also, I read that Roy was working with him on his two way play and getting the whole "lazy" aspect out of his game, as he idolizes Pavel Datsyuk.

 

[ZBBM]

I cannot allow an entire day to go by without any posts being posted to this posting area.  :-X

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

Lowe has been fawning over Murray all tournament at the WHC.

 

[LuncheonMeat]

I have 3 words for you:

Gal.  Chen.  Yukkk.

I was reading THN's draft preview, and while a small sample size from the scouting world, Galchenyuk would be my preference after Yakupov.  Based on what the scouts were saying, I am even more firm in my stance that I don't want to see the Leafs have anything to do with a d-man at #5 unless the "big four" forwards go ahead of us. 

Agreed. I was a little hesitant on Forsberg and would have considered a defenceman ahead of him, but his strong performance at the U18's changed my mind there.

I was touting Murray before and still wouldn't mind seeing him on the Leafs if the forwards go before him.  But after Yakupov I'd go for Galchenyuk.  I might even go for Grigorenko over Murray at #5.  I keep reading he's got attitude problems but nothing more specific than that.  What's the deal with him?

That is an excellent question.

While he is highly ranked in all of the draft projections there is an undercurrent of criticism best typified the one scout's comment that he projects as a "Chad Kilger" type of player.
If true, that is not what we need nor is it an appropriate use of the number 5 pick.

I guess this uncertainty is what makes retrospective draft analysis so interesting.

At least he'd come in handy if the Leafs ever caught fire.  ;D

*runs and hides*

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Lowe has been fawning over Murray all tournament at the WHC.

?There?s no surprise why Central Scouting has him rated second. He?s the top player. And often with the top players, or occasionally with the top players, they?re not ready to play in the National Hockey league, but I don?t question his readiness for next year.?

...

?He?s played remarkably well for a young fellow and I?ve talked to the other GMs and scouts that are here and they all agree that he?s going to play in the National Hockey League next year, no question. He?s held his own?

...

?His poise. There?s actually a whole checklist of things. His skating. The way he defends, passes the puck, but just overall the poise. You have to understand this is, next to the Stanley Cup playoffs, this is the highest level of hockey you can play in the world. And these are men that have been training, in some cases the Swiss team, those guys play 40, 50 games together in the season for the national team preparing for this. These are guys that are darn good hockey players. A lot of them could play in the NHL. They have seven, eight, ten years on him in terms of maturity and strength and yet he doesn?t look out of place at all. There has been the occasion where he has gone back under pressure you kind of wonder, how is he going to handle this? And shift after shift he handles it with poise. That to me is just really remarkable.

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/05/11/oilers-hockey-boss-kevin-lowe-on-prospect-ryan-murray-hes-the-top-player/


Yeah, he's an Oiler.

 

[Tigger]

That smells like an opportunity...

 

[CarltonTheBear]

That smells like an opportunity...

I wouldn't be surprised if they just selected Murray at #1. There's very little chance they go all the way down to 5 and hope he's still there. The lowest I think they'll trade down is to 3 with the Habs, and even then there's no guarantee Columbus won't go with Murray if Yakupov is off the table.

 

[Etiam Vultus]

Murray was born in September 1993.
Dumba was born in July 1994.

It must be tough for teams to compare players where one year of development time can make such a difference.

 

[Tigger]

That smells like an opportunity...

I wouldn't be surprised if they just selected Murray at #1. There's very little chance they go all the way down to 5 and hope he's still there. The lowest I think they'll trade down is to 3 with the Habs, and even then there's no guarantee Columbus won't go with Murray if Yakupov is off the table.

Well, I agree they won't just go down to the fifth spot but that's not really what I meant by opportunity. If Columbus isn't interested in the Russian prospects, and they're keen on another player not named Murray, then there might be room to deal with them too.

I'm not claiming the Leafs will move up just that it seems like there's more of an opportunity to do so if they're interested in doing that given the speculation.

 

[princedpw]

Lowe has been fawning over Murray all tournament at the WHC.

?There?s no surprise why Central Scouting has him rated second. He?s the top player. And often with the top players, or occasionally with the top players, they?re not ready to play in the National Hockey league, but I don?t question his readiness for next year.?

...

?He?s played remarkably well for a young fellow and I?ve talked to the other GMs and scouts that are here and they all agree that he?s going to play in the National Hockey League next year, no question. He?s held his own?

...

?His poise. There?s actually a whole checklist of things. His skating. The way he defends, passes the puck, but just overall the poise. You have to understand this is, next to the Stanley Cup playoffs, this is the highest level of hockey you can play in the world. And these are men that have been training, in some cases the Swiss team, those guys play 40, 50 games together in the season for the national team preparing for this. These are guys that are darn good hockey players. A lot of them could play in the NHL. They have seven, eight, ten years on him in terms of maturity and strength and yet he doesn?t look out of place at all. There has been the occasion where he has gone back under pressure you kind of wonder, how is he going to handle this? And shift after shift he handles it with poise. That to me is just really remarkable.

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2012/05/11/oilers-hockey-boss-kevin-lowe-on-prospect-ryan-murray-hes-the-top-player/


Yeah, he's an Oiler.

The first sentence is rather bizarre: "There?s no surprise why Central Scouting has him rated second. He?s the top player."

Either he is the top player or the 2nd from the top.  If he is the top player, it should be a surprise he is rated second ...

 

[Tigger]

Yeah, should have said 'top defenceman'.

 

[bustaheims]

Yeah, should have said 'top defenceman'.

Or top North American.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

Just listened to the audio of that interview. What he actually said was "he's a top player" not "he's the top player". That of course makes a lot more sense given what he said before and after.

 

[Champ Kind]

Latest ISS rankings:

1. NAIL YAKUPOV LW 5'10 189 L Oct. 6/93 Sarnia OHL
2. FILIP FORSBERG RW 6'1 176 R Aug. 13/94 Leksands SweAI
3. RYAN MURRAY D 6'0 201 L Sep. 27/93 Everett WHL
4. MIKHAIL GRIGORENKO RW 6'3 200 L May 16/94 Quebec QMJHL
5. JACOB TROUBA D 6'2 196 R Feb. 26/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
6. MATT DUMBA D 5'11 183 R Jul. 25/94 Red Deer WHL
7. MORGAN RIELLY D 5'11 190 L Mar. 9/94 Moose Jaw WHL
8. TEUVO TERAVAINEN LW 5'11 161 L Sept. 11/94 Jokerit FinE
9. CODY CECI D 6'2 207 R Dec. 21/93 Ottawa OHL
10. GRIFFIN REINHART D 6'3 207 L Jan. 24/94 Edmonton WHL
11. BRENDAN GAUNCE C 6'2 215 L Mar. 25/94 Belleville OHL
12. OLLI MAATTA D 6'1 202 L Aug. 22/94 London OHL
13. SEBASTIAN COLLBERG RW 5'11 174 R Feb. 23/94 Vastra SweJE
14. ALEXANDER GALCHENYUK RW 6'0 198 L Feb. 12/94 Sarnia OHL
15. NICHOLAS KERDILES C 6'1 200 L Jan. 11/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
16. RADEK FAKSA LW 6'3 202 L Jan. 9/94 Kitchener OHL
17. THOMAS WILSON RW 6'3 203 R Mar. 29/94 Plymouth OHL
18. MATT FINN D 6'0 195 L Feb. 24/94 Guelph OHL
19. HAMPUS LINDHOLM RW 6'2 196 L Jan. 20/94 Rogle SweJE
20. PONTUS ABERG LW 5'11 187 R Sep. 23/93 Djurgarden SweE
21. SLATER KOEKKOEK D 6'2 184 L Feb. 18/94 Peterborough OHL
22. DERRICK POULIOT D 5'11 186 L Jan. 16/94 Portland WHL
23. SCOTT LAUGHTON C 6'0 177 L May 30/94 Oshawa OHL
24. ZEMGUS GIRGENSONS C 6'1 201 L Jan. 5/94 Dubuque USHL
25. COLTON SISSONS C/R 6'1 189 R Nov. 5/93 Kelowna WHL
26. BRADY SKJEI D 6'3 203 L Mar. 26/94 USA U-18 USNTDP
27. DALTON THROWER D 5'11 189 R Dec. 20/93 Saskatoon WHL
28. LUDVIG BYSTROM D 6'0 208 L Jul. 20/94 Modo SweE
29. ADAM PELECH D 6'2 210 L Aug. 16/94 Erie OHL
30. TOMAS HERTL LW 6'2 198 L Nov. 12/93 Slavia CzeE


Interesting to see that, despite informal discussions around who the Leafs might pick, Galchenyuk is still ranked in the middle of the draft. 

 

[bustaheims]

Interesting to see that, despite informal discussions around who the Leafs might pick, Galchenyuk is still ranked in the middle of the draft.

Being injured for almost the entire regular season did not help his ranking. He still probably goes in the top 5 because of his talent level.

 

[Corn Flake]

ISS has always been somewhat dramatic in that they like to have a few big risers and fallers. I think it helps sell more copies of their reports.

Olli Maata is another one of those guys everyone one is going a little gaga over right now with his run with the Knights.  They will be saying *could* be another Karlsson which is what everyone will start saying now, which of course teams will be scared to pass up on and miss out.

 

[CarltonTheBear]

ISS has always been somewhat dramatic in that they like to have a few big risers and fallers. I think it helps sell more copies of their reports.

They've had him pretty low all season long, so it could just be that they're more worried about the injury then most, or they haven't had enough viewing opportunities of him pre-injury. Either way, pretty much every other ranking out there has him top-5 I believe, so I wouldn't think much of this.