HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[TheBuriedHab]

You don't get a lot of players with the clutch factor Catton as, and his ability to pass/shoot from high speeds.

I like MBN but there's no way you take him over Catton especially for the Habs.

If the Habs take Catton with Caufield, Suzuki and Newhook in the top 6 already this management is seriously braindead.

This team needs to continue to get heavier and add size. We don't have an MBN in our system. We do have small skilled forwards already in Mesar and Farrell. Lane Hutson is coming as well. How small do you guys want the Habs to be?

If we add MBN we have 3 powerforwards in our top 6. Which is a much better mix. And we don't need to watch Josh Anderson play hockey anymore.

 

[NekkiChiconey]

Combination of his size, shot, and how complete his game is without the puck.

He will be a top 10 pick imo. He has the tools to be a real powerforward.

Gorton has continued to talk about the need to get bigger. I think the Habs will be in a great spot going forward if they have Slaf, Dach and MBN in their top 6.

He's big but he's not "Lindstrom" big. His shot is good, powerful but not extremely quick to release, not "Eiserman" good. His game without the puck is very mature I'll give you that, but again, not something extremely rare.

If we had picked Michkov/Benson last year I would be all for picking MBN because he would be a great complement. Now, we don't need a complementary player, we need a play-driver.

If the Habs take Catton with Caufield, Suzuki and Newhook in the top 6 already this management is seriously braindead.

This team needs to continue to get heavier and add size. We don't have an MBN in our system. We do have small skilled forwards already in Mesar and Farrell. Lane Hutson is coming as well. How small do you guys want the Habs to be?

If we add MBN we have 3 powerforwards in our top 6. Which is a much better mix. And we don't need to watch Josh Anderson play hockey anymore.

If you pick Catton, you make space for him in the top-6. If it's at the expense of Newhook, then so be it.

As always, it is much easier to add size than talent through FA/trade.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

He's big but he's not "Lindstrom" big. His shot is good, powerful but not extremely quick to release, not "Eiserman" good. His game without the puck is very mature I'll give you that, but again, not something extremely rare.

If we had picked Michkov/Benson last year I would be all for picking MBN because he would be a great complement. Now, we don't need a complementary player, we need a play-driver.


If you pick Catton, you make space for him in the top-6. If it's at the expense of Newhook, then so be it.

As always, it is much easier to add size than talent through FA/trade.

I mean I definitely disagree that adding powerforwards is easy. We had to draft one first overall because of how hard it is.

 

[NekkiChiconey]

I mean I definitely disagree that adding powerforwards is easy. We had to draft one first overall because of how hard it is.

For sure. However, Slaf is definitely more skilled than MBN imo. I don't see MBN as the "total package" that you absolutely need to draft top-5 or top-10.

At this point, I would rather pick Catton and sign/trade for a big body to play his opposite wing.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

For sure. However, Slaf is definitely more skilled than MBN imo. I don't see MBN as the "total package" that you absolutely need to draft top-5 or top-10.

At this point, I would rather pick Catton and sign/trade for a big body to play his opposite wing.

I just think of this team with Caufield, Suzuki, Catton, Newhook and Hutson, maybe Mesar too, we are way too small for the playoffs and that goes against what Gorton has been preaching of needing to get bigger. I don't see it happening but we will see I guess.

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

I just think of this team with Caufield, Suzuki, Catton, Newhook and Hutson, maybe Mesar too, we are way too small for the playoffs and that goes against what Gorton has been preaching of needing to get bigger. I don't see it happening but we will see I guess.

In all fairness, you can’t put Suzuki and Newhook in the same category. Both around 200 lbs and thick. Nicks iron man streak wouldn’t be if he was built small

 

[TheBuriedHab]

In all fairness, you can’t put Suzuki and Newhook in the same category. Both around 200 lbs and thick. Nicks iron man streak wouldn’t be if he was built small

They ain't small but they ain't big. Habs need to be a team that can lean on their opponents, that's what the best teams in the league do. Suzuki and Newhook don't lean on people and wear teams down.

And if it was so easy to add size upfront the Habs wouldn't have been undersized for the last 25 years. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

BPA always

 

[MarkovsKnee]

How much of Lindstrom production do you think is because of playing with McKenna ? Who typically drives play on that line? I imagine basha is the play driver 5v5 on his line?

I wouldn't call McKenna a play driver quite yet. He's so highly skilled though that he can take advantage of openings & his release is already lethal. He doesn't dominate shifts, as more as take advantage of them. I expect him to become more dominant as he gets older. He's just turned 16.

Lindstrom doesn't need to play with McKenna to produce. Kid is a beast on skates. He's a power forward, power shooting center with a defensive conscious. He's progressing as a playmaker. It's one of area of improvement, but he has the skills for it. He just loves to shoot. Still, I don't expect him to be a high end playmaker at NHL level.

His footwork is outstanding. Just so smooth. He's a pleasure to watch skate. I don't expect Montreal to be in position to draft him. I wouldn't be happy if Chicago got him that's for sure. But, they're likely getting a really good player anyway, as Dickinson would be a great add for them too.

 

[Garnet76]

To me the team needs skill over size at this point. Size is important too but skill is the #1 need for the team. In MBN I don't see high end skill. I see a middle 6 winger.

 

[NekkiChiconey]

To me the team needs skill over size at this point. Size is important too but skill is the #1 need for the team. In MBN I don't see high end skill. I see a middle 6 winger.

Exactly. We should be looking for a forward who can potentially be our *best forward*. I don't ever see MBN becoming than Dach, Slaf or even Suzuki.

Catton has that potential.

 

[WeThreeKings]

If the Habs take Catton with Caufield, Suzuki and Newhook in the top 6 already this management is seriously braindead.

This team needs to continue to get heavier and add size. We don't have an MBN in our system. We do have small skilled forwards already in Mesar and Farrell. Lane Hutson is coming as well. How small do you guys want the Habs to be?

If we add MBN we have 3 powerforwards in our top 6. Which is a much better mix. And we don't need to watch Josh Anderson play hockey anymore.

The Habs still need players with high end skill. It's not braindead to add a potential first line player to this team.

Mesar and Farrell haven't and may never make the team. Lane Hutson will be insulated by a defense that has Guhle, Barron, Mailloux, Struble, Engstrom, Xhekaj and Reinbacher on it.

The risk on MBN is that he becomes Josh Anderson. There's a whole lot of questions to be had on whether he can finish with regularity (look at his finishing numbers in Allsvenskan, for example) and whether he has the hands or playmaking to be more than a straight line player like Anderson.

I'd love to add Lindstrom to the top 6 but we likely don't get that shot. I'm a big fan of MBN but the talent level is not proven to be high enough to pick him over Catton.

It's too early in our build to not pick talent because of our current construction.

 

[Nedved]

Yup. I have him in my top 6. At worst, he's a Byram/Hughes (the younger, NJD D) type D. Both of them went 4th OA. There is huge offensive upside with him though that a team could view him as a Makar/Niedermayer type. He's very, very good for such a young D, and not just offensively, but defensively. I was really impressed with how he handled the big Swedish forecheck, his overall composure on D, and his physicality. Impressive for a 17 year old. He's doing great at NCAA level too.

I wish Canada had invited Dickinson. I think he could have performed better than some of the other D they invited. I don't understand that one. Dickinson was really strong during London's run to OHL Championship game last year. He has big game experience. Don't understand some of TC's selections this year.

it's politics. it's not about the best of the best. every year we seem to be left scratching our heads, win or lose, it's just the politics behind hockey canada.

 

[Mrb1p]

Its much better value to go for Tij rather than MBN IMO.

Demidov/Catton/Eiserman/Levshunov/Lindstrom/Buium
+
Iginla/Greentree

We need a pick in the teens.

I understand the need for size, the Avs are a good example of a team to emulate for us. Suzuki cant be our Mackinnon though, hes a better version of Kadri, which means we need a light version of Mack. Celebrini, Catton and Demidov can be just that.

If we have to move Newhook or even Cole, its because were in a very, very good spot.

 

[NekkiChiconey]

Its much better value to go for Tij rather than MBN IMO.

Demidov/Catton/Eiserman/Levshunov/Lindstrom/Buium
+
Iginla/Greentree

We need a pick in the teens.

I understand the need for size, the Avs are a good example of a team to emulate for us. Suzuki cant be our Mackinnon though, hes a better version of Kadri, which means we need a light version of Mack. Celebrini, Catton and Demidov can be just that.

If we have to move Newhook or even Cole, its because were in a very, very good spot.

We can also have Catton, Cole and Newhook on 3 different lines.

Newhook in the top-6 as a contender is meh (at least right now) but on a 3rd line... Depth is getting interesting.

 

[Mrb1p]

We can also have Catton, Cole and Newhook on 3 different lines.

Newhook in the top-6 as a contender is meh (at least right now) but on a 3rd line... Depth is getting interesting.

I agree. Im not concerned at all with the make up of the team right now. BPA

Just maybe not a LD lol. Unless hes very good of course.

 

[NekkiChiconey]

With the Ducks trading Drysdale for Gauthier... I feel like they should draft a dman now. Good for us but holy shit they're going to be good.

 

[Hannibal]

With the Ducks trading Drysdale for Gauthier... I feel like they should draft a dman now. Good for us but holy shit they're going to be good.

Pretty much a sure thing they will draft a dman but they might trade Zegras and draft a foward also.

 

[The Great Weal]

I agree. Im not concerned at all with the make up of the team right now. BPA

Just maybe not a LD lol. Unless hes very good of course.

I hate the "we better not draft a dman" argument. If a potential top 10 d in the league is available, you're passing up on him to draft a worse forward since we already got Guhle/Reinbacher/Hutson/Mailloux? Of course not. Habs still don't have a top 10 player at their position in the league so this "needs" talk is nonsense.

 

[Doublechin]

With the Ducks trading Drysdale for Gauthier... I feel like they should draft a dman now. Good for us but holy shit they're going to be good.

I mean

They could also just go BPA

 

[Mrb1p]

I hate the "we better not draft a dman" argument. If a potential top 10 d in the league is available, you're passing up on him to draft a worse forward since we already got Guhle/Reinbacher/Hutson/Mailloux? Of course not. Habs still don't have a top 10 player at their position in the league so this "needs" talk is nonsense.

Thats why Id rather have Levshunov and Buium than guys like MBN, Helenius and maybe even Lindstrom.

And why I want Eiserman.

 

[BoneHutson]

I hate the "we better not draft a dman" argument. If a potential top 10 d in the league is available, you're passing up on him to draft a worse forward since we already got Guhle/Reinbacher/Hutson/Mailloux? Of course not. Habs still don't have a top 10 player at their position in the league so this "needs" talk is nonsense.

Lol, and you think Levshunov or Dickinson would solve that? Reinbacher and Guhle are better than both (or at least equal)

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

I just think of this team with Caufield, Suzuki, Catton, Newhook and Hutson, maybe Mesar too, we are way too small for the playoffs and that goes against what Gorton has been preaching of needing to get bigger. I don't see it happening but we will see I guess.

Suzuki is fine as he is at 212 lbs and you can always trade smaller assets that may be redundant on your roster but valued on others. Tampa won with a relatively small forward group and huge D.......

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Lol, and you think Levshunov or Dickinson would solve that? Reinbacher and Guhle are better than both (or at least equal)

Let's not make silly statements like this that we can not even begin to prove at this point in time.

Reinbacher is a weird case as he was taken 5th overall in a strong draft, however I would prefer any of Nemec, Jiricek, Korchinski or Mintyukov from the previous "weaker" draft and the latter three went later than Reinbacher did. This is not to dump on Reinbacher but it would be very difficult to debate my assertion that these four exhibited better puck skills than Reinbacher at the same age.

I am confident that Reinbacher will be a very good player for us and even though I may prefer the other 4 that I mentioned, I am not brazen enough to allow my current evaluation to state that they are definitively better than Reinbacher. I don't see the point in yelling such finite declarations from the pulpit when there is not nearly enough evidence as of yet to support such a claim.

To take it another step further, with even less evidence and claim that both of Reinbacher and Guhle are without any risk of not being as good as Levshunov or Dickinson is just plain bananas. I struggle to understand why anyone would proudly display such an assertion.

 

[waitin425]

They ain't small but they ain't big. Habs need to be a team that can lean on their opponents, that's what the best teams in the league do. Suzuki and Newhook don't lean on people and wear teams down.

And if it was so easy to add size upfront the Habs wouldn't have been undersized for the last 25 years. Just my 2 cents.

You put slaf on one line and Dach on the other. Both big and willing to use that size. Heinemen will be a good third or fourth line guy.

Then on D you have Rein, Guhle, Xhekaj, Barron, Mailloux who are all big dudes. Add Struble if you want, he is made of stone.

Appreciate the size argument. But I want another pure sniper. If it's Catton, I'll rake it.