HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Playmaker09]

What's the deal with Surin?

Very physical 3rd line C/W with skill to play in the top 6 if needed. My comp would be Dubinsky.

 

[morhilane]

He didn't even get an invite to the combine. There's a real possibility he might slide all the way to the third round, a la Dumais. Teams don't seem all that intrigued, even if he does get ranked pretty high on a few amateur lists. At the very least, he could be around for our second round pick.

It's not a slide when he's projected to go late 2nd/3rd on most list. The NHL scouting central has him 82th in NA which is why he wasn't invited to the Combine (only about 100-110 kids are invited).

 

[Gustave]

He didn't even get an invite to the combine. There's a real possibility he might slide all the way to the third round, a la Dumais. Teams don't seem all that intrigued, even if he does get ranked pretty high on a few amateur lists. At the very least, he could be around for our second round pick.

I know, I’m just a Stan and partial to that value/cost of his goal scoring skills. Short kings never have the benefit of the doubt, I mean Logan Stankoven went comfortably in the second round…. And he was electric.

My big point of fandom on Poirier is his strength. It’s a sight to see. That shot arsenal and the dog in him get my blood pumping. But again I’m partial to the guy, I’m too big of a fan to have honest input. I would’ve thrown the kitchen sink at Hutson at the Mesar pick so I have the wind in my sails with short kings

 

[Toene]

Who is everyone's target for the Winnipeg pick?

Connelly for me.

Isnt he like racist or whatever the f***?

 

[SannywithoutCompy]

I know, I’m just a Stan and partial to that value/cost of his goal scoring skills. Short kings never have the benefit of the doubt, I mean Logan Stankoven went comfortably in the second round…. And he was electric.

My big point of fandom on Poirier is his strength. It’s a sight to see. That shot arsenal and the dog in him get my blood pumping. But again I’m partial to the guy, I’m too big of a fan to have honest input. I would’ve thrown the kitchen sink at Hutson at the Mesar pick so I have the wind in my sails with short kings

I still have dreams where we go Hutson-Firkus at 26-33

 

[Gustave]

I still have dreams where we go Hutson-Firkus at 26-33

Circus players right there

 

[Balthazar]

I think going with a forward, any forward, will prevent that.

Lindstrom Iggy Sennecke Catton, all will be welcomed with open arms.

It has to be one of Demidov, Lindstrom or Iginla.

 

[Gustave]

It has to be one of Demidov, Lindstrom or Iginla.

I’m not even letting myself entertain the possibility of Demidov…

 

[The Last Red]

It has to be one of Demidov, Lindstrom or Iginla.

One would assume so. Unless Bobrov gets “smartest person in the room” syndrome and tries to sell HuGo on Sennecke. HuGo must resist.

 

[Balthazar]

One would assume so. Unless Bobrov gets “smartest person in the room” syndrome and tries to sell HuGo on Sennecke.

Or the first 4 picks are forwards, which is a possibility.

On a related note, Waddell is going to be the new GM in Columbus and this has incidence on the Habs pick.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1794384710510199063

 

[The Last Red]

Or the first 4 picks are forwards, which is a possibility.

On a related note, Waddell is going to be the new GM in Columbus and this has incidence on the Habs pick.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1794384710510199063

The chance that the top 4 picks are forwards is almost nil, IMO.

 

[Vachon23]

He didn't even get an invite to the combine. There's a real possibility he might slide all the way to the third round, a la Dumais. Teams don't seem all that intrigued, even if he does get ranked pretty high on a few amateur lists. At the very least, he could be around for our second round pick.

I’m taking him if he’s there with our 2nd round pick

 

[McGees]

Or the first 4 picks are forwards, which is a possibility.

On a related note, Waddell is going to be the new GM in Columbus and this has incidence on the Habs pick.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1794384710510199063

Waddell has taken a F with his first pick almost every draft in Carolina.

 

[Balthazar]

The chance that the top 4 picks are forwards is almost nil, IMO.

It's not though.

None of Chicago, Anaheim or Columbus have a major reason to go with a dman and the rankings after the 2nd spot are all over the place.

 

[The Last Red]

Waddell has taken a F with his first pick almost every draft in Carolina.

I don’t see both Chicago and Anaheim taking fowards. But even if all do, draft Levshunov.

It's not though.

None of Chicago, Anaheim or Columbus have a major reason to go with a dman and the rankings after the 2nd spot are all over the place.

I think it is.

 

[MD thaivuN]

He didn't even get an invite to the combine. There's a real possibility he might slide all the way to the third round, a la Dumais. Teams don't seem all that intrigued, even if he does get ranked pretty high on a few amateur lists. At the very least, he could be around for our second round pick.

I'd expect he'd be available for our 2nd third round pick.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

It's not though.

None of Chicago, Anaheim or Columbus have a major reason to go with a dman and the rankings after the 2nd spot are all over the place.

Totally. Also, the Habs might love one of the D and be happy he's there. Very difficult to say anything for certain after #1, but it probably won't stop posters from trying...

 

[Jaynki]

Stronger chance that 3 D are picked than 3F before our picks imo.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Or the first 4 picks are forwards, which is a possibility.

On a related note, Waddell is going to be the new GM in Columbus and this has incidence on the Habs pick.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1794384710510199063

Waddell LOVES to draft forwards high, pretty much exclusively. This would indeed potentially change the whole top 5 complexion . He'll be coming in real late though, he might leave the draft to the scouting staff this time and not get too involved, I don't know.

 

[The Great Weal]

It's not though.

None of Chicago, Anaheim or Columbus have a major reason to go with a dman and the rankings after the 2nd spot are all over the place.

Anaheim definitely does. They are forward heavy and nothing besides Mintyukov on the backend that you can say has top pairing potential.

 

[morhilane]

I wonder what caused Waddell to resign to join Columbus. Better Salary? He looked at the work to do this off season with the Canes and wanted out of there ASAP?

And while people are saying he draft almost exclusively forwards, a quick check shows that the Hurricanes drafted mostly forwards pre-Waddell as well.

Columbus draft a lot more Ds and that was before they got Timmins (who just love Ds).

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I wonder what caused Waddell to resign to join Columbus. Better Salary? He looked at the work to do this off season with the Canes and wanted out of there ASAP?

And while people are saying he draft almost exclusively forwards, a quick check shows that the Hurricanes drafted mostly forwards pre-Waddell as well.

Columbus draft a lot more Ds and that was before they got Timmins (who just love Ds).

The owner is a bit of a nut job and he's been there for 10+ years at this point, he might have simply wanted a change of scenery.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

Waddell LOVES to draft forwards high, pretty much exclusively. This would indeed potentially change the whole top 5 complexion . He'll be coming in real late though, he might leave the draft to the scouting staff this time and not get too involved, I don't know.

He was hired as President in 2014 after the draft and was there for both Hanifin and Bean being selected with their first round picks. They had selected Haydn Fleury 7th OA 2 weeks before he was hired and already had Slavin and Pesce looking like steals in the 3rd and fourth rounds from the two drafts preceeding the Fleury pick.

He was brought in to help mentor Ron Francis who was a rookie GM and there is no doubt that Wadell would have been very influential in the early part of Francis' tenure when Hanifin and Bean were selected with their first pick. When Waddell took over from Francis in 2018 the Hurricanes were considered to have one of, if not the best group of emerging young Dmen in the entire league and were in desperate need of skilled forwards which is why there was a focus on drafting forwards early. It should also be mentioned that he only had two top 10 picks during his span as President/GM and chose Fleury and Svechnikov.

In two of Waddell's six years as sole GM/President he did not have a 1st round pick so I would put very little positional importance on those selections. Given a small sample of 4 drafts in which he had complete control and had a first round pick and only one top ten pick where he took the overwhelming consensus #2 in Svechnikov.

If Hughes takes a forward this year and next year that won't mean that he loves taking forwards with his first pick but more of a tiny sample size that reflects a combination of organizational needs and and opportunity relative to who is available at his particular draft slot. This is what I would submit as being closer to the truth with Wadell rather than him having a proclivity to take forwards with his first pick.

 

[Estimated_Prophet]

The owner is a bit of a nut job and he's been there for 10+ years at this point, he might have simply wanted a change of scenery.

I am not sure what Waddell's salary was but Dundon is notoriously cheap and likely was under paying Waddell relative to other NHL GM's. He probably wanted a cheaper GM once he was forced to pay Brind'Amour and his assistants. Dundon just balancing his budget by giving to Rod and cutting Don is my guess.

 

[LookAtThosePepperoni]

Waddell has taken a F with his first pick almost every draft in Carolina.

That's because the Canes Owner Dundon told his staff to never draft a Dman with their first draft pick