2024 NHL Draft Thread

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Royle9

For one I never said I would spend premium assets on Necas, I simply said he would fit into a rebuild here, and technically he would because he’s the age.

Second he would be a 1C here because we don’t have one, unless you consider Kadri a 1C which he really isn’t.

He played over 75% of the season at center, so to say the last game or two he played on Drury’s wing is puzzling.. what are you trying to prove? Players move up and down the lineup quite frequently on most teams. Elias Peterson was on the 3rd and 4th line in this series vs Edmonton, does that make him terrible?

3rd - Carolina just got eliminated, so I’d agree with the Canes not knowing what they’re doing because they’re out and that means they failed, Brindamour said it himself.

They failed to address their biggest need and it showed in the playoffs. Does that make them bad? No, but Necas wasn’t the problem and Kuznetsov didn’t address anything either.

Their biggest issue was goaltending mixed with top players not performing, which plagued a number of teams this year.

But to compare Necas to the list of players you did was not accurate and to say he wouldn’t be a 1C on this team is also not accurate because this team lacks both RHS and young centres, not to mention ones who put up 60+ pts.

Would I trade our 9th? Nope
Would trade 29th-32nd and say Mangi for his rights? Absolutely

Unless I missed it, nobody identified any sort of cost to acquire, I simply said that Necas would fit a hole on this team and is young enough to make it work. Especially considering the flames don’t want a complete tear down and want to “re-tool”

Necas is a 1C and Kadri isn’t because I say so?!? That’s not a great argument you’re making.

Necas is a fine player, but he’s not a 1C. If he was he would have been, at least, a 2C in Carolina. They brought in Kuznetzov because they felt they needed help at C. Why is that when they, apparently, have had a 1C in their hands already?

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Goalie Edition, Vol. 3):

LHG Carter George, 6'1",185lbs

Owen Sound (OHL): 56g, 23-21-6, 3.30 GAA, .907 SV%
Owen Sound (Playoffs): 4gp, 0-4-0, 4.08 GAA, .904 SV%
U-18's (Canada): 6gp, 6-0, 2.33 GAA, .915 SV%
Hlinka (Canada): 5gp, 2.26 GAA, .889 SV%

Besides winning gold at both the U-18's and the Hlinka Gretzky, Carter George is the 2024 winner of the Bobby Smith Trophy as the OHL Scholastic Player of the Year, as well as the Ivan Tennant Memorial Award, given out to the league's top academic high-school student. He is the first dual-winner of both awards since Adam Pelech in 2011-12. His name is probably still fresh in the minds of Canadian hockey fans after his excellent performance in the U-18 Tournament that concluded just a few weeks ago, where he didn't always have to be the best goalie in the event, but still made a number of tournament-saving stops, particularly in the gold-medal game against Team USA- where he was clutch. In league play, he has singlehandedly stolen wins for a mediocre Owen Sound team, and though they were swept in the playoffs by Saginaw, it's likely his efforts that got them there in the first place. At the CHL Top Prospects Game, George was a standout, stopping 11 of 12 shots, many of those being of the difficult variety.

George relies a lot on his technical skill, but he's quite athletic and can recover quickly when out of position, though the play is usually in front of him, and he stays square to shooters. He employs very quick, yet efficient movements, with quick side-to-side mobility, and the ability to get back to his feet in an instant after going down in the butterfly. He is rigid and disciplined positionally and technically, but moves around well in the crease and can be acrobatic when needed. He's very confident, poised, and patient, and doesn't overreach, or chase. He is a good puckhandler with the confidence to try to make plays, and he can pull off the odd stretch pass to a streaking teammate. Despite not being the biggest netminder, he manages to fill the net better than most goalies his size, but as a "smaller" goalie, he has trouble at times with fighting off screens. He tracks and anticipates the play well, and doesn't easily bite on fakes.

Like most netminders his age, he struggles a bit with his rebound control, so he needs to learn to swallow those shots, reach into traffic to snag loose pucks, or direct them away to the corner. He can show some difficulty in tracking the play through traffic, and has problems seeing over and around screens in front of him. They say his glove is his weaker side, so he'll need to work on that. George's upside in the NHL is as a starting goalie, and I think he'll have to wait until round 3 to be picked in the draft.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Royle9

For one I never said I would spend premium assets on Necas, I simply said he would fit into a rebuild here, and technically he would because he’s the age.

Second he could be a 1C here because we don’t have one, unless you consider Kadri a 1C which he really isn’t. As of right now he would fit into a 1a/b role because we’re weak at center depth.

On most teams I agree he’s not.

He played over 75% of the season at center, so to say the last game or two he played on Drury’s wing is puzzling.. what are you trying to prove? Players move up and down the lineup quite frequently on most teams. Elias Peterson was on the 3rd and 4th line in this series vs Edmonton, does that make him terrible?

3rd - Carolina just got eliminated, so I’d agree with the Canes not knowing what they’re doing because they’re out and that means they failed, Brindamour said it himself.

They failed to address their biggest need and it showed in the playoffs. Does that make them bad? No, but Necas wasn’t the problem and Kuznetsov didn’t address anything either.

Their biggest issue was goaltending mixed with top players not performing, which plagued a number of teams this year.

But to compare Necas to the list of players you did was not accurate and to say he wouldn’t be a 1C on this team is also not accurate because this team lacks both RHS and young centres, not to mention ones who put up 60+ pts.

Would I trade our 9th? Nope
Would trade 29th-32nd and say Mangi for his rights? Absolutely

Unless I missed it, nobody identified any sort of cost to acquire, I simply said that Necas would fit a hole on this team and is young enough to make it work. Especially considering the flames don’t want a complete tear down and want to “re-tool”

The “re-tool” is a lie - this is a rebuild. They are at least three years away from even pretending to be able to do what playoff teams do.

Kadri is much more of a #1C than Necas is.

I’d much rather have whoever we draft with the Vancouver pick than a 25 year old.

I’d rather trade the Vancouver 1st and two 2nds for a 21 or 22 year old RFA if we absolutely must.

But a 25 year old RFA who needs a new deal is a hard pass from me.

[dissentowner]

Some posters on here still seem to believe the Flames are going to take a big nose dive and tank for a rebuild. It just isn't going to happen.

[Freeway]

Realistically/probably, it's another top 10-ish draft pick in 2025 and then the climb begins.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Some posters on here still seem to believe the Flames are going to take a big nose dive and tank for a rebuild. It just isn't going to happen.

lol yeah, not like they finished bottom ten this year and have a worse roster going into the next season or anything.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Some posters on here still seem to believe the Flames are going to take a big nose dive and tank for a rebuild. It just isn't going to happen.

Re tool around what, exactly?

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Bonded

lol yeah, not like they finished bottom ten this year and have a worse roster going into the next season or anything.

You can't possibly know the roster will be worse next season. Nobody knows what moves are to come. So you think when the GM and the rest of the organization says they have no intention on tanking they are lying? Who cares how they finished this year. Where did Vancouver finish the year before? I guarantee the Flames are going to add some pieces this off season, maybe they will be worse next year, maybe they are better. They are not going to try and tank though.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Re tool around what, exactly?

A lot of good pieces that are already in place that the rebuild crowd refuses to acknowledge?

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

You can't possibly know the roster will be worse next season. Nobody knows what moves are to come. So you think when the GM and the rest of the organization says they have no intention on tanking they are lying? Who cares how they finished this year. Where did Vancouver finish the year before? I guarantee the Flames are going to add some pieces this off season, maybe they will be worse next year, maybe they are better. They are not going to try and tank though.

They aren’t going to be able to get better pieces than Lindholm, Hanifin, and Tanev. If Markstrom gets traded then it is even more obvious they are tip toeing around a rebuild while calling it a re-tool. Feaster also said there was no rebuild and then they rebuilt.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Bonded

They aren’t going to be able to get better pieces than Lindholm, Hanifin, and Tanev. If Markstrom gets traded then it is even more obvious they are tip toeing around a rebuild while calling it a re-tool. Feaster also said there was no rebuild and then they rebuilt.

Ok, you keep that dream alive if you like. I will believe everything that is coming from the organization. Feaster had no choice, mostly because he was inept.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Some posters on here still seem to believe the Flames are going to take a big nose dive and tank for a rebuild. It just isn't going to happen.

They are not going to purposely tank for a rebuild.

Although it just may happen if they trade Marky.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

They are not going to purposely tank for a rebuild.

Although it just may happen if they trade Marky.

Yeah, the roster was a non playoff team with a Vezina level goalie and a solid defense. If they trade Markstrom and run with Vladar and Wolf they are going to get rolled.

[traptor]

They will not try to tank. This can still mean a couple different things.

1. They go big game hunting in the FA market and trade a bunch of assets for a 25 year old.
They're trying to get back into playoffs next season.
This would be a huge dissaster.

2. They walk into next season essentially the current roster minus Markstrom, they will most likely be a bottom 10 team.
I wouldn't say that is intentionally trying to rebuild through tanking though.

I am hopeful #2 is the plan and is what they mean when they say they won't tank.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by traptor

They will not try to tank. This can still mean a couple different things.

1. They go big game hunting in the FA market and trade a bunch of assets for a 25 year old.
They're trying to get back into playoffs next season.
This would be a huge dissaster.

2. They walk into next season essentially the current roster minus Markstrom, they will most likely be a bottom 10 team.
I wouldn't say that is intentionally trying to rebuild through tanking though.

I am hopeful #2 is the plan and is what they mean when they say they won't tank.

My guess is somewhere in between. I don't see them going big game hunting, but I see them signing a couple vets to support the roster.

I expect a 70-80 pt team

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by Freeway

Realistically/probably, it's another top 10-ish draft pick in 2025 and then the climb begins.

I would agree.

I think this year and the next two is about accumulating assets. I don’t think they are necessarily going out of their way to sell off every vet they have but I’d be a bit surprised/disappointed if they start taking big swings on UFA’s this offseason or next. I think they’ll put a good foot forward with regards to being competitive. Rightly or wrongly (rightly l, I believe) this organization has never really embraced a full on trying to lose approach. This is why Conroy has publicly acknowledged the Dallas model is what they would like to try to emulate.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Freeway

Realistically/probably, it's another top 10-ish draft pick in 2025 and then the climb begins.

I think the climb depends on whether or not Wolf or someone else can be a legit starter.

But post-2025, the Huberdeau and Kadri contracts will become increasingly cap inefficient. Even with the compilation of assets, this may be difficult to counteract if the Flames truly aim to be contenders. So the Flames should probably aim to be competitive from 2025 to ~2029, then truly contend after that.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

I think the climb depends on whether or not Wolf or someone else can be a legit starter.

But post-2025, the Huberdeau and Kadri contracts will become increasingly cap inefficient. Even with the compilation of assets, this may be difficult to counteract if the Flames truly aim to be contenders. So the Flames should probably aim to be competitive from 2025 to ~2029, then truly contend after that.

Remember when Benn and Seigain with their horrible contracts, were going to sewer the Stars for years?

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Remember when Benn and Seigain with their horrible contracts, were going to sewer the Stars for years?

They are the same age as Kadri and Huberdeau, and are, collectively, about as good. The Kadri and Huberdeau contracts go until they are almost 40.
You know this.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

They are the same age as Kadri and Huberdeau, and are, collectively, about as good. The Kadri and Huberdeau contracts go until they are almost 40.
You know this.

Kadri’s buyout isn’t bad at all. Huberdeau is the only problem contract. Have to hope for LTIR or some team taking his contract for assets when he a coup years left.