2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Roof-Daddy]

McDavid has been an oiler for 9 years now, it's no surprise that a ridiculous amount of 17-18 year old or younger kids are oiler fans.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by cral12

https://twitter.com/user/status/1799482729308061710

My bad - I posted the wrong edited pic! Redone here:

Gah - typo in pic - new thread here:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1799563594981421538

[cral12]

Originally Posted by sch19lks

Hey Sandman, I’m sure you’ve posted a scouting report on Teddy Stiga. It’s too deep of a thread to go digging. What are your thoughts on him? I wouldn’t mind him at 28

Gentle reminder - couple ways to access all of Sandman's profiles - at Upside Hockey:

1. Via our rankings, embedded within - click the "UH" column that has hyperlink to completed profiles
direct link: https://bit.ly/upside2024nhldraft
2. Prospect Profiles page with alphabetical table of contents:
https://bit.ly/2024nhldraftprofiles

https://twitter.com/user/status/1793830042738524649

[Tbull8]

Watching these combine interviews, wow is Tij a great interview. Has so much of Jarome in him

[1qqaaz]

I recommend watching these draft interview videos. A lot of them are surprisingly interesting.

[CsInMyBlood]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

I recommend watching these draft interview videos. A lot of them are surprisingly interesting.

Right? This is a good crop of draftees. Impressed with a lot of these kids. Glad we will get one at least one of them.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Watching these combine interviews, wow is Tij a great interview. Has so much of Jarome in him

Most of the videos the Flames have posted from the Combine are under 5 minutes, a few are over 5 but under 10. Then, there's Tij's, which is nearly 15 minutes.

[sureLoss]

Tij Iginla interviewed with 20 clubs including the Flames. Dad was not present at the Flames interview.

https://www.nhl.com/news/10-things-l...outing-combine

Tij Iginla, No. 9 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, interviewed with 20 teams this week, including the one for which his dad played 16 NHL seasons.

Jarome Iginla was a mainstay with the Calgary Flames from 1996 to 2013, leading the team in scoring 11 times. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2020 after scoring 1,300 points (625 goals, 675 assists) in 1,554 games with the Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings.

Iginla now serves as special advisor to Flames general manager Craig Conroy, but was not present when Calgary interviewed his son.

"Dad took the option on that one, but I know Craig pretty well," Tij Iginla said. "He'd always have some pretty good Christmas Eve gatherings so it was almost a little bit awkward because he's just trying to do it like everybody else but I'm thinking, 'Hey, remember that Christmas Eve party?'"

Calgary has nine picks in the 2024 draft, including two (Nos. 9, 28) in the first round. Tij was asked if he'd feel any pressure if chosen by Calgary.

"That being my dad's main team throughout his career, I think there might be a bit of pressure involved with but it's hard for me to say exactly how it's going to feel," he said. "I mean, Calgary is a good franchise, good organization. I'd definitely feel very lucky to hear my name called by them."

Also of note controversial 1st round prospect Trevor Connelly interviewed with 21 teams.

Connelly interviewed with 21 teams this week.

"I was asked different hockey-related questions, different personal questions," Connelly said. "I think they're just trying to see what type of player and what type of person you are, off the ice, and really dive into different details about your game or about your off-ice game."

[GioforPM]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1799632544981299695

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

https://twitter.com/user/status/1799632544981299695

Not weird at all. How you treat people you or who you perceive below says a lot about your character.

[Tkachukwagon]

Wheeler has a breakdown of the scouting combine results. A few late first targets, like Beaudoin, Stolberg, Emery and Letourneau show really well.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1799515921226035372

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

https://twitter.com/user/status/1799632544981299695

Not nearly as strange as the Habs asking Reinbacher if he’d commit a war crime if his commander ordered him to…

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

Wheeler has a breakdown of the scouting combine results. A few late first targets, like Beaudoin, Stolberg, Emery and Letourneau show really well.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1799515921226035372

Aatos Koivu had a pretty good showing overall.

[Snuffleupagus]

Very impressive by Eliasson, a monster of a young man at 6'7 and doesn't turn 18 until sept, if his skating comes around he could be a steal because the rest of his game is very solid, I was hoping the flames would target him in the 4th round but with this showing I doubt he lasts that long.

[Royle9]

I always question the correlation between physical strength and being an every day NHL player. The endurance and speed seem to be more relevant, I remember specifically Rocco Grimaldi being the pinnacle of fitness in his draft year and it never translated at all.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

https://twitter.com/user/status/1799632544981299695

Trying to find the next Patrick Kane out of the bunch.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Woolley Mammoth Edition):

Playing on a deep and talented London Knights squad, who were the OHL Champions this season, one can imagine that ice-time for a young defenseman like LHD Jared Woolley would be hard to come by. Woolley didn't even earn a spot on the team out of training camp, playing 19 games in the GOJHL for the St.Thomas Stars, a Junior B team, earning 21 points before making the huge leap up to Major Junior with the Knights. Having to adjust to such a big step up in competition had to affect his play, at least for the first while, and it means that Woolley is a bit more raw than most draft-eligible prospects, as there's usually a full season's worth and more of apprenticing in Major Junior to earn a spot on draft boards. Through 37 regular-season games with the Knights, Woolley only managed 5 points and 21 PIM, with 3 points in 16 playoff games. In 4 games at the Memorial Cup, with very limited ice-time and responsibility, the 6'4",214lb rearguard couldn't muster any points but is still ranked #73 for North American skaters by Central Scouting.

Even though he has been cast as a bottom-pairing defensive D in London, scouts see a lot more in him with his flashes of high-end puck skills and creativity. He doesn't get enough touches to show it, but he has an offensive mindset, and will join the rush or activate into the play. He teases instances of creativity and high-end passing skill, and can find teammates in high-danger around the net. When in possession, he exhibits poise and confidence with the puck on his blade, and makes good decisions- he doesn't often force plays, and is usually patient under duress, with a dose of deception to open seams. He has a strong distribution game, with the ability to thread the needle through traffic on occasion, and wants to make plays every shift. These qualities help him to be proficient in moving the puck in transition, and he can even connect on some impressive stretch-passes on occasion- though he needs to be better in scanning on retrievals. Woolley is a fluid skater with excellent speed for a kid his size, but needs to upgrade his edgework, as well as his explosiveness and top-speed- he has a propensity to overskate a fair bit when in pursuit of a puck-carrier as well. He plays a very physical game, and uses his size in battle, but he's disciplined with only 21 PIMs this season in 37 OHL games. He's aggressive in all three zones, and can dole out some bone-crushing hits when he wants to.

Woolley shows prowess defensively, and is hard to play against with his blend of overwhelming size and strength, along with his aggression and mobility. He throws big hits to dislodge pucks, and likes to step up on attackers at the blueline. He effectively takes away the middle from opponents, and is a little mean in front of the net in boxing out his adversaries. Woolley is calm and well-positioned in defending against the rush, practicing tight gap-control, and using his extra-long reach to frustrate forecheckers. He can angle opponents to the outside with the potential for a hit, or he will corral opponents and pin them to the boards, rendering them ineffective. Woolley has some exciting elements to his game, but he's quite raw, and he's going to be a long-term project for whatever team that drafts him, but scouts are excited to see what he can do in the next few years in the CHL when some of the talent in London moves on and he's given more responsibility, and top-4 minutes. The bet is that he has the chops to take off numbers-wise, and become a top defenseman in the CHL in the future. Woolley can force plays under pressure at times, miss passes, and pinch at inopportune moments- he needs further work on his details, and needs to keep working on his strength and speed as well. There are games where he looks very unpolished and sloppy, but he may one day make it as a physical, bottom-pairing defender in the NHL, with the potential for more. Look for him in the 5th, to the 7th-round.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Nyet, Nyet, Soviet Edition):

You would think there would be more chatter surrounding a mean, physical 6'3", 214lb center, with a late birthday (June 17th), and producing over a ppg in Russia's top junior league. Such is the case for LHC Daniil Anatsky, who was third in scoring for SKA-Yunior Krasnogorsk, a team that failed to make the MHL playoffs, with 18 goals and 43 points (and 42 PIM) in 41 games. He was tied for 33rd in the league for points, 5th for U-18 players, over such names as Graf, Luttsev, Dontsov, and Frolov. I've been keeping tabs on him for most of the year, waiting for him to start showing up more prominently in mock drafts and other general discussion, but he remains largely on the outside looking in for the draft.

Why haven't we heard more about him? Apparently, his skating is bad enough to keep him out of the NHL, and it looks like he most likely won't be drafted- his form is clunky, his stride is weak, and he has poor footwork. It's more than just that though- he also plays without pace, which will severely hamper his effectiveness in higher leagues. He isn't able to drive play, and waits too long to make passes, holding on to the puck for much longer than he should. He's quite often the trailer on rushes, not necessarily by choice, and is opportunistic in charging up the middle and attacking the net to finish plays that his linemates tee up for him. Luckily for him, his hands and long reach give him infallible puck-protection, and his stickhandling is one of his better assets- he skates with his head up to scan, and handles smoothly while doing so. Anatsky wields top-notch vision and IQ, with constant awareness of his surroundings, and sound hockey sense; he sees the ice well and knows where his teammates will be proactively. He flashes legit high-end playmaking, and is a sublime problem-solver on the fly. There's plenty of deception in his passing game, and he can thread the needle through traffic. As said above, he's highly opportunistic in being at the right place, at the right time to put the put the puck in the net, with soft hands in-close, and a penchant for crashing the crease, looking for rebounds and second-chance opportunities. His shot is said to need to a bit of work in terms of power, but he needs more deception and manipulation in his release to be successful going forward.

Anatsky is a physical power-forward, and is a little nasty, with a punchable face and the ability to agitate opponents. He can be a one-man wrecking crew, and dominate with his size and strength, but his physicality is inconsistent. He will go the front of the net to cause havok, where he's hard to move, and drives his opponents nuts. He's far from being a defensive stalwart at this point, but will contribute with bodychecks to dislodge pucks, and with his long reach. Anatsky is unlikely to hear his name called at this year's draft, but if he does, he will be a long-term project for the team that selects him, with plenty of special attention to his mobility.