2024 NHL Draft Thread

[cral12]

Originally Posted by cral12

Ranking top 15
(Based on Bingo's compilation with link to Sandman's Upside profile)

1 M Celebrini C 1.00 https://bit.ly/macklincelebrini
2 Ivan Demidov RW 3.00 https://bit.ly/ivandemidov
3 A Levshunov D 4.25 https://bit.ly/artyomlevshunov
4 Sam Dickinson D 6.25 https://bit.ly/sam_dickinson
5 Berkly Catton C 6.81 https://bit.ly/berklycatton
6 C Lindstrom C 6.94 https://bit.ly/caydenlindstrom
7 Anton Silayev D 7.44 https://bit.ly/AntonSilayev
8 Zeev Buium D 8.06 https://bit.ly/zeevbuium
9 Zayne Parekh D 9.06 https://bit.ly/zayparekh
10 Cole Eiserman LW 9.94 https://bit.ly/ColeEiserman
11 Konsta Helenius C 11.13 https://bit.ly/konstahelenius
12 C Yakemchuk D 12.19 https://bit.ly/CarterYakemchuk
13 Tij Iginla F 12.63 https://bit.ly/tijiginla
14 Liam Greentree RW 13.31 https://bit.ly/LiamGreentree
15 BrandseggNygard RW 16.06 https://bit.ly/MichaelBrandseggNygard

5 more profiles added.

Upside up to 161 profiles total!
(I just gotta add their link to the rankings spreadsheet shortly)

Rankings page:
https://bit.ly/upside2024nhldraft

Prospect profiles:
https://bit.ly/2024nhldraftprofiles

[Paulie Walnuts]

That scouting report on Parekh saying he can be lazy shift to shift?

That would be a bit concerning.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

That scouting report on Parekh saying he can be lazy shift to shift?

That would be a bit concerning.

That was kind of the Coles notes to his efforts in the defensive end as well. They may be overblown but it's consistent throughout a lot of scouting reports.

That being said, the offensive output kind of blows those concerns under the rug.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by YyjFlames

I don't think you should let the Honzek pick in particular make you think that the Flames have shifted their draft strategy to prioritize size over skill. He wasn't just picked because he was big and maybe skilled. He was picked because he was skilled and has an incredibly high ceiling as he fills out. He's the definition of taking a home run swing with a draft pick (without reaching), which a lot of people on this site want to see.

I'd get your concern if the Flames drafted a guy like Charlie Strammel there instead, who the Wild reached to take a few picks later. But Honzek is a very different, highly skilled player that was expected to need a lot of time to develop.

It's also funny to see the Flames 2023 draft be compared to the 2014 draft. That draft was quite a bit different where the Flames scouts likely had marching orders to prioritize beef ahead of skill (and Burke clearly focused on size over skill with his picks). The 2023 draft is a lot more like the drafts under Treleving: skill first but don't ignore size unless a smaller player completely blows you away (which is different than prioritizing size over skill).

I mean seriously, it's been less than a year, and all of the picks Calgary made were going to take a few years to develop. D+1 says there's a decent chance that the Flames may still have four NHLers coming out of the 2023 draft. Give it some time.

Honzek's developmental expectations are fairly similar to Stromgren's, in my mind. These two hitting would be sweet.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Muffin Man Edition):

I've been avoiding doing a profile of LHC Maxmilian Curran, because I'm not at all sold on him. He's polarizing to scouts as well, with some ranking him as high as the the first round at various times this season. Curran is a Czechian import, but his father is Irish, hence the name. He was selected by the Tri-City Americans, 39th overall in the 2023 CHL Import Draft, and as a rookie this season he racked up 32 points (only 5 goals) in 40 games, before an injury ended his WHL season in January. When prorated to 68 games, his points total would be 54, which sounds a bit better, and is impressive considering that he doesn't play much with Tri-City's top players. Most players struggle getting used to the smaller ice surface when they come to North America, but Curran stormed out of the gate with 13 points in his first 15 games. Curran is currently a member of Czechia's entry in the U-18's, and is playing well with 3 points in 4 games, including a 2-point game against the Swiss, in which he scored the game-winner. In last summer's Hlinka Gretzky, he and his countrymen came away with a silver medal, with Curran putting up 3 points in 5 games. With an August 27th birthday, he is one of the younger players in the draft, with size on his side, at 6'3",190lbs, and versatility as he can play all three forward positions, as well as both special teams.

Curran is a playmaking pivot with a pass-first mentality who is known for his two-way game. He is patient with an effective delay-game to hold and wait for the right play to unfold, rather than throwing the puck away, or forcing a bad pass. He can dish in full flight, forehand or backhand, over sticks, between feet, and through triangles, and exhibits high IQ and vision in doing so. He flashes the ability to push pace, but doesn't do it nearly often enough; he plays too much on the perimeter, but can be a load to handle on the forecheck with the way he protects the puck using his body and reach, and his top-notch puck-possession skills. He seems to be in the thick of the play a little more often at the U-18's than in the WHL. There's no questioning his puck-skill or offensive awareness, but the reason for his low goal scoring numbers seems to be a bit of a mystery as he reportedly takes a reasonably high number of shots, with a very low success rate. He does own a sneaky good shot with some zip and accuracy, and has the moves to deke out goalies. He will go to the net for chances in-close, and will park himself in front to provide a screen and pick up garbage. Mobility-wise, he moves very well but could use another gear, as he can be beaten in races- this will improve as he gets stronger, but he will never be a burner. He employs some nice edgework, as he can pivot quickly and make quick turns. Too often though, he stops moving his feet, with and without the puck, and can be caught gliding or standing still.

Curran will use his body as leverage in puck battles to overpower his foes, but he is disappointingly not a physical player, and doesn't initiate contact. He is considered to be a responsible two-way center, and does get plenty of penalty-killing minutes, but his performance in the defensive zone has some good and bad points. The good is that he exhibits excellent positioning and awareness, and an active stick to apply pressure to attackers. He uses his reach to kill plays and strip opponents of possession, then turns the play around to offense. This disruptive defensive mentality extends to the other two zones, as he can intercept breakout passes, thereby keeping the play alive in the offensive zone, and he can close on attackers in the neutral zone to eliminate them as threats. Curran seems to understand the defensive role of a center, and can take away the middle from the opposition. The bad is that he's too often a pedestrian in his own zone, sometimes coasting on the backcheck and standing still when he gets into the zone, puck-watching and cheating for offense. His performance in faceoffs could use a slight tweak, as he sits at 49.77%.

Curran may be a long-term project, as he came over from Czechia as a young, raw prospect. His game has plenty of warts, but it doesn't help that he plays for Tri-City, a team that missed the playoffs with the second-worst record in the WHL, and the third-worst goals-for, playing on a line with less offensively-inclined players. Right now though, he lacks intensity, plays with very little aggression or physicality, and too often plays on the perimeter. He desperately needs to use his size better, and get stronger and faster. He might be a bargain-bin deal for an NHL team looking for a big center in the third or fourth round, and still has immense potential, but I'm not convinced that he's much more than another version of Adam Ruzicka.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by dammage79

That was kind of the Coles notes to his efforts in the defensive end as well. They may be overblown but it's consistent throughout a lot of scouting reports.

That being said, the offensive output kind of blows those concerns under the rug.

That doesn't sound good at all. Do you mean he can learn that part of game? Or you mean offense is enough to offset def lapses?

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

That doesn't sound good at all. Do you mean he can learn that part of game? Or you mean offense is enough to offset def lapses?

The offense is enough to offset the defense. There's no doubt the kid is as gifted as they come offensively. Can he become a more rounded 200ft player? Yeah. Question is, how much better can he be?

[Sandman]

Guys like Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns have been premier offensive-defenseman for most of their careers, and both have won Norris trophies despite their shaky defensive game.

Cale Makar puts up over a ppg, and plays well in the defensive zone. Josi and Hedman are in that boat too.

What kind of player will Parekh be? What kind of player will Buium be?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by dammage79

The offense is enough to offset the defense. There's no doubt the kid is as gifted as they come offensively. Can he become a more rounded 200ft player? Yeah. Question is, how much better can he be?

That's what makes the draft so difficult. You can look back on drafts and ask why an established NHL start player slipped in his draft year and it's usually always due to concern at the time about stuff like size and effort. Then again sometimes the guys that are on the smaller side or one-dimensional don't make it in the NHL for those specific reasons. There's certainly a bit of luck involved. Still when a junior player produces at a special level, I think you have to take that into strong consideration relative to their perceived weaknesses.

[Paulie Walnuts]

He wont have to play much defence if he has the puck and is creating.

[Royle9]

Honestly wouldn't care if we drafted Parekh and he consistently put up 60+ points yet was a defensive liability at times. It's okay to be 1 dimensional as long as you can produce, lots of time to round out his game eventually if required.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Guys like Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns have been premier offensive-defenseman for most of their careers, and both have won Norris trophies despite their shaky defensive game.

Cale Makar puts up over a ppg, and plays well in the defensive zone. Josi and Hedman are in that boat too.

What kind of player will Parekh be? What kind of player will Buium be?

Celebrini
Parekh
Catton
Iginla

That's my draft order. Chances are we get one of them.

[CliffFletcher]

It’s not at all uncommon for highly skilled, puck-moving d prospects to be questionable without the puck. As EE says, part of the guesswork in projecting prospects is whether they’ll learn to figure it out as a pro. Even if they stick, they may wind up as a good but one-dimensional player (ie Barrie, Ghostibehere).

[Dan403]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

It’s not at all uncommon for highly skilled, puck-moving d prospects to be questionable without the puck. As EE says, part of the guesswork in projecting prospects is whether they’ll learn to figure it out as a pro. Even if they stick, they may wind up as a good but one-dimensional player (ie Barrie, Ghostibehere).

Macinnis was bad in his own zone for a long time.

But he kept learning.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (I.P. Nightly Edition):

Left-handed RW Ilya Pautov is second in scoring for Krasniya Armiya Moskva of the MHL, with 15 goals and 45 points in 46 games, on a team that features draft-eligibles such as Alexei Dontsov, Nikita Frolov, and Maxim Velikov. The 5'10",165lb winger is a prime offensive creator, with a well-rounded game, and leans heavily towards playmaking as his forte'.

Though he's a pass-first player, Pautov carries a hard, heavy shot and beats goalies with ultra-quick hands and high-end 1-on-1 moves for goals of the highlight-reel variety. He's adept at finding open pockets of ice to operate, sneaking in and out of high-danger areas, and cutting to the middle to unleash- he can score from bad angles as well. Pautov is smart and creative with a skilled passing game, and the ability to make quick decisions. He can dish in full flight, and from his forehand or backhand. He possesses high IQ and vision, as well as the ability to slow the game down, or to push pace. His hands are quick, and he's a smooth stickhandler with some beautiful manouvers to make opponents look foolish- he exhibits tight puck control, and moves through traffic with the puck on a string. To enhance his elusiveness, he uses superb deception to beat defenders 1-on-1 in the form of feints, look-offs, and fakes to manipulate them into going in the wrong direction, and completes the magic trick with a toe-drag or deke to blow past his victims. Despite his size, he is strong on the forecheck and highly disruptive, winning possession for his team by causing turnovers. Pautov is an excellent skater with a sharp change of pace and direction, and quick acceleration, although his top speed is perhaps not elite, and could use some work. He still has the ability to win footraces to loose pucks, but lacks a true separation gear, though he will only get faster as he gets stronger. He's very shifty and hard to pin down, with smooth edges that help his evasiveness.

Off the puck, Pautov is smart and always makes himself playable, while supporting the play in all three zones, and skating the right routes. He's a dangerous player with his speed and skill, which makes him the ideal candidate to carry the puck through transition, with a high amount of success in making clean entries with control. Defensively, he's a puck-hound who flies in the face of puck-carriers to disrupt, and smother them of time and space to cause turnovers. He reads the play well, and can intercept passes to turn the play in the opposite direction. All of the above is great, but he performs these feats with almost a complete lack of physicality, and even backs away from puck battles. By the same token, he can be totally thrown off his game in more physical matches where the opposing team plays the body, and it's not hard to push him around, or knock him off the puck. His effort can wane shift-to-shift, and he loses patience sometimes, seeming rushed in his stickhandling which leads to turnovers, and missed opportunities. The same scenario comes to fruition when he holds on to the puck for too long, and runs out of real estate. Pautov will most likely need time to develop and mature, with a need to get stronger and a bit faster. His future may depend on his offensive game, but the good news is that he kind of reminds me of Kirill Kaprizov. Look for him in the late rounds.

[sch19lks]

Originally Posted by dammage79

That was kind of the Coles notes to his efforts in the defensive end as well. They may be overblown but it's consistent throughout a lot of scouting reports.

That being said, the offensive output kind of blows those concerns under the rug.

Parekh is a defenseman that plays like a forward that doesn’t back check. Kid doesn’t play hard at all. I don’t want him

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by sch19lks

Parekh is a defenseman that plays like a forward that doesn’t back check. Kid doesn’t play hard at all. I don’t want him

Perfect.

We need the next Quinn Hughes not Derek Forbort.

You can’t teach skill and offence, but you can teach defence.

If he’s available you take him.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by sch19lks

Parekh is a defenseman that plays like a forward that doesn’t back check. Kid doesn’t play hard at all. I don’t want him

That doesn't frighten me too much if he's an offensive catalyst that's going to drive offense. You just have to pair him early with a defensively responsible player like the Canucks did with Hughes and Tanev.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by sch19lks

Parekh is a defenseman that plays like a forward that doesn’t back check. Kid doesn’t play hard at all. I don’t want him

As someone who watches a lot of OHL I don't see what you are saying at all.

[Erick Estrada]

Providing the Flames don't take Parekh with their first pick, I wouldn't mind if Flames take a swing at Cole Hutson at 41.