HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[McGees]

Buium is like if Duncan Keith and Scott Neidemeyer had a love child that was also a god.
can play 53min/game all situations.

For real tho he would be our best D so I'd be happy with any of him/Demidov/Lindstrom
Still content with Iggy/Sennecke/Dickinson

 

[Balthazar]

1) If they believe that Buium has the tools and IQ to become a #1 defenseman in the NHL, and they don't believe that Hutson or Guhle can be that
and
2) They have an offer for Guhle for immediate help at the forward position (Necas/Zegras kind of player)

Then they can upgrade the team now and for the future by drafting Buium and trading Guhle this summer.

That's much, much smarter than drafting for needs and reaching for a guy like Sennecke or Iginla. There aren't many wingers in the NHL that are worth a #1 defenseman.

 

[crosbyshow]

This is my final ranking...not a mock draft. Top 6 Forwards

1- Macklin Celebrini

A perfect complete player.
He has no flaws in his game...Iq, shot, speed, cardio vision. Great offensively and defensively. He reminds me Sidney Crosby but he will not produce as much stats wise.

The dude is a more complete player than Connor Bedard. You can't miss him on the ice on every shift...

He will not produce like Bedard at their prime but he will be a 85 to 100 points I guess.


2- Ivan Demidov

Amazing skill winger.

Great hands. His vision is off chart and he has the ability to make hard long passes from his backhand from any angles. Great attitude as well.

He dekes everybody on both sites and he is so good to put the puck away from the defensemen sticks on his forehand with ease. He has a long reach. He is so smooth and spectacular at the same time.


3- Berkly Catton

A chess player.

He has the best IQ of any forwards in this draft.

His zone entrance variations are off chart..He enters in the o zone with many plays in his mind. He is so good to slowing the game and waiting the 3rd or 4th players from his team to make a sauce pass in a empty area. His passes from both sides are perfect and sometime it put you off guard..

His faculty to attract 2 or 3 opposing players on him is amazing.

In the list of sub 6.0 players who were draft further that should have been such as Suzuki, Benson, Stankoven and Seth Jarvis....Berkly Catton is in my view the best of them at the same age. I hesitated a lot between him and Demidov for the second spot.

So smooth with an above average shot. He reminds me Nikita Kucherov with his IQ, passes and the way he plays...so relax.

He is a student of the game and his desire to improve his game is awesome


4- Beckett Sennecke.

Incredible upside. We just Starting to see the surface of his talent. Great shot and hands. His vision is awesome. It is a risk but great reward.

His hands are great..He is so hard to read for a defenseman with awkward moves.

He has to be better in close areas.

An interesting case.

5- Iginla

A sure choice. A perfect second line player. I don't see a first line upside on a good team but the dude has a great motor.

His shot is lethal and his release..so quick. He is the youngest top forward on this draft. He is a money player who will a shine on big stage. He has a great attitude.

He will score a lot in the NHL from the slot and at 5 feet from the goal. Evey yeam needs.that type of player

6- Cayden Lindstrom

A beast.

He is so strong out there. He will be so important on his team.

His shot is maybe the best on this draft with Iginla. So powerful and on the target. Awkward skater but fast nonetheless.

Average IQ and vision who could have an impact on his production in the NHL but I still see him as a 60 to 80 points player in his prime.




Those 6 forwards will have a great NHL career. It is a matter of taste. I favored raw talent like Demidov and Catton but Igina and Lindstrom will be amazing too.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

The Buium talk is a smokescreen to deflate a trade up price and/or inflate a trade down price to gauge each market, I still think Demidov and Lindstrom are the targets.

 

[salbutera]

Can't say I disagree here. But it would be because the gap between the D. As Demidov seems to be a better prospect than Michkov, who is still a great prospect nonetheless (going from what I heard, I never saw Demidov play only Michkov).

Courtesy of The Athletic:

“One of the reasons I believe the Canadiens passed on Michkov was the degree to which his willingness to compete would waver, and though I only watched Demidov’s playoff games, I did not see that same variance in competitiveness. He fights for pucks. He skates back hard on defence. He physically engages opponents. In other words, he cares, and it shows.

Is Demidov a defensive stalwart? An elite two-way player? No, of course not. But he was engaged in the game, at least in my viewings, in a way that was not the case in the games I viewed in Michkov’s draft year. Demidov’s compete does not appear to be an issue.”

- Arpon Basu

 

[The Great Weal]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803945928216248645

He's saying the habs list is down to
1. Demidov
2. Lindstrom
3. Buium/Sennecke

Iginla is out of the race

How the hell would he know lol. Nobody even knew we were going to take Slaf until the pick was made, I doubt Hughes would leak his list to MO Beaudoin for him to spread it to the world.

 

[Jaynki]

That's true, but does it apply to Buium vs Demidov scenario?

We're suddenly gonna talk ourselves into thinking Demidov is no good, or some risky project?

No.

It simply has to do with Buium having pretty high upside. He is an exciting pick in itself.

Same applies for Demidov. He has that game breaking talent too.

But the notion that we should avoid an LD may make us skip the best prospect at our pick. Obviously if Demidov is there i think we all agree who we should pick.

 

[GrandmaCookie]

Gonna be so disappointed if we pass on one of Iginla or Sennecke for another defenseman (Demidov and Lindstrom being out already).

 

[Michoulicious]

Bring the band back together!

Hutson, McGroarty and Buium. Do it, Kent!

 

[HomaridII]

Nothing we didn’t know already but according to the athletic the hawks are down to either demidov or levs

 

[The Great Weal]

I’ll be interested to see what the overall plan is if they do prefer Buium. There would have to be multiple subsequent moves because the forwards in the Habs system are really bad.

The forwards in the system is really bad because they've all graduated. Suzuki/Slaf/CC/Dach/Roy and we could definitely trade/sign that last top 6 forward. Of course, there is uncertainty about Dach's health and whether Roy can overcome his skating, but I don't see why the same uncertainty wouldn't apply to Guhle/Reinbacher's offensive game as our projected top pair or Hutson/Mailloux's defensive game as the rest of our projected top 4.

 

[Michoulicious]

I solved it folks.

Struble/Harris/Beck/Mailloux + #26

for

McGroarty.

Then you draft Dickinson or Buium if Demidov is gone.

Boom.

 

[jaffy27]

Luckily this management team does not do things to please the fans... They will take the guy they think will help the team succeed.

By taking the guy they think will help the team, they will please the fans

 

[Saundies]

I read Basu’s article and he basically compared Demidov and Buium on why each would be the pick. He made a good case for both of them, and said they share a lot of similar qualities, but one plays the back and one plays the front.

If we do take Buium, we HAVE to do something about our forwards. Either we trade for a patchwork solution in the top 6 currently, or package 26 with something to move up and take a guy of substance. I’m fine with the pick (because I view Buium as more dynamic than Reinbacher and something I value in a fifth overall pick D).

If both guys bring the same sort of element, one from the back and one from the front, we should be the guy up front. Picking for need isn’t great, but it’s not exactly a reach if Demidov is ranked there anyway.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Scott Powers said Demidov improved his odds to be drafted 2 at the combine.

 

[GrandmaCookie]

Scott Powers said Demidov improved his odds to be drafted 2 at the combine.

Great, no way he falls to us now

 

[Garbageyuk]

Gonna be so disappointed if we pass on one of Iginla or Sennecke for another defenseman (Demidov and Lindstrom being out already).

BPA, always. If that’s a D at 5th, which is extremely likely if both Lindstrom and Demidov are gone, take him and try to trade up from 26th if there’s a forward you like.

Both NJ (10th) and BUF (11th) are rumoured to be looking to trade their picks. It’s a virtual certainty that one or more of Iginla, Catton, Sennecke, and Eiserman will still be on the board at those spots.

Possible package to BUF for 11th:

26th overall + Beck

 

[WeThreeKings]

Great, no way he falls to us now

Betting odds went from -230 to -220 for Lev and +200 to +180 for Demidov

 

[GrandmaCookie]

Betting odds went from -230 to -220 for Lev and +200 to +180 for Demidov

Lindstrom at +3000 for Chicago is really tempting. I could see them wanting a Bedard-Lindstrom 1-2 punch down the middle.

 

[salbutera]

I would offer 5OA for McGroarty + Perfetti

 

[le_sean]

The forwards in the system is really bad because they've all graduated. Suzuki/Slaf/CC/Dach/Roy and we could definitely trade/sign that last top 6 forward. Of course, there is uncertainty about Dach's health and whether Roy can overcome his skating, but I don't see why the same uncertainty wouldn't apply to Guhle/Reinbacher's offensive game as our projected top pair or Hutson/Mailloux's defensive game as the rest of our projected top 4.

Dach is never healthy. Roy is an unknown. We basically have 3 forwards that we can rely on. Even then, Cole needs to start justifying his contract. It’s very dire on the team AND the pipeline.

 

[vokiel]

The Buium talk is a smokescreen to deflate a trade up price and/or inflate a trade down price to gauge each market, I still think Demidov and Lindstrom are the targets.

Lindstrom with his herniated disc may not be on the radar of several teams anymore, therefor increasing talks on other prospects. Same thing with Demidov who was in Florida, where some GMs may have seen him for the first time.

 

[The Great Weal]

Dach is never healthy. Roy is an unknown. We basically have 3 forwards that we can rely on. Even then, Cole needs to start justifying his contract. It’s very dire on the team AND the pipeline.

And how many proven defensemen do we have to rely on? Like I said, I don't know how you can question Dach's health and Roy's ability but not question if Guhle/Reinbacher will be capable of producing at a top pair level and if Hutson/Mailloux can handle defensive duties in the top 4. There are uncertainties everywhere. At the very least, those 3 forwards have already proven they can play 1st line minutes in the NHL, none of our defensemen have proven they can be a top pair guy yet.

 

[Guy Larose]

Guhle is always hurt and I think he even injured himself at the last tournament again. Maybe he's the one you trade for a young top 6. As for Lindstrom's back issues, I would also be worried. I started back problems in my 20s and to this day it flares up for no reason at all. To have these issues at that age scares me.

 

[le_sean]

And how many proven defensemen do we have to rely on? Like I said, I don't know how you can question Dach's health and Roy's ability but not question if Guhle/Reinbacher will be capable of producing at a top pair level and if Hutson/Mailloux can handle defensive duties in the top 4. There are uncertainties everywhere. At the very least, those 3 forwards have already proven they can play 1st line minutes in the NHL, none of our defensemen have proven they can be a top pair guy yet.

We have loads of proven defencemen. In fact we have to trade some on the current team plus elite prospects that aren’t even in the NHL. It’s not even comparable.