2024 NHL Draft Thread

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I can’t just leave Erick Estrada/ Cobra twisting in the wind by themselves on this one:

First of all, I respect everyone’s opinions immensely in here, but in the eyes of a scout, comparing Wolf to Wallstedt is like comparing a new Camaro to a Lamborghini. Wolf may turn out to be the better goalie in the end, but there’s not a GM in the league that would take Wolf over Wally right now. One of the reasons we love Wolfie so much, is that he’s an underdog.

One of the biggest mistakes of Yzerman’s career was passing up Wally for Cossa. Normally, I would put Askarov in the same category as Wallstedt, but he looks more and more like a headcase.

The same could be said about Johnny Gaudreau, how many teams would have given him a chance? We are just lucky to have an opportunity to have Wolf so no comparisons really matter at this point. I'm pretty sure a majority of the GM'S wouldn't have given Johnny Gaudreau the same opportunity to Flames did. He still turned out to be a fantastic player. Like Johnny, one just has to look at Wolf's accomplishments to see that it is worth taking a chance on him.

A guy like Wolf who's used to winning and overcoming the odds, I bet he's annoyed at every loss he's had as a Calgary Flame.

100% agree, the underdog tag will probably just add to his motivation.

[Solstice]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I can’t just leave Erick Estrada/ Cobra twisting in the wind by themselves on this one:

First of all, I respect everyone’s opinions immensely in here, but in the eyes of a scout, comparing Wolf to Wallstedt is like comparing a new Camaro to a Lamborghini. Wolf may turn out to be the better goalie in the end, but there’s not a GM in the league that would take Wolf over Wally right now. One of the reasons we love Wolfie so much, is that he’s an underdog.

One of the biggest mistakes of Yzerman’s career was passing up Wally for Cossa. Normally, I would put Askarov in the same category as Wallstedt, but he looks more and more like a headcase.

Can you clarify by headcase? lol

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Thanks for this! I haven’t heard of this kid yet, but he’s already dominating the J18 league, and leading the scoring by a whopping 34 points! Already the best season EVER in that league, with 98 points! Unbelievable.

I’m going to keep my eye out for him, thanks again.

No worries, definitely one to keep an eye on here even though its tough.
Hes... wow

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Solstice

Can you clarify by headcase? lol

Might have been an unfair comment. He's an extremely "colorful" personality, likes to showboat, etc, but it seems to me that in his junior career at least, he seemed unstable in the net, and was easily rattled, which would lead to his game imploding.

In the latest issue of THN's Future Watch, they rank Askarov as the 8th best prospect in the NHL, with Wallstedt ranked 16th, and Wolf ranked 36th. Not that THN knows what they're talking about any more- they have the Flames ranked 20th in terms of prospect base, with a grade of C+.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Royle9

No worries, definitely one to keep an eye on here even though its tough.
Hes... wow

Only 5'8", but plenty of time to grow. Not every prospect breaks records!

[sch19lks]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

THere is a very large gap between those 2 definitions.

If A refers to blue chippers and elite prospects, then B should refer to top 6ers, not middle 6ers.

Fair point, I probably should have expanded on my definition of an A prospect. First liner, top pairing D. I’m also a little bit weird because I consider second and third liners to be interchangeable to a degree. To me, there’s clear first liners and clear fourth liners. Then there’s all the guys in between

[FiveSeven]

Wolf is 6'0 yeah?
Has outplayed almost every goalie that is taller at every level except NHL.
That kinda tells me that his size isn't a huge issue, no?
Kid is a gamer but people will grasp at the obvious straws at every opportunity befit to their biases.
I have absolute faith and optimism until a proven wrong over a prolonged outing.

[timbit]

Historically, Flames have one undersized player who should be in the Hall of Flame, Theo. 5’6”

One , who should be and is …..Mike Vernon. 5’7”

[dissentowner]

I have heard rumblings that lead me to believe that Jarome would prefer if the Flames did not draft his son. If he is the best player on the board I think they would but from what I can gather he is concerned about Tij trying to live up to the expectations that would be placed on him in Calgary. sounds like he wants his son to make his own legacy somewhere.

[AustinL_NHL]

Boooooo.

Draft him anyway!!!

[sch19lks]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I have heard rumblings that lead me to believe that Jarome would prefer if the Flames did not draft his son. If he is the best player on the board I think they would but from what I can gather he is concerned about Tij trying to live up to the expectations that would be placed on him in Calgary. sounds like he wants his son to make his own legacy somewhere.

Makes sense honestly.

The pressure on Iggy Jr would be huge in Calgary

[AustinL_NHL]

Makes sense, but also an insane potential legacy he'd be missing out on. Especially the idea of playing his career with Joe in Calgary under their dad.

That would be a #### ton of FOMO for me personally, but it's a big decision for sure.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

It is quite funny that even in a "down year" that Wolf has the second best save percentage in the AHL for an U-23 goaltender behind only Devon Levi.

If you look at Wolf, Wallstedt, and Askaraov who tend to be mentioned as the three best goalie prospects.

Wolf: 127 GP - .927 Save Percentage
Askarov: 81 GP - .912 Save Percentage
Wallstedt: 73 GP - .907 Save Percentage

Doesn't guarantee anything of course...and his size will always be a knock against him at the NHL level...but the guy is the best performing U-23 goalie in the World. And I'm not sure there is much debate against that.

Maybe it doesn't translate to the NHL level, maybe it does, but he's absolutely an A Goalie Prospect.

And what sets Wolf apart is his ability to win!

Wolf AHL
95W - 30L - 9T

Other teammates
31W - 24L - 8T

I won't look up history but no other goalie in many many years has that kind of disparity from his teammates, certainly not Wallstedt or Askarov

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (TP for my Bunghole Edition):

It will be interesting to see where RHD Tory Pitner is picked in this year's draft, as he's got a fairly good resume and might be a little underrated. Pitner was picked 17th overall in the 2021 WHL US Draft by the Edmonton Oil Kings, but wisely waited until 2022 to be chosen 9th overall in the USHL Draft by the Youngstown Phantoms, the team he won a Championship with in 2023. This season, Pitner is wearing the "A" for Youngstown, and plays on the top-pairing with Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick Andrew Strathmann, and is currently 19th in league scoring by defensemen, with 23 points in 44 games, to go with 52 penalty-minutes. He also served as Captain for Team USA's entry in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, and lead them to a bronze medal, but only managed 1 assist in 5 games.

Pitner is an all-situations defenseman, getting time on the penalty-killing unit for the Phantoms, but he doesn't get many powerplay minutes. The 6'1",183lb defender has excellent mobility, but his skating is not really elite in any way- his lateral mobility is good enough to sidestep pressure, and he skates backwards quite well, keeping a tight gap on attackers. He shoots hard and heavy from the point, getting it through layers of traffic, and can fake those shots to slap-pass to teammates on the doorstep for high-danger opportunities. There's a good selection of shots in his arsenal, and they all come with a nice, quick release. Pitner will pinch to the net off the rush with the puck, or following as the trailer, and will not hesitate to activate to the low slot from the point if he sees an opportunity. His vision and IQ may not be elite, but they are good enough to give him the ability to spot developing opportunities for teammates through a crowd, and the patience to hold on to the puck until he can open a seam to pass through. He carries a fair amount of puck-skill and playmaking ability, and can connect on difficult passes, even cross-ice, or through traffic, and his skating and anticipation give him time and space to execute. He's a quality puck-mover, and is outstanding in transition, which is one of his specialties- he makes smooth, effortless retrievals, and then quarterbacks the play up the ice with sharp passing, or by carrying it out himself with speed.

Pitner plays a robust physical game, and hits hard. He's rugged, and has no problem getting his nose dirty while winning battles in the greasy areas. He competes hard, has good character, and is a leader- the letters on his various jerseys would attest to that. He's an excellent defensive player, always on the right side of the puck with strong positioning and awareness, and employs a smart stick to disrupt plays. He's good at boxing attackers out of the net-front area, and drives forecheckers to the outside. These are good skills for him to have, as his defense and puck-moving ability will likely be his bread and butter at the next level. Still, he could stand to further develop his offense, even though his numbers are fairly good, and though his decision-making has improved vastly over where it was last year, he still needs work as he can sometimes try to do too much, forcing ill-advised passes. TP is committed to the U of Denver, after de-committing to UMass. Look for him in the 3rd, or 4th round.

[Snuffleupagus]

There's lots to like about Pitner, being a right shot coupled with really nice skating ability he may not last past round 3.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

There's lots to like about Pitner, being a right shot coupled with really nice skating ability he may not last past round 3.

I think you're right. I changed the last line from "4th, or 5th round", to "3rd, or 4th round".

[Royle9]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

I have heard rumblings that lead me to believe that Jarome would prefer if the Flames did not draft his son. If he is the best player on the board I think they would but from what I can gather he is concerned about Tij trying to live up to the expectations that would be placed on him in Calgary. sounds like he wants his son to make his own legacy somewhere.

That’s too bad, I get it to an extent but he’s going to be something special like his dad.. and to miss because dad said no just seems wrong

[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by Royle9

That’s too bad, I get it to an extent but he’s going to be something special like his dad.. and to miss because dad said no just seems wrong

Personally I think he would thrive under pressure and he is not a player that would likely later look to play in the US. He would likely be a leader and driver on the Flames.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I can’t just leave Erick Estrada/ Cobra twisting in the wind by themselves on this one:

First of all, I respect everyone’s opinions immensely in here, but in the eyes of a scout, comparing Wolf to Wallstedt is like comparing a new Camaro to a Lamborghini. Wolf may turn out to be the better goalie in the end, but there’s not a GM in the league that would take Wolf over Wally right now. One of the reasons we love Wolfie so much, is that he’s an underdog.

One of the biggest mistakes of Yzerman’s career was passing up Wally for Cossa. Normally, I would put Askarov in the same category as Wallstedt, but he looks more and more like a headcase.

For whatever it's worth I googled Best Goalie prospects and a list came up from The Hockey Writers, written March 4th. Wallstedt was 4th, Wolf was 2nd, Askarov 1st.

Dustin Wolf stopped being an underdog and became a legitimate NHL prospect pretty quickly after his draft. Can only speak to myself but this isn't a Matthew Philips situation where we hope the plucky guy makes it, the guy is a top NHL prospect. Draft position only matters the day of the draft, after that it means jack squat.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by timbit

Historically, Flames have one undersized player who should be in the Hall of Flame, Theo. 5’6”

One , who should be and is …..Mike Vernon. 5’7”

Mike Vernon was an underdized goalie but he was not only an inch taller than Theo. The Flames list of Hall of Flames players small as well but still includes smaller guys like Joe Mullen and yes Grant Fuhr