Speaker 1: Welcome to Fantasy Hockey Life, presented by Fan Tracks. Here's
Shit us, your source of information and analysis to help
you win your fantasy hockey league.
Speaker 2: Block off Hot, A step hit on, staylock block Shot.
Speaker 1: Here's your hosts, Jesse Sevier and Victor Nuno.
Speaker 2: Fantasy Hockey Lives back once again, this time with the
man Back is glorious return from Los Angeles, the Fantasy
Hockey Doctor, Victor Nuno.
Speaker 3: How are you doing, Victor?
Speaker 4: Oh, that was quite the trip, I see. It was fun,
it was hot, It was not as crowded as you
would have liked. The draft was an experience. But I'm
glad to be back. I'm glad to be talking to
you again. How you doing, my friend?
Speaker 3: Good? Yeah, I was watching on TV and it seems
to shoot, they looked like their seats I could just
go down and sit forty rows back or something if
I wanted a middle seat or something. That's what it
felt like when I was watching it anyway, But I
don't know if that was accurate. That wasn't media row though,
that would be a fan seating.
Speaker 4: Yeah, there were definitely some open seats, and especially on
day two, it really thinned out and there were quite
quite a bit of open area, and yeah, not as
many fans as you would like, certainly not as many
team and NHL people, but there were certainly. The first
day was so felt pretty lively, especially for the first
hour or two. By about the seventh hour it thinned
out quite a bit.
Speaker 3: Yeah, well, listening to podcasts this week, all that's happened
is everybody's just beating on the draft and the presentation
of it. Yeah, the Vegas one was so good, in
this one was so panned. Of course the people, the
journalists going to it did not enjoy these changes, so
that probably helps drive the narrative, but a warranted one, nonetheless,
if you want to talk about that narrative, or frankly,
any narrative that you have about hockey, because free agency
has just struck with a vengeance and we're trying to
If you haven't been as tuned into these prospects and
you're in dynasty, now's the time to learn them all.
You can get in our discord where discussions like this
are going on, and to do that, just to ask
us for the email address Fantasy Hockey Life at gmail
dot com. We'll get you in and you'll be able
to participate yourself. It's free and it's fun and Victor,
in addition to the discord, there are other things that
people can participate in. What are they?
Speaker 4: Yeah, we have lots of great extra content. Our website
has some really cool tools that you can look at.
I've just been working with Brandon, our web guru, and
making all kinds of improvements of the website. You can
sort by different draft years, by different positions. You can
look at puckstud ratings, which are my ratings in terms
of prospect ranks. You can look at bash per sixty
versus points per sixty, which is something really valuable that
we'll talk about later on this episode. So all kinds
of cool stuff and including players cards that track peripheral
participation in peripheral categories for these players. All of that
through Patreon dot com slash Fantasy Hockey Life.
Speaker 3: We'll be right back, Doctor Raft, Victor. We've put out
the call to our patrons to tell us what kind
of questions they had about draft and draft prospects, and
boy howdy did they come through. And since you are
fresh off all of this, I think it's time for
us to ask some of these questions. We may intersperse.
You had so many good interviews. Some of them came
up in the last episode. I pasted them in. But
we might also have some interviews from prospects that you
were able to record, or some audio with some of
the prospects you were able to record and intersperse it here.
But we have a long list of questions. Are you ready?
Have you hydrated? Are you ready to talk about all
these different prospects one more time?
Speaker 5: Here?
Speaker 4: I am rested, hydrated and ready. Let's do it.
Speaker 3: Good, because you're going to do the talking here. I'm
going to this. The format is I read the question,
mispronounced the name, and then Victor gives knowledge. That's all
shows format, but especially today, we're starting though with the
very easiest question of them all. Why is it Michael
Misa over Matthew Shaffer at the top?
Speaker 4: Yeah, that's a great question. And I think if you
have the number one overall pick, you might be struggling
with this a little bit, and I think it is
something worth discussing. Not everyone has that luxury, but you
might either be trading for this pick or think about
pursuing it. I don't think you can necessarily go wrong,
and I can see the argument for value over replacement.
Taking Matthew Shaffer, Who's going to be awesome. I have
no doubt about that. He is going to be a
number one defenseman. He's going to be your all situations
kind of guy, and that's super valuable. I do think
he has significant offense. I do think he will probably
run the power play, especially now that they traded Dobson,
but it could be keasehaon Ahison, it could be someone else.
You never know. But I do think that Schaeffer is
going to be that guy. But I'm not convinced that
he's super dynamic in terms of offense. Plus he's even
if it does work out really well, I think Schaefer
is an all situations, strong bash fifty ish point guy,
which is valuable, you know, and maybe he maybe there's more,
maybe he's sixty points, but I'm not convinced that he's
like peak Eric Carlson type or frastmus Dealen or something
like that. I don't think he's quite at that level.
And so it comes down to for me, Michael Misa
is elite point per game, strong perfs everything like everything
you would want, and you're super high upside forward point
per game plus like maybe even ninety two one hundred
kind of guy if it all breaks right. And so
I think that upside is more significant and more substance Anchel,
just in terms of the impact to your team. And
so that's why I would go Misa, especially because he
is a strong two way forward, but also he has
more offense. He has he leans that way. They have Celebrini,
who is already going to be the number one center,
so he can Lisa can focus more on being more offensive.
He will certainly be on that power play for the Sharks,
and I could see the situation where in many ways
I view the situation in San Jose similar to Crosby
and Malkin for the Penguins. So you have I think
Celebrini is more like Crosby, and I think Lisa is
more like Malkin. Now it's not a perfect comparison. I'm
not saying that they're gonna have two Hall of Famers.
It's too early in the career to say anything like that,
but I think it's like that where Malkin was certainly
more of an offensive guy and Crosby is certainly excellent
for points, but more of an all around guy. And
so I think even though one's a number one ones
and number two, they're basically both number one centers essentially,
and they're gonna get tons of minutes and tons of points.
And so I just like that For Mesa. I like
him a little bit more. I think he's more impactful
for your team. But I'm not going to dig my
heels in and say you're wrong for taking Shaeffer, because
I don't think that's the case. I think either decision
is right, and you might base it on your team.
If you're a team that has no good defense and
you have the number one overall pick tick Schaeffer, that's fine,
you'll be fine.
Speaker 3: Well, now might be a good opportunity. I'm gonna intersperse
in here, inter interject, inject, whatever it is. Victor, Michael Misa,
Matthew Shaffer. You got good interviews with both of these
guys or good audio discussions with them. So let's hear
right from mister Lisa and then mister Shaffer.
Speaker 5: After three year and junior, HOWK team, you feel you're
ready for the next guy form? Yeah, my goal next
year is playing the NHL. I got a big summer
ahead of me. You gotta get stronger, just help myself
on him off the ice. But yeah, it's Michael last year.
Speaker 4: When you look out yourself last year and see Macklin's
labriny go number one, you're here number.
Speaker 6: Two with the same team. Does that excite you to
see that guy being a potential player that you're gonna
play with.
Speaker 7: Yeah, he's a heck of a player.
Speaker 5: Just being lexy watch him this year, learn stuff off
his game, and I'm really excited to meet him in there.
Speaker 7: Why do you think you're ready to play in the
NHL next year. I think that's for my game to decide.
I got to prove myself.
Speaker 5: But I believe when I'm not my best, I'm making
guys around me better.
Speaker 6: I think I played with good offensive ability.
Speaker 7: We'll see what opposite.
Speaker 6: You're a game with John Tavaris, What do you make
of us?
Speaker 7: That's pretty incredible.
Speaker 5: He's just one heck of a player, So to be
able to get compared to him, it's pretty cool. I
think I play like him in a way a bit,
just offensively, like his puck protection is shot. I can
see myself relating to him a little bit.
Speaker 4: Like you mentioned that your goal is to play in
the NHL next year. What are the next two months
look like for you in terms of giving you yourself
the best chance to do that?
Speaker 5: I guess yeah. I think just training, making sure my
body is right, got a good condition, because you gotta
be a good condition to play in the NHL, And ultimately,
I think whatever does happen, I'm gonna be ready for
me in camp.
Speaker 4: And he mentioned a couple other guys and the truck's organized.
What have they told you about the pro life and
what you need to do to be successful at that level?
Speaker 7: That's good question. I just it's like your job basically,
danishell is your job.
Speaker 5: So you gotta just the daily habits you have every day,
coming to the right, going to get better.
Speaker 7: Is going to be here?
Speaker 5: Should staying, staying longer? Just learning stuff off guys. I
think it's gonna definitely help me.
Speaker 7: Is the college route?
Speaker 8: I have the question for you?
Speaker 4: Is it the NHL or the OHL for you next year?
And year?
Speaker 7: From what you just put your thought process is there right?
Speaker 8: Yeah?
Speaker 9: Yeah?
Speaker 5: My thought process is I want to make Sanada next year.
Speaker 4: That's where I had that at Shaffer Silverall Pick to
the Islanders.
Speaker 10: Off Fengratulations now that you're an Islander just you your
thoughts on joining the team, the franchise, and going to
New York. Yeah, it's such an honor, and especially be
the first overall pick and Matthew Darksh's first pick. So
happy for him to get the GM job and very
honored to be his pick. But I've heard so many
great things about the organization, the team, the players. Yeah,
I know more more about really welly There are a
lot of great things at three Leaders, and I heard
they have a great room. They're very skilled players. So
I can't to get there this week and train. I'm
looking forward to it a little too excited today.
Speaker 7: And how do you see the job?
Speaker 6: Now you've been drafted.
Speaker 10: Now you're in an islander, right, the big job is
coming up for you. Right, it's only starting. It's only starting.
You're getting drafted. It's a good step in the process,
but it's just starting. And when things like this happen,
it's really good. But I want to go back to
the gym and on the ice and train and work
as start as I can. When this, when the end
of summer comes and the season comes, I'm ready to
play at that NHL level. So now it's great on
enjoy to night obviously, though the work starts smart to
more is a new day drafts over, then you know
you're pretty working telling its work.
Speaker 6: Number one peak to who much is getting much to required?
What are the Islanders going to.
Speaker 11: Get at you?
Speaker 12: Yeah?
Speaker 10: Obviously on the ice, I think of a lot of
you guys have seen me in my the whole season,
I played only seventeen games. Yeah, obviously the on ice
ability A two A defenseman, I can play in all
three zones, PKPP, whatever the coach you need to play.
But I would be at two eight defenseman. I could
play all around and then off face. Obviously. I like
to get involved in the community, whether it's going to
skate with kids. I'm still seventeen years old. I honestly
still a kid too, just doing that, giving back to
the community, doing a lot of foundations with everything with
my mom. I love doing foundations and I like to
get involved in the community. Electra Yeah, but honestly leave
on and off the ice, so I'm very I love
to talk. So if you're on an interview, I'm probably
talking to you for you think five minutes for maybe
an hours. Yeah, if you're on an India I'll always say,
I do you all talk to you? Yeah, whether I'm
in New York anywhere, you guys do so much and
you guys put a lot of hard work, and I
think that people don't see that side, and we see
it of course with everything to give you this time
and it means.
Speaker 6: A lot love side second, roum the congratulations.
Speaker 10: Just first off, what is your message time on fans
now that you are, you know, how excited are you
going to get someone important to them?
Speaker 12: And can go?
Speaker 10: Let's go you can, I'll take away.
Speaker 6: It's an honor.
Speaker 10: I head all the Aisles fans here before taking pictures
with them. They're amazingly good chance so you can see
how tight knit that group is with the fans to
everyone and they care so much. Which walk behind you
when you're playing at home. So I can't wait to
get started. That's the biggest thing. I can't wait to
get started, and I can't wait for this long journey
you got.
Speaker 6: Well take a couple more right side front Rope. I'm Matthew.
Speaker 9: A lot of rivalries in the mettro including the Rangers,
Devils Flyers.
Speaker 6: Which team are you the most excited for to play?
A guest and did you have any extensive knowledge on
one of those teams I just listed.
Speaker 10: I'm saying Rangers. I heard there's a big rivalry, so
I want to I want to play against the Rangers,
and I want to beat them every time we play them,
so I know there's a I know there's a big rivalry.
So yeah, I heard they don't like Rangers fans as much.
So I think getting that extraly wins means a lot.
And let's pers back too. I'm excited. I'm excited to
hear about that ride.
Speaker 3: The next question, Moose Knuckles asks us curious who guys
think will be some late value picks that have great
fantasy upside but might have some reasons for dropping. He
compares to Riley Height, Andrew Christall, et cetera from past years.
Speaker 4: Yeah, this is a great question. We're all looking for this.
I tell you, we were all talking about this at
the draft, and the reality is that there aren't really
a lot of great options after pick forty five or
so in this draft. They're just it doesn't have the depth.
It doesn't have it doesn't have those Hike Kristals who
went later, who have tremendous upside. I'm going to give
you some names, but these are not anywhere near equivalent
to what we saw in previous drafts, so just keep
that in mind. Temporary expectations is what I would say.
There are some guys with some upside, but they're not
super significant. So Lyndon Lakovich is someone that I like
a lot, and he fell primarily because his feet are
the main issue, and so there's some upside and I
think that he can probably figure it out, but there's
gonna be there's gonna be some questions there. And Alexander Zarovsky,
I think he's just really raw. He went to Montreal,
Lakovich went to Washington. Zerowsky is really raw but has
a ton of talent. I think that's a great pick
for Montreal. He's someone who we don't know what he's
going to be because he didn't really play in the
kit in the KHL, so he's just toying with MHL guys.
So that could be a really good one. See if
you can translate that to professional ranks. Mateo Nobert is
someone that Vegas took in the fourth and or sorry,
the third.
Speaker 2: I like him.
Speaker 4: I like a few of these guys I like because
they're really late birthdates, and no Bert is an August
twelfth birthdays. You're talking like a month away from being
available for next year's draft, and so there's a long
runway here for development. His skating is also a bit problematic,
but he certainly has some really good vision and he
sees the ice really well, thinks it really well, and
I think that processing speed can make up for it,
and plus he can improve his skating. So I like
no Bird a lot. I also like Ethan Zata Czata.
He's another one who I think can improve his upside
a little bit. A lot of these guys have skating issues,
which is both the easiest thing to fix but also
can be really problematic in terms of how much they like,
how much they can actually improve it, and whether that's
eventually a strength. Zata went at the end of the
second to Tampa, so I really like him as well.
He's also a bit of a late birthday, not super late.
He's in I guess late end of May, so he
still has a lot of room to grow and to improve.
A lot of these guys I like to because they're
pretty smart and they can see the ice well, and
a lot of that can overcome the difficult skating. William
Moore is another one who the NTDP who's so bad
this year. In fact, no NTDP guys were taking in
the first round for the first time I think ever,
or for a very long time. There were a couple
of guys who played at the NTDP but then moved
to the CHL or NCAA who were taken, but none
of the guys who finished at the NTDP were taken
in the first and then a whole slew of them
win in the second, and so I would look at
those guys as value picks because even though they don't
tend to they're not always the highest upside. I think
the NTDP has a really strong track record of producing
NHLers and they really learned how to play and how
to translate their game even if they're not super high upside.
And will Moore is going to b C and that's
a really good landing spot for him. Boston also took him,
which is fun, so he was really excited about heading
to BC and then also being a Boston draft pick.
So all that's going to work out really well for him.
And I think Moore has some pretty significant upside, but
part of the reason why he wasn't able to fully
translate that was because the team or he didn't have
a lot of quality around him in terms of his teammates.
And so that's something that you could really see improve
in college with some more strength. He's also a tall
and lanky guy. He could definitely use a little bit
more strength and weight training time in the gym. That's
gonna happen. It's got a lot of skill. He sees
the ice really well. He definitely needs to work on
his skating again. I think that there's some pretty good
upside there with more Let's see who else said I
write down Tommy Lafrenier. The reason I like Lafrenier is
he is just one of these dog on a bone
kind of guys. He just every shift he gives it
his all. He's super He's a guy you just want
to root for and know. He's not related to Alexis
Lafarnier in case you're wondering, is spelled the same, but
no relation. And he was taken in the third by
Enventon And he's just one of these guys that just
really works hard and has some pretty good hands too.
Like they're not elite, but I think that he can
probably realize a little bit more upside than what he
currently achieved. He has a little bit undersized, but he
just is. He's a gamer, but he's the kind of
guy that's gonna earn tons of ice time a ton
of respects. So I like him. And the last one
is Cole McKinney. So Cole McKinney was drafted by the
Sharks in the end of the second and he has
a bit of an interesting structor. He's one of these
guys who played at the NTDP and had a pretty
decent season. The numbers don't really pop off the page,
but he's a really he's a really smart player. He
has good attention to detail, he's his size is good,
but again he didn't really pop off in terms of points.
And he's going to Michigan next year. So another guy
who can really improve his scoring next season. I would
imagine with a lot of talent around him, And especially
with these college guys, you see them translate off in
and then pop off in their D plus one season,
and I could really see that happening with more talent
and more structure and more time in the gym around them.
So those are the guys that I like, Lynn and Lakovich,
Alex Zarowsky, Mateo No Bird, Ethan's at, William Moore, Tommy
Lefrenier and Cole McKinney. That was a lot of names, Jesse.
Speaker 3: And Laikovich. Believe we heard from him where you had
some audio of him on the episode that came out Wednesday.
But here's a little bit from Cole McKinney.
Speaker 9: What would be the way to distract your dee for
shirtsmans to know who cooled McKinney Dodkins. Yeah, in six
Swiss Army Knight planning. I can do a bit of
everything and do it very well.
Speaker 2: Player.
Speaker 6: I can play in all situations and contribute on both
ends of the ice.
Speaker 9: Cool You said, I'm spending the last few years in
the USHL and what's really helped.
Speaker 4: You get into this share today?
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think my time with the NTDP was phenomenal.
Speaker 9: Obviously, lots of guys if you've been getting drafted from
there and especially in the USHL, like it's such a
fun leak to play in and I had such a
great time there and my little brother will be playing
on the Green Bay Gamblers next year. We attendered there
this fall. And I'm so excited. It's all being around
the USHL for sure for the next couple of seasons.
What advice did you give him or what advice do
you have for him right now? Yeah, I think lots
of just keep having fun. Right it's gonna be a
super stressful year. Next year's first year in the NHL.
But I have a couple buddies on that team that
he grew up with too, so I'm super excited for
him and I think will do great.
Speaker 6: I can't wait to see what happens.
Speaker 10: I talked about what you did to get physically stronger
this year, like if you put on some good muscle.
Speaker 4: From like January to the commerce year.
Speaker 9: Yeah, I mean, I think the big thing is just
the training. I think GVN is the main thing for me.
It's the program I've been training with and the trainers
there for the past two seasons, and I think over
the past two or three years, I've put on thirty
pounds even upwards of that, and I think they've been
such a big help with that.
Speaker 6: Everyone from Jackson Fry, Bryan.
Speaker 9: Galvin, Joe Maloney, I mean everyone there, Jason Small, Dailey, like,
everyone was such a huge help there for me and.
Speaker 6: I couldn't thank them enough. How has that changed your game?
Speaker 9: Yeah, I mean think especially just like you said, with
the physicality part, and that's such a big part of
my game and I was able to really realize that
a lot this year, especially just being stronger on my feet,
that sort of thing.
Speaker 6: So can you talk about your penalty killing. Yeah, that's
something I take a lot of pride in.
Speaker 9: I think for me, I try to find a way
to help my team in any way I can, whether
that's kind of they kill power play four on four
or five on five, whatever. I think that's something I
take a lot of pride in, something I enjoyed.
Speaker 7: Doing a lot. So with the players you looked up
to going.
Speaker 9: Up, yeah, I think the main guy from Muzspatrick Camby
from Chicago. He's the one I always idolized growing up.
And guys that I look at now a lot and
try to emulate my game is Vincent Trocheck, not even
years So.
Speaker 10: How did you feel you You mentioned the strength aspect,
but did you feel your game grow just in this
past year.
Speaker 6: Yeah, I think offensively was the biggest change for me.
Speaker 9: I think at the beginning of the year I wasn't
made producing as much, and then the back hal of
the season, I think I really skyrocketed in that category
and I think that was huge for me and was
super fun season.
Speaker 6: I was very happy with the way it went.
Speaker 7: We were leading to like with my career of the Sharks,
maybe had the combine or Yeah.
Speaker 6: They were great, super nice people. It wasn't too hard
on me.
Speaker 9: So it was great and I had a great time
speaking with all of them, and I'm looking forward to
seeing them soon.
Speaker 6: So before it out, but yeah, yeah, I'm super excited.
Speaker 9: I was just there for nine to ten days, so
this last month after the combined, it was great there.
I met all the guys, skated, worked out with them.
So it was a great time and I'm looking forward
to Were.
Speaker 7: You debating whether or not to build every day or
is it no question you were.
Speaker 6: Gott to compre's no question? Yeah, definitely.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 9: You mentioned GV and I know there's a lot of
current NHL guys who I guess worked out and escape
there anyone that you would particularly like gravitate tour.
Speaker 6: Like person or trainers players that are also there with you. Yeah,
I think so.
Speaker 9: I'm training at the GVM back in Chicago, and there's
lots of guys there. One guy that went yes day
record leave.
Speaker 1: I mean I did all my.
Speaker 6: Combine training with him and stuff and there. It was incredible.
Speaker 9: My little brother's able to do that with me too,
and lots of my buddies I grew up playing with
work out there and it's incredible and it's such a
great place to get better.
Speaker 4: Is there someone from Chicago who's put sections out in
and throughout your career like.
Speaker 6: You hockey junior.
Speaker 9: There's lots of guys definitely at the Chicago Mission right.
There's so many great players that come through that organization.
Gay Parole, Carter Slagger, Paul Fisher, Jack Divine like all
those guys are so great to me and whenever I
needed advice on anything, they always there for me and
they've been such a big help for me.
Speaker 3: Next question for you, Victor, and this is from Scott Detour,
which is awkward to say, but it's it's a cool name.
Saw you have nest Razil much higher than Will Horcoffe are.
What you think of these big forwards compared to each other,
like those two plus Mason quarterback Mason West purposely leaving
out McQueen and Martina because their top ten type. Any
others that fit the mold? Curious to hear a comparison.
Speaker 4: Yeah, great question. So part of the reason I'm not
really high on Will Horcoff is that I just think
he's a bottom six guy, bottom six all thame, maybe
middle six. I just don't think he has the myths.
He doesn't have the high end skill to really produce points.
He certainly seems like he'll be in NHL or his dad,
Sean Horcoff, was there and real chummy with the Pittsburgh
Brass when it had taken him. They I think I
mentioned on Apples and Ginos the other day that they
had his name pre printed on the back of the jersey,
so they everyone knew that they were taking Horcoff with
the Penguins pick. There was no question, or at least
they intended to. So that seemed pretty telegraphed. It seemed
like really liked him. Yeah, I just don't think that
there's a lot of offense there. But he certainly is
a strong defensive forward. He's big, he's tough, he's mean,
he's tough to play against. He's the kind of guy
that you throw out there on your third line, and
you're pretty happy about it as a team. As fantasy GM,
I don't think you're going to be excited about that
at all. That's why I'm not super excited about Horcoff. Now.
On the other hand, Nestra Sill is very raw, and
it's very possible that he ends up being absolutely nothing
and he never plays or doesn't really have a significant impact.
So I could totally see why these two went right
next to each other. So if you're an NHL team,
you might be any want like for sure NHL or
then Horcoff makes a ton of sense. Just take him.
He's going to play. His dad is going to push
him in the right way and give him the right mentorship,
and he's got that legacy in him. Great, you know
what you're getting with Nestra Sill. You don't. But also
the range of outcomes is much wider, both on the
positive and on the negative. So the funnel theory that
we talk about it is very wide for Nestro Still,
if it all works out right, Nester still could be
an absolute dream. He could be a big time banger.
He could post up in front of the goalie and
just be an absolute nightmare in terms of disrupting, creating
space and also finishing around the net like Johann Franzen
back in the day, if you remember that name. So
I think that's why I like Nester stillmore. There's more upside,
but also there's more risk with him. So if you're
willing to be patient and willing to accept those range
of outcomes, then I would take Nestter. Scill If you're
in a really deep league, like a thirty two team
league salary cap and just having guys actually play on
a cheap salary is going to be helpful, then take
work off because he's a sure thing he's going to play.
And then Mason West absolutely huge risk. Right, he's the
guy who's high school quarterback. I think you have to
believe him when he says that he actually didn't realize
it was his draft season. And think about back in
time when you were in high school. Not all of
us played, not all of us were captain of both
the hockey and the football team, But just think about
how you were as a junior and what was important
to you at that time. He was a junior in
high school. This last year he's coming into his senior year.
He wasn't really thinking about the draft or any of
these things. He was just excited to win a state
championship in hockey. His football team was competitive. He's really
close with all his buddies, and he wants to go
back and finish the job and win a football championship.
That's what he stayed his goal was, and that's what's
important to him right now. Will his priorities change, certainly
they could change in either direction. Being drafted by Chicago
in the first round I think might help his case
for hockey. I think that they might try to pressure
him into skipping that season of football and coming to
camp and doing all the things that he needs to
do to get better at hockey, but they also might
let him, and personally, I think that there's nothing wrong
with that desire to be with your friends and have
one final football season, because is he ever going to
have that again? Probably not. I know there's also a
risk that he could get nil offers and scholarships to
NCAA football teams, and that's certainly within the realm of possibility.
But I think that if I was an NHL team,
I would be a little hesitant. But Chicago, with their
three first round picks and lots of flexibility in their
roster decided to go for it. He has already committed
to playing the USHL after that, and he's committed to
playing at Michigan State the following season, so it does
seem like he has things lined up. I am a
little worried that opponents and football are going to target
him to try to disrupt his career. I heard a
lot of people mention that, and who knows, I think
that probably is true. It's unfortunate, but it's a reality
that they might have to face, and I'm sure the
Blackhawks will be advising him on that. But for fantasy,
I think Mason West is a great risk to take
past twenty because there aren't a whole lot of guys
who could be top line assets in that range, maybe
even after fifteen, because the full depth really thins out.
Mason West is extremely raw, but he's extremely skilled. He's
a big body, he's big, he's physically he's got soft hands,
he can score. He needs to really work on getting
better at hockey, which I'm sure he can do if
he dedicates himself, and the upside is a top line
power forward if that works out, that's awesome, and if
you get that in the teens or twenties, you're pretty
happy about it, but you have to be willing to
accept the rest of He also never plays a game
in the NHL, which is very possible.
Speaker 3: And it's interesting if you go over and look at
the football recruiting stuff on this he's actually classified as
a three star prospect, and he's been offered by Miami
of Ohio and South Dakota and Marshall. He did actually
make a visit to Illinois a recruiting visit last fall,
so he's aimed a little bit higher at various points,
but I don't think he's been recruited by any of those,
but anybody who's a baseball fan, and we'll recall a
couple of years ago and Kyler Murray was drafted in
the first round by the Athletics, and he said he
was going to baseball, and then he had a great
season at Oklahoma and he looked around and said, I
could make myself eight hundred thousand dollars for the first
few years as a baseball player and then hope for
the best, or I could go to be a football
player and make well into the nine figures, which Kyler
Murray has, and so that kind of works out. If
you're a great quarterback, your pay is through the roof.
But again, three star quarterback, not sure that is quite
the case unless you're really thinking the nil. But why
don't we hear straight from the horse's mouth because you've
got some great talking. Oh wait, first, Victor, what else
do you have to think about that?
Speaker 4: I think that's great insight. And this is where I'm
really glad you know about other sports. I don't know
if enough about the football recruiting and labeling. Do you
think it's possible that after a super strong senior season
that changes for him, that he becomes a four or
five star or whatever there I don't even know what
the ratings are, but that he improves significantly.
Speaker 3: It could happen, But right now, teams tend to be
on guys a little bit earlier than this. If you're
one of the top football prospects, you probably would be
offered by a bigger school by now, unless he's totally
scared them off by talking about going to another sport.
And again, a bird in the hand of being a
first round pick in a professional sport is a whole
lot better than being recruited to Akron and struggling on
maction on Wednesday nights for the next four years. I
don't think the money is necessarily going to be there
for that. So I tend to take him at his
word and think that the football side of things is
probably a little bit probably a little bit overrated as
to what's going on there. Maybe there's other stuff out
there that I don't know about, but just objectively looking
at this as a football fan, no, this is not
a guy who is headed for the NFL anytime soon.
That's that's what I would say about that. But yeah,
let's hear from Mason West because you get some good
audio and this question might just come up.
Speaker 5: In that.
Speaker 4: Good Payson West Chicago.
Speaker 12: When it comes to the high school football you mentioned before,
how important is it that you play that one final
season in the fall with the hardest.
Speaker 11: It's super important for me to play that season just
because I want to say lord of my teammates. I
think I'm a captain, I'm the football and hockey team.
Speaker 7: I think it really shows my leadership role.
Speaker 11: When I really want to play another year of high
school football and have the chance to do something special
my teammates.
Speaker 7: I set goals for the football and hockey career.
Speaker 11: And that's still want to stage football championship in hockey,
and I've been willing to do that in hockey benign
football selling.
Speaker 7: To have the opportunity to do that would be super
special with a good group of guys.
Speaker 12: And does this Jersey scare away any d one football
teams that might think there was still a chance of
getting you.
Speaker 11: I hope it does, because I want to pursue hockey.
I'm one hundred in on hockey, and yeah, I'm really excited.
Speaker 12: How big a conversation point was that when you were
talking to teams before the.
Speaker 11: Draft it, Yeah, I think that was kind of the
main top because just whether bigger football teams would come
in and stuff and the I guess accountability on really
playing hockey and pursuing hockey. But I meant really clear
that the only goals just trying to win a state championship,
and that's the only goal, is to just win a
state championship, be a load of my teammates and then
my community and then head to Fargo after that and
get going with hockey.
Speaker 6: Fans are the same situation, Yeah, dropt like the fourth round.
Speaker 7: Yeah, we're believing in you.
Speaker 6: How well did you know that these panders?
Speaker 11: I know him, well, Yeah, we talked four or five
times before committed to Michigan State, and then I'll probably
talk to him after this. But he's a really great guy.
I think he It was nice to really get advice
from someone who went through it. Obviously you can talk
to your parents, you can talk to people from community,
but it's hard to find a guy that kind of
went through the same thing. So it was super cool
to talk to him and meet him and learn about
his process and then have him guide me through a
little bit to my process.
Speaker 7: But yeah, he's a really good dude.
Speaker 11: I'm really thought to when you already knew that you
were gonna definitely Fronsu hockey.
Speaker 4: It was part of helps Like main Dens, he was.
Speaker 7: A little bit a part of that.
Speaker 11: I think right after I'd chose to pursue hockey, I
called him and then ask him about like the recruiting
process and more about the NHL draft and the combines.
I'm really blessed out of that support system round me,
not just my family, but also keeping a win.
Speaker 6: Through in terms of your development. What happens next year.
Speaker 7: What's your focus when.
Speaker 6: You go back to Fargo.
Speaker 11: Yeah, obviously taking a different poach, so you actually want
to a new hockey program and powers performance. So I'll
try to do that two or three times a week
during the football you're and try to skate two or
three times a week.
Speaker 7: Just stay fresh and polished on my edges and be
ready to go for Fargo. I think the biggest thing
form is developing physically. I think it can really be
a physical.
Speaker 11: Physically dominate people on the ice sing I can't, no way,
It's a big thing for that. So I want to
try to gain like ten pounds for the Fargo season,
then bring that into the hockey season, be ready to
go for for Fargo. So I'm taking that different approach
of skating. It's under in the football season and getting
ready and get my body ready and Paul.
Speaker 6: Shop what's your biggest strength and pro comparison keep.
Speaker 7: Yeah, I would just say the hockey sense.
Speaker 6: Obviously.
Speaker 7: I really think I don't cheat the game. I think
a lot of printers.
Speaker 11: I think I really have a sense for where I
need to be on the ice, and I can see
that quarterback in me un scanning and passing. I think
I'm a really good passer, so I try to bring
that passing ability from football, maybe throwing Hill Mary's and
not hockey a little bit. I think that's one of
my biggest assets, is just knowing the game and not
really cheating the game at all. I'd say Tate Thompson, Yeah,
I think we both are going we shoot the puck.
I think it's hard to find a player like me,
I guess because I think I'm a unique player. I
think I want to be like Tate Thompson, will also
want to be my own player and be unique in
that way and try to do things that a lot
of tall players can't.
Speaker 6: Being a US and Chub guy. And as you look
after your comfort and knowing that Jeff Lashers it does.
Speaker 11: Yeah, I'm really excited to meet him and see what
his path was to get in there, and I'm super
excited to get going. But yeah, for sure, And if
you told yourself a year ago, you'd just sick sharing
more for your action for racing.
Speaker 6: Because I heard that you didn't even know.
Speaker 8: What your draft year.
Speaker 11: I did not know it was my draft year at all. Yeah, No,
I did not know my sophomore year. I think I
try to make most of every opportunity when it came
up to me. I think it just gave me more
motivation to work hard and achieve my goal and achieved
my dreams.
Speaker 7: And obviously I did that tonight.
Speaker 11: But I think my next dream is to play in
the NHL for a long time and make an impact
for a teams.
Speaker 6: For sure, to crusher shit.
Speaker 7: My plushers the rebuilders trying to celebrates.
Speaker 4: Now you're going to feel fun.
Speaker 10: Then you realize that.
Speaker 7: I'm super excited. I love the hearing the rebuilding, and
I can be maybe a part of that rebuild.
Speaker 11: So I'm super excited because I really think I'm still
developing as a player and raw as a player. So
u's I really started to focus and tone in on
the hockey and the little things I really can help
me become a better hockey player, but also become a better.
Speaker 7: Like human being overall. I think that's one of the
big things for me.
Speaker 11: I want to become a better hockey player but also
become a better person in the process. I think obviously
going to Michigan State can help me with that, but
I'm super excited to be a part of that rebuild
as you say, And yeah, I'm pumped.
Speaker 4: Up, you know to watch this cup round to the
can of teas I did.
Speaker 12: Yeah.
Speaker 7: So it's funny because I was actually a Blackouts fan.
Speaker 11: My brother was a Penguins fan, so we went back
and forth a little bit between those two teams. But yeah,
I've always been a Caner fan and a Tays fans. Yeah,
I'm super excited. I don't really know, I've never really
obviously I'm a wild fan, but I think my dad
was from Chicago, so he brought the Bears a little
bit into our household. And the black Yeah, a lot
of Minnesota people don't like it, but I go with
it a little bit.
Speaker 7: You know.
Speaker 6: Any of the younger players prospects.
Speaker 13: I don't know.
Speaker 11: Obviously I met I just met Ellen, so yeah, it's
all new to me. And just try to make most
of the opportunity and meet new guys and so yeah,
I'm super less to be able to be a part
of a great organization. And yeah, and why Michigan State
for in Minnesota, Gay, Yeah, I would say just the
development part for me. As I said before, I'm really
big on development, and they sought out planning for me.
On developing becoming a better hockey player. I think that's
really important for me is I'm still a raw player.
I think I have a lot of aspects of my
game that I can work on, just as that coach
and stef and how I guess, I guess dominant they
are with cruit making players better. As an example, like
the Charlie Strambles who transition to a way better hockey
player in Michigan State, and I feel like I try
to inflate my game after him a little bit and
see myself a little bit like him. So I think
it was cool to see his path and it feels
like I can be behind him in those situations.
Speaker 3: Just take a brief break, come back and talk some
more prospects. Next question from Sargant Dolland's Lonely Hearts Club,
Milton Gastron versus Braiden Kotz. What do you like for
these two guys.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I'm glad to have an easy question after these
hard ones that I think this is easy for me.
It's definitely Braiden Koots and not just because he was
taken much higher, which he was. Actually it was really
surprising when Vancouver stepped up to pick. We know that
Vancouver has a soft spot for Swedes, and so does Detroit,
and they both passed on Victor Ecklin. I was gassed.
I was surprised, But the more I talk to people
about Braiden Coots and the fact that they have a
lot of strong scouts in the area for the WHL,
it made a lot of sense that they went Coots
because I'm sure they saw a lot of him in Seattle,
which isn't that far and I'm sure they have a
lot of resources there. And he's just a great, really
strong for checker, really high motor kind of guy that
also has a ton of skill. He's physical, he's heavy.
So much of this draft was influenced by what Florida
just did and back to back Stanley Cups and being
that physical team, and I think Kots fits that profile
of a guy that they don't really have and want
at least right now, and so that makes a lot
of sense. I really like Gastron too. I think he's
a good later pick and I certainly can see a
world where he ends up being a really strong player.
I also like that Washington picked him because they have
been one of the best drafters in the past decade
or so, and so whenever they take someone you should
probably pay attention. The problem with Gastrin is that he's
just very decent at a lot of things. He's very versatile.
He's kind of a jack of all trades, probably more
of a middle to bottom six just any situation kind
of player, but doesn't really have this high end skill
to provide more points, and so Coots is better in
that sense. Plus he has a much higher perferal floor,
So you get the better floor with Coots in terms
of priffs, and you get the better upside. I think
this is an easy when it's Coots all the way,
But I still manage to talk a lot, Jesse. Why
is that.
Speaker 3: Because you're excited, Victor?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 3: And why don't we listen to mister Gastrin because he
did have a couple of things to say that you
caught up with to hear about his game?
Speaker 8: Right now?
Speaker 13: You know, as a young kid when you're first jersey
actually it's a Vechkin jersey, and you're growing up and
now be able to play for them, so it's insane.
Speaker 6: Did you get to watch a Veins record breaking gold?
Speaker 13: Yeah? Of course, Unfortunately it was nighttime in Sweden, so
you know you I had to be in bed asleep,
but the next day I woke up bab will.
Speaker 7: Fly sharing and everything. Yeah, it's an unbelievable moment. It's
so amazing.
Speaker 4: And with the NHL draft process over, is there like
a huge weight off your shoulders now that you can
just focus on Hote and what comes next to Yeah,
I think.
Speaker 7: But it's been an amazing year.
Speaker 13: But now when you're finally it's finally over and you
just gotta continue working.
Speaker 6: And that's something I've.
Speaker 7: How do you say I want it?
Speaker 13: So yeah?
Speaker 4: Yeah, the indication it was going to be the Capitals, No.
Speaker 6: I actually I haven't. We never know.
Speaker 13: Everything can happen in the draft, but now it's been Capitals.
I'm so proud and so excited. Yeah.
Speaker 6: Do you think you're playing the center here?
Speaker 13: Yeah?
Speaker 4: I think my.
Speaker 13: When I'm at my best level playing as a center.
I've played a lot of wing over the years and
I'm really comfortable with that as well.
Speaker 6: But yeah, your playmaking.
Speaker 7: Yeah, that's been a part of my game.
Speaker 13: Winning a lot of puck battles and winning a lot
of pucks and trying to find teammates in open space
and open areas.
Speaker 6: And we think you'll play what wait do you think
your playo?
Speaker 11: What wait?
Speaker 10: How much do you think your way like in the future?
Speaker 7: Oh?
Speaker 13: Yeah, I don't know how to say it in pounds,
but ninety ninety kilograms maybe more.
Speaker 7: I think that's around my weight when I'm playing at
the NHL.
Speaker 6: What's an underrated aspect of your game that you think
goes overlooked?
Speaker 7: Oh, that's a hard question.
Speaker 13: I don't know actually what to answer about that one.
Speaker 2: But I don't know.
Speaker 7: Actually, Oh, what do you say?
Speaker 8: Pass?
Speaker 4: We're playing with Thatch just just joining Caps organizations, especially
knowing a guy like Thatcher you've played there, is that
a player that you would ever looked up to as
a Swede and just knowing his connections to the organization?
Speaker 13: Yeah, of course, as you said, he's a Swede and
it's not just a regular Swede. Is a really good
suite and I think I've watched him a lot over
the years. Unfortunately has been dealing with injuries over the
last few seasons, but every time I have the chance
to watch him and watch him, I've taken it and
it's been a pleasure.
Speaker 11: To watch him.
Speaker 3: From our man, Sergeant Dollan, he had a couple. He
had another comparison Malcolm Spence versus proker Off, and then
he also said he was curious about Lee.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Malcolm Spence versus brokera Off. This is an interesting
one too. I love Malcolm Spence. At the end of
the day first day, we were all sitting there saying,
why didn't someone take Malcolm Spence in the first round?
He seems like a very obvious one. Why didn't they
take Blake Fiddler? Those are the two main names that
everyone was curious about. Fiddler went very early. Spence stuck
around a little longer than he should have. Quite frankly,
I thought that he would have been one of the
very first names off the board and he was not,
So that was a little disappointing. But yeah, I think
that Spence is going to be the kind of guy
that you just love to have on your team. He's
gonna absolutely be a gamer, He's going to put them
out there in the situation, will probably be a playoff performer. Yeah,
He's just gonna be one of these guys that you love.
And I think he has a little bit more upside
in terms of points and we might be getting credit
for but I think that I'm a little bit cooler
on Spence's points up side. So between these two, I
probably would take Spence just because he's a safer floor.
But pro Koroff is super raw, and the guy has
an absolute cannon of a shot, and he's huge, He's
really big. But the thing is we just don't We
don't know because pro Koroff only played in the KHL,
and so can he actually score against professional talent? We
don't know. Of course, we don't know. They're about Spence either,
but I think OHL is a much stronger league than
the NHL. Prokoroff is super physical, though, and so you
got that big body, you got that freight train, you
got that ability to mix it up and to post
up and do things that a lot of players can't do.
And Spence has good size too, but he's not six six.
I think between the two, I think it's a really
tough call. If I was sitting and waiting to draft,
I think it would depend on whether I believed or
I wanted to take a risk, because I think pro
Koroff is a has more upside, but it is riskier
because he's more raw and we don't really know what
he's going to be, whereas Spence, I feel like he's
pretty solidly a middle six forward. Will he be a
second liner or a third liner?
Speaker 13: I don't know.
Speaker 4: Pro Koroff could be probably not a first liner, probably
a two plus liner like top power play, maybe second
line kind of guy, but also could just be nothing,
not be an NHLer. So there's a little bit more
risk between the two. Riker Lee is I think the
other person that was asked about. He's a really interesting
one too. He's super crafty and super super super smart
in terms of his playmaking. He's a little bit undersized,
but he just he sees everything so well. He's super
super high upside in terms of points. But he's a
small guy that doesn't skate super well. That is typically
not a good recipe for success, and so that makes
me a little bit worried. Not to mention the fact
that he's one of the oldest players in this draft class,
and so his runway for improvement is a little bit less,
and so that makes you a little bit worried that
maybe he's not going to get there. But I do
think that the reason to be a little bit more
excited about him.
Speaker 11: He did go.
Speaker 4: He was one of the picks that when I did
my post draft recap I was a little bit more
hesitant about him, but he did have a pretty good
season in the USHL. He is going to Michigan State.
I like this for the college guys that can slow
down and put some more weight on. He actually is
at a pretty decent weight five, So I like that
in terms of his upside. He just really needs to
work on his skating and his mechanics, and if he
can improve that, then I think that there's a lot
to work with there, and if he can with more
talent around him, I think he can really make something
of himself. Yeah, I like I think there's potential for Lee.
He has some work to do, but I think he
can probably get there. So definitely one of the guys
that if you're looking at later down the list, then
he's so many you should consider.
Speaker 3: Next question here, Victor the stampeding Stallions in our discord,
this guy's been reading your rankings. He's been dipping deep
into the Victor Nugnio puckstud scores because he says this
is more of a general fantasy question on these draft
based on the numbers he sees a lot of players
that you've assigned a seven or a six type puckstud
rating who are rated under fifty percent to even hit
that rating. How do you think we as fantasy managers
should differentiate so many players that have similar upside for
this draft? May be a better way to ask the question,
he says, is of the players in those two ranges,
which ones are likely to hit if they improve one
or two things or break out next year and into
the future.
Speaker 4: Yeah. This is Patrick, our co lead scout, So thanks
Patrick for really digging into our ranks and then thinking
about it. I think it's really it's really tricky to
sign these percentages sometimes because there's so many factors that
play into it. But I'm trying to do my best
to give some sense. The sevens that I would bet
on to be top are the top five and that's
why they're there. The ones that are above fifty percent,
that's Misa Shae from mar Tonhagen's and O'Brien, so those
guys have fewer questions. It's really more of just like
how much does the offense translate? After that, we have
Eckland and Frontal that I'm sure are going to be
NHL Our's. But the question is just the finishing the points.
For Eckland, it's can he finished because he's created a
lot Victor Ecklin, but he hasn't always finished, and or
he hasn't always had his teammates finish. And so when
you're talking about hockeys finskin with not as many games played,
you lower the number of events, and then you lower
the individual points participation in that league, and then all
of a sudden your equivalency looks far worse. So I
think that's part of with Eckland. He didn't necessarily always
get the finishing around him that he needed, and so
some of his numbers don't look as well as good.
For Frondell, it's whether he can play drive enough. Frondelle
really is. People say he's more two way, but he's
really not. He's really more offensive, and so can he
push the pace and drive play enough to get the
offense and get the time on ice? In some ways,
he's like Mark Shiflee in that way with more bash.
So I don't know, can he get there? Probably, I'm
sure he's gonna play. It's just like how much offense
is he going to be able to.
Speaker 7: Create?
Speaker 4: And will he be good enough defensively to dictate twenty
plus minutes of time on ice or will he be
more of a fifteen minute time on ice, which is
a huge difference in your production. So that's my question
with Frondell McQueen. It's the back. We've talked about the
back quite a bit. Maybe I don't know if I've
talked about it enough on this show, but he has
or he eventually found out he has a pars into
articularis fracture which has or had that, which is a
weakness of the connection of the front and the back
of the part of the spine of the vertebra. And
sometimes it can certainly be traumatic and hopefully that's all
it is. But sometimes with bigger players, they might have
a little bit of ligament to laxity and weakness in
that area, and that's what can lead to recurrent issues.
And so I haven't seen the medicals that closely, so
I don't know some of the insider people that told
me that's what it was, I haven't gotten follow up
information from them, so I'm hoping that I can. But
that's the concern is that he gets that he has
more of these or that it continues to nag him.
And so if that were not a question, Roger McQueen
would probably be the number one or maybe number two
fantasy asset in this whole draft. But because of that,
I have him at ten. Ravensburger is a goalie and
goalies are voodoo and we don't know, so that's why
he's a little bit lower. Cole Retchnie. It's the feet.
If he can figure the feed out, then Cole Rechnie
is going to be a star fantasy asset, and I
think that's pretty likely that he can. But that's why
he's a little lower. And then Mason West we covered
him in the six is. There are a lot of
guys that are fifty percent that I'm sure will play.
It's not about not believing in their offense, but it's
more or sorry, it's not about believing in their ability
to play in the NHL. It's more about their offense.
And those would include Caleb Dione, Brady Martin, Carter Baer,
Blake Fiddler, Kashawn Hison, Kendall Lakovich, and Limitoff. So all
these guys, it's not it's just a matter of how
much they will their offense translate. I think I feel
most confident with Dione, but the more I kind of
press people about his upside, it was more like, yeah,
it's probably sixty points fifty to sixty points, which is
not as exciting, even though he has a ton of
bash and britty Martin Carter Baer the same way they are.
They are like in that fifty point player mold Fiddler
might be able to uncover some offense. Aherson might Kindle Knight, Lakovich, Limitov.
So these are all question marks we covered. Nestrasil, he's
a little bit lower in the sixes. Jackson Smith. I
think I might have to move Jackson Smith up because
I really like him. But the issue with Jackson Smith
is that he still has some not so great plays
with the puck sometimes and creates some to turnovers rushes plays,
and that is a little bit concerning for me. So
that's going to limit his ability, his opportunity and his
ability to create points if he panics a little too
much with the puck. The panic meters what we sometimes
talk about, and when things got tighter and less space,
he did a little worse. And so I'm concerned that
as he moves up the ranks that's going to continue
to happen. If that does improve, then he's a seven,
maybe even an eight, because he's that good offensively and
he's great skaters, decent size, all those things are really good.
So the question marks will erase if he can figure
that out, and if they don't improve, then he's going
to be like Cody CC which is not super exciting.
Malcolm Spence, we talked about him, just the scoring, and
Cameron Reid is another one that I also feel similarly about.
If Cameron Reid can play defensively, sound hockey enough and
be a better, good two way guy, then watch out.
That's really the issue with him is can he defend?
So that's a rundown on those guys.
Speaker 3: Great question, Patrick, Now a little bit of a strategic
question that comes in from Craig. He's also curious with
the low percentage to hit, if it's worthwhile trying to
move twenty twenty five draft picks in the five to
fifteen range to twenty twenty six.
Speaker 4: Maybe I'm not sure about that. I think that if
there's a possibility you can get Gavin McKenna, then do it.
But if you're the five to fifteen range, I'm not
convinced that it's going to be better next year, and
anyone who says that they know it will be is
just lying to you, because there's no way to really know.
If you go back and look last year at twenty
twenty five ranks, there were completely different names and number
and guys in there. Ivan ray Apkin was top five
in this draft, and he went much later, and I've
been telling people don't even draft him. So I think
that it's too early to know. I think that if
you don't feel confident about your guy, then it might
be reasonable to punt it to next year, because at
least we don't know. Maybe someone will really rise, and
maybe things will really solidify and there'll be some really
strong candidates up to pick eight or ten. I think
there's some pretty good ones in this range in terms
of if you look at my list, some guys it
went a little bit later that I think would be
a really strong asset. So I think it's possible. I
think it's more to answer your question, Craig, I think
it's more after a fifteen that I would really consider
doing that. If it's beyond the fifteen range, then I
would say definitely punted to next year.
Speaker 3: All right, Next, we've got Sasha, who wants you to
talk about Carter Behar versus Victor Ecklund.
Speaker 4: This is an easy one. The answer is Victor Eckland.
What was the question?
Speaker 3: Oh yeah, yeah, Are these both brothers? Is Carter Bear
related to Ethan? We got all the brothers coming in.
Speaker 4: I don't think he's related to Ethan Bearer, But Victor
Ecklund is a much better asset, I would say. And
actually the bash between these two is not really very different.
And that's something that if you're picking, if you're interested
in Carter Bear, it's probably because he's a big time basher,
and that is true, Like his bash is outstanding, but
his I don't think his points upside is super high,
whereas with Victor Eckland, the points upside is actually pretty decent.
He has at least a strong as his brother, who
I think could be a seventy ish point player, and
I think Victor can be at least that high, if
not more. But he also bashes a lot. His bash
is just as good as Carter Bears. Okay, you're talking
about the same peripheral floor. I think they both are
very high. Motor guys that our coaches are gonna love
putting out there in any situation. But Victor has more offense,
so go with him.
Speaker 2: All right?
Speaker 3: An open ended question from the Golden Moose Center discord,
give us Victor some deep cuts who would be good
in multi cad or bangers leagues? Pick sixty and later.
Speaker 4: All right, I'm not gonna get much into these because
there's a lot of names here, so you're just gonna
have to look some of these up on your own,
or go to the Fantasy Hockey Life website and if
you're an ultra lifer, look all these up because you
can see all their stats there. But actually, what I
did for this, which is what I was talking about,
I went to the website and I looked at bash
for sixty plotted against points sixty, and there it was
really clear to see that top quadrant of guys that
were above eightieth percentile in both They're not that many.
There are fourteen of these guys. Actually, if you don't
if you just add in all of Philly's picks, Philly
picked almost exclusively guys that bash. There were two guys
they did pick that do not bash. That's mass Max
Westerguard and Matthew Guard. So aside from those two, the
whole plot in that top quadrant of eightieth percentile in
both was like a whole bunch of Philly logos and
then a Bun and then a few other teams. Yeah,
so it's pretty clear what they were doing, all right.
So here you go, Emil gout g u I, T. E.
Cooper Simpson, Melvin navatni Charlie Serrado, Julius Sumpff, Nathan Bem,
Eddie Jenberg, Michael Spur, Servek, Nathan Quinn, Cole McKinney, Roman
letsev Ethan Zata, Wilson Byork, and Jacob Ills was Niak.
A lot of these guys are not super exciting for points,
but the ones I would say that prop that have
a little bit of upside worth considering a Novotny Nathan
Bem I really like him, Michael Servak, Cole McKinney I
already mentioned, and Wilson Wilson or sorry, Ethan Zatta and
then Jacob Ills wolves Nak is also interesting as well.
So of those fourteen, there's five that I think are
strong in addition to bangers to have a little bit
of points up side Jesse.
Speaker 3: And Jacob Ills. Wasniak is another one we have a
little audio for.
Speaker 4: Let's listen to that up Vegas. How would you describe
your game to Vegas fans you might not have seen
you play?
Speaker 8: I would say, yeah, offensive player with a really good
Shelton And I would say that I have a good
passing ability and a good hoky IQ too, so I will, Yeah,
I will be a really offensive player.
Speaker 4: And what do you think you need to work on
most were that uniform full time?
Speaker 8: I would say, yeah, my two hundred foot game, my
intense level, and that's what I've been working on the
whole season and what I'm going to keep working on too,
So that's what I'm going to improve.
Speaker 4: And yeah I want Jordan.
Speaker 8: Yeah, I've heard about him yet, but I don't really
know so much about it though.
Speaker 7: Have you ever been a Vegas No?
Speaker 13: I have not.
Speaker 6: How's the feeling?
Speaker 4: What do you feeling right now? It's super fun.
Speaker 8: This is what you dreamt though your whole life, so
it's super fun fun to find it will be a pig.
Speaker 1: What's then underrated aspect of your game that you think
goes over longter?
Speaker 4: John?
Speaker 7: Good question.
Speaker 8: I think that some people say that I don't have
a good passing ability and stuff like that, and I
think that, Yeah, I think that I have a really
good passing ability.
Speaker 9: That.
Speaker 6: Yeah, what's your favorite part of the game, The.
Speaker 4: Offensive part of the game.
Speaker 8: Yeah, but I know all the all other parts of
the game are important, and I want to get better
at all of them, but I like the offensive part
of it the most.
Speaker 3: With that, we're going to end this first half of
the conversation. Tune in next Wednesday for the conclusion of
Victor and I discussing all of these back in one
moment to close.
Speaker 7: Out the show.
Speaker 3: Fantracks dot com. That's the place to play fantasy sports.
You can get yourself on there, plenty of ways to
set up free leagues with your friends, plenty of ways
to join their cash leagues, plenty of ways to pay
for their premium product, which will give you all kinds
of extra crazy bells and whistles. Kind of the only
place to play dynasty if you ask me, and the
best place to do things like have slow drafts, have
rookie drafts, customize your draft, but whatever you need to do.
Salaries fan tracks HQ has fantasy content galore articles on
fantasy hockey and other fantasy sports. FHL is a team.
Thank you Crafts, Bryan Simon and Time who are making
the tidy leagues happened. Timm Ay has been working around
the friggin clock, let me tell you, and he's that
guy's a superhero if you ask me. Tony and Jeremyer
lead scouts getting the prospect scouting reports that you hear
on most of our team previews that will be resuming
next this coming week. Mike, Steven and Matt help out
a ton with a show prep for those team preview episodes,
and we thank them for their work. Brandon helps with
the website prospect ranks and visualizations. If you got skills
you'd like to lend the show, Victor would love to
hear from you in the discord email that is Fantasy
Hockey Life at gmail dot com or social media. We're
brought to you on by Dabber Hockey, Daber Prospects, Victors
and editor follow us work there. I do a solo
show called Dynasty Sports Life. I talk about four different
dynasty sports. The episode that just came out was on
baseball and not only does hockey have a draft I
mean hockey, basketball, and baseball have drafts within the course
of one month, and it's just crazy talk. So there
are a lot of draft prospects that I get into
with my guest Chris Blessing, who's one of the best
in the prospect content space on the baseball side, as
well as a few prospects who are coming up in
the minors. Social media, you can follow Victor and myself
at fan Hockey Life on x Jesse Severe on Blue
Sky for Victor Victor the One Victor at on Blue Sky,
and Victor Ninia twelve on x rate and reviewers, Apple Pods, Spotify,
wherever else you get your pods. I hope you've enjoyed
this three part series on the NHL Draft as you
get ready for your rookie drafts for that next course
of your fantasy hockey like