2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Ahhhh, you always know it's nearing draft time when the "move up in the 1st round" trade proposals start making my skin crawl

Bunch of montreal Fans on hf seem to think Calgary should mortgage the future, spin the wheels of heaven and earth to get tij.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Fan69

Bunch of montreal Fans on hf seem to think Calgary should mortgage the future, spin the wheels of heaven and earth to get tij.

That’s what I think the actual Canadiens are doing haha

[dammage79]

MTL fans are just projecting their wily guiles onto other fanbase. It's not our team that's been gunslinging wild draft selections and trades. That's their domain.

Flames are going to be perfectly happy taking who's there at 9 and on top of their list.

[YyjFlames]

Piece on Ottawa’s draft preparation. The quotes sound a lot like Todd Button. Lots of good defenders. Doesn’t mean we’re taking a defender. Good forwards too. Doesn’t mean we’re taking a forward. Ooooo Russians are scary. Doesn’t mean we’re not taking a Russian. Due diligence, due diligence, blah blah blah blah.

https://ottawacitizen.com/ottawa-sen...rs-draft-class

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by dammage79

MTL fans are just projecting their wily guiles onto other fanbase. It's not our team that's been gunslinging wild draft selections and trades. That's their domain.

Flames are going to be perfectly happy taking who's there at 9 and on top of their list.

Dont disagree. Some of the proposals and reasons are? Interesting.

[SuperMatt18]

It's one thing to take Tij if he ends up being there at 9...that's fine.

But moving assets to go from 9 to 5 for example to be able to take him would be a mistake.

If he's there at 9 then great, if not then you have potentially an even better prospect on the board still (with way less pressure).

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I am particularly wary of there being 6 defensemen in the top 12 or so (Levshunov, Silayev, Dickinson, Buium, Parekh, and Yakemchuk) who many see as potential top pairing guy. It's probably just the pessimist in me, but I have to think that one or two of them aren't going to pan out just based on how typical drafts go. It's not impossible, but it would be extraordinary if all 6 actually pan out. I know this draft is currently seen as a bit of an outlier with all the great defensemen available, but I tend to think most drafts have some kind of uniqueness to them, but over time, the results tend to look normal with pretty much equal hits and misses.

It's not that uncommon for 5 or 6 dmen to go in the top 15 of the draft. What is more uncommon is seeing lots of dmen go in the top 5 of a draft.

2008 and 2012 are probably the only drafts I can think of in recent memory where the top 5 or 10 are very defense heavy.

In 2008 4 of the top 5 players taken were dmen, and 7 dmen in the top 15.

In 2012 8 of the top 10 players taken and 9 of the top 15 were dmen.

I think you probably see 6 or 7 in the top 15 this year and potentially 5 of the top 7 or 8.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Fan69

Bunch of montreal Fans on hf seem to think Calgary should mortgage the future, spin the wheels of heaven and earth to get tij.

Well that matches up with that dump. HF is the Edmonton of hockey talk.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Coffee and Danish Edition):

LW Hjalte Kruse Thomsen is from Denmark, but made the wise decision to develop his game in Sweden in the Malmo Redhawks organization, where he piled up 15 goals and 38 points in 43 games on the J20 team, to go with 32 penalty-minutes. His totals put him ahead of draft-eligibles such as Filip Hesselvall, Jack Berglund, Karl Sterner, and Elliott Sigrell in the scoring race. Thomsen, who is a late-2005 birthday, earned 13 games at the SHL level, where he settled for just 1 assist with limited ice-time and responsibility. He measures in at 6'0", and 172lbs.

Thomsen contributes a bit of everything to his team, but doesn't really do anything at an elite level- he's not really a play-driver, and is more of a complimentary player. He's a fiery forward with skill and a touch of snarl, who can fly at top speed. If there's one quality of his that stands out from the crowd, it may be his overwhelming tenacity, or his motor that's hard for the opposition to match. He's hard to go up against, and has some power in his game, with plenty of grit and physicality. On the forecheck, he attacks like a Tasmanian Devil, suffocating his victims of time and space, and disrupting puck-carriers with his body and well-timed stick. He does a lot of the heavy lifting for his line, going into the hard areas of the ice to win battles for pucks, fighting hard in front of the net, and finishing his checks to create more space. Despite an impressive offensive output, he is said to be somewhat lacking in puck-skill- he can make some of the more complex passes on occasion, but he mostly keeps things simple and risk-free. He's not a true playmaker by any means, but his hard work in winning pucks and in helping his team maintain possession make him a valuable facilitator. Thomsen's true contribution to his team's offense is his finishing ability, and his powerful, accurate shot- he has no problem parking himself in front of the goalie to be a distraction, or to cash-in on second-chance opportunities.

Thomsen usually has a good defensive conscience, and makes a positive contribution in his own zone with his penchant for taking away time and space from opponents, and his fearlessness in blocking shots; however, his engagement in this area has it's ebbs and flows, as he sometimes looks like he's not giving his full effort. On occasion, he will cheat for offense, and can be seen coasting back into the zone at times. Having a competitive fire is always good, but it has been said that he can get agitated too easily and has a bit of a temper, which can affect his overall engagement and focus, and will throw off his game. Thomsen may not even be drafted, but could make a good bottom-6 energy player who chips in some offense here and there, if he can clean up his defense and round-out his puck-skills. Look for him in later rounds.

[Sandman]

double post

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Sandman

If there's one quality of his that stands out from the crowd, it may be his overwhelming tenacity, or his motor that's hard for the opposition to match. He's hard to go up against, and has some power in his game, with plenty of grit and physicality. On the forecheck, he attacks like a Tasmanian Devil, suffocating his victims of time and space, and disrupting puck-carriers with his body and well-timed stick. He does a lot of the heavy lifting for his line, going into the hard areas of the ice to win battles for pucks, fighting hard in front of the net, and finishing his checks to create more space.

If he learns to play like this in the neutral and defensive zone, he will make millions with a 4th line job in the NHL. That is exactly what everybody wants. And you don't have to have incredible conditioning - just play 8-12 minutes.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Sjo Me The Money Edition):

In Sweden's J18 Nationell league, LHD Gustav Sjoqvist is a bit of an offensive dynamo, scoring 7 points in 5 games this season for AIK, and 10 points in 15 games in 2022-23. That's not a true representation of who he is as a player though, as that league is a lower level of competition than what he's used to in the J20, where he only managed one goal and 12 points 43 games, to go with 65 penalty-minutes. His production in the lower league might have been inflated by the fact that he's more physically developed than most of his counterparts, measuring 6'3", and 207lbs, but it may give hope of a bit more underlying skill than he's shown in the J20. His play earned him a game on AIK's Allsvenskan squad, but he was unable to produce.

The Sjoqvist of today is a stay-at-home minute-muncher who can move the puck and shutdown the opposing team's top players with his robust physical game. What sets him apart from other players of his ilk is his magnificent skating, made possible by his long, powerful stride coupled with his capacity to change speed and direction almost instantly, which provides him with top-quality gap control. He's intimidating and hard to play against, and he adds in a little nastiness to his physical game, with the odd elbow or crosscheck mixed in for good measure. He dominates the greasy areas and wins battles all over the ice with fiery competitiveness. In the J18, he pinches a lot, joins the rush, and contributes to his teams' offense, but he sticks to a much more conservative, defensive game in the J20. There, he makes mostly safe, simple plays, but hopefully has a more skilled, dynamic game lurking underneath the surface. As an added offensive weapon, he is endowed with a wicked shot that comes with power and accuracy, but his main proficiency is his heads-up breakout passes that kickstart the rush smoothly. Sjoqvist plays masterful defense, facilitated by his quickness and his abillity to close quick on opponents using his long wingspan and animated stick. He has a high level of awareness, and a keen ability to read and react to the play.

It is said that Sjoqvist's puck-skills are a bit lacking, which may be what limits his offensive potential, but all the other tools are there. He needs to scan better and make more sound decisions on his breakouts, as he can be a little predictable. If he can develop his offense, he could be a really interesting prospect, but right now, he looks like a bottom pairing defensive defenseman who can move the puck. Look for him in later rounds.

[TOfan]

Interesting mock draft this morning from the Athletic. They’ve got Lindstrom to the Flames after a run of D. Catton to the Habs at 5. Parekh to Seattle just ahead of the Flames. Tij goes to SJ at 14.

The one item that might seem a bit out there is Pronman has the BJ’s taking Yakumchuk at 4. Most drafts I’ve seen have him later. Pronman has been high on Yakumchuk since early this year.

If the Flames do land Lindstrom, that would be tremendous.

[Toonage]

Iggy loves Lindstrom apparently. If Tij was right there this is the one guy I could see them passing on him for.

[Samonadreau]

A healthy Lindstrom would be like getting a top 5 pick.

[Erick Estrada]

You have to wonder if the long term concerns about his injury have been manufactured by teams that want him to fall into their lap as this is the lying season where teams purposely leak that they love certain players to throw off other teams. I don't believe he's going to be available when the Flames pick. All we heard about Penix in the NFL draft was all the injury concerns due to his surgeries despite the fact he was healthy his last few seasons and then he gets picked in the top 10. Smoke and mirrors this time of year.

[Toonage]

We'll see where he's at (well, we won't but you get it) at the combine this weekend.

No hiding it there.

But perhaps like Bennett and that shoulder issue, teams will know this is recoverable and take the bet.

[Tbull8]

New Elite Prospects breakdown of Yakemchuk. Idk if I'd be happy to pass on some of the forwards at 9, but if we get another top 15 and he's there? Yes please

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

New Elite Prospects breakdown of Yakemchuk. Idk if I'd be happy to pass on some of the forwards at 9, but if we get another top 15 and he's there? Yes please

Have said multiple times would love to get a second pick walk out with catton/lindstrom + yak. However it sure wouldnt surprise to me to see yak taken ahead if some if the other big defenders in the top ten at all.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by TOfan

Interesting mock draft this morning from the Athletic. They’ve got Lindstrom to the Flames after a run of D. Catton to the Habs at 5. Parekh to Seattle just ahead of the Flames. Tij goes to SJ at 14.

The one item that might seem a bit out there is Pronman has the BJ’s taking Yakumchuk at 4. Most drafts I’ve seen have him later. Pronman has been high on Yakumchuk since early this year.

If the Flames do land Lindstrom, that would be tremendous.

I'll give 20-1 odds Tij doesn't last to 14