HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[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.

 

[Habs Halifax]

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

He would be 15+ on my list. Eiserman and Buium rated slightly higher on my list. But yeah, their list is close to mine.

 

[salbutera]

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.

Panthers also built most of their offense via trade (Tkachuk, Reinhard, Bennett) or UFA (Varhaege)

Barkov, Ekblad & Lundell are the only real homegrown contributors

 

[Andrei79]

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.

I don't think theres anyone at McDavid/Draisaitl/Barkov or Tkachuks level, unless we luck out and Demidov is available.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I don't think theres anyone at McDavid/Draisaitl/Barkov or Tkachuks level, unless we luck out and Demidov is available.

Demidov is more like a P Kane type talent if he reaches his ceiling. A puck possession winger who is hard to catch and has a good shot. Demidov's one timer is no where close to what Kucherov provides as a smaller Russian type.

I think if Iggy reaches his ceiling, he can be something around a Kaprisov type.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I'd want to see Demidov do his thing against much better competition than the MHL before I call him a Kane or a McDavid. This is hella premature IMO.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'd want to see Demidov do his thing against much better competition than the MHL before I call him a Kane or a McDavid. This is hella premature IMO.

It's projections if he reaches his ceiling. It's not sure shot I think he will be this type for sure. I agree with you, there are question marks to Demidov. We don't have much sample size of him playing against tight checking and physical players.

Personally, I think he turns into a perimeter player but someone who helps the PP.

I'm probably taking Iggy over Demidov if they are both there at 5. Close though

 

[le_sean]

I don't think theres anyone at McDavid/Draisaitl/Barkov or Tkachuks level, unless we luck out and Demidov is available.

But again, it’s the issue of diminishing returns. Look at the Avalanche. They got Sean Walker, the best defenceman on the market, just to play him on the 3rd pairing. “Oh wow what defensive depth.” It didn’t make them better. Players get out of rhythm, they are not as effective with lower minutes.

So it’s fine and dandy to want someone like Dickinson, thinking the Habs will have the best defence in the league, but playing Guhle 18 mins a game doesn’t make the Habs better. It’s not as simple as saying “this guy gets 100 points a year with 20 mins per game. He’ll get 50 points playing 10 mins per game”. It doesn’t work like that.

We literally have too many defencemen on the current team. That isn’t even counting Hutson, Reinbacher, Mailloux, Engstrom knocking at the door. It’s just asinine to even consider a defenceman. The offence is dogshit. We have one good line and the only reason it’s productive is because they play like 22 mins a game.

 

[crosbyshow]

It's projections if he reaches his ceiling. It's not sure shot I think he will be this type for sure. I agree with you, there are question marks to Demidov. We don't have much sample size of him playing against tight checking and physical players.

Personally, I think he turns into a perimeter player but someone who helps the PP.

I'm probably taking Iggy over Demidov if they are both there at 5. Close though

Iginla is not close to Demidov in my view

In fact even Catton is better than Igy even if I love Iginla.

We need pure talent and the best talent are Celebrini Demidov and then Catton.

 

[Sorinth]

My thing with Iginla is he’s so young and progressing so fast we don’t know what his game is necessarily, like if he were born just a month and a half later he’d be in next years draft and who knows how high he’d go there.

It’s going to be interesting to watch his development next year and where he slots in positionally.

My thing is hockey minds are too simple sometimes and need to get more modernized like the NFL for instance

Logically it makes sense that the younger players would have more runway to develop, but I'm not sure it actually plays out that way in real life. If it was true when you look through past drafts and say sort by production you'd expect to see younger players from that draft to be over-represented at the top and at a cursory glance that's not the case.

 

[lilmaxo]

i like buium, but we already have Hutson.

 

[PavelBrendl]

Iginla is not close to Demidov in my view

In fact even Catton is better than Igy even if I love Iginla.

We need pure talent and the best talent are Celebrini Demidov and then Catton.

Catton is being severely underrated cuz he’s an inch too short. Something like 45% of all Spokane’s goals came within 2 touches of Catton’s stick and that’s an absurd statistic. He is electric and he makes things happen.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Iginla is not close to Demidov in my view

In fact even Catton is better than Igy even if I love Iginla.

We need pure talent and the best talent are Celebrini Demidov and then Catton.

Subjective conversation. Iggy is ranked higher than Catton on some lists but not all and Demidov is the "popular" guy people have at 2. From 2-10, I can see some shockers because fans have their lists tied to the popular lists on the internet. Trust Bob M.... he said it's all over the map from 2-10+ in this draft and he has not seen this in 35 years.

Iggy is pure talent. He has the skill Catton has and is younger and more physically stronger. I feel some fans are overlooking Iggy because of his father but his resume is impressive.

I'm not buying the CHL production to rank guys. I like Catton but he is in my 2nd waive after Demidov, Iggy, Lindstrom. I think someone like Catton hits a wall when they face faster more physically stronger players.

 

[PavelBrendl]

Subjective conversation. Iggy is ranked higher than Catton on some lists but not all and Demidov is the "popular" guy people have at 2. From 2-10, I can see some shockers because fans have their lists tied to the popular lists on the internet. Trust Bob M.... he said it's all over the map from 2-10+ in this draft and he has not seen this in 35 years.

Iggy is pure talent. He has the skill Catton has and is younger and more physically stronger. I feel some fans are overlooking Iggy because of his father but his resume is impressive.

I'm not buying the CHL production to rank guys. I like Catton but he is in my 2nd waive after Demidov, Iggy, Lindstrom. I think someone like Catton hits a wall when they face faster more physically stronger players.

I’m afraid you’ve got it backwards. Nobody is overlooking Iginla. And if Iginla, with his tools, had all the skill Catton has, would be making the conversation for #1 much more interesting.

 

[Garbageyuk]

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.

I have Dickinson high as well. I flip flop between him and Silayev at 3rd. I’d probably lean towards Dickinson at this point because he seems safer. The recent mem cup didn’t change much for me because I already thought he’s a stud, although he was impressive there. But man, if Silayev reaches that ceiling. Then I have Levshunov at 5th.