NHL Entry Draft 2024 NHL Draft Talk

[Golden_Jet]

Moving back from as high as 7 is always difficult because even moving back two picks could drop you multiple tiers depending on how high your guys internally. Even if your guy is ranked 10th-15th on public list, there is no guarantee someone won't jump you. It's part of why every year when a team selects a player who the public perceives to be off the board, the public does not understand why they could not move back (Seider, Reinbacher, Boucher, Kotkaniemi, etc).

Not saying all those guys were technically off the board, only that they were taken above their public consensus so fans figured the team should have moved back.

It wouldn't surprise me if we do have Iginla as a possible pick at 7, but we don't see him as a tier above who we would get at 9 (depending on how it shakes out), so we're going to try and extort Calgary, who simply can't go back to their fan base or ownership with the idea that they had Iginla available to them but decided not to do the trade.

It's a lot easier to move back from 18 to 20 than 7 to 9. The Flames have 28, 41, and 62. In 2015, Toronto asked for 34, 38, and 58 to move down from 4 to 8. If Iginla is on the board, either 28 and we send something like a future 2nd or 3rd their way, or 41+62. It has to be high enough that it's worth doing, but reasonable enough that they simply can't go back to their ownership and say they failed to acquire what would have been the most marketable player to come through their team in a very long time because they didn't want to give up a few 2nd rounders.

Well we know the cost of 20-18, as it happened a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Burrowsaurus]

I think yakemchuk is very safely not in our sights after the combine. Opposite of what we’re looking for

 

[Golden_Jet]

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.

Yep. Brady missed draft by 2 days, and there was a crowd whining about his 8 goals.

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

Hopefully not Parekh
But in the end this year, I’ll be good with any in the large range that is available.

 

[Icelevel]

I think lindstroms back might be a factor now

 

[Sens in Process]

The reason why NHL scouts may see Yakemchuk as a development opportunity is that he is a big player growing into his body. And the lack of coordination and "athleticism" is probably the result of him going from a 5'9, 145 pounds to the 6'3, 200 pound kid we see today in a few years.

Get To Know Carter Yakemchuk - Calgary Hitmen

Yakemchuk was listed at 6'2 for U18 in 2023, which probably was a generous measurement. He was officially measured at 6'3 at the 2024 combine. He hasn't stopped growing maybe until now?

Coupled with fact that he may not be a gym rat and possibly carries around unnecessary poundage, it might be development opportunity. He is not walking around with 3% to 7% body fat. Maybe he is a beefy kid that could be streamlined? I am sure it will make for better testing results

I said it before with Brady. Brady lacked balance when he came into the league; people referred to him Bambying all over the ice. He doesn't bamby all over the ice anymore.He dominates down low. It will be the same for Yak who exhibits the same awkwardness at 18.

 

[DJB]

Every team drafts players for playoffs.

We drafted tkatchuk Sanderson stutzle

It was in reference to more physical players

 

[Golden_Jet]

MSN

Speaking of Yakemchuk, he got the most answers of any player for the questions, “Who’s the hardest player to play against?” and “Who’s the most underrated player in this draft class?”

 

[DJB]

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.

He’s one of the safest picks to me in the top 10. Guaranteed top 4 guy.

What he does offensively in the NHL is the question and if he can clean up some decision making at times. If he fixes those he’s a top pairing guy no doubt.

I wonder too if Staois because it’s his first draft goes with the safe selection

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.

He’s the most intriguing highest upside if he hits for D imo. If he puts it all together we are talking about Brent Burns here but he comes with some serious questions

 

[Golden_Jet]

Ya draft for 3-4 years down the road, what you’ll think they’ll be, not for their 17-18 year old year.

 

[BondraTime]

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

It’s not an outcome for Ottawa or Ottawa’s list, it’s what I’m assuming McKenzie’s ranking will be.

Ottawas will be much different than McKenzie’s

I think lindstroms back might be a factor now

Athletic draft podcast (I believe, could be mistaking it with another I was listening to in the way to work) a day or two ago said it wasn’t a factor for teams after the combine and he was locked in the top 5 now

 

[Golden_Jet]

It’s not an outcome for Ottawa or Ottawa’s list, it’s what I’m assuming McKenzie’s ranking will be.

Ahh ok thanks
That is different than saying,
If I were to guess…..

 

[BondraTime]

Ahh ok thanks
That is different than saying,
If I were to guess…..

It was in response to a tweet saying McKenzie’s rankings were coming out this coming Monday. That’s what I was guessing.

 

[JungleBeat]

Delete

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

I think lindstroms back might be a factor now

Cayden Lindstrom Says He Has A Clean Bill Of Health​

One of the big questions coming into the draft is how Cayden Lindstrom’s injury situation looks at this point. He missed a chunk of the season with separate injuries, the latest being an issue with his back.

Lindstrom only participated in three of the physical testing stations, grip strength, pull-ups and the bench press, while skipping others. He said that he has been skating four to five times a week since he’s been medically cleared and will continue rehabbing, while expecting no lingering issues.

In chatting with some NHL personnel in Buffalo and after, the sense I’ve gotten is that concerns are minimal about Lindstrom’s injury situation and that there’s a very good chance he goes in the range he was projected to in mid-season, which is to say he could be a top-five selection.

Lindstrom said that he had dinners with Utah, Columbus and Montreal while he was in Buffalo. Columbus picks fourth, Montreal has the fifth overall selection and Utah picks sixth.

https://www.flohockey.tv/articles/12626817-2024-nhl-draft-scouting-combine-notebook-what-teams-learned-who-impressed

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

It was in response to a tweet saying McKenzie’s rankings were coming out this coming Monday. That’s what I was guessing.

tough crowd lol .. guessing what Bob would reveal is pretty obvious.

Dickinson Parekh Buium could be ranked in any order .. I like Sennecke sneaking in the top 10 effectively bumping Helenius.. Iginla should remain.

 

[Golden_Jet]

It was in response to a tweet saying McKenzie’s rankings were coming out this coming Monday. That’s what I was guessing.

So looks like you 3,4 slot flipping
Then some reorder after 9
From Bobs May list

 

[Hale The Villain]

So many on this site are fans of teams in need a big RD and because of that they are willing to see pretty much anything they want to see with Yakemchuk.

I recommend anyone interested in getting a non-biased analysis of his game buy the HockeyProspect Black Book. Breaks down his strengths and weaknesses impartially and makes it pretty clear why he shouldn't be a serious candidate for us at 7, given the alternatives. I've watched quite a bit of Yakemchuk this year and I agree with pretty much all of it.

 

[Golden_Jet]

So many on this site are fans of teams in need a big RD and because of that they are willing to see pretty much anything they want to see with Yakemchuk.

I recommend anyone interested in getting a non-biased analysis of his game buy the HockeyProspect Black Book. Breaks down his strengths and weaknesses impartially and makes it pretty clear why he shouldn't be a serious candidate for us at 7, given the alternatives. I've watched quite a bit of Yakemchuk this year and I agree with pretty much all of it.

His peers thought differently
Hardest to play against
Most underrated

 

[Hale The Villain]

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.

You may be shocked if you could see the lists of NHL scouting staffs because they would have outliers too, some of which work our and others which do not.

Overall their rankings have been pretty good. I don't really care much about the rankings as much as the detailed descriptions of the draft eligibles themselves, particularly for some of the day 2 guys I don't have time to watch a lot of.

 

[Hale The Villain]

His peers thought differently
Hardest to play against
Most underrated

I wouldn't make a mountain out of that molehill.

There were 19 WHLers invited to the combine and 14 of them were forwards, who are more likely to say a defenseman is more difficult to play against than another forward, and Yakemchuk is easily the best WHL defenseman in this draft over guys like Brunicke, Elick, etc...

 

[Golden_Jet]

I wouldn't make a mountain out of that molehill.

Ya that’s fair, you can also say that about a lot of list, including black book.

Someone posted a bit of a dive into 5-10 past years, of the book, a week or so ago, and were also a lot of misses, like others.

But like you, I like the reading more than the rankings

 

[Sens in Process]

So many on this site are fans of teams in need a big RD and because of that they are willing to see pretty much anything they want to see with Yakemchuk.

I recommend anyone interested in getting a non-biased analysis of his game buy the HockeyProspect Black Book. Breaks down his strengths and weaknesses impartially and makes it pretty clear why he shouldn't be a serious candidate for us at 7, given the alternatives. I've watched quite a bit of Yakemchuk this year and I agree with pretty much all of it.

The Blackbook is full of bias(like every publication) and they are wrong on prospects all the time, just look where they rated Cutter Gauthier compared to some other forwards in that draft.

They give him a 5 on hockey sense but write the following:

Much of his offensive success is based on his shooting. His passing and vision are decent to above-average ....... While he occasionally rushes the puck too much, he's accurate with his passing from his own zone.

How do give someone a grade of 5 on hockey sense when they are an above average passer?

We’re not high on his IQ, but this is one area of his game we appreciate; how he creates
room for himself and finds soft ice to receive passes for one-timers.

Yes he is very good a reading the play and finding open spots. Once again, this is an element of hockey sense.

A scout quoted in the Blackbook mentions how bad his team and coaching is:

“He plays too much and I don’t think he’s getting pushed to play the game the right way. I have real issues with the coaching there.” - NHL Scout, December 2023

His bad decision making is mostly the result of being the main cog on a bad and unstructured team. I have said it before. Imagine if Stutzle was on a really bad junior team....he would forcing things and trying to do too much himself all the time.

 

[Hale The Villain]

The Blackbook is full of bias(like every publication) and they are wrong on prospects all the time, just look where they rated Cutter Gauthier compared to some other forwards in that draft.

They give him a 5 on hockey sense but write the following:


How do give someone a grade of 5 on hockey sense when they are an above average passer?

Can't speak to that grade, but there is a difference in passing ability and vision. Yakemchuk has enough skill that he can pass the puck well to an open man up the ice, but he does not have great vision when he's in the offensive zone, which is partly why his assist numbers every year at the WHL level aren't high and are close to his goal totals.

Yes he is very good a reading the play and finding open spots. Once again, this is an element of hockey sense.

A scout quoted in the Blackbook mentions how bad his team and coaching is:



His bad decision making is mostly the result of being the main cog on a bad and unstructured team. I have said it before. Imagine if Stutzle was on a really bad junior team....he would forcing things and trying to do too much himself all the time.

Strongly disagree and I don't think anything else I say or anyone else says will change your mind about Yakemchuk's decision making being an issue.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

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.



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.

Dickinson is still 17 and he is a maxed out athelete ... Wowza smokin hot take.

Also some nice cherry picking to fit your narrative.
17 NHL Scout opinions . Not HF Scouts .. NHL Scouts

1. Best Silayev/Levshunov Least Yakemchuk
2. No Best /Least
3. Best Levshunov, Least Yakemchuk
4. Best Parekh, Least Yakemchuk
5. No Best/Least
6. Best Levshunov, Least Yakemchuk
7. Best Levshunov, Least Yakemchuk in a bottom tier by himself
8. Best Parekh, Least Yakemchuk
9. Best Silayev, Least Dickinson
10. Best Parekh/Silayev Least Dickinson
11. No Best/Least
12. No Best/Least
13. Best Levshunov, Least Yakemchuk
14. No Best/Least
15. No Best/Least
16. Best Dickinson, Least Yakemchuk
17. Best Levshunov, Least Dickinson

11 Scouts offered Best /Least opinions

8/11 had Yakemchuk Least, (73%)
3/11 had Dickinson Least ( 27%)

0/11 had Yakemchuk Best (0%)
1/11 had Dickinson Best (9%)
3/11 had Silayev Best (27%)
3/11 had Parekh Best (27%)
6/11 has Levshunov Best (55%)


Look at the success 3,4,5 years out not at the actual draft, HockeyProspect's success rate is higher than most., There is a post in this thread on exactly that. I ran across another one recently they were high on as well. They are very well respected in that regard. The book on Last years draft has not really started yet for most of the prospects

As far as the Draft goes over the past 5 years . Bob wins.
If you look at the top 10 .. A few have over 8 .. HP has 8
Top 15 HP has 12 ; 2 have more
Top 20 HP has 16.6 1 has more (Bob)
Players ranked in the top 20 slipping to the 2nd round,
HP has 2 , Bob has 2 everyone else has more.. Pronman has 12.

Want to know what is going to happen in the NHL Draft? Look at Bob McKenzie’s Draft Rankings

Today was a big day in the hockey prospect world: TSN's insider extrao...

wingsnation.com

The Draft ranking success shown here and the success they have looking back 3.4,5 years put Hockey Prospect as one of the best. I don't always agree with them on individual players but they put way more into it than I do and they have conversations with other scouts and NHL scouts as well. So I am in no position to argue with them.

 

[Sens in Process]

Dickinson is still 17 and he is a maxed out athelete ... Wowza smokin hot take.

Also some nice cherry picking to fit your narrative.
17 NHL Scout opinions . Not HF Scouts .. NHL Scouts

1. Best Silayev/Levshunov Least Yakemchuk
2. No Best /Least
3. Best Levshunov, Least Yakemchuk
4. Best Parekh, Least Yakemchuk
5. No Best/Least
6. Best Levshunov, Least Yakemchuk
7. Best Levshunov, Least Yakemchuk in a bottom tier by himself
8. Best Parekh, Least Yakemchuk
9. Best Silayev, Least Dickinson
10. Best Parekh/Silayev Least Dickinson
11. No Best/Least
12. No Best/Least
13. Best Levshunov, Least Yakemchuk
14. No Best/Least
15. No Best/Least
16. Best Dickinson, Least Yakemchuk
17. Best Levshunov, Least Dickinson

11 Scouts offered Best /Least opinions

8/11 had Yakemchuk Least, (73%)
3/11 had Dickinson Least ( 27%)

0/11 had Yakemchuk Best (0%)
1/11 had Dickinson Best (9%)
3/11 had Silayev Best (27%)
3/11 had Parekh Best (27%)
6/11 has Levshunov Best (55%)


Look at the success 3,4,5 years out not at the actual draft, HockeyProspect's success rate is higher than most., There is a post in this thread on exactly that. I ran across another one recently they were high on as well. They are very well respected in that regard. The book on Last years draft has not really started yet for most of the prospects

I read that article. Pronman talked to different scouts and they said the exact opposite opinion apparently. Some of the scouts Wheeler cited even said they hadn't even really paid attention to the top D because of their team's relative position in the draft. I have no idea about their methodology, so I take both a grain of salt. I am very confident that Yakemchuk has better hockey sense than Dickinson and much better offensive instincts. He creates plays.Dickinson is the product of a system.

But in the end, we will see.