Deep Thoughts - Twitter - April 29

Deep Thoughts
With
Mark Seidel
DT: Deep Thoughts: Welcome to Deep Thoughts which represent my PERSONAL views & don’t reflect ANY Organization that I work with! I’ve become much more “sensitive” to other’s feelings but if you are easily offended, unfollow if you don’t want them.

DT: I love the idea of the OHL doing a Lottery for the Priority Selection combined with the “Snake” format. It creates a ton of excitement in all 20 cities & it'll be chaos all in the 2nd & 3rd round with all the traded picks. You could easily see a Top team with 2 top 25 picks.
DT: Although far from ideal, there have been plenty of chances for Teams to see ‘05s this year. The Teams that have been really grinding since September will be rewarded while those that didn’t attend practices, scrimmages, etc. will be in serious trouble.
DT: It goes without saying that a lot of good players will fall through the cracks this year but it just means that they can use the 21/22 season to shove it up a team’s ass & showed they made a mistake this year. Remember, it’s a marathon & not a sprint.
DT: A lot of people are shocked by the seasons of guys like Darnell Nurse, Jacob Chychrun, Adam Fox & Thomas Chabot. As we’ve said for years, the hardest position to learn is Defense & it takes them a little longer to figure it out & these kids are the latest example of that.
DT: Using those players as examples, lets remember that when you crucify kids like Rasmus Dahlin, Eric Brannstrom, Conor Timmins, Timothy Liljegren & Evan Bouchard. As they mature & get stronger, they too will become studs on the back end. Some get it early but most take time.
DT: Alex Lafreniere has been really coming on, Tim Steutzle has been phenomenal all year & Quinton Byfield is making his NHL debut tonight after starting to light up the AHL. Before anyone makes any judgements about who won the 2020 NHL Draft lottery, lets take a breath & wait for a few years.
DT: #DeepThoughts readers know how big a fan of Nick Foligno I am but I don’t think anyone can under-estimate the perfect fit between Foligno & the Leaf needs. He has character, leadership, grit, toughness & a willingness to do anything to win. Kyle saw a need & addressed it.
DT: David Savard has struggled in his early time in Tampa Bay but his true value will be when the playoffs start. This guy is a warrior that will eat up big minutes in Tampa & he will be a force that teams have to deal with if they are going to un-seat the Champs.
DT: It is the 2 most under-rated superstars play on the same team in Florida. Barkov & Huberdeau are so good but overlooked & it is scary. Huberdeau has turned Sam Bennett into the player that they hoped he could be. AC Andrew Brunette has also had a huge effect on that team.
DT: I wish Jonathon Drouin the best as he takes some time to address some issues. His NHL production has been slower than most thought be but he is still young. When he returns, I’d love to see him play with the passion, excitement & fun that he showed during his Halifax days.
DT: The World Championships will be a great opportunity for Gerard Gallant to show how great of a coach he is. For my money, he is the best Coach not in the NHL right now & I think Seattle makes the most sense but someone should hire this guy.
DT: Unlike a lot of people, I’m not convinced that the 2021 NHL Draft is exceptionally strong. It has been tough through the pandemic but I only see a couple superstars & a lot of solid NHL’ers. Now the 2022 Draft with Wright, Lambert & Savoie & others will be something to behold.
DT: Early U18's thoughts: You can already see that Red Savage will be a great shutdown Centreman with character/leadership. People are sleeping on Sean Behrens because he is better than most think. Ty Gallagher set the NTDP record for goals by a Defenseman, which is impressive!
DT: I’ve said for a while that Brandt Clarke is better than Simon Edvinsson & I’ll die on that hill. Fyodor Svechkov is the real deal for Russia & should be a Top 15 pick. Chase Stillman is the most physical player in the event & his added strength means that he hits to hurt.
DT: It is early but the goaltending in the Exhibition Games & start of the U18’s has been fairly poor. Canada has been spared from that but the USA, Russia & Sweden are expected to be in the Final 4. This kind of goaltending can lead to a quarterfinal loss, in a hurry.
DT: Some of the most impressive players thus far have been 04’s. Shane Wright, Ivan Miroschnichenko, Matvey Michkov, Brad Lambert & Logan Cooley have been great thus far. Don’t sleep on the 05 on Canada either as he will be better than the 1st 2 games. #YouthIsServed #2022Draft
DT: As much as the 04’s have been really good, and in particular Shane Wright, I get it but I would have really liked to see Canada go with only Draft eligible players in this Under 18. It has been a brutal year for these kids & I’d like to see a few of them given a chance.

Deep Thoughts - Twitter - April 29 - OHL Draft Thoughts