2024 NHL Draft: Play with no weenie, for Celebrini

[AKL]

I’m curious if NJ will pick MBN. Seems like a player they should be coveting.

I would have said Buffalo could use him too, but honestly, that's probably why they were okay with trading down. They should still be able to get him.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Are there any players people hope are picked before Minnesota’s pick?

Of course I'd love Philly to take Luchanko or Connelly or somebody else pretty far down the list.

As far as players having reasonably likely chances of being taken top 12? Parekh, Greentree and Eiserman.

 

[AKL]

Brackett said they value hockey IQ/sense over everything else. With that in mind, I've heard a lot of positives about Helenius' hockey IQ/sense, but who else stands out in that regard?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

Brackett said they value hockey IQ/sense over everything else. With that in mind, I've heard a lot of positives about Helenius' hockey IQ/sense, but who else stands out in that regard?

I feel like you really have to grind tape in order to figure this out.

 

[AKL]

I feel like you really have to grind tape in order to figure this out.

I'm just looking for opinions, whether that's people here who have spent a lot of time reading about these guys and watching stuff, or the "pro" scouts like Wheeler, Pronman, McKenzie, etc

 

[Waiver Draft]

Which 2024 NHL Draft prospects have the best skills? Ranking 6 different tools and traits

 

[Digitalbooya]

Brackett said they value hockey IQ/sense over everything else. With that in mind, I've heard a lot of positives about Helenius' hockey IQ/sense, but who else stands out in that regard?

Which 2024 NHL Draft prospects have the best skills? Pronman ranks 6 tools and traits

Corey Pronman looks at the best skaters, hands, hockey sense, shot, competitors and pure athletes in the 2024 NHL Draft class.

www.nytimes.com

Hockey sense​

1. Zayne Parekh, RHD, Saginaw
2. Zeem Buium, LHD, Denver
3. Artyom Levshunov, RHD, Michigan State
4. Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University

Other names to know (in alphabetical order):

• Nikita Artamonov, LW, Torpedo
• Berkly Catton, C, Spokane
• Ben Danford, RHD, Oshawa
• Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA
• Linus Eriksson, C, Djurgarden
• Tomas Galvas, LHD, Liberec
• Konsta Helenius, C, Jukurit
• Cole Hutson, LHD, U.S. NTDP
• Aron Kiviharju, LHD, HIFK
• Luca Marrelli, RHD, Oshawa
• Henry Mews, RHD, Ottawa
• Tomas Mrsic, C, Medicine Hat
• Leon Muggli, LHD, Zug
• Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George
• Mac Swanson, C, Fargo

Buium and Parekh had dominant offensive seasons in the NCHC and OHL respectively and made themselves top-10 pick candidates, primarily due to their hockey sense. Parekh is an elite offensive player who sees the ice as well as anyone and has NHL PP1 type of poise. Buium makes a ton of plays as well and does so in motion.

I’ve heard criticism of Levshunov’s sense from some evaluators and I personally see the opposite. I think he’s a super creative and instinctive offensive player who makes a lot happen with the puck. He has the potential to run a first power play in the NHL due to how skilled and intelligent he is.

 

[AKL]

Which 2024 NHL Draft prospects have the best skills? Pronman ranks 6 tools and traits

Corey Pronman looks at the best skaters, hands, hockey sense, shot, competitors and pure athletes in the 2024 NHL Draft class.

www.nytimes.com

So this tells me we're picking Helenius or Parekh, if I had to make my guess now

 

[Wasted Talent]

I'm just looking for opinions, whether that's people here who have spent a lot of time reading about these guys and watching stuff, or the "pro" scouts like Wheeler, Pronman, McKenzie, etc

Wheeler's take:

Smartest​

The first five names on this list would all get an A-grade from me in hockey school. They either see the game or understand it at a different level than their peers. You could order them any which way but those are the players of the highest on-ice intellect for me in this age group. Konsta Helenius and Aron Kiviharju get it. Zayne Parekh identifies plays better than anyone in the class. Terik Parascak is right-place-right-time guy.

1. Konsta Helenius
2. Aron Kiviharju
3. Zayne Parekh
4. Macklin Celebrini
5. Terik Parascak
6. Berkly Catton
7. Jett Luchanko
8. Zeev Buium

Honorable mentions: Lucas Pettersson, Sam O’Reilly, Linus Eriksson, Mac Swanson, Cole Hutson, Clarke Caswell, Max Plante, Ondrej Becher, Tomas Galvas.

2024 NHL Draft class superlatives: Top skaters, shooters, hands and more

Ranking the top prospects at the 2024 NHL Draft in 10 different "best of" categories.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Digitalbooya]

So this tells me we're picking Helenius or Parekh, if I had to make my guess now

Catton or Helenius would be my preference. Here is what Wheeler had:

2024 NHL Draft class superlatives: Top skaters, shooters, hands and more

Ranking the top prospects at the 2024 NHL Draft in 10 different "best of" categories.

www.nytimes.com

Smartest​

The first five names on this list would all get an A-grade from me in hockey school. They either see the game or understand it at a different level than their peers. You could order them any which way but those are the players of the highest on-ice intellect for me in this age group. Konsta Helenius and Aron Kiviharju get it. Zayne Parekh identifies plays better than anyone in the class. Terik Parascak is right-place-right-time guy.

1. Konsta Helenius
2. Aron Kiviharju
3. Zayne Parekh
4. Macklin Celebrini
5. Terik Parascak
6. Berkly Catton
7. Jett Luchanko
8. Zeev Buium

Honorable mentions: Lucas Pettersson, Sam O’Reilly, Linus Eriksson, Mac Swanson, Cole Hutson, Clarke Caswell, Max Plante, Ondrej Becher, Tomas Galvas.

Whatever we do, please for the love of god do not take Kiviharju. I don’t think I could handle another midget defender.

Wheeler's take:

2024 NHL Draft class superlatives: Top skaters, shooters, hands and more

Ranking the top prospects at the 2024 NHL Draft in 10 different "best of" categories.

www.nytimes.com

You beat me to it!

 

[AKL]

Catton or Helenius would be my preference. Here is what Wheeler had:

2024 NHL Draft class superlatives: Top skaters, shooters, hands and more

Ranking the top prospects at the 2024 NHL Draft in 10 different "best of" categories.

www.nytimes.com

Whatever we do, please for the love of god do not take Kiviharju. I don’t think I could handle another midget defender.

I still don't believe Catton would be available to us, but would love to have him.

 

[keppel146]

Are there any players people hope are picked before Minnesota’s pick?

I hope Sennecke and Parekh are off the board before us.

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I still don't believe Catton would be available to us, but would love to have him.

My weird predication is that the only way that Catton falls to us is if Iginla is available for Calgary at #9. And if Iginla is available at #9, then Catton will fall to us.

 

[saywut]

Are there any players people hope are picked before Minnesota’s pick?

Hoping for most/all these to be gone - Catton(so we don't pass on him), Parekh, Eiserman, Sennecke, MBN
1 going would be great - Solberg, Luchanko, Connelly, Jiricek

Brackett said they value hockey IQ/sense over everything else. With that in mind, I've heard a lot of positives about Helenius' hockey IQ/sense, but who else stands out in that regard?

Artamonov and Eriksson both demonstrated it in pro leagues, though they won't be in discussion at 13.

 

[Waiver Draft]

What we’re hearing about the Wild on draft eve: Potential trade targets, pick swaps and more

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Are there any players people hope are picked before Minnesota’s pick?

Helenius please. Eiserman and Parekh too. I like both players but ultimately think they would fail on a Guerin / Hynes team.

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

Brackett said they value hockey IQ/sense over everything else. With that in mind, I've heard a lot of positives about Helenius' hockey IQ/sense, but who else stands out in that regard?

Hockey sense is such a hard thing to evaluate. I find that scouts often just throw that out when there's no defining traits that match a player's high production. Helenius, for example, produced very well in a mens league, but isn't an amazing skater, has average skill, is undersized, and doesn't win battles at an above average rate. Only thing that can explain the production then must be sense, right?

 

[AKL]

Hockey sense is such a hard thing to evaluate. I find that scouts often just throw that out when there's no defining traits that match a player's high production. Helenius, for example, produced very well in a mens league, but isn't an amazing skater, has average skill, is undersized, and doesn't win battles at an above average rate. Only thing that can explain the production then must be sense, right?

I just look at it as, is he making the right play most of the time, and can he learn and adapt in-game on the fly

 

[BuiumSaveUs]

I just look at it as, is he making the right play most of the time, and can he learn and adapt in-game on the fly

That’s how I look at it too. Takes a lot of film crunching to be able to grade that tho

 

[57special]

That’s how I look at it too. Takes a lot of film crunching to be able to grade that tho

It's one of those things that becomes obvious when you watch a team regularly, and not just scoring clips. Very few clips show a whole bunch of puck battles, but one of my favorite ways of judging players is how many of them that they win. If you watch Brodin, he almost never loses one in the D zone, unless he is ganged up on. Granlund used to be surprisingly good in the O zone winning board battles.
Merrill is atrocious.

There are a bunch of other factors, but if you have a team that wins 60% of their puck battles you have a winning team. The Panthers are an example of that. I don't know how they changed the culture there, but it was a striking difference, even before Huberdeau was traded.