One of my favorite tasks of the year is asking hockey fans on X to give me two players from this year’s NHL draft and debating which one I would take first and giving reasons why.
With the draft just under a week away, it’s the perfect time to take on this task once again, and the responses were plenty of fun as always.
You gave me so many scenarios of Player A vs. Player B, and it’s time to let you know where I stand on the two players and give my reasons why I’d take one over the other.
Let’s get to the debates.
Michael Misa Vs. Matthew Schaefer
(From @NY647764)
The debate at first overall has largely been leaning towards Schaefer publicly, but I’ve had Misa atop my board all season. I’ve acknowledged in just about every iteration of my ranking that it truly feels like a 1A/B situation, but all season, Misa has been my 1A.
Schaefer is a dynamic, transitional defender who has done a great job of leveraging his tools at both ends of the ice. His sample size is a bit limited because of injuries this year, but what he has put on tape has been unreal.
Misa is an incredibly intelligent, do-it-all center who is a diversely skilled goal scorer who isn’t reliant on a heavy snap, a one timer, or even cleaning up around the net – Misa can do it all. His defensive intelligence and habits have been very good this year, and he could very well be a low-end top-line center at the next level.
The choice is whether you want a top-pair defenseman with offensive pop or a complete top-line center who can score in any way. I lean toward the center, but the NHL seems to be leaning toward the defender. Either way, it’s a very good choice.
Cameron Reid Vs. Logan Hensler
(From Jeff Baker)
This is an interesting one. The toolsy defender who leans into his dynamism and skill, or the toolsy defender who reigns things in and plays to the game in front of him.
Reid is an excellent and entertaining offensive presence who can make some slick plays from the back end. His transition game is solid, and he is a deft passer.
Hensler is a bit bigger, but he possesses many of the same physical tools. He’s an excellent skater, and he has the skilled passing you want on the back end. The difference is that Hensler has learned to pull his game back, play sound defensive hockey and unleash the offensive skill when the time is right. Hensler gets my pick here, however, it's two players who have similar traits but choose to play differently.
Bill Zonnon Vs. Caleb Desnoyers
(From Jacob)
The top two names coming out of the QMJHL on most boards, Desnoyers has been an NHL scout fan favorite this year, while Zonnon has been a bit more of an under-the-radar riser. I have them back-to-back on my final draft rankings that will be out tomorrow, so this has been a debate I’ve had many times internally and with trusted people I have conversations with.
Desnoyers is a high-end facilitator who takes advantage of mistakes and thrives on positioning and good habits. He doesn’t always dictate play and lets things come to him more often than not, but he always seems to know what to do with it when he gets the puck. Pace is an issue for Desnoyers at times, something that has become a commonality with prospects coming out of the QMJHL.
On the flip side, Zonnon is a workhorse who always looks to make something happen. He isn’t the most picturesque skater, but he gets moving and never fails to outwork his opponents. He’s a skilled passer who fires pucks to the middle with purpose. He has an element of power to his game at times as well. He doesn’t have the same skill level as Desnoyers, though, but Zonnon looks to elevate the pace and thrives in doing so in the Q, where that’s not common.
It’s a tough debate between the two. As stated, they are next to each other on my board but Zonnon is ahead for me as the top player out of Quebec this season.
Michael Misa Vs. Ivan Demidov
(From Bob Mcadoo)
A complete center or a dynamic, skilled winger, that’s the question here.
Demidov was one of the most exciting and skilled prospects in the draft last year, and the glimpse we got at the end of this year in the NHL was tantalizing. I’ve spoken about how good Misa is already, so I won’t dive into that again.
Due to the fact that we’ve seen Demidov in the NHL already and witnessed just how much of a dynamic presence and a difference-making factor he can be, I’ll pretty easily take Demidov. At the time of each of their respective drafts, Demidov registers a bit higher for me, but it may be a bit closer than some would think.
James Hagens Vs. Porter Martone
(From King Kairos)
Two of the premier playmakers in the draft who do things very differently. Both have seemingly fallen a bit out of favor despite both arguably being top-five talents in the class.
Hagens is an agile, quick-thinking playmaker who thrives in space and understands how to get it. Hagens has great hands that allow him to open up passing lanes for himself as well. He’s a center who can flip the ice with his speed and attack with pace.
Martone is more of a power playmaker. He makes passes with a defender on his back, inviting contact to open up space and lanes. Martone powers by defenders with strong strides in tight areas. Martone doesn’t play with as much pace, which is the biggest issue in his game. He has made an effort to improve the area over the course of the year, but it’s just not quite at the level it needs to be just yet.
Hagens and Martone have been victims of overexposure, playing in a variety of international tournaments over the last couple of years. They have been nitpicked more often than most players in this class, but Hagens has the upper level of talent, with the added fact that he’s a center to give him the edge.
Rapid Fire: Shane Vansaghi vs. Will Horcoff, Ryker Lee vs. Justin Carbonneau And Mason West vs. Vaclav Nestrasil
(From MD Scouting)
Vansaghi and Horcoff are big, physical forwards who played at rival colleges this season. While Horcoff is the more refined defensive player, Vansaghi is the more purposeful offensive player. I lean toward Vansaghi because although he doesn’t bring quite the defensive game, he’s no slouch, and his offensive game is stronger.
Lee and Carbonneau are two of the most interesting and skilled puck handlers in the draft. Both have issues with their defensive games, and they bring varying levels of value outside of the offensive zone. Carbonneau is the player that I lean to because, although Lee plays in a bit of a tougher league, Carbonneau brings a little more value in transition to add to his insane offensive skillset.
In a battle of the big-bodied forwards who played in the USHL this season, West and Nestrasil are both quality puck handlers, good skaters, and they bring some very intriguing skills at their size. Both have relatively raw packages, but they are high upside packages as well. They aren’t far from each other in my ranking, but the intrigue of West, from the fact that he’s a dual-sport athlete to the fact that he was able to step into the USHL and make an impact instantly, has him ahead at the moment for me.
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