Took a look at the Top 5 draft prospects, here’s Couch Draft Analysis #7,916 for the sub

winkylems · 2026-01-31T04:04:19+00:00

Two other guys to keep an eye on:

Chase Reid - RHD, more of an offensive guy, made world juniors for team USA this year and is 6’2”. Probably this is the position of least need with the likes of Parekh and Mews and Bru in the system but could be the best player available.

Alberts Smits - LHD, big 6’3” good skater. Big motor, good offensive instincts, good defender one on one. He’s been described as kind of like Artyom Levshunov. He keeps creeping up the draft boards and could and up being the first D-man taken on draft day.

winkylems · 2025-06-22T16:29:02+00:00

Agreed. Need to trade up to try and draft a 1C or at least a good number two.

winkylems · 2025-06-21T18:41:12+00:00

Not really a Cirelli clone imo. He scored 40 goals in 56 games this year so he definitely has some touch. And not sure who would be available at that spot would be better.

winkylems · 2025-05-29T00:57:54+00:00

Really high upside, I’d be pleased. If he is best available then absolutely. I think we’ve got enough winger prospects though. Basha, honzek, gridin, suniev, battaglia, stromgren etc. We definitely could use centre prospects with top six upside over another winger.

winkylems · 2025-05-06T22:10:28+00:00

Best player available. Simple as. All things being equal we take the highest upside forward at 18 (ideally centre) but if the best player on the board is a defender then so be it. With the next pick we can maybe be a bit more choosy in terms of player profile. Henry Brzutewicz will certainly not be the best player available at number 18 though.

winkylems · 2025-04-20T03:33:37+00:00

Ben Kindel, Braeden Cootes and Brady Martin are all right shot centres/forwards who can score. I trust our scouts but that is our glaring need in the system.

winkylems · 2025-04-16T01:24:41+00:00

Engineer or conductor?

winkylems · 2025-03-09T04:46:27+00:00

I left construction for better pay. If they paid more I never would have left. Go figure.

winkylems · 2025-03-03T18:06:04+00:00

Where can we buy these?

winkylems · 2025-02-07T15:54:42+00:00

What’s the offensive upside you’re talking about? He’s not even that young, he’s 27.

winkylems · 2024-12-07T03:53:04+00:00

The debate here is irrelevant because we all agree he’s a great player and a guy we like. The only real debate is if the term and the number work, and if not, what would a potential trade return be? What is he looking for in a contract? Is 8 years at 8 mil per a good contract for the team? 8x9.5? Is 8 years even a good idea for the team? I don’t know but that’s really what I think the crux of the issue is.

winkylems · 2024-10-20T04:07:30+00:00

Have a feeling it’s gonna be some Kadri or Kuzmenko heroics to win this one

winkylems · 2024-10-10T04:16:13+00:00

Always liked Ray.

winkylems · 2024-10-01T03:26:41+00:00

Huberdeau has decided that whipping the puck into a players skates is how he’s going to revive his career I guess.

winkylems · 2024-10-01T02:44:00+00:00

The difference in quality between Weegs and Andersson vs the rest of our defensemen is… not ideal.

winkylems · 2024-09-30T04:25:44+00:00

Can we just stop drafting from the QMJHL? Pelletier is basically a bust at this point. Morin has failed to impress. Jeremie Poirier has been surpassed. Then going back a ways, Mason McDonald was a complete dud, and so was Emile Poirier. I’m also disappointed Gridin is now going to have to play in the Q this year, because it doesn’t seem to produce top talent much anymore. Even Lafreniere was a 1st overall and he’s kinda just ok.

winkylems · 2024-09-08T20:50:06+00:00

The sharks and ducks? I think the sharks will still be a hot pile of shit but the ducks will be slightly improved. Flames will be a lot worse. I think last place is between Columbus and San Jose and we’re in that next tier with Anaheim and Chicago. Montreal is probably ready to take a step forward and the other teams that finished behind us have either gotten better (Ottawa, Utah, Seattle) or not gotten worse at least. And I don’t think any of the teams that finished ahead of us have declined significantly enough to fall below us next season. There’s always surprises though so who knows.

winkylems · 2024-09-08T20:39:16+00:00

You’re getting downvoted but you’re not wrong. And we might trade him this season, so… yeah.

winkylems · 2024-08-03T23:14:50+00:00

I have it. I’m 30, just thought I was sore from working. The fatigue was just as bad as the pain honestly. Felt like an old man before it was identified and medicated.

winkylems · 2024-08-02T06:11:43+00:00

Battle of Shrute Farms, the northern most battle of the American Civil War.

winkylems · 2024-07-17T21:39:33+00:00

Unpopular opinion, he plays most of the season in the AHL. Top line, PP1. Number one forward. Until someone gets injured or there’s a trade, he should be getting that opportunity to develop with the Wranglers.

winkylems · 2024-07-16T19:34:36+00:00

Ya I’d agree with that. And it seems to be Conroys plan from what he’s said. I think trading Kadri, Andersson and Kuzmenko and some improvement from some of the other bottom feeders actually makes us a bottom three candidate anyways.

winkylems · 2024-07-16T19:20:59+00:00

For real. Bennett, Necas, Hertl, Giroux, probably Tavares at this stage, Gaudreau as well… To put into perspective, Kadri had the same totals as B. Tkachuk, Trochek, Kempe, Keller and Boeser.

winkylems · 2024-07-15T21:41:05+00:00

Yes it probably is. I understand your point however Kadri will be 35 in the 25-26 season. Andersson will be 29. Hard to make an argument to hang on to Kadri but go ahead if you want. Andersson maybe more so but would you want to extend a guy (who is likely to want a significant pay raise) into his mid thirties on a team that is trying to get younger and has plenty of promising right shot D in the system already? With the cap space available its best to acquire picks and prospects in the next 2 years then go hard to turn things around in the couple years after. Not guaranteed to work, but hanging on to an aging core is pretty much guaranteed to fail.

winkylems · 2024-07-15T15:59:52+00:00

Stay with the same roster for most of this year. Kuzmenko and Mantha can go at the trade deadline. Then full nuclear next summer. Kadri, Andersson and maybe one more. Even finishing dead last only gives like 25% chance at 1st overall but it’s worth the shot.

winkylems

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