2024 NHL Draft Picks 14, 42, 43, 76, 108, 109, 161, 172, 204 (Draft on 6/28 and 6/29)

[Gabrielor]

Brandsegg-Nygard is not Wilson but he's certainly a guy I like as a physically ready mid-line guy. It ain't sexy, but he's a pro-style winger who isn't a shrimp. I worry about Lindstrom's back - he missed months and it was still an issue where he missed time in the MH playoff loss. Maybe it's something he can overcome, maybe it's nothing... but it would set off my natural pessimism and sense of concern. If they hang around 12-ish and there are no surprise fallers, I could see if being what pro-sized winger do they take (Greentree, Brandsegg-Nygard, I think Ignila rises above that so not him).

And I've warmed a bit on Yakemchuk if he's there with the other talented D potentially going ahead of him. It's the applied size that's got me interested. I still see a player who is going to make some dumb plays, but he's also likely going to shift games with his physical tools. In the low teens, that's an interesting pick.

Same. He's my standard pick on most mocks.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

A lot of people disagree with you. People say this about the prospects that Yzerman drafts every season.

100% agree with you. It's like tier 1 NHL Insider worldview.

 

[Chainshot]

He has all the hallmarks of a big player who doesn't amount to much:

"High floor, responsible, defensively sound, well-rounded"

(produces very little in a second tier league, is 6'2", early birthday)

If he does all these things well why doesn't he produce more? Mora was a good team they're in the semis although trailing.

I’ve watched him five or six times with Mora. Sometimes I really like him and sometimes I wonder why I’m wasting my lunch. Same for his games at the u 20s, sometimes good and sometimes why am I here. But the times that I like him, I see the Hecht sort of guy, someone who can third wheel for more creative line mates and be the guy mining pucks for them.

I also doesn’t help that Mora’s second line is him and the two other Norwegians and at the start of the year I don’t think either of the other two were 20 yet.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Let's talk about Helenius as he definitely fills a position of need and should be available around the Sabres slot.

Pros
Playing 2C in Liga put up 14g 36pts in 51gms
Played exceptionally well when the top line was off to Champions league
Seemingly too good for U18 so in running for slot on WC team. 3pts in 2 games
Late birthday
Defensively sound

Cons
Only 5'11 so not that big C everyone wants
Had a pedestrian WJC pretty snakebit


I basically see him as Lundell v2.0. Can come in play the 2/3C and will improve with experience. Should put up a solid 25g/35a on a consistent basis through his prime

 

[Chainshot]

Speaking of...

 

[Gabrielor]

Speaking of...

I like him; if the 6 D and 4 F's I like in the top group are gone before we pick, he'd be the consideration along with Tij.

 

[Chainshot]

I like him; if the 6 D and 4 F's I like in the top group are gone before we pick, he'd be the consideration along with Tij.

I think Tij's going top 10 right now.

 

[Chainshot]

The quote that sums up why I've been interested in this kid for a while now:

There are strong forecheckers, and then there's Brandsegg-Nygård, arguably the best forward in the draft at applying pressure and forcing turnovers in the offensive and neutral zones.

All the fancy dans need someone who can mine pucks, and he is very good at that.

Similarly:

A necessary ingredient is also Brandsegg-Nygård's work rate. He doesn't give up on the play and hustles hard, whether he's retrieving a dump-in or applying pressure on the backcheck. There have been countless examples of him creating a turnover on top of his own blue line after powering down on the backcheck all the way from below the offensive zone goal line.

Seems like the guy Yzerman will take indeed.

 

[Chainshot]

Let's talk about Helenius as he definitely fills a position of need and should be available around the Sabres slot.

Pros
Playing 2C in Liga put up 14g 36pts in 51gms
Played exceptionally well when the top line was off to Champions league
Seemingly too good for U18 so in running for slot on WC team. 3pts in 2 games
Late birthday
Defensively sound

Cons
Only 5'11 so not that big C everyone wants
Had a pedestrian WJC pretty snakebit


I basically see him as Lundell v2.0. Can come in play the 2/3C and will improve with experience. Should put up a solid 25g/35a on a consistent basis through his prime

The skating really pops and 5'11" is not tiny. There is only one big center at the top of the draft and that's Lindstrom who we know won't last out of the top 3-4 because he's A) big and B) plays up to his size. Helenius someone in the online draft community said was likely to be "just" a 2nd line center but what is wrong with "just" a 2nd line center who plays a well-rounded game? He put up Liiga totals close to Kappo Kakko and within site of Mikael Granlund, better than guys like Armia or Lehkonen or even Lundell. That's noteworthy.

Similar to Brandsegg-Nygard, they need some people with variation to their skill profiles. Him as an Elias Lindholm type down the line when there are more truly offensive wingers who are going to need an F3 cover is kind of appealing.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

The skating really pops and 5'11" is not tiny. There is only one big center at the top of the draft and that's Lindstrom who we know won't last out of the top 3-4 because he's A) big and B) plays up to his size. Helenius someone in the online draft community said was likely to be "just" a 2nd line center but what is wrong with "just" a 2nd line center who plays a well-rounded game? He put up Liiga totals close to Kappo Kakko and within site of Mikael Granlund, better than guys like Armia or Lehkonen or even Lundell. That's noteworthy.

Similar to Brandsegg-Nygard, they need some people with variation to their skill profiles. Him as an Elias Lindholm type down the line when there are more truly offensive wingers who are going to need an F3 cover is kind of appealing.

He's my choice for most realistic forward. Yakemchuk is my choice on D. Sennecke is a wild card with his growth spurt indicating a lot more upside

 

[Chainshot]

He's my choice for most realistic forward. Yakemchuk is my choice on D. Sennecke is a wild card with his growth spurt indicating a lot more upside

Sennecke I find more intriguing than Greentree but I admit to fewer viewings of the OHL than either other CHL league or even Liiga/SHL games. He's been the one guy I keep coming back to watch. Low-key there are some parts of his game that are kind of Tuch-like with the pace of play and kind of gangly right-shot winger with speed. When he gathers speed off an inside turn at his own blueline and then just blazes up the ice? Oh yeah.

I'm kind of content with where they are in terms of position in the first round. I know we haven't yet hit the complaint stage - people wanting to move up, which we may just sticky JimBob's treatise on that not happening, or the folks who want Tom Wilson 2.0 when that guy isn't part of this draft, or whatever - so right now it's just nice to catch some playoff action and be content where they are at.

Edit: Not that I'm down on Greentree. He has other toys in his toybox that the Sabres could really use in their pipeline, mostly with how big he is (like Sennecke) and that he's got that Windsor thing of being good at making plays off the wall and in traffic. I want some more settled offense guys, more guys trying to get inside because that's how they are wired. And preferably guys that don't need 2-3 years in the gym just to get to the point they won't break if someone farts on them.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I love seeing Sennecke take the puck, then turn and burn. He's pugnacious even with his bambiesque stature due to the growth spurt. A couple normal development years and he'll be the 6'3+ 220lb prototypical winger

 

[dickiedunnwrotethis]

He's my choice for most realistic forward. Yakemchuk is my choice on D. Sennecke is a wild card with his growth spurt indicating a lot more upside

I agree with your realism as I don't think Catton will get by Montreal. He (Helenius) would inject a serious level of elite hockey sense on a team that needs that element. He plays a little safe and that probably makes him a 2/3 tweener on a good team (which to me is just fine). Maybe he turns out to be a slightly more skilled Wennberg?

Brandsegg-Nygard is another realistic choice. There's a lot of doubters about his offense, but I think there's potential on that front. At worst he's a rock solid third liner. My opinion is that after pick 6 there's a line of flawed forward candidates so being conservative may not be the worst thing.

I think the strength of the dmen in this class has been highly overrated. Buium is the only one that has truly given me any confidence and he's not what we need.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Helenius has that Aho energy

 

[Fly Boy]

Futile exercise here, but if the Sabres we to win the no. 2 overall pick via lotto who would you pick, or what would be the play in your eyes?

 

[MarkusKetterer]

Futile exercise here, but if the Sabres we to win the no. 2 overall pick via lotto who would you pick, or what would be the play in your eyes?

Levshunov. Or trade back to fifth overall for that + a young RHD and draft Iginla.

 

[dickiedunnwrotethis]

Futile exercise here, but if the Sabres we to win the no. 2 overall pick via lotto who would you pick, or what would be the play in your eyes?

Demidov if I stayed a #2. Maybe trade back a bit and grab Catton. Or use pick as part of a package to find a 2/3 center. You know, a lotta ins, a lotta outs, lotta what have yous.

 

[Chainshot]

Demidov if I stayed a #2. Maybe trade back a bit and grab Catton. Or use pick as part of a package to find a 2/3 center. You know, a lotta ins, a lotta outs, lotta what have yous.

Yeah, I would take Demidov as well.

 

[Gabrielor]

Demidov or Lindstrom. Demi wins right now.

 

[Chainshot]

Demidov or Lindstrom. Demi wins right now.

Good choices. I am operating on the assumption (perhaps wrong) that Lindstrom's back is a problem.

 

[truthbluth]

Zeev Buium is so f***ing good.

 

[Gabrielor]

Zeev Buium is so f***ing good.

Dude just wins. I'm sold on him for sure.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Dude just wins. I'm sold on him for sure.

You'd just want him to have one exceptional physical trait. He's like the player generated video character with straight 85s

 

[Chainshot]

You'd just want him to have one exceptional physical trait. He's like the player generated video character with straight 85s

I get Adam Fox vibes. All kinds of brain that lets him do a lot at both ends of the ice.

 

[Old Navy Goat]

I get Adam Fox vibes. All kinds of brain that lets him do a lot at both ends of the ice.

He processes the game at an elite level which makes up for his lack of elite skating