HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Skip Bayless]

Best example of IQ concern is Josh Anderson. I hope then that he can be developed into the superstar F we desperately need.

Lindstrom is like Kirby Dach, but if Kirby Dach was a goal scorer instead of a playmaker.

 

[Gally11]

I often read this as a talking point for guys like Slaf, Fantilli and now Lindstrom. For the life of me, I need to see some examples of what people mean by "IQ concern" concerning these guys.

He wont be trying to dangle guys at his own blue line, or trying to deke 2 guys on an odd man rush for his team, that's for sure.

As for the skills, he has a booming shot and silky hands in small areas. Will come out of the corner with the puck and and make the right pass all the time. This is pretty much where the game of hockey is played and he excels at it.

I think sometimes people see kids that are slow to make plays and associate it with low IQ but in reality sometimes it’s just them adjusting to a new level of speed they’ve never come close to experiencing. To me IQ is so m overused and means different things to different people at this point, most important thing to me is they have a base skillset and willingness to learn and grow aka growth mindset, which is not something you can evaluate on replays. It’s talking to them, their coaches their peers etc and then layering in their growth over different periods of time.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Lindstrom is like Kirby Dach, but if Kirby Dach was a goal scorer instead of a playmaker.

Draft Lindstrom. Play him 41 games and Dach 41 games. Both will avoid injury and we’ll get a mix of goals and assists.

Profit

 

[Garbageyuk]

Lindstrom is like Kirby Dach, but if Kirby Dach was a goal scorer instead of a playmaker.

He’s also faster, has better hands, and is more explosive. More physical, meaner, and better puck protection too. Lindstrom plays at a much more fervent pace as well, whereas Dach is a more cerebral, slow-the-game down type of player. They’re actually not really alike at all lmao.

 

[The Great Weal]

Alright let's say the draft goes Celebrini/Demidov/Levshunov/Lindstrom and we HAVE to pick a dman, which dman are you guys picking?

 

[McGees]

Buium

 

[Balthazar]

Alright let's say the draft goes Celebrini/Demidov/Levshunov/Lindstrom and we HAVE to pick a dman, which dman are you guys picking?

Silayev

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

Alright let's say the draft goes Celebrini/Demidov/Levshunov/Lindstrom and we HAVE to pick a dman, which dman are you guys picking?

Parekh
If we're going D, might as well go for the one with the highest upside

 

[salbutera]

Can someone explain me what they see in Lindstrom because I just don't see it? Demidov looks like a legit gamebreaker. Hell I'd prefer Dickinson/Buium over Lindstrom.

Demigod’s knock is his pace - hands are elite but pace isn’t.

What’s your point?

Every projected top-15 not named Celebrini has flaws that could stall their development from reaching potential

 

[ReHabs]

Demigod’s knock is his pace - hands are elite but pace isn’t.

What’s your point?

Every projected top-15 not named Celebrini has flaws that could stall their development from reaching potential

Gravity's questions about Lindstrom are the same as I has a few weeks ago. Reading more about Lindstrom and how he's a 'in the trenches' guy, I'm more convinced of the prospect (putting aside his potentially bum back) but they're legitimate questions. He's not known for dishing the puck or his passing game. The highlights and reports I've seen have left me less than convinced of his decision-making. So for me it's easy to see a player who can dangle and dish it (Demidov, Catton) and imagine them making high-light reel plays for us in our colours, it's less easy to be as enamoured by a kid dominating Jrs with his physical north-south play. But I'm not a professional scout and never played pro hockey, the ones who love Lindstrom also loved Slafkovsky. Maybe they know what they're doing.

 

[NotProkofievian]

Said it once, said it a million times, decision making concerns for Lindstrom are nonsense. You need to be a moron to not make it with what Cayden's got, and he's far from it. Necas is clearly below average in decision making and we want to trade our entire cupboard for the guy, and maybe we even ought to.

 

[ReHabs]

Said it once, said it a million times, decision making concerns for Lindstrom are nonsense. You need to be a moron to not make it with what Cayden's got, and he's far from it. Necas is clearly below average in decision making and we want to trade our entire cupboard for the guy, and maybe we even ought to.

A player who is established in the NHL and proven as a top6 guy is a lot safer than a prospect who might never play a game in the NHL much less put up 70pts.

What convinces you that Lindstrom's decision-making is beyond reproach? I'm increasingly convinced of the player but would like to learn.

 

[NotProkofievian]

A player who is established in the NHL and proven as a top6 guy is a lot safer than a prospect who might never play a game in the NHL much less put up 70pts.

What convinces you that Lindstrom's decision-making is beyond reproach? I'm increasingly convinced of the player but would like to learn.

What convinces me is seeing players who I identified as clearly below average decision makers making top players. Necas was one of them. Cozens is another. Newhook was a below average decision maker in the BCHL and he's still making a go of it.

Hockey isn't chess. You don't get a move, you have to take it, and you do so with speed, skill and physicality. To ruin what he's got you need to be like Podkolzin, Beaulieu, Liljegren levels of stupid. Absolute zero, head empty no thoughts.

 

[ReHabs]

What convinces me is seeing players who I identified as clearly below average decision makers making top players. Necas was one of them. Cozens is another. Newhook was a below average decision maker in the BCHL and he's still making a go of it.

Hockey isn't chess. You don't get a move, you have to take it, and you do so with speed, skill and physicality. To ruin what he's got you need to be like Podkolzin, Beaulieu, Liljegren levels of stupid. Absolute zero, head empty no thoughts.

With prospects, I think the IQ/decision-making concern has to do with making the right or optimal play rather than the clearest/easiest one -- this is because a player could be "cheating" and rely on his physical advantage against Jrs (most of whom would never make the NHL) to make a play that wouldn't fly in the NHL due to the smaller gap in physical abilities between the player and his NHL opponent.

Someone with a tendency to cut into the slot/middle to drive to the net for example -- just how valuable is it to see a prospect do that? I feel like the instinct to drive into contact is very valuable but the ability to bully the average Jr defender is not as much.

On the other hand, Lindstrom being able to play in the trenches is a translatable skill and a very valuable one. Ultimately, in high-end prospects I think you need to seek something from the the player that is already on-track to better than median NHL-level because these high-end prospects are meant to improve the roster and bring a new element missing from the 20 man starting lineup, or the 6man top6 in this case.

--

In terms of the names you brought up, I think a top5 player should have a prospective ceiling above that. I wouldn't use a 5OA pick on a player who tracks toward being Martin Necas or Alex Newhook (nor would I trade a 5OA for Necas or Newhook). We're meant to be aiming to pick up cornerstones and game-breakers.

 

[FrankMTL]

Two days left and it can't come soon enough. I don't know what's left to be said on some of the prospects. We're on the verge of discussing their eating habits and their choice of clothing and whether that means they'll play physical and be playoff performers or if they'll shy away from traffic when the games get tighter.

Kent Hughes making his way to the podium if ever Demidov or Lindstrom are available:

 

[Zilo44]

Two days left and it can't come soon enough. I don't know what's left to be said on some of the prospects. We're on the verge of discussing their eating habits and their choice of clothing and whether that means they'll play physical and be playoff performers or if they'll shy away from traffic when the games get tighter.

I think there is still some data missing on Lindstrom’s back. Is it L4 or L5 that’a affected ?

 

[SOLR]

Lindstrom is like Kirby Dach, but if Kirby Dach was a goal scorer instead of a playmaker.

Includes the 60 games missed by season part.

 

[Schooner Guy]

Gravity's questions about Lindstrom are the same as I has a few weeks ago. Reading more about Lindstrom and how he's a 'in the trenches' guy, I'm more convinced of the prospect (putting aside his potentially bum back) but they're legitimate questions. He's not known for dishing the puck or his passing game. The highlights and reports I've seen have left me less than convinced of his decision-making. So for me it's easy to see a player who can dangle and dish it (Demidov, Catton) and imagine them making high-light reel plays for us in our colours, it's less easy to be as enamoured by a kid dominating Jrs with his physical north-south play. But I'm not a professional scout and never played pro hockey, the ones who love Lindstrom also loved Slafkovsky. Maybe they know what they're doing.

I'm not worried about LIndstrom's decision making abilities and believe this might be somewhat overblown. He's a late bloomer who got into elite hockey later than most of his peers and is an extremely gifted athlete. He still has lots of unreached potential. My concern with Lindstrom would be his herniated disk. If it wasn't for that, I'd take him 2nd overall in a heartbeat given that this is a not so top heavy draft. However, I'd have to heavily consider using a 5th on him if there's any indication from medical reports/examinations that it could affect his career.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

I think there is still some data missing on Lindstrom’s back. Is it L4 or L5 that’a affected ?

If it's a herniated disc, could be between L4 and L5 , which designate vertebrae. The disc is the burger patty in the burger whose bun maps to the two vertebrae. I don't know for sure that it's those two, but I concluded it based on the sciatica.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Alright let's say the draft goes Celebrini/Demidov/Levshunov/Lindstrom and we HAVE to pick a dman, which dman are you guys picking?

Dickinson or Silayev. Probably Dickenson. Others like Buium as well. Just lots of options and difficult to know who will be the best out of those 3 IMO.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Parekh
If we're going D, might as well go for the one with the highest upside

One thing to note with Parekh is he does play OHL which is a bit more on the grittier side of things compared to the WHL and QMJHL right? Is this true? If so, he's a bit more use to the tight checking.
I like his offensive side (who doesn't) but I wonder how well rounded he is on D? I personally would not build my team without a proper offensive/defense balance. Otherwise, you end up like the Leafs and look very good in the regular season but fall on your face in the playoffs. We do have Hutson in our pool and there are other D rated higher than Parekh by lots of rankings you see.

Spirit had 8 NHL drafted players playing last season. Parekh was the leader but that roster was very good. Sometimes, stats gets skewed and the player looks better than what they are. Look at Drouin for example. Not saying this happens to Parekh for sure but something to evaluate and review.

Not much international sample to evaluate either. 5 games at the Hlinka Gretzky cup.

 

[thebestnic]

Reading Lindstrom profile in the black book, I can't help but dream of a Lindstrom-Dach-Slaf that would bully defenses out of the building

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm not worried about LIndstrom's decision making abilities and believe this might be somewhat overblown. He's a late bloomer who got into elite hockey later than most of his peers and is an extremely gifted athlete. He still has lots of unreached potential. My concern with Lindstrom would be his herniated disk. If it wasn't for that, I'd take him 2nd overall in a heartbeat given that this is a not so top heavy draft. However, I'd have to heavily consider using a 5th on him if there's any indication from medical reports/examinations that it could affect his career.

There is no way to spin this IMO. It's a serious concern about his back. Think about that and then the wear and tear with a 10+ NHL career and the style he plays? Yeah, he can be healthy today but what he went though can come back and become chronic.

Taking Lindstrom is risky. Especially with all that other talent that will be on the board. Do we think he ends up being that much better than others if he doesn't have any injury issues in his prime?

 

[waffledave]

My only concern with players like Lindstrom, and not necessarily Lindstrom, just players like him... you have to wonder how guys who dominate juniors with their physical tools and size will do when suddenly they aren't the biggest guys on the ice anymore. Lindstrom is a big boy but there are plenty of 6'4 220 lbs dmen in the NHL today.

If he's dominating mostly due to his size vs his peers, he may struggle to replicate the same style in the NHL. Or maybe not, he could continue to get stronger.

 

[Jack Skellington]

My only concern with players like Lindstrom, and not necessarily Lindstrom, just players like him... you have to wonder how guys who dominate juniors with their physical tools and size will do when suddenly they aren't the biggest guys on the ice anymore. Lindstrom is a big boy but there are plenty of 6'4 220 lbs dmen in the NHL today.

If he's dominating mostly due to his size vs his peers, he may struggle to replicate the same style in the NHL. Or maybe not, he could continue to get stronger.

I used to think like this but I've changed my mind in the last few years. These guys are always going to be bigger and stronger than 99% of the NHL just like they have been bigger than the guys in whatever junior league they've been in. In fact I think the switch to playing against bigger, stronger, fully developed men is actually more of a problem to worry about for the smaller guys like Catton or whoever. Look at Slaf this last year, when youre that much of a beast you're going to dominate against basically anyone physically no matter what league you're in. Sometimes it may take them a couple years to adjust to the physicality and speed but I'm not worried about Lindstrom. He has a crazy good shot, powerful skater, very quick hands for a guy his size, and looks to have a lot of developmental runway. I think his passing and IQ are actually a bit underrated.

I think the problem arises when you take a player like McCarron ONLY because of his size when he's never been a good offensive player really at any point in time, hoping he'll suddenly figure out how to play hockey.