2024 NHL Draft Thread

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

You can't possibly know the roster will be worse next season. Nobody knows what moves are to come. So you think when the GM and the rest of the organization says they have no intention on tanking they are lying? Who cares how they finished this year. Where did Vancouver finish the year before? I guarantee the Flames are going to add some pieces this off season, maybe they will be worse next year, maybe they are better. They are not going to try and tank though.

I doubt the pieces they add will be at the level of Hanafin, Lindlolm, Tanev and Zadorov.

UFA’s will not have Calgary at the top of their lists, especially since Conroy has indicated he’ll be looking for shorter term players.

Especially if Markstrom is moved.

I’m not sure where Vancouver finished last year is particularly relevant, as we don’t have elite pieces like Petterson, Hughes, Miller etc. on our team.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

They are the same age as Kadri and Huberdeau, and are, collectively, about as good. The Kadri and Huberdeau contracts go until they are almost 40.
You know this.

What I know is that we have noidea how things will play out. Team fortunes can fluctuate wildly from season to season, and trying to predict 5 or more years out is beyond pointless.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 4):

LHG Ryerson Leenders, 6'2",179lbs

Mississauga (OHL): 46gp, 24-17-4, 3.12 GAA, .909 SV%
Mississauga (Playoffs): 2gp, 0-1-0, 2.07 GAA, .933 SV%
U-18 (Canada): 1gp, 1-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .963 SV%

Ryerson Leenders' stellar play is a big reason why the Mississauga Steelheads finished the regular season as the 8th-best team in the OHL, but he couldn't help the team much in the playoffs, going down to injury in game #2. Leenders' save percentage of .909 % was tops in the league- not bad for a kid who doesn't turn 18 until June 1st. In the CHL Top Prospects Game, he made 19 saves, one of being a huge save on a chance from Berkly Catton, which was the best save in the early part of the contest. While Carter George relies heavily on his technique, Leenders falls back mostly on his supreme athleticism, making acrobatic saves that often earn him "Save of the Night" honors. He may not be as technically skilled as George, but he's much more dynamic. Leenders has keen reflexes to make instantaneous reactions, and moves laterally with smoothness, and superb quickness, rarely overextending. He keeps his torso upright to cover more net, and his up-and-down mobility is excellent- he can slam his five-hole shut rapidly. He is never down-and-out of a play, always finding a way to fly back to make a clutch save. He can flat out fly from post-to-post, and wields efficient mobility in his crease.

Leenders demonstrates good anticipation, and even better determination. He tracks the puck well, maintains focus, and reacts well to the play, keeping his head on a swivel to stay aware of his surroundings. He is positionally sound, stays square to shooters, and finds loose pucks in his crease. He battles for space in-tight, and is big enough to push attackers out of the crease. At times, he seems to have trouble reading the play, but more often than not, his athleticism saves him. He can be caught playing too deep in his crease, and as a goalie who is average-sized as netminders go these days, he should be out further out to make the net smaller. His rebound control is good, but far from infallible, and he will need to improve this aspect of his game for the next level. He sometimes displays a diminished capacity to navigate through traffic, with some difficulty in finding sightlines through screens. There is a chance that Leenders could be the first goalie taken, and I could see him getting picked in the second round, but I will guess 3rd, or 4th round.

[robertsfanatic]

Thank you Sandman for understanding the assignment for this thread.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

A lot of good pieces that are already in place that the rebuild crowd refuses to acknowledge?

This group has no impact players under 22.

They have 33 percent of an NHL defense. They may sign a depth veteran D or two, but even then - Kylington and Miromanov are going to be getting far more ice time than they would anywhere else in the league next year for a reason.

They will trade Markstrom in the off season, leaving Wolf and the Worst Statistical Goalie in the League in net.

Kadri, Huberdeau, Sharangovich, Kuzmenko and Weegar showed themselves to be a dynamic powerplay group in the last two months of the year with no pressure - if they pick up where they left off, and IF Kuzmenko and Sharangovich stick around long term, then they’re starting to have a foundation that might be solid enough to make some hay with the addition of three drafts’ worth of top-10 picks.

The biggest if of all, of course, is “if Wolf is a true #1” and even that’s a big if.

This team as currently constructed cannot compete with playoff teams, and they’re going to get worse before they get better (even if they’ve got a top-10 powerplay).

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 5):

LHG Evan Gardner, 6'2",174lbs

Saskatoon (WHL): 30gp, 21-5-0, 1.91 GAA, .927 SV%
Saskatoon (Playoffs): 15gp, 10-1-3, 2.33 GAA, .910 SV%

Evan Gardner has the most streling stats of any goaltender in this class, but don't be fooled- he plays on a tight defensive team, and doesn't get tested like other draft-eligible goalies. Saskatoon finished first overall in the league in the regular season, and were the styngiest team in the WHL, with the best goals-against (163), 24 less than the next best team- but they lost in the third round of the playoffs to the eventual WHL Champion Moose Jaw Warriors in seven games. For his efforts, Gardner was named the WHL's Eastern Division finalist for Rookie of the Year, as incredibly, he was playing U-18 AAA Hockey in 2022-23. He's had his fair share of problems to overcome, being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 11 years old, and having to wear a glucose monitor at all times.

Gardner is a hybrid goalie, and is technically sound with fluid mechanics and exemplary positioning. Though he plays on a top team and doesn't always need to be the better goalie to win the game, he has shown to be a game-saver on a few occasions. He has cat-like reflexes, and plays aggressively with a wide stance, an upright posture to make himself look bigger, and plenty of knee-bend. Mentally speaking, he's calm and collected, with the mental resilience to reset well after a goal. His movement around his crease is controlled and efficient- he doesn't slide out of position, or overcommit. He moves side-to-side quickly and efficiently, and stays square to the puck, keeping the right angle to the shooter, staying in good position. He seems to understand depth control, and knows when to come forth from the goal-line to challenge a shooter, and when to hang back in his net. His head is always on a swivel to keep a mental map of his surroundings, and he has a good hinge to watch what's going on behind his net. Gardner is able to track the puck well, and exerts good situational awareness.

Gardner doesn't have elite size or athletic ability, and leans heavily on his technique, though he might be a little raw considering that he's in the midst of his first season of Major Junior. When playing the puck, he doesn't scan properly, so he can cause some problems for his D in the form of egregious turnovers. He needs work on his rebound control, as he can bounce pucks into high-danger areas, giving up second-chance opportunites. As stated, his stats are a little inflated, due to the high-level of defense his team employs. Look for Gardner in the fourth, or fifth round.

[Redrum]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

A lot of good pieces that are already in place that the rebuild crowd refuses to acknowledge?

Somebody needs to have a hell of a breakout before we can say we even have one piece to build around.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Redrum

Somebody needs to have a hell of a breakout before we can say we even have one piece to build around.

Yeah there is no franchise player on the roster, just some good pieces but not enough to make a good team. Whoever thinks they can compete is either delusional or worse, incompetent

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 6):

LHG Harrison Meneghin, 6'3",170lbs

Lethbridge (WHL): 53gp, 27-20-5, 2.59 GAA, .919 SV%
Lethbridge (Playoffs): 4gp, 0-3-1, 4.00 GAA, .887 SV%

Harrison Meneghin is 19 years old, and was passed over in the last two drafts, but this season he was named the Central Division Goaltender of the Year, and is one of four nominees for the Del Wilson Trophy- given out to the Goalie of the Year. He's a character kid, and has earned everything he's achieved, having never been drafted into the WHL. Meneghin's SV% was second overall in the regular season, but the Hurricanes were swept in the playoffs by the Swift Current Broncos. Many say though, that he's the biggest reason the low-scoring 'Canes made the playoffs in the first place, and unlike Evan Gardner, he plays for a much less defensively inclined team, making his numbers a lot more impressive. Meneghin was top-five in the CHL for starts (53) and for SV% (.919).

Meneghin leans heavily into the butterfly with a low-seated stance, but at the same time, he's quite athletic and fully capable of making scrambling, acrobatic stops when his technique fails him. With how calm and collected he appears, he almost makes it look easy, and he seems to reset well after letting in a goal, or after having a bad game. He executes faultless positioning, and is very efficient and deliberate in his movements, with nimble and controlled cross-crease pushes. He stays square to shooters, hugs the post when the play is low, and seals off the bottom of his net well with his pads. He goes down into the butterfly and springs up very quickly, and knows when to stay deep in his net, or come out to challenge a shooter. Meneghin generally executes good puck control, but can make mistakes and put it into high-danger on occasion. All four of his limbs serve him well, as they all seem to be well developed in their quickness.

There are instances where it seems that Meneghin doesn't track the play well enough, and relies too heavily on his size, as well as his reflexes and reaction to make the stop. To add to this, he can lose pucks in traffic, so he needs to follow the puck better. He sometimes has an issue with fighting off traffic in his crease, as he's tall but very slight. Central Scouting bestowed the rank of "C" upon him, indicating a possible 4th or 5th-round pick, but I think he'll wait until between the 5th and 7th rounds, due to the fact that this is his third time as a draft-eligible.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 7):

LHG Lukas Matecha, 6'3",187lbs

Tri-City: 35gp, 13-19-1, 3.42 GAA, .901 SV%

As someone who has watched plenty of the Tri-City Americans, I can honestly say it's astonishing that any goaltender on that team could have a save percentage above .900. Matecha is 19 years old, and played all of the 2022-23 season back home in Czechia, before being selected 99th-overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft by the Amerks. This season, Tri-City were second-last in the WHL, and 3rd-worst in goals-for. In the first half of the season, Matecha actually went 9-7-1-1, with a 2.48 GAA, and a .923 SV%, but the team completely fell apart in the New Year after one of their top centers, Maxmilian Curran, went down to injury, and D Pavel Bocharov was traded. Matecha was the only goalie in the CHL Top Prospects Game to not get scored on, playing half the game and stopping 19 shots- and many of those saves were of the highlight-reel variety.

Matecha plays an athletic butterfly style, going up and down quickly, while reading and reacting to what's thrown at him. He's fluid and efficient in his movements around the crease, exhibiting control. He plays a bit deeper in his net, as he has a big presence and covers a lot of real estate; he doesn't often venture out to the top of the crease, but he will make the trip to smartly challenge a shooter, staying square to the shot. He's quite athletic, and can make acrobatic saves, or purely reactionary ones, and goes post-to-post smoothly. He seals the post well, and takes away the bottom of the net by flaring his pads, and conceals a lot of twine when he's down in the butterfly. When the puck is in the slot, Matecha reads the play well, pouncing on loose pucks and gobbling up rebounds- he can also steer shots to the corner. He employs a wide-legged stance to be able to close the five-hole instantaneously, but it doesn't slow him down from pushing off on either foot. In heavy traffic, he can track well enough to make saves, and he can fight off screens, battling for lines of sight, and fighting for position. He can look through, or over screens. He's calm and composed, and his movements are controlled.

Matecha is one of my favorites in the goaltending department this year, and I think there's a chance he could be a steal. He might need a little work on his hand speed for the next level, as some wonder about both his glove and blocker. He will leave the crease to set up the puck for his defensemen, but he doesn't play it often. In the past, there were questions about his composure, but I haven't seen any reason to be concerned about that- I think that's been put to rest. It's hard to know where a player who went undrafted in 2023 will be picked, but there's plenty of reasons to like this kid. I'm guessing 4th or 5th round.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 8):

LHG Dawson Cowan, 6'1",185lbs

Spokane (WHL): 43gp, 18-20-2, 3.59 GAA, .899 SV%
Spokane (Playoffs): 3gp, 0-3-0, 5.84 GAA, .847 SV%

The Spokane Chiefs were 16th overall out of 22 teams in the WHL, and thanks to the efforts of their goaltender, they were fortunate enough to make the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, they drew the high-powered Prince George Cougars, who scored the second-most goals of any team in the 'Dub, and they were promptly destroyed in 4 games. DC is an older draft-eligible, with a September 28th, 2005 birthday, and his coach insists that he is heavier, and a few inches taller that his listed measurements. Cowan made an appearance at the CHL Top Prospects Game, and was the busier of the two Team White goalies (Carter George was the other), stopping 16 of 17 shots.

DC is a butterfly goalie, standing upright and tall, and is very poised considering the large volume of shots he faces on a nightly basis. He's confident, focused, and competitive, staying square to shots and being quick to react, though he might not be the most athletic goalie. He can find pucks through traffic, and is especially good against wraparounds, showing a good hinge to watch out for plays below the goal-line. Cowan commands his crease, moving around with speed, and going up and down rapidly. He seals off the post well, and his vertical seal is just as good with his pads flared out. He gobbles up rebounds, and can actually make quality plays with the puck. His stick is also active in breaking up plays around his net, and he will leave the crease to stop rims behind the net. He stays deep in his net a much as possible, but he can be aggressive at the top of his crease when challenging shooters from further out. He reads the play well, and displays good timing and flexibility.

Cowan seems to have some difficulty in dealing with net-front traffic, and has problems in maintaining sightlines in this scenario. There's a perception that his hands might be a work in progress, and his blocker-side rebound control needs work- improving this area of his game is a must, as he gets beaten on second-chance plays. He covers a lot of net, but seems to get scored on with high shots when he's down in the butterfly. I think Cowan could get selected anywhere between the 5th and 7th rounds.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 9):

LHG Mikhail Yegorov, 6'5",179lbs

Omaha (USHL): 43gp, 8-25-3, 3.86 GAA, .892 SV%

In the latest installment of Central Scouting's rankings, the #1 North American Goaltender was Omaha Lancers' Mikhail Yegorov. The stats don't nearly tell the whole story, as Omaha was by far the worst team in the USHL this past season, with a minus-110 goal differential over 62 games, and finishing with a measly 35 points, so Yegorov hasn't had any support. The next worst teams had a minus-51 goal differential, and 49 points. Yegorov played in 43 of 62 games, which was third-most in the league, and he was top-15 in SV%. Most of his games were played in the second half, as he had taken over the #1 spot by then. He was named to the All-USHL Second Rookie Team, as this is his first year in North America, having played back home in Russia in 2022-23. Yegorov was drafted 88th overall in the 6th round of the 2023 USHL Entry Draft, and plans to attend Boston University in the 2025-26 season.

Yegorov (no apparent relation to Flames' goaltending prospect, Yegor Yegorov) plays a sound technical game with structure, staying square to shooters and keeping good angles while not giving much net to look at. He's positionally sound, and slides smoothly and quickly while down in the butterfly. They say he's smart, stays focused, and doesn't get rattled, which says something about him- considering the volume of shots he faces on a regular basis. He moves quite well, especially for a big goalie, and takes smart routes around the crease to keep his net covered as much as possible, and he displays athleticism when doing so. He uses his size and reach well, and his game is tailor-made for a bigger netminder. The best quality he has right now is how hard he battles- he never gives up on a play, and he's never down and out, even though he gets little help on a bad team. When needed, he can make diving, acrobatic saves when his technique isn't enough. He usually maintains an upright stance deep in the net, but he will telescope out to challenge shooters from far out. He can see over screens in front of the net, and will battle with opponents who encroach on his crease for positioning.

Yegorov's rebound control is inconsistent, but it seems to be getting better; still, he can leave loose pucks sitting in dangerous areas around the net a little too often. When the puck goes behind the net, Yegorov loses sight of it, because he simply doesn't shoulder-check well enough. He has some issues in tracking the play through traffic, and sometimes doesn't close up holes in his body fast enough. His hands are in need of further development, particularly his blocker side. Yegorov has all of the tools, but needs further seasoning, which he'll get in coming years at BU- he's far more potential than finished product, but many scouts think he has enormous upside. This kid might be a big steal, and we could possibly see a future superstar in a few years. There just might be a few teams that will look at him in the second round, but I think he could go anywhere from the second to the fourth round.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by robertsfanatic

Thank you Sandman for understanding the assignment for this thread.

1000% this - I'll update Upside Hockey with goalie profiles hopefully on Tuesday and add their links to the rankings spreadsheet.

[TOfan]

Perhaps a question already asked, wondering what people’s ideal draft looks like for the Flames?

For me, it’s to find another pick in the top 12. How they get there and who they might be able to swing a deal with is certainly open for conversation. Assets the Flames could leverage to get there could include; Markstrom, any combination of picks outside of 9 OA, Mangiapnne, Kuznetzov, Andersson, Vladar, Sharangovich. This isn’t to suggest the Flames will move all of these pieces, but these are the pieces I would moveable to get that extra pick. It also doesn’t need to be a direct move. Example; move Markstrom to the Kings the includes 21OA coming back. That pick, 21OA, could then be flipped as part of a deal to get into the top 12.

Ideally, if the Flames can come out of this draft with a Lindstrom/Iginla/Catton and a Dickinson/Yakumchuk/Parek, that would go a long way in setting themselves up to be a competitive team in 2027.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Perhaps a question already asked, wondering what people’s ideal draft looks like for the Flames?

For me, it’s to find another pick in the top 12. How they get there and who they might be able to swing a deal with is certainly open for conversation. Assets the Flames could leverage to get there could include; Markstrom, any combination of picks outside of 9 OA, Mangiapnne, Kuznetzov, Andersson, Vladar, Sharangovich. This isn’t to suggest the Flames will move all of these pieces, but these are the pieces I would moveable to get that extra pick. It also doesn’t need to be a direct move. Example; move Markstrom to the Kings the includes 21OA coming back. That pick, 21OA, could then be flipped as part of a deal to get into the top 12.

Ideally, if the Flames can come out of this draft with a Lindstrom/Iginla/Catton and a Dickinson/Yakumchuk/Parek, that would go a long way in setting themselves up to be a competitive team in 2027.

#9: has to be a legitimate top-6 forward/top-4 D at the NHL level.

Vancouver pick: top-9 forward, 5/6 D at worst - they have to be a roster player.

2nd-7th round: the most skilled/best skating players available, plus another Russian goalie.

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Ideally, if the Flames can come out of this draft with a Lindstrom/Iginla/Catton and a Dickinson/Yakumchuk/Parek, that would go a long way in setting themselves up to be a competitive team in 2027.

I feel like this is a dream scenario, but one I share.
If we can walk away with both a top forward and an impact offensive D man (Parehk is my preference) we’re laughing.

Iginla + Parehk would set us up very nicely.

I’m still hoping Markstrom can get us a pick somewhere between 10-15 and then we can maybe use that and the VAN pick to move up for one of the 6 listed if need be.

I do wonder what value Andersson would have.

[OutToLunch]

I'd like to get the 6th from Utah somehow without giving up either of our firsts. I'm not sure what they need position wise, but they have a new fan base and a new owner that probably wants to spend some money and get competitive. Maybe a flashy Russian winger and a 2nd?

I'm sure it's not enough, but maybe the start of something...

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Royle9

I feel like this is a dream scenario, but one I share.
If we can walk away with both a top forward and an impact offensive D man (Parehk is my preference) we’re laughing.

Iginla + Parehk would set us up very nicely.

I’m still hoping Markstrom can get us a pick somewhere between 10-15 and then we can maybe use that and the VAN pick to move up for one of the 6 listed if need be.

I do wonder what value Andersson would have.

I don’t think NJ would have their pick on the table for Markstrom. I wonder if Markstrom might be av be to get us LA’s 21OA pick though. We might have to add a pick.

If the Flames are open to moving Anderson or Weegar, wonder if they could package him along with the 21 to get into the top 12. Ottawa, Utah might be interested.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by TOfan

I don’t think NJ would have their pick on the table for Markstrom. I wonder if Markstrom might be av be to get us LA’s 21OA pick though. We might have to add a pick.

If the Flames are open to moving Anderson or Weegar, wonder if they could package him along with the 21 to get into the top 12. Ottawa, Utah might be interested.

Yeah, not sure what Weegar’s value is like with his contract but Andersson should be worth a top 15 pick.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by TOfan

I don’t think NJ would have their pick on the table for Markstrom. I wonder if Markstrom might be av be to get us LA’s 21OA pick though. We might have to add a pick.

If the Flames are open to moving Anderson or Weegar, wonder if they could package him along with the 21 to get into the top 12. Ottawa, Utah might be interested.

You don't need to add a pick. Just the retention on Markstrom is worth around a 29th. Just look at what Kuemper and Miller brought back in their trades. Both were also UFAs, so the retention on Markstrom for a couple seasons is worth something.

Mentioned in before, but the pick value for NJs 10th is doable for the Markstrom 50% retained and the Vancouver pick. If the retention is worth a 29th and the Vancouver is about the same, the value gap is a high 2nd round pick, which Markstrom is worth more than that if you look at the Kuemper and Miller trades.