HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[RationalExpectations]

The thing with KK is that the entire hype was created by a 7 game sample size at the U18. He was bad in the Liiga playoffs, he didn’t end his season very well.

Sennecke’s hype is based on his final ~40 games. He just continuously got stronger as the season went on.

I don’t think they are comparable. If we are talking the clumsy looking physicality, notice that Sennecke doesn’t actually fall. KK was called Bambi for a reason.

I disagree. KK had good Liiga stats (better than Slaf actually), he was also very good in Liiga, created space for his linemates, was showing great promise as a playmaker. This rhetoric needs to stop. He was top 20 already at the beginning of his D year and top 10 at time of the lottery, actually quite similar to the Sennecke story.

It does not mean Sennecke will fail to be a top line winger, but we need to stop with the KK revisionism…

 

[CAUFIELD]

The thing with KK is that the entire hype was created by a 7 game sample size at the U18. He was bad in the Liiga playoffs, he didn’t end his season very well.

Sennecke’s hype is based on his final ~40 games. He just continuously got stronger as the season went on.

I don’t think they are comparable. If we are talking the clumsy looking physicality, notice that Sennecke doesn’t actually fall. KK was called Bambi for a reason.

Good point . But would you be really happy to have Sennecke instead of one of Dickinson , Lindstrom , Demidov or Lesh? I wouldn’t .

 

[WeThreeKings]

I'm surprised there isn't much talk about moving up to Anaheim's pick since they seem to want a defenseman. If CHI takes a D-man and CLB is going forward, would ANA not be interested in getting extra assets while still being able to take their guy at 5? Then the Habs can have their pick of the forwards (Demidov).

I think the reason for that would be that if Anaheim switches with Montreal, and Montreal takes the forward CBJ wants, then CBJ could take the defenseman that Anaheim is targeting.

CBJ isn't going forward for sure, I would argue the defenseman at the top of the class are a bigger need for them.

Or over McCarron lovers in which case that s the opposite ?

I can't think of a single person who wanted McCarron in the 1st round.

 

[Naslund]

I can't think of a single person who wanted McCarron in the 1st round.

McCagg

 

[Habs Icing]

Everything about Dickinson screams #1 defenseman in the NHL: Skill, size, attitude, pedigree...

He has a very high floor and is very low risk. I'm not surprised to hear that the Hawks may take him at #2.

Maybe those are screams of a man being tortured

I can't think of a single person who wanted McCarron in the 1st round.

I can think of a conference room full. Bergevin and his merry scouts.

 

[Saundies]

The Habs should draft, develop and then trade any successful players for picks and draft new players to repeat the cycle with

The Oakland Athletics strategy! I like it.

Everything about Dickinson screams #1 defenseman in the NHL: Skill, size, attitude, pedigree...

He has a very high floor and is very low risk. I'm not surprised to hear that the Hawks may take him at #2.

Honestly, Dickinson is making me consider my "forward or bust" mantra for this year's draft... I wouldn't be devastated let's put it that way.

 

[RationalExpectations]

I genuinely don t understand how Buium is not generating more interest : great puck mover, skater, good defensively, he is basically a taller version of Q Hughes and he has scored much more than him in their respective draft years… I d take him without any hesitation at 5 and I don t see why CHI or ANA or CBJ would not be interested either

 

[Seb]

I genuinely don t understand how Buium is not generating more interest : great puck mover, skater, good defensively, he is basically a taller version of Q Hughes and he has scored much more than him in their respective draft years… I d take him without any hesitation at 5 and I don t see why CHI or ANA or CBJ would not be interested either

Simon St-Laurent did a great video on Buium :

 

[le_sean]

Good point . But would you be really happy to have Sennecke instead of one of Dickinson , Lindstrom , Demidov or Lesh? I wouldn’t .

It would be a ballsy move but I trust Adam Nicholas and the development team.

 

[BergevinBurner]

I genuinely don t understand how Buium is not generating more interest

Hughes pretty much shot down the possibility of us taking Buium and the talk of him has mostly died down since.

 

[Kents polished head]

You have some fair points for sure. I do understand the stats concerns, but I wouldn't really say Iginlas stats are that much more impressive. The attitude thing is definitely scary, but it seems like the Habs under Hughes have really targeted hard working guys, so if it is true they likely won't take him. Sennecke really progressed as the year went on... but Iginla certainly stepped up when things mattered. I would be more excited by Iginla even though I do feel like the upside is not quite as high.... I think he will help teams win and those types are always my favs.

I guess we will see on draft day. I honestly wouldn't be shocked by much after pick #1.

Oh, I fully expect us to pick Sennecke at this point. The noises aren't there for no reason, and it absolutely IS an unpredictable draft past the 1st pick.

I just think there are way safer alternatives here for a team craving for any kind of a serious forward prospect, really.

 

[Runner77]

Like Iginla, Lindstrom sees himself more as a centre in the NHL, than a winger:

Malgré cela, Lindstrom, qui se voit davantage comme un centre qu’un ailier dans la LNH, est d’avis que l’aspect finesse de son jeu n’est pas suffisamment reconnu.

Lindstrom believes that the finesse side of his play, is not widely acknowledged.

He has a high compete level and what is also bound to draw attention is the type of aggressiveness and meanness he displays.

Repêchage 2024: Lindstrom sur la voie de la guérison | LNH.com

L’attaquant de puissance ne participera pas à tous les tests physiques de la Séance d'évaluation des espoirs, lui qui se remet d’une blessure au dos

www.nhl.com

 

[Gustave]

Simon St-Laurent did a great video on Buium :

I genuinely don t understand how Buium is not generating more interest : great puck mover, skater, good defensively, he is basically a taller version of Q Hughes and he has scored much more than him in their respective draft years… I d take him without any hesitation at 5 and I don t see why CHI or ANA or CBJ would not be interested either

I think both Dickinson and Buium are the top 2 D’s in this draft. They are not getting passed the 7th overall if I try to play Nostradamus a bit.

Lev gets picked maybe the 2nd overall because of the RD premium and Silayev will get picked somewhere in there because of his size. It’s a hell of a year to be in the hunt for a Dman.

 

[le_sean]

I disagree. KK had good Liiga stats (better than Slaf actually), he was also very good in Liiga, created space for his linemates, was showing great promise as a playmaker. This rhetoric needs to stop. He was top 20 already at the beginning of his D year and top 10 at time of the lottery, actually quite similar to the Sennecke story.

It does not mean Sennecke will fail to be a top line winger, but we need to stop with the KK revisionism…

Yeah he had a better season as a whole but didn’t improve as it went on is my point. Not to the level of Sennecke. He didn’t even play centre in Liiga yet was drafted as one in the NHL, a big reason for the jump in the standings.

Slafkovsky is another that improved as the season went on. In fact, coaches dropped KK’s TOI in the playoffs from the regular season while Slaf was given more ice time.

Both KK and Slaf improved their draft stocks throughout the year, but to deny that it was international tournaments that got the hype machine into overdrive is being dishonest.

 

[Deebs]

Like Iginla, Lindstrom sees himself more as a centre in the NHL, than a winger:

Malgré cela, Lindstrom, qui se voit davantage comme un centre qu’un ailier dans la LNH, est d’avis que l’aspect finesse de son jeu n’est pas suffisamment reconnu.

Lindstrom believes that the finesse side of his play, is not widely acknowledged.

He has a high compete level and what is also bound to draw attention is the type of aggressiveness and meanness he displays.

Repêchage 2024: Lindstrom sur la voie de la guérison | LNH.com

L’attaquant de puissance ne participera pas à tous les tests physiques de la Séance d'évaluation des espoirs, lui qui se remet d’une blessure au dos

www.nhl.com

Unlike Iginla, LIndstrom has actually played Center

Would love to add him to the club. After watching him a few times this past season, he's just a presence on the ice. Big body and uses it well, great shot, excellent skating....kid has all the tools to take his game to the NHL and deliver.

 

[le_sean]

Also regarding Dickinson - be careful with players in the CHL that are already built like men. He looks like he’s filled out early which is a big reason why he looks good, he’s just physically ahead of everyone else.

He actually seems like a great candidate to consider an AHL player exemption - allowing AHL teams to have one U20 CHL player on their team. I’m not sure what else he can really do in the OHL and you don’t necessarily want to rush him into the NHL.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Also regarding Dickinson - be careful with players in the CHL that are already built like men. He looks like he’s filled out early which is a big reason why he looks good, he’s just physically ahead of everyone else.

He actually seems like a great candidate to consider an AHL player exemption - allowing AHL teams to have one U20 CHL player on their team. I’m not sure what else he can really do in the OHL and you don’t necessarily want to rush him into the NHL.

Yeah, he could probably play pro hockey as soon as next season and not look overmatched. He's definitely the type of prospect who could have gone to the AHL for his D+1 season a la Seider or Kulich, had he been drafted out of Europe. He was already a regular in London as a 16 year old, so he's got 2 legitimate full seasons in at the junior level already. His time is going to be sorta wasted in London next year, although getting more reps in is never a bad thing, obviously.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Unlike Iginla, LIndstrom has actually played Center

Would love to add him to the club. After watching him a few times this past season, he's just a presence on the ice. Big body and uses it well, great shot, excellent skating....kid has all the tools to take his game to the NHL and deliver.

Iggy has played center bud. But he was moved to wing and that's when he took off.

Was Lindstrom playing center with the next prodigy on his wing? McKenna? When I watch video on Lindstrom, I see a power forward more than a center. His highlight reel lacks the vision/play making areas IMO. Lindstrom can speak to this all he wants but it's lacking. And I'm talking about how that translates to the NHL where there are also lots of big boys that skate well and time/space is reduced a hell of a lot more than the CHL.

Iggy to me is a play making winger who can score. Lindstrom to me is a power forward winger who can score.

 

[26Mats]

Iggy has played center bud. But he was moved to wing and that's when he took off.

Was Lindstrom playing center with the next prodigy on his wing? McKenna? When I watch video on Lindstrom, I see a power forward more than a center. His highlight reel lacks the vision/play making areas IMO. Lindstrom can speak to this all he wants but it's lacking. And I'm talking about how that translates to the NHL where there are also lots of big boys that skate well and time/space is reduced a hell of a lot more than the CHL.

Iggy to me is a play making winger who can score. Lindstrom to me is a power forward winger who can score.

Iggy to me is a play making winger who can score. Lindstrom to me is a power forward winger who can score.

That may be their styles, but what I'm most interested in is who is really good at what style they play. I've heard some question Lindstrom's hands. I don't remember who and I don't know if there's any merit to the perspective.

 

[le_sean]

Iggy has played center bud. But he was moved to wing and that's when he took off.

Was Lindstrom playing center with the next prodigy on his wing? McKenna? When I watch video on Lindstrom, I see a power forward more than a center. His highlight reel lacks the vision/play making areas IMO. Lindstrom can speak to this all he wants but it's lacking. And I'm talking about how that translates to the NHL where there are also lots of big boys that skate well and time/space is reduced a hell of a lot more than the CHL.

Iggy to me is a play making winger who can score. Lindstrom to me is a power forward winger who can score.

He’s not a centre. Watching him, he’s obviously not that type of player. You can say he was tried there, but they never kept him there in the CHL, so there’s no reason to think he’ll be that in the NHL. In his 115 WHL games, he only had 22 where he took 5+ faceoff attempts, which is quite a low barometer. And the majority were in the 2022-23 regular season when he was with Seattle and on the 3rd line. Kelowna never used him there other than when Szturc was out. The Rockets literally have one good centre on the roster yet still didn’t play Iginla there. He’s a winger.

Lindstrom literally lines up at centre every game and has done so throughout his entire WHL career minus his 6 game stint in 2021-22.

 

[Habs Halifax]

That may be their styles, but what I'm most interested in is who is really good at what style they play. I've heard some question Lindstrom's hands. I don't remember who and I don't know if there's any merit to the perspective.

I am one who has question marks on Lindstrom's hockey IQ and play making/vision/hands. I like the player and he is close in my BPA waive after Celebrini but when I play the nit pick game, I can see noticeable areas that need improvement.

He’s not a centre. Watching him, he’s obviously not that type of player. You can say he was tried there, but they never kept him there in the CHL, so there’s no reason to think he’ll be that in the NHL. In his 115 WHL games, he only had 22 where he took 5+ faceoff attempts, which is quite a low barometer. And the majority were in the 2022-23 regular season when he was with Seattle and on the 3rd line. Kelowna never used him there other than when Szturc was out. The Rockets literally have one good centre on the roster yet still didn’t play Iginla there. He’s a winger.

Lindstrom literally lines up at centre every game and has done so throughout his entire WHL career minus his 6 game stint in 2021-22.

Iggy was a center but he's moved to wing and it's the right spot for him. A play making winger with a great shot. Great all around game and size/weight.

Lindstrom has been a center yes and is a center in the CHL. Does that translate at the NHL level? Not sure about that bud. Look up Byfield. He hasn't played much center yet and was on Kopitar's line. I think Lindstrom may follow the same type of path and you hope he matures into a center. T Thompson is another good example.

 

[le_sean]

I am one who has question marks on Lindstrom's hockey IQ and play making/vision/hands. I like the player and he is close in my BPA waive after Celebrini but when I play the nit pick game, I can see noticeable areas that need improvement.



Iggy was a center but he's moved to wing and it's the right spot for him. A play making winger with a great shot. Great all around game and size/weight.

Lindstrom has been a center yes and is a center in the CHL. Does that translate at the NHL level? Not sure about that bud. Look up Byfield. He hasn't played much center yet and was on Kopitar's line. I think Lindstrom may follow the same type of path and you hope he matures into a center. T Thompson is another good example.

First of all, Iginla isn’t a playmaking winger. I don’t understand how that’s your description of him.

Byfield isn’t an example of a prospect failing at being a centre, it’s an example of a team failing at development. Of course he’s been shifted to wing when the Kings have Kopitar, Danault and acquired PLD. That’s just hubris on their part thinking they had a contending team. It doesn’t mean Lindstrom should follow the same path.

 

[Picaroon]

I think the reason for that would be that if Anaheim switches with Montreal, and Montreal takes the forward CBJ wants, then CBJ could take the defenseman that Anaheim is targeting.

CBJ isn't going forward for sure, I would argue the defenseman at the top of the class are a bigger need for them.



I can't think of a single person who wanted McCarron in the 1st round.

Ya that's definitely one scenario. But I think a lot of teams have tiers of players rather than linear rankings. If ANA has 2-3 d-men in a tier, they may see the value in getting additional assets while staying in the same tier of d-men. Adding a guy like Struble (Verbeek type player) and a mid pick may worth more than the difference between Dickinson and Buium for example. Meanwhile Montreal would move up a clear forward tier.

 

[Doublechin]

I think both Dickinson and Buium are the top 2 D’s in this draft. They are not getting passed the 7th overall if I try to play Nostradamus a bit.

Lev gets picked maybe the 2nd overall because of the RD premium and Silayev will get picked somewhere in there because of his size. It’s a hell of a year to be in the hunt for a Dman.

I agree with Dickinson and Buium as being the top 2, I can't lie and pretend that I've seen much of Silyaev however

But the closer we getting to the draft the more I seem to see Levshunov topping off as a Trouba type of Dman or even a Nurse type

Buium I think has the highest potential to be a high scoring Dman with high end ability while Dickinson I see as being the most complete and hardest worker of the bunch

 

[Hacketts]

First of all, Iginla isn’t a playmaking winger. I don’t understand how that’s your description of him.

Byfield isn’t an example of a prospect failing at being a centre, it’s an example of a team failing at development. Of course he’s been shifted to wing when the Kings have Kopitar, Danault and acquired PLD. That’s just hubris on their part thinking they had a contending team. It doesn’t mean Lindstrom should follow the same path.

and he ain't in the same universe as Kaprizov either. @Habs Halifax