2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by devo22

speaking of Eiserman, it will really be fascinating to see where he goes ... at this point, I think I would be surprised if he still went top 10. If you take him, you really need to be convinced he can score goals at a good clip in the NHL, because he pretty much doesn't do anything else and you're completely ####ed if his scoring doesn't translate.

If the penguins end up giving the pick to the sharks I don’t think he gets past them. With 2 high picks it’s worth the gamble

[Royle9]

I’d take Tij over Eiserman 10/10 times at this point, he’s compete level and willingness to play a heavier game sets him apart.

Eiserman plays a very perimeter game and relies strictly on his shot which is obviously elite, but if it doesn’t translate he’s in trouble.

[dissentowner]

I think the Flames would still draft Iginla, even if his father has some concerns about the pressure there. I don't believe they will reach for him though, they are going to draft the best player determined by their scouts on where they end up.

[traptor]

A bit if me hopes Tij is gone by the time we draft because we really need a center or defence pick and I dont want the what could have been for rhe next 20 years.

[devo22]

even with him on the board, the last name shouldn't even be a factor. Make your list, place him where he belongs and then pick the best player on the board, period. If that is Tij, then great. But if your, say, #7 is still on the board and Tij is your #8, you don't just take him instead because of his name and to make fans happy.

[FBI]

I REALLY want Iginla for a few reasons:
- TONS of discussion for years both good or bad
- Iggy is my favorite player ever
- Would be super excited to follow his progress and tune in to the AHL and minors etc.. (Last time I did that was Gaudreau)
- I'm a sucker for a feel good story
- Iggy selecting his son at the draft
- Tij passing the cup to Iggy in 2032

[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?

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by devo22

even with him on the board, the last name shouldn't even be a factor. Make your list, place him where he belongs and then pick the best player on the board, period. If that is Tij, then great. But if your, say, #7 is still on the board and Tij is your #8, you don't just take him instead because of his name and to make fans happy.

If #7 is on the board but #8 is Tij, and you take #7, you're dealing with:

- $$millions of immediate business and jersey sales that Tij would 100% bring
- a portion of the fan base that's quite angry
- just as much, if not more pressure on the player you selected instead of Tij because of who you passed up (imagine they bust but Tij is Iggy Jr elsewhere? It's own fanbase would turn the org into a laughing stock, including the people who were pressing for BPA/anyone over Tij.
- just the entire storyline of Iggy Jr(s) (come on Joe 2026) coming in to finish his/their dad's business

Unless the Iginla family wants Tij to develop elsewhere, this is a very unique situation in which there are many factors at play (especially $$ & branding wise) outside of just drafting BPA.

I. WANT. TIJ!!

[devo22]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

If #7 is on the board but #8 is Tij, and you take #7, you're dealing with:

- $$millions of immediate business and jersey sales that Tij would 100% bring
- a portion of the fan base that's quite angry
- just as much, if not more pressure on the player you selected instead of Tij because of who you passed up (imagine they bust but Tij is Iggy Jr elsewhere? It's own fanbase would turn the org into a laughing stock, including the people who were pressing for BPA/anyone over Tij.
- just the entire storyline of Iggy Jr(s) (come on Joe 2026) coming in to finish his/their dad's business

Unless the Iginla family wants Tij to develop elsewhere, this is a very unique situation in which there are many factors at play (especially $$ & branding wise) outside of just drafting BPA.

I. WANT. TIJ!!

but in this scenario, your scouts have deemed that #7 is a better prospect. Why even curate a list then?

And I'm sorry, I get the nostalgia and all, but most of the list is just noise and unnecessary pressure on the kid. And while Tij could flourish somewhere else and #7 disappoints in Calgary, it's equally possible that said #7 flourishes somewhere else and Tij doesn't rise to stardom in Calgary.

Don't overcomplicate this. Make the list, draft BPA, be done with it. Whether Tij ends up being drafted by the Flames or not, there's going to be shoulda/woulda/coulda discussions either way.

[Paulie Walnuts]

How would drafting him sell more jerseys ? He likely won’t be in the NHL for a few years. I don’t think many people will be buying tryout jerseys.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I notice he has Michael Hage higher than a lot of other lists. He mentions that scouts say he's an inch or two taller than the 6'1" than his central scouting listing. Sounds like a guy that could be a nice fit with the Canucks pick.

Hage will be a huge riser, as he's had an offensive explosion the last little while. In the last 20 games, he's put up 34 points, and is caught up to Trevor Connelly in production. Connelly has 66 points in 48 games (1.38ppg), where Hage now has 68 points in 50 games (1.36ppg). Connelly is a winger, whereas Hage is a C. I think he may go in the top-15, and if he's taller than his listed height- he may go top-10.

My Profile of Hage:

More and more, I'm seeing RHC Michael Hage's name come up, and he seems to be on a sharp rise on most lists. At the tender age of 17, he's already the marquee player for the Chicago Steel, who are perrenial contenders, but are in a bit of a rebuild right now. Gone from last year's team are Macklin Celebrini, Nick Moldenhauer, Jack Harvey, Jayden Perron, Quinn Finley, and Zam Plante. The Steel are currently 6th in the East out of 8, and are in a 3-way tie for 11th out of 16 teams overall, with a goals-for that puts them 12th. Despite having a weaker supporting staff, Hage has piled up 34 points in 30 games to date, good for 16th in scoring, with only 8 points coming via the PP. His current pace puts him on track to get 66 points in 58 games- to put that into a bit of perspective, Johnny Gaudreau had 72 in 60 in his draft year on a USHL team that won the Championship. Hage missed the entire 2020-21 Covid season, and only put in 13 games in 2022-23, due to injury.
Hage is the type of player that makes his teammates better, and drives play. He's equal parts scorer and cerebral playmaker, with top-tier advanced intelligence and vision, and a good shot with a deceptive release. Hage is an effortless skater, and extremely agile, with high-end skill. He seemingly attacks traffic, skating with his head up to scan for options, and can create something out of nothing in small spaces. Most scouts that have seen him play rave about his smooth stickhandling, and his wide array of 1-on-1 moves that he uses to slip in between attackers, and weave through traffic. He also has excellent lateral mobility, and will battle in the hard areas. Hage pushes pace, and has high motor.
Hage is fully capable defensively, but is often caught cheating for offense on a low-scoring team. His numbers are impressive, but 5 of his points came in one game. He is committed to the University of Michigan, but not until 2025-26, so there's oodles of runway for him to get bigger, stronger, and to round out his game. I believe we'll see him picked in the latter part of the first round.

[metroneck]

Originally Posted by bax

Flames are going to win the lottery and draft Celebrini, then trade Markstrom/Mangiapane to the Devils for Holtz and their first which they will use to take Iginla.

Book it.

We all need to be manifesting a lottery win.

[devo22]

^

Originally Posted by devo22

good thing we're winning the lottery, so the Tij thing won't be a factor anyway.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

I was at the London Knights game on Friday against Windsor so was able to watch Sam Dickinson and Liam Greentree.

It was the 2nd last game of the season and the Knights are the best team in the league and Windsor is one of the worst so it wasn't an intense contest and there seemed to be a fair bit of mailing it in.

Dickinson in particular wasn't not bringing a huge effort out there. He's got good size and is a good skater, but would want to watch him more to get a true feel for him. They didn't seem to be using him on the 1st power play unit either although they had a wacky PP with 2 forwards playing the point and a defenseman (Bonk - Philly 1st rounder last year) playing up front. He gave me a Pietrangelo kind of vibe in that he'll be a top pair guy but not someone who racks up huge point totals.

Greentree is more noticeable but that is likely because he is the best player on his team by a long shot while the Knights are loaded with NHL picks. He also had a good size and is good with the puck, but he's a winger and lacks elite traits so probably will land in the mid to late 1st round.

Of the lower rated guys - Sam O'Reilly was one of the more engaged guys for the Knights. Its hard to know about the offensive skill of these guys on powerhouse teams because they don't get a ton of PP time and play in more an energy role vs someone like Greentree who's getting every opportunity on a weak team. At minimum he did seem like someone who could play an energy role in the pros with potentially more offense the he's shown so far.

One (meaningless) game sample and I've read no scouting reports of these guys - so could be way off the consensus.

Thanks for this- Sam O'Reilly is a favorite of mine for the second round. I had him late first, but his production has taken a dip in the second half. My Profile:

RHC/RW Sam O'Reilly is a personal favorite as a power-forward who plays a well-rounded, heavy, pro-style game. He was selected 12th overall in the 2021 CHL Draft by the London Knights, who currently sit 1st in the OHL standings, and are the highest scoring team in the league. This season to date, he has put up 15 goals, and 44 points in 48 games, on a team with a lot of older, offensive players- so I could see where time in the top-6 would be hard to come by. Sam is 6'1", and 176 lbs.
O'Reilly is a responsible, two-way player with high IQ and awareness at both ends of the ice. He's a quality playmaker when keeping it simple, and has a remarkable small-area game. He can dish in full flight, as well as receive passes, and has poise with the puck on his stick- although he can sometimes try to force plays through traffic. He has a hard enough shot, with a sneaky release, and good hands around the net. He will go to the crease to cause havok, and hopefully pick off a rebound or tip. O'Reilly is not afraid of the greasy areas, and wins pucks with his strength, and sheer tenacity. He's competitive, and a force down low, and plays a physical brand of hockey- laying the body whenever the opportunity presents itself. Defensively, he seems committed in his effort and awareness- he works to be hard to play against. O'Reilly has great instincts and awareness in this area, to go with a good stick. He can be a pest, hounding puck-carriers and pressuring attackers by invading their space, blocking lanes, and intercepting passes. He exhibits proactive positioning, and will put his body on the line to block a shot. With all of the offensive talent in London, Sam just doesn't get a lot of time on the PP, and currently only has 8 points with the man-advantage. The flip side of this is that he is among the league leaders in even-strength goals for players in his age group. Because of his stalwart defensive play, one could say he has a high floor, with the talent and promise for more; however, he might be relegated to wing in the pros, if he doesn't get better in the faceoff circle, and they say he needs to get to the middle more often. Second round, with a chance to sneak into the first.

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by devo22

but in this scenario, your scouts have deemed that #7 is a better prospect. Why even curate a list then?

And I'm sorry, I get the nostalgia and all, but most of the list is just noise and unnecessary pressure on the kid. And while Tij could flourish somewhere else and #7 disappoints in Calgary, it's equally possible that said #7 flourishes somewhere else and Tij doesn't rise to stardom in Calgary.

Don't overcomplicate this. Make the list, draft BPA, be done with it. Whether Tij ends up being drafted by the Flames or not, there's going to be shoulda/woulda/coulda discussions either way.

Exactly 100% agreed.

Draft Tij and be done with it 🤝

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

How would drafting him sell more jerseys ? He likely won’t be in the NHL for a few years. I don’t think many people will be buying tryout jerseys.

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

[Aarongavey]

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?

The hawks would have to go on a hell of heater at the end of the year t draft Iginla. Even if they won every game for the rest of the year I doubt the Hawks would finish high enough in the standings to draft Iginla.

[Sandman]

If it came down to a choice between Iginla and Eiserman, I would go Iginla as well. Both are primarily goal-scorers, but Iggy is ahead in most other categories, including playmaking, and intangibles like leadership and compete.

Mason McTavish was projected to be picked between 9-12, but was ultimately chosen 3rd overall, and for the same reasons that Iggy might rise in the draft. At the end of the day, there's no telling where he will be picked. Let's not forget, Tij is one of the younger players in the draft, with an August birthday too.

EDIT: Looks like Eiserman is younger, with an August 29th birthday...

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Sandman

If it came down to a choice between Iginla and Eiserman, I would go Iginla as well. Both are primarily goal-scorers, but Iggy is ahead in most other categories, including playmaking, and intangibles like leadership and compete.

Mason McTavish was projected to be picked between 9-12, but was ultimately chosen 3rd overall, and for the same reasons that Iggy might rise in the draft. At the end of the day, there's no telling where he will be picked. Let's not forget, Tij is one of the younger players in the draft, with an August birthday too.

Eiserman has also been trending down, while Iginla is trending up. There is a good chances that by next year, Iginla passes him if those trajectories keep going the way they are.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

The hawks would have to go on a hell of heater at the end of the year t draft Iginla. Even if they won every game for the rest of the year I doubt the Hawks would finish high enough in the standings to draft Iginla.

It would be quite a reach but MAYBE they take him at 4-6. Similar to the Mctavish pick by the ducks