HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[David Suzuki]

Who is sleeping on him lol

 

[waffledave]

I think hockey IQ gets way overrated. Size, skating, athleticism, competitiveness and skill buys a lot of IQ points. The best of the best are geniuses, but there are loads of average and even slightly dumb players in the show. In the end it's another trait, and there's only so much it can do.

I think the best measure of it is production, anyhow.

Athleticism is underrated, funny enough. I agree, lots of dumb players who get by based on ability alone. I don't think "high IQ" is enough to overcome a lack of athleticism unless we're talking about exceptional cases. Size, speed, strength, these are all measurable things too. Hockey IQ is not really something you can measure, because I don't even think it means the same thing to everyone.

 

[Trabdy2]

It would be really great to get him. He's so much of what we need. Skill, size and athleticism in our Top 6.

 

[Vachon23]

Not getting Demidov or Lindstrom would be a huge disappointment

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Also maybe already cited but Pronman at the Athletic did a mock today, went with the same top 5. The Habs first four picks were Demidov (5) , Surin (26), Stiga (57), and Koivu (70).

I'd take that if that's how the draft fell.

Holy Moly. A+ draft for sure.

 

[SOLR]

Talked to the Beaudoins in Espoo. They said Cole was given written tests on several occasions. Wouldn't doubt that they're doing psychometric evals. I remember in the interviews KK said he was shown a picture of a bus and asked which way it was going.

Don't think they have the right to go full on IQ-test, but I think they probably cheat on the margin.

Another good way to know is hand-eye tracking tests at the combine. Highly connected to G.
(see McDavid vs. Panthers, more frames, more processing, can do things others can't)

 

[JeffreyLFC]

These comparisons for the defenseman are hilarious. Buium is Makar just without the generational skating (skating is an area of improvement not a strength) and elite shot.

Silayev is Hedman, just you know without the offensive game.

Parekh is Karlsson, if Karlsson was offensively only his shot.

Might as well say Demidov is Lafleur. Lindstrom is Lindros. Sennecke is Lemieux.

Welcome to every signle draft. I still remember Lauri Tukonen being compared to Teemu Selanne or Chipchura the next Trevor Linden...

 

[NotProkofievian]

Don't think they have the right to go full on IQ-test, but I think they probably cheat on the margin.

Another good way to know is hand-eye tracking tests at the combine. Highly connected to G.
(see McDavid vs. Panthers, more frames, more processing, can do things others can't)

Agreed. McKenna is Another example. He is in a different timeline.

 

[WinterLion]

There are a bunch of great options available. I love the trade down a few spots option... but I think teams will just roll the dice.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Athleticism is underrated, funny enough. I agree, lots of dumb players who get by based on ability alone. I don't think "high IQ" is enough to overcome a lack of athleticism unless we're talking about exceptional cases. Size, speed, strength, these are all measurable things too. Hockey IQ is not really something you can measure, because I don't even think it means the same thing to everyone.

Agreed. I think we get indirect measure of it from production. A player's got what they got, how able are they to use that to overcome the opponent? It should come out in the wash somewhere.

 

[Treb]

That would be sweet. Unfortunately there is zero chance Luchanko is still available at #26. He'll go in the teens...possibly in the mid-teens. It's hilarious how out of touch the RDS guys are.

We say that every year and every year there's that one guy that drops for no reason.

Will it be Luchanko? I don't think so, but who knows?

 

[JeffreyLFC]

Response of every GM ever.

I think the Shark have ruled out trading away their 1st overall pick.

 

[dcyhabs]

What are you talking about. IQ 100% is THE most projectable capability. Mike Ribeiro, a bum with no speed, no discipline, no strength, had a long career only because of IQ.

The problem is that scouts label players as high IQ that are average at best. Show me a player that did not succeed but had "high IQ" and he either got into injury issues or was not high IQ to begin with.

Our highest IQ player right now is Matheson. Suzuki is above average, but not in the elite or he would be Sidney Crosby.

Bold take. I’d considered Matheson a toolsy player with brain cramps. Or is the IQ on one side of the puck? I’m certainly no expert.

 

[Schooner Goon]

We say that every year and every year there's that one guy that drops for no reason.

Will it be Luchanko? I don't think so, but who knows?

Luchanko has too much momentum. Had a very impressive WU18 and Combine. He'll be higher on NHL teams lists than he is on public lists. I'd bet a lot of money that he goes closer to 14 than 26.

 

[Garbageyuk]

Who is sleeping on him lol

Plenty on this board are. A sizeable contingent here has drank the Sennecke Kool-Aid that McCagg has been serving up. A lot of the posters here haven’t even watched these players aside from a highlight video here and there and rely on others to tell them what to think. That’s why you have people here questioning Lindstrom’s “IQ”, and then praising Sennecke’s in the next post.

 

[BergevinBurner]

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/video/~2943764
5 minute interview with Lindstrom.
Not a whole lot in it, but he mentions that he boxes a lot. If his injuries don't derail him then he could develop into the dream powerforward. He's big, strong, can score and knows how to fight.

 

[McGees]

Who is sleeping on him lol

I mean...half the people on this forum for starters.

 

[Jaynki]

Hedman had 85 points in 82 games a couple years ago and has come close a few other times, so yes by comparing him to Hedman you are talking about a D that can go ppg.

Becoming the next Makar isn't a question of being better then Makar was at 17.

The point is if you want to talk about ceiling without regards to how likely they are to reach it then even 5th round picks have ceilings of being 50 goal scorers or 100 point players. If scouts thought Buium was likely to become Makar he'd be the undisputed #1 OA ahead of Celebrini.

Ok you are sticking to names, what i meant was that Silayev ceiling is an oversized 1D, two way D. I named Hedman because he had similar profile but no i don't expect him to have 85 points season.

Still, he played 20min a night in the KHL and has been the most used defenseman by his coach in the playoff.

He is 6ft7 and has incredible tools.

Thats a profile as unique as there is and we have no comparables to this because Silayev is the first of this kind to do this. The upside is as high as it could be.

Now, Becoming the next Makar is not a question of being better than Makar at 17, i agree. Lets forget the name Makar then and focus instead of being a true 1D, top 10 in the league with potential norris nomination.

What should it look like in its draft year?

The answer is : this defenseman should be the best in his league. He should excel in all three zone. He should beat offensive record. He should be consistent all year long and shine on every stage he plays.

You know, every single boxes Buium check.

Your point with the 5th rounder is lunacy tho. We are talking about 0.01% and less occurence.

To summarize my point, the forward at the top of the draft are very good indeed, but they are more in line with top six forward. We are in dire need for one. But aside from Celebrini and to a lesser extent Demidov, the gamebreaking upside is on the defenseman.

We should not pass on a gamebreaking talent at D because we need a top six F.

 

[SOLR]

Bold take. I’d considered Matheson a toolsy player with brain cramps. Or is the IQ on one side of the puck? I’m certainly no expert.

He certainly create things out of nothing, Hutson looks like an improvement in the same strand.

The problem with using the creativity as a D, is that when the high-risk plays don't work you pay a higher personal price. I wouldn't say he uses it on one side only, he often make defensive plays that are not completed with the currently young forwards so he looks worse than he is.

 

[Doublechin]

I think the Shark have ruled out trading away their 1st overall pick.

Let's say Verbeek calls them and offers Carlsson and the 3rd pick

They making that deal

 

[sampollock]

I know , man I sure hope he is a hab

 

[Walrus26]

He pronounced the word “worcestershire” so we know he’s serious about coming here

But did he pronounce it correctly, as an Englishman would, or mangle it like an American? That's the sort of incisive questioning that should be going on at this combine.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Luchanko has too much momentum. Had a very impressive WU18 and Combine. He'll be higher on NHL teams lists than he is on public lists. I'd bet a lot of money that he goes closer to 14 than 26.

I have him between 10 and 20 at this point, he's got too much momentum going to slip any further than that.

 

[sheed36]

I mean...half the people on this forum for starters.

Really? I don't see very many on this board sleeping on Lindstrom at all. He's probably not being talked about much on this board right now because most seem to think he'll likely be picked in the top 4 and won't be there @ 5 for the Habs.

From what I've seen Demidov and Lindstrom are the 2 players that most on this board seem to want with the 5th pick, if either is available.

 

[Schooner Goon]

Plenty on this board are. A sizeable contingent here has drank the Sennecke Kool-Aid that McCagg has been serving up. A lot of the posters here haven’t even watched these players aside from a highlight video here and there and rely on others to tell them what to think. That’s why you have people here questioning Lindstrom’s “IQ”, and then praising Sennecke’s in the next post.

That's condescending to a lot of knowledgeable posters in here who follow these prospects closely and watch the games. It's well known that Sennecke has sky-rocketed up most credible lists. I would be willing to bet that most fans of Sennecke in here are also big fans of Lindstrom, like me.

One thing that everyone agrees on is that this draft is up in the air after #1 and there are a whole bunch of plausible possibilities for the Habs at #5. Maybe tone down the blustery attitude a few decibels.