HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Frank JT]

I really like the Gauthier trade for ANA perspective, they will probably target a D with their 1st, leaving us a shot at top forward this year. I would love to get either Lindstrom or Helenius with our potential 6-8th overall

Anaheim already have Luneau Zellweger et Mintyukov. Not sure they will go D with a high pick this year. Maybe for another RD...

 

[TheBuriedHab]

Why, so he can fall to us?

Just not my cup of tea.

I see Lane Hutson coming, and I'm high on Mesar still. We have players in the profile of undersized with good vision coming that we already spent big draft ressources on.

Also Caufield looked like a god in college and now...I still like him but you see how limited he is, and he had more elite attributes than Catton has.

I get the little guys with tons of skill are always favorites on hfboards but I don't see a fit. Maybe I'll be wrong though, to each his own!

 

[Goldenhands]

Aatos Koivu ranked 30th on the Europeans list, would be funny if we draft him in the late rounds...

 

[NekkiChiconey]

I don't see Mesar in the top 6 until he's 23-25.

Could be Roy or someone else.

 

[PavelBrendl]

Just not my cup of tea.

I see Lane Hutson coming, and I'm high on Mesar still. We have players in the profile of undersized with good vision coming that we already spent big draft ressources on.

Also Caufield looked like a god in college and now...I still like him but you see how limited he is, and he had more elite attributes than Catton has.

I get the little guys with tons of skill are always favorites on hfboards but I don't see a fit. Maybe I'll be wrong though, to each his own!

Caufield's one elite attribute has always been his shot. Catton is better at everything else.
Caufield was clearly a complimentary player even when he broke USNTDP records on one of the most stacked teams in the program's history. Catton drives the Spokane Chiefs. 45% of the entire squad's offence comes within 2 touches of his stick. Catton is simply not a "limited" player, he's actually an incredibly well-rounded, high-skill player. He just needs to get stronger.

Caufield is also an actual small player at 5'7" (albeit fairly stocky). Catton is only "small" in the same way that Kucherov, Makar, the Hughes brothers, Pettersson, Panarin, etc. are. He's a junior player with a junior frame that'll be an NHL player with an NHL frame.

 

[SlafySZN]

Death to the Catton hype once and for all please.

Habs should take him and RUN if we draft around 7-8 and he is still there. He’s Jack Hughes light.

 

[montreal]

Other than the obvious russian factor, what's the knock on Demidov?

soft, weak, easy to push off pucks, at times his efforts defensively are a joke, worse then Caufield in his Freshman year.

 

[SlafySZN]

Caufield's one elite attribute has always been his shot. Catton is better at everything else.
Caufield was clearly a complimentary player even when he broke USNTDP records on one of the most stacked teams in the program's history. Catton drives the Spokane Chiefs. 45% of the entire squad's offence comes within 2 touches of his stick. Catton is simply not a "limited" player, he's actually an incredibly well-rounded, high-skill player. He just needs to get stronger.

Caufield is also an actual small player at 5'7" (albeit fairly stocky). Catton is only "small" in the same way that Kucherov, Makar, the Hughes brothers, Pettersson, Panarin, etc. are. He's a junior player with a junior frame that'll be an NHL player with an NHL frame.

5’10.7 170 lbs at 17 years old is pretty average. I don’t consider that small.

 

[Wateredgarden]

I think the best comparable in the NHL right now for Celibrini is Mitch Marner, he's got the same skill set, 200ft game but with a superior IQ, you might want to say that Marner is a quitter in the PO, but i believe that's a personality thing, Celibrini will be a perfect player for the playoffs.

 

[PavelBrendl]

5’10.7 170 lbs at 17 years old is pretty average. I don’t consider that small.

I agree with you there. I think some Habs fans just have a complex because it's been a small team since the '90s.

Not like we have big kids like Dach, Slaf, Guhle, Xhekaj, Mailloux and Reinbacher as part of the future core or anything. Even Suzuki at 212 lbs is a sturdy mf. People still look at Caufield and Hutson and get triggered.

 

[The Great Weal]

soft, weak, easy to push off pucks, at times his efforts defensively are a joke, worse then Caufield in his Freshman year.

Obviously take my words with a grain of salt since I haven't watched/reviewed him enough, but I was definitely more impressed with Michkov.

 

[montreal]

Obviously take my words with a grain of salt since I haven't watched/reviewed him enough, but I was definitely more impressed with Michkov.

Demidov reminds me a lot of Celebrini, he's similar to Michkov in that their defensive game is shit and they are all offense all the time. I saw a few games of Michkov when he was 15 due to being teammates with Alexander Gordin in the MHL. Michkov is the better goal scorer as his shot is just sick but Celebrini is the better playmaker and better stickhandler.

Demidov clearly shouldn't be in the MHL since he broke the record last year for most points in the league for a U-18 skater, Michkov at the same age was on pace to destroy the record though but was then called up to the KHL less then half way through the season. At the time of his recall he had a 1.82 ppg, Demidov stayed down all season and had a 1.45 ppg

They are listed around the same size but to me Demidov looks taller then 5'11 that eliteprospects has him listed at and Michkov looks shorter then the 5'10 eliteprospects has him at. Oddly enough Michkov is 366 days older, born 1 year and 1 day apart.

 

[Goalfield13]

I am hoping for Eiserman or Lindstrom myself. We desperately need another goal scorer up front.

 

[Draft]

I vaguely know Catton’s family. If he stays 5’10 he’s very unlikely to be a small 5’10. I’d expect that Crosby-type build with a really strong lower base.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

I like the Connelly rating by central scouting. In terms of on ice, he was always a player I would have taken ahead of a guy like Catton.

Not sure if the Habs are willing to go down that road. I do feel like it's being overblown a bit and he did really try to right the wrong he made at 16.

 

[morhilane]

This draft is so dmen heavy, and getting heavier with a few of them raising like Buium. Looks like a trap, but I can't say if it is a trap of "super flawed forwards, avoid!!!" or scouts are just going "hmmm, 6'0+ dmen, me likes" and not paying attention to the forwards much.

I think that if the forwards Habs hoped that drop to them isn't there, they will take the next best D available from their list instead of the next best forward on their list.

 

[SlafySZN]

I like the Connelly rating by central scouting. In terms of on ice, he was always a player I would have taken ahead of a guy like Catton.

Not sure if the Habs are willing to go down that road. I do feel like it's being overblown a bit and he did really try to right the wrong he made at 16.

I don’t think he’s a problem or the habs would think that he is, it’s just that they won’t go there because of all the questions they’ll have to answer and also the kid will have all eyes on him here.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

This draft is so dmen heavy, and getting heavier with a few of them raising like Buium. Looks like a trap, but I can't say if it is a trap of "super flawed forwards, avoid!!!" or scouts are just going "hmmm, 6'0+ dmen, me likes" and not paying attention to the forwards much.

I think that if the forwards Habs hoped that drop to them isn't there, they will take the next best D available from their list instead of the next best forward on their list.

It's going to be hilarious if we take a good D prospect and watch the city riot. Kent Hughes is going to be enemy number 1.

I wonder if it comes to that, they try super hard to trade the pick.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Scouts will see a superstar Russian forward and then make up a conspiracy theory and throw them on the do not draft list

 

[JeffreyLFC]

It's going to be hilarious if we take a good D prospect and watch the city riot. Kent Hughes is going to be enemy number 1.

I wonder if it comes to that, they try super hard to trade the pick.

It depends. Personally if you go for a defender he has to be a franchise type and you need to trade another one for a forward.

 

[The Great Weal]

Man I am obsessed with the defense class this year

 

[PavelBrendl]

It's going to be hilarious if we take a good D prospect and watch the city riot. Kent Hughes is going to be enemy number 1.

I wonder if it comes to that, they try super hard to trade the pick.

Even though there’s more of a need up front, I’d be totally fine with it if they picked a D - depending on which forwards are or aren’t available at the pick. Our prospect pool on the back end may be deep, but I don’t think it’s particularly high-end. Dickinson, Levshunov and Silayev are all a tier above anything we have right now in my eyes.

 

[morhilane]

Man I am obsessed with the defense class this year

All the scouts seems to be...so you are not alone!

 

[SlafySZN]

Demidov

 

[WeThreeKings]

I can see the Sabres and Wild passing us pretty soon, but the Coyotes are troubling. 6th is very realistic, especially when we do a sell off at the TDL as our vets have surprisingly played well. It looks like it is possible, at 6th, that a player like Eiserman or Demidov slip, and even more likely a player like Lindstrom is there as well. I like those odds.

If we pick Lindstrom, it likely means Dach gets moved to RW. How does everyone feel about that?

Lindstrom would probably go to the wing. Dach is the natural centerman there of the two. But I wouldn't rule Suzuki moving either. Regardless, having too many centers and relegating one to the wing isn't much of an issue.

Please draft Demidov (I know we won’t)

Well one of our high ranking scouts loved him last year, can't imagine much has changed there.

Death to the Catton hype once and for all please.

No - if you want someone who can finally break games open, this is the guy. I know there's size concerns, but watch this guy on the big stage.. he doesn't get denied.

Don't love Silayev?

Not really.. those big tall kids always get overhyped for what they can be and rarely become that.

Aatos Koivu ranked 30th on the Europeans list, would be funny if we draft him in the late rounds...

They should, enough picks to do so.

I like the Connelly rating by central scouting. In terms of on ice, he was always a player I would have taken ahead of a guy like Catton.

Not sure if the Habs are willing to go down that road. I do feel like it's being overblown a bit and he did really try to right the wrong he made at 16.

I just don't think they'd make the pick. They had to endure the Mailloux backlash and jump through the NHL hoops. Now, this isn't to discuss whether he's matured, cancel culture or w/e just that the Habs been there, have done that, and you're not looking at a guy who is head and shoulders above anyone. I'm sure they'd prefer not to have to have any negative PR or having to massage a selection in the top 12 of the draft, especially.