2024 NHL Draft Thread

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Trying to pull of a 2-3 year re-build is a good way to ensure that re-build fails.

Yup. Year 2-3 you should still be picking top 5, you might even only start picking that high by then.

[Eric]

As much as I hate to admit it, Calgary won’t be picking top 5 this year. They will be picking 8-13ish.

This team will pick it up at some point and go on a run. Too much talent. I just hope we suck enough for Conroy to pull the pin before the deadline.

[Sandman]

I really like the first round of this draft. It would be nice to aquire a pick or two before the deadline…

[Royle9]

You know.... If the Flames at least do what they need to in order to pretend "re-build" aka UFA trades and dumping Hanifin and Lindholm for picks + prospects and end up winning enough to get 8th... I'd be happy to see our young guys do well as a group honestly.

But on the flip side if it helps us tank even further then I wont be mad either.

I don't think we need to put a time frame on a re-build in Calgary, you make the necessary moves, trust your scouts and go youth movement where you can. There's obviously some contracts were not trading, and that's okay.

But lets at least do what we can control today and start this franchise on a better path, no timelines, no expectations, just a group of guys that want to be flames and that give a #### about winning.
I'd be much happier with that, because spending money to watch this incarnation is a travesty.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Trying to pull of a 2-3 year re-build is a good way to ensure that re-build fails.

Yeah, I like the idea of starting to see results in 4-5 years. It means your early rebuild picks worked out and are established, while you should still have a decent prospect pipeline from later years and some cap space too.

It requires Tampa level ruthlessness when it comes to contracts, and moving on from guy that can be replaced by prospects in the system (and acquiring more assets in the process).

It would make the on ice product pretty exciting for the new arena. And with a patient GM this time, it could set the team up for a long run of playoff seasons.

[1qqaaz]

Brayden Crampton, a defenseman for the Spokane Chief, who plays with Berkley Catton (ranked #5 or so in the upcoming draft), has 17 points points in only 13 games. This is surprising, because Crampton only had 16 points in 56 games last year. He unsurprisingly went undrafted. This is one if the biggest and offensive jumps I've seen. It'll be interesting to see where he ends up.

And Berkly Catton is someone may well be ranked around where the Flames pick. So he might be worth keeping an eye on. He went #1 in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft. A good skater and playmaker, but could with on his defense. He's basically the same height as Celebrini and Eiserman, but he could add some weight (Eiserman is almost 30 lbs heavier).

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Trying to pull of a 2-3 year re-build is a good way to ensure that re-build fails.

I would typically agree with this, but I think the flames have the pipeline to justify a short rebuild window. We already have a potential longterm goal solution, coronato, zary, honzek, maybe Poirier or Morin as a puck moving dman. That's a solid group of young players who I think are mostly complimentary outside of wolf, but good complimentary pieces. If we nose dive and pick 2-3 years worth of very high picks and 1-2 extra firsts from selling off the roster, it should be a very good core.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Yup. Year 2-3 you should still be picking top 5, you might even only start picking that high by then.

Exactly - it usually takes 2-3 years just to bottom out, never mind worrying about building back up

[devo22]

I would disagree that we have the pipeline for a short rebuild. We have some nice pieces for sure, but this is probably still a bottom half prospect pool both in terms of quality and quantity. The next 2-3 drafts are absolute key for the Flames, as you also have to make up for a pretty meh class in 2021 and almost skipping the full 2022 class.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by devo22

I would disagree that we have the pipeline for a short rebuild. We have some nice pieces for sure, but this is probably still a bottom half prospect pool both in terms of quality and quantity. The next 2-3 drafts are absolute key for the Flames, as you also have to make up for a pretty meh class in 2021 and almost skipping the full 2022 class.

It may be difficult for the Flames to truly be contenders for as long as the Kadri, Markstrom, Coleman, and Huberdeau contracts affect the team. Especially Huberdeau and Kadri for the longer term. Contenders require optimal cap efficiency, see Vegas, Carolina, Boston, etc. Dallas is somewhat of an exception, but even Benn was second only to Robertson in points last year. A Johnston is already an elite player who only makes a million per year.

So it seems like Kadri's contract may be a natural timeline for a rebuild. It's possible the Flames could contend with just the Huberdeau contract as an anchor. Though at this time, Huberdeau would be in his last 30s, and his deal would be far less cap efficient than it is now.

A rebuild could conceivably be shorter if the Flames get truly elite talent at the very top of a draft. 70+ point players on their ELCs are incredibly cap efficient and can counteract terrible contracts on other players.

[Sandman]

Elite Prospects Top 10:

1) C Macklin Celebrini
2) RW/C Ivan Demidov
3) LW Cole Eiserman
4) C Cayden Lindstrom
5) D Sam Dickinson
6) D Artyom Levshunov
7) C Berkly Catton
8) C/RW Konsta Helenius
9) LW Ryder Ritchie
10) D Adam Jiricek

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by devo22

I would disagree that we have the pipeline for a short rebuild. We have some nice pieces for sure, but this is probably still a bottom half prospect pool both in terms of quality and quantity. The next 2-3 drafts are absolute key for the Flames, as you also have to make up for a pretty meh class in 2021 and almost skipping the full 2022 class.

Yeah this team is in no way a candidate for short rebuild. Not a single prospect in the organization that has elite first line/pairing potential. There's certainly some quality prospects that may be able to fill middle six and top 4 defense grouping but the Flames don't have the "next" guys in their system. Hopefully this draft they can nab one.

[Ashes]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I would typically agree with this, but I think the flames have the pipeline to justify a short rebuild window. We already have a potential longterm goal solution, coronato, zary, honzek, maybe Poirier or Morin as a puck moving dman. That's a solid group of young players who I think are mostly complimentary outside of wolf, but good complimentary pieces. If we nose dive and pick 2-3 years worth of very high picks and 1-2 extra firsts from selling off the roster, it should be a very good core.

This is where I'm at as well, I think we already have an interesting mix of complimentary players coming up through the system. Maybe some of them exceed expectations and projections, now we need to hit on some draft picks with top line/top pair production, and the best chance of doing this is by picking high in the first round, and/or having extra bullets in the chamber.

Dallas is used as an example lately of what the Flames could look like in a few years if drafting was prioritized and I like the idea. Of course it helps that Dallas dominated the 2017 draft by picking 3, 26, and 39, and grabbing Heiskanen, Oettinger, Robertson in one fell swoop. And yes the Flames fumbled a similar opportunity in the Monahan draft by picking Poirier and Klimchuk, but I'd still fully support the Flames doubling down on draft picks for the next 2 years at least.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Elite Prospects Top 10:

1) C Macklin Celebrini
2) RW/C Ivan Demidov
3) LW Cole Eiserman
4) C Cayden Lindstrom
5) D Sam Dickinson
6) D Artyom Levshunov
7) C Berkly Catton
8) C/RW Konsta Helenius
9) LW Ryder Ritchie
10) D Adam Jiricek

3 of the top 4 could fill the #1 C position.

[jg13]

Cayden Lindstrom a 17 year old 6'4 centre that already weighs 215 pounds has Calgary Flames written all over him.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by jg13

Cayden Lindstrom a 17 year old 6'4 centre that already weighs 215 pounds has Calgary Flames written all over him.

Playing in Medicine hat too. Looks like others are lower than him than Elite prospects, but there is a good chance the Flames pick outside the top 5 anyways.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

3 of the top 4 could fill the #1 C position.

And if we got “stuck” with the only non-C, we’ve got a future 40 goal scorer. What a shame!

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Elite Prospects Top 10:

1) C Macklin Celebrini
2) RW/C Ivan Demidov
3) LW Cole Eiserman
4) C Cayden Lindstrom
5) D Sam Dickinson
6) D Artyom Levshunov
7) C Berkly Catton
8) C/RW Konsta Helenius
9) LW Ryder Ritchie
10) D Adam Jiricek

Carter Yakemchuk barely making the top 120 as a 6'3 Dman with 19 pts in 17 WHL games seems off. He's ranked as a mid-first on every other list I have seen. Did these guys gloss over him or did ythey see something in his game that knocks him down 3-4 rounds from where everyone else has him?

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by RyZ

Carter Yakemchuk barely making the top 120 as a 6'3 Dman with 19 pts in 17 WHL games seems off. He's ranked as a mid-first on every other list I have seen. Did these guys gloss over him or did ythey see something in his game that knocks him down 3-4 rounds from where everyone else has him?

I would've thought that he would be ranked around #22 or so.
Personally, I'd have him even higher than that.
He has attribute that are tough to teach: size, tenacity, and offensive awareness.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

I would've thought that he would be ranked around #22 or so.
Personally, I'd have him even higher than that.
He has attribute that are tough to teach: size, tenacity, and offensive awareness.

His dad also owns the Fort Mac. Burger king, that's got too count.