2024 NHL Draft Thread

[timbit]

Nm

[MrMike]

Originally Posted by traptor

Could also be a good lesson in the importance if draft position. The top 3 picks were the only top centers to come out if that draft.

Imagine if we would of had a prime Thornton or Marleau centering iginla for 15 years.

Well should have given up pretty much all our picks for the next three years to get him instead of San Jose.

That was such a missed opportunity to the only real hole we had during that time.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Captain America Edition):

RW Brodie Ziemer has earned the nickname,"Captain America", because he wears the "C" for the NTDP's U18 team, where he has amassed 24 goals, and 50 points in 49 games. He earned rave reviews for his performance in the most recent 5 Nations Tournament, where he was tied for 1st overall in goals with 6, and 2nd overall in points with 8, on a line consisting of himself, Bednarik, and Stiga- the best line in the tourney. Ziemer is only 5'11", but is built like a tank at 192 lbs, which serves him well as another "pocket power-forward", who plays a complete game.

Ziemer doesn't have a whole lot of high-end skill, and lacks flashiness, with a game that's built around his incredible work-ethic. He is primarily a scorer, with the ability to both snipe or finish, and has a deep arsenal of wicked shots- from curl-and-drags, to his sharp wrister, to his blistering one-timer, and everything in-between. An unusually high number of his shots make it through to the net, and he's deft at using his opponents as screens, with a high amount of deception to disguise his release, such as changing the angle of his shot, or the use of feints, fakes, and look-offs. Most of his goals come from within 10 feet of the net though, as he attacks the crease, with and without the puck, and will park himself in front to screen, snag rebounds, and convert second-chance opportunities- he also has excellent hand-eye co-ordination to tip incoming shots, and the moves to beat goalies 1-on-1. Z is more of a "facilitator" than a genuine playmaker, as his passing game hovers around average- he advances the play if there's not a pass option, gets pucks deep, moves the puck to high-danger areas, and keeps the play alive in the offensive zone. He sees the ice quite well, but usually keeps it simple, relying on quick touches, and doesn't attempt the more complex plays, although he connected on some high-end passes to the slot at the 5 Nations. He makes sound plays in transition, but mostly defers to teammates to do most of the carrying. Ziemer has solid hockey sense and can be used in any situation, including both sides of special teams, and is often shuffled between the first, and second line.

Despite his size, Ziemer plays a robust physical game, and is relentless on the forecheck to remove space and dislodge pucks. He finishes all his checks, and can dish out some big hits. He is a high-effort, high-energy, high-intensity player, staying active, and always moving his feet- he sets a good example for his teammates, while pushing the pace on opponents. His grit and sandpaper meter runs high- he goes to war in the hard areas, and never gives up on a play. His off-puck game is a big plus- he finds his way to open spaces to make himself an option for a pass, and can sneak into high-danger areas. He plays well in small areas, and has good puck-control, with above-average 1-on-1 moves to beat checkers. Ziemer's skating is neither spectacular or dynamic, perhaps hovering around average, and he could use another gear or two. His edges are good enough to give him agility in turns, and some lateral mobility to fool defenders. Some of the deficiencies in his speed are offset by his work-ethic, and by the way he keeps his legs pumping. This kid has character, and is a true leader.

Though he may not be a stalwart, Ziemer brings his work-ethic and awareness to the defensive zone, with a quick stick to break up plays. He anticipates the play well, cutting off passes, removing time and space, and playing the body. The coaching staff trusts him with regular penalty-killing duties. Projections for Ziemer are all over the place, with some seeing him as a bottom-6 checker, some seeing him as a 2nd-line scorer- in addition, some even have him in the first round of the draft. I would put him late 2nd round, early 3rd. He needs work on his skating, his strength, and his playmaking, which will make him more of a dual-threat. It would be a good idea to further augment the power of his shot as well. In the fall, Ziemer will be attending the University of Minnesota.

[Bingo]

Seven draft rankings making up the average now.

Flames move down one spot to 12th (from 11th), but the Vancouver pick moves up two spots.

Decimal number is average ranking.
Last number is number of times in the count per player.

Flames 10 Zayne Parekh D 10.00 7
Flames 11 Zeev Buium D 10.43 7
Flames 12 Carter Yakemchuk D 12.29 7
Flames 13 Tij Iginla C 13.57 7
Flames 14 Liam Greentree RW 14.57 7

Flames 27 Andrew Basha LW 24.50 6
Flames 28 Jesse Pulkkinen D 25.00 1
Flames 29 Emil Hemming F 25.00 4
Flames 30 Marek Vanacker 25.67 3
Flames 31 Dean Letourneau 26.00 2

[Dude Where's Makar?]

Hey Sandman, I tried looking for a write up on Noel Fransen last night but couldn't find one? Probably just missed it.

What are your thoughts on this offensive Swedish defender?

[8sPOT]

Ooooh I like the Dean Letourneau pick later in the 1st. Sort of a Jankowski situation where he hasn't faced super tough competition yet. But the guy is huge, can skate, and can score.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by Dude Where's Makar?

Hey Sandman, I tried looking for a write up on Noel Fransen last night but couldn't find one? Probably just missed it.

What are your thoughts on this offensive Swedish defender?

gently reminder, all of Sandman's profiles are easily found at Upside Hockey (along with our exclusive rankings in super-detailed mega spreadsheet format)

Alphabetical with a hyperlinked table of contents at the top...

https://bit.ly/2024nhldraftprofiles

We have Gretzky number of profiles completed thus far. Noel included.

[Canada 02]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1770127703506608621

[InternationalVillager]

Andrew Basha with the Canucks pick would be a coup! I would be giddy with joy!

Local Calgary kid too. Might even have family on this board....

[InternationalVillager]

Also I don't know how you pass up on Parekh if he is available in order to choose Iginla.....

His DY Comps per Byron Bader are Ray Bourque, Quinn Hughes, Chris Pronger, Cam Fowler....

[1qqaaz]

These are the top 12 players in the draft by current NHLe projections:
1. Macklin Celebrini 53.7
2. Ivan Demidov 52.9
3. Zeev Buium 44.0
4. Berkly Catton 42.4
5. Cole Eiserman 40.6
6. Terik Parascak 38.6
7. Zayne Parekh 37.8
8. Liam Greentree 36.9
9. Trevor Connelly 36.8
10. Cayden Lindstrom 35.6
11. Andrew Basha 34.1
12. Tij Iginla 33.2

*Eiserman, Demidov, and Connelly may have NHLes that are slightly different due to variations with their league's NHLe coefficients.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

These are the top 12 players in the draft by current NHLe projections:
1. Macklin Celebrini 53.7
2. Ivan Demidov 52.9
3. Zeev Buium 44.0
4. Berkly Catton 42.4
5. Cole Eiserman 40.6
6. Terik Parascak 38.6
7. Zayne Parekh 37.8
8. Liam Greentree 36.9
9. Trevor Connelly 36.8
10. Cayden Lindstrom 35.6
11. Andrew Basha 34.1
12. Tij Iginla 33.2

*Eiserman, Demidov, and Connelly may have NHLes that are slightly different due to variations with their league's NHLe coefficients.

Catton/Iginla/Yakemchuk with the Flames pick
Basha/Parascak with the Canucks pick

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

https://twitter.com/user/status/1770127703506608621

I don't know if it will hurt his draft position, but it probably won't help it. I bet a lot of scouts were interested to see him in a few more USHL games to get a better feel for him and the progress he has made.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Dude Where's Makar?

Hey Sandman, I tried looking for a write up on Noel Fransen last night but couldn't find one? Probably just missed it.

What are your thoughts on this offensive Swedish defender?

Can't quite figure out what the scouts are seeing that keeps Fransen from being anywhere near any lists, but I've read some hints:

-He's too dependent on the PP for points (by my count he's only ahead of Sahlin-Wellenius by 5, but 19 points out of 44 is pretty high- still, not a big deal)
-He's good in the offensive zone, but he's not a great puck-mover
-He struggles defensively in higher levels
-Some don't think his game will translate

I still think he's more than worthy of a mid-round pick. Check out Cral's link to see my profile on him!

[CalgarySames]

Really hoping the Flames can pull a center with their first pick. If we luck out and win the lottery, and it places us in a position for Celebrini, then awesome. But I'm pretty sold on Berkly Catton if we can snag him up. Traditionally his size would be the only real concern, but todays NHL really seems to benefit skill over size (if you have both, even better). It would be nice to see the Flames secure a top line skilled centerman, Catton with Huberdeau and Coronato/Sharangovich in a couple years could be a pretty deadly line!

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Power Plante Edition):

LHC Max Plante is the son of former NHLer Derek Plante, and brother of Pittsburgh 5th-rounder Zam Plante, and is currently 6th in NTDP scoring, with 12 goals and 48 points in 38 games. His ppg of 1.23 puts him 3rd in the NTDP, ahead of Stiga, Bednarik, Ziemer, and Humphreys- and behind only Hagens and Eiserman, both of whom he outproduced at the most recent 5 Nations, with 7 points in 4 games. Though he is listed as a C, he mostly plays his off-wing on the right-hand side, and sees himself as a winger.

Plante heavily leans towards the pass, and is one of the best playmakers in the draft, with deft distribution skills, and high-end vision. He is crafty and highly creative, and can thread the needle through traffic, equally crisp and accurate from the forehand as from the backhand. Passes from Plante arrive at the right time and place, with the perfect placement and velocity, right to the ideal spot in his teammate's wheelhouse to one-time a shot. He's a practitioner of deception, and manipulates opponents into giving him seams to pass to the slot, or to high danger. He's an expert in baiting opponents into attacking him, and opening space for himself or teammates. His mind is fast and decisive, and he prefers to do most of his work with quick touches, and give-and-go's when possible- he plays with supreme pace, keeping defenders on their toes. Any kind of pass that can be drawn up is available to him in his repertoire- he's got slip passes, saucers, drop passes, one-touches, and even spin-o-rama's. In contrast, Plante is not much of a finisher, as his rather paltry 12 goals would attest- his shot is not bad, but often inaccurate and ineffective, and he sometimes passes up prime scoring opportunities to execute a low-percentage pass. It is a must for Plante to develop his goal-scoring capabilities, and his shot for the next level.

Like most kids in the program, Plante commits to the defensive side of the puck, and backchecks well through the neutral zone. Though he is trusted in defensive situations, and gets PK time, he is still raw in this area, and must further build his awareness and workrate when it comes to defense. He still finds some success in limiting the time and space of opponents, intercepting passes, and cutting off plays, but can look a bit lost sometimes. He works to win pucks in the greasy areas, and has high compete and motor, but lacks strength and physicality. He's not an exceptional skater either, more quick than fast, but shows fairly good agility and edgework, with some lateral mobility to elude checkers. Improving his speed is another necessity for him, if he wants to have a shot in the NHL. Plante is committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, so he has a long runway to improve. I'm going to say he'll be picked in the 3rd round.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Ovie Edition):

5'11",172lb C/LW Oskar Vuollet has produced at every level, and has always played above his age group, but hit a bit of a wall when he got to the SHL this year. Right now, he's 5th in scoring in the J20 for Skelleftea, while wearing an "A", with 29 goals and 61 points in 41 games, with 20 of those points coming in the last 10 games. His ppg of 1.49 beats every other player in the top-50. OV has played 15 games for Skelleftea's SHL club over the course of the season, but with severely limited minutes and opportunity, he has yet to record a point in that league. He is largely flying under the radar for the upcoming draft.

Vuollet is a talented offensive weapon, with an attack mentality, and an overflowing toolkit. He is uber-active in the offensive zone, using every square foot of space. With the puck on his his blade, he's quite confident and poised, making consistently good decisions, and picking apart defenses with his remarkable spatial awareness, and high-end puck skills. He has quick hands, and deft handling abilities- the puck seems to be glued to his stick, and he exhibits sound protection with the way he handles close to his feet, and angles his body away from checks. He's a supreme manipulator with his quick lateral movements and handling, baiting opponents into coming at him, thereby opening space for himself and his teammates- he's quite shifty, and has the 1-on-1 moves to make defenders look silly. He can catch and settle down passes that look impossible to handle, and he can do it in full flight.

Vuollet's best asset is his top-tier IQ and awareness that makes him a threat on, and off the puck- he's always a step or two ahead of the play, positioning himself in advantageous places to open space, and be an option for a pass. He reads the play at a high level, and solves problems on the fly. He is an effective playmaker, and can thread the needle through the smallest spaces, but he's also a volume shooter who can follow his shots in to cash in on second-chance opportunities. He's a pest in front of the net, and has great hands and moves to beat goalies in-close, but he also has a wide variety of shots to score with from further out, and a lightning-quick release to disguise them. His one-timer is NHL-quality, and requires very little wind-up, and he needs little space to unload his wrister, that has surprising power. OV is a solid skater, definitely not a burner, but can still play with pace. His balance is enough to make him difficult to knock off the puck, and his agility makes him quick in turns, and laterally mobile. For the next level, he will need to add another few gears, and improve his explosiveness.

Vuollet plays with intensity and motor, but picks his spots when it comes to physicality- he doesn't throw a lot of hits. In the defensive zone, he works hard to take away the middle, and shows good awareness, but doesn't bring the same intensity in the defensive zone as he does in the offensive zone- he has to make himself much harder to play against. In the SHL against men, he's far more tentative than in the J20, and though he only plays an average of 6 minutes per game, he spends more time on the periphery, plays much more conservatively, and employs less physicality. He's a little overmatched right now against pros, and it shows his need to improve his speed and strength. Back in the J20, he has to learn to simplify his game somewhat, and learn to not carry the load by himself. I have seen this kid all over the map in mocks, but I think he gets picked in the late third/ early fourth round of the draft.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by InternationalVillager

Andrew Basha with the Canucks pick would be a coup! I would be giddy with joy!

Local Calgary kid too. Might even have family on this board....

Speaks French, Maybe Montreal?

[Roof-Daddy]

Terik Parascak with 103 points now in 66 games as a 17 year old rookie is pretty impressive.

He's on a loaded team though and just 3rd in scoring so he's not doing it by himself.

Might be fun to come away with Catton and Parascak out of the 1st round.

[FlamesAddiction]

I haven't seen anything from a solid source, but there is some internet chatter that if Montreal drafts outside of the top 5, then Tij Iginla is their target at the draft. They are currently at 7th.