- Nissin Cup Nudist
- Sep 3, 2011
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Sleep with one eye open
We're off to Gritty Gritty land
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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 ( ) 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,  45 GP, 32/52/82
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 
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Aug 11, 2020 00:54
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