2024 NHL Draft Thread

[metroneck]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

We just need Florida to win 3 more so we can fully enjoy the leadup

Exactly this…

Also heading to the draft with the Family. Last thing I want is to see or hear anything regarding (I can’t even type it), ‘that’ team winning the cup.

Please Florida, just do your job.

[cral12]

Finally getting an update done at Upside Hockey (after being off for a week and mountain biking my a$$ off lol):

Because he never seems to sleep, 14 more Sandman profiles added.

Oh also added Sandman's Tiers at the top.

From Artamonov to Zetterberg...
Upside Hockey up to 220 profiles total! Unreal!
(I just gotta add their respective link to the rankings spreadsheet shortly as applicable)

Quick link reminders:
Rankings Mega Spreadsheet page:
https://bit.ly/upside2024nhldraft
(The column with "UH" is linked to all the Sandman profiles of respective profile)

Prospect profiles specific page - alphabetical TOC on the top:
All of Sandman profiles featured here!
https://bit.ly/2024nhldraftprofiles

[With our rankings standing the test in time according to this recent thread Evaluating Past Draft Rankings and Sandman's bang on profiles, we're waiting by our phones for a buyout like CapFriendly (we kid)...]
https://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=196163

[Paulie Walnuts]

Sam Constanteno (sp?) Has the the Flames taking Tij in his mock draft.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Sam Constanteno (sp?) Has the the Flames taking Tij in his mock draft.

Not sure I agree with the way he gets there but I’d be ok with it! Betting odds on Levshunov to the hawks has swung a crazy amount today. He’s far and away the favorite for 2nd overall now

[Tkachukwagon]

Demidov to slide to 9? (I don’t think he gets past Montreal)

https://twitter.com/user/status/1800242605818556724

[Tbull8]

Celebrini
Levshunov
Silayev
Lindstrom
Demidov
Buium
Parekh
Dickinson
IGGY!!!!!!!!

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Not sure I agree with the way he gets there but I’d be ok with it! Betting odds on Levshunov to the hawks has swung a crazy amount today. He’s far and away the favorite for 2nd overall now

Yeah I don’t see how Levshunov couldn’t be considered a lock at this stage - he only went to one dinner, with Chicago. He’s going 2.

Anaheim - Silayev
Columbus - Demidov
Montreal - Lindstrom
Utah - Buim
Ottawa - Parekh
Seattle - Catton
Calgary - Iginla
Calgary - Dickinson

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

Celebrini
Levshunov
Silayev
Lindstrom
Demidov
Buium
Parekh
Dickinson
IGGY!!!!!!!!

So you don't think Catton will go in the top 9? Is he the BPA at 9?

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

So you don't think Catton will go in the top 9? Is he the BPA at 9?

I have him in my top 9 but I expect him to slide just a bit, similar to Benson last year. In my rankings I dont have silayev that high

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (E=NG Edition):

The Edmonton Oil Kings' rebuild is coming along nicely, finishing the season 17th overall in the 22-team WHL and 11th in goals-for, which is a fairly sharp uptick when one considers that they were among the worst franchises in the entire CHL in 2022-23; dead last in the WHL, and last in goals-scored by an appalling 57 tallies. As far as prospects go for the 2024 draft, Gavin Hodnett and Adam Jecho are the two Oil Kings that are garnering the most attention, but RHD Parker Alcos has some fans in the scouting community. The 6'3", 174lb righty is young, with a July 20th birthday, and only managed to post a modest 1 goal and 15 points in 67 games with 29 PIM, but numbers don't always tell the whole story.

At this stage of his development, Alcos is largely a stay-at-home minute muncher who can move the puck, but flashes good two-way potential. Over the course of the 2023-24 season, he shown plenty of growth, and has earned more and more ice-time and responsibility from the coaching staff as the year progressed. He is a smooth skater with excellent mobility for a player his size, and is hard to stop when he's going full throttle. He can win races to loose pucks with his powerful stride, and transitions smoothly to backward skating when the play turns around. He shows strong edges for quick pivots and can surf around the neutral zone, cutting off huge swaths of ice from opponents, rarely overskating his target. Though he's far from being a stalwart playmaker, he can effectively QB a powerplay from the line, and will pinch into the play- but picks his spots very judiciously, and will sneak in on the weak side to make high-danger plays. He shows some passing skill, making good decisions under duress, and can thread the needle through traffic on occasion. There are times when he flashes creativity and offensive ability, and he wields quality puck-skills, but he could use more deception to help facilitate his ideas into fruition. He skates with his head up to choose the correct routes to take, and to choose the right pass to make. With no goals in 2022-23 split between the Oil Kings and the Northern Alberta Extreme U18 Prep Team, and only 1 tally this season, it's fair to say that he's not much of a goal-scoring threat, and his shot is said to be nothing special, unfortunately.

Alcos is physical, but not really mean, finishing his checks in the line of duty, but is aggressive at the same time and has no problem in getting his nose dirty in the greasy areas of the ice to win battles. He contributes to transition through the neutral zone in quick touches and give-and-go's, but his true value is shown in his retrievals and in his ability to kickstart the breakout with smart, snappy passing. He scans well, looking over both shoulders to map out his surroundings while he wins races to loose pucks, and establishes body position. His breakout passes are usually kept relatively simple, but he flashes high-end proficiency in this area with some long stretch passes from time to time. While we wait for his offense to come along, it can be said that Alcos already has a fairly well-developed defensive game, and is a deft rush-defender with excellent tracking data for his own-zone contributions. He is already a shutdown defenseman who pays the proper attention to details, and relies on good positioning and an active stick to make stops. He boxes opponents out from the net, and makes an effort to snuff the rush in the neutral zone proactively by cutting off lanes with his extra-long reach. He angles attackers to the outside, and finishes them with bodychecks, but his gap-control could be a bit tighter as he gives rushers too much space at times. Alcos has some NHL tools and long-term upside, but needs to further develop some other tools in order to guarantee a future in the big leagues. He will need plenty of time. Look for him in later rounds.

[dammage79]

Watched the Harrison Brunicke interview and it just further solidified my hopes that the Flames get to draft him. Maybe my favorite D man in the 2nd grouping of available d men.

Liked the Catton interview, like the Helenius interview, and the Charlie Elick one.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Tkachukwagon

Demidov to slide to 9? (I don’t think he gets past Montreal)

https://twitter.com/user/status/1800242605818556724

Agreed, he won't get past the Habs and certainly not to 9. Imagine if he did though? I would pee myself a little....maybe a lot depending on how drunk I am.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Watched the Harrison Brunicke interview and it just further solidified my hopes that the Flames get to draft him. Maybe my favorite D man in the 2nd grouping of available d men.

Liked the Catton interview, like the Helenius interview, and the Charlie Elick one.

Agreed on Brunicke. The second round has some very intriguing defensemen.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Chuck from Sweden Edition):

While Herman Traff, Karl Sterner, and Jack Berglund soak up all the attention for the 2024 NHL Draft, there's another big Swedish power-forward flying under the radar, who might be an even bigger sleeper than those three in LW/RW Charlie Forslund. Forslund has a complex story, as he played his junior this season for Falu IF J20, a Division 1 team, which is the third-tier U-20 league in Sweden, and wasn't invited to play on any international teams. He was clearly too good for Div.1, amassing 13 goals and 16 points in 7 games, but instead of earning a promotion to the J20 league where most Swedish draft-eligibles play, he was called up to Falu IF's HockeyEttan team- the nation's third-tier Men's league (Falu doesn't have a team in the J20). There, the 6'3", 212 winger somehow managed to put up the 16th-best season all-time (7th-best all-time in ppg for U-18 players with more than 10 games) for U-18 players in that league, with 9 goals and 19 points in 19 games, often playing huge minutes on the top line- and even added 3 goals and 4 points in 3 playoff games. Once the season for the HockeyEttan club was over, he was sent back to the Div.1 team to help out in the playoffs, and he piled up 7 goals and 12 points in 7 games.

Forslund is a power-forward with some skill and speed, who uses his size to his advantage in battles and can make plays in traffic. He's proficient in leaning in to defenders when attacking the net and will drive the middle to shoot and finish plays, which is his primary contribution to his team's offense. He plays well around the net and in-close, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to cash in on rebounds and second-chance opportunities, but also has an array of dangerous shots with good velocity, all coming on wicked releases with deception mixed in. Like other goal-scorers, Forslund possesses an inate sense of how to sniff out open spaces to be ready and in position with his stick on the ice to recieve a pass and unleash his shot. The powerplay is where Forslund produces a lot of his points in the HockeyEttan, but he supports the play well in the offensive zone at all times by skating smart routes. He loves to pick corners from the circle, and has a deceptive drag-and-release in traffic.

Forslund skates quite well for a player his size, and even has some shiftiness and a rather peppy first-step- he can beat defenders wide and win races, even in the men's league. He is not without vision and IQ, as he can create off the rush- though not at a high rate, mostly in flashes. He's also reasonably skilled, but not dynamic in any way. While he might not be overly physical in terms of throwing his weight around, he leverages his size well in board battles and down low. Unfortunately, he lacks poise in transition, deferring mostly to teammates in the carrying department, and when he participates it's usually only with short-area passes and give-and-go's. Away from the offensive zone, his off-puck play and defense is in need of further refinement- he hustles on the backcheck, but often looks lost without the puck, and is still finding his way in this area. His stickhandling is a bit clunky, lacks deception, and fails him from time to time in regards to turnovers and misshandling- his pass-reception is also rough. Coming up from a lower level of hockey, he's still quite inconsistent and raw, and prone to fading into the background on occasion. It may concern scouts that a high number of his looks in the men's league come from the PP as well. If he is deemed good enough to be drafted, look for him in later rounds.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Puolanne is Finnish for Late Round Sleeper Edition):

Elias Puolanne is a 6'1",168lb LW who can play center competently, and plied his trade this season with Kiekko-Espoo U20, posting 7 goals and 26 points in 28 games- which tied him with Tuomas Suoniemi in the scoring race. His skating is a weakness, with a lack of footspeed and deficient agility on his edges that pervades many areas of his game. Luckily for him, his smarts as well as his high work rate offset some of his mobility issues. EP might be one of those players with sub-optimal speed that make you wonder how amazing his season would have been if was a bit faster.

Puolanne is blessed with high-level hockey sense and superior anticipation to keep him a few steps ahead of the play, with the skill to match. He executes a smart delay game to avoid low-percentage plays, and sees the ice well. He employs well-developed passing skill, with the ability to thread the needle through traffic, and can connect tape-to-tape with saucers and stretch passes. He creates a good number of opportunities for teammates, and makes high-percentage plays to the slot that teammates are often not ready for. More often than not, he makes the correct play and puts himself in the right position to succeed, and uses deception to mask his intent. He can create off the rush, and will go to the net to be in the right place at the right time to convert on high-danger chances. He attacks the middle, and finds open seams in the slot, but very much prefers the pass over the shot. With only 7 goals in 28 games it would seem that he's not a very big threat to score, but he could stand to use his shot more as he gets good power in his release, and has a nice curl-and-drag wrister. EP causes a plethora of turnovers on the forecheck, and is proficient at picking pockets and executing steals. Despite his lack of footspeed, he manages to get to loose pucks before his adversaries with his unrelenting motor, and can establish the inside position to take control. Puolanne has a low turnover rate due to his deft puck-skills- he's a smooth handler, and is efficient with the puck. Off the puck, he's a hard worker who skates intelligent routes and positions himself right.

EP isn't fast enough to make effective retrievals, but can facilitate controlled exits with his distribution skills. By the same token, he isn't much of a factor in transition either, deferring to teammates to carry through the neutral zone, or working the give-and-go's. One of the most important parts of his game is his own-zone play- his defensive metrics are exemplary, and he has the anticipation to kill rushes proactively in the neutral zone. He exemplifies preventative positioning, and wields a quick stick for well-timed poke checks and to intercept passes and clog lanes. Unfortunately, Puolanne has little to no physical presence, and can fail to win body position over his opponents due to lack of footspeed. He needs plenty of work on his shot and strength, but if he can improve his speed and physicality, he could be a nice late-round sleeper for the team that selects him, and could make a nice third-line, two-way player in the NHL, with the potential for more. Look for him in the later rounds.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by jmerkel3d

So the obvious question that nobody is asking seems to be, who did the flames take to dinner?

Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk

One of the Flames staff has taken Tij out to dinner... Hundreds of times.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by Buff

One of the Flames staff has taken Tij out to dinner... Hundreds of times.

The flames gm has invited Tij to his house multiple times too!

[topfiverecords]

I’d be worried about the Avs trading up to get him. Tij had dinner with MacKinnon.

[CliffFletcher]

The Athletic released a draft analysis today with a bunch of anonymous NHL executives and scouts, and it’s crazy how little consensus there is beyond Celembrini. You have guys saying Demidov is hands-down the second best forward, and others saying they have him fifth, and Sennecke is the second-best forward. Some guys think Yakemchuk is the best d-prospect, others don’t rate him in the top three.

It wouldn’t be surprising if all of Yakemchuk, Catton, and Parekh are available at 9. It also wouldn’t be surprising if two of them go top-5. It’s gonna make for an exciting draft.

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts (Chuck from Sweden Edition):

While Herman Traff, Karl Sterner, and Jack Berglund soak up all the attention for the 2024 NHL Draft, there's another big Swedish power-forward flying under the radar, who might be an even bigger sleeper than those three in LW/RW Charlie Forslund. Forslund has a complex story, as he played his junior this season for Falu IF J20, a Division 1 team, which is the third-tier U-20 league in Sweden, and wasn't invited to play on any international teams. He was clearly too good for Div.1, amassing 13 goals and 16 points in 7 games, but instead of earning a promotion to the J20 league where most Swedish draft-eligibles play, he was called up to Falu IF's HockeyEttan team- the nation's third-tier Men's league (Falu doesn't have a team in the J20). There, the 6'3", 212 winger somehow managed to put up the 16th-best season all-time (7th-best all-time in ppg for U-18 players with more than 10 games) for U-18 players in that league, with 9 goals and 19 points in 19 games, often playing huge minutes on the top line- and even added 3 goals and 4 points in 3 playoff games. Once the season for the HockeyEttan club was over, he was sent back to the Div.1 team to help out in the playoffs, and he piled up 7 goals and 12 points in 7 games.

Forslund is a power-forward with some skill and speed, who uses his size to his advantage in battles and can make plays in traffic. He's proficient in leaning in to defenders when attacking the net and will drive the middle to shoot and finish plays, which is his primary contribution to his team's offense. He plays well around the net and in-close, and has a knack for being in the right place at the right time to cash in on rebounds and second-chance opportunities, but also has an array of dangerous shots with good velocity, all coming on wicked releases with deception mixed in. Like other goal-scorers, Forslund possesses an inate sense of how to sniff out open spaces to be ready and in position with his stick on the ice to recieve a pass and unleash his shot. The powerplay is where Forslund produces a lot of his points in the HockeyEttan, but he supports the play well in the offensive zone at all times by skating smart routes. He loves to pick corners from the circle, and has a deceptive drag-and-release in traffic.

Forslund skates quite well for a player his size, and even has some shiftiness and a rather peppy first-step- he can beat defenders wide and win races, even in the men's league. He is not without vision and IQ, as he can create off the rush- though not at a high rate, mostly in flashes. He's also reasonably skilled, but not dynamic in any way. While he might not be overly physical in terms of throwing his weight around, he leverages his size well in board battles and down low. Unfortunately, he lacks poise in transition, deferring mostly to teammates in the carrying department, and when he participates it's usually only with short-area passes and give-and-go's. Away from the offensive zone, his off-puck play and defense is in need of further refinement- he hustles on the backcheck, but often looks lost without the puck, and is still finding his way in this area. His stickhandling is a bit clunky, lacks deception, and fails him from time to time in regards to turnovers and misshandling- his pass-reception is also rough. Coming up from a lower level of hockey, he's still quite inconsistent and raw, and prone to fading into the background on occasion. It may concern scouts that a high number of his looks in the men's league come from the PP as well. If he is deemed good enough to be drafted, look for him in later rounds.

Of note that one of the better U18 HockeyEttan performances was Calgary's own William Stromgren. 12 points in 11 games.