HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[montreal]

Goal 4:46

 

[Jabba11]

I appreciate the dedication to your dream



They're not, that's just his boy. If the Habs pick Helenius at 5 I'll admit Goldenhands is the golden God and I'll retire from the boards for good, the man would have grown too powerful.

I think you might be in a lot of trouble here

 

[HuGort]

Best team ever

Build a great defense you will be a cup contender for 15 years. Win 2 or 3 cups in that time. Unless you have a major hole in team elsewhere. Even if your average everywhere else you still cup team.

 

[vokiel]

I have it this way

1. SJS - Celebrini
2. CHI - Silyaev
3. ANA - Levshunov
4. CBS - Dickinson
5. MTL - Demidov
6. UTA - Buium
7. OTT - Yakemchuk
8. SEA - Lindstrom
9. CGY - Iginla
10. NJD - Sennecke
11. BUF - Parekh
12. PHI - Catton
13. MIN - Helenius
14. SJS - MBN
15. DET - Chernysov

I have a feeling Silyaev is first D off the board and once he goes I think Levshunov and Dickinson are odds favorites to follow.

I'm not a massive Demidov homer for the Habs, matter fact, if we were drafting at 3 I'd hesitate long and hard between him and some of the available D but in this scenario I think it's between him and Lindstrom but the health issues give Demidov the edge

Catton and Parekh's lack of size, grit and physicality has them as easy drops for me, I think Yakemchuk will be the 2nd RD taken with a chance of also going ahead of Levshunov but id place a bet that he goes ahead of Parekh.

Buium is a massive wild card and can go anywhere from 3 to 13

From there on the only wild card remaining that I have is Eiserman which i'd bet drops considerably. The first teams I see taking him are Buffalo or maybe The Sharks at 14.

Just realized I f***ed up on my mock, forgot Catton

 

[G0bias]

I've said it even before the Memorial cup but I can definitely see Dickinson taken after Levshunov. Offers a similar kind of profile but without the 3 year contract like Silayev.

Which can only be a good thing for us.

 

[Naslund]

Iginla is the way to go. Not as sexy as Demidov, or as physically imposing as Lindstrom, but he will be the most effective player of the three. Best combo of skills, strength, shooting skills, speed and compete level. It should be a no brainer pick for our scouting team and HuGo.

 

[Bacchus1]

Lol. David Fischer turned down a contract offer ?. Well if anybody was going to turn down a contract from us glad it was him.

The Fischer story is pretty tragic and another black mark on Bergevin’s record. The guy’s mum died of cancer when he was in college. I believe he was raised by her alone. He tells the story that people from the Habs rarely called him or supported him. No after draft development/mentoring. Apparently he got into partying and stuff and didn’t focus enough on hockey. Seems like a good kid that could have benefited from some follow up calls and someone who gave a shit about him.

 

[Runner77]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1796359935447671151

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1796359935447671151

There doesn't appear to be any indication that this comment was directed at the draft and he did mention building the roster through the summer into next season. His comment also seemed to target play-style/tactics/strategies in the D zone rather than personnel imo as he mentioned "cleaning up" defensively as opposed to changing/targeting defensive personnel.

I could be wrong but this is how I interpreted his comments.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Lol. David Fischer turned down a contract offer ?. Well if anybody was going to turn down a contract from us glad it was him.

I don't think that he was offered a contract and was allowed to walk. I don't recall one way or another but I know that when he left college he was already considered a bust. Perhaps he was offered a minor league contract lol

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

I don't hate Lindstrom. I actually really like him. He could be Josh Anderson, but he would have to improve his vision to get there.

That's cold man.

Real cold.

If we hear Eiserman, Helenius or Silayev as our pick at #5, I'd be quite critical of the decision and would be inclined to scrutinize it heavily in order to understand the thought process and the direction we're going.

I could much more easily accept/understand virtually any of the other names that have been talked about in here at #5. There would be more scrutiny with some than others, but I could imagine being satisfied after hearing the Habs brass talk about the pick afterwards.

I'd still love to take Eiserman. For all his flaws, the guy can score at an insane rate. I don't think we'll take him but I hope we move up with our second pick and grab him later. Looks like he could drop out of the top ten.

Habs management seems extremely opposed to picking up players with perceived character issues. Bergevin liked to talk about character but constantly picked up guys who were very questionable in that regard if he deemed the price was low enough to be worth it. I don't get that sense from Hughes personally. I don't think any amount of talent would sway him.

Caufield aside, for a long time now Habs management has also been extremely opposed to picking up players who can score goals.

Then we've wondered why we can't score.

This is how I see the draft falling, top 15 mock draft.

1-Macklin Celebrini C

2- Ivan Demidov F

3- Anton Silayev D

4- Cayden Lindstrom C

5- Konsta Helenius C

6- View attachment 877613 Artem Levshunov D

7- Sam Dickinson D

8- Zeev Buium D

9- Carter Yakemchuk D

10- Cole Eiserman F

11- Tij Iginla F

12- Berkly Catton F

13- Beckett Sennecke F

14- Zayne Parekh D

15- Michael Brandsegg-Nygard F

​

I don't see us not taking Levshunov if he were available and Demidov and Lidstrom are gone.

 

[NotProkofievian]

My city is getting a Liiga team next season, which is very exciting. I might be able to conveniently watch Iginla when he invariably ends up in Europe. Not sure he has the playmaking, though. Good prospect though, don't hate the guy, top 15 fo sho.

 

[The Great Weal]

If the Habs pick Helenius, I will personally go into the ring to fight @Mrb1p 's massive quads and get destroyed on video for all to see. I will also wear nothing but a cat shaped hat.

I'm going to hold you to this just like how I held @Stive Morgan to his word about him eating a shirt if we drafted Cole Fonstad.

 

[Mrb1p]

If the Habs pick Helenius, I will personally go into the ring to fight @Mrb1p 's massive quads and get destroyed on video for all to see. I will also wear nothing but a cat shaped hat.

Does that mean you want Helenius or no?

After seeing WTKs post though, I'll be praying every night for little Konsta to he a hab.

I'm going to hold you to this just like how I held @Stive Morgan to his word about him eating a shirt if we drafted Cole Fonstad.

Looking forward to getting slept by a psychologist that's half my weight....

 

[Steve Shutt]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1796359935447671151

Why was it titled "Terrible News for Habs fans" ?

 

[Steve Shutt]

I don't think that he was offered a contract and was allowed to walk. I don't recall one way or another but I know that when he left college he was already considered a bust. Perhaps he was offered a minor league contract lol

For a team to receive compensation an offer had to be made.

Someone mentioned it's standard practice to offer the first round NCAA guys right after they get drafted - they almost always turn it down to continue their studies and NCAA career but it ensures teams are compensated should they ever bust

 

[WeThreeKings]

Why was it titled "Terrible News for Habs fans" ?

Because that puts it more likely CBJ targets a forward in the draft.

But then if you listen, he's actually saying the opposite.

 

[BergevinBurner]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1796359935447671151

Eiserman to Columbus confirmed.

 

[A Loyal Demidog]

Because that puts it more likely CBJ targets a forward in the draft.

But then if you listen, he's actually saying the opposite.

I see it both ways. I see it his way of saying they will focus on defensemen, but know the importance of goal scorers.

The fact that CBJ has the following defensemen: Werenski, Severson, Provorov, Jiricek, Boqvist (who can still turn his game around), and blue chip prospect/stud Mateychuk...! They're in a good position going forward with their defense. On the other hand, there's this:

Season	Goals For (GF)	Goals Against (GA)	Goal Differential
2023-24	237 (8th lowest)	300 (2nd highest)	-63 (4th lowest)
2022-23	214 (3rd lowest)	330 (2nd highest)	-116 (2nd lowest)
2021-22	262 (14th highest)	300 (5th highest)	-116 (12th lowest)
2020-21	137 (3rd lowest)	187 (7th highest)	-50 (3rd lowest)
2019-20	180 (3rd lowest)	187 (3rd lowest)	-7 (9th lowest)

There's a trend that they're getting worse each year with Goals Against (from 3rd lowest (which is great), to 7th highest, to 5th highest, then 2nd highest two years in a row)... Obviously, this will change soon with Jiricek getting better and Mateychuk joining the team.

Looking at what Don Waddell said, their focus is on goal scoring and on defense. I might be in the minority here, but I think (and hope) that "rules out" CBJ going for Demidov, because Demidov isn't known to be a goal scorer IMO. Instead, CBJ might be looking at trading down to get Eiserman, or simply stay and pick one of Lindstrom, Catton, or Iginla. If they trade down to get this year's "best" goal scorer in Eiserman, they might be able to also get a really good defenseman (kill 2 birds with 1 stone).

Otherwise, they might simply go for someone like Silayev, Dickinson, Buium, or Levshunov to ensure their defense is set for the near future. Next year's draft seems to be very forward-heavy, and CBJ isn't getting out of the "gutter" just yet.

Honestly, my opinion right now is CBJ will either trade down and get Eiserman or stay put and draft 1 of Lindstrom/Catton/Iginla. My reason being is they already have top defensemen, and with Jiricek growing into his game and Mateychuk soon to join the team, They don't *need* another top defenseman IMO. They can do with acquiring 2nd pairing D going forward, but the goal scoring will still be missing!

 

[salbutera]

The Fischer story is pretty tragic and another black mark on Bergevin’s record. The guy’s mum died of cancer when he was in college. I believe he was raised by her alone. He tells the story that people from the Habs rarely called him or supported him. No after draft development/mentoring. Apparently he got into partying and stuff and didn’t focus enough on hockey. Seems like a good kid that could have benefited from some follow up calls and someone who gave a shit about him.

How so?

Pierre Gauthier was GM when the org decided not to offer Fischer a contract back in 2010 - 4-years post draft. MB was named GM in 2012

BTW, as Pat Hickey reported pre-2006 draft, it was Gauthier, then AGM, who was spending a lot of time watching Minny High School games

Per CBA: Habs had to make Fischer a bona fide offer of a SPC (Standard Player Contract) that would be declined, in order to gain compensation which the org didn’t

 

[Favster]

Please don’t overthink this and take the big C with size and skill and who can impose himself physically. Lindstrom!

If he's still available I'm convinced he is the pick. Looks like a good kid from interviews's I've seen. He'd fit right in with the core we're building.

 

[Jack Skellington]

Caufield aside, for a long time now Habs management has also been extremely opposed to picking up players who can score goals.

Then we've wondered why we can't score

I think Cayden Lindstrom might be able to score goals.

 

[Steve Shutt]

Per CBA: Habs had to make Fischer a bona fide offer of a SPC (Standard Player Contract) that would be declined, in order to gain compensation which the org didn’t

What do you mean by "which the org didn't" ?
We received pick #50 in the 2011 draft which was traded to NYI

 

[Andrei79]

Does that mean you want Helenius or no?

After seeing WTKs post though, I'll be praying every night for little Konsta to he a hab.


Looking forward to getting slept by a psychologist that's half my weight....

Sorry, I have to correct a few wild inaccuracies.

1. Nobody wants Helenius. Deep down, even Goldenhands doesn't want Helenius.
2. I'm not making anyone sleep. I'm 100% getting smeshed.
3. I'm not a psychologist.
4. 80% of your weight.
5. Draft Demidov.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I see it both ways. I see it his way of saying they will focus on defensemen, but know the importance of goal scorers.

The fact that CBJ has the following defensemen: Werenski, Severson, Provorov, Jiricek, Boqvist (who can still turn his game around), and blue chip prospect/stud Mateychuk...! They're in a good position going forward with their defense. On the other hand, there's this:

Season	Goals For (GF)	Goals Against (GA)	Goal Differential
2023-24	237 (8th lowest)	300 (2nd highest)	-63 (4th lowest)
2022-23	214 (3rd lowest)	330 (2nd highest)	-116 (2nd lowest)
2021-22	262 (14th highest)	300 (5th highest)	-116 (12th lowest)
2020-21	137 (3rd lowest)	187 (7th highest)	-50 (3rd lowest)
2019-20	180 (3rd lowest)	187 (3rd lowest)	-7 (9th lowest)

There's a trend that they're getting worse each year with Goals Against (from 3rd lowest (which is great), to 7th highest, to 5th highest, then 2nd highest two years in a row)... Obviously, this will change soon with Jiricek getting better and Mateychuk joining the team.

Looking at what Don Waddell said, their focus is on goal scoring and on defense. I might be in the minority here, but I think (and hope) that "rules out" CBJ going for Demidov, because Demidov isn't known to be a goal scorer IMO. Instead, CBJ might be looking at trading down to get Eiserman, or simply stay and pick one of Lindstrom, Catton, or Iginla. If they trade down to get this year's "best" goal scorer in Eiserman, they might be able to also get a really good defenseman (kill 2 birds with 1 stone).

Otherwise, they might simply go for someone like Silayev, Dickinson, Buium, or Levshunov to ensure their defense is set for the near future. Next year's draft seems to be very forward-heavy, and CBJ isn't getting out of the "gutter" just yet.

Honestly, my opinion right now is CBJ will either trade down and get Eiserman or stay put and draft 1 of Lindstrom/Catton/Iginla. My reason being is they already have top defensemen, and with Jiricek growing into his game and Mateychuk soon to join the team, They don't *need* another top defenseman IMO. They can do with acquiring 2nd pairing D going forward, but the goal scoring will still be missing!

Look at the defenseman you just profiled though. Jiricek is a big kid but the defense is only ok and his bread and butter is his rush game and his shot. Mateychuk is small and offensively inclined. Severson is big and offensive but terrible defensively. Werenski is more all around but skews offense. Boqvist hasn't panned out but again and offense guy. They do need a top defenseman, they need a top defenseman who can play big minutes, shut things down and move things in a positive direction for those offensive defenseman.

I think they're going Silayev or Dickinson and really getting that anchor for their defense that will increase the value of those other defenseman they already have.

Moving on to the Athletic pod this morning with Pronman.

Re: Iginla, scouts are divided some have him top 10, some have him in the teens. The questions teams have are on the hockey sense items and his playmaking ability.

Re: Sennecke, he's up to 7 on his list and the growing belief in the league is that this guy when he fills out is going to be a top line player, maybe not a top scorer on a team but the guy who finishes 2 or 3 on a team in scoring and is in that 70-80 point range if he hits.