HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Lafleurs Guy]

If you like Eiserman and you're seeing his stock is dropping and your targets above him are gone, would you trade back to get an extra pick, or two and see if he's there then, or just take him at 5/6/7/ wherever the Habs finish ?

If he’s their first choice, they should just take him. I love the idea of getting another top ten pick though. Dont know if it’s feasible but…

 

[Vachon23]

As much as I like the idea of Eiserman’s goals, I love the idea of Lidstrom. I’d be really really happy that kind of player in our lineup.

Eiserman
Lindstrom
Iginla

Are we back in 2004 ?

 

[McGees]

The concern is that he might be more Wahlstrom than he is Caufield.

So he’s not a 22 goal scorer like Cole?

 

[JeffreyLFC]

The weak frame, lack of power and physical engagement, the question marks regarding his abilities to play under tight checking will make him drop. I mean, can you foresee Catton playing teams like Vegas, Boston ect? How softer can we get as a team? Catton will drop because GMs and scouts dont value talent alone, there is much more when it comes to players evaluation and Catton comes with some red flags you can ignore.

Yes I can foresee him playing for Vegas or Boston or Tampa Bay. They already have similar players on their team. Boston has Pastrnak, Tampa Bay has Kucherov, Point and Vegas has Marchessault. As long as you have a good mix and surround them with other type of player.
Talent alone + willingness to improve give me that every time over size + defensive awareness + tight checking ability. He has a long way to go but that is why we have player development.
I am way more bullish on player having a pro game at a young age with a pro frame than player with diminutive size but abundance of talent and ability to generate offense.
I still remember Lawson Crouse was the perfect NHL player or even Jake Virtanen had all the physical tools to become a premium NHL player. I could go on and on. Talent is still the most important aspect to make it to the NHL.

A nice article on how Pastrnak dropped and eventually became a steal at 25.

How Bruins landed David Pastrnak with 25th pick in NHL Draft

The Bruins believed David Pastrnak could be truly great. And on draft night, they thought they had no shot at him.

theathletic.com

 

[loudi94]

If the obvious top guys are gone, to me Iginla is an easy choice. You don’t sleep on those bloodlines. He’s got a skill set and work ethic that will fit in perfectly with the guys here.

 

[Hins77]

Assists are easier to get, if he is scoring and not getting any assists there might be some thing wrong. Seem to me that a lot of those guy aren’t translating to the NHL or unidimensional.
Team strength, 5on5/PP, TOI, teammates, S% and strength of competition those circonstance of how he is getting the point it is important to look at but if you see a guy with 15g 45a vs. 45g 15a I know the 2nd can score but it also that raise more questions.

The 15 goals guy and 45 assist. It tells me he won’t be a goalscorer in the NHL. Kind of reason im not into Helenius that much. He is not that scoring that much. He is small. If I had a bet, he is the top 10 bust

 

[Adam Michaels]

As much as I like the idea of Eiserman’s goals, I love the idea of Lidstrom. I’d be really really happy that kind of player in our lineup.

It does make you salivate thinking of a Top-6 that includes 6'4" & 212 lbs Dach, 6'3" & 230 lbs Slaf, and 6'4" & 216 lbs Lindstrom.

3 big bodies that drive play and combine size with skill.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It does make you salivate thinking of a Top-6 that includes 6'4" & 212 lbs Dach, 6'3" & 230 lbs Slaf, and 6'4" & 216 lbs Lindstrom.

3 big bodies that drive play and combine size with skill.

It would be awesome. We'd be really hard to play against. Our blueline is shaping up to be a group of mostly huge dudes as well.

My concern with Lidstrom is twofold.

First: the back injury. Hopefully that's no big deal but we've already got one injury risk in the lineup and I don't want another. If that back is wonky we have to pass.

Secondly: How skilled is he? The size and power game are there. Do the skills match the frame? I know he's killing it but I don't know how good the quality of competition is. I don't want to draft a big guy who can't score - we've already got Josh Anderson for that.

 

[Schooner Guy]

The 15 goals guy and 45 assist. It tells me he won’t be a goalscorer in the NHL. Kind of reason im not into Helenius that much. He is not that scoring that much. He is small. If I had a bet, he is the top 10 bust

Do you realize what league Helenius is playing in? His stats in Liiga are extremely impressive. He has a PPG in the playoffs right now as a 17-year old in a league that is hard to put points up in.

He'd set the CHL on fire.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Eiserman is dropping because outside of his shot, the rest has big question marks on how it will translate to the pros.

Wasn't that what people were saying about Caufield, though? That outside his scoring ability, there wasn't anything else he was great at. And even his goal scoring, people were crediting that to playing with Hughes all those years.

 

[Draft]

The 15 goals guy and 45 assist. It tells me he won’t be a goalscorer in the NHL. Kind of reason im not into Helenius that much. He is not that scoring that much. He is small. If I had a bet, he is the top 10 bust

16g for a 17 year old in Liiga is a lot of scoring. Ahead of Patrik Laine in terms of draft year PPG and similar goal totals. He’s got a good shot and quick release. 5’11 but is way more physically engaged against men than either Iginla or Catton are against junior players.

 

[sampollock]

It does make you salivate thinking of a Top-6 that includes 6'4" & 212 lbs Dach, 6'3" & 230 lbs Slaf, and 6'4" & 216 lbs Lindstrom.

3 big bodies that drive play and combine size with skill.

So not the Habs for a very long time

 

[Shutdown]

Wasn't that what people were saying about Caufield, though? That outside his scoring ability, there wasn't anything else he was great at. And even his goal scoring, people were crediting that to playing with Hughes all those years.

people also said that despite his size he battled and had a good motor. the reports i've seen put Eiserman's compete level into question

 

[CHwest]

The weak frame, lack of power and physical engagement, the question marks regarding his abilities to play under tight checking will make him drop. I mean, can you foresee Catton playing teams like Vegas, Boston ect? How softer can we get as a team? Catton will drop because GMs and scouts dont value talent alone, there is much more when it comes to players evaluation and Catton comes with some red flags you can ignore.

You are talking about an 18 yr old boy, I was not aware that boys don't put on weight.

 

[BergevinBurner]

It does make you salivate thinking of a Top-6 that includes 6'4" & 212 lbs Dach, 6'3" & 230 lbs Slaf, and 6'4" & 216 lbs Lindstrom.

3 big bodies that drive play and combine size with skill.

I pity the 2 teams per season that are gonna have to face us when both Dach and Lindstrom are healthy at the same time lol.

 

[Michoulicious]

I loved Ryan Leonard last year.

Could Iginla become the same type of winger? Maybe a bit less grit, but I see similarities.

Both seem to step up in big games, and I love that trait.

 

[loudi94]

I loved Ryan Leonard last year.

Could Iginla become the same type of winger? Maybe a bit less grit, but I see similarities.

Both seem to step up in big games, and I love that trait.

That grit will come over time. He doesn’t have the penalty minutes dad had in junior but it’s a different era and he has more points.

 

[calder candidate]

The 15 goals guy and 45 assist. It tells me he won’t be a goalscorer in the NHL. Kind of reason im not into Helenius that much. He is not that scoring that much. He is small. If I had a bet, he is the top 10 bust

not sure being a goal scorer is the only thing that need to be consider, not sure that all goal scoring can translate to the NHL… scoring more goal doesn’t actually mean anything but if you aren’t picking up any assists that is a red flag, because if you are creating chances you should be picking assists even if it is just teammates tiping pucks or getting rebounds… your argument could go either way a guy in is D year can be buried on a deep team playing low min., no PP with lesser teammates finish the season 15g/45a next year he getting top line minute with PP and be 45g/90a while your 45g/15a guy could be getting top line minute and PP with some jr super star/ overager and D+1 be 30g/15a… How you are getting the point is what matter but even goal scorer should be picking up assists in jr.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I loved Ryan Leonard last year.

Could Iginla become the same type of winger? Maybe a bit less grit, but I see similarities.

Both seem to step up in big games, and I love that trait.

Lidstrom is three inches taller and 20 pounds heavier.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I pity the 2 teams per season that are gonna have to face us when both Dach and Lindstrom are healthy at the same time lol.

Those two GDTs are gonna be the two most positive and excited fans will be on here.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

If the obvious top guys are gone, to me Iginla is an easy choice. You don’t sleep on those bloodlines. He’s got a skill set and work ethic that will fit in perfectly with the guys here.

I guess I'm nitpicking, but just because your dad, or someone else was good doesn't mean you will be.

Mario Lemieux's kid was no good.
Martin Brodeur's kid was/is no good.
Patrick Roy's kid sucked.

If people see his stats and see who is dad is and think he's a no brainer, that's just bad scouting.

 

[morhilane]

Wasn't that what people were saying about Caufield, though? That outside his scoring ability, there wasn't anything else he was great at. And even his goal scoring, people were crediting that to playing with Hughes all those years.

Scouts loved Caufield's overall game in his draft year, his size was the main negative. They listed things like great compete, good motor, great IQ, tries to play over 200 feet, good agility, improving playmaking and manage to create time/space for his teammates.

Eiserman public scouting reports are a lot more negative listing poor decision making, passiveness/poor compete, late behind plays, poor at transition, playmaking regressed over the year , only play in one zone (ozone) and more.

Caufield was a more complete player in his draft year than Eiserman.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

It would be awesome. We'd be really hard to play against. Our blueline is shaping up to be a group of mostly huge dudes as well.

My concern with Lidstrom is twofold.

First: the back injury. Hopefully that's no big deal but we've already got one injury risk in the lineup and I don't want another. If that back is wonky we have to pass.

Secondly: How skilled is he? The size and power game are there. Do the skills match the frame? I know he's killing it but I don't know how good the quality of competition is. I don't want to draft a big guy who can't score - we've already got Josh Anderson for that.

He has really good hands and is also a shoot first guy. I can’t compare him to Anderson personally.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Catton pound-for-pound has much better balance than Newhook. If he can add 20 lbs it's going to be a very effective 20 lbs.

Newhook was already 190lbs at the combine and is the same now.

Newhook has been listed at 199 and I do recall a claim after we traded for him that he was over 200 lbs. Newhook has an extremely strong lower body and is sturdier and stronger than Catton in every way, including comparables at the same age. Former coaches were raving about his lower body strength as far back as college and he has only become stronger since. Newhook could certainly use some more upper body strength but so could Catton in a big way.

I am very intrigued by Catton as well but I feel like you may be forcing the narrative a little too strongly in this case. Perhaps he ends up filling out and becoming a much stronger player but there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that he will or will not do so.....everything else is just unsupported speculation that is very often bias driven.

 

[Schooner Guy]

I can't wait to watch this forum go apeshit when we go BPA and draft a RD at #6 overall!