HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[ryan callahan]

Dickinson is good at hockey.

Big IF he’ll be there at 5. But if he is, I sure hope we’d take him.

Passing on him would be a mistake.

He’s led the comeback.

I think Chicago or Anaheim have got that covered. No way they pick good but flawed forwards (Demidov, Catton, Iginla, Lindstrom, etc.) over the future #1 D

 

[Whitesnake]

If Dickinson is there....and Demidov isn't..you pick Dickinson.

 

[ryan callahan]

I think draft will go :

1. Celebrini
2. Dickinson
3. Lindstrom
4. Levshunov or Silayev (Silayev is riskier as he could become Zadorov or Myers or he could blow up and become Chara or Pronger)
5. Demidov or Iginla

 

[BoneHutson]

I think draft will go :

1. Celebrini
2. Dickinson
3. Lindstrom
4. Levshunov or Silayev (Silayev is riskier as he could become Zadorov or Myers or he could blow up and become Chara or Pronger)
5. Demidov or Iginla

ANA is 100% taking Lev if hes there. At worst they take Silayev. Imo, the top 3 is this:

Celebrini
Lev
Dickinson

Only ? is CLB. Do they take the big defensive D to go with Mateychuk and Jiricek (Silayev)? Potentially the best 2way D of the draft (Buium)? The big C? Or the skilled russian winger?

 

[JoelWarlord]

All this debate and it's gonna be Celebrini Levshunov Dickinson Lindstrom/Silayev and we'll take Demidov

 

[BoneHutson]

ANA is 100% taking Lev if hes there. At worst they take Silayev. Imo, the top 3 is this:

Celebrini
Lev
Dickinson

Only ? is CLB. Do they take the big defensive D to go with Mateychuk and Jiricek (Silayev)? Potentially the best 2way D of the draft (Buium)? The big C? Or the skilled russian winger?

Like, I absolutely think theres a chance (30-40%) that both Lindstrom and Demidov are there at 5.

 

[Doublechin]

I think draft will go :

1. Celebrini
2. Dickinson
3. Lindstrom
4. Levshunov or Silayev (Silayev is riskier as he could become Zadorov or Myers or he could blow up and become Chara or Pronger)
5. Demidov or Iginla

A better skating Zadorov would be a stud in the modern NHL

 

[ryan callahan]

A better skating Zadorov would be a stud in the modern NHL

I know but you pick Silayev there you have to expect a decent offensive contribution. Zadorov was passed around the league a bunch of times before he broke out too (just like Chara and Pronger).

 

[Balthazar]

Yea Dickinson probably played his way into the top 4 if he wasn't there already.

 

[Schooner Guy]

Hold the horses on Dickinson. He had a great 3rd period but didn't look good at all in periods 1 and 2. I don't think tonight changed anything for him. Like everyone else in the top ~12 other than Celebrini, a very nice prospect with some question marks.

 

[The Last Red]

If Dickinson is there....and Demidov isn't..you pick Dickinson.

But they won’t.

 

[Michoulicious]

Little prediction: after the Memorial Cup, other people here will jump on the Dickinson hype train.

I don't care he's a LHD, to me he is BPA after Celebrini and Demidov.

So who's on the Dickinson hype train now?

Choo choo

 

[BeliveauFan4ever]

Hold the horses on Dickinson. He had a great 3rd period but didn't look good at all in periods 1 and 2. I don't think tonight changed anything for him. Like everyone else in the top ~12 other than Celebrini, a very nice prospect with some question marks.

Nope. What did Zayne do in ANY of the games?

The guy some compare to…Erik Karlsson?
I see more Gaston Gingras than Karlsson.

The entire London team was way off at the start for God knows what reason.

Dickinson elevated his team. I’ve seen him multiple times live this year. Would love him on the Habs. Posted the same words a month ago.

 

[le_sean]

Two Cup finalists

The Oilers literally only have two good defencemen

The Panthers best defenceman was a waiver wire pickup

We have enough good defenders. It’s time to draft offence.

 

[calder candidate]

Strange take, and I don’t think many would agree with you.

You question if Buium, of all players, can handle a playoff heavy style? He shut down Celebrini and Hutson in the Frozen Four semi-final and then absolutely shut down a team that featured Will Smith, Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Leonard, and Gabriel Perreault in the championship game. Like, held them completely off the scoresheet, neutralized. He was by far the biggest reason for that and his team’s championship win. He plays in a men’s league and he put up the best season by a draft eligible NCAA D of all time this year. That’s a very odd choice to have this specific concern about, and it makes me question just how familiar you are with these players.

Levshunov has “no brain”, but his season completely blows away guys like Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar in the same league at the same age.

Yeah, very interesting take, to say the least.

Buium isn’t getting the respect he deserved… great showing at the U20 WJC gold, historic number in the NCAA + championship… even if he is highly rank Kinda feel like he is still getting underrated because he is smaller. People going crazy over Huston, Buium seem 2 years ahead and has less question mark on D… I want a FW but if we don’t hit it out of the park, in a few year I feel it is going to be hard to explain why we pass on a 1st pairing D that had such a historically good Draft season…

 

[Garbageyuk]

Buium isn’t getting the respect he deserved… great showing at the U20 WJC gold, historic number in the NCAA + championship… even if he is highly rank Kinda feel like he is still getting underrated because he is smaller. People going crazy over Huston, Buium seem 2 years ahead and has less question mark on D… I want a FW but if we don’t hit it out of the park, in a few year I feel it is going to be hard to explain why we pass on a 1st pairing D that had such a historically good Draft season…

Agreed. It’s crazy. I have him ranked #2 overall just behind Celebrini. And for me, Celebrini is only higher because I think he’s more likely to reach his ceiling - he’s the rare prospect with both a crazy high ceiling and floor. I think Buium’s ceiling is just as high, if not higher, but is a little more of a risk to reach his ceiling in comparison. His floor is also high. For me, they’re in the same tier, with an edge to Celebrini.

 

[Hacketts]

Two Cup finalists

The Oilers literally only have two good defencemen

The Panthers best defenceman was a waiver wire pickup

We have enough good defenders. It’s time to draft offence.

kulak and... ?

 

[RationalExpectations]

Agreed. It’s crazy. I have him ranked #2 overall just behind Celebrini. And for me, Celebrini is only higher because I think he’s more likely to reach his ceiling - he’s the rare prospect with both a crazy high ceiling and floor. I think Buium’s ceiling is just as high, if not higher, but is a little more of a risk to reach his ceiling in comparison. His floor is also high. For me, they’re in the same tier, with an edge to Celebrini.

I agree, my top 3 has not changed for the past months. Celibrini Buium Dickinson. I think if Buium Dickinson drop to the Habs you need to take them.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I think Chicago or Anaheim have got that covered. No way they pick good but flawed forwards (Demidov, Catton, Iginla, Lindstrom, etc.) over the future #1 D

It's more like potential top pairing D vs top 6F or top line forward. Top pairing D > top line forward who is not a center. The tricky part to all of this is trying to figure out who is that top pairing D vs top 4D and who is the top line forward vs top 6F.

We like to talk BPA but nobody knows this. It's all subjective and it's all over the map from 2-10+ and even more difficult from 2-6 range. Some teams in the 5-10 range are going to hit just by taking who left and fans will call them a genius.

I do tend to agree the two guys on D I like the most are Dickinson and Buium. I see a lot of top 4D potential but it's difficult to pick who I think will be top pairing quality. Today, I would pick those two. Not all of them will be top pairing.

 

[Habs Icing]

Dude, Guhle himself has question marks. He’s a top-4 NHL D, but it’s very much up in the air how much more he’ll improve.

Some D take longer to develop, some hit their potential early and stay there - e.g., Doughty, Hanifin, Ekblad, Pietrangelo, McDonagh, etc. In fact, I’d say it’s more common for good D to get there early and maintain rather than late bloomer situations, although both happen regularly.

We really don’t know for sure, but there’s really no indication that Guhle is going to suddenly become an offensive D; that’s just not his game. And I’d say it’s pretty likely that at least one of these guys will become far better than Guhle.

Guhle is a solid young D, but doesn’t and has never looked like he has franchise D, or even true 1D potential. Pretty much all these guys have that, or they wouldn’t be ranked where they are.

If franchise D is the benchmark then none of the Ds you mentioned look like they'll achieve it.

 

[Habs Icing]

I think it’s pretty consensus that Buium, Dickinson, Silayev, and Levshunov have franchise level ceilings. Yakemchuk and Parekh do too, but are seen as less likely to reach it.

If that consensus exists, why aren't those d-men slotted to go 2 - 7?

 

[Habs Icing]

Two Cup finalists

The Oilers literally only have two good defencemen

The Panthers best defenceman was a waiver wire pickup

We have enough good defenders. It’s time to draft offence.

You don't know a thing about hockey. To win we need 6 generational Ds and 3 franchise Ds in the press box in case someone gets the runs during a game.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I find Buium and Iggy interesting to compare on D and F. I think both prospects have solid all around games and built for the NHL. Both have good top 4D and top 6F projections with the chance they reach top pairing or top line.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I like McKeen's top 15. The top 5 is exactly how I have it going right now and his 6-15 is very close to how I see this talent being drafted. Only two I would have rated higher is Buium and Eiserman.

 

[vokiel]

I like McKeen's top 15. The top 5 is exactly how I have it going right now and his 6-15 is very close to how I see this talent being drafted. Only one I would have rated higher is Buium.

So they have Hage #12... It's their surprise I guess.