Can’t wait for this kid Mclennon to score a game 7 goal for Tampa in 2 years

OFFICIAL: We have extended Bona Fide Offers to 2021 draft choices Owen McLaughlin and Ethan Samson.In addition, we will not be signing unsigned draft choices Connor McClennon and Marcus Westfält. https://t.co/EaqsXlvqwH

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 1, 2022

If we were talking about the 2019-20 QMJHL season then I would be more inclined to agree. This is when I believe the two became regular linemates. Consider the following:

XB D-2: 65GP 7.339G 13.629A 20.968P
XB D-1: 65GP 34.048G 39.206A 73.254P
XB D0: 65GP 44.828G 44.828A 89.656P
XB D+1: 65GP 54.418G 58.953A 113.317P

MB D-1: 65GP 25.390G 29.453A 54.843P
MB D0: 65GP 38.469G 55.714A 94.183P
MB D+1: 65GP 44.107G 55.714A 99.821P
MB D+2: 65GP 41.935G 100.645A 142.580P

Bourgault does see a massive jump in his numbers from his 16 year-old season to his 17 year-old season (keep in mind Bourque is virtually a year older) but I want to point out how much steadier the growth in Bourgault's D-1 to D+1 seasons are compared to the two stagnant years of Bourque's before we see a massive spike this season. Mavrik's goal scoring doesn't change much from the year he was drafted through his final years of junior but we see a literal doubling of his assists in D+2. This could very easily be explained by just the physical maturation of whoever is scoring the goals for that line (Bourgault) as his improved ability, size, and speed is making him more available to benefit from Bourque's high passing skills.

ON D-1: 65GP 16.810G 8.966A 25.776P
ON D0: 65GP 24.853G 61.176A 86.029P
ON D+1: 65GP 35.000G 43.000A 78.000P

Consider the third piece of the puzzle: Olivier Nadeau sees a similar spike when he and Bourgault are moved up with Bourque in 2019-20. Note however, the massive jump in assists with only a 25% uptick in Bourque's goal scoring. Meanwhile, Bourgault's goal scoring almost quadruples before he builds upon that production with his development. Nadeau's production tails off this season as both Mavrik and Xavier lost considerable time due to injury. I think Nadeau has very much been a passenger to the superduo that Shawinigan has been very fortunate to watch over the past two seasons and his D+2 and transition to the AHL will be very telling in what the Sabres actually have in him. I don't see much more than a 4th-line checking winger in Nadeau personally.

Bourque is a phenomenal prospect and has probably overstayed his welcome in the QMJHL by a year and a half. Damn shame the Stars couldn't get him playing in Texas during the Covid exception. However, the production of this line very strongly suggests that Xavier is the straw that stirs the drink. Mavrik's play didn't begin to elevate until he had Bourgault as a mainstay and I don't think he'd have reached so far up the upper-echelon of CHL production numbers without a linemate that could outscore him.

I think the transition from QMJHL to AHL will be very telling for both of the top Shawinigan prospects: even-strength goal scoring is the most important stat to consider when looking at the translation from one level to the next. Playmaking is important but unless Mavrik dedicates more time to developing his shot to beat ever-improving netminders, he'll peak as a poor man's second-line center.

It’s more anti-pronman than anything. There’s no one out there I really fully agree with when it comes to prospects, but that’s just the way it goes. Honestly while I am not a fan of every writer at the athletic, when it comes to mainstream media, they put out the best content for hockey fans. I like the islanders new guy Kevin Kurz, and everyone likes Down Goes Brown (I think)

My problem with Pronman is for example he’ll project a player to be a 2nd pair defenseman, he’ll end up proving Pronman wrong in the NHL and then Pronman will still call him a 2nd pair D in one of his articles lol.

Fair point, but this could also be referred to as the same scenario as Robo-Hintz, both players use each other well (no carrying from one nor the other). We'll see more or less during the WJC this summer (chances are they probably won't play against each other). Bourque has never been a primary goal scorer, he focuses more on playmaking and his two way game (more or less like a young Phil Danault when he was in the Q.

Also with how our roster looks, Bourque will never make the top 6 as a centre. Johnston and Hintz will be our top 2 centres for the long haul (hopefully). Either that he'll become a winger or he stays at 3rd C (like Danault has when he was in Montreal for the longest of times).

why in the world are the flyers not signing McLennon!?! 81 points in 62 games and was +42, 21 points in 15 playoff games

And that's really the crux to any successful primary-assist machine: his development will go as far as the quality of winger he's paired with. I think he and Stankoven have the chance to become a very strong duo together so long as both the Dallas and Texas Stars management have eyes and value the kind of prospect assessment done here. Whether or not they remain linemates forever remains to be seen but there's definitely something cooking there in Dallas.

Could be concerns about him being a product of Geekie and Savoie much like how Marc-Antoine Pouliot or Sam Gagner turned out to be duds (damned injuries in MAP's case, Gagner was at least serviceable) after coat-tailing Crosby and Kane respectively.

That could be a possibility.

Stanky could play with Robo-Hintz and Bourque could play with Johnston and Guri or Segs and Peterson, one as a winger and one as a centre, there's a lot of different scenario's that could be made with the potential of the lineup.

MAP was a bust but I Gagner solid secondary scorer for a good amount of years

+/- is meaningless and 81 points in 62 games in junior isn’t that impressive for DY+2 (a lot of older players that never even get drafted can put up those kinda numbers). Plus he’s 5’8” 160lbs at 20, so he’s tiny and not growing.

I think it’s a lock he gets picked by Arizona

Logan Cooley said, "I have all the skills and all the attributes to be an impact player in the NHL right now,"That and more from @NHLAdamK at the 2022 NHL Draft Scouting Combine in Buffalo.https://t.co/VZG1dwjaDu

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) June 1, 2022

Cooley passing 2nd is a steal for any team onward.
( I do love Slaf tho )

Unless NJ doesn't care he's a center, yeah he goes to AZ, should go 2 imo ranking wise ( could argue the gap between Cooley and Nemec is small enough though )

Centers are not what the Coyotes should be investing in with their top pick THIS YEAR. They don't know what they have in Hayton, McBain, or Smith right now. It's likely that all three are middle-six but they have such a larger need for either Slafkovsky (should he make it to them) or their preference of Nemec or Jiricek. Everything I've read about Cooley suggests he's a #2C on a contending team.

The Coyotes are a lock for a top-5 pick at next year's draft and there are at least 4 centers in that class that would go or would challenge for first overall this year (Bedard and Fantilli for sure, Carlsson and Dvorsky maybe). Cooley would be a disastrously bad pick by the Coyotes this offseason because he's equivalent to or a minor upgrade on what the Coyotes already have in spades. The only teams that should seriously be interested in Cooley are the Kraken, Flyers, Blue Jackets, and the Red Wings.

You should always draft BPA ( or extremely close to BPA if the gap is small enough ) and that's most likely Cooley unless NJ picks him

Drafting need over BPA is how they ended up with Barrett Hayton in the first place. Cooley also has one of the higher probabilities of producing like a star in the NHL. I think he’ll end up being the best player in the draft, with a Brayden point kind of impact in his prime. Drafting Slafkovsky in the top 4 is extremely risky, while he has a high ceiling it’s also possible he ends up as just a solid top 6 winger who drives possession.

#1 centers are arguably the hardes position to draft/develop, plus Cooley is BPA at 3. Mcbain and Hayton don’t have top 6 upside at this point, they shouldn’t be a thought for Arizona when they make the pick at 3.

NJ is the only team in the top 5 that can take the risk and draft slafkovsky. I think they should draft Nemec and add size/grit through trade but I don’t blame them if Slaf is who they go with.

Not always: sometimes common sense has to dictate the pick, especially when the gaps between prospects are already so small.

The top five of this class - Wright, Nemec, Slavkovsky, Cooley, and Jiricek - are all pretty close in my mind and I personally value players in the order of RD, RC, LC, LD, G, RW, and LW based on scarcity and inherent value to any team. Personally, I think Nemec and Wright are the only two players that should be in the #1 overall conversation and New Jersey should be prioritizing a RHD but Slafkovsky still fits their wishlist. The Coyotes have absolutely nothing at LW for the future behind Crouse (especially if Keller is a permanent LHRW) and little of top-pair quality on the back end, especially if they move Chychrun. If the gap is small, which I seriously believe it to be, then the best choice is to take the player of need instead of adding bloat to a position that you likely cannot trade the excess for Slavkovsky- or Jiricek-esque quality at those same positions of need.

I could see the Devils taking Cooley over a more pressing pick of need in order to run ultimate center depth of Hughes - Hischer - Cooley for the next decade. I don't think that's a bad pick at all but my preference would be to Nemec. If Cooley is passed on by the Devils, he should be passed on by the Coyotes too. I don't think that a team is so likely to finish with a top lottery selection next season can't look at each class in a vacuum. Their scouts kind of need to be in two places at once. The center crop at the top of next year's draft rivals 2015, this year has a poor class overall. Given the longer development time of defencemen and how electric Slavkovsky has been, picking for need makes a lot more sense in Arizona.

Top 5 is either going to be:

Wright - Cooley - Slavkovsky/Nemec - Slavkovsky/Nemec/Jiricek - Nemec/Jiricek

OR

Wright - Nemec/Jiricek - SlavkovskyJiricek/Nemec - Cooley - Jiricek/Nemec

Of course this all goes out the window if any of these picks are traded. Feel free to quote me if/when I'm wrong, but be here if I'm right too.

McBain and Smith both project to be bottom 6 guys, and Hayton is still unlikely to be a top 6 centre. Even if the coyotes do get a top line centre at the 2023 draft as you suggest (which I agree is likely), having a good 2c in a guy like Cooley would be good use of a 3rd overall pick. Even if he does end up getting stuck behind Bedard (or similar) and Hayton, then you can convert him into a winger (which would be a waste of talent, but if Hayton ends up as a solid 2c, then that's great. It's a much better problem to have too many centres than not enough).

I think this is just coming down to a clash between projections of what Cooley is. I don't think he's going to be a #1C. Sure Pronman makes the Point comparison but he immediately backpedals on it and claims it stylistic as even he thinks his ceiling is a low-end #1C.

I'm also on the record of valuing high-end defencemen above almost all else. If we think Nemec could be in talks for #1 or #2, why is he all of a sudden a bad pick for Arizona if both he and Cooley are available?

Fair enough, I do think there is a decent chance that Nemec or even Jireck goes top 3, but I'm just saying Cooley at 3 is not a bad pickup and would probably work out nicely for the coyotes (but it's the coyotes, so you never know lol).

I’m so conflicted because all of these points make sense. I also lean towards always picking best available then figuring it out later. But to @BeterChiarelli point, 2023 has generational C’s at the top of the draft (which ARI is almost assured to be).

And continuing on his point Wright, Nemec, Slavkovsky, Cooley, and Jiricek are all super close even tho I still believe in Jiricek being the best out of this bunch. He would be my selection for ARI

I just know for me personally I always mock Cooley to the coyotes because I think Nemec would be a fantastic, almost a dream pick for the Kraken

I’m not going based off Pronman. Cooley has 3 things should make him close to a lock at #3 overall. Elite production as a 17 YO, elite hockey sense and his compete level is off the charts. He has a great shot of being a 1C in the NHL. I can understand if he had weaknesses such as questionable hockey sense or skating ability, but he checks a lot of the boxes to become a 1C .

I never said Nemec would be a bad pick at 3, I’m arguing that Cooley is the best choice Arizona could make. They should take away the keys from Armstrong if he drafts Jiricek or Slafkovsky at 3. Both would be terrible picks IMO.