NHL Entry Draft 2024 NHL Draft Talk

[Sens of Anarchy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802734937033830423

 

[BondraTime]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802734937033830423

If I were to guess:

1. Celebrini
2. Demidov (though Levshunov will be taken 2nd)
3. Levshunov
4. Silayev
5. Lindstrom
6. Dickinson
7. Parekh
8. Buium
9. Iginla
10. Sennecke
11. Helenius
12. Catton
13. Yakemchuk
14. Eiserman
15. Brandsegg-Nygard

 

[DrEasy]

If I were to guess:

1. Celebrini
2. Demidov (though Levshunov will be taken 2nd)
3. Levshunov
4. Silayev
5. Lindstrom
6. Dickinson
7. Parekh
8. Buium
9. Iginla
10. Sennecke
11. Helenius
12. Catton
13. Yakemchuk
14. Eiserman
15. Brandsegg-Nygard

Can someone give me a tl;dr on Lindstrom? I feel like I have an idea about all the other top 10 guys, but I have no clue about him.

 

[Agent Zub]

Can someone give me a tl;dr on Lindstrom? I feel like I have an idea about all the other top 10 guys, but I have no clue about him.

Kreider

 

[Burrowsaurus]

Now I’m getting to a spot where I kinda don’t want any of them? A week ago I was alright with all of them now I’m like f*** their warts don’t want any

 

[PlayOn]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802747709754921100

 

[Sens in Process]

I mean dont you think that might be an indicator on Yakemchuck's upside? He is that good with having alot of physical development left to go? Being good in the gym can be taught, being strong defensively also can be taught. Both those areas of his game should improve through coaching, development and growth. A big body like that typically develops later on. I find Wheeler's not the best at projecting players that have longer development curves. He always loves polished guys (small guys who play well against their pier group) but thats for pro scouting not amateur. To project prospects you typically look at the upside and what they can improve on through work rate and growth. The natural talent that yakemchuk has with some of his faults make me think his upside is enormous. But he is probably on alot longer development curve which you have to have a patient organization and fanbase to draft someone like him.

Like I have said over and over again Levshunov is going 2nd. He's a lock. Its the order of the next 5 that I dont think anyone knows. Every team probably has a different list.

I think Buium and Yakemchuk are at completely opposite ends of the spectrum. I think you know what you are getting from Buium he is a very safe pick. He is a lock to be a top 3 D man relatively soon. He is an undersized polished lefty. Where Yakemchuck is a big righty who has some kinks to work out but you cant teach what he has. Yakemchuk might end up flourishing in 5 to 6 years with a different organization if whoever drafts him doesnt have the patience or a good dev program. I personally have patience, if Ottawa can trade down to 9 and still get one of the D men I think they should do it.

This is exactly it. If Yakemenchuk can dominate the WHL, while not being in peak athletic shape, many scouts will see this as a development opportunity. Is he unathletic or has he hardly stepped in a gym? If the dude is walking around at a plus 10% body fat and dangling everybody, what would he look like if he a dedicated workout routine to address his weaknesses? I think it also means his hockey sense, particularly in the offensive zone, is highly underrated. Does it make sense that defensemen with such bad underlying physical test scores can dominates offensively without having good hockey sense? I bet you that is unheard of modern hockey.

When I watched Yakemchuk against Lindstrom (who is big, athletic, heavy and fast) this season, I thought he dominated him. He looked strong and powerful - way stronger than Lindstrom on his skates. If you can top that up with an off-ice fitness program - he will be something special.

I really don't even think his skating is bad. There are a lot of misrepresentations. Locked on Senators were trying to insinuate his high penalty totals were from being slow-footed. Mendes broke down his penalty minutes for the year. Of his 120 minutes, only 12 minutes were distributed among holding, hooking and tripping. These would be the kind of penalties a slow footed player with bad hockey sense would be making.

Dickinson is a maxed out athlete. There is limited growth opportunity. He is a good player, but he is surrounded with a top-end talent in a top-end organization. I have watched a lot his games. There are shift by shifts games available on youtube where is turning over pucks, and making bad decisions, while he is usually the best, biggest and most explosive athlete on the ice.

OHL GM on Dickinson: “Dickinson will fall off. His IQ is questionable and he gets the London bump. Protected with the quality of team.”

As for this Hockeyprospects praise in this thread, I have been buying their draft guide since 2018. They are no better at predicting players than anybody else. In 2020, they had Tristan Robins at 13. Have you heard of him? They also rated Raymond too low and Holtz too high, etc. In 2022, they rated Kemell, Savoie, Lekkerimaki and McGroarty all ahead of Cutter Gauthier, who was number 15 in their final ranking. It is an excellent guide, with detailed information, and quotes from scouts, but I learned quickly their predictions are all over the map - like every other publication.

 

[Hale The Villain]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802747709754921100

I'd be fine with Dickinson.

I don't think his upside is as high as some people think but he's got all the makings of a good 2nd pairing D.

 

[Hale The Villain]

Yakemchuk being out of shape, unathletic and not saying the right things in combine interviews is a red flag, especially considering he's not on the younger side. He's a late birthday and is a season ahead in development compared to the '06 borns like Parekh, Dickinson, etc... He should be more mature than those guys, not less.

 

[BondraTime]

Yakemchuk being out of shape, unathletic and not saying the right things in combine interviews is a red flag, especially considering he's not on the younger side. He's a late birthday and is a season ahead in development compared to the '06 borns like Parekh, Dickinson, etc... He should be more mature than those guys, not less.

I'm real surprised at people saying it's a poisitive being called unathletic because once he gets athletic and in shape he's going to be a monster.

It doesn't work like that, there's no switch to make you more athletic. And if teams are worried about his athleticism as they have been all year and even moreso after the combine, that's a huge red flag for what to expect once the jump to pro comes, and that was alrerady a worry

Scouts aren't seeing it as an opportunity, it's a red flag

 

[Micklebot]

I'm real surprised at people saying it's a poisitive being called unathletic because once he gets athletic and in shape he's going to be a monster.

It doesn't work like that, there's no switch to make you more athletic. And if teams are worried about his athleticism as they have been all year and even moreso after the combine, that's a huge red flag for what to expect once the jump to pro comes, and that was alrerady a worry

Scouts aren't seeing it as an opportunity, it's a red flag

The reality is scouts are pretty adept at differentiating between potential for improving and areas of concern, that's half their job.

 

[bert]

How often does skating actually improve more than a marginal amount between draft day and when they're in the NHL though?

Lots for big players. Thats why so many of them take longer to develop. He is 18, not even close to his physical developed peak. Takes big kids longer to grow into their bodies. Look at Spezza and Nick Paul if you want examples of players in Ottawa.

He has some really good traits ... I think he is typically ranked appropriately just outside the top 10. He can play offense and be at least a PP2 player. He is mean and physical. Has good size. Is a Right shot. Those traits could get him picked inside the top 10.

He is 2 weeks away from being in last year's draft .. another factor for me when ranking the 6 D.

Development is not linear you have to take a way deeper dive than just looking at birth date. When they grew and when they matured are way more important factors. Jack Quinn although a late birthday was very physically under developed. Marco Rossi who was almost the same age exactly was the polar opposite. He was full grown and very little room for physical growth.

Sam Bennett couldnt do a chin up at the combine. But his compete level was always high and willingness to engage physically. Now look at him.

 

[bert]

I'm real surprised at people saying it's a poisitive being called unathletic because once he gets athletic and in shape he's going to be a monster.

It doesn't work like that, there's no switch to make you more athletic. And if teams are worried about his athleticism as they have been all year and even moreso after the combine, that's a huge red flag for what to expect once the jump to pro comes, and that was alrerady a worry

Scouts aren't seeing it as an opportunity, it's a red flag

Thats not what I said. I said he is still developing and growing into his body. How coordinated a person is at 18 doesnt mean he is unathletic. Look at the way his body moves on the ice and how coordinated he is naturally. They are looking at his pure explosiveness, some people develop later physically. Thats not new. I said he hasn't developed into his body yet, those are two completely different things. You have been saying how much you dont like him all year I am not going to try and change your opinion now.

 

[BondraTime]

Thats not what I said. I said he is still developing and growing into his body. How coordinated a person is at 18 doesnt mean he is unathletic. Look at the way his body moves on the ice and how coordinated he is. I said he hasn't developed into his body yet, those are two completely different things. You have been saying how much you dont like him all year I am not going to try and change your opinion now.

I was responding to someone else saying scouts are looking at it as a development oppurtunity

I'm not basing his athleticism on his cordination, I'm basing it on the reporting coming from the combine that teams were very disapointed in Yakemchuk's interviews and how unathletic he is.

 

[bert]

Yakemchuk being out of shape, unathletic and not saying the right things in combine interviews is a red flag, especially considering he's not on the younger side. He's a late birthday and is a season ahead in development compared to the '06 borns like Parekh, Dickinson, etc... He should be more mature than those guys, not less.

I am more concerned about the bolded. As he needs the right attitude to fix the issue of body development that comes from a work rate and dedication to doing the right things in the offseason and off the ice.

Were talking about 17 and 18 year olds in terms of maturity. Just because a guy is 8 months older doesnt necessarily mean he will be more mature. Physical and mental development is not linear but if he has the work ethic that can come.

If you follow golf look at Bryson Dechambeau he has matured in leaps and bounds he is 30.

 

[armani]

I'm real surprised at people saying it's a poisitive being called unathletic because once he gets athletic and in shape he's going to be a monster.

It doesn't work like that, there's no switch to make you more athletic. And if teams are worried about his athleticism as they have been all year and even moreso after the combine, that's a huge red flag for what to expect once the jump to pro comes, and that was alrerady a worry

Scouts aren't seeing it as an opportunity, it's a red flag

Lets just say if the Sens pick Yakemchuk with their 7th, I would be as pissed as Garrioch when he misses out on the last slice of free Gabriel's pizza at CTC cheapseats. Not only are there better prospects in front of him, I am not sure Yak is a top-4 calibre NHL d-man prospect. Not smart enough, not athletic enough as per combine.

 

[Micklebot]

Thats not what I said. I said he is still developing and growing into his body. How coordinated a person is at 18 doesnt mean he is unathletic. Look at the way his body moves on the ice and how coordinated he is naturally. They are looking at his pure explosiveness, some people develop later physically. Thats not new. I said he hasn't developed into his body yet, those are two completely different things. You have been saying how much you dont like him all year I am not going to try and change your opinion now.

I think that was in reference to what Sens in Process posted, not you?

What Bondratime seems to be getting at is Scouts understand that big kids might be uncoordinated after a growth spurt, they can take that into account, but if they say they have concerns about his athletiics then that's a different ballgame.

 

[Qward]

Sure lets draft another LHD.

Lets just be all LHD.


Put Klevin in net. He is the tallest.

 

[BondraTime]

Lets just say if the Sens pick Yakemchuk with their 7th, I would be as pissed as Garrioch when he misses out on the last slice of free Gabriel's pizza at CTC cheapseats. Not only are there better prospects in front of him, I am not sure Yak is a top-4 calibre NHL d-man prospect. Not smart enough, not athletic enough as per combine.

I won’t be pissed, I’ve been wrong more than enough times to know what I think doesn’t really matter all tht much, but he’s not who I personally want, I don’t see it with that high of a pick in my extremely amateur opinion.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Dickinson is a good safe player, but like do we really want a less intelligent LHD Sanderson? Yeah I'd rather not Yakemchuk. Personally unless Silayev, Levshunov, or Buium falls to 7th, I'd rather we pick a forward. I won't be unhappy with Parekh.

 

[RAFI BOMB]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802366793459098060

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Lots for big players. Thats why so many of them take longer to develop. He is 18, not even close to his physical developed peak. Takes big kids longer to grow into their bodies. Look at Spezza and Nick Paul if you want examples of players in Ottawa.


Development is not linear you have to take a way deeper dive than just looking at birth date. When they grew and when they matured are way more important factors. Jack Quinn although a late birthday was very physically under developed. Marco Rossi who was almost the same age exactly was the polar opposite. He was full grown and very little room for physical growth.

Sam Bennett couldnt do a chin up at the combine. But his compete level was always high and willingness to engage physically. Now look at him.

I agree but when overall evals on prospects are very close .. its a factor to some . I am in the some. If he had no IQ concerns and no skating concerns and he could defend reasonably well.. I would ignore the late birthday.. but its on the pile for him.

 

[bert]

I agree but when overall evals on prospects are very close .. its a factor to some . I am in the some. If he had no IQ concerns and no skating concerns and he could defend reasonably well.. I would ignore the late birthday.. but its on the pile for him.

I am fine with the sens taking another D man other than Yakemchuk. He isnt my number 1, 2 or 3 d man heck he is probably last out of the group. But lets not pretend his ceiling isnt potentially the highest. I also dont know how you can watch him play and say he isnt athletic. Maybe he isnt good at other sports but the way he can move, stick handle, shoot and pass. Those are skill athletic elements.

I dont know how you can say he has a poor hockey IQ when he see's the ice as well as he does offensively. Maybe he isnt a naturally strong defender but that can be taught and we know he can see the ice. That sounds like a maturity thing. I dont think there are skating concerns either, his edgework is tremendous. If he has a work ethic concern that's an issue. Being good defensively and improving explosiveness in his skating will come from how hard he wants to work. When he gets moving he is fast. Its his first couple steps that arent great. Which is pretty normal for a big teenager. However this can be something that can be improved, its just a matter of if he wants to. He also engages physically that's a unique trait when a player is as offensively gifted as he is.

To me he is even higher risk reward than Parehk. They are probably at the bottom of my choices for D men because the sens simply cant miss with this pick. But if they end up with one of them I am going to be fine with it. If they trade down and get one at 9 for example id be pretty pumped assuming they get something pretty good in that scenario to move back.

 

[bicboi64]

It's refreshing to read about Dickinson being excited after his interview with the Sens, but man I don't want another LD prospect that is so vanilla. It's one thing if Dickinson was 6ft7 like Silayev, but let's use that #7 to draft future Norris winner Parekh.

 

[Icelevel]

If I were to guess:

1. Celebrini
2. Demidov (though Levshunov will be taken 2nd)
3. Levshunov
4. Silayev
5. Lindstrom
6. Dickinson
7. Parekh
8. Buium
9. Iginla
10. Sennecke
11. Helenius
12. Catton
13. Yakemchuk
14. Eiserman
15. Brandsegg-Nygard

Worst possible for Ottawa. I’m taking 8,9 and 10 before #7