2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Sandman]

They should sell tickets to watch those scouting meetings. I would buy.

[dammage79]

Definitely sounds like Defensemen aren't prioritized any longer post trade deadline.

Yeah yeah BPA but I'll bet they want a center. They want a center so badly they can taste it.

[Toonage]

^^ Same. In that clip one of the scouts was spouting a few cliches and that would bother me to no end. Would love to see the whole thing.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Sandman

They should sell tickets to watch those scouting meetings. I would buy.

Just let me pay to be on the teams calls.

[traptor]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Definitely sounds like Defensemen aren't prioritized any longer post trade deadline.

Yeah yeah BPA but I'll bet they want a center. They want a center so badly they can taste it.

I'm not so sure. Pospisil, zary and sharangovich have all shown some potential in the middle.

Maybe they don't think it's as bare as we may think.

I hope they just go BPA, whatever that might be for them.
We need an elite gamebreaker more then any specific positional player.

[Savvy27]

Originally Posted by Toonage

^^ Same. In that clip one of the scouts was spouting a few cliches and that would bother me to no end. Would love to see the whole thing.

Yeah that whole thing was so vague and cliched that I suspect it was done specifically for the video.

Honestly, the Tod Button interview was pretty encouraging. From his certainty that there would still be a top player available at 9 to the the enthusiasm they had about having multiple picks in the first 3 rounds. Can't wait to see who they pick.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Toonage

lmao "Jarome: Unverified" on the Teams screen

I'll verify. That was him.

he definitely looked familiar, might have been Boston area man though

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Sandman

They should sell tickets to watch those scouting meetings. I would buy.

I'd sign all the the NDAs and happily not say anything either.

Would just love to hear the discussion.

[Sec214]

Originally Posted by Sandman

They should sell tickets to watch those scouting meetings. I would buy.

Want me to voice memo it for you?

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Sec214

Want me to voice memo it for you?

Oh hells yeah!

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Comrade Shen Edition):

There was plenty of hype surrounding Russian C/RW Alexander Shen coming in to the 2023-24 season, after collecting 25 points in 38 MHL games the year prior, which is the 24th-best U-17 season in that league's history. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, he disappointed- putting up only 4 more points this season in one less game, with 24 points in 42 games for Mamonty Yugry of the MHL. He didn't fare any better in the playoffs, with a single goal in 8 games. Shen is actually left-handed, stands 5'11",and weighs in at a stocky 192lbs.

Shen has the hands, the moves, and the swagger to score highlight-reel goals by beating goalies 1-on-1, but can also score using his quick, deceptive shot- made more dangerous with his ability to use defenders as screens expertly. Though he can't be called a play-driver, he's an intelligent complimentary player who pounces on the opportunities he's given while sniffing out soft spots in the offensive zone and exploiting open pockets of space. Nothing in his skill-set is elite, but he has plenty of above-average tools to work with such as his skating, which provides him with speed and agility. He's not exactly a burner as his top speed needs work, but he's agile and shifty with the ability to dodge checks with his lateral mobility, sprinkled with a little 1-on-1 deception. Despite not being the biggest player, he plays a rambunctious, physical style, applying supreme pressure in both ends of the rink- and he's even a little mean at times. He battles in all of the hard areas, and fights for second-chance opportunities in front of the net like he was a 6'3" power-forward. Shen is more of a crafty playmaker than a shooter, and is blessed with outstanding vision and IQ to find seams to teammates in high-danger, and has the passing skill to connect with them through layers of traffic. His hands are quick with a fine touch, and he exerts tight stickhandling, along with infallible puck-control and protection skills.

Off the puck, Shen positions himself advantageously to be playable to teammates, and to be able to capitalize on chances. He will usually defer to teammates to carry through transition, as he seems to have some difficulty in his exits and entries, occasionally giving up the puck. He is highly competitive, plays with good energy, and can push pace with his non-stop motor. In both the defensive zone and on the forecheck, Shen hounds puck-carriers like a gnat buzzing in their faces, suffocating them of time and space. He is a solid defensive performer, and a pest who attacks opponents with an active stick, which he times just right to deliver deft poke-checks, turning possession around quickly. He will throw hits to separate manfrom puck as well. It could be theorized that Shen would make a fine bottom-6 player at the NHL level someday, who provides energy and grit and contributes to the PK, but he hasn't nearly fulfilled his potential, as he's much more talented than his numbers would suggest. He should be among the top Russian forwards available in the draft, but for whatever reason- the numbers weren't there this season. Look for him in rounds 5 or 6.

[aaronkarlpatton]

Originally Posted by Sec214

Want me to voice memo it for you?

Can I get in on this please

Sent from my SM-G990W2 using Tapatalk

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Sec214

Want me to voice memo it for you?

Just get him a seat at the table. He’s got the profiles for it.

[getbak]

With the Rangers, Panthers, and Stars all advancing to the final four, the Canucks' first round pick is down to 4 possible spots...

• 32 - Nucks Win SC
• 31 - Nucks Lose SC Final
• 29 - Nucks Lose Conference Final
• 28

* The loser of the Eastern Conference will get 30th if the Canucks lose the Western Conference.

[Robbob]

So with Dallas, Florida and New York going to the conference finals, we are starting to see where that Canucks pick will be.

If I am reading it right, if they win it will be the 29th (that is assuming Dallas beats them in the conference finals.

If the canucks lose, then 28th.

Value wise the 29th and 3rd is more valuable then the 28th and 4th.

So the best case for the Flames is the Canucks beating the Oilers and then losing to the Stars. That outcome gives them the 29th, upgraded 3rd, and then a 3rd from Dallas.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (The HOD Father Edition):

The Edmonton Oil Kings finished the regular season in 18th-place out of 22 teams in the WHL, and were 12th in goals-for; LW Gavin Hodnett led the team in scoring by 12 points, with 70 in 61 games. It would seem that they were wise to select the 5'8",159lb winger with their first-round pick in 2021, 19th overall. In 2022-23, he was 4th in scoring by U-17 players in the league, 1 point ahead of Cayden Lindstrom.

Hodnett is a dimunitive two-way player who can dominate offensively. Despite his size, he doesn't play a soft, perimeter game, and gets the job done the hard way, without cheating. He will go to the net, and will attack the middle of the ice without fear, finishing in-tight and cashing in on second-chance opportunities, with most of his goals coming from the slot, and at even-strength. He finds open seams to high-danger consistently, and thinks well ahead of the play to make sure he is always in the right place at the right time, sneaking around in traffic with patience before striking. He has a bullet of a one-timer, with the accuracy to pick corners, and he can score with his quick wrister from the worst angles. Hodnett is primarily a playmaker though, and can create off the cycle, or off the rush with the high-end vision to complete complex plays through traffic, and the skills to get passes to teammates through the smallest holes. Mobility wise, he's a smooth skater with lateral quickness to elude checks and to change lanes seamlessly.

Hodnett likes having the puck on his stick, and is at his best when he's attacking the play and dictating the pace, forcing opponents to make mistakes, and pushing defenders back. He has an aggressive mentality, and keeps his feet moving at all times. He's a strong puck-handler, and exhibits good puck-control, keeping possession for his team and moving around in traffic without panic. He's poised and patient with the puck, and will wait for the right option to present itself, rather than throwing the puck away or trying to force a pass that isn't there. Hodnett has a low center of gravity that helps him somewhat in 50/50 battles, and makes it harder to push him off of the puck- he doesn't appear at all afraid to venture into the greasy areas. He is a contributor to transition, and has the necessary skillset to carry through both exits and entries, spearheading the rush in the process. Off the puck, he skates smart routes in the right lanes to support the play and be a playable option to teammates. In his own zone, he works hard and doesn't cut corners- he executes a top-notch defensive game with awareness, and closes on attackers using his speed and his disruptive stick.

The Hod-father needs to work on his consistency, but his size will always be his biggest issue- he can be shut down in games, and has difficulty in battles with the bigger players- he can be manhandled, and pushed off the puck, so he has to approach these scenarios with his smarts, rather than his frame- or lack thereof. His numbers on a weak Oil Kings team can't be overlooked, nor can the way he compiled those numbers- without playing on the periphery. The odds are stacked against him unfortunately, but hopefully he'll make a good middle-six winger in the NHL someday. Look for him in the later rounds.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Smurf Edition, Vol.4):

RHC Chris Thibodeau is a dual citizen, born in Charleston, South Carolina who toils for the 13th-best team in the OHL, the Kingston Frontenacs. He finished the regular season in third-place on the Fronts, with 21 goals and 60 points in 68 games, including a 21-game stretch between Nov.29th and Jan.27th where he put up 25 points. He added 2 points in 3 playoff games, as Kingston was eliminated in 5 by the North Bay Battalion. Thibodeau, who stands 5'9", and weighs in at a measly 143lbs, is an older prospect with an Oct.13th, 2005 birthday. He's versatile, with the ability to play all 3 forward positions, and both sides of special teams.

Thibodeau always seems to be in the thick of the action, and drives play for the Fronts. He's creative offensively, and skates with his head on a swivel to scan for his next move, and to identify oncoming threats. He's a gifted passer who finds his teammates in high-danger consistently, and will go to the net without fear to use his finishing skills. He will cut inside to make plays from the middle, and packs a quick wrister with an even quicker release. He's also surprisingly good down-low, and can spot teammates in the slot from there, and quarterbacks the powerplay from the half-wall. Thibodeau has the edgework and agility to shake off attackers, and can win some races to loose pucks, but he's more quick than fast, with some lateral speed for extra elusiveness. He displays a peppy short burst, and accelerates well to create room for himself and teammates, and is slippery enough to navigate through traffic unscathed. On the forecheck, he's disruptive- hounding puck-carriers with an active stick, causing turnovers, and pressuring his opponents by pushing the pace. Despite his diminutive stature, he doesn't shy away from physical play, battling against bigger opponents for space and loose pucks, and he doesn't back down in post-whistle scrums, either. He has a bit of an edge, and will throw the odd hit.

Thibodeau is a smooth stickhandler, and can weave through traffic with full control, beating defenders with his 1-on-1 skills and deceptive abilities- these skills help him navigate through transition, and make clean, controllled entries. Off the puck, he exerts energy and tenaciousness to pressure and disrupt- he displays vision when not in possession, positioning himself advantageously to remain playable for teammates, and to support the play. He shows high-motor, playing with energy and pace, as well as a high level of compete. In his own zone, he's underrated, and displays solid positioning to pressure puck-carriers with good general awareness defensively- though he'll never be confused with Patrice Bergeron. He's an excellent penalty-killer who can close on opponents quickly. Going forward, his size will always be an issue, and he will always have problems winning battles against bigger opponents, especially if he doesn't work to get bigger and stronger. His work-ethic is rarely in question, but his engagement level can wane, and he will sometimes stay to the perimeter. He might not have the high-end offense to make it as a top-line player, but he could develop into a middle-six energy player who can contribute to the PK. If he is selected in the draft, it won't be until the later rounds.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Smurf Edition, Vol. 5):

5'10",174lb LW Jesse Heslop finished the regular season in 7th-place in scoring, with 19 goals and 54 points on a deep and talented Everett Silvertips team that were 4th-best in the WHL, and the 4th-highest scoring in the league. He was only able to contribute 1 goal in 6 playoff games before going down to injury, as the Silvertips were swept in he second round by the Portland Winterhawks. I would have expected better numbers from Heslop this year, after a 2022-23 season that saw him post 41 points in 66 games as a 16 year-old, which ranked 6th for U-18 players- 1 point behind Cayden Lindstrom, and 2 points behind Gavin Hodnett. He was also second amongst all '06-born players in even-strength points with 35, behind Berkly Catton by only 2 points. He was selected in the 3rd round, 66th overall, in the 2021 Prospects Draft, and plays up and down the lineup in Everett.

Heslop can control pace, but he's mostly a complimentary player at this stage. He's a natural playmaker with top-notch vision and IQ, who funnels the puck to the net, and to teammates in high-danger. He finds and creates space to operate in, and displays advanced playmaking in-close to the net. He's an above-average skater, and light on his edges, with an explosive short-area burst, lateral agility to elude checks, and the ability to weave in and out of traffic with deception- he's definitely not a burner at top speed though. In transition, he can contribute using his fine puck-skills and mobility. His shot is a laser, but he doesn't use it nearly enough, and doesn't really score a whole of goals- only 19 this season, and 12 the last. Playmaking is his primary vocation, but he will battle in front of the net, and sneak in-an-out of prime scoring areas with an eye on scoring the odd garbage goal, potting a rebound opportunity, or recieving a pass to then deke out the goalie. He has a knack for being at the right place at the right time, and wins his fair share of battles in greasy areas. There is no fear in his game, and he's highly disruptive on the forecheck- he's a pest to puck-carriers, and engages in puck-pursuit in all three zones. He applies a high workrate, competes hard, and has a good motor.

In the defensive zone, Heslop is highly aware, and closes quick on puck-carriers to disrupt plays. He contributes well to Everett's defensive zone coverage, works hard, and supports his D. I think he's better than the numbers, and affected somewhat by playing on such a deep team. He needs to get stronger and faster, but could develop into a quality middle-6 winger in the NHL, who can do a little bit of everything. Look for him anywhere from the 4th to the 6th round.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Sec214

Want me to voice memo it for you?

I'd prefer an executive summary but with only using gifs.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by Sec214

Want me to voice memo it for you?

Just feed it into copilot so we can get a summary.

…how can you expect us to listen to a full recording? You think we have the patience to listen to anything its entirety?

We want out of context snippets so we can overreact and complain about how stupid everyone but us is!