2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Wastedyouth]

If we miss Tij and Cattons there I think you still win.

[Samonadreau]

Apologies if this was already posted but Sam Cosentino's latest rankings

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...april-edition/

Notables:

Yakemchuk 5th!
Parekh 6th
Buium 7th
Dickinson 8th
Catton 9th
Iginla 10th
Lindstrom 11th! (Justified injury concerns)
Helenius 12th

[Calgary4LIfe]

I have relegated myself to just knowing that the Flames will be getting a big piece of the future at 9th this year. I hope for Tij at that spot, but if it ends up being someone else either because he isn't available, or Conroy passed on him for someone else (extremely doubtful IMO), it will be an important piece of the puzzle to have this team contending again down the road.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by CsInMyBlood

Of course he did. He wasnt going to go away silently, I know his dad.

Playoffs stats:

11 games, 9 goals, 15 pts, +5, 53 shots, 0 PIMs.

This is the telling part, it was actually 54 shots which lead his team by a lot and he hit goal posts 4 times as well, he also lead the team in +/-.

Despite his age he was Kelowna's best player by a lot, zero chance he's not top 10 in this draft

[prizefighterinferno]

If it's not Tij, I would take one Catton, Parekh, or Buium please.

If Conroy somehow figures out a way to get two of these guys by packaging some combo of assets (Vancouver 1st, Markstrom, etc.) then build him a statue.

[Major Major]

I think some people are missing is that Tij is a few weeks away from being a '25 pick. He's younger than 90+% of players in this draft.

Imagine if he were putting up this kind of season in his D-1 year. Where would people be slotting him in next year? Top 5? Top 3?

This is also why I'm pretty high on Celibrini. Don't think he'd type average 1oa.

Anyway, if we get him at 9, we would be lucky. It won't be a reach at all. Here's hoping.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

This is the telling part, it was actually 54 shots which lead his team by a lot and he hit goal posts 4 times as well, he also lead the team in +/-.

Despite his age he was Kelowna's best player by a lot, zero chance he's not top 10 in this draft

Yep, and unfortunately the Flames heater at the end of the season that we predicted likely lost us a chance at him.

[Jiri Hrdina]

The heater that saw them go 5-5?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The heater that saw them go 5-5?

To be fair it was when we played San Jose the first time that I figured "yep, here we go, we'll win out". I mean we didn't win out, but we went 4 - 2. 8 points in the final week and half.

[dammage79]

Doesn't really matter how the Flames landed at their draft position anymore. What matters now is that they use that pick as best they see it. Which is more important than how best WE see it.

At 9, they're going to get a fantastic prospect.

And as a little bonus there's still the lottery. Chances are slim but there's a chance at top 2.

Win the lottery and you get Macklin.
Win 2nd you get the pick of the litter.
Pick 9th you get a great prospect.

All is good on the draft front.

Add in the fact they can pick 8 times in the first 4 rounds, even better.

I know who I like at all potential spots. And there's like maybe one or two player in the top 13 I'd be like " Really? That's the guy you want over player x or player y??"

But I also trust Conroy implicitly when it comes to drafting, that's his #1 thing in his tool box as GM, the draft.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

This is the telling part, it was actually 54 shots which lead his team by a lot and he hit goal posts 4 times as well, he also lead the team in +/-.

Despite his age he was Kelowna's best player by a lot, zero chance he's not top 10 in this draft

Zero chance? We will see, I will be surprised if anybody but possibly Calgary takes him in the top 10.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Zero chance? We will see, I will be surprised if anybody but possibly Calgary takes him in the top 10.

After # 1 this is a hard draft to predict.

I have no idea where Iggy will go. I think he will go somewhere around 8-12, so top 10 is about 50/50 I guess.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Zero chance? We will see, I will be surprised if anybody but possibly Calgary takes him in the top 10.

Assuming they keep their pick I'll be pleasantly surprised if he gets by Ottawa.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Assuming they keep their pick I'll be pleasantly surprised if he gets by Ottawa.

Genuinely curious, outside of eliteprospects there hasn't been a ranking or mock draft I've seen that has him going top 7 or earlier. The scouts know his lineage too. Are the teams scouting reports that different? I can see why Calgary would take him early but why do you think another team is going to take him earlier than projected?

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (It's All There Edition):

Here's a player who I think will surprise with how early he is taken in the Draft. LW Kristian Epperson has had a miserable year in the NTDP, failing to live up to the hype he generated in a starring role for two years at Shattuck St.Mary's between 2020-2022, or even his output from 2022-23 in the NTDP. During his time at Shattuck, he was considered one of the USA's best players for his age group, and in 2022-23 for the USNTDP Juniors against USHL competition, he was 6th on the team with 29 points in 39 games- eclipsing fellow 2024 draft-eligibles such as Christian Humphreys, Max Plante, Austin Baker, Lucas Van Vliet, and Teddy Stiga. This season, he could only muster 11 points in 32 games for the USNTDP Juniors, with a meager total of 16 points in 42 games on the NTDP's U18 Team. Not only did he fail to show progression in this, his draft year, but his points-per game dropped from 0.74 down to 0.38 against USHL competition. At one point this year, he was even demoted to the U-17 team, where he also didn't set the world on fire, with 7 points in 14 games. Nobody in the hockey world seems to be able to explain his fall from grace, but it's been said that the Development Program has been trying to turn him into a checker, as he's playing behind some elite talent on the team, and that he needs to be put in situations where he can produce offense, as that's his game. He has definitely been playing in the team's bottom-6, but I can't honestly say if he earned that with sub-par play, or if he's been miscast for some reason, such as not meshing properly with a coach, injury, etc.

Epperson might not be putting it all together this year, but he's got the full array of tools at his disposal, other than the fact that he measures only 5'11", and 183lbs. There's plenty of finesse in his game, wrapped up in a crusty outer shell. The first main pillar of his game is his skating, which is effortless and fluid, with supreme edges to dodge attackers and explosive acceleration. To enhance his speed, he plays with pace and high-energy, and the second pillar of his game, his work-ethic, which has been praised since his days at Shattuck. The third pillar of his game is his main offensive weapon, his bullet of a wrister that he can use to pick corners with, that comes with a quick, deceptive release. He has a goal-scorer's built-in ability to find, or create open space to unleash and will drive the net to pick up garbage, or to beat the goalie 1-on-1. His ability to see the ice is pillar number four, and though he leans towards shooting, he has shown slick playmaking ability and high IQ combined with skillful passing. He's patient and poised, and will wait for the right play to unfold rather than throw the puck away or try to force the wrong play, and can spot teammates in high-danger. Epperson has excellent puck-skill, and it's almost impossible to strip him of possession with how hard he is on the biscuit- he can slip through checks along the boards even when being pinned.

While Epperson isn't the most physical player, his game has plenty of pushback and his 46 PIM says he's no gentleman. He goes to the dirty areas without fear and battles hard, and shows high effort and tenacity on the forecheck to force turnovers. He hounds puck-carriers in all 3 zones, and does all the little things for his team that don't show up on the scoresheet- he's details-oriented, wins battles, and retrieves loose pucks. That brings me to the fifth pillar of his profile, which is his stellar defensive play- he has keen awareness in his own zone, and smart positioning. He tracks down pucks, eliminates threats, and gets the play going the other way by moving the puck out of the zone quickly and efficiently. He relieves pressure by breaking up plays with his anticipation, and can cover multiple attackers at one time, sometimes delivering hard hits to get the job done. Epperson can take on a number of roles on any line, and the coaches in the NTDP trust him with penalty-killing duties.

While I can't say exactly what happened this season, I think there will be plenty of teams that are still interested in taking him, knowing him for the player that he is- and there will be plenty of teams that regret not taking him sooner. Some say he would have been better off as an everyday USHL player, rather than making the NTDP, and perhaps he would have looked better in the CHL (The OHL's Saginaw Spirit drafted him in the 2022 Priority Selection Draft in Round 5, 84th overall). Epperson needs to get bigger and stronger, as he can sometimes get pushed around, and he has to find his old offensive swagger, but he has time to work on his game as he's committed to the University of Michigan for 2025-26. A team could concievably pick him as low as the third round, but I would guess 4th, or 5th round.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by Groot

Genuinely curious, outside of eliteprospects there hasn't been a ranking or mock draft I've seen that has him going top 7 or earlier. The scouts know his lineage too. Are the teams scouting reports that different? I can see why Calgary would take him early but why do you think another team is going to take him earlier than projected?

There's been and extra amount of buzz in the scouting community around Iginla since February, most of these rankings you're seeing are fueled by team scouts but team scouts are notoriously quiet to the media types this time of year so a lot of the time you're seeing mostly old info with a scatter of stats driven movement.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The heater that saw them go 5-5?

From the trade deadline to the end of the season, the Flames fell 5 spots in the standings. No team below them dropped more, and only the Flyers dropped more overall, but they had no impact on the Flames draft position. Purposely or not, the Flames tanked hard

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

After # 1 this is a hard draft to predict.

I have no idea where Iggy will go. I think he will go somewhere around 8-12, so top 10 is about 50/50 I guess.

It certainly isn't zero to be outside the top 10. The majority of rankings I have seen don't have him in the top 10.

[dammage79]

My FC hockey mock draft:
https://nhlentrydraft.com/mock-draft/208700

Demidov and Hage in the 1st round.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by dammage79

My FC hockey mock draft:
https://nhlentrydraft.com/mock-draft/208700

Demidov and Hage in the 1st round.

That would be amazing.