It might have just been a hit-piece but the highlight package of Dickinson I watched looked like the lowlight package of most of the other top d in the draft. I probably need to watch more but he’s definitely near the bottom of my list for the main d in this draft
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The Russians have that unknown factor since you don't get to see them directly compete against other countries top prospects. So it's a bit more projection risk trying to assess how they compare to the other players than in the past on top of the can you convince the player to come to the NHL factor.
I have that AL Davis tendency to like these guys with unique athletic talents. So Silayev is really intriguing to me. I also tend to completely whiff on these guys and overlook guys who were much better players.
If he was around at 9, I'm going up and taking a big healthy hack on that.
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It might have just been a hit-piece but the highlight package of Dickinson I watched looked like the lowlight package of most of the other top d in the draft. I probably need to watch more but he’s definitely near the bottom of my list for the main d in this draft
This is accurate.
He's not overly good at one thing, but he's a solid 2 way player where both Buium and Parekh are both offensively gifted.
I don't see any reason to draft him over the 2 above at this point, at least from a Flames perspective.
It might have just been a hit-piece but the highlight package of Dickinson I watched looked like the lowlight package of most of the other top d in the draft. I probably need to watch more but he’s definitely near the bottom of my list for the main d in this draft
That’s Yakemchuk for me - I watch his tape and I just don’t see what people are falling in love with.
THAT would be the Brent Khran pick.
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This is accurate.
He's not overly good at one thing, but he's a solid 2 way player where both Buium and Parekh are both offensively gifted.
I don't see any reason to draft him over the 2 above at this point, at least from a Flames perspective.
From what I have seen of these players, I think it’s a question of floor vs ceiling. Now, obviously the real floor of any prospect is to not be an NHL player at all but let’s work with something a little more optimistic than that for these players.
I would say the floor for Dickinson would be players like Travis Sandheim or Brandon Carlo - guys that are definite top four defencemen who play a solid game at both ends but don’t put up much in terms of points. I would say his ceiling is Noah Dobson who has solidified himself as a #1 defenceman in the league over the last couple seasons. Runs a powerplay and is also great defensively.
For both Buium and Parekh, I would say their floor is Gostisbehere or Barrie and their ceiling is Josi or Fox. All of them are offensively-gifted defencemen but Fox and Josi learned to develop their all-round game into dominating at all ends of the ice while Barrie and Gostisbehere really remained one-dimensional throughout their careers. I would say Buium has a better all-round game at this point than Parekh so he might already be the safer pick to be a more complete player but Parekh might have the highest offensive ceiling of any of the defencemen in the draft.
I see Yakemchuk’s floor being Matt Dumba and his ceiling being Drew Doughty. In their primes, both were good skaters for their size and would bring physicality while playing big minutes. Both have had some great offensive years but neither have put up huge points year after year like other top defencemen (Fox/Hughes/Makar). Doughty has been dominant in big games throughout his career and he does it all over the ice. Doughty has also continued to be a top pairing defencemen throughout his career. Dumba was a top pairing defenceman for at least a couple years but settled into a role as a number 4 defenceman for most of his career.
These are just my opinions on the floors/ceilings of these guys from just videos and prospect profiles. No two players are identical so they will no doubt each be different from these comparables. My opinion is that Dickinson is the most NHL-ready of any of the defencemen in the draft and I believe his floor to be the highest of any of them. He and Iginla are likely the safest picks in the first round besides Cellebrini. That’s not a knock on those players - Iginla is who I really want the flames to get. By “safe” I mean that I think they have a low chance of being a bust of a pick. They could also turn into superstars. That’s a great prospect to get with a top ten pick.
Last edited by stemit14; 05-09-2024 at 11:28 PM.
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C/LW Jamiro Reber was enjoyable to watch at the U-18's, and though he didn't produce any points, it sure wasn't for a lack of trying. The 5'10",172lb pivot was awarded a one-game suspension for a cross-checking incident in the opener against Czechia, so he finished with no points and minus-6 in 4 games, with 27 penalty-minutes for the Swiss. Though he hails from Switzerland, Reber wisely played this season for HV71 J20 in Sweden, picking up 11 goals and 39 points in 46 games to go with 33 PIM, and added another 2 points in 2 playoff games. Those regular-season numbers put him in a tie for 40th overall in scoring, but he was 18th in assists. He also participated in the World Junior Championship for the Swiss, with 1 point in 5 games, and chalked up 3 points in 4 games at last summer's Hlinka Gretzky. JR is one of the youngest prospects in the draft, with a September 4th birthday.
Reber is a highly creative playmaker with swagger, and he was conjuring up high-danger plays aplenty to teammates at the U-18's who simply couldn't finish them. He sees seams that few can, and has the passing skill to exploit them, connecting through traffic, often across the ice. He is blessed with high-end IQ and intelligence, and displays sharp awareness in all 3 zones. JR is poised and confident with the puck on his blade, and knows how to manufacture space for himself and his teammates, while moving around with his head up to study his surroundings. In order to traverse the ice unscathed, he uses advanced deception in the form of head fakes, dekes, feints, and changes in speed and direction to go with his quick hands and smooth stickhandling. He exerts uncommon puck-control, and boasts plenty of small-area skill and quickness to shake off attackers. To augment his elusiveness, he is an excellent skater with quick acceleration who can beat defenders wide or separate in open ice, and he owns strong edges and agility to turn on a dime, or pivot away from checks. On the forecheck, he's like a dog on a bone, hounding puck-carriers with stick slashes and poke-checks, picking pockets and playing with intensity to win pucks. Right now, he's not a big shooting threat, but he will go to the net to create chances, or cut inside to the slot without fear. On the powerplay, he quarterbacks the offense from the half-wall, prying open lanes to connect with teammates in high-danger.
Despite his lack of size, Reber looks tailor-made to play down the middle and understands the duties of a centerman, applying disruptive defense in all 3 zones. He takes away the middle by intercepting passes and causing turnovers, and makes it hard for the opposing team to cross the blueline, with an effort to kill the rush in the neutral zone. In the defensive zone, he's highly aware and hard-working, switching off with his D to keep the net covered, and helping them out down low and in the corners with an active stick and superb positioning. He gets time on the ice in man-down situations, and is a heads-up penalty-killer. Reber is competitive with high motor, even in times when the game has gotten out of hand, and out of reach for the Swiss- which is a lot of the time. Though he isn't really a physical player, he's pretty chippy as his penalty-minutes would attest, and will make his presence known with some little slashes and a crosscheck or two here and there. For the next level, there's the obvious work needed on his strength, as he can be overpowered, but it's a must that he gets better in the finishing department and further develop his shot to diversify his attack, making him less predictable and giving him another way to contribute. There are times when he fades into the background and becomes invisible, so he has to make sure he keeps his feet moving at all times, and stays in pursuit of the puck. Look for him in the late rounds, but he could be a steal.
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RD Gian Meier created a bit of a buzz at the U-18 Tournament, accumulating 2 goals and 4 points in 5 games for the Swiss, which would be a feat considering that they only managed to score 8 goals in 5 games. The problem as I see it is that 3 of those points came against the upstart Kazakhstan team, so I wouldn't call his numbers there a breakout performance. Meier, who stands 6'2",170lbs, was a mainstay on the blueline this season for the GCK Lions of the U20 Elit in Switzerland, collecting 3 goals and 20 points in 41 games, putting him in a five-way tie for 10th in points by defensemen in the league. He added 4 points in 8 playoff games, which was also top-10. He was named Captain of Switzerland's entry in the European Five Nations in December with 1 point in 4 games, and had identical numbers in last summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup. By Draft standards, he is still on the young side, with a July 10th birthday.
Though he has shown numbers that might make one believe he has offensive potential, I think his future at higher levels will be as a stay-at-home, minute-muncher type who can move the puck. Meier plays a safe, simple game, devoid of flash and dash, and doesn't do anything at an elite level. To his credit, he makes sure to cover his defensive duties before he even attempts to do anything further. His puck-skills are in need of improvement, as he doesn't handle very smoothly, and often has trouble recieving passes- he can overhandle the puck and turn it over without being touched. Meier's skating is nothing special either, with short and choppy strides when accelerating, and not much power in his start-up, however- his mobility when he gets going is good, but far from elite. Fortunately, he transitions fine and his backwards crossovers are sufficient enough to be able to keep good gap control over his opponents, with keen anticipation to keep him from getting burned.
Meier is quite good defensively, displaying smarts, awareness, and solid positioning, and he can be seen directing the troops in his zone. He protects his net well, blocks shots, and uses an active stick to slap away loose pucks, lift sticks and slash lumber. He will use his size and strength to move opponents away from the crease, but he isn't a very physical player, although he plays a chippy game, and is active in scrums. He's quick to win the puck in retrievals, but his breakouts aren't usually pretty as he can be forced into blindly rimming the puck off the glass, and he often uses the boards to clear the puck, rather than attempting a pass. When he has time, his first-pass is actually crisp and accurate, and he can support the transition through the neutral zone. He gets plenty of penalty-killing minutes, and shows proficiency in this area.
When his team is established in the offensive zone, Meier will direct the play from the point, but doesn't often pinch into the play. He has a bullet of a wrister from the top of the zone with accuracy and a deceptive release, and he will shoot low and hard to facilitate rebound opportunities for teammates, consistently getting his shot on net. He distributes well from the blueline, walking the line to manufacture space, and contributes to the cycle. Scouts have criticized his deficient decision-making as he can struggle at times when pressured, and this may be the area of his game that's the most in need of attention. There might be enough here to make a team comfortable in selecting him with a late-round pick, but he needs a long runway with plenty of development time.
Last edited by Sandman; 05-10-2024 at 03:20 AM.
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What if he's not BPA on their list. He definitely isn't getting a positional need bump either. People will be outraged if they don't get him and he's available.
I kind of hope he's gone by the flames pick so they do actually grab BPA on their list.
Unless the Flames actually think Tij is the better prospect (and they might, I don't know), I think it would be safe to say they are praying very hard someone else takes him before their pick.
This logic would apply to someone like Iginla as well.
Yup.
For older players, particularly the ones born in the fall, I always look at their numbers from the previous season to see what their stat-line would have been had they been born a few months earlier. It often makes you see them in a different light.
That’s Yakemchuk for me - I watch his tape and I just don’t see what people are falling in love with.
THAT would be the Brent Khran pick.
Gotta say I disagree on that one, he’s probably the guy I’ve been most impressed by. Nasty hands, good passing, skating is fine, and that’s even before you realize he’s 6’3” and mean. He has plus attributes in all areas. I don’t like picking late birthdays though, I like my prospects to have two shots at a WJC post draft.
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Some posters aren't considering the marketability side to drafting Tij.
Not only is the fan base pushing for him but I would imagine upper-management is pushing real hard. Iginla is face of this franchise and we will have two shots for drafting his kids.
The flames are a business and drafting Tij is great for business. At the end of the day this will be taken into consideration.
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I think Tij is a pretty high floor player, to boot. He's strong, not small (not big, but not small) and tenacious. He's got good hands and good off puck instincts. Even if he's not an offensive superstar I think he's got 20 goal potential very easily. His skill set is already very similar to Mangiapane for example.
I see him turning into a Brad Marchand like player personally, but less rat like and overtly dirty. I hope he has the offensive upside of marchand too, but I don't think he needs to hit it to be a good player.
What if he's not BPA on their list. He definitely isn't getting a positional need bump either. People will be outraged if they don't get him and he's available.
I kind of hope he's gone by the flames pick so they do actually grab BPA on their list.
Slippery slope for Conroy, if the take someone else over Iginla and Iggy turns out to be the better player the fans will roast him.
Should be a mute point as I doubt he's there at 9 anyway.
Some posters aren't considering the marketability side to drafting Tij.
Not only is the fan base pushing for him but I would imagine upper-management is pushing real hard. Iginla is face of this franchise and we will have two shots for drafting his kids.
The flames are a business and drafting Tij is great for business. At the end of the day this will be taken into consideration.
Stupidest thing I have ever heard
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This is accurate.
He's not overly good at one thing, but he's a solid 2 way player where both Buium and Parekh are both offensively gifted.
I don't see any reason to draft him over the 2 above at this point, at least from a Flames perspective.
I haven't watched Parekh. But Buium in the frozen four was much more than an offensive defenseman. I could see him going top 5 based on what i saw....which means i haven't watched any other blueliners, but he was so good i can't imagine passing him up if i had a top 5 pick.
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Some posters aren't considering the marketability side to drafting Tij.
Not only is the fan base pushing for him but I would imagine upper-management is pushing real hard. Iginla is face of this franchise and we will have two shots for drafting his kids.
The flames are a business and drafting Tij is great for business. At the end of the day this will be taken into consideration.
Winning is better for business.
Pick the best player period. If that is Iggy, even better.
