NHL Entry Draft 2024 NHL Draft Talk

[Dan Patrick]

Part 1 of this mock draft by fans has
1 celebrini
2 demidov
3 levshunov
4 lindstrom
5 iginla
6 parekh
Part 2,

Leaves so many good players on the board. Pretty happy with any of like 6 guys available here at 7. I feel like perfect hindsight is going to make some fans insufferable about this draft. Pros and cons for every player ranked in the top15 or so. Someone is striking gold and someone’s getting coal with these front half picks.

 

[Cosmix]

Shows how pro scouting is more important then amateur scouting.

Funny thing is Florida and Edmonton probably going to meet in the Cup finals and 7 years ago these were the two least desirable places to play in hockey.

Florida was NOT one of the two least desirable places to play NHL hockey at any time.

 

[Masked]

No, casuals look at Buium doing cartwheels against Switzerland in a blowout and think he is all world.
...

Yak can do one simple move with a change of angle or deke to find a passing lane or snipe. Buium dominates the outside on big ice surfaces by playing keep away, while sometimes getting lost after doing his seventh pirouette. When he simplifies, and plays against better competition, with bigger stakes, his offense goes dry. In the elimination rounds of the WJC, where USA scored 16 goals in 3 games, Buium had one point - a goal in a 6-2 victory over Sweden. Buium had 2 point in 4 games in the NCAA playoffs.

It is funny because I brought the Runblad comparison up early in this thread, when comparing it to Buium's use of stiff arm when goes his right. Runblad had this stutter step, fake to the left and go right move that failed to materialize in the NHL, so will Buium's stiff arm move, which is one of signature moves. Runblad did his stuff on big ice surfaces, so does Buium, so beware.

I'd suggest casuals are looking at his results in the NCAA where he finished in the top 10 of scoring and not games against Switzerland.

When did the NCAA start playing on big ice?

And are we really evaluating the youngest player on the USA WJC team based upon three games?

Florida was NOT one of the two least desirable places to play NHL hockey at any time.

It's always been Edmonton and Winnipeg as long as they've been in the league.

 

[PlayOn]

Florida was NOT one of the two least desirable places to play NHL hockey at any time.

Yeah, Florida pre new ownership was a bit like Arizona. Great place to live so no matter how dysfunctional or poorly run, they’ll never be at the bottom. If you can wake up and be at the beach I’m sure it helps with the sting of a loss lol. They just obviously weren’t nearly as desirable as they are today.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Casuals are going to hype Yakemchuk up almost as much as we did for Rundblad when this one dropped:



Highlight reel dangles are fun but don't work at the NHL level for defensemen, particularly those without elite skating.

We'll see if Yakemchuk can successfully adjust his game against pros because Rundblad sure couldn't.

Casuals think yakemchuk is a safe boring big because he’s big.

No, casuals look at Buium doing cartwheels against Switzerland in a blowout and think he is all world.

Casuals think that Zadina has more skill than Tkachuk, because he smashes cone drills. They forget skill is augmented when attached to a big, athletic frame.

Casuals think Drysdale is better Sanderson, because he has better edges and be fancy.

Yak can do one simple move with a change of angle or deke to find a passing lane or snipe. Buium dominates the outside on big ice surfaces by playing keep away, while sometimes getting lost after doing his seventh pirouette. When he simplifies, and plays against better competition, with bigger stakes, his offense goes dry. In the elimination rounds of the WJC, where USA scored 16 goals in 3 games, Buium had one point - a goal in a 6-2 victory over Sweden. Buium had 2 point in 4 games in the NCAA playoffs.

It is funny because I brought the Runblad comparison up early in this thread, when comparing it to Buium's use of stiff arm when goes his right. Runblad had this stutter step, fake to the left and go right move that failed to materialize in the NHL, so will Buium's stiff arm move, which is one of signature moves. Runblad did his stuff on big ice surfaces, so does Buium, so beware.

Buium is a good player, but Yak will be better. Look at those highlights baby!

Since we are sharing, look at 6:45 mark of this video to see how all that deception and improvisation often leads to nowhere.

Buium

Obviously you don’t like buium.

6:45 mark. I’m not judging buium based on a play.

His offense dried up as a rookie in the NCAA playoffs. playing against *THE BEST* talent in the country. But his defense didn’t dry up

 

[Sens in Process]

I'd suggest casuals are looking at his results in the NCAA where he finished in the top 10 of scoring and not games against Switzerland.

When did the NCAA start playing on big ice?

And are we really evaluating the youngest player on the USA WJC team based upon three games?



It's always been Edmonton and Winnipeg as long as they've been in the league.

NCAA always played on big ice, which started getting phased out about ten or fifteen years ago.

Buium plays on all three different ice surfaces: Hybrid, Olympic and NHL standards.

The NCAA playoffs were on NHL standard ice, which explains the diminishing offense.

There is a lot of variation in the quality of opponent in the NCAA. An offensive juggernaut like Denver will demolish bad teams.

 

[Sens in Process]

Casuals think yakemchuk is a safe boring big because he’s big.


Obviously you don’t like buium.

6:45 mark. I’m not judging buium based on a play.

His offense dried up as a rookie in the NCAA playoffs. playing against *THE BEST* talent in the country. But his defense didn’t dry up

I like Buium, just not as much as Yak. The anti-Yak slander was becoming absurd. I have been here for a long time and seen draft discourse coalesce around " favorites," while dismissing others with wild and unfounded claims. Or pump up guys with too favorable of interpretations, I could be wrong, but I actually watch the games, videos and read the reports. I have stylistic preferences

The top six D all have issues. But once we take the player at 7, I will get behind them.

 

[Micklebot]

It's always been Edmonton and Winnipeg as long as they've been in the league.

In 2010/11 the players poll had NYI (27%) as the team players would least like to play on, followed by Edm (20%), Buf (8%), Atlanta (7%) and a tie for MTL and Tor (5% each).

For reference, Oilers were last in the league, NYI 3rd last, Atl 6th, Toronto 9th, and Mtl and Buf tied at 16th

Players don't like losing. Taxes might be and issue for the three Canadian cities, and I'm guessing language might play into Mtl?

Ottawa probably still had some good will from being considered one of the best run orgs from the late 90s to 2008, but I imagine that shine has long since rubbed off.

Of Note, Vancouver was 2nd in teams players most wanted to play for back then (they won the presidents trophy that year).

 

[Masked]

In 2010/11 the players poll had NYI (27%) as the team players would least like to play on, followed by Edm (20%), Buf (8%), Atlanta (7%) and a tie for MTL and Tor (5% each).

For reference, Oilers were last in the league, NYI 3rd last, Atl 6th, Toronto 9th, and Mtl and Buf tied at 16th

Players don't like losing. Taxes might be and issue for the three Canadian cities, and I'm guessing language might play into Mtl?

Ottawa probably still had some good will from being considered one of the best run orgs from the late 90s to 2008, but I imagine that shine has long since rubbed off.

Of Note, Vancouver was 2nd in teams players most wanted to play for back then (they won the presidents trophy that year).

You're mistaking teams for places. Teams can change but places much less so.

 

[Bileur]

I’ve only seen highlights but if Yegor Surin is still there at 39 I’d love to see the Sens draft him.

Seems like a super exciting prospect to follow and would fit in nicely with Tkachuk and Greig attitudes.

 

[Micklebot]

You're mistaking teams for places. Teams can change but places much less so.

I'm not mistaking anything, the team is an element of why players want or don't want to play somewhere. Just like weather, taxes ect. In the end, the only thing that matters is do players want to sign with a team. 23 kms separate the Islanders from the rangers, yet they are not remotely close to being as desirable a place for players to play,

 

[Masked]

I'm not mistaking anything, the team is an element of why players want or don't want to play somewhere. Just like weather, taxes ect. In the end, the only thing that matters is do players want to sign with a team. 23 kms separate the Islanders from the rangers, yet they are not remotely close to being as desirable a place for players to play,

You are literally changing the argument you are replying to by replacing place with team. Like your example with the Rangers and Islanders - that's a team thing, not a place thing.

 

[Hale The Villain]

No, casuals look at Buium doing cartwheels against Switzerland in a blowout and think he is all world.

Casuals think that Zadina has more skill than Tkachuk, because he smashes cone drills. They forget skill is augmented when attached to a big, athletic frame.

Casuals think Drysdale is better Sanderson, because he has better edges and be fancy.

Yak can do one simple move with a change of angle or deke to find a passing lane or snipe. Buium dominates the outside on big ice surfaces by playing keep away, while sometimes getting lost after doing his seventh pirouette. When he simplifies, and plays against better competition, with bigger stakes, his offense goes dry. In the elimination rounds of the WJC, where USA scored 16 goals in 3 games, Buium had one point - a goal in a 6-2 victory over Sweden. Buium had 2 point in 4 games in the NCAA playoffs.

It is funny because I brought the Runblad comparison up early in this thread, when comparing it to Buium's use of stiff arm when goes his right. Runblad had this stutter step, fake to the left and go right move that failed to materialize in the NHL, so will Buium's stiff arm move, which is one of signature moves. Runblad did his stuff on big ice surfaces, so does Buium, so beware.

Buium is a good player, but Yak will be better. Look at those highlights baby!

Since we are sharing, look at 6:45 mark of this video to see how all that deception and improvisation often leads to nowhere.

Buium

Making a deceptive move to the outside then using body positioning to maintain possession and look for an open player to pass to is significantly more translatable to the NHL level than challenging players 1 on 1 by trying to dangle through/around them.

The video that was posted mentioned in it that Yakemchuk tried to dangle through players 5 times more than Levshunov and twice as much as Parekh. His numbers were comparable to forwards.

It's something that simply won't work at the NHL level and he's going to have to adjust. At least someone like Parekh has proven he's an elite level distributor of the puck and has excellent vision in the offensive zone, which makes it more likely his offense will translate when the junior aspects of his game are coached out of him.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Making a deceptive move to the outside then using body positioning to maintain possession and look for an open player to pass to is significantly more translatable to the NHL level than challenging players 1 on 1 by trying to dangle through/around them.

The video that was posted mentioned in it that Yakemchuk tried to dangle through players 5 times more than Levshunov and twice as much as Parekh. His numbers were comparable to forwards.

It's something that simply won't work at the NHL level and he's going to have to adjust. At least someone like Parekh has proven he's an elite level distributor of the puck and has excellent vision in the offensive zone, which makes it more likely his offense will translate when the junior aspects of his game are coached out of him.

Junior aspects of a players game, has to be coached out of nearly every prospect, including Bedard.

 

[Micklebot]

You are literally changing the argument you are replying to by replacing place with team. Like your example with the Rangers and Islanders - that's a team thing, not a place thing.

No, I'm just using common sense, when the initial claim was made that Florida was one of the least desirable places to play in the league, anybody with even the slightest bit of common sense would understand from the context that they didn't mean Florida is a lousy city with bad weather and high taxes.

If you want to get pedantic, fine, but that's not really having an intellectually honest discussion.

 

[PlayOn]

I like Buium, just not as much as Yak. The anti-Yak slander was becoming absurd. I have been here for a long time and seen draft discourse coalesce around " favorites," while dismissing others with wild and unfounded claims. Or pump up guys with too favorable of interpretations, I could be wrong, but I actually watch the games, videos and read the reports. I have stylistic preferences

The top six D all have issues. But once we take the player at 7, I will get behind them.

They all have issues but I would look at it more from a position of what their strengths are.

Watching these playoffs I think every single top D I’ve been impressed by has either elite skating or an elite brain or both.

So when comparing Yak to Dickinson or Buium, I think it’s easier to bet on Buium’s brain or Dickinson’s speed and hope that it helps them overcome their deficiencies. It is tough when you don’t have either. I think it makes sense that people are more skeptical about Yak’s game translating because of that.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Junior aspects of a players game, has to be coached out of nearly every prospect, including Bedard.

Yes.

And some prospects have a game more suited to junior than the pro game compared to others, which is something worth discussing, no?

 

[DJB]

No, casuals look at Buium doing cartwheels against Switzerland in a blowout and think he is all world.

Casuals think that Zadina has more skill than Tkachuk, because he smashes cone drills. They forget skill is augmented when attached to a big, athletic frame.

Casuals think Drysdale is better Sanderson, because he has better edges and be fancy.

Yak can do one simple move with a change of angle or deke to find a passing lane or snipe. Buium dominates the outside on big ice surfaces by playing keep away, while sometimes getting lost after doing his seventh pirouette. When he simplifies, and plays against better competition, with bigger stakes, his offense goes dry. In the elimination rounds of the WJC, where USA scored 16 goals in 3 games, Buium had one point - a goal in a 6-2 victory over Sweden. Buium had 2 point in 4 games in the NCAA playoffs.

It is funny because I brought the Runblad comparison up early in this thread, when comparing it to Buium's use of stiff arm when goes his right. Runblad had this stutter step, fake to the left and go right move that failed to materialize in the NHL, so will Buium's stiff arm move, which is one of signature moves. Runblad did his stuff on big ice surfaces, so does Buium, so beware.

Buium is a good player, but Yak will be better. Look at those highlights baby!

Since we are sharing, look at 6:45 mark of this video to see how all that deception and improvisation often leads to nowhere.

Buium

I’m sticking with my earlier statement that Buium is the best Dman in the draft. I like Yak but have Buium #1.

And no it’s not from watching some casual blowouts of the Swiss

 

[Golden_Jet]

Yes.

And some prospects have a game more suited to junior than the pro game compared to others, which is something worth discussing, no?

Yes, Yaks game will translate well, the draft shouldn’t be about who is the best 17/18 year old, but who they become at 22/23 years of age. That’s why Yak will be a good choice.

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

Go check out the Florida Panthers draft page and outside of Lundell (who scored 12 goals this year) find me 1 NHL player on Their roster. Busted on basically every first round pick and high picks picks at #10, #15, #13 overall they have busted on every 1st round pick going back to 2014

We can't attract the guys teams like Florida can at the price that Florida pays, so we have no choice but to build within. We cannot afford to waste 1st round picks.

Florida's model isn't one that is necessarily sustainable.

Either way, look at their team's best players.

One of the first round picks was traded for Reinhart, who they got 3 years of very good production from.
One of the first rounders was used with Huberdeau (another first rounders and Weegar) for Tkachuk
Second rounder used for Bennett, who they've had for 3.5 years
3rd rounded for 4 years of Montour

Tippet was traded with another 1st for Giroux.

They've turned alot of draft picks into good assets, even if they've been traded away.

 

[BonHoonLayneCornell]

We can't attract the guys teams like Florida can at the price that Florida pays, so we have no choice but to build within. We cannot afford to waste 1st round picks.

Florida's model isn't one that is necessarily sustainable.

Either way, look at their team's best players.

One of the first round picks was traded for Reinhart, who they got 3 years of very good production from.
One of the first rounders was used with Huberdeau (another first rounders and Weegar) for Tkachuk
Second rounder used for Bennett, who they've had for 3.5 years
3rd rounded for 4 years of Montour

Tippet was traded with another 1st for Giroux.

They've turned alot of draft picks into good assets, even if they've been traded away.

Those look similar to the picks PD sent out trying to round out the team. Difference seems to be for players that worked out.

 

[Sens in Process]

Making a deceptive move to the outside then using body positioning to maintain possession and look for an open player to pass to is significantly more translatable to the NHL level than challenging players 1 on 1 by trying to dangle through/around them.

The video that was posted mentioned in it that Yakemchuk tried to dangle through players 5 times more than Levshunov and twice as much as Parekh. His numbers were comparable to forwards.

It's something that simply won't work at the NHL level and he's going to have to adjust. At least someone like Parekh has proven he's an elite level distributor of the puck and has excellent vision in the offensive zone, which makes it more likely his offense will translate when the junior aspects of his game are coached out of him.

He can still put up points with a simplified game, premised off his shot, puck-handling abilities, excellent offensive instincts and underrated vision.

There are two or three shift by shift videos featuring Yak, which highlights the good and bad . He is not deking out everyone all game long like he tried to do the Kubota Prospects game or in the provided highlights. In these shift by shift videos, he makes a lot of nice plays on both the offensive and defensive end. He makes a lot of beautiful stretch passes. He shows really good anticipation. He makes some blunders too, but not the catastrophic kind.

But all in all, these are relatively quiet games - for him- in terms of risk taking and he still puts up points. He has absolutely limited support around him, with no draft affiliated prospects on his team and only having Carson Wetsch(who I like), as the other legitimate draft eligible prosect that should crack the top 75. In his game against Lindstrom, he dominates him during their several interactions.

Buium is not a great a skater, at least in terms of pure speed and explosion. And as pointed out in the video I shared, he has never put up big offensive number before this year. Is his production this year the result of playing on an offensive juggernaut? Or he is offensive late bloomer? I think these are valid questions. Take a look at his numbers, they are freakishly bad before this season. Why? This year he played on a team that put up 4 to 5 goals a game. He cashed out with big point games against lesser teams like Yale. I think if all goes well he could be a 40-50 point player; he is crafty and super smart. But being crafty and smart will only take you so far when you don't have the tools.......

I think most of the internet scouts are really off in their analysis on Yak, and pumping the tires too much on guys like Buium

 

[BondraTime]

He can still put up points with a simplified game, premised off his shot, puck-handling abilities, excellent offensive instincts and underrated vision.

There are two or three shift by shift videos featuring Yak, which highlights the good and bad . He is not deking out everyone all game long like he tried to do the Kubota Prospects game or in the provided highlights. In these shift by shift videos, he makes a lot of nice plays on both the offensive and defensive end. He makes a lot of beautiful stretch passes. He shows really good anticipation. He makes some blunders too, but not the catastrophic kind.

But all in all, these are relatively quiet games - for him- in terms of risk taking and he still puts up points. He has absolutely limited support around him, with no draft affiliated prospects on his team and only having Carson Wetsch(who I like), as the other legitimate draft eligible prosect that should crack the top 75. In his game against Lindstrom, he dominates him during their several interactions.

Buium is not a great a skater, at least in terms of pure speed and explosion. And as pointed out in the video I shared, he has never put up big offensive number before this year. Is his production this year the result of playing on an offensive juggernaut? Or he is offensive late bloomer? I think these are valid questions. Take a look at his numbers, they are freakishly bad before this season. Why? This year he played on a team that put up 4 to 5 goals a game. He cashed out with big point games against lesser teams like Yale. I think if all goes well he could be a 40-50 point player; he is crafty and super smart. But being crafty and smart will only take you so far when you don't have the tools.......

I think most of the internet scouts are really off in their analysis on Yak, and pumping the tires too much on guys like Buium

Thats all perfectly fine, other people like other things, but a few posts up you chagrined about people dismissing others with wild and unfounded claims. Or pump up guys with too favorable of interpretations, and that’s exactly what you’ve been doing with Yakemchuk vs. whomever. You’ve somehow turned Buium being great defensively and named to the All star team in the frozen 4 into a negative because he only scored 2 points in 4 games, and I realize this is in part because others have been down on Yakemchuk who you like.

Other people have been posting valid questions about Yak, or whomever, and you’ve shrugged them off because you don’t think they’re anything to worry about or unfounded, with very favourable interpretations.

Its perfectly fine, he’s a great prospect, but you’ve been doing the exact same thing you’re complaining about, which again is perfectly fine on a message board where we’re all just schmucks watching guys in our downtime.

He could absolutely be the better guy, I’d be not a bit surprised if he was taken at 7 or higher, or became the best D from the draft, but it’s not like I’m, or you’re, the only one who watches game or reads reports or watches shift by shifts. I’d imagine the vast majority posting here are. There are going to be different opinions, among essentially every guy available.

 

[BigRig4]

One thing that makes me a bit wary of Yakemchuk is that he's basically a 2023 draft aged guy. ~10 months older than someone like Dickinson.

 

[BondraTime]

One thing that makes me a bit wary of Yakemchuk is that he's basically a 2023 draft aged guy. ~10 months older than someone like Dickinson.

Age isn’t too big a worry at the top of drafts. Top guys are top guys one way or another. Makes a difference once you get to the later rounds.

One thing that makes me a bit wary of Yakemchuk is that he's basically a 2023 draft aged guy. ~10 months older than someone like Dickinson.

Age isn’t too big a worry at the top of drafts. Top guys are top guys one way or another. Makes a difference once you get to the later rounds.