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HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

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Who do you want at #5?

  • Tij Iginla

    Votes: 209 49.5%

  • Cole Eiserman

    Votes: 14 3.3%

  • Berkly Catton

    Votes: 92 21.8%

  • Konsta Helenius

    Votes: 13 3.1%

  • Beckett Sennecke

    Votes: 75 17.8%

  • Zayne Parekh

    Votes: 19 4.5%
  • Total voters
    422
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FrankMTL said:
I would definitely consider Dickinson or Levshunov if they're available where we're picking (which they probably won't be), but talent being equal, you would have to go for the forward in this draft. Our forward prospect depth is sub-par for a rebuilding team.

Even Parekh, regardless of the issues he may have, he's on pace for 35 goals as a 17 year defenseman in the OHL....When was the last time a 17 year old defenseman scored 35 goals in the OHL?
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Yeah, Bouchard was similar, obviously uber talented offensively and clueless defensively. I had him low on my list because he seemed not just bad, but clueless enough to be unteachable.

Turns out defense can usually be taught, even for those who look absolutely lost. Offense can't though. For every elite offensive player there's 30 shutdown guys.
 
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SannywithoutCompy said:
Yeah, Bouchard was similar, obviously uber talented offensively and clueless defensively. I had him low on my list because he seemed not just bad, but clueless enough to be unteachable.

Turns out defense can usually be taught, even for those who look absolutely lost. Offense can't though. For every elite offensive player there's 30 shutdown guys.
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That's not really true. There may be 30 bad shutdown guys for each elite offensive player, but there are also 30 bad offensive players for each elite shutdown guy.

Guhle, Struble and Xhekaj, while not being elite at their craft necessarily, are a rare breed, each in a slightly different way, in the NHL at the moment. Plenty more offensive defensemen out there.

Bouchard is still a very average to bad defender, but his usage has finally put him in positive situations for him. I still think a guy like Dobson from the same draft is a much better defenseman because he doesn't give up much in the offensive department, but is a more sound defensive player.
 
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Sam de Mtl said:
That's not really true. There may be 30 bad shutdown guys for each elite offensive player, but there are also 30 bad offensive players for each elite shutdown guy.

Guhle, Struble and Xhekaj, while not being elite at their craft necessarily, are a rare breed, each in a slightly different way, in the NHL at the moment. Plenty more offensive defensemen out there.

Bouchard is still a very average to bad defender, but his usage has finally put him in positive situations for him. I still think a guy like Dobson from the same draft is a much better defenseman because he doesn't give up much in the offensive department, but is a more sound defensive player.
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Bouchard has actually been well above average defensively this season. Learning from Ekholm is likely helping but he's turned into a legitimate two-way defenseman.

I did also have Dobson above Bouchard at the draft (5th vs I believe 11th - don't ask me about Boqvist lmao).

And my point about the shutdown guys is that most players could learn to be a low-event but excellent defensively player like Zach Aston Reese or Noah Cates, but you couldn't teach either of them to put up 70 points.
 
FrankMTL said:
I would definitely consider Dickinson or Levshunov if they're available where we're picking (which they probably won't be), but talent being equal, you would have to go for the forward in this draft. Our forward prospect depth is sub-par for a rebuilding team.

Even Parekh, regardless of the issues he may have, he's on pace for 35 goals as a 17 year defenseman in the OHL....When was the last time a 17 year old defenseman scored 35 goals in the OHL?
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Right defensemen usually higher value to teams. Parekh and Yakemchuk both could go higher than we think. Ottawa will grab one.
 
SannywithoutCompy said:
Bouchard has actually been well above average defensively this season. Learning from Ekholm is likely helping but he's turned into a legitimate two-way defenseman.

I did also have Dobson above Bouchard at the draft (5th vs I believe 11th - don't ask me about Boqvist lmao).

And my point about the shutdown guys is that most players could learn to be a low-event but excellent defensively player like Zach Aston Reese or Noah Cates, but you couldn't teach either of them to put up 70 points.
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True, but imo your point is more right about forwards than defensemen.

There are as many bad offensive defensemen as bad defensive ones and as few good defensive defensemen as good offensive defensemen.

I didn't get to watch as much Bouchard this year. I don't wish anything bad for the guy, so good on him if he is doing better, but I am sceptical about him being suddenly a good player vs getting the usage he needs. Just like Erik Karlsson has had good defensive seasons when the team was tailored around him and he was well motivated, but still never actually was a good defensive player on his own.
 
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There's also an argument that forwards enter the league sooner or more easily than defensemen.

Very few defensemen enter the league 1 or 2 years after being drafted. Whereas you can take a promising forward and insert him lower into your lineup and give him sheltered minutes until he's ready for a bigger role.

Drafting a forward in the top 10 that can come in and be a factor in 25/26 is more appealing for how this team is trending and where we're hoping to be by then.

It's obvious if we get any of Celebrini Demidov Lindstrom we laugh all the way to the bank. What the scouting team has to do is determine if we don't and what's left is Catton and say Iginla Helenius ...etc

At what point do you go, if Silayev or Leshunov or Dickinson are still on the table ... we cannot in all fairness draft a forward when a D of this caliber is still on the table, despite our D cupboards...

That or you trade down..

I hope they do their homework is all
 
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skidcells said:
I agree it’s possible. The argument for me is do you think Buium/Parekh’d offensive game is superior/will translate better to the nhl when compared to Barron/Mailloux?
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Barron, yes, I'm not sure on Mailloux.

Maybe things change depending on Hutson looks in his few NHL games but I don't think that Silayev Dickinson Levshunov are there when we pick and lindstrom/celebrini/Demidov are off the board.

And the question for me becomes do you take Catton ahead of Buium/Parekh/Yakemchuk and my answer is yes.

I'd take Catton ahead of Silayev easily, too. It only gets hard if it's Catton vs Dickinson or Levshunov.
 
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Sam de Mtl said:
True, but imo your point is more right about forwards than defensemen.

There are as many bad offensive defensemen as bad defensive ones and as few good defensive defensemen as good offensive defensemen.

I didn't get to watch as much Bouchard this year. I don't wish anything bad for the guy, so good on him if he is doing better, but I am sceptical about him being suddenly a good player vs getting the usage he needs. Just like Erik Karlsson has had good defensive seasons when the team was tailored around him and he was well motivated, but still never actually was a good defensive player on his own.
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I think if coached properly and with intent most offensive defensemen can learn to play well defensively. Erik Gustafsson is currently the prime example of this, he was a dumpster fire defensively for us but has been very good the last two years.
 
Strange that Vanacker is mostly being ranked around mid 2nd round. I would be very ok with him as a late first If we keep that pick.
 
KevSkillz4 said:
Candidates forwards for Habs if they don't win the #1 at draft lottery looks really really good to me with Lindstrom, Demidov, Catton, Eiserman, Iginla and Helenius.

They all have potential to become impact 1st line//top 6 forward at NHL level.
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If Lindstrom and Demidov are gone, I’d pick Eiserman. I think him and Dach would be a great tandem.
 
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The playoff argument has some merit and the level of skill and playmaking Iginla might concede to Catton, he might make up for it with higher level of effectiveness when there's alot less space to work with and the physicality ramped up.

Going into a series with a top 6 that has Slaf, Dach and Iginla does have its appeal.

And maybe Hughes can get what Catton would've brought in the form of a Mittelstadt or K.Johnson.
 
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DramaticGloveSave said:
We will see, but personally both Newhook and Roy look like legit top 6 guys to me. Can always get better though.
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I think the point is that we need one of these guys to be on the 3rd line so that the 3rd line can be good enough. 6 top 6 guys is not enough unless you have real elite talent. In our case, depth will be the only way to go because our 1st liners will most likely always be average to good first liners.
 
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The Last Red said:
If Lindstrom and Demidov are gone, I’d pick Eiserman. I think him and Dach would be a great tandem.
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I can't argue for one player over another. But as I've said before, goals are so valuable. Eiserman should be the default pick there - unless the warts are too bad to ignore. And based on the rankings, for many people - they are.

I'll trust in the staff but if we do draft Eiserman, I'll be ecstatic.
 
Sam de Mtl said:
I think the point is that we need one of these guys to be on the 3rd line so that the 3rd line can be good enough. 6 top 6 guys is not enough unless you have real elite talent. In our case, depth will be the only way to go because our 1st liners will most likely always be average to good first liners.
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I’m not saying pass on a forward if he’s the best guy, just saying we should take the best guy whether forward or dman. Also do think we have some nice young middle 6 types already in Heineman, Beck, RHP etc

I’m just on the BPA bandwagon like usual.
 
I really like Dickinson......There, I said it.

I'm not saying we should draft him, but I wouldn't be that disappointed if we did. That kid has future captain written all over him (Plus he's already a Habs fan, how can you not like that?)

The first 6 players off the board should be:

Celebrini

and then the next 5 in no particular order

Dickinson
Demidov
Levshunov
Silayev
Lindstrom
 
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FrankMTL said:
I really like Dickinson......There, I said it.

I'm not saying we should draft him, but I wouldn't be that disappointed if we did. That kid has future captain written all over him (Plus he's already a Habs fan, how can you not like that?)

The first 6 players off the board should be:

Celebrini

and then the next 5 in no particular order

Dickinson
Demidov
Levshunov
Silayev
Lindstrom
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Me too. I would lean towards drafting Dickinson if he's available.
 
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Dickinson won't be available. There's a chance he's the first defenseman off the board.

Yakemchuk is the other defenseman who may go ahead of where we pick.
 
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