HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Habs Halifax]

Dropping to 9 would mean Catton is almost certainly there. He's 3 on my list, so unless Demidov is there at 5 you take it and run.

I'd much rather take a better BPA at 5 (one of Dickinson, Demidov, Iggy, Lindstrom) and make a trade to get another pick from 9-13 range and take Catton.

Lets say we draft Dickinson at 5. Does Hutson and Jets 1st get attention and a pick from 9-13? I'm not desperate to trade Hutson but I think we would be find if Dickinson is drafted

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

He's a great skater period. Ever since David Saint-Louis came around skating is overanalyzed and underrated with nearly every player.

A lot of the same was said about Benson last year and it was just as foolish, only Benson isn't as good a skater as Demidov. Anti-scouting at best.

You have to realize that guys like David Saint-Louis are influencers first and foremost. What are they selling you if they just say Demidov has no weaknesses? Why are you watching the next video on him?

I don't care for that guy, I'm basing this on my own viewings of him. His skating is good now, but there are things he can improve on that will take him to another level if he works at it.

I'd much rather take a better BPA at 5 (one of Dickinson, Demidov, Iggy, Lindstrom) and make a trade to get another pick from 9-13 range and take Catton.

Lets say we draft Dickinson at 5. Does Hutson and Jets 1st get attention and a pick from 9-13? I'm not desperate to trade Hutson but I think we would be find if Dickinson is drafted

I'd much rather take who would be BPA at 5 (Catton) at 9 if teams let him drop there and pick up extra assets in the mean time.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I don't care for that guy, I'm basing this on my own viewings of him. His skating is good now, but there are things he can improve on that will take him to another level if he works at it.


I'd much rather take who would be BPA at 5 (Catton) at 9 if teams let him drop there and pick up extra assets in the mean time.

Demidov's skating is very good as it stands today. I'm not sure how much more improvement has has left in that area.

My biggest question mark with Demidov is does he become a PP / perimeter player. Does he shy away from physical contact. That's hard to know from MHL games.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Demidov's skating is very good as it stands today. I'm not sure how much more improvement has has left in that area.

My biggest question mark with Demidov is does he become a PP / perimeter player. Does he shy away from physical contact. That's hard to know from MHL games.

I don't think that will be an issue, he seems pretty inside driven from my viewings.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'd much rather take who would be BPA at 5 (Catton) at 9 if teams let him drop there and pick up extra assets in the mean time.

You might have your own opinion or draft board, but have you seen any credible list that has Catton in the top 5? 5'-11" and 163 lbs. He's a skill type that will most likely never be gritty. Someone like Suzuki was 185 lbs at the same age as Catton today. The ability to use edge work and cut around guys depends on weight/strength. Do you think Catton is the type to put on muscle and get to 190+? I think we made this mistake with KK. "he will fill into his frame". Personally, I rather take the guy who is already strong and has skill/skating.

I see S Jarvis type. A good top 6F.

I don't think that will be an issue, he seems pretty inside driven from my viewings.

I've seen him shy away from contract along the boards in some of the video I have watched and I also think it's the reason why he only got 4 KHL games. He's not ready physically.

 

[Deebs]

So what is all happening day to day at the combine.....seminars, meetings, etc...? When should some meaningful info start being released to the masses?

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

You might have your own opinion or draft board, but have you seen any credible list that has Catton in the top 5? 5'-11" and 163 lbs. He's a skill type that will most likely never be gritty.

I see S Jarvis type. A good top 6F.



I've seen him shy away from contract along the boards in some of the video I have watched and I also think it's the reason why he only got 4 KHL games. He's not ready physically.

Again, I'd ask what a credible list is. Credible lists dropped Kucherov nearly to round 3, Bouchard to 10, Point to round 3. In my opinion Catton is the 3rd best prospect in the class after Celebrini and Demidov, so I'd take the risk of dropping to 9, grabbing 29 in the process, and using some picks to move up and grab someone in the 10-15 range.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Again, I'd ask what a credible list is. Credible lists dropped Kucherov nearly to round 3, Bouchard to 10, Point to round 3. In my opinion Catton is the 3rd best prospect in the class after Celebrini and Demidov, so I'd take the risk of dropping to 9, grabbing 29 in the process, and using some picks to move up and grab someone in the 10-15 range.

I understand that redrafts changes things. But I also see reaches that usually don't pay off. Usually, teams reach for players like Slaf or Reinbacher but they are trending hot towards the draft. Yzerman did that with Sieder as well. We did that with KK and it didn't work. Good U18's but played bottom 6 center role in Liiga and those numbers were not good at all.

What makes Catton a hot trend to earn taking him early? I do like this player but not at 5. CHL production is only one layer of evaluation with me. I've seen far too many guys rack up points and struggle once they turn pro because they are not physically ready and struggle with time/space.

I think Catton is a risky pick at 5. This is a skill/skating pick and he's not elite in these areas. Very good but not elite.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

I understand that redrafts changes things. But I also see reaches that usually don't pay off. Usually, teams reach for players like Slaf or Reinbacher but they are trending hot towards the draft. Yzerman did that with Sieder as well. We did that with KK and it didn't work.

What makes Catton a hot trend to earn taking him early? I do like this player but not at 5.

I think the 5th spot provides too much value not to trade down in that scenario. Teams will want to move up for Lindstrom or Silayev or whomever, and I'd bet on Catton being available at 9. I wouldn't necessarily take him at 5 not because I don't think he's the BPA there, but because we could probably get him and an add-on.

 

[FrankMTL]

The dilemma is trying to figure out how many top pairing D and how many top line forwards their are in this draft. I see a lot of talk on the D as BPA but there is likely only 1 or 2 top paring guys. With the forwards, it's the same thing. There is likely only 1 or 2 top line talent. At the end of the day, there is a fair amount of probability that if we take a D, we are taking a top 4D vs a top 6F.

From these 6 guys, Who is Top Pairing, Who is Top 4D, and Who Disappoints?
Silayev
Levshunov
Dickinson
Parekh
Buium
Yakemchuk

From these 7 guys, Who is 1st line, Who is Top 6F, and Who Disappoints?
Demidov
Lindstrom
Iginla
Catton
Helenius
Eiserman
Sennecke

My guess is only Dickinson becomes top pairing and the others are top 4D. Demidov and Iginla are top line talent. The others are either top 4D/Top 6F or busts/disappointments. Yes, that's it, only 3 are hits at the top of the line-up. Include Celebrini and that's 4 hits. Look at the 2018 draft for example.. How many hits or top of the line-up players are there? 4-6? Could there be 6 hits in this top 14? Possible yes but it's not 6+.

Dahlin is like Celebrini. Take them out because we don't have a shot at drafting them. Then we got 3 hits on D... Hughes, Bouchard, Dobson. Forward hits are Svechnikov & Tkachuk. My gut tells me this draft will be similar in terms of how many top line talents their are. I'm going to say 4-6 range. Will their be 4 hits on D? I'll bet against that.

Crazy that 5 of the top 9 picks from that 2018 draft are pretty much busts.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I think the 5th spot provides too much value not to trade down in that scenario. Teams will want to move up for Lindstrom or Silayev or whomever, and I'd bet on Catton being available at 9. I wouldn't necessarily take him at 5 not because I don't think he's the BPA there, but because we could probably get him and an add-on.

I personally think teams in the 8-13 range are looking at a waive of BPA and will just take what is left.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Crazy that 5 of the top 9 picks from that 2018 drafts are pretty much busts.

Hayton finished 2023 so strong, no idea what happened to him this year. Really looked like he'd solidified himself as a top 6 F.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Crazy that 5 of the top 9 picks from that 2018 drafts are pretty much busts.

It happens almost every draft year. Maybe not 5/9 but it happens more than fans realize. I really do think there are only 1 or 2 top D pairing hits and 1 or 2 top line F hits (Celebrini excluded because he is not possible for us).

I see a lot of gullible statements and conversations on that D group. Looks like a lot of top 4D quality for me with a chance there are 2 top pairing guys.

 

[bopeep]

Who should the Canadiens select with the fifth overall pick?

The 2024 NHL Draft is wide open after Macklin Celebrini. We take a look at the forwards likely to be available for the Habs at 5, and who they should take.

www.habseyesontheprize.com

 

[SlafySZN]

So what is all happening day to day at the combine.....seminars, meetings, etc...? When should some meaningful info start being released to the masses?

Arpon Basu and Godin were leaving for the combine this morning. So i would guess tomorrow/thursday.

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

Who should the Canadiens select with the fifth overall pick?

The 2024 NHL Draft is wide open after Macklin Celebrini. We take a look at the forwards likely to be available for the Habs at 5, and who they should take.

www.habseyesontheprize.com

Can't believe they left out Helenius

 

[bopeep]

So what is all happening day to day at the combine.....seminars, meetings, etc...? When should some meaningful info start being released to the masses?

I think it's time to pass around the collection plate and send @Whitesnake down to Buffalo to give us the lowdown on what's really happening at the combine. Do the intrepid reporter thing - a couple of interviews with prospects and some team brass, get drunk at the hotel lounge, get into a heated discussion about BPA, thrown in jail and asked to leave the country by morning...

 

[RationalExpectations]

You said we have Guhle and Reinbacher as top pair d-men. So all you need are 2nd and 3rd pair d-men. On the left side for those two pairs we have Matheson, Hutson, Struble, Harris, Engstrom, and Xhekaj. On the right side we Kovacevic (3rd pair), Barron, Mailloux and Konyushkov. David Savard for the time being.

Now do that exercise for the top two lines. 1st line: Suz, Slaf and maybe Caufield. I was a big fan of CC but I'm starting to think he'd be better suited for the 2nd line. On that 2nd line we have Dach and maybe Newhook and Roy. That's it!

Now tell me again we need d-men.

First I said top 4 Guhle and Reinbacher, who can say if they ll be true top 2 on a winning team ?. I did not say we need Dmen absolutely I said draft BPA, don t give up for the next Hughes because you have the next McDonagh. I don t know how I can make myself more clear.

 

[RationalExpectations]

You only draft the D if you think you are actually getting the BPA and not reaching. Just because there are 6 D to choose from, it don't mean they will all be top pairing studs.

I'm OK with taking a top 6F with a shot at top line forward vs a top 4D with a shot at top pairing. The goal here is to take the guy we feel will develop the most and be the best. If you take a player you like and help them develop into what you think they can be, success.

Dickinson, Demidov, Iggy, Lindstrom are my BPA's after Celebrini. Others have more D in that mix? Sure, can't blame them too much but lets stop for a second and consider how many top paring D and top line forwards are there in this draft? It's not 6+

That is exactly what I mean lol. We each have our ranking and I really like Buium Dickinson before the forwards, i.e. If they drop to 5, I would take them. We are saying the same thing, don t draft for need.

I have never said any propsect is a sure top 2 or a sure 1st liner, just that if you have Buium Guhle Reinbacher you have more chance to have one of them becoming a true 1st D than if you only have 2 of them, that s just basic maths

 

[bleuetbio]

Trading down to 9 isnt for me either except if Calgaryaccept to waive the clause for next year pick and giving up their own pick and not Florida. I dont think they'll do it but who knows how much they want Iggy

 

[Skip Bayless]

More and more I get the sense that the Demigod will fall to us.

 

[Habs Halifax]

That is exactly what I mean lol. We each have our ranking and I really like Buium Dickinson before the forwards, i.e. If they drop to 5, I would take them. We are saying the same thing, don t draft for need.

I have never said any propsect is a sure top 2 or a sure 1st liner, just that if you have Buium Guhle Reinbacher you have more chance to have one of them becoming a true 1st D than if you only have 2 of them, that s just basic maths

I'm not sure with Buium but I do like him as a top 4D. Dickinson is the one I can see top pairing quality. I understand the D BPA narrative but I am just not sure there are that many top pairing guys. My BPA at 5 is one of Dickinson, Demidov, Iggy, Lindstrom. Lindstrom a bit behind the others but close. I just don't like his vision/play making

More and more I get the sense that the Demigod will fall to us.

It's more of a possibility than most fans are willing to admit.

 

[Jaynki]

Sennecke over Iginla… j’ai mon voyage

Both are great options.

I love Iginla intangibles and name obviously. He feels like an obvious easy pick.

But Sennecke might have better hands than Demidov and the skill level and ultimate upside is the highest of the bunch in my opinion.

He is indeed more raw tho.

Dont have your voyage. Consider us lucky we may have a choice between both.

 

[The Great Weal]

Everybody that gets 50% secondary assists will have great production.

You can keep narrowing your production criteria all you want to minimize the difference, Heiskanen is lightyears ahead offensively. Like I said, Guhle outproduced as a 20 year old leading to the Stanley Cup Finals while when Guhle was a 20 year old in the WHL playoffs he was tied for 5th in points.

I think people are using total production to explain a reasoning, I don't think people actually evaluate Guhle as not creative. Guhle will go as far as Marty will permit, which is probably not very far since he's seen less PP time than Xhekaj.

Guhle's game has never been around offense. Playing him on the PP won't make his production sky rocket, he wasn't even really productive in junior.

Also, the difference between Lindholm and Heiskanen is not big.

One's a Norris candidate while the other is a #2/3, I'd say that's a massive difference

Lindholm is good enough to be a 1D on a good team, as he proved from 14 to 18.

Lindholm was not the 1D on the Ducks, Fowler was. That being said, 4 of the Ducks dmen at that time had similar ice time between 20-23 min, but Fowler still led them.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Would anyone be willing to drop to #9 if Cal traded up for Iginla. Not sure what the sweetener would be. Still get one of Senneke, Catton, Eiserman. This is if Demidov & Lindstrom are off the board.

Do you believe Hughes when he says he might trade down if LD is next up on their board?

Same answer.

Celebrini
Demidov
Levshunov
Lindstrom
———
Dickinson?
———

If they don’t want a LD, then take advantage of Calgary’s desire to draft a 2nd generation player.
( then be aggressive in moving up near top 15 ).