HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[ReHabs]

Lindstrom scored at a pace of 58 goals over a full season.

A physical 6ft4 centerman who score 58 goals in the WHL is a top 3 pick in any given year.

Have to admit that injury are a major concern tho. It may be a luck in the sense of grabbing such a player 5th overall or a poison pill too if injury derail his career. I believe he may be picked before our pick tho because team will reach for top 6C and top pair D with size.

Players or prospects with more Gs than As give off 'bad playmaker' red flags to my amateur eyes. I'm not so concerned with a draft year injury as I am with a *back injury*. How can he play hard, gritty hockey if he's got questionmarks about his *back*? He won't score more Gs than As in the NHL, so what sort of game will he play?

 

[ReHabs]

I love the notion that you can just easily trade excess talent so just go with another left d at 5OA. It’s pure wishful thanking. Actual “hockey trades” are few and far between in today’s NHL, and good ones are even rarer. Just take the “best” forward available at 5OA.

Funny -- last year we knew we needed a top-tier forward in a forward heavy top10 and were told that right shot D was a position of need and RB was too good to pass up. This year it seems like if a superb D prospect is there in a defense heavy top10, we're being told the Habs *shouldn't* take him? What?

 

[Balthazar]

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

I was already getting strong Kotkaniemi vibes from him...reading that "needs to improve" sure didn't help

 

[WeThreeKings]

I was already getting strong Kotkaniemi vibes from him...reading that "needs to improve" sure didn't help

Not even close to the same player

 

[The Last Red]

Funny -- last year we knew we needed a top-tier forward in a forward heavy top10 and were told that LD was a position of need and RB was too good to pass up. This year it seems like if a superb D prospect is there in a defense heavy top10, we're being told the Habs *shouldn't* take him? What?

It is what it is. I would have drafted Michkov or Leonard last year . . . but we didn’t.

 

[Deebs]

I was already getting strong Kotkaniemi vibes from him...reading that "needs to improve" sure didn't help

My issue with Sennecke is he's a big gangly kid, who can dipsy doodle with his head down in the OHL without fear of getting smoked all the time. He's going to put on weight and strength, but him trying all those moves in the big show will make him a prime candidate for donating his brain to science because of CTE. I don't see him driving to the net, using his body to shield opponents enough. I wish he had that in him on a more consistent basis. That stuff can be taught if one has the right mindset, I just don't know enough about the kid to say if he does or not.

 

[ReHabs]

It is what it is. I would have drafted Michkov or Leonard last year . . . but we didn’t.

I say stay the course: pick the player with the most upside (as perceived by your scouting team). If it’s one of the Dmen so be it. Doesn’t hurt to have too many good prospects.

Right now we have a few too many filler dmen, but no one of our dmen is being held back from greatness and no one is stepping on another one’s ice time. If Dickinson for example comes on board, all the better chances we’ve found our franchise dman. Or Lev or Silayev. If Reinbacher is meant to be the next Josi (or the next Hamrlik?) then one of the tall Slavs could surely be the next Chara.

Basically, it’s a good problem to have.

 

[Anardil]

People can have different opinion and its ok. I had a debate with one of my teamate last friday. He was well-educated but just a bit too much over Parekh. Can I blame for that? Not realy!

It's ok for you or I to not be knowledgeable about the inside/out of a draft class, but it is inexcusable for someone who is a long standing experienced supposed 'insider' to be pretty clueless to what he is being paid to be an expert on.

I know that I am singling Leroux out, but IMHO, all Quebecois CHL talking heads suffer from the same myopic views concerning Junior level hockey outside of Quebec.

 

[WeThreeKings]

My issue with Sennecke is he's a big gangly kid, who can dipsy doodle with his head down in the OHL without fear of getting smoked all the time. He's going to put on weight and strength, but him trying all those moves in the big show will make him a prime candidate for donating his brain to science because of CTE. I don't see him driving to the net, using his body to shield opponents enough. I wish he had that in him on a more consistent basis. That stuff can be taught if one has the right mindset, I just don't know enough about the kid to say if he does or not.

The same concerns should apply to Demidov, he's even smaller, is more handle driven and played two years in a league with very little hitting.

I understand the concern but that's a concern with most players. I don't see Sennecke with his head down a lot, especially since he already learned to handle as a smaller player. He would have never survived year dangling with his head down at 5'10

 

[BergevinBurner]

Fantastic game from Sennecke. Habs dev team could make this kid a force. I think he has a lot of runway.

When Hughes took Slaf he emphasized that he wasn't necessarily taking the player he thinks is best right now, but who he thinks will be the best in 4-5 years down the line.
I could see them applying similar logic to a potential Sennecke pick.

 

[Addik04]

This is why I like Iggy a lot. Late riser yes but then you look at his resume and you just see top 6F at a min. He has a real shot at being a top line asset and I really like how he is trending and being one of the youngest.

1) One of the youngest and hottest trending.
2) He already has good size/weight and was 1.5 months away from being in the 2025 draft. This is a huge plus for me because physical strength at an early age is a good indicator of how much hard work they are putting into it.
3) His shot is already NHL quality
4) Certainly not going to be just a perimeter skilled type
5) Skating is good. Cross overs and edge work is great.
6) Hard worker. You can tell he is working at the parts of the game that translate to the NHL well.
7) Ability to navigate in traffic and along the boards is very mature for someone his age.
8) Hockey IQ is very good from what I see.

I do like Dickinson and Dimidov equally as good. They also have top pairing and top line potential and their fall back is stable (top 4D or top 6F). Lindstrom is a wild card for me. I can see a monster and I can also see a bust. Catton and Buium with honerable mention but they are in the waive after.

Do you like Iginla?

 

[TheBuriedHab]

I’m not dissing your choice (it’s a fine one too) but I want to emphasize an interesting point; with what we have on offence, I’d like to add some serious meat and potatoes player with upside, like a Leonard last season or.. Iggy… even Lindstrom. I don’t necessarily need the big home run swing, I’d like to get the proverbial bird in hand.

I’m a Catton booster but I’m not going to fight what’s evident in the rankings. So if it comes to choosing something else, I’d rather go for the evident top 6 player, not risk it. I feel there’s less risk involved with Iginla and the upside he has satisfies me.

Demidov won’t be there so he’s not even considered in my eyes.

I agree, we do need some more sandpaper up front. So if we pick Lindstrom or Iginla I'm all for it because it does fit a need and would be much safer.

But I also think another profile we are missing upfront is an electric gamebreaker. I see Demidov and Sennecke that have that potential. And that type of talent is basically impossible to acquire outside of drafting it high.

In the last draft video for the Habs Gorton sais this, you have to draft high end skill at the top of the draft or just get extremely lucky.

I can't wait to see who they end up choosing. It's a fascinating decision they will have if Demidov isn't there.

 

[SlafySZN]

Do you like Iginla?

I’m not sure he does

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

After more research and viewing

My top 5 outside of Celebrini

Demidov
Lindstrom
Iginla
Buuim
Dickinson

 

[crosbyshow]

Interesting interview with Catton in French.

He said that the fact that he had an injury in the playoffs and he missed the U18 because of the injury..therefore he said that people forgot a bit about him...

So he is now training like crazy.

https://www.tvasports.ca/2024/06/04/une-cible-pour-le-ch-au-5e-rang-on-dirait-que-les-gens-mont-oublie-estime-lattaquant-berkly-catton?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0RtTZ0q2epKDRDx1MNiF0jddVUapyGu7x_F3RekPYB0x4juqjB3pNvkZg_aem_Afx7DL_jxDh2LasrncjRIKQk8EERcL14eCoQUTsfp6gQqDAbd2IPS-XHo-uJ8xOefIwEfCEX4fY0PQL4O3-8rrh3

 

[KevSkillz4]

One of Lindstrom, Demidov, Iginla, Catton or Sennecke at 5.

I will be the most happy man on the earth.

 

[Vachon23]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1798183943382135212

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1798183943382135212

Get ready to learn D buddy

 

[vokiel]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1798183943382135212

D??? Language never picked up, even after they open sourced the compiler. Chicago and Anaheim should brush up on their Java, bums!

 

[jaffy27]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1798183943382135212

No shit….

Chicago is going Dickinson and Anaheim Lev…..I think

 

[Habs7631]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1798183943382135212

Bro why is his username #IginlaTheHab2024

Doesn’t matter, he says Chicago and Anaheim are both going D? I choose to believe him.

 

[HuGort]

I was already getting strong Kotkaniemi vibes from him...reading that "needs to improve" sure didn't help

McCagg was on Sick Podcast last night, he said he called Sennecke's coach and he's now 6'3 - 6'4

 

[calder candidate]

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.

The only way I trade down is to get asset to be able to flip to move up in the top, end up with 2 pick un the top 15.
As long as we end up with a combination of Catton + Buium, Eiserman, Senneke

 

[ReHabs]

McCagg was on Sick Podcast last night, he said he called Sennecke's coach and he's now 6'3 - 6'4

Damn, so you can expect him to be even more gangly and off-balance? Hope power skating lessons or whatever it is players can do will help him be as solid as possible.

The only way I trade down is to get asset to be able to flip to move up in the top, end up with 2 pick un the top 15.
As long as we end up with a combination of Catton + Buium, Eiserman, Senneke

If we take two forwards, as long as one of them is Catton it would be an amazing haul.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Pronman's latest mock:

1. Celebrini
2. Levshunov
3. Silayev
4. Lindstrom
5. Demidov

We get Julius Miettinen with our WPG 1st.