2024 NHL Draft Thread Part 2 - Picks 2 & 18 in the 1st Round

[Kevin Musto]

Every mock draft I've seen from the experts have Hawks taking Levshunov. It's as set in stone as Celebrini going 1.

Not even remotely close

 

[Drumman44]

We need pretty much everything so any pick will be a welcome addition to the pool. Still holding out hope for a trade up to grab another high end prospect

 

[clydesdale line]

I am more than good with us taking Levshunov. I like him quite a bit but also for the freak outs of some people here would be hilarious.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Anyone have final predictions for Bob's list?

Last time Levshunov was 4th. I could see him slipping 1 or 2 spots.

Last time Iginla was 10th. He's moving up for sure.

 

[HawksDub89]

I am more than good with us taking Levshunov. I like him quite a bit but also for the freak outs of some people here would be hilarious.

I can’t wait for Friday. I’m good with either Demidov or Lev, but yes, the meltdown if they take Levshunov will be something. Especially on Twitter/X…

 

[bwanajamba]

Making the case for Ivan Demidov as the 2024 NHL Draft's second-best prospect

Using a combination of video and data, The Athletic's Scott Wheeler makes a case for the winger being the second-best prospect in the draft.

www.nytimes.com

Nice article from Scott Wheeler on Demidov today where he does a good job highlighting the habits and instincts that make him so good beyond the godlike hands.

 

[kmwtrucks]

Powers still says he would be surprised if its not LEV. I think im taking this to personally. the scout he interviewed agreed but like anybody he has seen LEV way more and they do not have a top 5 pick. he agrees lev has good skills but maybe not elite but with his size and multiple above avg skills.

 

[giza]

I've been sold for weeks......

Making the case for Ivan Demidov as the 2024 NHL Draft's second-best prospect

Using a combination of video and data, The Athletic's Scott Wheeler makes a case for the winger being the second-best prospect in the draft.

www.nytimes.com

Nice article from Scott Wheeler on Demidov today where he does a good job highlighting the habits and instincts that make him so good beyond the godlike hands.

 

[Drumman44]

T-minus 30 minutes for Bob’s list?

 

[BHawk21]

Bob has Demidov at 2 and Levshunov at 3

 

[hawksfan50]

Mckenzie said 6/10 NHL team scouts he polled had Demidov 2nd overall..All 10 had him top 5

Only 3/10 had Levshunov at #2...2/10 ranked him #6 or#7 ..

4/10 scouts had Silayev as best Dman prospect inthe Draft..4/10 also had Levshunov as best Dman prospect int he draft ...2/10 had Parekh as best dman prospect in the draft.


Top 5 were Celebrini Demidov Levshunov Silayev and Lindstrom in that order....7/10 had both Lindstrom and Silayev as top 5 .

Of note:

Solberg rose 25 spots from mid-term Mckenzie ranking to finish at #20 ...7/10 scouts had him.in15-26 range ...

Brandsegg-Nygaard finished #17 on McKenzie's Final Ranking ..8/10 scoutschad him in 14-18 range..

Jett Luchanko was #19

Chernyshov #21
Hage #24
Badinka #29
Surin #34
Artamaniv #35
Letourneau #36

 

[bwanajamba]

I'm surprised to see Hage as low as he is on Bob's list. I get the inconsistency and injury stuff but he seemed to put it together in the second half. If the Blackhawks stay put at #18 he's definitely one of my preferred targets

 

[hawksfan50]

Demidov #2 +Solberg #18 + Badinka (if he falls from#29)..
If Badinka not there at #34:

SURIN or LETOURNEAU (both longer term developmental picks ..but skating and skill tools are there...Letournrau great size but needs to get more physical to go along with hiscskill
Surin great physicality already but has to contain his violence so as not to take penalties...
But colld hit home run if they can be developed properly...Great potential .

Or tgevother ther strategy:


Levshunov at #2

+ Hage or Luchanko at #18

+Surin or Letourneau at#34

I am in the camp not seeing Levshunov at #2 ..not even #3..I do not think he is dynamic enough to be a#1D letcalone the 2nd best Dman on what tge Hawks need forvthe Dcorps..He does sonevtjibgs fibe but can make mistakes in d-zobe decisions and the special recognotions to instinctively be in right position..I see hom.mote secondary offense not primary driver. SOaling witb sone defensive thingsI do not likecabout hom,I cannot see how so many NHL scoutscthink hevis the brstaddition to our d-corps we could make.

The case for a pitential 290pts ekite scoring forward that is a ceilingvforcDenidov to.me is far better.
So I lije tge Demidov at #2 optional what can follow better than starting with Levshunov.
Tome:

#2 Demidov best option to helpnHawjs future.

#18 Solberg to solidify and add physicality on Hawks Leftside D ..
Then at #34 I would "settle" for Badinka as a RS #4D
..2nd pairing RD


If Badinka off the board before #34, then hope I get Surin or Letourneauv as a longer term project at forward...hoping they can develop ..
.
But if Hawks think Lev is "the solution" then we have got to get a scoring forward (Hage) at #18..

I just do not think Lev is such a "solution"...Better than Murphy..but then so are many!

 

[Darkstar]

After careful consideration, here is what I think would be an optimal first six picks in this draft to add size and skill.

#2 - RW Ivan Demidov. 6' 1/2" 192 lbs. Elite hands. High end playmaker. Good compete. Accurate shot with a quick release. Decent defensively. Decision making could be better at times. Skating is mixed bag with his top speed average at best, but his agility is extremely good, and he is very strong on his skates. He is the only player besides Celebrini whose talent really stands out to me.

#18 - LW Igor Chernyshov. 6' 2.75" 204 lbs. Strong skater. Good physicality and great along the boards and the other tough places. Plays a solid 200ft game. Really good compete. Not sure about his offensive ceiling but I think he's talented enough to be top 6 power forward.

#34 -C Julius Miettinen 6'3 201 lbs. Good two-way game. Plays heavy and great at using his size to win one on ones, play around the net and forechecking. Smooth skater and decent in transition. Over 50% in faceoffs. Shows pretty good hockey IQ with the way he anticipates and works with linemates. Solid playmaker but his shot isn't that impressive. I don't know how high his offensive upside is but I think he improved during the 2nd half of the season and could have a pretty big season in the Dub, if he goes back.

#50 -RD Colton Roberts 6'3.75" 204 lbs. Smooth skater. Solid offensive awareness and passing ability. Uneven defensive play that needs more work. Improved during the season but still pretty raw and will need some time to develop.

#67 RW Kasper Pikkarainen 6'3 195 lbs. Good skater. Plays a physical 200ft game with high energy and compete. Solid puck handler and playmaker. Questionable shot and scoring ability.

#72 LD Gabriel Eliasson 6'6.75" 206 lbs. Decent skating and mobility for his size. Pretty solid defensive awareness. Very physical. Poor puck skills and limited offensive upside. Going to Michigan so he'll get solid coaching and he needs it because he's very raw. This is a big gamble but I like his potential.

 

[EbonyRaptor]

Making the case for Ivan Demidov as the 2024 NHL Draft's second-best prospect

Using a combination of video and data, The Athletic's Scott Wheeler makes a case for the winger being the second-best prospect in the draft.

www.nytimes.com

Nice article from Scott Wheeler on Demidov today where he does a good job highlighting the habits and instincts that make him so good beyond the godlike hands.

WOW! Wheeler nailed it. Can someone send this to KD please.

 

[Chuck Testa]

It HAS to be Demidov at 2

 

[statswatcher]

It HAS to be Demidov at 2

it doesn't HAVE to be, but if the pick is lev it definitely reads more as a position need pick than BPA.

 

[Muffinalt]

After careful consideration, here is what I think would be an optimal first six picks in this draft to add size and skill.

#2 - RW Ivan Demidov. 6' 1/2" 192 lbs. Elite hands. High end playmaker. Good compete. Accurate shot with a quick release. Decent defensively. Decision making could be better at times. Skating is mixed bag with his top speed average at best, but his agility is extremely good, and he is very strong on his skates. He is the only player besides Celebrini whose talent really stands out to me.

#18 - LW Igor Chernyshov. 6' 2.75" 204 lbs. Strong skater. Good physicality and great along the boards and the other tough places. Plays a solid 200ft game. Really good compete. Not sure about his offensive ceiling but I think he's talented enough to be top 6 power forward.

#34 -C Julius Miettinen 6'3 201 lbs. Good two-way game. Plays heavy and great at using his size to win one on ones, play around the net and forechecking. Smooth skater and decent in transition. Over 50% in faceoffs. Shows pretty good hockey IQ with the way he anticipates and works with linemates. Solid playmaker but his shot isn't that impressive. I don't know how high his offensive upside is but I think he improved during the 2nd half of the season and could have a pretty big season in the Dub, if he goes back.

#50 -RD Colton Roberts 6'3.75" 204 lbs. Smooth skater. Solid offensive awareness and passing ability. Uneven defensive play that needs more work. Improved during the season but still pretty raw and will need some time to develop.

#67 RW Kasper Pikkarainen 6'3 195 lbs. Good skater. Plays a physical 200ft game with high energy and compete. Solid puck handler and playmaker. Questionable shot and scoring ability.

#72 LD Gabriel Eliasson 6'6.75" 206 lbs. Decent skating and mobility for his size. Pretty solid defensive awareness. Very physical. Poor puck skills and limited offensive upside. Going to Michigan so he'll get solid coaching and he needs it because he's very raw. This is a big gamble but I like his potential.

Would absolutely love it if this was the outcome on friday!

 

[Chelios]

I get having opinions on these guys, but I do find it funny how definitive some of you are on here. I have been happy with the current regime's drafting and development so far, so I honestly am fine with whoever they decide. One thing that I think is lost in a lot of the criticism of Lev, specifically the "hockey IQ" and "processing" criticisms, is how quickly he has climbed the ranks and been thrust into new environments over the past 2 years. In each case he has not just survived, but thrived, including being one of the youngest players in college hockey last year. I have a hard time believing that a player can do that without good "IQ/processing". I suspect that if the Hawks do go with Lev, it is because they are confident that whatever shortcomings he has right now, they will be able to address those through their development system.

 

[u2wojo]

Athletic has a consensus article that draws from Pronman, Wheeler, Peters, Button, & Bob. I would be quite happy if we ended up dead on for our picks which would be Demidov, Hage, Badinka, & Tanner Howe. I would be ecstatic if we ended up with only Demidov and Yakemchuk (who was #12)

 

[HawksDub89]

After careful consideration, here is what I think would be an optimal first six picks in this draft to add size and skill.

#2 - RW Ivan Demidov. 6' 1/2" 192 lbs. Elite hands. High end playmaker. Good compete. Accurate shot with a quick release. Decent defensively. Decision making could be better at times. Skating is mixed bag with his top speed average at best, but his agility is extremely good, and he is very strong on his skates. He is the only player besides Celebrini whose talent really stands out to me.

#18 - LW Igor Chernyshov. 6' 2.75" 204 lbs. Strong skater. Good physicality and great along the boards and the other tough places. Plays a solid 200ft game. Really good compete. Not sure about his offensive ceiling but I think he's talented enough to be top 6 power forward.

#34 -C Julius Miettinen 6'3 201 lbs. Good two-way game. Plays heavy and great at using his size to win one on ones, play around the net and forechecking. Smooth skater and decent in transition. Over 50% in faceoffs. Shows pretty good hockey IQ with the way he anticipates and works with linemates. Solid playmaker but his shot isn't that impressive. I don't know how high his offensive upside is but I think he improved during the 2nd half of the season and could have a pretty big season in the Dub, if he goes back.

#50 -RD Colton Roberts 6'3.75" 204 lbs. Smooth skater. Solid offensive awareness and passing ability. Uneven defensive play that needs more work. Improved during the season but still pretty raw and will need some time to develop.

#67 RW Kasper Pikkarainen 6'3 195 lbs. Good skater. Plays a physical 200ft game with high energy and compete. Solid puck handler and playmaker. Questionable shot and scoring ability.

#72 LD Gabriel Eliasson 6'6.75" 206 lbs. Decent skating and mobility for his size. Pretty solid defensive awareness. Very physical. Poor puck skills and limited offensive upside. Going to Michigan so he'll get solid coaching and he needs it because he's very raw. This is a big gamble but I like his potential.

You cooked here, nice work.

I’d go AJ Spellacy at 67, but otherwise I see nothing egregious.

 

[TLEH]

Powers definitely defers to Pronman a lot when it comes to prospect stuff (for good reason, its his peer who does scouting) but Pronman also happens to have Demidov at 8.

 

[ClydeLee]

it doesn't HAVE to be, but if the pick is lev it definitely reads more as a position need pick than BPA.

When 3/10 scouts around have him 2nd overall... it's not a not BPA pick. That's not a overwhelming

I feel like people talk about forward need as a actual Demidov reason here too much. So many comments of wanting him talk about Bedard being the only threat or needing a dynamic pair. Those are need comments.

 

[statswatcher]

When 3/10 scouts around have him 2nd overall... it's not a not BPA pick. That's not a overwhelming

I feel like people talk about forward need as a actual Demidov reason here too much. So many comments of wanting him talk about Bedard being the only threat or needing a dynamic pair. Those are need comments.

you accidentally a word there. also, i don't particularly care what "3/10 scouts" (wasn't aware there were only 10 scouts in the world) say or what arguments people here make about it. i'm just going off what i've pieced together reading here and elsewhere. like i've said before, i'm not a prospect guy, and i don't put much weight into this kind of thing without the benefit of hindsight. they could draft a golden retriever at 2 and i wouldn't be upset about it until he fails to make the ahl lineup in a few years.

 

[ndgt10]

Is the Hawks forward group really stacked that Demidov is viewed as a luxury pick?