2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Jiri Hrdina]

The key with McTavish is that he is a centre and those always go high

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by cannon7

As a father, if I'm Jarome, I just want my kid going to the team where I think he'll have the best chance at success. But at the same time, I do understand how there could be an appearance of nepotism if the Flames pick him. But anyone raising this concern just needs to watch the kid play. Wherever the Flames have him ranked, he is clearly rocketing up pretty much every scout's draft ranking. This wouldn't be a situation where the Flames go way off board.

But chances are looking pretty good that Iginla will be gone by the time the Flames pick. Imagine he becomes Bedard's RW for the next decade?

I don't see Iginla being gone when the Flames pick unless the Flames finish above the 12th pick, then it is a possibility.

[Monahammer]

I like that we're all so beaten down from hope that barely any are considering potential lotto wins of any sort. The life of a flames fan!

I haven't even let myself think of us landing celebrini but man would that just be awesome. He's demolishing the NCAA as a 17 year old.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I like that we're all so beaten down from hope that barely any are considering potential lotto wins of any sort. The life of a flames fan!

I haven't even let myself think of us landing celebrini but man would that just be awesome. He's demolishing the NCAA as a 17 year old.

We are Flames fans, we are not allowed nice things like Celebrini.

[1qqaaz]

I've resigned to the fact that none of us will see a lottery win in our lifetimes. Except maybe Scorp.
There should be a rule about only being allowed to win once in a 10 year period.
Similar to how the lottery would have worked if the 2012-2013 season were completely cancelled. If you get so lucky and screw it up, then too bad.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by cannon7

As a father, if I'm Jarome, I just want my kid going to the team where I think he'll have the best chance at success. But at the same time, I do understand how there could be an appearance of nepotism if the Flames pick him. But anyone raising this concern just needs to watch the kid play. Wherever the Flames have him ranked, he is clearly rocketing up pretty much every scout's draft ranking. This wouldn't be a situation where the Flames go way off board.

But chances are looking pretty good that Iginla will be gone by the time the Flames pick. Imagine he becomes Bedard's RW for the next decade?

As others have said, I doubt Chicago will reach that far for Iginla with where they likely will pick (top 3-4)… that being said, amongst the players I’ve seen so far for this draft, I think Iginla would be the perfect winger for Bedard. He has finish, he shown he plays well with skilled players (Cristall for example), has great hands, good speed, hockey IQ and skill. Guys like that usually fit well with play-driving centers. Guys like Guentzel or Hyman are good comparable of what Iginla could be with Bedard.

That being said… let’s just make our version work by winning the draft lottery, picking Celebrini, and then trade any combination of Andersson, Coleman (50% retained), Markstrom (50% retained) and Vancouver’s 2024 first round pick to get another pick in the top 12 to draft Iginla. Three years from now, put out a first line of Iginla-Celebrini-Coronato. Beautiful.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Disappointed Edition):

LHD Edvin Nilsson has seen a downturn in his numbers this season, after a promising 2022-23 that saw him record 25 points in 46 J20 games for HV71, (0.54 ppg)- which ranked him 17th in scoring by defenseman, and 1st on the team. In 2023-24, he has posted a ppg of 0.41, putting up 14 points in 34 games, which ranks him 3rd on the team, and 49th overall in scoring by defensemen. I can't explain this decrease, as HV71 is in virtually the same place in the standings this year as they were last year, although they have dropped from 6th in goals-for in 2022-23, down to 11th out of 21 teams. I'm not sure if his ice-time has been cut, but two defensemen that were below him in scoring last year, Viggo Gustafsson and Wilhelm Hallquisth, have pulled ahead of him this year. Though +/- is considered a useless stat by some, Nilsson went from -11 last season to a +9 this year, which might make one believe that he's perhaps playing a more conservative brand of hockey in order to shore up his defensive game, or that HV71 is employing a more defensive structure. Nilsson spent 17 games in the HockeyEttan, Sweden's third-tier men's league, and had 3 points.

The first noticeable quality in Nilsson's game is his outstanding skating, with excellent speed in all directions that he can use to either pull away from opponents in open ice, or weave through traffic with his lateral quickness and superior agility. He has a strong base, with a fairly low center of gravity (he's 5'11",183), so even though he's small in stature, he's not easy to knock off the puck. There has always been a strong foundation with this player in regards to hockey sense and awareness, but these days he's playing more like a puck-mover than an offensive defenseman, and more facilitator than outright playmaker- he reads the ice extremely well, but sticks to safer, simpler plays, which for this player can still be highly effective. He has a solid passing game, and can still find teammates in danger areas with regularity, but there's only flashes of high-end playmaking. One of his best attributes is the confidence and poise he exhibits when in possession of the puck- his stickhandling is smooth and tight, and he's decisive with his passing- he moves the puck fast, and doesn't create many turnovers. Nilsson is not shy about joining the rush to act as an extra forward, and to keep opponents on their toes. To add to his offensive game, he owns a hard, heavy point shot.

I have read many desciptions of Nilsson's defensive game, and most of them are glowingly positive, portraying him as a highly dependable two-way D, but the underlying numbers don't back these discriptions up. In reality, at least this season, his defensive game is his true detriment- he lacks the size and strength to control opposing attackers along the wall, and in front of the net. The eye test tells you that he's industrious and agressive, and starts the shut-down in the early stages of the opposition's breakout in the other end of the ice, but it would seem that the results aren't there, as he allows too many entries, and doesn't do enough in the zone to kill plays. His retrievals are a bit wonky too, but he's actually quite useful in transition, moving the puck with quality passes, or by carrying while dodging checkers with speed and elusiveness. Nilsson has a lot of work to do to get stronger, and polish his defensive game. His deficiencies, when combined with his decline in offense, might keep from getting drafted. If he does get picked, it will be in the late rounds, and he'll go to a team that sees his potential from 2022-23, along with his prime skating and puck-movement, with this season being an unfortunate blip.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Disappointed Vol.2):

C Tuomas Suoniemi seemed like a world-beater in the Hlinka Gretzky tournament, amassing 9 points (including 5 against Canada in the opening game) in 5 games, finishing 4th overall in scoring, and looking every bit like a top-2 round pick in this year's draft- however, his league play in the last two seasons has left a little to be desired. The 5'11",161lb center only recorded 8 goals and 26 points in 29 U20 games with Kiekko-Espoo, a rather middling club, and 1 goal in 4 games in the Mestis, Finland's second-highest men's league. Major credit has to be given to Suoniemi though, who was counted on to be an offensive leader for the Finns at the Hlinka, as they were without three of their big star players, and still made it to the Bronze-medal game, though they lost.

Suoniemi has top-tier IQ and awareness, and is seemingly a few steps ahead of the play at all times- he usually seems to be in the right position, and knows where his teammates are, and where they are going. He's leans quite far into playmaking as his primary offensive weapon, and sees passing lanes that most don't, with a variety of ways to get passes through- including backhands, and saucers over sticks. He can consistently find teammates with accurate passes to the slot, and to high-danger. Suoniemi is tremendously skilled, and a slick puckhandler with quick hands and 1-on-1 moves- he can open space up for himself with deception in fakes, feints, and dekes, and he can dangle opponents out of their drawers. These skills serve him well, as he's more quick than fast, as his mobility needs plenty of work, although he has good agility and shiftiness as an extra layer of elusiveness. His selection of shots are mostly adequate, with some accuracy and a quick release, but he needs to add more power and zip to his arsenal. He's good around the net, and has soft hands to capitalize on rebounds and loose pucks, and he can sneak in and out of high danger when he smells opportunities. He also exhibits proficiency in pouncing on turnovers and broken plays when forechecking.

Suoniemi's defensive involvement has improved, but still gets mixed reviews. He looked focused and able in the Hlinka, with good positioning and awareness, covering the middle well and helping out his D down low. In league play though, his effort and awareness have been questioned, and when he does engage in puck battles, he can be overwhelmed due to poor strength. His off-puck game has also been given some bad reviews, as he can look lost at times, and far out of position. He is not a physical player, and his compete ebbs and flows- he needs to build his strength and bulk, and add more intensity and physical involvement to his game. One reviewer said that he may lack the pace and speed necessary to play in the NHL, and that he doubts Suoniemi will even be picked in the draft. That lack of pace and speed certainly hurts his abilities in transition at the junior level, and his lack of an above-average shot in his arsenal keeps him from looking like much more than a one-dimensional playmaker at this point. I think that he'll still get picked in the later rounds, though.

[Snuffleupagus]

Suoniemi seems to inherited his dads work ethic and attention to physical fitness, his dad had all the natural skill a person could ask for but his answer to staying in shape was partying at the pub to 1am after games.

I would say, stay away.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

The second he plays a preseason game, the flames will sell thousands of jerseys

I surely hope the flames aren’t picking based on jersey sales.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I surely hope the flames aren’t picking based on jersey sales.

I doubt it but I was just responding to the post saying he wouldn’t sell jerseys for years

[serratedmuffin]

Frankly, if Michael Hage continues this pace until the end of the year (6 games or so?), I'd be tempted to take him at 11 if that's where we ultimately end up, even over Helenius/Iginla/Yakemchuk/Eiserman.

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by serratedmuffin

Frankly, if Michael Hage continues this pace until the end of the year (6 games or so?), I'd be tempted to take him at 11 if that's where we ultimately end up, even over Helenius/Iginla/Yakemchuk/Eiserman.

He's the guy I have had circled for the Vancouver pick since the trade was made, but at this point I think it's extremely unlikely he's available at that point with his play down the stretch. He might just be the one that goes far earlier than projected.

[serratedmuffin]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

He's the guy I have had circled for the Vancouver pick since the trade was made, but at this point I think it's extremely unlikely he's available at that point with his play down the stretch. He might just be the one that goes far earlier than projected.

That's exactly what I had too but he's not going to make it even half that far. I think reaches and risers historically do better than "fallers" if I remember correctly. I put fallers in quotations due to there not being a real consensus list.

I'll also admit my bias where I would almost always take a center in the first round unless a D is truly far ahead. You can find impact/good D later in the draft easier than you can find top 6 centers. This is why if Hage keeps this up, I wouldn't hestitate to pick him when the Flames are up. At this point I don't even see it as a reach.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I surely hope the flames aren’t picking based on jersey sales.

Take a look at my avatar. Does that look like the face of a man that loves money so much that he would prioritize drafting a player because he could add a big boost merchandise sales over merit of being taken at that pick?

[topfiverecords]

Trade Markstrom, Coleman + whatever it takes for NJ 1st + Holtz

Flames draft 9th & 12th.

Take BPA @ 9 and Iginla at 12.

Or trade NJ 1st + Van 1st and move that 12th pick up higher.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by serratedmuffin

Frankly, if Michael Hage continues this pace until the end of the year (6 games or so?), I'd be tempted to take him at 11 if that's where we ultimately end up, even over Helenius/Iginla/Yakemchuk/Eiserman.

I agree, especially if the rumor of Hage being bigger than his listed weight are true.

[The Fonz]

To NJ
Markstrom (50% retained)
Mangiapane (50% retained)

To CGY
NJ's 2024 1st
Holtz

[Monahammer]

The USHL has dramatically increased in quality over the last 5 years.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

Is there any talk of Lindstrom being ready for game 1 of playoffs this friday? I can't find any info on his expected return.

I haven't seen anything about an expected return date but he has recently started skating with the team again. He should be back soon. I'd guess sometime in the 1st round.