Spencer_12

Today’s the day. 12 hours until we see where we end up in the draft. I’m glad we enter the day already as winners locking up the #3 spot. Hopefully we’ll win the grand prize of #1 or runner up, but if not at least we’re #3. Here’s hoping the Sharks don’t get Bedard. Chicago would also suck considering how unfair it would be for them to not even have to go a year between having generational players on their team (Kane and Bedard).

Just a reminder to everyone that his ratings aren’t really his; they are based off weighing multiple scouts’ rankings. The fact that Smith has cracked the next tier after Bedard in these scouts’ eyes is interesting. He did just put up 20 points in 7 games at the U18 WJC. That’s pretty crazy. One of his line mates was Perreault’s younger brother who had 18 points in 7 games, and had just as good of a season as Smith did. It seems like these scouts are giving more credit to Smith for the lines production.

So the Kings played 6 more games than the Ducks this season. They beat the Ducks in the final game securing the Ducks a top 3 pick in a year where the top 4 is better than it’s been in a long time. This ensures the Ducks have a high likelihood of drafting a player who will terrorize the Kings for a decade. The Kings also gave the Ducks a 25.5% chance at drafting a player who might absolutely destroy their team for a decade the way McDavid destroyed them in their series. The Kings played 6 more games than the Ducks. Yeah, I’d rather be sitting where the Ducks are right now heading into the draft. lol Kings.

Pretty impressive for NJ to be down 0-2 losing both games at home 5-1, and then win the next 3.

It wouldn’t be the worst thing if Zegras transitions to being a winger. He dominated the WJC as a winger (Kings mega bust Alex Turcotte centered his line). I remember some people here thought the Ducks were using Terry wrong by playing him on the wing, but he then developed a shot and that’s looking good now. Zegras might prefer to play center, but hockey players are usually pretty good about accepting different roles if it’s the best thing for the team. Obviously if he won’t sign long term without being guaranteed being a center then that’s that, but that’s pure speculation for now. Bedard/Fantilli, McTavish, and Gaucher down the middle could be pretty good for a decade+.

My guess is it’ll be closer to 3 years for the Ducks defense to be ready to contend. Luneau will be back in junior next year, and Zellweger and Mintyukov probably spend most of the year in the AHL unless we get lucky and one/both figure out the NHL game fast. Verbeek consistently says he won’t be rushing players to the NHL so I think he leans conservative there. This is also assuming all 3 guys hit at the NHL level, which probably won’t happen. Ducks can make moves to bring in talent from the outside to speed things up on defense, but we’ll eventually need to rely on at least one of those 3 to be ready to play a big role on a contending team. In this sense, I don’t think 3 years is a stretch to have Michkov come in as the last piece of the rebuild to put the Ducks over the top.

To the 1st question, I think that’s pretty much the case. To the 2nd, that may be a little less certain, though I personally get the feeling that he would be ranked #2 if he weren’t Russian, and didn’t have a KHL contract. Everything I read about him it’s always something like, “This is the one player that might be able to put up a challenge to Bedard, but…” and the but is his nationality/contract status. Nothing to do with his hockey game. But then they put him at #3 or #4.

I doubt how he communicates in Q&A forums with media members or fans has any carryover to the way he communicates in private with people he actually has to do business with. Talking to media/fans is an entirely different arena compared to GMs, players, and agents. I doubt he has any issue with the latter considering they are all cut from the same cloth.

CBJ loses and locks up the #2 spot pushing Chicago to #3 and San Jose to #4. Now just need the lottery to keep Ducks at #1 and get both of those teams out of the top 4.

I’m torn as well. I need to read more about Carlsson since he’s the least I know about of the top 4, especially more recent takes on him. To that end, I’m looking forward to when the final draft rankings come out pretty soon here. What I do know is, Michkov is closer to Bedard than Carlsson is. In 21-22 Michkov and Carlsson played in the same U18 tournament. Michkov destroyed it picking up 13 points in 5 games (8 goals). Carlsson had 3 points in 5 games. Michkov played in the covid postponed WJC as an underaged player just like Bedard did, and he had 3 goals in 2 games. Carlsson didn’t make Sweden’s team. Carlsson did have a decent WJC this past one picking up 6 points in 7 games (the one Bedard destroyed), but if Russia weren’t banned I think Michkov would have done better than Carlsson. I just don’t know how you pass on a talent like Michkov. I’m hoping I come across more info on Carlsson’s game that makes me confident he’s going to be a big time NHL player because honestly I want to pick Carlsson over Michkov. I’m just more sure about Michkov right now so I’m leaning that way.

One thing I don’t like is the last 2 years the team with the best odds to pick #1 went on to pick #1. You wouldn’t expect to go 3/3 with that… Although one thing working in our favor is the new system for this year increases our odds. For example, last year Montreal only had a 18.5% chance. The year before that Buffalo only had a 16.6% chance. This year we have a 25.5% chance. So there’s that at least.

This was obvious. He seems like a great guy, and I’ll think back on him positively when our 2023 1st round draft pick is playing a big part in our future Stanley Cup contention.

Oops, had this right the 1st time. Mixed up CBJ and Chicago in the RW column. It is possible for both Chicago and San Jose to be knocked out of the top 4 with the Ducks winning #1 overall on ping pong ball night if CBJ loses in regulation tonight. Here’s hoping!

Your 2023 NHL regular season tank champions….. the ANAHEIM DUCKS!!!!!!!!!!! Such an awesome end to a terrible season. Now I just hope Columbus stays at #3 tomorrow night. At the lottery, hopefully San Jose is bumped out of the top 4, Chicago gets bumped to #4, and we get Bedard. All that is actually possible if we’re blessed by the ping pong ball gods.

Ughhhhh basically a one month wait to see where in the top 3 we will pick. The anticipation might kill me.

Islanders won knocking Pens out of the playoffs. So now Columbus has 2 games left against teams with nothing to play for. Hopefully Pens rest a bunch of guys and/or have zero motivation now.

Making an edit to my post: Kings just need to pick up a point to guarantee finishing 3rd in the division. So, still need to ice a strong team if they care about that.

If the Kings want to be 3rd in the division they will have to ice a strong team on Thursday. They need to win and Seattle lose in regulation. Both teams play at the same time. Here’s hoping they come to play. For the Ducks… one more game. One more stupid game. Just lose it in regulation. Please. Don’t be a hero, just let your fans be happy for once after this HELL of a season. Here’s hoping McTavish is out with his upper body injury, and Terry’s wife has the baby forcing him out. Kings fans will be sitting pretty on the night. Their team can be the cause of us falling down the lottery odds and gloat us out of the building taking the one last bit of hope from us. I feel sick just thinking about it. Thursday’s game is going to be a horrible, horrible watch. If luck were on our side the Kings ruining our tank would be turned upside down because we end up winning a lottery pick. But we are Ducks fans; luck is not on our side.

4-1 Blackhawks. Did not expect to receive that gift of a result today. Let’s see how/when/if the Ducks throw it away.

Wow, 3-1 Chicago late in the 3rd…. Hope is a dangerous thing.

Shame CBJ only got 1 point. Blackhawks up 2-1 later in the 3rd. Saw how that went last night though. Still, I just don’t see how this Ducks team goes pointless in their last two games after what we’ve seen recently.

Chicago fans have all the luck right now. Wild were missing SIX key players in their game so it was a very winnable game. They hit a post that would have given them a 2 goal lead. Later, they score a goal that would have given them a 2 goal lead, but it gets waved off because the Wild were deemed to have possessed the puck on a delayed call. They then give up a SH goal and fold late. I wish we had their luck the last two games. It might not even matter. With the way the Ducks have played their last 4 games I just don’t see them going winless. LA might even pull a Wild on Thursday and rest a bunch of good players.

Sunday was pretty much the exact same game as Saturday, including many of the same details. Ducks avoided a disaster by losing, but the margin for error is gone. Any points in their last two games is probably it for their chances at #1 or 2. Frankly, it seems like the Ducks are on a death march to the inevitable given the way the last 4 games have been played. 3-4 points in our last 2 won’t shock me at all.

We were both simultaneously lucky and unlucky today. Unlucky in the sense that the Coyotes hit 3 posts in the 2nd period and could have easily led by multiple goals after 2. Lucky in the sense that the Ducks only picked up 1 point when they should have had 2 taking the lead as late as they did. Ducks played the tank correctly as well playing Ek in net. Everyone had this game penciled in as a win so to only get 1 instead of 2 is something. Looking ahead, Ducks playing all game with 5 defenseman should help tank percentages tomorrow against Colorado. I think getting 1 point instead of 2 today keeps hope alive to finish #1 or 2. CBJ and Chicago both have one more game left where they could pick up a point or two (Flyers for both). There’s very little room for error though; if the Ducks pick up 2 points in their last 3 games that very likely could be too much for #1 or 2. The Ducks have picked up 1 point in their last 10 games and have only moved from #4 to #3. It’s taken a small miracle just to even close the gap between teams #1-2 and pass the Sharks.

The only way I’d be fine passing on Michkov at #4 is if Verbeek/scouts truly believe there’s someone else in the draft that’s going to be better. At that point I’ll trust the process and see how it plays out. But they better be right. Michkov is thought to be the next Russian star at the level of a Kaprizov. If you pass on that potential you better be damn sure the guy you’re choosing is going to be better.