2024 NHL Draft Thread

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by devo22

based on what evidence?

I'd argue that the league would have gifted Arizona a top pick here or there if it was rigged. They've done everything else to make that market work, why wouldn't they give them a Bedard or at least the top pick in 22?

Bettman is committed to the Coyotes but even he isn't stupid enough to gift them any elite talent at this point until they can clean up their house (stable ownership, arena, season tickets, etc.)

[CalgarySames]

I am very much of the firm belief that Calgary should be targeting a center for their first pick. I've been very high on Catton, and obviously Lindstrom is a desirable pick. The more I'm seeing and reading about Konsta Helenius the more sold I am on him! He had a bit of a slow start in the Liiga but he's really gone on to show he can compete against men.

[FlamesAddiction]

At least a few of the prospect profiles out there for Catton suggest that he projects more to be a winger at the NHL level. It wouldn't deter me from drafting him though. He looks like a heck of a player. Not really flashy, but really smart and seems to have a 6th sense out there.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by devo22

3 points ahead of Ottawa and Montreal, 4 ahead of Arizona.

Calgary
at San Jose
at Los Angeles
at Anaheim
vs Arizona
at Vancouver
at San Jose

Ottawa
at Washington
at Florida
at Tampa Bay
vs Montreal
at Rangers
at Boston

Montreal
at Rangers
vs Philadelphia
at Islanders
at Ottawa
at Detroit
vs Detroit

Arizona
at San Jose
at Seattle
at Vancouver
at Edmonton
at Calgary
vs Edmonton

funnily enough, all of those teams have most of their games left on the road. Will certainly be tough to fall behind any of them at this stage, but not impossible either.

I think 8th is our spot. Only Ottawa has been playing well enough to pass us but that schedule looks rough. Outside shot if Rangers and Bruins are resting their last games.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

He also led his team offensively. A couple of forwrds in the same bracket did not do that.

Tells you he can be a catalyst, whereas in some cases it can be hard to tell how much they were a beneficiary of good players around them.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The league doesn't decide. Some of you need to take off the tinfoil hats. Edmonton was the last destination the league wanted McDavid to land. The lottery isn't rigged. Finishing last isn't a guarantee for any team.

The only draft lottery that gives me some pause was the Crosby lottery. It wasn't a typical lottery and the result was too perfect for the league at the time. I don't think professional sports leagues fix drafts often, but I suspect it has happened on really rare occasions.

It was funny though when the Flames for the 26th pick and the camera showed the Oilers management with ####-eating grins, only to see it get wiped off their faces when they were awarded the pick right after.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I don't think professional sports leagues fix drafts often, but I suspect it has happened on really rare occasions.

I'm quite sure it hasn't.

One team benefits from a rigged lottery. Dozens suffer. There's no way the thing could be done without the knowledge and connivance of the owners, and they have no reason to connive and every reason to blab if it actually happened.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by CalgarySames

I am very much of the firm belief that Calgary should be targeting a center for their first pick. I've been very high on Catton, and obviously Lindstrom is a desirable pick. The more I'm seeing and reading about Konsta Helenius the more sold I am on him! He had a bit of a slow start in the Liiga but he's really gone on to show he can compete against men.

I am of the firm belief we should take the BPA. I have no issue with that player being one of the many great D men because I feel they are substantially better than any centre prospect this year. I also think this team is probably drafting top 10 again next year where there will be a much better crop of centres.

[Poe969]

No more wingers. The Flames will have a chance at either a good C or D, the 2 most important positions. They were average everywhere but now their D depth is a but better so hopefully they can snag a C.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Poe969

No more wingers. The Flames will have a chance at either a good C or D, the 2 most important positions. They were average everywhere but now their D depth is a but better so hopefully they can snag a C.

The only player in the top of this draft that is probably a guaranteed center is Celebrini, Catton is a center but maybe not right away in the NHL, same with Helenius, Lindstrom isn't likely to ever be an NHL center.

For the Flames, they have some good young D in the pipeline but close to nothing in dynamic scoring. personally I'm getting tired of seeing this team loosing games after out working/out chancing teams because we have no game breakers.

Assuming a top 8 finish my check list for this team would be.

1 - Celebrini
2 - Catton
3 - Iginla
4 - Demidov
5 - Parekh
6 - Eiserman (would be higher but a scary American going to college)
7 - Parascak
8 - Lindstrom

Hoping for a scoring center/winger with Vancouver's pick as well.

Trevor Connelly
Liam Greentree
Igor Chernyshov
Sacha Boisvert
Michael Hage
Andrew Basha
Ryder Ritchie
Julius Miettinen

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Big Mac Edition):

RHD Will McIsaac is a very simple meat-and-potatoes stay-at-home player, with very little flash, and no dynamic qualities. Still, if you're going to draft a defensive defenseman, you would do well to take a player with McIsaac's skillset. There has been plenty of talk about McIsaac's supposed lack of offensive awareness, but his 27 points in 67 games for the 16th-placed Spokane Chiefs shows that he's doing something right in that end of the ice, and those numbers put him in a tie for 47th in the WHL for scoring by defensemen. The two players he's tied with are Charlie Elick and Colton Roberts, two blueliners who are a bit more heralded than he is. McIsaac, who measures 6'3", 192lbs, plays a surly, physical brand of hockey that earned him 70 penalty minutes over the course of the season, with some of those minutes coming from a few fighting majors, as he's more than willing to drop the gloves, if necessary.

McIsaac is a fluid skater with excellent mobility, although he could perhaps use more explosiveness. He has long legs with a powerful stride, transitions smoothly, and gets good power out of his backwards skating and lateral mobility. He flashes some two-way potential, but keeps his play with the puck as simple and risk-free as he can. When manning the point, he keeps puck deep, and carries a hard, heavy shot with decent accuracy. Unfortunately, his offensive awareness is a bit deficient, as he takes shots even when there are quality passing options available, although those shots often facilitate rebound opportunities for teammates. Though his distribution skills are not very dynamic, he is still adept at making crisp, accurate first-passes out of the defensive zone, and he completes retrievals cleanly and calmly. With his fluid backwards skating, he is able to keep tight gap control, and angle opponents to the outside, where they are often finished with a hit, or stripped of the puck by way of his enormous wingspan, and active stick. His defensive IQ is not in question, as he excels in his own zone, and is a strong rush defender. He shows the awareness and anticipation to intercept passes, and clog lanes.

McIsaac reminds me a bit stylistically of two defensemen who were drafted in 2021, in Ethan Del Mastro (round 4, Chicago), and Jack Matier (round 4, Nashville)- both defensive defensemen who can move the puck, but weren't known at the time for their offensive prowess. Like those two, McIsaac still makes an impact- and also like those two, I'm betting his offensive game will pick up in the next few years. He could make the NHL as a bottom-pairing, defense-first rearguard, but there's a chance he could move up if he develops his puck skills, and rounds out his game. Look for him in the 3rd, or 4th round.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Poe969

No more wingers. The Flames will have a chance at either a good C or D, the 2 most important positions. They were average everywhere but now their D depth is a but better so hopefully they can snag a C.

Calgary needs help everywhere in terms of elite players.

Pick the best player regardless of position.

Pivot to position when everything else is equal.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Ozzy Osburn Edition):

LHD Luke Osburn is in the midst of his rookie season in the USHL for the Youngstown Phantoms, after playing the previous season in Midget AAA, so as one can imagine it was quite a tough adjustment for him. Add to that the fact that he's one of the youngest players in this year's crop of potential draftees with a September 9th birthday, so it's easy to see why he struggled at times in this, his draft year. After starting the season with 3 points in his first 20 games, Osburn started to come around after the turn of the calendar year- even being named USHL Defenseman of the Week for the week ending March 4th, after scoring 6 points in 3 games from Feb. 24th-Mar.1st. The 6'0" (some say 6'1"), 172lb defender currently sits at 7 goals and 20 points in 58 games, good for 33rd in scoring by defensemen in the league, on a crowded blueline with Andrew Strathmann, Sascha Boumedienne, Tory Pitner, and Tomas Machu taking up most of the ice-time and responsibility. According to reports, Osburn was getting only 13 minutes per game with no powerplay time, until some injuries in the top-4 pressed him into 2nd-pairing duty for stretches. Osburn is quite raw, but has been improving all year, and has been a riser on draft lists.

Osburn is an excellent, fluid skater in all 4 directions, with separation speed, and the ability to close gaps quickly, and match footwork with opposing forwards. He keeps the play in front of him at all times, and is good against the rush. He makes smart reads to map out his surroundings, works to collect the puck and is eager to move it out of the zone as quickly as possible. On retrievals, he exhibits good habits in the way he scans over both shoulders to decide his next move, and judge how much time he has to make a quality breakout. Osburn has top-notch awareness of where the play is going, so that he can intervene proactively- he's excellent with his stick and positioning to intercept passes, or dole out pokechecks, and he causes turnovers by hounding puck-carriers. He identifies threats early, and sticks to his man preventatively. While he isn't the most physical player, he will engage with his body, or throw hits if necessary to dislodge pucks. Osburn is a smart puckmover, and helps in transition while pushing the pace with his passing and carrying.

Osburn has excellent puck skills, and can make plays while skating- he doesn't need to slow down, or stop moving his feet. Conversely, he is able to catch pucks in full flight when receiving passes, and still stays fluid in his motions. His flashy stickhandling is a huge strength, and he's starting to learn how to use his smooth, fast hands in creating time and space for himself- he's very shifty with the puck, deking around defenders and manipulating them with supreme deception in the form of dangles, look-offs, and fakes. In the offensive zone, he activates into the play to either find soft spots in coverage, or to keep the puck alive in the zone. He does many things to facilitate offense, even though he might not get many points out of it. His point shot isn't too threatening, but he's dangerous when shooting from inside the hashmarks- his shot needs more power, but he stuns goalies with the ability to change the angle of his shot, in order to disquise his release. This kid has high IQ and vision, but doesn't get enough of a chance to show it; however, this may change next year as Strathmann and Machu are off to college, and I believe Osburn will start to put up serious numbers. He needs to add plenty of strength, work on his offensive game, and tighten up his puck-control as he can overhandle it sometimes- but he has time, as he's committed to the University of Wisconsin for the 2026-27 season. I think he's got 2nd-pairing potential with his puck-movement and defensive game, with the potential for more. Look for him in the fourth round.

[Rick M.]

When does Bob Mac. do his final draft ranking list?

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts (Ozzy Osburn Edition):

LHD Luke Osburn is in the midst of his rookie season in the USHL for the Youngstown Phantoms, after playing the previous season in Midget AAA, so as one can imagine it was quite a tough adjustment for him. Add to that the fact that he's one of the youngest players in this year's crop of potential draftees with a September 9th birthday, so it's easy to see why he struggled at times in this, his draft year. After starting the season with 3 points in his first 20 games, Osburn started to come around after the turn of the calendar year- even being named USHL Defenseman of the Week for the week ending March 4th, after scoring 6 points in 3 games from Feb. 24th-Mar.1st. The 6'0" (some say 6'1"), 172lb defender currently sits at 7 goals and 20 points in 58 games, good for 33rd in scoring by defensemen in the league, on a crowded blueline with Andrew Strathmann, Sascha Boumedienne, Tory Pitner, and Tomas Machu taking up most of the ice-time and responsibility. According to reports, Osburn was getting only 13 minutes per game with no powerplay time, until some injuries in the top-4 pressed him into 2nd-pairing duty for stretches. Osburn is quite raw, but has been improving all year, and has been a riser on draft lists.

Osburn is an excellent, fluid skater in all 4 directions, with separation speed, and the ability to close gaps quickly, and match footwork with opposing forwards. He keeps the play in front of him at all times, and is good against the rush. He makes smart reads to map out his surroundings, works to collect the puck and is eager to move it out of the zone as quickly as possible. On retrievals, he exhibits good habits in the way he scans over both shoulders to decide his next move, and judge how much time he has to make a quality breakout. Osburn has top-notch awareness of where the play is going, so that he can intervene proactively- he's excellent with his stick and positioning to intercept passes, or dole out pokechecks, and he causes turnovers by hounding puck-carriers. He identifies threats early, and sticks to his man preventatively. While he isn't the most physical player, he will engage with his body, or throw hits if necessary to dislodge pucks. Osburn is a smart puckmover, and helps in transition while pushing the pace with his passing and carrying.

Osburn has excellent puck skills, and can make plays while skating- he doesn't need to slow down, or stop moving his feet. Conversely, he is able to catch pucks in full flight when receiving passes, and still stays fluid in his motions. His flashy stickhandling is a huge strength, and he's starting to learn how to use his smooth, fast hands in creating time and space for himself- he's very shifty with the puck, deking around defenders and manipulating them with supreme deception in the form of dangles, look-offs, and fakes. In the offensive zone, he activates into the play to either find soft spots in coverage, or to keep the puck alive in the zone. He does many things to facilitate offense, even though he might not get many points out of it. His point shot isn't too threatening, but he's dangerous when shooting from inside the hashmarks- his shot needs more power, but he stuns goalies with the ability to change the angle of his shot, in order to disquise his release. This kid has high IQ and vision, but doesn't get enough of a chance to show it; however, this may change next year as Strathmann and Machu are off to college, and I believe Osburn will start to put up serious numbers. He needs to add plenty of strength, work on his offensive game, and tighten up his puck-control as he can overhandle it sometimes- but he has time, as he's committed to the University of Wisconsin for the 2026-27 season. I think he's got 2nd-pairing potential with his puck-movement and defensive game, with the potential for more. Look for him in the fourth round.

With a September 9 birthday, he's one of the youngest players in the draft. Might be somewhat of a project pick, but with the IQ, vision, and skating, the tools are there.

[mdubz]

Has Ritchie taken over from Gauthier as the last name appearing in every draft now?

[Flamesfan05]

The Flames are into Russian now

Demidov or Iginla

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Rick M.

When does Bob Mac. do his final draft ranking list?

Looks like last year was June 22, with the draft on June 28 -- so about a week before the draft.

[serratedmuffin]

https://smahtscouting.com/2024/04/07...ft-rankings-1/


A different ranking I saw today. The order is quite different from what I normally see so it's interesting to see a different perspective. I don't necessarily agree with it.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by serratedmuffin

https://smahtscouting.com/2024/04/07...ft-rankings-1/


A different ranking I saw today. The order is quite different from what I normally see so it's interesting to see a different perspective. I don't necessarily agree with it.

very interesting. Lower on all the dmen, strangely high on a couple random players like Greentree.

I do think it's going to be a total crapshoot by the vancouver pick. There's a chance someone like Hage or silayev is even available down there.