2024 Draft - Overagers to watch

[STL fan in MN]

Jere Lassila? In every world tournament he is in people talk about him like he'd be a top 100 pick but he's been passed over I think twice now.

Same.

I watched a couple JYP games to watch Pulkkinen and instead noticed Lassila. Then realized he was the same guy that impressed me in the WJC. Finland’s captain and put the team on his back. That OT goal to knock out the Slovaks in the QF was . He’s 19 and already wearing an A for his Liiga team. I don’t know much about him but that certainly suggests some high leadership characteristics. He’s only 5’10” but I see no reason to not throw a mid to late round flyer at him. Could see him filling a 3 or 4C role in the NHL eventually.

 

[gritdash60]

Same.

I watched a couple JYP games to watch Pulkkinen and instead noticed Lassila. Then realized he was the same guy that impressed me in the WJC. Finland’s captain and put the team on his back. That OT goal to knock out the Slovaks in the QF was . He’s 19 and already wearing an A for his Liiga team. I don’t know much about him but that certainly suggests some high leadership characteristics. He’s only 5’10” but I see no reason to not throw a mid to late round flyer at him. Could see him filling a 3 or 4C role in the NHL eventually.

Lassila has been developing nicely but i dont see him in the NHL. If i have to pick one overager from Finland its Jesse Pulkkinen, same team as Lassila but a giant of a defender, who has bigger chance to be a impact player in the NHL for me. Lassila has the attitude and physique, but i think he is too small for the style of play he does.

I mean there are outliers, but i dont see a 178cm center without exceptional skills even sniffing NHL, it's sad but true.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Lassila has been developing nicely but i dont see him in the NHL. If i have to pick one overager from Finland its Jesse Pulkkinen, same team as Lassila but a giant of a defender, who has bigger chance to be a impact player in the NHL for me. Lassila has the attitude and physique, but i think he is too small for the style of play he does.

I mean there are outliers, but i dont see a 178cm center without exceptional skills even sniffing NHL, it's sad but true.

Oh, I’d definitely take Pulkkinen much earlier but just saying Lassila stood out to me.

He reminds me of Vladi Sobotka. Or a Noel Acciari type. Those guys aren’t exceptionally skilled.

 

[emptyNedder]

He reminds me of Vladi Sobotka. Or a Noel Acciari type. Those guys aren’t exceptionally skilled.

I think Lassila could be as effective as Derek Ryan or maybe even Pius Suter. But still agree with gritdash that he is not likely to get the opportunity.

 

[Hossa]

I'm not sure what your expectations are for mid-late round picks.

Swedish Sebastian Aho went 139th overall in 2017. In the last 78 picks of that draft after Aho, there are two players who have had (marginally) better NHL careers – Morgan Barron and Nick Perbix. All 3 are depth players.

NYI got literally a 95th percentile result out of that pick and 7 years later they still have a serviceable NHL player on their roster for that 5th round pick. And you think they wouldn’t make that pick again?

Likewise Nuutivara was a 7th round pick and Columbus got basically 3 years of regular roster play out of it from a guy on an ELC. Great result, until they gave him a $10 million contract.

Nobody is getting big hits out of the last 4 rounds of the draft. They’re basically irrelevant and if the NHL eliminated rounds 4-7 tomorrow, nothing would really change. As a draft watcher I love following them and tracking players but I can separate ‘I enjoy this and find it interesting’ from ‘this actually matters’.

And if you get a cheap depth player from a 5th? That’s a nice little win and every GM would take that in a heartbeat.

I don't fully agree, and even 2017 is a good example of where rounds four and five can yield real value. Perhaps after Aho there wasn't much, but in the round and a half before, players like Swayman, Batherson, Noah Cates and Mikey Anderson all went. But I do think you're right that NHL teams are being more assertive in selecting players they feel have significant upside earlier in the draft, even if they're raw, and as a result there are fewer players with toolsy upside later in the draft.

Mason Lohrei is a good example. The public sphere scoffed at that pick, and in a different era perhaps Boston doesn't take him in the late second, but they identified a player with a couple specific traits suggesting impactful upside and they went for him. That approach pushes players that are more likely to be depth fodder down the draft, even players that might pick up some points in the league on a bottom feeder team. And then every year a bunch of people in the public sphere are surprised when the seventh round is littered with borderline unknowns while the Peter Reynolds of the world slide right out of the draft.

So I agree, if teams can use those mid round picks to fill out the bottom of their roster on the cheap, there's definite wisdom in that. In that sense, I understand why a team like Ottawa would take a Mark Kastelic in the fourth round, knowing the skating and skill probably don't give him a ton of upside, but as a D+2 with size, face-off ability and some finish, he has a relatively easy and short pathway to being a fourth line centre. Of course with Ottawa it makes even more sense given their appalling track record in pro scouting, but that's another story.

 

[Brock]

Sunday Top 10 - 2024 NHL Draft Re-Entries

It's that time of the year for my annual ( 2023 , 2022 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018 , 2017 , 2016 , 2015 , 2014 , 2013 , 2012 , 2011 , ...

ohlprospects.blogspot.com

My annual look at the top re-entries from the OHL.

 

[TopC0rner]

He's not talked about much, but I think Brayden Edwards may be worth a look in the later rounds

 

[Nevins]

Antonin Verreault

He exploded this year. 40 points more than the second point scorer for his club. But he's small...

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Ethan Whitcomb is an intriguing '04 forward for me.

NHL Draft Class was discussing two of his Muskegon Lumberjacks teammates and in looking at their numbers I noticed that Whitcomb improved every season. He was in development camps with Arizona and Toronto the past two summers.

He is headed to the University of Connecticut and his size makes him an interesting long range prospect.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

Overagers.

Sing it loud. Sing it proud.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I believe two former Duck draftees are going back into the draft in 22-year old C/RW Ben King and 19-year C/LW Connor Hvidston. Both are from the 2022 draft. King was drafted in the 4th round and Hvidston in the 5th round. Hvidston won't turn 20 until early Sept. Curious where Hvidston might be drafted in his re-draft.

 

[uncleben]

I believe two former Duck draftees are going back into the draft in 22-year old C/RW Ben King and 19-year C/LW Connor Hvidston. Both are from the 2022 draft. King was drafted in the 4th round and Hvidston in the 5th round. Hvidston won't turn 20 until early Sept. Curious where Hvidston might be drafted in his re-draft.

King was drafted as overager already in 2022 and is too old for the draft

Hvidston will be going back in and is arguably the most interesting name of the potential re-draftees


Which, in no particular order, are:

Jake Karabela (C)
Brandon Lisowsky (LW)
Landon Sim (C)
Nolan Collins (RD)
Cedrick Guindon (LW)
Servac Petrovsky (C)
Tnias Mathurin (LD)
Mats Lindgren (LD)
Reid Dyck (G)
Connor Hvidston (LW)

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Jan Kavan (July 2005, Czech goalie) definitely one to watch

 

[NotProkofievian]

Has Noah Powell been mentioned? I just noticed the stat line but does anyone have an opinion of him?

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Nhl.com's Mike Morreale looks at nine players passed over in 2023.

2024 Draft: Prospects passed over in 2023 | NHL.com

Romani, Nabokov among 2024 NHL Draft prospects passed over in 2023

www.nhl.com

 

[Hollel]

I’m gonna bet Blake Montgomery will be towards the top of first overages picked this year

 

[neelynugs]

Has Noah Powell been mentioned? I just noticed the stat line but does anyone have an opinion of him?

like him in middle of draft. really impressive year. only saw him 2-3 times but like his skating ability for a powerful kid with
some nice hands. good shot, will mix it up. allegedly an excellent young man too.

I’m gonna bet Blake Montgomery will be towards the top of first overages picked this year

he's really underrated. the size/skating combo is nice and he did most of his damage at EV.

 

[SergeConstantin74]

He exploded this year. 40 points more than the second point scorer for his club. But he's small...

And has disappeared in the playoffs for the past two years.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Isaac Gordon, Max Koskipirtti, Chase Pietila of Michigan Tech worth keeping an eye on. Ben Robertson of Cornell and Matt DiMarsico of Penn State as well

 

[MTU34]

Isaac Gordon, Max Koskipirtti, Chase Pietila of Michigan Tech worth keeping an eye on.

As someone who watched every game these 3 played, I agree that they’d all warrant consideration (even as double OA’s).

Gordon has an nhl shot and is an absolute puck hound. Phenomenal work ethic on and off the ice too.

Pietila doesn’t really have any standout traits but he has a projectable frame and is an adequate puck mover and reliable in his own zone (our all situations number 1 as a 19 year old which is VERY rare at Tech)

Koskipirtti is extremely shifty and is a reliable two way player. Shot needs to get better if he’s going to be a legitimate offensive threat at the next level. Least likely of the 3 to get picked (or have an nhl career)

 

[Hockeyville USA]

As someone who watched every game these 3 played, I agree that they’d all warrant consideration (even as double OA’s).

Gordon has an nhl shot and is an absolute puck hound. Phenomenal work ethic on and off the ice too.

Pietila doesn’t really have any standout traits but he has a projectable frame and is an adequate puck mover and reliable in his own zone (our all situations number 1 as a 19 year old which is VERY rare at Tech)

Koskipirtti is extremely shifty and is a reliable two way player. Shot needs to get better if he’s going to be a legitimate offensive threat at the next level. Least likely of the 3 to get picked (or have an nhl career)

Gordon went from Manitoba minor hockey in his 17 year old season to decent 18 year old season as a rookie in the USHL for a shitty Sioux Falls team, to team leading scorer as a NCAA freshman in his 19 year old season. I know the CCHA isn't the greatest, but man, that's some awesome later bloomer production jump over a 3 year span.

 

[MTU34]

Gordon went from Manitoba minor hockey in his 17 year old season to decent 18 year old season as a rookie in the USHL for a shitty Sioux Falls team, to team leading scorer as a NCAA freshman in his 19 year old season. I know the CCHA isn't the greatest, but man, that's some awesome later bloomer production jump over a 3 year span.

Definitely a down year for the conference but he was absolutely phenomenal. Exceeded my wildest expectations for this season. Great kid too. Probably going to be our captain at some point (assuming we manage to hold on to him)

 

[UpsideHockey]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1800704712418992233

 

[Kipper933]

My top-10 overagers for this year:

1) Jesse Pulkkinen
2) Ondrej Becher
3) Anthony Romani
4) Ilya Nabokov
5) Patrick Geary
6) Noah Powell
7) Jiri Tichacek
8) Dominik Rymon
9) Quinn Mantei
10) Pavel Moysevich

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Ethan Whitcomb is an intriguing '04 forward for me.

NHL Draft Class was discussing two of his Muskegon Lumberjacks teammates and in looking at their numbers I noticed that Whitcomb improved every season. He was in development camps with Arizona and Toronto the past two summers.

He is headed to the University of Connecticut and his size makes him an interesting long range prospect.

Two Lumberjack teammates selected in the first round. Scouts had plenty of time to see him play this season.