Question For The Draft Enthusiasts…

[Zizzle1297]

Does anyone think that the recent past with Mckenna could affect his draft status? I would be leary that maybe he has character issues.

[smilinjoefission]

Does anyone think that the recent past with Mckenna could affect his draft status? I would be leary that maybe he has character issues.

I don't,,,I think the few mock drafts that have Stenberg going 1st overall isn't because of McKenna's recent problem its because Stenberg is playing far better hockey, against men in a pro league.

[Pierre McGuire]

Does anyone think that the recent past with Mckenna could affect his draft status? I would be leary that maybe he has character issues.

Character issues for defending his mom?

[noted]

Does anyone think that the recent past with Mckenna could affect his draft status? I would be leary that maybe he has character issues.

Jeff Marek said he asked GM’s and they said if anything it increased his draft status because they didn’t know he had that in him and will stick up for teammates.

[AtillaTheBlue1]

Does anyone think that the recent past with Mckenna could affect his draft status? I would be leary that maybe he has character issues.

Jeff Marek said he asked GM’s and they said if anything it increased his draft status because they didn’t know he had that in him and will stick up for teammates.

That was my first thought after i heard of the incident. I wondered if it gave him some toughness, that they felt he lacked or wanted to see.

[a smell of green grass]

#1 Scenario
Stenberg and McKenna are the top wingers in the class, but won't be top wingers in the NHL. Plus, I do not want to think about which current young winger will NOT GET A CHANCE because of this pick. So I would try to trade down to 3-5 (and get extra draft picks), and then go after the top C or a RHD. I like Maholtra or Reid. I would take the one that I rated higher. If trading down a few spots is not an option, I would take Maholtra or Reid.

#2 Scenario
Same as #1 Scenario

#3 Scenario
Take Maholtra or Reid

#4
Same as Scenario 3

#5
Same as Scenario 3

#6
Same as Scenario 3. If both Maholtra and Reid or gone, I'd take Belchez or Hemming or Rudolf or VeerHoff, whichever I rated higher.

#7 or below.
I quit following the Blues. I"ve watched the best players go to other teams for 20 years. I'm not going to keep doing that.

You're already projecting the two top picks to not be top wingers in the league? Based upon what evidence? Just a gut feeling?
Personally, I think both McKenna and Stenberg will be incredible top line wingers for at least a decade given good health. Neither's game looks to be incompatible with NHL hockey. I don't think either has elite goal scoring potential, but elite playmaking is present.

Based on everything that I read and see, I'm not convinced that they will be standouts. Based on this, I don't see why the Blues would select a winger when they already have so many starved for playing time.

What young winger loses out, if Stenberg or McKenna is added?

Maholtra and Reid and Veerhoff are not projected to be NHL ALL STARS either, but at least they fill a deep hole in the roster.

[Pierre McGuire]

#1 Scenario
Stenberg and McKenna are the top wingers in the class, but won't be top wingers in the NHL. Plus, I do not want to think about which current young winger will NOT GET A CHANCE because of this pick. So I would try to trade down to 3-5 (and get extra draft picks), and then go after the top C or a RHD. I like Maholtra or Reid. I would take the one that I rated higher. If trading down a few spots is not an option, I would take Maholtra or Reid.

#2 Scenario
Same as #1 Scenario

#3 Scenario
Take Maholtra or Reid

#4
Same as Scenario 3

#5
Same as Scenario 3

#6
Same as Scenario 3. If both Maholtra and Reid or gone, I'd take Belchez or Hemming or Rudolf or VeerHoff, whichever I rated higher.

#7 or below.
I quit following the Blues. I"ve watched the best players go to other teams for 20 years. I'm not going to keep doing that.

You're already projecting the two top picks to not be top wingers in the league? Based upon what evidence? Just a gut feeling?
Personally, I think both McKenna and Stenberg will be incredible top line wingers for at least a decade given good health. Neither's game looks to be incompatible with NHL hockey. I don't think either has elite goal scoring potential, but elite playmaking is present.

Based on everything that I read and see, I'm not convinced that they will be standouts. Based on this, I don't see why the Blues would select a winger when they already have so many starved for playing time.

What young winger loses out, if Stenberg or McKenna is added?

Maholtra and Reid and Veerhoff are not projected to be NHL ALL STARS either, but at least they fill a deep hole in the roster.

If the Blues land one of McKenna or Stenberg, it doesn’t matter which winger loses out because both of those players are better than anything we have. You deal from strength to fix another weakness if need be.
I’m still not sure that Reid and Verhoeff are going to be better than Rudolph in 5 years.

[a smell of green grass]

#1 Scenario
Stenberg and McKenna are the top wingers in the class, but won't be top wingers in the NHL. Plus, I do not want to think about which current young winger will NOT GET A CHANCE because of this pick. So I would try to trade down to 3-5 (and get extra draft picks), and then go after the top C or a RHD. I like Maholtra or Reid. I would take the one that I rated higher. If trading down a few spots is not an option, I would take Maholtra or Reid.

#2 Scenario
Same as #1 Scenario

#3 Scenario
Take Maholtra or Reid

#4
Same as Scenario 3

#5
Same as Scenario 3

#6
Same as Scenario 3. If both Maholtra and Reid or gone, I'd take Belchez or Hemming or Rudolf or VeerHoff, whichever I rated higher.

#7 or below.
I quit following the Blues. I"ve watched the best players go to other teams for 20 years. I'm not going to keep doing that.

You're already projecting the two top picks to not be top wingers in the league? Based upon what evidence? Just a gut feeling?
Personally, I think both McKenna and Stenberg will be incredible top line wingers for at least a decade given good health. Neither's game looks to be incompatible with NHL hockey. I don't think either has elite goal scoring potential, but elite playmaking is present.

Based on everything that I read and see, I'm not convinced that they will be standouts. Based on this, I don't see why the Blues would select a winger when they already have so many starved for playing time.

What young winger loses out, if Stenberg or McKenna is added?

Maholtra and Reid and Veerhoff are not projected to be NHL ALL STARS either, but at least they fill a deep hole in the roster.

If the Blues land one of McKenna or Stenberg, it doesn’t matter which winger loses out because both of those players are better than anything we have. You deal from strength to fix another weakness if need be.
I’m still not sure that Reid and Verhoeff are going to be better than Rudolph in 5 years.

Fair enough, and I understand what you are saying, and there is a good chance that you are correct. However, shouldn't the question be....Does McKenna and Stenberg give us something better than what other teams have in the NHL? What are your thoughts about that question?

I'd rather have...
- a very good player in a position of Blues need and position of premium value
versus
- a very good player in a common position that the Blues have in overabundance.

[Pierre McGuire]

#1 Scenario
Stenberg and McKenna are the top wingers in the class, but won't be top wingers in the NHL. Plus, I do not want to think about which current young winger will NOT GET A CHANCE because of this pick. So I would try to trade down to 3-5 (and get extra draft picks), and then go after the top C or a RHD. I like Maholtra or Reid. I would take the one that I rated higher. If trading down a few spots is not an option, I would take Maholtra or Reid.

#2 Scenario
Same as #1 Scenario

#3 Scenario
Take Maholtra or Reid

#4
Same as Scenario 3

#5
Same as Scenario 3

#6
Same as Scenario 3. If both Maholtra and Reid or gone, I'd take Belchez or Hemming or Rudolf or VeerHoff, whichever I rated higher.

#7 or below.
I quit following the Blues. I"ve watched the best players go to other teams for 20 years. I'm not going to keep doing that.

You're already projecting the two top picks to not be top wingers in the league? Based upon what evidence? Just a gut feeling?
Personally, I think both McKenna and Stenberg will be incredible top line wingers for at least a decade given good health. Neither's game looks to be incompatible with NHL hockey. I don't think either has elite goal scoring potential, but elite playmaking is present.

Based on everything that I read and see, I'm not convinced that they will be standouts. Based on this, I don't see why the Blues would select a winger when they already have so many starved for playing time.

What young winger loses out, if Stenberg or McKenna is added?

Maholtra and Reid and Veerhoff are not projected to be NHL ALL STARS either, but at least they fill a deep hole in the roster.

If the Blues land one of McKenna or Stenberg, it doesn’t matter which winger loses out because both of those players are better than anything we have. You deal from strength to fix another weakness if need be.
I’m still not sure that Reid and Verhoeff are going to be better than Rudolph in 5 years.

Fair enough, and I understand what you are saying, and there is a good chance that you are correct. However, shouldn't the question be....Does McKenna and Stenberg give us something better than what other teams have in the NHL? What are your thoughts about that question?

I'd rather have...
- a very good player in a position of Blues need and position of premium value
versus
- a very good player in a common position that the Blues have in overabundance.

You always take BPA…If we are drafting first or second, there are only two options….unless of course the Blues have a dman rated higher which I doubt would be the case.
If we are picking 3-5 , you grab one of the dmen…Carels, Reid, Verhoeff.
If we end up 6th, I think personally I would be taking Rudolph over Malhotra. Rudolph has a chance to be a special player, I think Malhotra is just more of an average center especially in the NHL. He’s not going to light it up or anything. He’s the best center in this draft but that’s not saying a whole lot.

[a smell of green grass]

#1 Scenario
Stenberg and McKenna are the top wingers in the class, but won't be top wingers in the NHL. Plus, I do not want to think about which current young winger will NOT GET A CHANCE because of this pick. So I would try to trade down to 3-5 (and get extra draft picks), and then go after the top C or a RHD. I like Maholtra or Reid. I would take the one that I rated higher. If trading down a few spots is not an option, I would take Maholtra or Reid.

#2 Scenario
Same as #1 Scenario

#3 Scenario
Take Maholtra or Reid

#4
Same as Scenario 3

#5
Same as Scenario 3

#6
Same as Scenario 3. If both Maholtra and Reid or gone, I'd take Belchez or Hemming or Rudolf or VeerHoff, whichever I rated higher.

#7 or below.
I quit following the Blues. I"ve watched the best players go to other teams for 20 years. I'm not going to keep doing that.

You're already projecting the two top picks to not be top wingers in the league? Based upon what evidence? Just a gut feeling?
Personally, I think both McKenna and Stenberg will be incredible top line wingers for at least a decade given good health. Neither's game looks to be incompatible with NHL hockey. I don't think either has elite goal scoring potential, but elite playmaking is present.

Based on everything that I read and see, I'm not convinced that they will be standouts. Based on this, I don't see why the Blues would select a winger when they already have so many starved for playing time.

What young winger loses out, if Stenberg or McKenna is added?

Maholtra and Reid and Veerhoff are not projected to be NHL ALL STARS either, but at least they fill a deep hole in the roster.

If the Blues land one of McKenna or Stenberg, it doesn’t matter which winger loses out because both of those players are better than anything we have. You deal from strength to fix another weakness if need be.
I’m still not sure that Reid and Verhoeff are going to be better than Rudolph in 5 years.

Fair enough, and I understand what you are saying, and there is a good chance that you are correct. However, shouldn't the question be....Does McKenna and Stenberg give us something better than what other teams have in the NHL? What are your thoughts about that question?

I'd rather have...
- a very good player in a position of Blues need and position of premium value
versus
- a very good player in a common position that the Blues have in overabundance.

You always take BPA…If we are drafting first or second, there are only two options….unless of course the Blues have a dman rated higher which I doubt would be the case.
If we are picking 3-5 , you grab one of the dmen…Carels, Reid, Verhoeff.
If we end up 6th, I think personally I would be taking Rudolph over Malhotra. Rudolph has a chance to be a special player, I think Malhotra is just more of an average center especially in the NHL. He’s not going to light it up or anything. He’s the best center in this draft but that’s not saying a whole lot.

Ok. I see your logic. Makes sense.

[seattleblue]

Not much has changed.
Tynan Lawrence has slipped a bit(off to a rough start with Boston, granted they're fairly stacked so he's not getting much opportunity) but he's still the clear #2 center prospect.
Rudolph has entered the mix for the top 10 but I don't think he's really "established" himself just yet.
Pretty much everyone else is just "maintaining" their position and that probably doesn't change until some PO games start getting played.

Hypothetical 1- Ivar over McKenna
Hypothetical 2- Whichever of Reid/Verhoeff is still on the board(one of them will be).
Hypothetical 3- Tough one simply because it depends a lot on what other teams do. I think there's a moderate chance that Lawrence is still on the board at #10. I think there's an even better chance that Belchetz lasts that far. I'm not passing on either of them for Rudolph or Bjork.

It's also important to note that Ottawa has a forfeited pick and they could still very easily fall back into the top 10(they're only 2 points up on Florida for the #10 pick). This will also be relevant if we pick up any additional 1st rounders before the trade deadline(I really like some of the kids projected towards the end of the First Round(Morozov, Gashilov(probably won't find him on a lot of "expert rankings" but he's belongs there), Piiparinen, Command, Hextall, Schairer) so I'm really hoping that we can manage it).

1-Ivar
2- McKenna
3- Reid
4- Verhoeff
5- Malhotra
6- Carels
7- Smits
8- Lawrence
9- Belchetz
10- Rudolph
11- Bjork

Nice write up, thanks. Theres a few names in your post I dont know much about and will have to look up.

Not counting Verhoeff, which D would you pick at #5 assuming they’re still available?

At number 5, I take Malhotra over the 2 LHD.

I don't value LHD that much right now(our pipeline is heavy on LHD and Broberg emerging drastically reduces our need for a high end prospect there) and I think the two in question are both limited offensively(Carels lacks puck skills and Smits lacks on-ice vision). Not that I project Reid or Verhoeff to be much better; but RHD vs LHD does play a factor with me and a Broberg level RHD is a very nice snag in any Draft.

At #5, I'm looking for a key position.
That means top line C or top pair RHD.
If Stenberg, McKenna, Verhoeff and Reid are gone; I make the move on Malhotra.

they must be giving a lot of pushback on you diverging from BPA orthodoxy over on the other board

but I fully follow this argument if they do find themselves around #5. We can easily see that Malhotra is a "part of the solution" player 2C type. Feels safe.

still waiting for Reid to return from his concussion btw . It is directly benefiting Fischer, who has taken over the #1 role in convincing fashion. I have a lot of hopes bound up in Fischer ... this just feels like a legit player. I think Fischer could end up forcing Lindstein to his off side.

[kimzey59]

Not much has changed.
Tynan Lawrence has slipped a bit(off to a rough start with Boston, granted they're fairly stacked so he's not getting much opportunity) but he's still the clear #2 center prospect.
Rudolph has entered the mix for the top 10 but I don't think he's really "established" himself just yet.
Pretty much everyone else is just "maintaining" their position and that probably doesn't change until some PO games start getting played.

Hypothetical 1- Ivar over McKenna
Hypothetical 2- Whichever of Reid/Verhoeff is still on the board(one of them will be).
Hypothetical 3- Tough one simply because it depends a lot on what other teams do. I think there's a moderate chance that Lawrence is still on the board at #10. I think there's an even better chance that Belchetz lasts that far. I'm not passing on either of them for Rudolph or Bjork.

It's also important to note that Ottawa has a forfeited pick and they could still very easily fall back into the top 10(they're only 2 points up on Florida for the #10 pick). This will also be relevant if we pick up any additional 1st rounders before the trade deadline(I really like some of the kids projected towards the end of the First Round(Morozov, Gashilov(probably won't find him on a lot of "expert rankings" but he's belongs there), Piiparinen, Command, Hextall, Schairer) so I'm really hoping that we can manage it).

1-Ivar
2- McKenna
3- Reid
4- Verhoeff
5- Malhotra
6- Carels
7- Smits
8- Lawrence
9- Belchetz
10- Rudolph
11- Bjork

Nice write up, thanks. Theres a few names in your post I dont know much about and will have to look up.

Not counting Verhoeff, which D would you pick at #5 assuming they’re still available?

At number 5, I take Malhotra over the 2 LHD.

I don't value LHD that much right now(our pipeline is heavy on LHD and Broberg emerging drastically reduces our need for a high end prospect there) and I think the two in question are both limited offensively(Carels lacks puck skills and Smits lacks on-ice vision). Not that I project Reid or Verhoeff to be much better; but RHD vs LHD does play a factor with me and a Broberg level RHD is a very nice snag in any Draft.

At #5, I'm looking for a key position.
That means top line C or top pair RHD.
If Stenberg, McKenna, Verhoeff and Reid are gone; I make the move on Malhotra.

they must be giving a lot of pushback on you diverging from BPA orthodoxy over on the other board

but I fully follow this argument if they do find themselves around #5. We can easily see that Malhotra is a "part of the solution" player 2C type. Feels safe.

still waiting for Reid to return from his concussion btw . It is directly benefiting Fischer, who has taken over the #1 role in convincing fashion. I have a lot of hopes bound up in Fischer ... this just feels like a legit player. I think Fischer could end up forcing Lindstein to his off side.

The handedness and position factor is merely a "tie breaker" with me. Mostly I'm basing my "BPA" on NHL projection more than current ability.
I have absolutely no problem saying Smits and Carels are more NHL ready than Reid or Verhoeff. Heck, Carels and Smits are probably the most NHL ready players in this years draft(Belchetz is in the discussion on that topic but he's the only real competition IMO).
The problem is, I don't project Carels or Smits to be overly big point producers at the NHL level(rocks defensively, but not point producers). I think best case with either of them is 35-40 point production with maybe an outlier in the mid 40's. Think Brady Skjei/Mattias Ekholm types. Perfectly viable top pairing guys, but a far cry from being "true #1's".

Reid and Verhoeff have better offensive tools(not much better in Verhoeff's case, but better) but both have warts defensively. IF they iron out even a few of those warts, they'll be hands down better players than what I project the lefties to do. I can pretty easily see a path for both Righties to land in the 50-55 point range on a regular basis.

Malhotra is a bit of a wild card because it's tougher to compare D vs forwards.

A 60 point center vs a 50 point D; I give the edge to the D.
A 60 point center vs a 40 point D; pretty close match but I lean towards the center.

[Pierre McGuire]

Not much has changed.
Tynan Lawrence has slipped a bit(off to a rough start with Boston, granted they're fairly stacked so he's not getting much opportunity) but he's still the clear #2 center prospect.
Rudolph has entered the mix for the top 10 but I don't think he's really "established" himself just yet.
Pretty much everyone else is just "maintaining" their position and that probably doesn't change until some PO games start getting played.

Hypothetical 1- Ivar over McKenna
Hypothetical 2- Whichever of Reid/Verhoeff is still on the board(one of them will be).
Hypothetical 3- Tough one simply because it depends a lot on what other teams do. I think there's a moderate chance that Lawrence is still on the board at #10. I think there's an even better chance that Belchetz lasts that far. I'm not passing on either of them for Rudolph or Bjork.

It's also important to note that Ottawa has a forfeited pick and they could still very easily fall back into the top 10(they're only 2 points up on Florida for the #10 pick). This will also be relevant if we pick up any additional 1st rounders before the trade deadline(I really like some of the kids projected towards the end of the First Round(Morozov, Gashilov(probably won't find him on a lot of "expert rankings" but he's belongs there), Piiparinen, Command, Hextall, Schairer) so I'm really hoping that we can manage it).

1-Ivar
2- McKenna
3- Reid
4- Verhoeff
5- Malhotra
6- Carels
7- Smits
8- Lawrence
9- Belchetz
10- Rudolph
11- Bjork

Nice write up, thanks. Theres a few names in your post I dont know much about and will have to look up.

Not counting Verhoeff, which D would you pick at #5 assuming they’re still available?

At number 5, I take Malhotra over the 2 LHD.

I don't value LHD that much right now(our pipeline is heavy on LHD and Broberg emerging drastically reduces our need for a high end prospect there) and I think the two in question are both limited offensively(Carels lacks puck skills and Smits lacks on-ice vision). Not that I project Reid or Verhoeff to be much better; but RHD vs LHD does play a factor with me and a Broberg level RHD is a very nice snag in any Draft.

At #5, I'm looking for a key position.
That means top line C or top pair RHD.
If Stenberg, McKenna, Verhoeff and Reid are gone; I make the move on Malhotra.

they must be giving a lot of pushback on you diverging from BPA orthodoxy over on the other board

but I fully follow this argument if they do find themselves around #5. We can easily see that Malhotra is a "part of the solution" player 2C type. Feels safe.

still waiting for Reid to return from his concussion btw . It is directly benefiting Fischer, who has taken over the #1 role in convincing fashion. I have a lot of hopes bound up in Fischer ... this just feels like a legit player. I think Fischer could end up forcing Lindstein to his off side.

The handedness and position factor is merely a "tie breaker" with me. Mostly I'm basing my "BPA" on NHL projection more than current ability.
I have absolutely no problem saying Smits and Carels are more NHL ready than Reid or Verhoeff. Heck, Carels and Smits are probably the most NHL ready players in this years draft(Belchetz is in the discussion on that topic but he's the only real competition IMO).
The problem is, I don't project Carels or Smits to be overly big point producers at the NHL level(rocks defensively, but not point producers). I think best case with either of them is 35-40 point production with maybe an outlier in the mid 40's. Think Brady Skjei/Mattias Ekholm types. Perfectly viable top pairing guys, but a far cry from being "true #1's".

Reid and Verhoeff have better offensive tools(not much better in Verhoeff's case, but better) but both have warts defensively. IF they iron out even a few of those warts, they'll be hands down better players than what I project the lefties to do. I can pretty easily see a path for both Righties to land in the 50-55 point range on a regular basis.

Malhotra is a bit of a wild card because it's tougher to compare D vs forwards.

A 60 point center vs a 50 point D; I give the edge to the D.
A 60 point center vs a 40 point D; pretty close match but I lean towards the center.

What about Rudolph? He’s a player..I think he’s getting overlooked a bit

[kimzey59]

Not much has changed.
Tynan Lawrence has slipped a bit(off to a rough start with Boston, granted they're fairly stacked so he's not getting much opportunity) but he's still the clear #2 center prospect.
Rudolph has entered the mix for the top 10 but I don't think he's really "established" himself just yet.
Pretty much everyone else is just "maintaining" their position and that probably doesn't change until some PO games start getting played.

Hypothetical 1- Ivar over McKenna
Hypothetical 2- Whichever of Reid/Verhoeff is still on the board(one of them will be).
Hypothetical 3- Tough one simply because it depends a lot on what other teams do. I think there's a moderate chance that Lawrence is still on the board at #10. I think there's an even better chance that Belchetz lasts that far. I'm not passing on either of them for Rudolph or Bjork.

It's also important to note that Ottawa has a forfeited pick and they could still very easily fall back into the top 10(they're only 2 points up on Florida for the #10 pick). This will also be relevant if we pick up any additional 1st rounders before the trade deadline(I really like some of the kids projected towards the end of the First Round(Morozov, Gashilov(probably won't find him on a lot of "expert rankings" but he's belongs there), Piiparinen, Command, Hextall, Schairer) so I'm really hoping that we can manage it).

1-Ivar
2- McKenna
3- Reid
4- Verhoeff
5- Malhotra
6- Carels
7- Smits
8- Lawrence
9- Belchetz
10- Rudolph
11- Bjork

Nice write up, thanks. Theres a few names in your post I dont know much about and will have to look up.

Not counting Verhoeff, which D would you pick at #5 assuming they’re still available?

At number 5, I take Malhotra over the 2 LHD.

I don't value LHD that much right now(our pipeline is heavy on LHD and Broberg emerging drastically reduces our need for a high end prospect there) and I think the two in question are both limited offensively(Carels lacks puck skills and Smits lacks on-ice vision). Not that I project Reid or Verhoeff to be much better; but RHD vs LHD does play a factor with me and a Broberg level RHD is a very nice snag in any Draft.

At #5, I'm looking for a key position.
That means top line C or top pair RHD.
If Stenberg, McKenna, Verhoeff and Reid are gone; I make the move on Malhotra.

they must be giving a lot of pushback on you diverging from BPA orthodoxy over on the other board

but I fully follow this argument if they do find themselves around #5. We can easily see that Malhotra is a "part of the solution" player 2C type. Feels safe.

still waiting for Reid to return from his concussion btw . It is directly benefiting Fischer, who has taken over the #1 role in convincing fashion. I have a lot of hopes bound up in Fischer ... this just feels like a legit player. I think Fischer could end up forcing Lindstein to his off side.

The handedness and position factor is merely a "tie breaker" with me. Mostly I'm basing my "BPA" on NHL projection more than current ability.
I have absolutely no problem saying Smits and Carels are more NHL ready than Reid or Verhoeff. Heck, Carels and Smits are probably the most NHL ready players in this years draft(Belchetz is in the discussion on that topic but he's the only real competition IMO).
The problem is, I don't project Carels or Smits to be overly big point producers at the NHL level(rocks defensively, but not point producers). I think best case with either of them is 35-40 point production with maybe an outlier in the mid 40's. Think Brady Skjei/Mattias Ekholm types. Perfectly viable top pairing guys, but a far cry from being "true #1's".

Reid and Verhoeff have better offensive tools(not much better in Verhoeff's case, but better) but both have warts defensively. IF they iron out even a few of those warts, they'll be hands down better players than what I project the lefties to do. I can pretty easily see a path for both Righties to land in the 50-55 point range on a regular basis.

Malhotra is a bit of a wild card because it's tougher to compare D vs forwards.

A 60 point center vs a 50 point D; I give the edge to the D.
A 60 point center vs a 40 point D; pretty close match but I lean towards the center.

What about Rudolph? He’s a player..I think he’s getting overlooked a bit

Agree that he's a player.
I project him as a 40-45 point RHD with a very solid defensive game(notch below Smits/Carels but not much of a notch).
If the unthinkable happens and we fall that far; I think he'd be a great compliment to Jiricek on the right side.
I'm torn between him and Bjork at #10(I already listed my current top 10). Bjork has an electric quality to him(game breaking speed/vision combo) but the size is concerning. I lean Rudolph for now, but that may change when PO games start.