2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Yes, which is why he is going at the top of the draft.

Weird, I know

Taking an injury prone player because he is big is how you go backwards in a rebuild.

Weird

[Flames_F.T.W]

Originally Posted by D as in David

Have you got a link or two to these reads you can share?

https://theathletic.com/5435518/2024...024-nhl-draft/

It's The Athletic so there's a paywall unfortunately

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Taking an injury prone player because he is big is how you go backwards in a rebuild.

Weird

They already did that with Honzek

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Flames_F.T.W

https://theathletic.com/5435518/2024...024-nhl-draft/

It's The Athletic so there's a paywall unfortunately

Fun fact, if you use reader mode on your phone it lets you read some sites

[RedHawk12]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Those players are rare and go right at the top of the draft.

I’d rather spend picks on a Johnny Gaudreau and Adam Fox than junk like Keegan Kanzig and Hunter Smith because they are big.

It’s that type of thinking that holds teams back.

The point of drafting big players like Honzek and Stromgren is that you're hoping they turn into Rantanen or Thompson - ie. Big skilled guys that just need to figure out how to put it all together. They have just as much of a chance to turn out as smaller guys like Gaudreau and Fox, except when they do turn out, they are better players because they have size.

[Sandman]

You can’t ice a team of gnomes, especially in the playoffs- it won’t matter how skilled they are, they will get killed. You can afford to carry a few smaller guys, but you have to surround them with some beef. I’m not necessarily talking about 6’5” and over, either. Hockey is a contact sport, and until that changes- size, strength, and truculence will matter, like it or not. Scouts and GM’s would agree with me, look at every trade deadline.

Skill and speed are obviously the most important, but you can’t sacrifice size.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Sandman

You can’t ice a team of gnomes, especially in the playoffs- it won’t matter how skilled they are, they will get killed. You can afford to carry a few smaller guys, but you have to surround them with some beef. I’m not necessarily talking about 6’5” and over, either. Hockey is a contact sport, and until that changes- size, strength, and truculence will matter, like it or not. Scouts and GM’s would agree with me, look at every trade deadline.

Skill and speed are obviously the most important, but you can’t sacrifice size.

The Flames have sacrificed speed and skill in the name of size.

Honzek is different. He’s big and can move with skill, but injuries are piling up.

The playoffs are not as physical as people say. It’s still about speed. A lot of the game is about gaps, angles and good stick work now and less running people into the boards.

Just look at Winnipeg you get a team over focused on trying to make hits and it plays and a team with blazing speed and skill are overwhelming them.

Tampa and Vegas built big backends with more skill upfront and won. Colorado is harder to replicate as they are a special team with the speed, size and skill.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by RedHawk12

The point of drafting big players like Honzek and Stromgren is that you're hoping they turn into Rantanen or Thompson - ie. Big skilled guys that just need to figure out how to put it all together. They have just as much of a chance to turn out as smaller guys like Gaudreau and Fox, except when they do turn out, they are better players because they have size.

Thompson is on his 3ed team when he figured it out but had a 40 point regression. Rantanen is a top 10 pick.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

The Flames have sacrificed speed and skill in the name of size.

Honzek is different. He’s big and can move with skill, but injuries are piling up.

The playoffs are not as physical as people say. It’s still about speed. A lot of the game is about gaps, angles and good stick work now and less running people into the boards.

Just look at Winnipeg you get a team over focused on trying to make hits and it plays and a team with blazing speed and skill are overwhelming them.

Tampa and Vegas built big backends with more skill upfront and won. Colorado is harder to replicate as they are a special team with the speed, size and skill.

You can’t sacrifice speed and skill. The playoffs are about speed, but there’s still less room out there, and the physicality amps up, along with the 50/50 battles. You still need plenty of size and grit. Like I said, ask any GM in the league.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Sandman

You can’t sacrifice speed and skill. The playoffs are about speed, but there’s still less room out there, and the physicality amps up, along with the 50/50 battles. You still need plenty of size and grit. Like I said, ask any GM in the league.

I’ve tried but they don’t return my calls.

I forgot to add. It’s also a heavy special teams league. We saw first hand what a terrible PP can do to a team.

If we had a half decent PP, this team might be in the playoffs.

I don’t see that changing. Especially with a generation of players idolizing the diving twins up north.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Sandman

You can’t sacrifice speed and skill. The playoffs are about speed, but there’s still less room out there, and the physicality amps up, along with the 50/50 battles. You still need plenty of size and grit. Like I said, ask any GM in the league.

I still think size is overrated when selecting high. I don’t think you can a team of 5’9 guys but I think most teams would be better off by staying away from the 6’3 or taller crowd with high picks. I’m not sure if it is a speed thing but Rantanen is the only tall guy who has consistently put up points.
You need size but can get it from complimentary players.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I still think size is overrated when selecting high. I don’t think you can a team of 5’9 guys but I think most teams would be better off by staying away from the 6’3 or taller crowd with high picks. I’m not sure if it is a speed thing but Rantanen is the only tall guy who has consistently put up points.
You need size but can get it from complimentary players.

When I say “size”, I don’t necessarily mean guys who are 6’3” or bigger, because you’re right- in terms of forwards, there aren’t many top-6 players that are that big. I doubt there are more players in the league who are 5’10” or less too. The sweet spot is between 6 feet and 6’2”. I guess that means size as compared to the average human, not the average NHLer.

Plus, I think you still need a bit of beef in your top-6. A line of players who were 5’9” wouldn’t get very far. You need guys who can fold the pastries, but you also need guys who can grill the steaks.

[Paulie Walnuts]

I think most teams average is 6’0 to 6’2 the 6’3 is rare.

Rantanen is a special player. He’s big fast and unbelievably skilled. It’s why the Colorado model is hard to duplicate. They have some rare players like him Mackinnon and Makar who might be the best skater I’ve ever seen.

I think committing to a larger defence is easier because those guys are usually bigger, and sprinkle in a couple of Aj Greer types in the forward groups.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

I think most teams average is 6’0 to 6’2 the 6’3 is rare.

Rantanen is a special player. He’s big fast and unbelievably skilled. It’s why the Colorado model is hard to duplicate. They have some rare players like him Mackinnon and Makar who might be the best skater I’ve ever seen.

I think committing to a larger defence is easier because those guys are usually bigger, and sprinkle in a couple of Aj Greer types in the forward groups.

I think there’s a very limited number of players 5’10” and under, and I would wager there’s more 6’2 and bigger. I agree though, most top line guys arent giants.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I think there’s a very limited number of players 5’10” and under, and I would wager there’s more 6’2 and bigger. I agree though, most top line guys arent giants.

Yeah I think it depends on what people mean by size.

I’m talking about not wasting picks on guys like Kanzig and Hunter Smith. I’d rather take a swing at home runs like an Adam Fox or Oliver Kylington.

It’s not like these scouts haven’t found these guys.

It feels like they make a great pick but fall into a trap of oh no he’s 5’10 we need to average it out let’s take someone 6’7.

A bunch of impact and good complimentary former Flames are playing right now