GDT: 2024 NHL Draft (June 28 - June 29, Las Vegas Sphere)

[Langway]

I'd still consider Hage if available. They can move other pieces around if need be. Could trade Strome down the line given his contract in what's to be a further inflated landscape soon enough. Or at least initially put Hage at RW. Lots of options.

If this is any indication as to their risk tolerance this off-season then perhaps it ups the chances of a Connelly or Greentree pick. I'm not sure I'd read that much into it...but certainly they've got some urgency trying to add higher-end younger players one way or another. Still think that most likely results in trying to move up a bit...but we'll see if anyone's interested.

 

[Holtbyisms]

I'd still consider Hage if available. They can move other pieces around if need be. Could trade Strome down the line given his contract in what's to be a further inflated landscape soon enough. Or at least initially put Hage at RW. Lots of options.

If this is any indication as to their risk tolerance this off-season then perhaps it ups the chances of a Connelly or Greentree pick. I'm not sure I'd read that much into it...but certainly they've got some urgency trying to add higher-end younger players one way or another. Still think that most likely results in trying to move up a bit...but we'll see if anyone's interested.

You gotta think of they're going up it's for offense from the blue line now, right? The mocks this years are all over the freaking place and a lot of them have some pretty offensively gifted D guys getting within a few picks of us. Can't sit on your hands there unless the asking prices are outrageous. What's it going to take to go from 17 to 13-15? I'd hope one of the 2nds next year would be plenty but I guess we'll see.

 

[hb13xchamps]

Best player available, period. You can always move guys if need be.

 

[pman25]

Best player available, period. You can always move guys if need be.

Sure but how you rank the best players is almost always informed to an extent by your organizational depth, whether intentionally or not.

I agree that position isn’t that important especially in mid first but if there is an organizational weakness, you should fill those holes with draft picks and make sure you have opportunities for your 1st round picks have a spot to develop there.

BPA is a thing sure, but BPA according to who?

 

[Langway]

I mean, it would be great if they could walk away with either Parekh or Yakemchuk but I'm not sure they're going to want to give up what it would take to move up that far. Neither may go top 10. It is tough to say...but it probably still takes more than a second rounder next year. I'm not sure they'd be prepared to take a salary dump on or add higher quality pieces to get a deal done. Easier done would be moving up probably just a few spots for Eiserman. 2-3 spots vs. 4-6 seems significant where they're currently at. Different categories.

Blueline offensive upside is definitely an issue going forward. I suppose they could sign Gostisbehere or something. Maybe Skjei. But I'm not sure that's going to be readily available to them in the draft outside of investing in Solberg and hoping he blossoms.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Sure but how you rank the best players is almost always informed to an extent by your organizational depth, whether intentionally or not.

I agree that position isn’t that important especially in mid first but if there is an organizational weakness, you should fill those holes with draft picks and make sure you have opportunities for your 1st round picks have a spot to develop there.

BPA is a thing sure, but BPA according to who?

I think that's when it becomes acceptable to move up if you meet those circumstances. The guy ranks at the top of your BPA AND there's an obvious organizational need.

 

[Langway]

https://www.flohockey.tv/articles/12650697-nhl-mock-draft-2024-predicting-every-pick-in-the-first-two-rounds

17. Washington Capitals – Cole Eiserman, LW, U.S. National Under-18 Team
The Caps went and picked a high-end scorer from the NTDP last draft and can add another for the other wing in Eiserman, whose stock has tumbled a bit this year. He’s still a high-end goal scorer who has a blistering one-timer and will help the Caps prepare for life after Ovechkin....

52. Washington Capitals (via VGK) – Lukas Fischer, D, Sarnia Sting

Would prefer Stiga or even Kiviharju at 52 for the sheer hell of it but...not bad at all. Freij, Shuravin or maybe Elliasson also make sense.

 

[twabby]

If any of the good D are available at #10 I wonder if the Devils might be open to trading down. You can never have enough good young D but with Nemec and Hughes already being first pairing dudes in the making I wonder if they decide to pass on a D and maybe look to get a roster player to move down a few spots. They'll be looking to contend the next few years so I don't think they'd be opposed to trading down since 10 won't help them in the next 2 years anyways.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

If any of the good D are available at #10 I wonder if the Devils might be open to trading down. You can never have enough good young D but with Nemec and Hughes already being first pairing dudes in the making I wonder if they decide to pass on a D and maybe look to get a roster player to move down a few spots. They'll be looking to contend the next few years so I don't think they'd be opposed to trading down since 10 won't help them in the next 2 years anyways.

Buffalo at number 11 is in a very similar situation with the roster full of young defenseman

 

[pman25]

Yeah NJ and Buffalo are prime trade down candidates.

What’s it cost to move up to 10? #52? Then toss in one of our 3rd rounders we hold or one of the 2nd rounders next year?

I’d do that for Parekh or Buium. Maybe even Yakemchuk although I’m a little scared of him

 

[Rayquaza64]

I hope we take a late round flyer on Protas’ brother. Seems to be very similar to big bro and I think could be a solid bottom sixer

 

[Langway]

MCKEEN'S HOCKEY 2024 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: TWO-ROUND MOCK DRAFT

McKeen's Hockey Director of Scouting, Brock Otten, projects the first two rounds of the NHL Draft and which prospect is being taken by which team.

www.mckeenshockey.com

#17. Washington Capitals - Adam Jiricek – D - Plzen (Czechia)

It was a pretty tough draft year for Jiricek, after he missed the majority of the year with injury. However, he came into the year as a potential top ten selection for a reason. He’s talented and a potential two-way stalwart like his brother David. So many options here but could see the Caps lean defense if Jiricek is still on the board....

#52. Washington Capitals (via Vegas Golden Knights) - Marek Vanacker – LW - Brantford (OHL)​

The Capitals opt for speedy Hamilton winger Marek Vanacker, the last of our first round graded players. He was extremely consistent all year long and has intriguing offensive upside because of the pace he can play at. Washington would be very familiar with him thanks to their scouting of Patrick Thomas.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

I'm usually BPA but we have a decent-to-very good bunch of young Forwards with a range of potential (Lappy, CMM, Protas, Leonard, Miroshnichenko, Cristall, Funk, Suzdalev, and Trineyev). We can use this draft to boost our D stock (Iorio, Chesney, and maybe Allen).

We aren't winning the Cup so look to move out any of Jensen, TVR, and Dowd for more picks or to move up to target picks.

I'd move up for Dickinson/Silayev, or possibly Yakemchuk/Solberg. I also like Jiricek.

If we move more salary out with any of Jensen/TvR/Dowd we can go hard for Montour and stocking up on D who could be ready in 2 - 4 years would dovetail with both JC and Montour aging out.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

Interesting resource:

NHL Draft Expected Range​

Link



Thread:

NHL Draft Expected Range

Some of you might know of Colin Cudmore's project "NHL draft expected range" that he produced from 2019 to 2021. It was the best way to follow the draft and have a quick analysis of your team draft performance live. Sadly, Cudmore, put an end to the project in 2021. Since then the project was...

forums.hfboards.com

 

[pman25]

i would not be thrilled about a Jiricek pick. Maybe because he just didn't look all that great this year and then got injured. Production wasn't anything special either...

But if someone can show me the way to the hype train, I’ll hop on

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

i would not be thrilled about a Jiricek pick. Maybe because he just didn't look all that great this year and then got injured. Production wasn't anything special either...

My pipe dream would be Dickinson, but that's not going to happen. Same likely with Silayev and Yakemchuk (with Yakemchuk a more likely candidate we could move up for, but many raise issues about him).

Solberg would be a very good option in my eyes... snarl, IQ, compete are something we could use and he could get here quicker. He might also be someone who is in demand and we'd possibly have to move up for. And as you point out, there are concerns about Jiricek.


Going to be.very interesting from 3 - 17 and who knows how different each teams lists are. And what we are targeting internally.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Too many low impact safe floor guys being coveted around here at 17. That's is absolutely not what we need. I'd rather swing for the fences (knowing we might miss) and end up with a potential star given the current state of the franchise and the existing prospects in our system. You can develop solid third and fourth liners with later picks if you exhibit patience. They're also a heck of a lot easier to collect at reasonable prices on the UFA market with plenty of years left in their careers. What isn't easy to get in the UFA market are early/mid 20 guys with talent to play in the top half of the lineup for a decade.

So…..kinda like what they did a PLD, yes?

 

[Holtbyisms]

So…..kinda like what they did a PLD, yes?

No doubt, that's the only kind of moves we can make to recover from the idiocracy we've been living through the past few seasons. For both roster player acquisitions and draft picks used we need to swing big without trading away any futures. I'm all for PLD. Love it. Already said I'm signed up as the first PLD apologist and ordered a jersey.

 

[Langway]

Pronman/Wheeler/Peters/Bultman predictive mock first round. Sennecke at 6 maybe the most revealing tidbit...many now believing he's a strong top 6/7 candidate. Yakemchuk over Iginla at 10 seems questionable from Pronman but he's always been very bullish on Yak. Eiserman goes at 13 but, again, Wheeler has also been quite high on that player. Some smoke SJS could go Eiserman at 14. Helenius slides to 16.

Caps go Jiricek mostly seemingly for positional reasons. Which, again, I could see. They have drafted a lot of forwards early and the development of Iorio/Chesley hasn't been amazing. But they still should stick to BPA. I doubt Jiricek would have been a top ten pick if healthy...but he's serviceable in a jack-of-all-trades way. Likely the 8th-best defenseman in this draft. Over Hage I would have a tough time with...even after the PLD trade. There's just substantially more offensive upside with Hage and I'm not sure Jiricek quite has elite feel.

FWIW it does seem like there are only a handful of prime options most seem to mock to Washington. The main other name out there now and then is maybe Chernyshov for Russian Reasons. But if not a top tier slider it tends to be the two Norwegians, Hage or Jiricek mostly. I don't altogether dislike Jiricek. He was legit really good at the Hlinka. But that was ten months ago and the offensive skill/upside is a question. He's got a bit more playmaking upside than Fehervary, a bit more on puck command, but there's not much of a shot like his brother. They're sort of opposites. While he would immediately become the best D prospect in the system...I don't think it's saying all that much. Depending on how the draft falls they could wind up with someone better than what they've got at 52 as well. Maybe not immediately and obviously but in time.

 

[Ridley Simon]

No doubt, that's the only kind of moves we can make to recover from the idiocracy we've been living through the past few seasons. For both roster player acquisitions and draft picks used we need to swing big without trading away any futures. I'm all for PLD. Love it. Already said I'm signed up as the first PLD apologist and ordered a jersey.

I’m excited for PLD now, and even this 17th OA pick and subsequent draft.

Caps are improving. It’s a matter of how quickly.

Their F’s are fine, need to address the D. That’s maybe here, or in FA/trade during/after here.

 

[Holtbyisms]

I’m excited for PLD now, and even this 17th OA pick and subsequent draft.

Caps are improving. It’s a matter of how quickly.

Their F’s are fine, need to address the D. That’s maybe here, or in FA/trade during/after here.

Need some serious help on the blue line, more specifically a Carlson replacement and a franchise homegrown goaltender.

 

[Ridley Simon]

Need some serious help on the blue line, more specifically a Carlson replacement and a franchise homegrown goaltender.

Yeah. Not arguments there.

I’d like to see them sign/trade for a D-man this summer. Someone in the age 26-28 range. Replace one of Jensen or TVR.

They have the funds.

Far as G goes, you need to see what they have in Stevenson, IMO.

 

[Holtbyisms]

Yeah. Not arguments there.

I’d like to see them sign/trade for a D-man this summer. Someone in the age 26-28 range. Replace one of Jensen or TVR.

They have the funds.

Far as G goes, you need to see what they have in Stevenson, IMO.

Yeah something significant needs to happen on D. The group we've got with NHL sweaters right now is maybe one of the worst in the NHL. As for Stevenson I'm all aboard the train to plug him in behind Chucky this season. Shepherd is a cool story and I'm a huge Bears fan but he's just not an NHL goalie. He's a poor man's Lindgren...a battler, scrambler and work ethic guy. Stevenson is a legit NHL prospect with the size, technique and athleticism to actually play at the top level. He's got two seasons as a starter in pro hockey now and at 25, it's go time. Goalies have short windows and very few play deep into their 30s(with success). So it's soon approaching the now or never window with him.

 

[pman25]

I want Tarin Smith in the 2nd please

 

[Holtbyisms]

I want Tarin Smith in the 2nd please

Give me Yegorov if he's still there at 52. Heck I'd probably give up one of the thirds to move up and get him. Need a young future franchise goalie. Been really watching the goalies the past week and he's the clear cut #1 in this class and I don't think it's close. Big Russian trained goalie who committed to North America knowing he'd never get a chance to showcase on the international stage. Played in the USHL this year and likely next year. Numbers don't tell the story, his team was abysmal and he was facing 40-50 shots a lot of nights. Already committed to go to BU the year after next.