2024 Draft

[RasmusAndersson]

Really can’t complain about the results overall here. Not getting a C with actual top 6 upside, let alone 1C, feels like a failure. But I guess you can’t control how the board aligns with your list. I don’t hate any of the Parekh, Gridin, Basha, Battaglia, Mews, or Misa picks - based on my list roughly where they should have gone (or later). I can’t profess to know anything about the players selected after the Misa pick, though.

Of course I get the benefit of hindsight here, but this is what I would have done given what we know about where players ended up now. Ignoring possible signing issues that maybe put us off Buium. You get three F’s who have top 6 upside (one C, one LW, one RW), a D with high end 1 potential, a complete D with probably 3/4 potential, another D that is a wildcard after injuries but was thought to be an elite prospect just a few years ago, and a Russian F who is also a complete wildcard.

9 - Zeev Buium
28 - Igor Chernyshov
41 - Ryder Ritchie
62 - John Mustard
74 - Tarin Smith
84 - Melvin Fernstrom
106 - Aron Kiviharju
150 - Ilya Pautov (or Misa)

Will be interesting to look back on this and the actual haul in a few years, but they did fairly well finding value.

Agreed, a few choices I wouldn’t have made but pumped about this draft overall. We went for high potential offensive guys and we restocked our cupboards in a way we haven’t in at least a decade. Yes I would’ve loved a C in the first round, but can’t complain about going BPA and targeting that 1C at the top of the draft next year.

We’re stacked on D and on the wings now.

 

[Kipper933]

Best. Draft. Ever.

The Flames took the top or close to the top player on my list for many of the picks, and most of the other players picked I liked anyway. With the draft going as it did, I wish we had even more picks.

 

[BobColesNasalCavity]

Overall a good draft. Lots of high upside. Hope a couple of them work out.

 

[Kranix]

Wrong lore. I think it was Feaster.

Right. Feaster. Same story though I think

 

[Lunatik]

Conroy's Draft Wrap | Calgary Flames

GM on adding 'a lot more skill', free agency & more

www.nhl.com

Button's Draft Wrap | Calgary Flames

"Ecstatic ... totally happy"

www.nhl.com

Basha's Family & Friends | Calgary Flames

"It's good to have him back home - super excited"

www.nhl.com

Misa - 29.06.24 | Calgary Flames

"It's crazy how many people I'm gonna know"

www.nhl.com

1-on-1 Misa - 29.06.24 | Calgary Flames

"It's been a wild ride"

www.nhl.com

Mews - 29.06.24 | Calgary Flames

"It's going to be great for my development"

www.nhl.com

1-on-1 Mews - 29.06.24 | Calgary Flames

"It's going to be a great journey"

www.nhl.com

Battaglia - 29.06.24 | Calgary Flames

"Lot of emotions going on right now"

www.nhl.com

1-on-1 Battaglia - 29.06.24 | Calgary Flames

"Tells me that they believe in me"

www.nhl.com

Basha - 29.06.24 | Calgary Flames

"I love to play with speed"

www.nhl.com

1-on-1 Basha - 29.06.24 | Calgary Flames

"It's unbelievable to put on this sweater"

www.nhl.com

Behind The Scenes - Gridin | Calgary Flames

"Welcome to the Flames. We're happy to have you!"

www.nhl.com

Behind The Scenes - Parekh | Calgary Flames

From the draft floor to meeting up with his family

www.nhl.com

 

[Some Other Flame]

Conroy basically admitted they'd have taken Catton over Parekh

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

So you don't think the second best center in the draft was the guy to move up for? Catton is absolutely a C at the next level. His two way game is very strong. Much better than Lindstrom's. You've usually been a good poster, but you're all over the place on this draft.

Personally I’m not convinced Catton is a C, I think he’s very good though. Overall, I really like the draft. Seems like we went with skill and didn’t overthink things.

Maybe the trade was never there. Maybe Lindstrom doesn’t turn out to be a number one C. But he has the profile. And those are the guys the Flames should be prioritizing first of all, until they find one. We have a good scouting group but for whatever reason we just don’t pick Cs.

Maybe Zary and Pospisil can be Cs though which would be a huge development.

 

[Double Dion]

Personally I’m not convinced Catton is a C, I think he’s very good though. Overall, I really like the draft. Seems like we went with skill and didn’t overthink things.

Maybe the trade was never there. Maybe Lindstrom doesn’t turn out to be a number one C. But he has the profile. And those are the guys the Flames should be prioritizing first of all, until they find one. We have a good scouting group but for whatever reason we just don’t pick Cs.

Maybe Zary and Pospisil can be Cs though which would be a huge development.

I think your last sentence is a key one. I'm not sure Zary is a C or not. I'm sure Pospisil can do it if they decide they want him to.

FWIW, I think Catton is more likely to play C than Lindstrom by a wide margin. I see Catton as having a 80+ percent chance at being a C, where Lindstrom is 50/50. Lindstrom isn't strong in his own end at all. Catton is very good in his own end.

 

[Khrox]

I think your last sentence is a key one. I'm not sure Zary is a C or not. I'm sure Pospisil can do it if they decide they want him to.

I think Pospy is a C, but probably for a skill & grit third line (picture like the Hathaway/Ryan/Mangiapane line we had for a while. Skill, grit, defensively responsible).

We're going to be drafting too high to take Michael

He's (early projections) a top 5 guy. so like if we draft third or fourth, wouldn't be out of place.


Overall, I'm happy with the draft. The only one I am still bummed about is Silayev (Silayev was my #2 for the 9th pick after Catton, and I didn't even expect Silayev to make it that far). I see his floor as a top 4, with a ceiling being a top pair shut down guy who is dangerous enough offensively to at least force people to respect his shot (even if he would never normally be on the PP or considered and offensively gifted d-man).

 

[Backlund]

He's (early projections) a top 5 guy. so like if we draft third or fourth, wouldn't be out of place.

I think by the time the draft comes he won't be projected in the top 5 and maybe not even top 10 but it's still a year away so we'll see.

 

[algernon]

I really think we'll get atleast 2 Top 9 players out the below... and we're not done yet

Matvei Gridin
Andrew Basha
Luke Misa
Jacob Battaglia
Trev

 

[Fig]

Interesting draft. I liked it!

 

[Bounces R Way]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807308795997020651

 

[Lunatik]

Most of our GMs since 2003 have be cited as geniuses in the first couple/few years of their tenure and then became public enemy #1 in the last couple years of their tenure and hailed as terrible by the fanbase, despite more good years than bad..

So maybe we should take a step back from dishing out praise before we know how it's working out so we don't do the same to Connie

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Most of our GMs since 2003 have be cited as geniuses in the first couple/few years of their tenure and then became public enemy #1 in the last couple years of their tenure and hailed as terrible by the fanbase, despite more good years than bad..

So maybe we should take a step back from dishing out praise before we know how it's working out so we don't do the same to Connie

or maybe let people enjoy literally the one good thing happening to this franchise at the moment.?

 

[Lunatik]

or maybe let people enjoy literally the one good thing happening to this franchise at the moment.?

you can enjoy things without putting someone on a pedestal that they will definitely fall from one day

 

[Kranix]

you can enjoy things without putting someone on a pedestal that they will definitely fall from one day

I don't think conroy will be effected either way

 

[Rubi]

Only 4 Americans were drafted in the first round while 18 Canadian boys were picked. 4 Russians were also drafted. Overall the Flames drafted 8 Canadians and 2 Russians.

 

[Rubi]

Most drafts I end up being disappointed with a lot of our picks. This one's different.

 

[Khrox]

Most drafts I end up being disappointed with a lot of our picks. This one's different.

I think a big part of it this year, is even if you disagree with a pick or two, you can actively see the plan they're going for. Where before, there was some picks you loved, some picks you absolutely hated, but no real cohesive vision of what we were trying to go for.