I am REALLY sitting on the fence this year.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
He's the consensus number 1 pick between ISS, Redline, Central Scouting and Bob McKenzie (9/10 of his scouts went with slim). I think you could go to the draft with little preparation besides McKenzie's list and come out alright.
I have this lingering worry about RNH, though: so much of his production came on the PP and not at ES. I'm kinda leery about guys who pile up their numbers in junior like that, because more often than we like to admit, they don't carry as much offense to the NHL as people think they will.
I don't care if he's not ready for the NHL next year, btw. That's not what the draft is about.
Adam Larsson
I like that he's already been playing against men for two years now, and in a really tough league. Good pluses for him. What worries me? He's a defenseman.
Defensemen take forever to develop because the position is damned hard to learn in the NHL. They get hurt more often; just part of the demands of defense.
Look at a list of the top scoring defensemen in the NHL, and you that very few of them were top picks, and most play for their non-drafting team as well. Take a look at the top scoring forwards, and you see that they're predominantly top picks. It's just easier to predict what forwards will do in the NHL compared to defensemen.
Yes, many of the Norris winners were high draft picks, but I don't think most GMs go to the podium with that in mind. They would love to get a defenseman of that calibre, but I don't think they're banking on it.
Daryl
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
He's the consensus number 1 pick between ISS, Redline, Central Scouting and Bob McKenzie (9/10 of his scouts went with slim). I think you could go to the draft with little preparation besides McKenzie's list and come out alright.
I have this lingering worry about RNH, though: so much of his production came on the PP and not at ES. I'm kinda leery about guys who pile up their numbers in junior like that, because more often than we like to admit, they don't carry as much offense to the NHL as people think they will.
I don't care if he's not ready for the NHL next year, btw. That's not what the draft is about.
Adam Larsson
I like that he's already been playing against men for two years now, and in a really tough league. Good pluses for him. What worries me? He's a defenseman.
Defensemen take forever to develop because the position is damned hard to learn in the NHL. They get hurt more often; just part of the demands of defense.
Look at a list of the top scoring defensemen in the NHL, and you that very few of them were top picks, and most play for their non-drafting team as well. Take a look at the top scoring forwards, and you see that they're predominantly top picks. It's just easier to predict what forwards will do in the NHL compared to defensemen.
Yes, many of the Norris winners were high draft picks, but I don't think most GMs go to the podium with that in mind. They would love to get a defenseman of that calibre, but I don't think they're banking on it.
Daryl