2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Can the Situation Room in Toronto overturn a draft selection?

That is actually an interesting question.

The league has overturned draft selections of ineligible players in the past. Who exactly does that job?

[AustinL_NHL]

Originally Posted by Mephisto

This is about where I am at. Demidov we will have to see after interviewing (might want to stay in Russia awhile). Might add Dickinson and Levshunov to list as well.

If all these guys are gone would definitely look at Iginla - even over Catton and Lindstrom. Not convinced Catton or Lindstrom will be 1C. This team will have chances the next two drafts to get a 1C.

I know for certain the Flames were massively interested in Michkov at last years (they would've taken him at any point had they traded ahead of PHI) draft despite his KHL contract situation so I'm sure (or at least would hope) it wouldn't deter them from Demidov in a similar situation one year later.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (A Favorite of Mine Edition):

It has been a tumultuous season for the Windsor Spitfires, and not just because the team finished second-worst in the OHL, after finishing third overall in 2022-23 with a Division title and scoring the most goals as a team in the league, under then-coach Marc Savard. Jerrod Smith was named Head Coach after Savard departed the organization last summer, but was promptly fired four months into the 2023-24 season with the Spits in last place, leaving interim Head Coach Casey Torres in charge for the remainder of the season. One of the players that seemed to benefit from the coaching change was RHC A.J. Spellacy, one of my personal favorites, who put up only 13 points in the first 33 games of the current season, and didn't really look like a lock to picked in the 2024 NHL Draft. In the final 34 games however, he amassed 25 points for a total of 38 points in 67 games. He had 17 in his last 20, and 10 in his last 10, to boot. Spellacy was a football star back in his native USA, playing Free Safety and Wide Reciever, and turned down five NCAA Division 1 Football scholarships to sign with Windsor, and he surely would've had more if he had stayed back home for his final two years of High School. Spellacy was one of the final cuts from the USNTDP U-17 squad, and was Windsor's 3rd-round pick in the 2022 OHL Draft. Central Scouting rated him a "C" at the start of the season, pegging him as a potential 4th, or 5th-round pick. AJ took part in last summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup for Team USA, but could only manage 1 assist in 5 games.

Spellacy is a big power-forward, standing 6'3",195lbs, and is a true athlete with the drive to succeed, but he's still quite raw. One quality of his that is well-developed is his skating, as he's one of the fastest players in this year's draft crop. For a player his size, he's an elite skater who can cover an enormous swath of ice in a short time, and creates a ton of open space and time for himself to get into prime scoring areas. He makes his impression felt physically, and has a football player's mean streak. He plays a hard-nosed style, and drives opponents nuts with his tenaciousness, but he will also drop the gloves to defend himself or teammates. Spellacy is a good two-way player, and takes pride in his defensive game. He's one of Windsor's most reliable forwards, and has the speed and the wingspan to close on opponents fast, and to be disruptive. As with most true athletes, he is highly competitive, and brings energy to his team with his relentless motor. The most prominent offensive weapon in his arsenal is his finishing skills and his shot, which is hard and heavy. He has good hands around the net, and the 1-on-1 moves to beat goalies in-tight. Fans of the Spits say that he gets 2 or 3 breakaway chances per game, and some of those must be coming in man-down situations, as Spellacy is tied for 3rd in the OHL with 5 short-handed goals, which is almost 25% of his 21 goals on the season. In transition, he's highly effective using his quick lateral mobility to move around in traffic, and his enormous wingspan that gives him tight puck-protection.

Spellacy has been rocketing up the draft charts lately, so it's safe to say that NHL scouts have taken notice of his second-half production. If he doesn't develop as a scorer, Spellacy has the tools to be a bottom-6 energy player with penalty-killing duties in the NHL someday. He needs to work on his puck-skills and his playmaking, but I think he will open eyes next year in the OHL. I would be comfortable taking him in the second round, and I could see an NHL team doing the same, but I will say third round. Watch out for this kid.

[UKflames]

Why am I worried that history is about to repeat itself?

We select Tij Iginla, a winger, then spend his whole career complaining that we don't have a top end C to play with him, like we did with his father.

[Tbull8]

Originally Posted by UKflames

Why am I worried that history is about to repeat itself?

We select Tij Iginla, a winger, then spend his whole career complaining that we don't have a top end C to play with him, like we did with his father.

If tij has the career Jarome had I think we’ll be ok with it

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by UKflames

Why am I worried that history is about to repeat itself?

We select Tij Iginla, a winger, then spend his whole career complaining that we don't have a top end C to play with him, like we did with his father.

Assuming we pick 7-8th who's the top end C you want?

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Little Italy Edition):

It's hard not to like LHD Frankie Marrelli, a frequent partner for Henry Mews on the Ottawa 67's, who collected 25 points in 60 games this season, to go with 62 penalty-minutes, and a +30 that led the team by 14. In last summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Marrelli made a name for himself by being one of Team Canada's best defensemen- playing in all situations, eating up the minutes, and putting up 3 assists in 5 games. He was the 67's first-round pick, 21st overall in the 2022 OHL Draft, and currently has 3 points in 6 playoff games. The one true weakness in his profile is his size, at 5'11",185lbs, but nobody has told Marrelli.

Marrelli doesn't fit the profile of a below-average sized defenseman, as he's highly tenacious and competitive, hard to play against, and wields physicality. He doesn't back down, and is much stronger and tougher than his size would depict. He battles in the greasy areas, along the walls, and in front of the net like he was 6'2". He's a very strong skater, smooth and effortless with remarkable edgework, and moves well in all 4 directions. Marrelli has a good feel for the game, and processes quickly while staying calm and composed under pressure. He makes the right decisions with the puck consistently, with smart and efficient passes that are usually short, as he doesn't hold on to the puck for very long, relying mostly on quick touches. He can stretch the ice with a long-bomb on the breakout though, as he often jumpstarts the transition with a quality first-pass, and will hold on to the puck while teammates get open, even under duress. He will join the rush as an extra forward, and will pinch down on the weak side for dangerous shot opportunities. Marrelli has much more offensive potential than what his numbers show- he's got potential to QB a powerplay, and performs in all situations, including both sides of special teams.

Marrelli has good motor, and plays with energy and pace. He's a stifling rush-defender, who suffocates opponents with his exemplary gap control and positioning, and steps up with big hits on attackers early, often stopping rushes before they get to the blueline. He's effective 1-on-1 against larger players, and employs an active stick with an aggressive approach. He forces forecheckers to the boards and rubs them out, boxes opponents out from the net, and frustrates opponents with his tenacity. He shows anticipation and awareness in the way he knows where the play is going, and he reacts proactively. Off the puck, he's always in the right place at the right time to thwart plays in the defensive zone, or find open space to be playable, and recieve passes. There are plenty of questions about how his game will translate though, as he's not the ideal size to be a stay-at-home defender at the next level, and he hasn't put up the kind of numbers one would expect an offensive-defenseman to have. There are even some who question if playing with Mews has pumped up his numbers, but I would disagree. I think this is a player who takes off offensively in the OHL in the next two years. Look for him in the 4th round.

[Funkhouser]

Assuming we pick in the top 9, this is my order of preference for the Flames:

1 Celebrini
2 Levshunov
3 Demidov
4 Lindstrom
5 Dickinson / Iginla
6 Iginla / Dickinson
7 Catton
8 Helenius
9 Buium
10 Parekh

[Ba'alzamon]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Draft Thoughts (Little Italy Edition):

It's hard not to like LHD Frankie Marrelli, a frequent partner for Henry Mews on the Ottawa 67's, who collected 25 points in 60 games this season, to go with 62 penalty-minutes, and a +30 that led the team by 14. In last summer's Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Marrelli made a name for himself by being one of Team Canada's best defensemen- playing in all situations, eating up the minutes, and putting up 3 assists in 5 games. He was the 67's first-round pick, 21st overall in the 2022 OHL Draft, and currently has 3 points in 6 playoff games. The one true weakness in his profile is his size, at 5'11",185lbs, but nobody has told Marrelli.

Marrelli doesn't fit the profile of a below-average sized defenseman, as he's highly tenacious and competitive, hard to play against, and wields physicality. He doesn't back down, and is much stronger and tougher than his size would depict. He battles in the greasy areas, along the walls, and in front of the net like he was 6'2". He's a very strong skater, smooth and effortless with remarkable edgework, and moves well in all 4 directions. Marrelli has a good feel for the game, and processes quickly while staying calm and composed under pressure. He makes the right decisions with the puck consistently, with smart and efficient passes that are usually short, as he doesn't hold on to the puck for very long, relying mostly on quick touches. He can stretch the ice with a long-bomb on the breakout though, as he often jumpstarts the transition with a quality first-pass, and will hold on to the puck while teammates get open, even under duress. He will join the rush as an extra forward, and will pinch down on the weak side for dangerous shot opportunities. Marrelli has much more offensive potential than what his numbers show- he's got potential to QB a powerplay, and performs in all situations, including both sides of special teams.

Marrelli has good motor, and plays with energy and pace. He's a stifling rush-defender, who suffocates opponents with his exemplary gap control and positioning, and steps up with big hits on attackers early, often stopping rushes before they get to the blueline. He's effective 1-on-1 against larger players, and employs an active stick with an aggressive approach. He forces forecheckers to the boards and rubs them out, boxes opponents out from the net, and frustrates opponents with his tenacity. He shows anticipation and awareness in the way he knows where the play is going, and he reacts proactively. Off the puck, he's always in the right place at the right time to thwart plays in the defensive zone, or find open space to be playable, and recieve passes. There are plenty of questions about how his game will translate though, as he's not the ideal size to be a stay-at-home defender at the next level, and he hasn't put up the kind of numbers one would expect an offensive-defenseman to have. There are even some who question if playing with Mews has pumped up his numbers, but I would disagree. I think this is a player who takes off offensively in the OHL in the next two years. Look for him in the 4th round.

Not to be confused with Luca Marrelli, who is also draft eligible.

[Enoch Root]

Bingo: how about a ranking poll (like the prospect polls) to determine CP's top 12 list, leading up to the draft?

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by Mephisto

This is about where I am at. Demidov we will have to see after interviewing (might want to stay in Russia awhile). Might add Dickinson and Levshunov to list as well.

The most common belief is that Demidov is being held out of KHL games due to his refusal to sign a three year extension (like Michkov) to stay in Russia. His agent has confirmed that Demidov's intention is to come to NA as soon as his current contract expires (1 more year).

The interesting thing to note here is that Dan Milstein is his agent, and that's a guy that Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames are incredibly familiar with having eight clients of his signed to the organization already.

[Bingo]

Updated draft rankings ...

Flames Pick at 8

6 Berkly Catton C 7.09
7 Cayden Lindstrom C 7.27
8 Zayne Parekh D 8.91
9 Zeev Buium D 9.18
10 Cole Eiserman LW 9.27

Flames pick at 28th

Nikita Artamonov LW 28.63
Terik Parascak RW 29.44
Jett Luchanko C 29.50
E.J. Emery D 31.11
Henry Mews D 31.38

[Bingo]

Overall Rankings ...

Macklin Celebrini C 1.00

Ivan Demidov RW 2.91

Artyom Levshunov D 4.27

Sam Dickinson D 5.82
Anton Silayev D 6.00

Berkly Catton C 7.09
Cayden Lindstrom C 7.27

Zayne Parekh D 8.91
Zeev Buium D 9.18
Cole Eiserman LW 9.27

Konsta Helenius C 10.91
Carter Yakemchuk D 11.18

Tij Iginla C 12.91
Liam Greentree RW 13.09

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Bingo: how about a ranking poll (like the prospect polls) to determine CP's top 12 list, leading up to the draft?

Top 12 meaning top 12 based on who we think will be there? Or top 12 from top to 12 in case they win the lottery?

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Top 12 meaning top 12 based on who we think will be there? Or top 12 from top to 12 in case they win the lottery?

Our voted ranking of a CP top 12. Could probably skip round 1 and give it to Celebrini, then vote the next 11 rounds.

COuld finish it with a wildcard, off-the-board vote

Would be fun.

[Enoch Root]

I suggested 12 because that is as late as we are likely to pick. Probably somewhere between 8 and 11.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Top 12 meaning top 12 based on who we think will be there? Or top 12 from top to 12 in case they win the lottery?

Sorry, for clarity...

A series of polls to vote for who we would pick if we had #1, then if we had #2, then #3, etc... through to 12 (or wherever you want to stop)

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

If tij has the career Jarome had I think we’ll be ok with it

That is pretty damn unlikely and that is why I have reservations about the kid playing in Calgary, people are going to set the bar ridiculously high for him.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

The most common belief is that Demidov is being held out of KHL games due to his refusal to sign a three year extension (like Michkov) to stay in Russia. His agent has confirmed that Demidov's intention is to come to NA as soon as his current contract expires (1 more year).

The interesting thing to note here is that Dan Milstein is his agent, and that's a guy that Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames are incredibly familiar with having eight clients of his signed to the organization already.

If Demidov is still there when the Flames pick you freakin sprint up to the podium to make that pick!

[UKflames]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

#### it. We’re winning the lottery. This league owes us.

Originally Posted by Tbull8

If tij has the career Jarome had I think we’ll be ok with it

You mean lots of points but no Stanley Cups