Yup. Does Joki no longer look like a top 4D?

No, he does to me. I think him and Dahlin are both struggling to be consistent on a non-competive team. They both step up big time in games where the forward core and goalies are actually putting in the work. Definitely my top pair of the future as of right now.

I wish the Sabres bring back their black/ red Sabres unis then draft solid.

Would be a great team to watch in some sick jerseys. JJP Quinn Krebs all coming soon. Cozens playing well. It’s gonna be a interesting team to follow when your back end is rock solid.

Buffalo may not be able to trade for Carlo or Cernak but Jiricek is a better player than those 2 and has offence to him. That’s who Dahlin needs to play with

What an effort from Koivunen, holy crap

Bobby Mac conducted a quick pre-WJC flash poll of eight scouts to rank the top 10 2022 NHL draft prospects playing in the WJC. Here is that top 10.

Edit:

Obviously guys like Miroshnichenko, Geekie, Savoie, Nazar and Howard, amongst other potential Top 10 picks, well, they’re not playing in the WJC.

I know teams are finally catching on to the value of guys like Middleton/ Rutta (more bang for your buck) or Cernak/ Carlo (they’re more valuable). I don’t think they got forgotten but maybe “lost?”.

We all know Methot/ Karlsson was a pair made in heaven and not many teams have been able to find that - *😤HMPH 😤 * consistently.

Now with Middleton - Karlsson you’re seeing a dominant a top pair in the league. Allowing Karlsson to thrive. And similar to Hedman/ Rutta. They just worked. Rutta ain’t worth 5 mil. Neither is Middleton. But man they’re gonna sign for 1-2mil but provide irreplaceable value. Then you have guys like Cernak Carlo who are just more dynamic/ talented versions but still show you that you don’t need to be a elite player to have a near elite impact. It’s hard to really quantify how that makes sense.

Middleton rn is probably gonna get a new contract of 1-2 aav but for 2-5 years. So if he’s being paid 10m total, he’s really allowing Karlsson to thrive and giving the team a huge bang for your buck and providing an intangible value.

Exactly.
Quinn Hughes-Carlo or Dahlin-Carlo would be a match made in heaven. And so would Chychrun/Girard with Seider

Lambert 5 assists in just under 2 games now

Elite

And a goal now lol

He scored while sitting down

7-1 Finland

Rip Austria

Poor Austrian goalie, their team is getting cleaned out.

I don’t think this is good for Finland tho. They’re gaining confidence but they haven’t had their goalie really tested (he played well in the German game) and they haven’t faced a competitive team. Germany played damn well but they ain’t a “competitive” medal team.

They're using 3G in this match though. Don't think Jatkola's going to play any more games in this tournament

I’d add in Alexandre Carrier, criminally under rated.

Did Neimela of Hirvonen get any points? (I was working on making a rink so I don't know).

I think Wright is really similar to Crosby. Though I don't think he'll be quite as good. I think Michkov will be extremely good, and he looked great in the Russia VS Sweden game. Bedard is going to be good, but I think people are kinda getting a little too excited about him right now. And he's pretty small.

WJC has been fun

The one player who I have been watching is Joel Määttä

Yes hes not gonna be a first or second round pick kind of player but I believe he fits what we need in the future.

Hes been having fun this tournament so far and is showing hes not just a current Riley Nash kind of player.

Niemela just 1G. Hirvonen nothing

Niemela got a goal

Topi Niemela (TOR) scores his first goal of the tournament. pic.twitter.com/bCoU1uzP6e

— Kevin Papetti (@KPapetti) December 27, 2021

What position

2-Way Center who focuses more on Defense

But there is offensive upside as we are seeing this WJC

Finland has almost as many goals (7) as Austria has shots (9)

Size don’t matter. Not saying you’re like “these people”. But so many Scouts and people degrade prospects based on size. But man Caufield, Debrincat, Marchand, Gaudreau. These are players who are have learned to play with their size. Even Eklund; watch Eklunds first NHL game vs Jets. Just an easy example (recent draft, kinda small but high value prospect);

Eklund has clearly learned to play around not being large and not being physical and being a target to the other team.

Bedards skill and ceiling are undeniable. If he can expose teams in his play, his size won’t matter. The worry should be if he can’t learn to play his game with his size in the NHL. Guys like Marchand Gaudreau Debrincat have. Caufield is going to learnfull time and has shown that he can. Eklund showed that he can and has been reassigned with a direct assignment to add lean muscle (not get bigger but get stronger and some weight).

Players with these IQ’s levels often learn to adapt and that’s why we see “wow HOW DID CAUFIELD FALL SO FAR???!!!”

It’s because these guys have an insane IQ level we shouldn’t think they can’t adapt. If you’re a small player with a low IQ than maybe that’s a worry. But often these small players are incredibly high IQ players which is why they so often make teams regret passing on them. These guys don’t think the game the same as us. They don’t see the game same as us. They are solving puzzles basically at 20mph on the ice. Because that’s how they survive and how they thrive.

It happens every year, small player high talent high iq falls because small -> small player high talent high iq thrives and becomes a steal because he’s learned -> next draft rinse and repeat.

These kids IQ make up for size and that’s why if you’re a scout and you drop points on a prospects grade based on size; I immediately drop you points as a reliable source. Because it happens far too often.