HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Kobe Armstrong]

The 2 cents is, draft BPA and worry about position later, don't draft to fill your roster, it's not the NFL.


No, but Id select him above pretty much everyone else /Demidov and maybe Levshunov.

The point isn't that Buium is Makar, its that we need to draft BPA. If we think Buium is gonna be a stud norris D, we shouldn't pass on him for some chance at a pretty good forward. Take Dickinson in the exercise if you want, or Silayev.

No we need to draft for size and for need, I hated it when Bergevin did it but I love it when Hughes does it

 

[Goalfield13]

So then we have Hutson close to the NHL, Mailloux close, Reinbacher close, Engstrom close. All of a sudden there’s like 10 defenders fighting for 6 spots. Trading someone like Jordan Harris will just get you a mediocre 3rd liner that doesn’t move the needle. It’s the type of trade Bergevin did for a decade. It just doesn’t help a team whatsoever.

So what you are saying is, we have defensemen ready to make the jump. Great. We are progressing in our rebuild well. Why trade them when they are close to reaching their potential when we can just use our first pick to help offense?

Bergevin also traded a D for help offensively, and that was a disaster too.

 

[Trabdy2]

I don’t get this 4 years idea (someone else even said 6 years). It took Guhle 2 years to make the NHL, and whoever we’d take in the Top 10 would be a better prospect than he was.

It's hard to tell how things might pan out in terms of development, but a lot of D don't really start taking a solid foothold in the NHL until their D+4/5 years. Higher ranking prospects do tend to hit sooner though. Guhle is in his D+4 right now.

From the 2021 draft, I believe there are only 3 D that have been playing a regular NHL shift for the full year, now in D+3 - Power (1st OA), Moser (60th OA), Hughes (4th OA). Lots of guys, including guys picked in the first round are still developing and/or getting AHL time.

 

[Ezpz]

So then we have Hutson close to the NHL, Mailloux close, Reinbacher close, Engstrom close. All of a sudden there’s like 10 defenders fighting for 6 spots. Trading someone like Jordan Harris will just get you a mediocre 3rd liner that doesn’t move the needle. It’s the type of trade Bergevin did for a decade. It just doesn’t help a team whatsoever.

None of those guys have Guhle's potential though. He's the best skating D in the organization, one of the most physical, by far the best defensively, and probably top 3-4 offensively. He has every other dmen in the organizations strengths without any of their weaknesses. The only guy who has something he doesn't are Hutson's insane PP quarterbacking skills and Xhekaj's toughness. His read on his goal last night was ridiculous.

You trade Guhle to have none of those guys come close to him and then we don't have a contender because our forwards aren't even close to being able to carry the team. Guhle is our building block so we may as well build a team with strong defense first cause we're not getting a Bedard.

 

[WeThreeKings]

If by some insanity the consensus top 4 d-men, who will be a sight for sore eyes for many of the teams slated to pick in front of us, are available when we pick later and the forwards are somehow gone then you just trade the -pick- for offensive help.

 

[Goalfield13]

It's hard to tell how things might pan out in terms of development, but a lot of D don't really start taking a solid foothold in the NHL until their D+4/5 years. Higher ranking prospects do tend to hit sooner though. Guhle is in his D+4 right now.

From the 2021 draft, I believe there are only 3 D that have been playing a regular NHL shift for the full year, now in D+3 - Power (1st OA), Moser (60th OA), Hughes (4th OA). Lots of guys, including guys picked in the first round are still developing and/or getting AHL time.

Look at Barron. He's 22 and is struggling to keep his foot in the NHL. We are hard on the guy, but it is actually normal for a D at that age. We see Guhle doing so well, so we get impatient with everyone else.

 

[le_sean]

So what you are saying is, we have defensemen ready to make the jump. Great. We are progressing in our rebuild well. Why trade them when they are close to reaching their potential when we can just use our first pick to help offense?

Bergevin also traded a D for help offensively, and that was a disaster too.

Yes we have defencemen ready to make the jump to spots that don’t exist. You’re not going to dress 9 forwards and 9 defencemen.

Are we progressing that well in our rebuild? We are picking bottom 10 with the only offensive help coming in the form of Kirby Dach who is a massive unknown after another injury. 6th last in goals this season. Mack, Catton, Lindstrom, Demidov off the board when we pick. So we pick Helenius and hope for the best? Or do we pick a top defender and trade Guhle for someone like Zegras who is already a 60 point player? I’m just saying that I understand if that’s the route we take.

Look at Barron. He's 22 and is struggling to keep his foot in the NHL. We are hard on the guy, but it is actually normal for a D at that age. We see Guhle doing so well, so we get impatient with everyone else.

Barron was a 25th overall pick and was always a boring prospect.

 

[Mrb1p]

No we need to draft for size and for need, I hated it when Bergevin did it but I love it when Hughes does it

Funny but pretty sad at the same time how a lot of the narrative that was attributed as a negative to Bergevin is now seen as a positive for Hughes.

 

[Goalfield13]

Yes we have defencemen ready to make the jump to spots that don’t exist. You’re not going to dress 9 forwards and 9 defencemen.

Are we progressing that well in our rebuild? We are picking bottom 10 with the only offensive help coming in the form of Kirby Dach who is a massive unknown after another injury. 6th last in goals this season. Mack, Catton, Lindstrom, Demidov off the board when we pick. So we pick Helenius and hope for the best? Or do we pick a top defender and trade Guhle for someone like Zegras who is already a 60 point player? I’m just saying that I understand if that’s the route we take.

We have Guhle and Wifi in our top 6 at the moment. Matheson and Savard are not long-term players for this team (Savard will be gone after next season). Harris, Struble, Barron and Kovacevic are battling for spots but none are a sure thing. We have 4 spots open in our top 6 that are likely going to be taken by Hutson, Reinbacher and Mailloux. Let the others battle for the 6th and 7th spot. Looks good to me.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Look at Barron. He's 22 and is struggling to keep his foot in the NHL. We are hard on the guy, but it is actually normal for a D at that age. We see Guhle doing so well, so we get impatient with everyone else.

Barron's problem is that defensively he belongs in the ECHL and he requires waivers next year. Despite his size he is an absolute turnstile and avoids all contact and defensive responsibility. We can effectively write him off from our future plans, and be pleasantly surprised if he makes a lasting NHL career.

 

[Goalfield13]

Barron's problem is that defensively he belongs in the ECHL and he requires waivers next year. Despite his size he is an absolute turnstile and avoids all contact and defensive responsibility. We can effectively write him off from our future plans, and be pleasantly surprised if he makes a lasting NHL career.

And that's development. People were super high on Harris too before he made the jump, and he looks like a vanilla 6th/7th D. This is why you don't trade D that develop well, like Guhle.

 

[le_sean]

We have Guhle and Wifi in our top 6 at the moment. Matheson and Savard are not long-term players for this team (Savard will be gone after next season). Harris, Struble, Barron and Kovacevic are battling for spots but none are a sure thing. We have 4 spots open in our top 6 that are likely going to be taken by Hutson, Reinbacher and Mailloux. Let the others battle for the 6th and 7th spot. Looks good to me.

Again, the idealistic “only prospects” defence has and will never happen. You will always have a veteran or two. But let’s get rid of them for your argument

Guhle
Xhekaj
Struble
Harris
Hutson
Mailloux
Reinbacher
Engstrom

That’s 8 guys who all look like future NHLers at some capacity and are either already in the league or close to it. 8 guys realistically fighting for 4 (maybe 5) spots.

 

[Goalfield13]

Yes we have defencemen ready to make the jump to spots that don’t exist. You’re not going to dress 9 forwards and 9 defencemen.

Are we progressing that well in our rebuild? We are picking bottom 10 with the only offensive help coming in the form of Kirby Dach who is a massive unknown after another injury. 6th last in goals this season. Mack, Catton, Lindstrom, Demidov off the board when we pick. So we pick Helenius and hope for the best? Or do we pick a top defender and trade Guhle for someone like Zegras who is already a 60 point player? I’m just saying that I understand if that’s the route we take.


Barron was a 25th overall pick and was always a boring prospect.

Wifi was a Costco employee. I really don't care where someone is drafted. Barron at 25th overall progressed to a point where he was considered an option at the NHL level. Many don't even get that chance. Trading Guhle would gut us. As far as I am concerned, he is part of the CC/Suzuki/Slaf core.

 

[Goalfield13]

Again, the idealistic “only prospects” defence has and will never happen. You will always have a veteran or two. But let’s get rid of them for your argument

Guhle
Xhekaj
Struble
Harris
Hutson
Mailloux
Reinbacher
Engstrom

That’s 8 guys who all look like future NHLers at some capacity and are either already in the league or close to it. 8 guys realistically fighting for 4 (maybe 5) spots.

"Future NHLers" is pretty vague. You would lump Guhle in the same bucket as Harris? The only names on that list that look like top 4 potential are Guhle, Xhekaj, Hutson, Mailloux and Reinbacher, and that's if everything goes right. And before you mention Engstrom, remember that you just crapped on Barron for being a boring 25th overall pick while now you list a player that was selected 92nd in your argument. If he manages to be a bottom pair D, that's a success.

 

[le_sean]

Wifi was a Costco employee. I really don't care where someone is drafted. Barron at 25th overall progressed to a point where he was considered an option at the NHL level. Many don't even get that chance. Trading Guhle would gut us. As far as I am concerned, he is part of the CC/Suzuki/Slaf core.

So if progression is so important, why are you gung-ho on picking a forward that can equally bust in the Top 10? We will just continue hoping our one line drags us to a wild card spot?

"Future NHLers" is pretty vague. You would lump Guhle in the same bucket as Harris? The only names on that list that look like top 4 potential are Guhle, Xhekaj, Hutson, Mailloux and Reinbacher, and that's if everything goes right. And before you mention Engstrom, remember that you just crapped on Barron for being a boring 25th overall pick while now you list a player that was selected 92nd in your argument. If he manages to be a bottom pair D, that's a success.

Engstrom is already a really good defenceman in a men’s professional league. I feel confident including him in the list, just like you do Hutson.

 

[Goalfield13]

So if progression is so important, why are you gung-ho on picking a forward that can equally bust in the Top 10? We will just continue hoping our one line drags us to a wild card spot?

I am gung-ho on keeping Guhle because of his current development instead of trading him for a mediocre forward for "offensive help" which was your alternative. I would rather roll the dice on drafting a forward than trading Guhle and drafting a D.

 

[le_sean]

I am gung-ho on keeping Guhle because of his current development instead of trading him for a mediocre forward for "offensive help" which was your alternative. I would rather roll the dice on drafting a forward than trading Guhle and drafting a D.

I never said trade Guhle for a mediocre forward. Now you’re being dishonest.

 

[Goalfield13]

Engstrom is already a really good defenceman in a men’s professional league. I feel confident including him in the list, just like you do Hutson.

It means nothing until they show it in the NHL, which so far only Guhle and Xhekaj have done for an extended period. Barron did well in the AHL as well. Engstrom is still a long-shot at being a top 4. Hutson is also not sure thing at being a top 4 if he doesn't improve his mass and skating. Reinbacher is probably the only one on that list that I would be somewhat confident with.

I never said trade Guhle for a mediocre forward. Now you’re being dishonest.

You said trading Guhle for Zegras. He's pretty mediocre. I know he put up some points, but he's soft and sucks defensively. Sounds like Drouin all over again.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I really don't think Guhle is the piece we want to look at trading if we're looking to add up front. It creates a gaping hole that we'll probably be trying to fill for years. Plus, I think Guhle still has headroom in his development - he's going to get even better.

I don't think Xhekaj, Struble, Harris or Hutson are capable replacements for what Guhle brings. Also, if we try to draft a Dickinson to fill that hole, we're probably waiting like 4 years until he gives us what Guhle gives us today.

Trading Guhle now would extend the rebuild significantly. It’s not going to happen.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I don’t get this 4 years idea (someone else even said 6 years). It took Guhle 2 years to make the NHL, and whoever we’d take in the Top 10 would be a better prospect than he was.

Guhle isn’t a finished product yet. It takes years for these guys to develop. Trading Guhle now wouldn’t make any sense. If we wanted Buliuum then I could see us dealing a guy like Mailloux maybe but honestly, I’d rather we just stock up on forwards right now.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

If by some insanity the consensus top 4 d-men, who will be a sight for sore eyes for many of the teams slated to pick in front of us, are available when we pick later and the forwards are somehow gone then you just trade the -pick- for offensive help.

Yeah. You move down and get a return for it.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Funny but pretty sad at the same time how a lot of the narrative that was attributed as a negative to Bergevin is now seen as a positive for Hughes.

They don't understand irony or humor. Just copium, MB bad, I'm smarter than you, Hughes glaze, on repeat

 

[Andrei79]

Any good buium shift by shifts ? Preferably with close ups of the head and neck.

 

[Jaynki]

Funny but pretty sad at the same time how a lot of the narrative that was attributed as a negative to Bergevin is now seen as a positive for Hughes.

Agree but in the case of Bergevin, its not that what he said was bad, its how he acted it.

How can you value leadership and attitude and end up with player like Galchenyuk, Beaulieu? KK over Tkachuk?

 

[Andrei79]

Agree but in the case of Bergevin, its not that what he said was bad, its how he acted it.

How can you value leadership and attitude and end up with player like Galchenyuk, Beaulieu? KK over Tkachuk?

I would add that there's a world of difference between drafting for size and skill like Slaf and Reinbacher compared to drafting big lugs who offered nothing beyond size like McCarron and Tinordi.