2020 NHL Draft - Coronavirus Edition - The Something Awful Forums

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > 2020 NHL Draft - Coronavirus Edition

Nissin Cup Nudist: Sep 3, 2011; Can't post for 4 hours!

COVID-19 Edition!

Who What When Where Why How?

The 2020 NHL Draft is time time of year when all 31 NHL teams select babyfaced players to project their hopes and dreams on, only to watch them bust in a few years. This year, because of corona-chan, the draft will be held sometime in the future in an extremely online manner. Because of said virus, the Draft Lottery is different and more stupid than ever.

Alright, so who's eligible for this shinding?

�wikipedia� posted:

Ice hockey players born between January 1, 2000, and September 15, 2002, are eligible for selection in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft. Additionally, un-drafted, non-North American players born in 1999 are eligible for the draft; and those players who were drafted in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 30, 2000, are also eligible to re-enter the draft.

So who's #1?

The overwhelming favorite is

Alexis Lafreniere � 6'1", 192 lb, LW, Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL ( :quebec:

) 52 GP, 35/77/112

�last word on hockey� posted:

Skating
Lafreniere is a very good skater. He has very good speed, and pairs that with a stride that provides excellent acceleration and power. Lafreniere has a strong lower body, giving him excellent balance and making him tough to knock off the puck. He can fight through checks when carrying the puck and also wins battles along the boards. Lafreniere also has excellent agility and edgework. His ability to change directions allows him to fool defenders in one-on-one situations.

Offensive Game
Lafreniere also has great hands, allowing him to make plays at top speed. Lafreniere can be a playmaker with his great vision and passing skills. He anticipates plays extremely well and makes his linemates better. Able to control the puck down low on the cycle, Lafreniere can create time and space while his teammates get open. Once they do, he can make a quick tape-to-tape pass that sets up his teammate in a prime scoring position. He can control the play on the half-boards, playing the role of a modern power-play quarterback.

Lafreniere is also a natural goal scorer. He can put the puck in the net in a variety of ways. He drives hard to the net and uses quick hands to beat goalies. His wrist shot is strong and accurate and he can score from further out. He can also play the power game, getting to rebounds and creating havoc out front. He is strong on the boards and wins battles for loose pucks. His smarts, strength, and quickness also make him an effective forechecker. Lafreniere is a prodigious talent with everything NHL teams are looking for.

Defensive Game
When Lafreniere is on the ice at the junior level, he drives the play. This makes it difficult to truly assess his defensive game, as it is not often that his line gets pinned in their own end of the ice. That said, he has shown the willingness to backcheck effectively and help his team get the puck back and turn on the offence. He brings his strength and physicality in all three zones. Lafreniere also uses his outstanding hockey sense to read the play. He is often in the right position, to intercept a pass or create a turnover and start an offensive transition.

Projection and Comparison
Lafreniere can become a franchise player. He has everything one would look for in offensive player, skating, size, skill and smarts. This makes him the unquestioned number one prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft class. Lafreniere should come straight into the NHL next season and be a contender for the Calder Trophy. A mature player, he can eventually become a leader on his team. In terms of a style comparison, he plays the game similarly to Vincent Lecavalier, if he were a winger. This is a stylistic comparison only though and not one based on talent or ability.

If whoever lands the #1 pick really believes in position or age theory and massively overthinks this selection, they will most likely select

Quinton Byfield - 6'4", 214 lb, C, Sudbury Wolves, OHL, :canada:

45 GP, 32/52/84

�last word on hockey� posted:

Skating
Byfield has everything that teams want in a prospect. The big centre (already 6-foot-4 and still growing) is a tremendous skater. He moves extremely well, not just for a big man, but compared to all players. His speed and acceleration help Byfield to create in the transition game as well as to get back defensively and play a 200-foot game. He also has very good agility and edgework, making him dangerous in one-on-one situations. Byfield is strong on the puck, he can fight through checks and get to the dirty areas of the ice. He is also able to use his size and strength to win battles along the boards as well as to establish his position in front of the net.

Offensive Game
Byfield also has the hands to make moves with the puck while travelling at that top speed. This makes him extremely dangerous in the transition game. Byfield can be a goal scorer, with an excellent wrist shot, quick release and a very good one-timer. He also has the soft hands to finish in close to the net. He understands how to get open and find space without the puck. Byfield is very good at give-and-go style plays.

Byfield is also an excellent playmaker. He has the vision and hockey IQ to anticipate where his linemates will be and to set them up for scoring chances. He is capable of controlling the puck and quarterbacking the play on the power play. Byfield uses his size to protect the puck and extend plays. He can also play a physical game, getting in quickly on the forecheck and forcing turnovers which he quickly turns into scoring chances. Byfield is not afraid to battle in front of the net and to fight for loose pucks in the corners. His size and strength are impressive, even when facing opponents who are up to three years older.

Defensive Game
Byfield is also already well-developed in his own end of the ice, playing a strong defensive game. He uses his size and his long stick to cut down on passing lanes and create turnovers. He also uses his physical size and strength to support the defence down low, helping to cut out the opponent�s cycle game. Byfield is a smart player. He is strong positionally and provides effective backpressure when defending against the rush. He is good in the face-off circle as well.
Projection and Comparison

Projection and Comparison
Byfield has the size and power that makes NHL general managers drool. He combines that with high-end hockey IQ and an extremely high skill level. Byfield has the potential to be a franchise defining centre at the next level. He seems to be NHL ready and should be in competing for a spot in his new team�s training camp next season. However, it may take a year or two before he is ready to be a first-line centre. His game resembles that of�Pittsburgh Penguins�centre�Evgeni Malkin. This is a stylistic comparison only though and not one based on skill and ability.

Which (un)fortunate teams gets to draft these young men?

This lotto format is so stupid. Why the gently caress is 1OA going to a team with 79 points? gently caress the NHL, gently caress the Rangers, gently caress. Poor one out for Detroit, who were objectively abysmal but will pick at 4 and Ottawa, who could have had 1/2, but will end up with 3/5 instead. Tim Stutzle isn�t bad, but what could have been

Congrats to Lafreniere for presumably torching the Flyers for the next 15 years. gently caress.

Who else is good?

Cory Pronman from the Athletic

Steve Kornianos from Draft Anlayst

Tankathon.com

Anything else I should know

This is somewhat of a down year for lottery-talent defensemen outside of Jamie Drysdale, which means there could be a massive run on forwards early and often, or some hilarious reach picks from defense-needy club. Yarsolav Askarov is also supposedly the best goalie prospect in forever, so watchout for the rare Top-10 goalie pick. Spencer Knight went 14? last year and Askarov will probably go higher than that, considering his talent and the noted lack of defensemen. Goalies are voodoo.

Because of the whole global pandemic thing, all the post season tournaments got cancelled, along with some scouting contracts, so this means some/most teams don�t have quite as much info as they would like. What does this mean for the draft? I dunno. This could result in some very off-board moves, as teams really like a local kid they saw a lot of and have more info on

I hate this loving coronavirus lottery so much

Philly should always host the draft. https://www.instagram.com/p/pw9p34EbfZ/

Happy Drafting

Nissin Cup Nudist fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Aug 11, 2020

# ? Aug 11, 2020 00:52

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 14:47

Matt Zerella: Oct 7, 2002; Norris'es are back baby. It's good again. Awoouu (fox Howl)

The coronavirus lottery was awesome. I liked it a lot!

# ? Aug 11, 2020 01:00

Kilza: Oct 4, 2013

Goalies are voodoo, so watch the Oilers end up drafting Askarov and having him never play an NHL game :v:

# ? Aug 11, 2020 01:10

Scaramouche: Mar 26, 2001; SPACE FACE! SPACE FACE!

Shouldn't Byfields stat line be 84 instead of 82?

# ? Aug 11, 2020 02:03

Nissin Cup Nudist: Sep 3, 2011; Can't post for 4 hours!

Scaramouche posted:

Shouldn't Byfields stat line be 84 instead of 82?

eh whatever, math is overrated

fixed, thanks

# ? Aug 11, 2020 02:05

OldSenileGuy: Mar 13, 2001

Devils should draft Askarov so all three tri-state area teams have a Russian Goalie rivalry for the next decade.

# ? Aug 11, 2020 04:27

Kilza: Oct 4, 2013

https://twitter.com/TSNBobMcKenzie/status/1293603262944489474

# ? Aug 12, 2020 18:43

Nissin Cup Nudist: Sep 3, 2011; Can't post for 4 hours!

DJExile posted:

https://twitter.com/CraigCustance/status/1298682928889827329

RIP Coyotes. They don't have a 1, 2, or 3 in 2020 and their 1 and 3 in 2021. Yowza

Wonder if Chyaka would have survived this if he hadn't quit first

Nissin Cup Nudist fucked around with this message at 20:15 on Aug 26, 2020

# ? Aug 26, 2020 19:33

ThinkTank: Oct 23, 2007

Did that supposed super sports job of his materialize?

# ? Aug 26, 2020 19:40

Kilza: Oct 4, 2013

https://twitter.com/CapFriendly/status/1302426282353983489

# ? Sep 6, 2020 03:07

Nissin Cup Nudist: Sep 3, 2011; Can't post for 4 hours!

Scott Wheeler updated his Top 100 Big Board, not a big fan of Stutzle. https://theathletic.com/2019544/2020/09/21/wheeler-updated-ranking-for-the-2020-nhl-drafts-top-100-prospects/

Also a beat write mock draft https://theathletic.com/2072618/2020/09/21/nhl-staff-mock-draft-2020-changes-in-the-top-three-plus-an-audit-by-nhl-scouts/

Only registered members can see post attachments!

# ? Sep 25, 2020 01:25

Hand Knit: Oct 24, 2005; Beer Loses more than a game Sunday ...
We lost our Captain, our Teammate, our Friend Kelly Calabro...
Rest in Peace my friend you will be greatly missed..

Even Corey Pronman fans must think "and why should we care what Scott Wheeler says?"

# ? Sep 25, 2020 01:33

clean ayers act: Aug 13, 2007; How do I shot puck!?

Im guessing the Wings take Rossi.
It will be fun to see who takes Askarov too high

# ? Sep 25, 2020 23:43

Koopa Kid: Aug 21, 2007

Hand Knit posted:

Even Corey Pronman fans must think "and why should we care what Scott Wheeler says?"

His origin story is basically �concussions destroyed his brain in high school but he still wanted to do something hockey related so his parents paid all his expenses for years to watch minor league games and write articles for free� right?

He has no record of success and his writing is completely unmemorable. At least Pronman had the distinction of �guy who didn�t underrate small forwards in 2011,� even if all he has now is desperate attempts to get clicks by claiming the consensus #2 is better than the #1 every other year.

# ? Sep 26, 2020 03:31

Twin Cinema: Jun 1, 2006; Playoffs are no big deal,
don't have a crap attack.

I didn�t realize this forum had turned on Pronman.

Other than Laine, who is another second overall that he thought was better than the first?

# ? Sep 27, 2020 15:46

clean ayers act: Aug 13, 2007; How do I shot puck!?

I appreciate Pronman because he atleast writes an article every year looking back at his draft rankings and identifying where he was wrong

# ? Sep 27, 2020 16:21

Hand Knit: Oct 24, 2005; Beer Loses more than a game Sunday ...
We lost our Captain, our Teammate, our Friend Kelly Calabro...
Rest in Peace my friend you will be greatly missed..

clean ayers act posted:

I appreciate Pronman because he atleast writes an article every year looking back at his draft rankings and identifying where he was wrong

Pronman is willing to talk about how he evaluates, which I really like. However, he's very much someone who just rose to prominence just by being online. When it comes to the description part of scouting�identifying the characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of particular players�I don't know that I actually trust him. Like, I've never gotten anything from him that's impressed me in the same way that I was impressed by Craig loving Button sitting down and talking about MacKinnon/Drouin/Jones for half an hour. Like sure, Button got the evaluation wrong (he preferred Jones at 1-1 for "can't teach size" reasons), but he was absolutely great at the descriptive part. I've yet to see anything like that from Pronman.

e: which reminds me, for Pronman misses at the top of the draft, he had Drouin 1-1 that year.

# ? Sep 27, 2020 20:59

Nissin Cup Nudist: Sep 3, 2011; Can't post for 4 hours!

Hand Knit posted:

Pronman is willing to talk about how he evaluates, which I really like. However, he's very much someone who just rose to prominence just by being online. When it comes to the description part of scouting—identifying the characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses of particular players—I don't know that I actually trust him. Like, I've never gotten anything from him that's impressed me in the same way that I was impressed by Craig loving Button sitting down and talking about MacKinnon/Drouin/Jones for half an hour. Like sure, Button got the evaluation wrong (he preferred Jones at 1-1 for "can't teach size" reasons), but he was absolutely great at the descriptive part. I've yet to see anything like that from Pronman.

e: which reminds me, for Pronman misses at the top of the draft, he had Drouin 1-1 that year.

Seth Jones is a very good hockey player, so Button wasn't off by much. And tbf, it took MacKinnon 4-5 years to become the 90+ point monster he is today.

Drouin is a woof tho

# ? Sep 27, 2020 21:12

Twin Cinema: Jun 1, 2006; Playoffs are no big deal,
don't have a crap attack.

What impresses me about Pronman is his willingness to go back and reevaluate, like what clean ayers said. I have never really noticed the descriptions in the same way you said, mostly because ten paragraphs on a prospect does make my eyes glaze over, unless they are connected to the Leafs. Does this make my opinion worthless? Perhaps! But, Pronman writes content in a way that keeps my attention, so take that as you will.

As for 2013, wasn�t it a pretty tight 1-3? I don�t remember MacKinnon being the overwhelming #1.

# ? Sep 27, 2020 21:36

grack: Jan 10, 2012; COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!

ThinkTank posted:

Did that supposed super sports job of his materialize?

There has been zero news about him signing with another team.

# ? Sep 27, 2020 21:40

Hand Knit: Oct 24, 2005; Beer Loses more than a game Sunday ...
We lost our Captain, our Teammate, our Friend Kelly Calabro...
Rest in Peace my friend you will be greatly missed..

Nissin Cup Nudist posted:

Seth Jones is a very good hockey player, so Button wasn't off by much.

The point is that Button accurately described Jones, but when it came to preferring one player over another, he gave really lovely reasons (big body presence, leadership spirit, etc). I trust myself to prefer one player over another based on accurate descriptions. What I know I absolutely cannot do is accurately describe a player on the level that an actual scout does. For similar reasons, then, I'm not all that bothered by things like overvaluing size, or undervaluing small guys who can skate well.

Nissin Cup Nudist posted:

And tbf, it took MacKinnon 4-5 years to become the 90+ point monster he is today.

Drouin is a woof tho

Drouin has yet to come all that close to having a season as productive as MacKinnon's age 18 season. I think that Pronman has issued a fairly serious recrimination about his evaluation of Drouin, saying he really undervalued skating and didn't appreciate how Drouin's ability to hold possession�especially coming off the boards�depended on playing smaller junior players. That ability to connect "possession" to a set of identifiable technical skills in a particular context is something that I find far more valuable than someone with an understanding of analytics saying "this person does possession good therefore they are good."

Hand Knit fucked around with this message at 22:38 on Sep 27, 2020

# ? Sep 27, 2020 22:36

Schremp Howard: Jul 18, 2010; What attitude problem?

Twin Cinema posted:

What impresses me about Pronman is his willingness to go back and reevaluate, like what clean ayers said. I have never really noticed the descriptions in the same way you said, mostly because ten paragraphs on a prospect does make my eyes glaze over, unless they are connected to the Leafs. Does this make my opinion worthless? Perhaps! But, Pronman writes content in a way that keeps my attention, so take that as you will.

As for 2013, wasn�t it a pretty tight 1-3? I don�t remember MacKinnon being the overwhelming #1.

I think Jones was actually the top ranked prospect by CSS, and then you had the narrative of him growing up in Denver and being an Avs fan so it was fun to imagine him going there. But then Mac went first and Florida surprised people by taking Barkov, and Drouin was seen to be a can't miss talent who could be #1, so Tampa took him. Everyone thought Nashville was finally going to get an elite forward prospect, but they were smart to take Jones.

# ? Sep 28, 2020 01:15

corn on the cop: Oct 12, 2012; Break what must be broken, once for all, that's all, and take the suffering on oneself.

â Corey Dostoyevsky

the draft rumors are flying around, and i would personally like one lucas raymond or marco rossi

# ? Sep 28, 2020 01:30

Scaramouche: Mar 26, 2001; SPACE FACE! SPACE FACE!

corn on the cop posted:

the draft rumors are flying around, and i would personally like one lucas raymond or marco rossi

You get... Marco Raymond, Mason Raymond's italian cousin

# ? Sep 28, 2020 22:55

grack: Jan 10, 2012; COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!

Scaramouche posted:

You get... Marco Raymond, Mason Raymond's italian cousin

Also crashes awkwardly in to the end boards on every rush, but with more wild hand gestures.

# ? Sep 29, 2020 00:06

andy_social: Oct 29, 2008

My daughter, who is just starting first year university, was in Justin Barron's class all through public school, in case anyone is wondering what the next tier of feeling old is after you've adjusted to all the players already in the league being younger than you.

# ? Sep 29, 2020 01:00

Twin Cinema: Jun 1, 2006; Playoffs are no big deal,
don't have a crap attack.

andy_social posted:

My daughter, who is just starting first year university, was in Justin Barron's class all through public school, in case anyone is wondering what the next tier of feeling old is after you've adjusted to all the players already in the league being younger than you.

I can wait for this. Right now, I am at the stage where players my age are considered veterans.

# ? Sep 29, 2020 01:29

Levitate: Sep 30, 2005; randy newman voice

YOU'VE GOT A LAFRENI�RE IN ME

Players my age are either retired or everyone is bitching that they suck and need to retire

# ? Sep 29, 2020 04:33

corn on the cop: Oct 12, 2012; Break what must be broken, once for all, that's all, and take the suffering on oneself.

â Corey Dostoyevsky

my draft class would have been 2007, alongside spry veterans like pk subban and kevin shattenkirk

# ? Sep 29, 2020 05:10

AsInHowe: Jan 11, 2007; red winged angel

When the Wings last won in 2008, I went to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I ended up in a pizza line with five top prospects, there in Detroit to film a thing for Coach's Corner. Got to split a Joe Louis Arena pizza with one of those guys, Steven Stamkos.

# ? Sep 29, 2020 05:22

DJExile: Jun 28, 2007

AsInHowe posted:

When the Wings last won in 2008, I went to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I ended up in a pizza line with five top prospects, there in Detroit to film a thing for Coach's Corner. Got to split a Joe Louis Arena pizza with one of those guys, Steven Stamkos.

I'm not saying I 100% doubt this but... yeah I 100% doubt this.

E: vvvv lmao

DJExile fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Sep 29, 2020

# ? Sep 29, 2020 17:22

Matt Zerella: Oct 7, 2002; Norris'es are back baby. It's good again. Awoouu (fox Howl)

And then everyone stood up and said "Pizza Pizza"

# ? Sep 29, 2020 17:27

Kilza: Oct 4, 2013

https://twitter.com/PR_NHL/status/1310988551799046144

Draft order has officially been set

# ? Sep 29, 2020 18:07

Koopa Kid: Aug 21, 2007

Matt Zerella posted:

And then everyone stood up and said "Pizza Pizza"

I choose to believe this

# ? Sep 29, 2020 18:36

OldSenileGuy: Mar 13, 2001

guess what folks it�s

L A F R E N I E R E

S Z N

# ? Sep 29, 2020 20:48

clean ayers act: Aug 13, 2007; How do I shot puck!?

AsInHowe posted:

When the Wings last won in 2008, I went to Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I ended up in a pizza line with five top prospects, there in Detroit to film a thing for Coach's Corner. Got to split a Joe Louis Arena pizza with one of those guys, Steven Stamkos.

Who are the wings drafting this year

# ? Sep 30, 2020 21:13

clean ayers act: Aug 13, 2007; How do I shot puck!?

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2020/10/01/detroit-red-wings-steve-yzerman-nhl-draft-prospects/5885454002/

quote:

Prospects said director of amateur scouting Kris Draper asked the questions in Zoom calls. Cole Perfetti described his interaction with Yzerman as �limited � for the most part he�s had his camera off and very quiet, just kind of listening and taking notes. He didn�t really ask anything.�

Asked about his strategy Thursday, Yzerman didn�t even hesitate.

�I was doing yoga for most of the interviews,� Yzerman said. �I was trying to not be a distraction.�

Honestly surprised Yzerman can even do yoga without a knee

# ? Oct 2, 2020 00:04

AsInHowe: Jan 11, 2007; red winged angel

clean ayers act posted:

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2020/10/01/detroit-red-wings-steve-yzerman-nhl-draft-prospects/5885454002/

Honestly surprised Yzerman can even do yoga without a knee

What a great, great quote.

quote:

Yzerman laughed, then admitted he couldn�t remember why he might not have taken a more active role.

�There was a lot going on,� he said. �The only reason I might have been muted at that time would have been because I was on another call or whatnot. Or, quite frankly, I�ve got an older dog that barks pretty much for no reason whatsoever, so a lot of times I was simply muting my microphone for that reason.�

# ? Oct 2, 2020 01:39

Spring Break My Heart: Feb 15, 2012

Some TSN guy theorized that the Sens would take Askarov 5th. No Thank You

# ? Oct 6, 2020 16:31

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 14:47

i am the bird: Mar 2, 2005; I SUPPORT ALL THE PREDATORS

Spring Break My Heart posted:

Some TSN guy theorized that the Sens would take Askarov 5th. No Thank You

Detroit's been linked to Perfetti for months but the Askarov narrative has started to pick up for them as well, which is not reassuring to me!

# ? Oct 6, 2020 18:11

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