Official Draft Discussion - Leafs pick #7

[Tor-Rap-Tor]

With 8 picks in the first 5 rounds I'm pretty sure we will take at least one goal tender and there are some pretty good ones in this draft...

Jacob Markstrom -Sweden
Thomas McCollum -Guelph OHL
Chet Pickard -Tri-City OHL
Dustin Tokarski -Spokane

[Crowned]

With 8 picks in the first 5 rounds I'm pretty sure we will take at least one goal tender and there are some pretty good ones in this draft...

Jacob Markstrom -Sweden
Thomas McCollum -Guelph OHL
Chet Pickard -Tri-City OHL
Dustin Tokarski -Spokane

Tokarski REALLY impressed me in that Memorial Cup. It depends on how high the Leafs are with Reimer at the moment. If they think he can continue improving, I really don't see us selecting a goaltender too high. However, it would be wise. Young goaltenders do hold more value when it comes to trades.

[Griff83]

Im starting to worry that were going to do something silly and draft a risky player like Tyler Myers or Kyle Beach at #7. I dont think were in any position to draft a bust/boom type of player considering how thin we are in our prospect pool. Id much rather go with the safe picks (Wilson, Hodgson, Boedker) then the two mentioned earlier. Hopefully Fletcher deals Kubina at the draft and we can grab one of Tedenby, Colby Robak, Colborne or Del Zotto. Fletcher has said over and over again that this team needs a strong infusion of upper tier young talent so I think he will do some wheeling and dealing at the draft to hit a home run in the first round or make a trade for a young player like Jeff Carter.

[Tor-Rap-Tor]

Im starting to worry that were going to do something silly and draft a risky player like Tyler Myers or Kyle Beach at #7. I dont think were in any position to draft a bust/boom type of player considering how thin we are in our prospect pool. Id much rather go with the safe picks (Wilson, Hodgson, Boedker) then the two mentioned earlier. Hopefully Fletcher deals Kubina at the draft and we can grab one of Tedenby, Colby Robak, Colborne or Del Zotto. Fletcher has said over and over again that this team needs a strong infusion of upper tier young talent so I think he will do some wheeling and dealing at the draft to hit a home run in the first round or make a trade for a young player like Jeff Carter.

Well I'm not a big fan of Tyler Meyers but Kyle Beach is one of those players, that could become the steal of the draft, his draft position has been all over the board, last year he was even touted as being #1 until Stamkos just dominated and grabbed off the first choice on everyone's list. Beach has been up and down from 2nd to 13th and depending on who you talk to and read, they either love or hate him and like you say a bust or boom but he intrigues the heck out of me and I would hate to see him go to a team like Buffalo and just dominate...

I would love a deal sending Kubina to Chicago for the #12 pick and grab Beach there if he's still available, after taking the safe pick Hodgson at #7. I can dream but that would be the perfect draft also deal a 2nd and 3rd pick to to St Louis and move up to #33 and pick Jared Staal if he slips to the second round...

Ok I just woke up!

[Griff83]

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Well I'm not a big fan of Tyler Meyers but Kyle Beach is one of those players, that could become the steal of the draft, his draft position has been all over the board, last year he was even touted as being #1 until Stamkos just dominated and grabbed off the first choice on everyone's list. Beach has been up and down from 2nd to 13th and depending on who you talk to and read, they either love or hate him and like you say a bust or boom but he intrigues the heck out of me and I would hate to see him go to a team like Buffalo and just dominate...

I would love a deal sending Kubina to Chicago for the #12 pick and grab Beach there if he's still available, after taking the safe pick Hodgson at #7. I can dream but that would be the perfect draft also deal a 2nd and 3rd pick to to St Louis and move up to #33 and pick Jared Staal if he slips to the second round...

Ok I just woke up!

Beach has issues and alot of teammates have even said they didnt like the kid. He comes with too much baggage to risk such a high pick for a franchise like ours. He also hasnt been at the top of the for quite some time for several reasons including dissapearing at the end of the season. I also think your overrating Kubina a bit. I think he can get us another first rounder but certainly not a top 15 pick. Id think it would be a late first rounder if anything seeing how deep this draft is and the kind of talent you will get at #12-20. Id like to see something like this.

#7 Mikkel Boedker
#23 Colby Robak (washingtons pick)

Washington will prolly be looking to add a veteran defencemen to that team and Kubina would fit well on there blueline with a player like Green.

[Tor-Rap-Tor]

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Beach has issues and alot of teammates have even said they didnt like the kid. He comes with too much baggage to risk such a high pick for a franchise like ours. He also hasnt been at the top of the for quite some time for several reasons including dissapearing at the end of the season. I also think your overrating Kubina a bit. I think he can get us another first rounder but certainly not a top 15 pick. Id think it would be a late first rounder if anything seeing how deep this draft is and the kind of talent you will get at #12-20. Id like to see something like this.

#7 Mikkel Boedker
#23 Colby Robak (washingtons pick)

Washington will prolly be looking to add a veteran defencemen to that team and Kubina would fit well on there blueline with a player like Green.

Well I guess we disagree but your points are well stated and I do like Colby Robak but I think he will be gone if we picked #23, I'm not totally sold on Boedker he is fast and has a good shot but IMO Hodgson has a more rounded game and plays both ends of the ice and at the NHL level this is important. I think Hodgson, won't be quite as spectacular but will be a great building block and team leader and will have a better NHL career, having said that, if we take Boedker, Hodgson or Wilson, we will have a very good player and a great building block and I will be a satisfied fan...

Trading Kubina, in spite of what happened this year, he is a premier defenceman and If we did keep him, I suspect with a new coach in place, our defence will be pretty good (Maurice's system was terrible and made all our D look like bums). The reason for trading Kubina is to free up cap space and to get some young really good players for a rebuild but worth I guess is in the eye of the beholder...

Fletcher had something brewing at the deadline, that required Kubina waiving his NTC and I'm sure he will revisit this in the near future, so stay tuned...

[Griff83]

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Well I guess we disagree but your points are well stated and I do like Colby Robak but I think he will be gone if we picked #23, I'm not totally sold on Boedker he is fast and has a good shot but IMO Hodgson has a more rounded game and plays both ends of the ice and at the NHL level this is important. I think Hodgson, won't be quite as spectacular but will be a great building block and team leader and will have a better NHL career, having said that, if we take Boedker, Hodgson or Wilson, we will have a very good player and a great building block and I will be a satisfied fan...

Trading Kubina, in spite of what happened this year, he is a premier defenceman and If we did keep him, I suspect with a new coach in place, our defence will be pretty good (Maurice's system was terrible and made all our D look like bums). The reason for trading Kubina is to free up cap space and to get some young really good players for a rebuild but worth I guess is in the eye of the beholder...

Fletcher had something brewing at the deadline, that required Kubina waiving his NTC and I'm sure he will revisit this in the near future, so stay tuned...

Boedker has 3 elite level skills (Speed, shot and hands) and id say he's ahead of Hodgson in each of those 3 categories. In my mind Boedker has the 2nd/3rd most upside in this draft for forwards and arguable just as much as Filatov and I also dont see much bust potentially in Boedker seeing hes crazy fast and a smart kid. I could understand taking Hodgson for leadership reasons but if thats the case we should just take Colin Wilso who brings those same intanglibles plus the high level skills. Im just not convinced that Hodgson will be much more then a decent 2nd liner on the next level mosty due to his very very average skating.

Kubina is a good defencemen but saying he's a premier one is getting a lil carried away I think.

[Tor-Rap-Tor]

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Boedker has 3 elite level skills (Speed, shot and hands) and id say he's ahead of Hodgson in each of those 3 categories. In my mind Boedker has the 2nd/3rd most upside in this draft for forwards and arguable just as much as Filatov and I also dont see much bust potentially in Boedker seeing hes crazy fast and a smart kid. I could understand taking Hodgson for leadership reasons but if thats the case we should just take Colin Wilso who brings those same intanglibles plus the high level skills. Im just not convinced that Hodgson will be much more then a decent 2nd liner on the next level mosty due to his very very average skating.

Kubina is a good defencemen but saying he's a premier one is getting a lil carried away I think.

This is a well written column by Alec Brownscombe, that basically says exactly what we have been discussing in our assessments of Boebker and Hodgson, he too is undecided between the two players and if anything it has made me more indecisive in which to pick but it proves our assessment of both players is on the money and as he says it will come down to picking a center or a winger...

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=15463

[Griff83]

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This is a well written column by Alec Brownscombe, that basically says exactly what we have been discussing in our assessments of Boebker and Hodgson, he too is undecided between the two players and if anything it has made me more indecisive in which to pick but it proves our assessment of both players is on the money and as he says it will come down to picking a center or a winger...

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=15463

I will not be upset for one second if we select Hodgson seeing I think he will bring alot in terms of intanglibles and hes also a canadian. He is a safe pick in terms of obtaining a very usefull player on the next level im just not sure if I see much high end talent. Colin Wilson seems to not be getting much buzz and im wondering if thats because he played college hockey and not in the CHL. Theres been lots of talks between Leafs fans and Bluejackets fans on HFBoards for a possibly Kubina for Columbus's 2nd first round which they are getting from Colorado.

If we do aquire another first round in which this scenario it would be #19 I hope they take a long look at Colby Robak. Hes a big smooth skating defencemen with solid hands. Knows how to quarterback a PP and is one of the smoother players you will see with the puck. Some compare him to scott niedermayer.

[Tor-Rap-Tor]

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I will not be upset for one second if we select Hodgson seeing I think he will bring alot in terms of intanglibles and hes also a canadian. He is a safe pick in terms of obtaining a very usefull player on the next level im just not sure if I see much high end talent. Colin Wilson seems to not be getting much buzz and im wondering if thats because he played college hockey and not in the CHL. Theres been lots of talks between Leafs fans and Bluejackets fans on HFBoards for a possibly Kubina for Columbus's 2nd first round which they are getting from Colorado.

If we do aquire another first round in which this scenario it would be #19 I hope they take a long look at Colby Robak. Hes a big smooth skating defencemen with solid hands. Knows how to quarterback a PP and is one of the smoother players you will see with the puck. Some compare him to scott niedermayer.

If we do get the 19th pick from Columbus, I think Robak will be gone, in IMO he will go 13th, 14th, or 15th and looking at the players left, the talent level drops off after the 15th pretty dramatically but there could be a few players that are worth a look see...

Mattais Tedenby- Super fast, good shot, not good defensively but puts up big numbers and looks like a young Saku Koivu...

Colten Teubert - Good offensive D and tough could become a 1st pairing D and replace Kubina in the scheme of things...

Joe Colborne- A 6'5" good skating center, that will take some time to develop but has great up side, may turn out as a Joe Thornton type player...

I'm sure other posters here may disagree and have players they like better...

Draft happens in 23 days!...

[Griff83]

[quote="Tor-Rap-Tor"][/quote]

I really dont see either Tedenby or Teubert lasting to the 19th pick and think Robak has a better chance to be left there then those 2 guys. Theres a ton of defencemen available in the middle of the first round (Sbisa, Del Zotto, Teubert, Robak, Carlson) and id be fine with any of them at #19 but I think Robak could still possibly be there. If were going to go with a forward in that range id like one of Nemisz or Jordan Eberle. Eberle might be ranked Lower then that right now but I think he will be a steal whereever he is drafted outside of the top 15 picks.

anyways I hope the Leafs are busy on draft day and make the right moves unlike turning down a Steen+#13 pick for #2 last season.

[Tor-Rap-Tor]

Colin Wilson is opening eyes at the NHL Combine
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=239281& ... Story_main

[Griff83]

both kelowna rockets defencemen Schenn and Myers worry me a bit and I think both have higher bust potential then players like Wilson, Hodgson and Boedker. Id just have a hard time seeing us spend a top 7 pick on a guy who projects really nothing more then at best a shutdown defencemen who will contribute almost no offense. Best case scenario he turns out to be a Mike Komisarek but even Komisarek but up better offensive numbers in college hockey then Schenn did in the WHL. I looked it over again and most of the best shutdown down defenders in the league were never picked in the top 10 of a draft and most times where later in the first round or later rounds.

Myers scares me because I feel his recent rise has more to do about being huge and his possible potential then anything hes really shown in junior. He also doesnt look to have good hands at all and have heard lots of people say his hockey sense is very questionable and thats usually the deciding factor when you get players that big that can skate, can they think the game well? (Chara is a very smart player)/.

[whysoserious]

Does anyone think Sunding would waive his clause at this point to get his rights traded to another team and if so, what kind of draft pick could we pick up? Also, are there any RFA's out there that we could make a move to pick up like the Flyers did last year with Hartnell and Timonen?

I think shrewd moves like the above could really help further the process along for us.

[Griff83]

Does anyone think Sunding would waive his clause at this point to get his rights traded to another team and if so, what kind of draft pick could we pick up? Also, are there any RFA's out there that we could make a move to pick up like the Flyers did last year with Hartnell and Timonen?

I think shrewd moves like the above could really help further the process along for us.

what trade clause?

Sundins a UFA.

[Griff83]

actually you could be correct. I think this move would have to be made before July 1 tho.

[Griff83]

http://www.nhlentrydraft2008.com/featur ... videoID=31

^^Mikkel Boedker

http://www.nhlentrydraft2008.com/featur ... videoID=61

^^Colin Wilson

http://www.nhlentrydraft2008.com/featur ... videoID=36

^^Cody Hodgson

[whysoserious]

actually you could be correct. I think this move would have to be made before July 1 tho.

I saw it in an article from yesterday and that's what made me think of it. This could be applied to a few other guys but I think if done correctly we could still pick up some assets which could then be moved for another RFA a team thinks they won't be able to sign like Hartnell last season.

[Griff83]

Short Boedker clip

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qR_6yrF1eWs

[bryant08]

I want Wilson/Boedker out of the guys in our range (barring anyone dropping). Boedker is apparently a phenomenal skater and that interests me quite a bit. But Wilson's two game and leadership are not to be overlooked either.