HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[NekkiChiconey]

I think it's safe to project us drafting top-8. Considering the amount of quality Ds, it's reasonable to assume that between 2 and 5 Ds should be picked in that group, with Celebrini, Eiserman and Demidov rounding it out. Mostly educated projection at this point though.

Therefore, I hope we see 2 other forwards improve their game and join the top-5 conversation.

 

[blueberry]

Now shouldn't they have taken a forward last draft and a defenseman next year? Wouldn't that make sense. We could have got a defenseman next year just as good or better than reinbacher. Why do we constantly hire dummies for management. Surely there are smart guys out there somewhere.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Now shouldn't they have taken a forward last draft and a defenseman next year? Wouldn't that make sense. We could have got a defenseman next year just as good or better than reinbacher. Why do we constantly hire dummies for management. Surely there are smart guys out there somewhere.

Roster building through the draft is probably bad, and roster building through the draft without even knowing which player in particular will be available is probably worse. 2019 is when we should have drafted a center going into the year, we could even end up with Newhook! Well, Caufield dropped to us and we ended up with Newhook anyways, who also probably isn't a center.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Now shouldn't they have taken a forward last draft and a defenseman next year? Wouldn't that make sense. We could have got a defenseman next year just as good or better than reinbacher. Why do we constantly hire dummies for management. Surely there are smart guys out there somewhere.

And what happens if the same thing happens as it did this year? You pick 5 and the 4 defenseman go right ahead of you.

You can't guarantee you will pick in range of particular players. If you see a player you like, you draft him.

And we just don't know. If I told you last year Cameron Allen would be drafted outside of the first two rounds, you'd call me stupid and that he's the best defenseman in the class.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Any thoughts on the young Iginla? Does he embrace the move to Kelowna and climb into the 1st round. If the apple hasn't fallen too far from the tree, I wouldn't put it past him...

Really difficult to get a good read on him last season. He was unfortunately on an incredibly deep Seattle team. When they loaded up after the WHL trade deadline, he was essentially benched.

He's average size, has a good skating stride that should definitely become more powerful with strength, and already possesses a decent release that he can shoot in stride.

Trade to Kelowna should be really beneficial to him. He'll get ice time. We'll see what he's got.

His younger brother Joe (15 in August, 2026 draft) is looking like the better player. He destroyed u15, and was close to Lecavalier/Thornton marks for ppg. He was drafted by Edmonton Oil Kings this past spring. We'll see if he plays for them this year, or if they send him to a u18 team.

 

[montreal]

Levshunov battled all night and played a ton.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

Really difficult to get a good read on him last season. He was unfortunately on an incredibly deep Seattle team. When they loaded up after the WHL trade deadline, he was essentially benched.

He's average size, has a good skating stride that should definitely become more powerful with strength, and already possesses a decent release that he can shoot in stride.

Trade to Kelowna should be really beneficial to him. He'll get ice time. We'll see what he's got.

His younger brother Joe (15 in August, 2026 draft) is looking like the better player. He destroyed u15, and was close to Lecavalier/Thornton marks for ppg. He was drafted by Edmonton Oil Kings this past spring. We'll see if he plays for them this year, or if they send him to a u18 team.

went to google to see if they were Jarome Iginla kids and had no idea hes name was that long

Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla

 

[MarkovsKnee]

went to google to see if they were Jarome Iginla kids and had no idea hes name was that long

Jarome Arthur-Leigh Adekunle Tig Junior Elvis Iginla

Yeah, he has a long one alright. Both are his kids.

 

[SlafySZN]

 

[montreal]

Michigan St is really trying to turn their program around, good pick up for them, ever since they hired the former USNDTP HC they have been starting to add some real solid prospects.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

I'm in interested in seeing the Slovenian kid play in the OHL this year. Undrafted in 2023 but he was picked 4th overall by Niagara in the import draft.

Urban Podrekar is the name, LHD

 

[SlafySZN]

Demidov is better than Michkov.

Change my mind.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Demidov is better than Michkov.

Change my mind.

Maybe it was you, but people were saying that before this past draft.

However, as true as it may be, Demidov isn't a hab, so I hope both miss

 

[WeThreeKings]

Demidov is better than Michkov.

Change my mind.

Can't, its clear as day to me.

 

[Kaladin]

Can't, its clear as day to me.

Sadly, because Demidov is a Russian, and because Russia waged war on Ukraine that has resulted in both real-world and hockey-world sanctions and consequences against Russia, NHL GMs, executives and team head scouts will not be able to see him play live this season. Because NHL club team personnel are not travelling freely to Russia, in the modern era of the NHL draft, certainly post-Soviet Union/Iron Curtain, no elite NHL prospect will have had fewer live viewings from NHL personnel than Demidov.

 

[bcv]

Sadly, because Demidov is a Russian, and because Russia waged war on Ukraine that has resulted in both real-world and hockey-world sanctions and consequences against Russia, NHL GMs, executives and team head scouts will not be able to see him play live this season. Because NHL club team personnel are not travelling freely to Russia, in the modern era of the NHL draft, certainly post-Soviet Union/Iron Curtain, no elite NHL prospect will have had fewer live viewings from NHL personnel than Demidov.

Habs scout told The Athletic to watch out for Demidov though, same scout who said they didn't like Michkov. Maybe the Habs just didn't see it with Michkov and there's nothing else to it.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Habs scout told The Athletic to watch out for Demidov though, same scout who said they didn't like Michkov. Maybe the Habs just didn't see it with Michkov and there's nothing else to it.

Yes, the live viewings on Michkov were that they couldn't see the things he was doing when he wasn't on the screen and that happened to be when his team was defending.

Having context as to what he was doing during that time is an important part of evaluation.

 

[KevSkillz4]

People say that 2024 is a draft of defenseman, but I see really good forwards in every spot on 1st round at this moment.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

People say that 2024 is a draft of defenseman, but I see really good forwards in every spot on 1st round at this moment.

Well they are right there in front of you, choosing not to see them doesn't mean that they are not there. Levshunov, Dickinson, Mews, Hutson, Kiviharju and Parekh are all dmen looking to push for a top 10 spot.

I do agree that there are some great forwards available including 3 that at this point would quite easily have been 1 OA in the Slaf draft. The issue is that we are not likely going to have a shot at any of them and there is a steep drop off to the next wave of forwards. If we take a forward at the back half of the top 10 it very well might be by passing on a superior defender.

It is way too early to tell as last year at this time Cam Allen and Caden Price were the consensus top two dmen in the draft and they were selected in the 5th and 3rd round respectively. Hopefully a couple more skilled forwards who aren't tiny can move up the board and work themselves into our range.

 

[Kaladin]

Habs scout told The Athletic to watch out for Demidov though, same scout who said they didn't like Michkov. Maybe the Habs just didn't see it with Michkov and there's nothing else to it.

It doesn't matter if they like Demidov though. They won't be able to see the things he does when he isn't on the screen and we all know whether or not he's amazing offensively that's an important part of evaluation.

Come on bcv you know this.

 

[bcv]

It doesn't matter if they like Demidov though. They won't be able to see the things he does when he isn't on the screen and we all know whether or not he's amazing offensively that's an important part of evaluation.

Come on bcv you know this.

Is it really, in your opinion, unthinkable that the Habs simply did not like Michkov? For whatever reason they see fit?

Look, I get it. We all want that high octane offensive player and, with the info I had, I would've picked Michkov. But so far, every move HuGo has made, I've liked. That's why I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt on their picks(Slaf wasn't my pick either but my pick does not look all that good right about now). We all know you can't make a real judgement on a player before a couple of years.

 

[Kaladin]

Is it really, in your opinion, unthinkable that the Habs simply did not like Michkov? For whatever reason they see fit?

Look, I get it. We all want that high octane offensive player and, with the info I had, I would've picked Michkov. But so far, every move HuGo has made, I've liked. That's why I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt on their picks(Slaf wasn't my pick either but my pick does not look all that good right about now). We all know you can't make a real judgement on a player before a couple of years.

I actually hope that is the case. That they simply didn't like him/rate him. Will make judging them for not picking him easier (both in the positive and negative sense).

I get liking certain moves HuGo have made. I don't paint them as incompetent in all facets. I liked the Dach move (although I think Nazar will be a player in this league), don't hate Newhook move in isolation either but in the macro I don't like the indication they are trying to fast track this rebuild when I feel we don't have all the right pieces yet. Or really, any of the key pieces. Like the contract negotiations. Seems to get at worst okay value on his trades. But in my personal opinion they haven't committed to a full rebuild as much as they should have and are not as brave as I'd like them to be on their top picks. Just because HuGo is good at negotiations doesn't mean we should give him the benefit of the doubt on drafting top picks because in that area the 'Go' part of HuGo has a long history of not doing so well actually. If anything he should be given the opposite of the benefit of the doubt when it comes to top picks. That's what it boils down to for me. I don't want to be sitting here in 6 years watching another rebuild starting because we didn't do this one properly and I think the refrain around here that we can't judge people until a few years in is how we ended up with 10 years of Bergevin.

 

[SlafySZN]

It doesn't matter if they like Demidov though. They won't be able to see the things he does when he isn't on the screen and we all know whether or not he's amazing offensively that's an important part of evaluation.

Come on bcv you know this.

When isn’t Demidov ever not on the screen, though?

He is dynamic, skilled offensively AND a pretty complete player as far as wanting to be a good two-way player.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Kiviharju will be the BPA and we will reach for Brandsegg Nygard, Demidov will be off the table by January due to character/Russia concerns.

There I saved a year's worth of discussion

 

[Kaladin]

When isn’t Demidov ever not on the screen, though?

He is dynamic, skilled offensively AND a pretty complete player as far as wanting to be a good two-way player.

I didn't disagree with any of that. If you're not watching a player live you can only glean so much from tape. And we know the Habs hate not being able to watch a player live from past experience as I'm sure our friend WTK will tell us soon. So not sure why you're working yourself up over Demidov. Based on their outlined criteria in the past very little chance they draft him even if he falls somehow to our 8th or later pick.

Kiviharju will be the BPA and we will reach for Brandsegg Nygard, Demidov will be off the table by January due to character/Russia concerns.

There I saved a year's worth of discussion

People will make fun of this post but based on actual behavior displayed by this management this is the most likely scenario.