2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

I will try to avoid being antagonistic here.

It isn’t that you ONLY get top centres and defensemen at the top of the draft - it’s that the top of the draft is the easiest place to find them.

But you can’t fixate on position with 18 year olds. The Habs did that with Kotkaniemi and missed out on Quinn Hughes and Brady Tkachuk as a result.

In the Flames’ case, they’re not picking at the top of the draft - they’re picking 9th.

There’s no reason to believe this team will draft any lower over the next three years - they have 11 UFAs over the next two seasons (12 if you include Markstrom, who will be dealt this summer, hopefully before the draft).

If they think Tij is gonna be even 80% of his dad, take him - if this draft has eight other players that are 80% of Jarome Iginla, it’s the draft of the decade.

Dont disagree.

However i do think this drafts top ten or 12 is rather good if not great All of the top rated defenders all have the tool kits to be first pair if not stud defencemen. Parehk is breaking records most have him outside the top ten. To me thats crazy.

I really think a lot of people are underestimating how good the top of this draft is and how lucky we are with a 9 pick that it ended up that way.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Fan69

Dont disagree.

However i do think this drafts top ten or 12 is rather good if not great All of the top rated defenders all have the tool kits to be first pair if not stud defencemen. Parehk is breaking records most have him outside the top ten. To me thats crazy.

I really think a lot of people are underestimating how good the top of this draft is and how lucky we are with a 9 pick that it ended up that way.

No question it’s a good year to have a top-10 pick.

Whoever we pick looks like they’ll be a player.

If we’re able to draft Iginla, it’s because a bunch of these other guys went before him.

If we’re not in position to get Tij, it’s because someone loved him ahead of us, and we’ll get one of Dickinson, Parehk, Catton or Lindstrom.

All are wins to me.

I just don’t like any of NCAA guys - not forever, of course, but I wouldn’t pass on Iggy Jr or any of the other players I listed for an American who isn’t leaps and bounds better.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

No question it’s a good year to have a top-10 pick.

Whoever we pick looks like they’ll be a player.

If we’re able to draft Iginla, it’s because a bunch of these other guys went before him.

If we’re not in position to get Tij, it’s because someone loved him ahead of us, and we’ll get one of Dickinson, Parehk, Catton or Lindstrom.

All are wins to me.

I just don’t like any of NCAA guys - not forever, of course, but I wouldn’t pass on Iggy Jr or any of the other players I listed for an American who isn’t leaps and bounds better.

Ya short of going completely left field the options for nine are good. Personally? Buium Dickinson or yakemchuk. Catton or lindstrom? All great options.

Even if we pick tij i like the player just think their will be a whole lot of better options.

[jmerkel3d]

This draft has proven to be a lot of fun, we will surely get a good player at 9. Hard to imagine anyone we get at 9 not being a really exciting prospect.

Catton is very interesting to me but I'm worried about his ability to create off the cycle as opposed to the rush where he obviously excels. But his feel for the game and the skill is incredible. Does anybody else get Clayton Keller vibes from him?

Even Eiserman is intriguing. I don't love the character questions but his talent is undeniable. I honestly think a year in college will really help round out his game and whoever gets him will be very happy.

Watching Silayev skate and move the puck suggests to me that he may be scary if he continues to develop as expected.

I also think there's some good players in the teens like Greentree, Hage, and the Nygaard kid. Interesting to see if anyone slips to us at 28.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

[jmerkel3d]

Originally Posted by Fan69

Dont disagree.



However i do think this drafts top ten or 12 is rather good if not great All of the top rated defenders all have the tool kits to be first pair if not stud defencemen. Parehk is breaking records most have him outside the top ten. To me thats crazy.



I really think a lot of people are underestimating how good the top of this draft is and how lucky we are with a 9 pick that it ended up that way.

Agreed. Funny it was considered a weak draft initially.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

[Tbull8]

Parekh playing in the memorial cup right now. Dickinson and the knights play tomorrow

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by jmerkel3d

Agreed. Funny it was considered a weak draft initially.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

From what i have seen over the years a lot if draft strength is attributed to the top five. With only a clear cut number one i think a lot of people, draft people included, assumed it wasn’t very deep. Dont have data to back that but drafts as deep as last year just done happen all that often.

Pull three of the top defencemen out and ya it looks more average but im bullish on the top 7 or 8 defencemen. Add in four five high end forwards and ya you suddenly have a great top end draft.

[ForeverFlameFan]

It’s safe to say we’re getting a game-changing player at 9th OA this season. With that said, here is my top 9 based on preference:

Celebrini
Demidov
Buium
Catton
Levshunov
Dickinson
Parekh
Iginla
Silayev

[jmerkel3d]

Originally Posted by Fan69

From what i have seen over the years a lot if draft strength is attributed to the top five. With only a clear cut number one i think a lot of people, draft people included, assumed it wasn’t very deep. Dont have data to back that but drafts as deep as last year just done happen all that often.



Pull three of the top defencemen out and ya it looks more average but im bullish on the top 7 or 8 defencemen. Add in four five high end forwards and ya you suddenly have a great top end draft.

Great point about the very top of the draft. This draft is pretty unique in how the top half of the first round is so tricky to project after the top 2-3, I don't really remember another like it. Most drafts have the clear cut "tiers" that were so used to hearing about, but haven't heard a lot of that outside of Celebrini and Demidov being the cream.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

[Ped]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

It’s safe to say we’re getting a game-changing player at 9th OA this season. With that said, here is my top 9 based on preference:

It's not safe to say at all. Prospects are incredibly exciting, and whoever is drafted will probably excite everyone (unless they go way off the board. But there are no sure things, and one or more prospects will bust or disappoint or not rise to the level people hope for.


Even a contributing NHLer whose not a game changing player, but turns into a top-6 or top 4 guy, would be a win.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Parekh playing in the memorial cup right now. Dickinson and the knights play tomorrow

watch Sam O'Reilly of the Knights. 2nd round target

[Bourque's Twin]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

It’s safe to say we’re getting a game-changing player at 9th OA this season. With that said, here is my top 9 based on preference:

Celebrini
Demidov
Buium
Catton
Levshunov
Dickinson
Parekh
Iginla
Silayev

It’s crazy because Lindstrom isn’t even in your top 9 and there’s still Helenius, Yakemchuk, and Eiserman.

[Tbull8]

Saginaw 1-0. Assisted by parekh

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by jmerkel3d

Great point about the very top of the draft. This draft is pretty unique in how the top half of the first round is so tricky to project after the top 2-3, I don't really remember another like it. Most drafts have the clear cut "tiers" that were so used to hearing about, but haven't heard a lot of that outside of Celebrini and Demidov being the cream.

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

Not wrong. To me its top one or two but honestly i dont have much separation between 1 and about 12. Yakemchuk is usually near top ten just outside but realistically he could turn out to be the best defender in a group of great defenders. I see slight down steps at about twelve thirteen, another drop near the end of the first, and the second, and from what i see another near the bottom of the second to about round four.

However the changes from tier to tier dont seem to be as obvious or drastic as most years, and having a somewhat homogeneous group of ten or twelve right at the top makes it even more unusual.


That is just my opinion though.

[TOfan]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

I will try to avoid being antagonistic here.

It isn’t that you ONLY get top centres and defensemen at the top of the draft - it’s that the top of the draft is the easiest place to find them.

But you can’t fixate on position with 18 year olds. The Habs did that with Kotkaniemi and missed out on Quinn Hughes and Brady Tkachuk as a result.

In the Flames’ case, they’re not picking at the top of the draft - they’re picking 9th.

There’s no reason to believe this team will draft any lower over the next three years - they have 11 UFAs over the next two seasons (12 if you include Markstrom, who will be dealt this summer, hopefully before the draft).

If they think Tij is gonna be even 80% of his dad, take him - if this draft has eight other players that are 80% of Jarome Iginla, it’s the draft of the decade.

It’s a good point but I’m sure there are examples that go the other way. They might not be as easy to identify, cause they would be considered good picks, but it’s not far fetched to think at certain points in time certain teams had fixated on positional need and it worked out favourably. I’m sure it happens every draft. It’s just not picked apart as the bad draft picks are.

[jmerkel3d]

Originally Posted by Fan69

Not wrong. To me its top one or two but honestly i dont have much separation between 1 and about 12. Yakemchuk is usually near top ten just outside but realistically he could turn out to be the best defender in a group of great defenders. I see slight down steps at about twelve thirteen, another drop near the end of the first, and the second, and from what i see another near the bottom of the second to about round four.



However the changes from tier to tier dont seem to be as obvious or drastic as most years, and having a somewhat homogeneous group of ten or twelve right at the top makes it even more unusual.





That is just my opinion though.

That's a pretty fair assessment from all that I've heard.

Yakemchuk has such an interesting toolset. I wouldn't necessarily be thrilled with him at 9, but I would trust that management has been well positioned to make a reliable assessment. Anybody have a good NHL comp for him?

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by jmerkel3d

That's a pretty fair assessment from all that I've heard.

Yakemchuk has such an interesting toolset. I wouldn't necessarily be thrilled with him at 9, but I would trust that management has been well positioned to make a reliable assessment. Anybody have a good NHL comp for him?

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

My dream is to get ten, or eleven out of buffalo, walk out with yak and catton.

Yak i dont know who to compare to. 6.3 but has the hands if a small forward, plays with an edge. Has a nasty shot from close and distance, good skater should only get better. Seems to have pretty good vision and iq.

[jmerkel3d]

Originally Posted by Fan69

My dream is to get ten, or eleven out of buffalo, walk out with yak and catton.



Yak i dont know who to compare to. 6.3 but has the hands if a small forward, plays with an edge. Has a nasty shot from close and distance, good skater should only get better. Seems to have pretty good vision and iq.

I know we always talk about trying to get a second first rounder (or one if we've traded it) but this year really does seem like a year to try, given where the team is at and some of the assets we have that might make sense to trade.

Yeah it's quite a skill set for Yak. Can't really think of a good comparable...

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

[cral12]

Also, a little late but we did a Twitter/X thread with updates from the World Junior U18 tourney from Sandman. It's all here using Threadreader:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1...060443687.html

If yah still dabble around on Twitter/X here's the thread link:

https://twitter.com/user/status/1790553210060443687

[RedHawk12]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

It’s safe to say we’re getting a game-changing player at 9th OA this season. With that said, here is my top 9 based on preference:

Celebrini
Demidov
Buium
Catton
Levshunov
Dickinson
Parekh
Iginla
Silayev

I think as long as we draft someone in the consensus 10 or 11 picks, then we're coming away with a really good player.

My list right now is something like this:

Celebrini
Demidov
Levshunov
Catton
Iginla
Lindstrom
Perekh
Dickinson
Yakemchuk
___
Buium
Silayev

Obviously a bit of an Iggy bias (really hope we draft him). Also hoping we don't draft Silayev if he's available to us - I just think there are players with higher upside - and Buium because of the NCAA/American factor.