I remember well the 1974 NHL Amateur Draft. The Hockey News told me Ron Chipperfield was the number one overall prospect in the entire draft and on the strength of a 90-goal season in the Western Junior League it seemed reasonable. I wasn’t sure he’d go No. 1, the OHA had some good players too, but 90 goals had to be top-10 overall. Right?
THE ATHLETIC!
The Athletic Edmonton features a fabulous cluster of stories (some linked below, some on the site). Great perspective from a ridiculous group of writers and analysts. Proud to be part of The Athletic, check it out here.
- New Lowetide: Why the Oilers should extend Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as soon as possible
- New Lowetide: Oilers farmhand Josh Currie’s small window of opportunity
- Lowetide: Oilers coach Dave Tippett’s track record in developing young players
- Jonathan Willis: Misguided priorities helped turn the Oilers’ 2010 rebuild into a debacle
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: ‘It’s what’s best for the league’: Oilers accept challenge of play-in series
- Lowetide: Oilers greatest areas of need for the 2020 draft
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: Six bold (and not so bold) predictions as the Oilers prepare for the Blackhawks
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers facing a bonus penalty for 2020-21 but the news isn’t all bad
- Jonathan Willis: Multiple choice: What might an Oilers trade at the 2020 NHL Draft look like?
- Jonathan Willis: Oilers return to play guide: How the NHL’s 24-team format impacts Edmonton
- Lowetide: Mike Green’s playoff role and possible future with the Oilers
- Lowetide: Oilers’ most likely recalls from Bakersfield for the playoff run
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: ‘We rallied and regrouped’: How the Oilers won the 1990 Stanley Cup
- Lowetide: Why Kailer Yamamoto represents ‘Money Puck’ value for NHL teams
- Lowetide: Exploring hidden-gem draft options for the Edmonton Oilers
- Daniel Nugent-Bowman: ‘He set his place in history’: On Bill Ranford’s Conn Smythe run, 30 years later
- Jonathan Willis: Why NHL teams should gamble on defencemen over forwards later in the draft
- Lowetide: Oilers GM Ken Holland should shop for picks at the draft
Back then, you didn’t get television coverage of the draft. The radio would tell you who went number one and the players the Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs had taken with their first picks, but after that you had to wait for July’s The Hockey News. The Saskatoon radio would tell you Bob Bourne (Saskatoon Blades) was chosen by the new Kansas City Scouts expansion club, but it wasn’t a major sports story across the land or locally. If you suggested a five-hour television show live covering the draft in 1974, they would (as my father used to say) send you to Essondale.
Why was the 1974 draft so memorable? Well the NHL was in a war with the WHA over players, so conducted the draft by phone (which took forever) and tried to sign players before the list was released. Crazy stuff. Here’s an example of the kind of story you’d find in your local newspaper.
Eventually enough information would be made available, but I was always curious about why Chipperfield fell so far in that draft. Was it because he’d already told everyone he was going to sign with a WHA club? That would make sense, as Mark Howe didn’t go until the middle of round two because of the rival league (where he had played one season in 1973-74 so was drafted from the Houston Aeros by the Boston Bruins).
Eventually Chipperfield did play in the NHL and of course is a part of Edmonton Oiler history (Chipperfield was named captain of the team October 1, 1979). Had the NHL drafted straight up–without the WHA, without the underage eligbility rule that allowed one selection of an underage player per team in the first two rounds–Chipperfield would have been drafted inside the top 10 in 1974, but not close to his No. 1 ranking. Why?
There was no one who would tell me why in 1974 summer. I know now (speed) but it would have been nice to know back then.
—
Fast forward to today and we can track the entry draft extremely well. The attention paid to the sport of hockey, the business and procurement side along with the actual game itself is mind boggling to 1974. Everything is sped up, information is readily available and comes in waves; I’m certain a rabid hockey fan today could produce a better draft list than the California Seals did in 1974.
How did that happen? The internet, more leisure time, the news cycle needing more and more content to keep its audience, and of course, money. In 1974, the Seals GM was Garry Young and their scouting director was Ed Reigle. I knew that because of a man named Jim Proudfoot who should have his own wing of the HHOF but that’s for another day. Suffice to say he was the patron saint of nerdy kids on the Canadian prairies.
—
Today, we have so much access to the draft it’s ridiculous. We can reasonably assume that the Edmonton Oilers will select someone inside Bob McKenzie’s top 30. In 1974? Here’s the first round, with the ranking alongside.
We’re halfway through the first round and you’re probably wondering what the hell is going on. Why didn’t the No. 1 ranked player going in the first half of round 1? What’s with the not ranked underagers getting drafted? Remember, this is THN ranking, NHL teams have their own scouts and there is no Central Scouting at this time. Paiement and Gillies were the best selections, Larouche a dandy pick and Pollock’s Habs didn’t get as much as they should have. Now the second half of the first round, 1974.
More jocularity, as ‘underage, not ranked’ rules the day. We get the No. 40 ranked player before the No. 1 man (Chipperfield) mercifully comes off the board at No. 17. He was the No. 8 man off the board if we exclude underagers. I for one am glad Central Scouting brought in some clarity for the weaker teams. One final note: Clumsy effort by Montreal despite an extraordinary five picks in the first round. Islanders would grab Bryan Trottier in the second round, he was the best player in the draft.
HOLLAND’S LIST
If we’re trying to drill down on what Ken Holland’s list is going to look like on draft day, we should start with a list of players who boast the skills Holland values.
Speedsters who might be available to the Oilers at No. 20 include Seth Jarvis, Rodion Amirov, Marat Khusnutdinov, Kaiden Guhle, Dylan Holloway, Vasiliy Ponomarev.
Later round speed demons include Yevgeni Oksentyuk, Alexander Pashin, Jakub Konecny, Wyatt Kaiser. On draft day, when you’re staring at all the players we’ve discussed at No. 20, if the Oilers choose Marat Khusnutdinov, speed will be the reason.
LOWDOWN WITH LOWETIDE
At 10 this morning, TSN 1260. We check in with Bruce McCurdy from the Cult of Hockey at the Edmonton Journal, talking Oilers-‘Hawks and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Joe Osborne from OddsShark will pop in at 11 to talk UFC250, Nascar prop bets and NHL Eastern Conference Play-In Series. 10-1260 text, @Lowetide on twitter. A reminder I’ll be part of the sandwich draft at 9 this morning, TSN1260. You gotta go with what you know.
Depends on what you mean by BPA. You’d think GMs mean the most valuable player available. No matter what their team currently needs. In which case all other things being equal wingers are at the bottom. RD>LD etc. GMs backing BPA can’t possibly value all positions equally.
And Pettersson is “totally a center” but takes almost none. Miller is the center on that line, Pettersson is a winger.
Wow, that would be incredible. And worth a expansion draft protection slot. Get it done this fall.
Six points in 17 games, actually. But who’s counting? 😛
Why is RC important? We have 2 top-5 centers in the league wrapped up long-term, another top-30 center who will very likely re-sign at a reasonable rate, and McLeod matriculating nicely in the minors. I get that we need a legit 3C for the coming season, but why does handedness matter?
Also, I don’t see the urgency for goaltending prospects. Koskinen was a top goaltender this year and is under contract for 2 more seasons. There are several competent goalies available in free agency this summer for 1B. Starrett has shown well at the AHL level when healthy and can be re-signed. Skinner showed some improvement through the year, and both Rodrigue and Konovalov have higher ceilings.
jp,
Not only for you 😉
Yeah they do.
I was just looking at the ramifications, it would be funny (maybe only to me) if Russell ended up taking a job from Brogan Rafferty next season.
I would guess it’s about equal.
Both teams have ready replacments.
Certainly worth a follow.
From that Canucks Army piece:
“As a former centre, MacEwen is able to slide over and take draws which is a handy addition to his already impressive toolbox.”
JT Miller is also “totally a winger” but takes lots of draws.
It shows the wisdom of always taking a centre over a winger if all else is apparently equal.
That almost sounds too good to be true. Maybe it’s thanks to the Draisaitl cap? 🙂
You got his AHL/NHL stats mixed up but yeah, he seems like a half decent bottom 6 prospect. Though I don’t see any evidence he’s played C as a pro (the AHL.com lists him as a RW and he’s taken 3 FO in his 21 NHL games).
The Canucks sure could use some of those overpaid bottom 6 moved out. I wonder if the Oilers want rid of Russell more or the Canucks Sutter?
That is awesome to hear!
He is totally a winger, but thanks to you I will be following his career closely.
He is a very interesting player and I would NOT bet against him having an NHL career.
https://canucksarmy.com/2019/09/13/2019-preseason-prospect-rankings-9-zack-macewen/
Brian Lawton was on Oilers Now – used to work of Octagon and knows Nuge’s agent very well, obviously.
Says he’s be surprised of Nuge wants to go to another city as he’s never shown he doesn’t love playing in Edmonton.
Would be surprised if it was a short term deal – thinks it will be for term. Bob asked him what it would be if it was a 7 year deal and Lawton thinks it would start with a “6”.
Many young players end up playing wing when they turn pro.
Zack MacEwan.
23 years old. 6’3″ 205. Very fast and hits like a truck.
Has predominantly spent two years in Utica but was called up for the final 20 games before the pause and managed 11 points in 20 games.
Both Benning and Green say he’s NHL ready and told him to find an apartment.
With Gaudette at 3RC, I expect he’ll play wing but has played a lot of centre in the past.
I had this trade in my mind 3 yrs ago. Sutter would likely help if he stayed off IR, but there is no indication that might be possible. Plus he has a higher salary and both have NTC’s, so could be a difficult trade to make.
I’d do the deal if he had been able to stay healthy 70-75% of his last 3 seasons, but he’s only managed to play in 55%. Not a deal I would do now.
According to my check of the Dys roster, there are only 3 actual RC’s. MacEwen might be listed as a C, but he only took 2 draws in his 17 games and only 1 in his 4 game stint his rookie year. Therefore based on my in-depth research, he appears not to be a Centre….I am honestly not trying to be an asshole here, but if it were my team, I’d know this stuff.
So I am legitimately wondering, do you actually watch and pay close attention to Canuck games?
Sutter, Gaudette, Beagle… Who’s the 4th?
I still think Holland wants to see if he can find a more reliable 3C than Sutter, but it definitely is conceivable.
True, might work.
To me this blows the BPA argument out of the water, outside of aforementioned lottery placed picks.
There is a reason teams don’t have massive holes in depth.
Maybe a lack of impact quality, which is part of the crapshoot of the draft, but when you don’t draft a player type for ages and can’t buy one, big hole.
Especially for absolutely critical positions. Goalie, RD, RC.
Wingers are lowest on the list to me. C can play W. Also come pre programmed with defensive awareness and skating typically. Thus why they were C at lower levels.
I get the goalies are voodoo thing, but I’ve looked at and posted before top goalies are often taken first round. The best of their cohort, same as other positions.
Yes many come from lower rounds, but a significant amount are firsts. To me if you lack a franchise G and are picking out of the lottery where BPA is more clear, I would absolutely roll the dice on the most important position on the team.
The draft is to find the highest impact players appropriately in each round, not to find placeholders who are always available all season long.
It doesn’t matter who is on the NHL team if your goalie is unreliable. This is certain, see Oilers, and the number of Cup teams that had marginal goalering is massively lower than the opposite.
LT,
It is amazing that I recognize every name on this 1st Round list from 1974, except for MacTavish and Larway. That was the year I inadvertently started to collect hockey cards. It was a short-lived hobby for me, but interesting how these names are still so familiar to me after all these years.
I think it is really cool that 4 on this list were all Oilers in their first year in the league, the year that totally renewed my interest in the NHL.
I have him as a 1st Round Talent in this Draft.
Tremendous player!
I have a completely different view. I liked him last year, based on LT,’s take, but after digging into his game this season, primarily due to Mysak, I don’t believe he’ll be in North America in 5 yrs. He is an amazing talent, but his effort level is non-existent.
TMac will hate him and it is doubtful he will win over any of his Pro coaches.
It’s odd that 3RC is still a position still lacking on the Oilers.
Perhaps the Oilers should contact the Canucks who have FOUR of them.
Trading Russell for Brandon Sutter helps both teams and both are on expiring contracts in a similar price range.
To me the biggest need on the farm is RC and goalies. RD would be nice but there are some players in the system with no fatal flaws that could develop. Perhaps not on the farm yet, but really a franchise G and a strong bottom 6 RC or two are really helpful to success, and completely lacking.
They haven’t found either yet, with props to Marody, but it’s not looking good. And he has fatal flaws in size and an non-explosive skating style.
Does she yell Bouchard every time someone talks about defensemen?
Not trying to control anything – just noting that you are essentially like my 73 year old Jewish mother who, love her to death, will often just blurt out things in the middle of a conversation that have nothing to do with it.
Shall I call you Miriam from now on?
Hey folks
If you are drafting outside of the lottery sweet spot, which is usually 1-3 or 1-5 depending in the year, teh BPA becomes clouded in fog.
There are few players in any league that have the tool kit to be almost certain to dominate in the best league.
Taking Yama was a good choice based on math, that he was considered at the time one of the best skaters in the draft, and had the required drive that any player, but particularly a tiny player, absolutely has to have.
The Oilers for yonks picked players they liked that had significant warning signs, be it scoring, skating, skill, whatever.
It seems to me Holland has this surrounded. He has stated publicly that the core of the reason is the WIngs drafted at the bottom for a long time. He/they were smart enough to think outside of the very narrow box the league looked through as a majority.
It’s still a gamble, and the Wings got very lucky. So did the Pens, so did the Oilers.
It’s amusing to me that the Oilers and Pens both have had such incredible good fortune. The Wings it didn’t happen for. Such is sports, and life.
I’m REALLY happy the Oilers have what seems like a stable, thinking GM and the same in the coach.
We’ll see who Broberg and Kaliyev become, but I get the bet on Holland’s part. Given who he had to watch while dominating the league for a very long time.
It also makes me think Nuge would be a player he wants on his team, even if not Zet or Dats.
and Bouchard has 7 under his belt – as an 18 year old – and we keep hearing about his limited potential.
Same draft…same position.
Sorry, as hard as you might try you don’t get to control the conversation.
I think it will likely be the Coyotes who will, be chuckling and sniggering.
Soderstrom has far more offence than Broberg.
He was 14th on Bob MacKenzie’s list…Broberg was 15th.
Well that’s nice but the conversation was the Oilers taking Broberg vs. Kaliyev vs. Zegras so, really, another out of left field comment.
He who laughs last…
I wouldn’t complain about that! I prefer Jarvis over Bourque – Khusnutdinov too – but I’m doubtful he’ll be available at 20.
Not in August?
He’ll need it.
Rafferty already has two NHL games under his belt with lots more to come this fall..
Well he only has 6 years left to beat Future hall of famer Brogdan Brofferty
Much more likely the Broberg pick will be compared to Victor Soderstrom (11th overall), Lassi Thomson (19th overall, Ville Heinola (20th overall) and Tobias Bjornfot (22nd overall).
Worth noting that Heinola and Bjornfot have already played NHL games.
l
……and all three have had solid draft plus 1 development years in line with expectation and none of the three have played a second of professional hockey (in North America).
There is little doubt the two forwards will “arrive” prior to the European drafted d-man – doesn’t mean time won’t show the d-man to be the “better pick” – we wait.
If I’m not mistaken, LT had him much much higher than where he went.
I don’t believe Holland will be made to look stupid for a number of years, if ever – you know, given the developmental path the team is choosing for Broberg. Kaliyev could be a star in 2 years and Broberg could be a bigger start in 4, for example.
We wait.
We know some general potential timelines.
We know stage 2 is likely to start in the next few weeks but that is simply informal skates permitted in small groups with no coaches. Sounds like very few players will travel to their team cities to participate.
We know that stage 3, training camp, will not be before July 10 and the league is “aiming for” July 14 at this point.
We know that camp is likely to be 2-3 weeks – sounds like closer to 3 weeks.
That takes us to very early August for Stage 4 which is when teams head to their hubs – its been said that there will be a week until the real games start (2 exhibition games per in that time).
So, real games around Aug 10 if everything goes as hoped.
Listening to Coach T’s media call now:
He has mentioned a few times that there is the opportunity for a youngster to “crack the lineup” if some incumbents aren’t in as good as shape as they expect, etc.
Coach was scheduled to come back to Edmonton last week but it got pushed back – he’ll be heading to Edmonton in the next few weeks – mentioned with Stauff that he’ll want to get his 14 days in, etc.
Asked about Jones – he now knows he’s an NHL player and plays like one. Has some young player in him but that can be a good thing with energy. We’ll see how camp goes to see where he fits – To me, it really sounds like Rusty has the inside edge on 3LD.
He’s had 4-5 call with the team and the full staff and recently talked about expectations and talked about what camp will look like, etc. Has had more calls with just the coaching staff over the break.
Training camp will be about evaluating the players, where they are and where their conditioning is. Sounds worried about differing levels of “readiness”.
This is true.
Would be nice to get both him and his higher-rated teammate so they can grow together!
As per David Pagnotta, league is expected to make an official announcement on timing of phase 2 by the end of the week.
Hopefully some guidance on length of series for the first two rounds and bracket vs. re-seed (although that is in the players’ hands I believe).
Stop bashing the USHL kid. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. You try playing D in the world’s best league.
Kidding man. Love you.
🙂
Eh Team,
You’re right about Trots but I guess I was thinking of that first round.
I thought Bob did a bang-up job with Coach T. – trying to get lineup info out of him without asking too directly. Couple of things I took away:
– Bob asked who would be able to get their game back quicker, youngsters or veterans – Coach T. oubviously referenced the “younger bodies” but then mentioned that they are going right in to playoff games and the veterans know what that takes and will be important. Interesting as it relates to Chiasson, Neal, Rusty, etc. for me
– asked about Nygard and given how great he played with Sheahan and Archie if he’d go back there – Coach T oubviously acknowledged it as an option but was clear that Nygard, while healthy now, has been out for a long time and his injury was tough – hand surgery and it takes a while to get back from that and he didn’t get a chance to practice. Said he was sure his legs will be there but it may take his hands a bit. To me, he may need to earn a lineup spot in camp or early in the series.
– asked about his tenders – Coach T had just talked to Schwartz and, of course, they are confident in both guys and they will see who is looking better at training camp – of course, he acknowledged that Smith has the experience – blah.
– asked about the bottom pairing D and Coach T really likes his mix of veterans and youngsters and puck movers – he thinks “lots of players will be needed”.
– asked about Khaira at center and said he really liked him there and really liked that line with Chiasson and Neal flanking him – a tough, heavy forecheck line. To me, it sounds like a line Coach T would use in the playoffs.
Watched some highlights of his this afternoon. Love love love this player, especially considering he could be available on day 2. He’s a candidate to explode next season, IMO.
No, that’s Bogdan Raffetskiy.
Arguably the best Canuck player in their storied franchise.