Picking winners and losers immediately after the entry draft is always a risky game. You can control your heart with all the game tapes, pre-draft rankings and expert analysis, but there is no guarantee that things will get planned. It often takes years to find out if a player is booming or buses … sometimes it takes us years to see it at a pro level.
Of course, that doesn’t stop anyone from giving feedback taken as early as possible, so I reject the opportunity to provide totally unequivocal praise or criticism? With the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft coming down on Tuesday night, here are some of the winners and losers who could float down the years in exposure to Old Tax.
Winner: New York Rangers
They shut themselves down as winners as soon as they won the lottery earlier this summer. With the top pick they land Alexis Lefrenier, an undoubted top overall prospect and potential pay generation talent. The young winger is a dynamic, well-rounded playmaker who can beat you in a variety of ways. He’s a great shooter, a great passer-by, has elite hands and isn’t afraid to go into dirty areas.
With Lefreiner at the top of the draft, the Rangers secured themselves another huge building block for the future and he should no longer be a game-changer in New York.
Winner: Quinton Bayfield
There was the question of which center the Los Angeles Kings would take to No. 2 overall pick, Bayfield or Tim Stutzel, but eventually they went with Bayfield. That’s a big deal for Bayfield, and not just because he has the right to brag about Stutzl or because he lives in Los Angeles instead of Ottawa. Going second overall, Bayfield became the most composed black player in NHL history. (Evender Kane and Seth Jones, both of whom were placed in the fourth draft of their respective drafts, shared the record before Tuesday.)
Winner: Ottawa Senators
Yes, the senators did a very solid first round that took them to three promising prospects (Stutzl, Jack Sanderson and Ridley Gregg) who should help build for the future. They also announced the most notable draft of the night when they registered Alex Trabec for the third overall selection.
It was the coolest and most creative moment of the first round on Tuesday and the senators deserve a lot of credit for getting out of the box in a fantastic draft year. It’s also an incentive for the #brand and over the past few years senators have built one of the worst performing organizations in hockey (both on ice and in terms of PR).
Winner: Minnesota Wild
There seems to be at least one talented prospect who is taken later than expected thanks to a lack of size, despite the fact that they have produced and excelled at almost every level leading up to the draft. Those players mostly enter the league with a chip on their shoulder and seem foolish to suspect teams.
That player in this year’s draft could be Marco Rossi, who went to the Minnesota Wild with ninth overall pick. As a 5 ft-9 centimeter, its height is low but its offensive ability is quite remarkable and it is an animal in a weight room.
Rossi led CHL with 122 points in gamesL games last season and could jump straight into the NHL and make an immediate contribution to the wild.
Loser: Columbus Blue Jackets
The Red Wings surprised us by taking Lucas Raymond to fourth overall, but the biggest surprise of the first round was unquestionably provided by Columbus in 21st. The Blue Jackets were chosen by Russian winger Yegor Chinakhov with that choice – a selection board that appeared so far away that it resulted in chaos that looked like this:
Columbus apparently likes him something in Chinakov – general manager Jarmo Kekalenen said CBJ has him in his top 10 prospects – but he was probably able to get them much later. According to EliteProspectus, Chinakhov was ranked 59th by Craig Button and 173rd by McCain Hockey.
It may be too early to criticize a player but it is not too early to criticize a pick. I’m all for jumping on the player you really like in the beginning, but when he’s off the board it’s wise to employ some prudent asset management, perhaps by trading later or using it before someone else finds him later.
Losers: Trade-seekers
It’s always fun to see where the prospects go (and when), the bulk of the play and the intensity of the draft day revolve around the prospect of a big trade. Teams often use their draft capital to make a big splash on the trading market and it looks like it has a lot of potential to happen on Tuesday.
Unfortunately, no aspect.
There were four deals on Draft Knight but all were peak swaps and all had relatively “omph” factor.
Winner: Nashville Predators
One of the more interesting storylines heading into the draft was where Yaroslav Askarov would end up. The Goliaths don’t often go to the first round, but the Scouts have expressed about Askarov, with many calling him the best targeted prospect from Carey Price. If that turns out to be remotely true, the Predators made themselves a huge difference-maker with the 11th overall pick.
If he can prepare to go in a few years, Eskarov also meets the need for prades. Their franchise netminder Pecca Rinney is declining, while Juventus Saros took over the responsibility of the starter between the pipes last season. The two men’s contracts expire later this season, so if Askarov continues to impress himself, he may get a chance sooner rather than later.
Losers: Washington Washington Capitals
The Caps had a big gamble on Tuesday night when they traded to pick Hendrix Lapier with the 22nd overall pick. It’s a move that is likely to pay big dividends, as some saw Lapierre as the top 10 or top 15 talent in this year’s class. But he has found out about the health issues associated with his head and neck. According to Athletic, Lapierre was diagnosed with malignant cancer that had movement-like symptoms.
Naturally, Washington Shingt felt so comfortable turning the dice for Lapier’s high ceilings, and I can usually stay behind. To do this while they were trading (a little harder to tumble) (choose Calgary No. 24 and No. 80). That’s not a big price to pay to move on in a few places, but it means the next choice of caps won’t be until the fourth round. Unless they trade in the next two rounds, they are gambling their entire draft on a guy with the biggest red flag.
Loser: Product value
You have to make some sacrifices when you make a full draft virtual, but to avoid some the NHL should spend a little on high quality webmax or high quality internet connections (looking at you, Winnipeg). The mess that we saw Tuesday night.
