2024 NHL Draft Thread (CBJ to pick 4th)

[EspenK]

Scott Wheeler Mock Draft
. Others will likely draw a line between Silayev and the Russians within the Blue Jackets organization or point to him being different than David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk and therefore a fit, but he just doesn’t strike me as their type. The Russian connections also help with Demidov and I don’t get the sense that concerns some have expressed in recent months about SKA, his brother being there, etc., hang over him quite as much anymore.

We have a type?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

A little less than a week from the draft and Not only am I on the Ivan Demidov train but I am honking the horn too. Is it a luxury pick of a player we have already? Sure. But our prospect base is so solid that I think we can afford to truly go with BPA here. The talent level is off the charts, and if him hitting forces us to move someone else then so be it.

Lindstrom is still enticing at 4 and I won’t be mad about it. But I feel like our center depth in the pool is good enough that we can afford a luxury pick. But if the staff still decides on him over Demidov I am perfectly fine with it too. I see the logic in both, but if Demidov is truly the best talent left on the board, I think you take the swing.

 

[majormajor]

A little less than a week from the draft and Not only am I on the Ivan Demidov train but I am honking the horn too. Is it a luxury pick of a player we have already? Sure.

We don't have any Demidovs.

But our prospect base is so solid that I think we can afford to truly go with BPA here. The talent level is off the charts, and if him hitting forces us to move someone else then so be it.

We have great prospects coming up at every position, I don't see any issue here.

Lindstrom is still enticing at 4 and I won’t be mad about it. But I feel like our center depth in the pool is good enough that we can afford a luxury pick. But if the staff still decides on him over Demidov I am perfectly fine with it too. I see the logic in both, but if Demidov is truly the best talent left on the board, I think you take the swing.

Demidov is probably a good center too, if you want him to be.

It might be a situation where he is a better wing than center, but also a better center than whoever else you'd pick or put at center.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

We don't have any Demidovs.



We have great prospects coming up at every position, I don't see any issue here.



Demidov is probably a good center too, if you want him to be.

It might be a situation where he is a better wing than center, but also a better center than whoever else you'd pick or put at center.

Is he your preference at 4 if the top 3 goes as expected? (celebrini, levshunov, silayev)

 

[GoJackets1]

Drafting Demidov is probably our best chance at acquiring a long term Panarin/Kaprizov type play-driver in the next however many years. I’m not one to pass on that chance if it’s there.

 

[Viqsi]

I am now adjusting my prediction; Anaheim will take Demidov.

 

[majormajor]

Is he your preference at 4 if the top 3 goes as expected? (celebrini, levshunov, silayev)

Yes, I also love Buium and Lindstrom but I have Demidov a tiny bit ahead.

I am not so assured that the draft order will go "as expected".

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Yes, I also love Buium and Lindstrom but I have Demidov a tiny bit ahead.

I am not so assured that the draft order will go "as expected".

Me either, mostly with the Chicago rumors of liking Demidov too and the Anaheim ducks being the ultimate wild card (again). But I just wanted to see what your list was at if it went that way.

 

[GoJackets1]

I would be ecstatic with either Buium or Demidov. Demidov would have me doing backflips, but I’m worried he’s retaken his “can’t miss top 2/3” status in the past week and we won’t have the chance.

If we took Buium over Demidov, I would like the pick less, but still be beyond excited about a defenseman as competitive and “modern” as Buium.

Lindstrom I would also be pretty happy with, but still nervous about.

 

[majormajor]

Me either, mostly with the Chicago rumors of liking Demidov too and the Anaheim ducks being the ultimate wild card (again). But I just wanted to see what your list was at if it went that way.

I'll put out a proper list soon. I don't have time for big write-ups this year because I'm busy with job applications.

(If anyone wants a remote analyst / writer, shoot me a line).

 

[Youngguns80]

So lets say the picks go chalk as predicted and when it gets to the CBJ pick Demidov and Lindstrom are available but we are offered a trade for the 4OV.

Thoughts

 

[OldGoaltender]

So lets say the picks go chalk as predicted and when it gets to the CBJ pick Demidov and Lindstrom are available but we are offered a trade for the 4OV.

Thoughts

Unless it's a top line player I keep the pick and take Demidov.

 

[stevo61]

So lets say the picks go chalk as predicted and when it gets to the CBJ pick Demidov and Lindstrom are available but we are offered a trade for the 4OV.

Thoughts

unless the trade is a no brainer like 4+ for Tkachuk or something silly I say make the pick and probably grab Demidov in this scenario

 

[Jovavic]

My favorite is Demidov...but I think he gets picked by Chickenhawks or Ducks. Second would be Lindstrom...who also might not be there. If it's the defensemen (they all have their warts, I don't rate them apart from each other much) that are left I might trade down from 4 to somewhere else in the top 10 if someone wants to come up and take the one they want.

 

[JohnnyJacket13]

So lets say the picks go chalk as predicted and when it gets to the CBJ pick Demidov and Lindstrom are available but we are offered a trade for the 4OV.

Thoughts

Keep the pick and take Demidov. I don’t think there’s anything realistic out there that would be worth passing on selecting a future star that’s cost controlled.

 

[Xoggz22]

So lets say the picks go chalk as predicted and when it gets to the CBJ pick Demidov and Lindstrom are available but we are offered a trade for the 4OV.

Thoughts

Make the pick. You have a list, your list, just take your guy and don't screw around. I've heard multiple GMs say you put your list together for a reason. Deviate from it and lose. Take your guy early and trade later when the risk of success is higher

 

[majormajor]

Here's my final list.

This is generic for any team. We have a strong pool at every position and I can't really justify changing the order for the Jackets. Center and RD preference are already built in for everyone.

The notes I posted at the end are largely the same comments I've made for months about these players.

1​	Macklin Celebrini​	C​
2​	Ivan Demidov​	F​
3​	Zeev Buium​	LD​
4​	Cayden Lindstrom​	F​
5​	Beckett Sennecke​	W​
6​	Michael Brandsegg-Nygard​	F​
7​	Carter Yakemchuk​	RD​
8​	Tij Iginla​	W​
9​	Berkly Catton​	W​
10​	Jesse Pulkkinen​	LD​
11​	Jett Luchanko​	F​
12​	Konsta Helenius​	C​
13​	Stian Solberg​	LD​
14​	Anton Silayev ​	LD​
15​	Yegor Surin​	C​
16​	Sam Dickinson​	LD​
17​	Zayne Parekh​	RD​
18​	Alfons Freij​	LD​
19​	Julius Miettinen​	C​
20​	Igor Chernyshev ​	W​
21​	Marek Vanacker​	W​

Notes:

- I think the consensus is probably wrong about Brandsegg-Nygard's upside. He's probably never a very good rush player but there are indeed many excellent topline players in the NHL who mostly thrive off of the cycle / forecheck. Those players are if anything more rare. He wins the large majorities of his battles, is very smart defensively, and of course has an elite shot. He reminds me of a stronger version of Oliver Bjorkstrand. A little bit of Landeskog as well.

- He's an overager but if my team drafted Jesse Pulkkinen 10th-15th a year ago I'd be very happy with how his last year has gone. He has elite tools. I love the defense. There's NHL shutdown upside at 6'6. I love the way he reads defenders when he is attacking with the puck. The adaptive intelligence is high end. He'll need to get quicker and learn a lot more at both ends, but the pace of improvement makes me inclined to bet on this player.

- I saw Anton Silayev a lot at both the KHL and MHL level and I think the visions of him scoring 40 pts are pure fantasy. His KHL production was very good for his age but it looks like random points when I watch it. He rarely shows offensive initiative. This will be a shutdown D, and a very good one.

- Yegor Surin is a wild beast. He reminds me a lot of Brandon Dubinsky. He plays a lot like Sam Bennett as well. But he's stronger than both, a tremendous athlete. The competitiveness is off the charts. I think he'll be a strong matchup center that can take on anyone.

- I like Dickinson and Parekh a fait bit, I wanted to move them higher because they both looked impressive to me in the Memorial Cup. I just had too many players that I liked a bit more. It's a deep draft for me up until around pick 21. Dickinson I expect to top out at minimum as a second pair guy, and he might be a #2D. Parekh could end up as one of the best players in this class, and I'm even seeing his D game improve a lot. He'll always get pushed around in his zone though, and my big concern is injuries - there is a high bust risk if he keeps getting hurt this often.

- The big omission is of course Levshunov. There are many D in the NHL who have the physical tools to be #1Ds but lack the thinking. It's not tools that separates the best from the rest. Levshunov is largely just tools. His passing game reminds me of Jack Johnson. I don't think he has improved that much either over the course of the year, and I'm hearing from the Blackbook that his trajectory is somewhat oversold, he's been a specimen and a top prospect for years now. I think you can draft him higher but the team will have to mold him into something more structured and less dynamic. I don't think he has the hockey sense to succeed playing a rover game.

 

[koteka]

Here's my final list.

What do you think of Greentree? He’s somebody that I thought you might like.

 

[majormajor]

What do you think of Greentree? He’s somebody that I thought you might like.

Crafty player with great hands but the pace is so slow that I think there's a lot of bust risk there. I took him out of the top 20ish picks after his U18 showing where he was useless.

 

[Xoggz22]

Here's my final list.

This is generic for any team. We have a strong pool at every position and I can't really justify changing the order for the Jackets. Center and RD preference are already built in for everyone.

The notes I posted at the end are largely the same comments I've made for months about these players.

1​	Macklin Celebrini​	C​
2​	Ivan Demidov​	F​
3​	Zeev Buium​	LD​
4​	Cayden Lindstrom​	F​
5​	Beckett Sennecke​	W​
6​	Michael Brandsegg-Nygard​	F​
7​	Carter Yakemchuk​	RD​
8​	Tij Iginla​	W​
9​	Berkly Catton​	W​
10​	Jesse Pulkkinen​	LD​
11​	Jett Luchanko​	F​
12​	Konsta Helenius​	C​
13​	Stian Solberg​	LD​
14​	Anton Silayev ​	LD​
15​	Yegor Surin​	C​
16​	Sam Dickinson​	LD​
17​	Zayne Parekh​	RD​
18​	Alfons Freij​	LD​
19​	Julius Miettinen​	C​
20​	Igor Chernyshev ​	W​
21​	Marek Vanacker​	W​

Notes:

- I think the consensus is probably wrong about Brandsegg-Nygard's upside. He's probably never a very good rush player but there are indeed many excellent topline players in the NHL who mostly thrive off of the cycle / forecheck. Those players are if anything more rare. He wins the large majorities of his battles, is very smart defensively, and of course has an elite shot. He reminds me of a stronger version of Oliver Bjorkstrand. A little bit of Landeskog as well.

- He's an overager but if my team drafted Jesse Pulkkinen 10th-15th a year ago I'd be very happy with how his last year has gone. He has elite tools. I love the defense. There's NHL shutdown upside at 6'6. I love the way he reads defenders when he is attacking with the puck. The adaptive intelligence is high end. He'll need to get quicker and learn a lot more at both ends, but the pace of improvement makes me inclined to bet on this player.

- I saw Anton Silayev a lot at both the KHL and MHL level and I think the visions of him scoring 40 pts are pure fantasy. His KHL production was very good for his age but it looks like random points when I watch it. He rarely shows offensive initiative. This will be a shutdown D, and a very good one.

- Yegor Surin is a wild beast. He reminds me a lot of Brandon Dubinsky. He plays a lot like Sam Bennett as well. But he's stronger than both, a tremendous athlete. The competitiveness is off the charts. I think he'll be a strong matchup center that can take on anyone.

- I like Dickinson and Parekh a fait bit, I wanted to move them higher because they both looked impressive to me in the Memorial Cup. I just had too many players that I liked a bit more. It's a deep draft for me up until around pick 21. Dickinson I expect to top out at minimum as a second pair guy, and he might be a #2D. Parekh could end up as one of the best players in this class, and I'm even seeing his D game improve a lot. He'll always get pushed around in his zone though, and my big concern is injuries - there is a high bust risk if he keeps getting hurt this often.

- The big omission is of course Levshunov. There are many D in the NHL who have the physical tools to be #1Ds but lack the thinking. It's not tools that separates the best from the rest. Levshunov is largely just tools. His passing game reminds me of Jack Johnson. I don't think he has improved that much either over the course of the year, and I'm hearing from the Blackbook that his trajectory is somewhat oversold, he's been a specimen and a top prospect for years now. I think you can draft him higher but the team will have to mold him into something more structured and less dynamic. I don't think he has the hockey sense to succeed playing a rover game.

Respect your thoughts and effort on this. I disagree with several of your placements but that would happen every year as people see different things. The only thing I'll take you to task over is Levshunov. I get it, you don't like his game, but it's very clear scouts see him quite differently. I don't see the lack of IQ you do and see a kid with all the tools and only 2 years in NA with improvent each year and the ability to play in all 3 zones. Time will tell but not having him in your top 20 when others have bigger warts on your list... just can't agree.

Where would you place Jiricek on this list? I see Levshunov as a much better prospect than Jiricek.

 

[majormajor]

Respect your thoughts and effort on this. I disagree with several of your placements but that would happen every year as people see different things. The only thing I'll take you to task over is Levshunov. I get it, you don't like his game, but it's very clear scouts see him quite differently. I don't see the lack of IQ you do and see a kid with all the tools and only 2 years in NA with improvent each year and the ability to play in all 3 zones. Time will tell but not having him in your top 20 when others have bigger warts on your list... just can't agree.

Where would you place Jiricek on this list? I see Levshunov as a much better prospect than Jiricek.

I'm not trying to copy scouts, so that's fine. I just watch the players (~15 games for Levshunov) and tell you what I see.

If you ever wondered how scouts would have placed Jack Johnson third overall, well I suspect we're watching a similar mistake happen in real time.

FWIW if you asked me a while back to name some scouts I like to listen to I'd say the Blackbook folks, as well as Simon St. Laurent. Coincidentally both had Levshunov around 10th.

Are you talking about Adam Jiricek? For me he's right next to Levshunov in the early 20s.

 

[koteka]

Crafty player with great hands but the pace is so slow that I think there's a lot of bust risk there. I took him out of the top 20ish picks after his U18 showing where he was useless.

Interesting. Do you think he is the kind of guy who could get rushed because he has NHL size and not get the chance to develop as a result? Or you think he will not develop enough even given the time?

Luchanko is another guy not talked about here that I thought you might like, and you obviously do.

Is it me or does this class seem especially good with the puck? Like maybe they spent a lot of time at 14 doing puck drills because of COVID and it has paid off. The criticism of hockey development in North America has been too many meaningless games and not enough work on skills. Maybe these kids spent a lot of time at a crucial phase in their development forced to do skills and it shows some validity to the criticism.

 

[Xoggz22]

I'm not trying to copy scouts, so that's fine. I just watch the players (~15 games for Levshunov) and tell you what I see.

If you ever wondered how scouts would have placed Jack Johnson third overall, well I suspect we're watching a similar mistake happen in real time.

FWIW if you asked me a while back to name some scouts I like to listen to I'd say the Blackbook folks, as well as Simon St. Laurent. Coincidentally both had Levshunov around 10th.

Are you talking about Adam Jiricek? For me he's right next to Levshunov in the early 20s.

Sorry, meant David Jiricek. Thanks for the scout info. And I do appreciate your effort and input on these. We just disagree sometimes.

 

[majormajor]

Interesting. Do you think he is the kind of guy who could get rushed because he has NHL size and not get the chance to develop as a result? Or you think he will not develop enough even given the time?

He might just not be able to keep up with his lack of speed. I initially thought of Greentree as a potential Matt Boldy but came off of that thinking at the U18s.

Is it me or does this class seem especially good with the puck? Like maybe they spent a lot of time at 14 doing puck drills because of COVID and it has paid off. The criticism of hockey development in North America has been too many meaningless games and not enough work on skills. Maybe these kids spent a lot of time at a crucial phase in their development forced to do skills and it shows some validity to the criticism.

It worked for Mintyukov - he lost his entire D-1 due to the pandemic, and he came back as a vastly more skilled player. Most of that draft class played somewhere that year yet Mintyukov developed faster than all of them.

One guy who was in his draft year that year was Wyatt Johnston, he didn't play games until the U18 at the end of the year. And we all know his trajectory.

We're also all aware of the fretting about Russian prospects not getting TOI in the KHL. But they sure seem to develop well overall.

There are many great handlers in this class, now that you mention it.

 

[majormajor]

Sorry, meant David Jiricek. Thanks for the scout info. And I do appreciate your effort and input on these. We just disagree sometimes.

It's all good.

I would still take David Jiricek over most of the top D in this class, including Levshunov. Probably somewhere 6th-10th. I think Jiricek has good hockey sense he's just dealing with the limitations of his body right now that makes it hard to execute properly. I think another year in the AHL could be very helpful for him.