2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Sorry, for clarity...

A series of polls to vote for who we would pick if we had #1, then if we had #2, then #3, etc... through to 12 (or wherever you want to stop)

And I think it would be "who would you take if you were the Flames GM" at each of those positions to avoid a mock draft scenario.

[Ziggy Lidstrom]

That Windsor Kid sounds like a real gamer. I’d love thinking about him in the second for sure. Speed size in a RHS Center is a tantalizing package. Plus the football background sounds like Anders Less to me but at center and faster. Target this guy.

Thanks for the profile Sandman

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Bingo

And I think it would be "who would you take if you were the Flames GM" at each of those positions to avoid a mock draft scenario.

But some boob would argue over the semantics. “Actually the scouting team makes the picks and the GM merely advises and deliberates so you need to change the thread title”.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

And I think it would be "who would you take if you were the Flames GM" at each of those positions to avoid a mock draft scenario.

Yes, exactly

[topfiverecords]

Ottawa keeps winning the draft lottery simulator every time I run it. We definitely need to steal the lucky number 7 slot from them.

[Njord]

Originally Posted by topfiverecords

Ottawa keeps winning the draft lottery simulator every time I run it. We definitely need to steal the lucky number 7 slot from them.

I just ran it. Chicago got 1st and Flames got 2nd

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Njord

I just ran it. Chicago got 1st and Flames got 2nd

Wouldn’t that be something…

Would Conroy pull the trigger on Demidov?

[Jiri Hrdina]

In some ways it would be very Flames to win the draft lottery - to move into 2nd.
I mean I would obviously be thrilled, but would just be typical to win the 2nd position in a year where there is a sizable drop off between 1 and 2.

[dammage79]

Is the gap between Demidov and Celebrini that big? I'm not certain it is. Clearly Demidov is the 2nd best player ranked in this draft. I don't think that's all that contestable.

But I think the proverbial gap between Demidov and Celebrini isn't as wide as what was just Intimated

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Is the gap between Demidov and Celebrini that big? I'm not certain it is. Clearly Demidov is the 2nd best player ranked in this draft. I don't think that's all that contestable.

But I think the proverbial gap between Demidov and Celebrini isn't as wide as what was just Intimated

I have to assume the biggest difference is Celebrini at center vs. Demidov at right wing.

[Funkhouser]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

I have to assume the biggest difference is Celebrini at center vs. Demidov at right wing.

Personally, I would be more concerned about drafting someone who would likely want to move to a different market as soon as UFA is possible. This makes Demidov an unlikely pick for the Flames IMO

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Funkhouser

Personally, I would be more concerned about drafting someone who would likely want to move to a different market as soon as UFA is possible. This makes Demidov an unlikely pick for the Flames IMO

That makes everyone an unlikely pick for the Flames.

[AustinL_NHL]

I don't think the difference between Celebrini & Demidov is big at all. They're much closer to being equal than #3 is to Demidov.

Similar situation as last year. Michkov's numbers are as elite and generational as they have come in the last decade, and he was the only prospect who was even in the same conversation as Bedard. Philly is going to be reaping those rewards for 10+ years.

Demidov is right there in the same conversation as Michkov. Many scouts argue he's better. That would be absolutely nuts if that's the case.

He's right there with Celebrini. Perhaps even better. Just doesn't have the positional, size, and nationality arguments that Celebrini does.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (MK Ultra Edition):

Only two teams in the Quebec league out of 18 fail to make the playoffs each year, but luckily for LHD Marcus Kearsey, his team wasn't quite bad enough to miss out on the postseason. The Charlottetown Islanders finished 15th, but unfortunately for them, the team below them in their conference slid over to the West because of the numbers situation, and as a result, the Islanders drew the best team in the Q, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, as their first round opponent- and they were promptly swept. In the regular season, Kearsey was tied for 5th overall (although he played a lot more games than 2 players ahead of him) in scoring by defensemen in the Q, with 49 points in 68 games, which was 2nd on the low-scoring Islanders, and first for D on that team by 20 points. He wasn't able to do much against the Drakkar in the playoffs though, with only 1 assist in 4 games. In 2022-23, Kearsey was named Top Defensive Rookie in the Q, with 29 points in 68 games.

Despite only turning 18 in March, Kearsey wears an "A" for the Islanders, and is considered to be a leader in the locker room, and on the ice- some say he's a future Captain. He plays big minutes for the team, and is used in all situations, but excels on the powerplay, and even finished 2nd in the league with 22 powerplay assists. Kearsey, who measures in at 5'11",172lbs, is a superb skater, with separation speed, and smooth edges for agility and lateral mobility. He can pinch low on the rush, and still make it back to the point in no time to cover his defensive duties. His slap-shot from the point is overwhelming, and his wrister is a bullet with a sublime release. He likes to walk in and unleash from the top of the circle, and his shots facilitate offensive chances for teammates in the form of rebounds and tips when there is layers of traffic in front of the crease. There's high IQ and vision in this package, and he will join the rush to act as an extra forward, or pinch in along the boards to look for pass opportunities to the middle. He will also activate on the weak side to look for shooting chances. Kearsey walks the line on the PP to manipulate opponents into opening lanes, and distributes extremely well- he's a good quarterback with the extra man, and 5-on-5. He's a good stickhandler with some nice 1-on-1 moves, and plenty of deception to create space for himself in the form of fakes, look-offs, and feints to get around. His head is always up when skating, so he can scan and map out his surroundings.

Kearsey makes accurate outlet passes to kickoff offensive transitions, but can also skate the puck through the neutral zone with confidence. His passes are crisp, and he can stretch the ice if the option presents itself. Conversely, he is adept at killing rushes coming the other way by intercepting passes from the opposition's breakout, and turning those pucks around into offensive chances. He defends the rush well with his speed and an active stick, and can often stop it before it ever gets to the blueline. In the defensive zone, he shows awareness and adequate positioning to get into lanes and block passes, but loses battles because of his lack of strength. He's virtually ineffective in defending the front of the net, and can be outmuscled and pushed around, so obviously- size and strength are big issues for him, and need plenty of attention if he wants to make it to the next level. It's very hard to say what his projection is, but I would guess that if he's not contributing offensively in some way, he won't be effective. I think his floor will have to be that of a bottom-4 powerplay specialist, or bust. On the other hand, TJ Brodie had a similar profile in junior, so you never know. I'm guessing 4th or 5th round.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by AustinL_NHL

I don't think the difference between Celebrini & Demidov is big at all. They're much closer to being equal than #3 is to Demidov.

Similar situation as last year. Michkov's numbers are as elite and generational as they have come in the last decade, and he was the only prospect who was even in the same conversation as Bedard. Philly is going to be reaping those rewards for 10+ years.

Demidov is right there in the same conversation as Michkov. Many scouts argue he's better. That would be absolutely nuts if that's the case.

He's right there with Celebrini. Perhaps even better. Just doesn't have the positional, size, and nationality arguments that Celebrini does.

The other guy I think is in this conversation for possibly ending up as a bonafide star is Parekh. I don't think people grasp what he did this year in the OHL. People say his defence is bad but it isn't, it is average. His skill set on the back end though is absolutely unreal for his age. I would take him as the first D man just for his upside offensively.

[butterfly]

Sandman, how good is this draft, do you think? Average or slightly above?

What’s the highest pick you would trade straight up for Will Smith?

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by butterfly

Sandman, how good is this draft, do you think? Average or slightly above?

What’s the highest pick you would trade straight up for Will Smith?

IMO, I like the first round, second round is very good not great, third round is ok, and the rest of the draft lacks real depth- although there’s always gems in every round to be unearthed.

I would probably give any pick in this draft for Will Smith, except for pick #1. Only thing with Smith is that he’s American, and might not stay here too long (I’m biased against Americans).

[Erick Estrada]

Yeah the American thing is definitely something that has to be taken into consideration. There are talented Americans that have been fine with playing in Canada such as Miller, Conner, Hellebuyck, Matthews, etc but you can't ignore that some Americans are going to play their hand either by not signing their entry level deals or bolting in free agency and it's crippling to lose a top talent to your organization because of geography. That said I don't think you can just strike them off your list because the reality is that more and more of the best young players entering the league are American and ignoring that pipeline will put your organization at a disadvantage. I think it simply means that teams have to do better researching, interviewing US born players, and more proactive in giving them money and term in the RFA process. If you have two prospects that are maybe neck and neck on your board and one is Canadian and the other American, maybe you take the Canadian because of the lower risk associated with picking him but if the best player on on your draft list is American and falls into your lap you probably have to pick him providing you got the right vibes from the interviews and background checks.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Darling Picky Edition):

Watching Seattle Thunderbird's RHD Bryce Pickford in 2022-23, I couldn't help but think that he was a potential junior star in the making, who was buried on an ultra-talented blueline that carried the likes of Kevin Korchinski, Jeremy Hanzel, Sawyer Mynio, Luke Prokop, and Nolan Allan. Pickford put up 17 points in 54 games last year on the WHL Champion Thunderbirds, but showed little progression this season with 17 points in 65 games, with only Hanzel and Mynio remaining from the previous years' team. Oddly enough, those two defensemen led the team in scoring this season, with Hanzel amassing 60 points in 66 games, and Mynio with 53 points in 63 games- the third placed scorer on the team only had 41 points, with the Thunderbirds finishing 19th out of 22 teams, and 2nd-last in scoring in the WHL. With Hanzel and Mynio playing big minutes, and Seattle's scoring drying up, it's easy to see how he could struggle to put up points, but I expected alot more of Pickford, and I think Central Scouting did too- they rated him a "C" at the beginning of the season, indicating a likely 4th, or 5th-round pick. Pickford was good enough to crack the lineup of a very stacked Seattle team when he was just 16 years old, and had the opportunity to play for a Memorial Cup last spring, but unfortunately, the Thunderbirds lost, and Pickford had no points in 5 games.

Pickford can do a bit of everything, but isn't really a specialist in any one area, and doesn't bring any elite skills. One thing I admire about Pickford is that, despite only standing 6'0",170lbs, he plays with the grit, determination, and physicality of a player who is 6'3". His aim coming in to this season was to play more physical, and he's succeeded in that goal. He's stronger, and much tougher than his stature would dictate, and he will drop the gloves in defense of his teammates. One of his finer traits is his 4-directional mobility, which looks smooth and fluid, and gives him the speed to win races, and the agility to elude defenders. Pickford has fairly well-developed puck skills- he handles with confidence, and protects the puck well. He has shown the ability to stickhandle through multiple opponents, and undress the other team's defense. There's more offense in him than what he's shown- he's a decent playmaker from the blueline, exhibiting solid vision and IQ, and knows when to hang back, and when to jump into the play. He will join the rush if the coast is clear, and will activate up the boards or down the weak side if it's safe to do so. He walks the line to open shooting lanes to unleash his wicked shot and paralyzing release, and find seams for his adept passing abilities.

In transition, Pickford has shown the ability to skate the puck out of the defensive zone, navigating through defenders, to make entry into the offensive zone. He performs a good first-pass with regularity to start the breakout, but on occasion, he can stretch the ice with a long-bomb outlet pass. There's nothing wrong with his puck movement, as he can advance the puck up the ice in a number of ways. Defensively, he's mostly sound, and is considered by most to be a solid two-way performer, but his game in his own end has warts. He uses his speed and an active stick to thwart attacks, and can disrupt plays by closing on puck-carriers quickly, but he gets caught cheating for offense at times by leaving the zone early. There are other times where he is too deep in the offensive zone to recover when the play goes the other way, which leaves his team effectively down a man. He also shows some lapses in positioning and focus, and sometimes loses his man. Pickford's game hasn't progressed much, but there's talent and potential here; however, his low offensive numbers might have hurt his draft stock to the point that he might not even be drafted. If he is picked, he might have to wait until the later rounds in the draft. Too bad, I really like the kid.

[sch19lks]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Is the gap between Demidov and Celebrini that big? I'm not certain it is. Clearly Demidov is the 2nd best player ranked in this draft. I don't think that's all that contestable.

But I think the proverbial gap between Demidov and Celebrini isn't as wide as what was just Intimated

I’m not sure if it’s true, but I read that Demidov wouldn’t sign a KHL contract and remained in the MHL because a KHL contract would keep him locked down in Russia for the next year or two. Apparently he wants to come to North America ASAP.

As for him as a prospect, he’s absolutely electrifying. Great prospect.