HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[HuGo Burner Acc]

It seems that the only forwards Demidov would lose out to would be Lindstrom or Celebrini. I'm high on Sennecke but I don't think they're passing on Demidov if he is there for him.

I was thinking the same thing, but at the same time, I think that if he is really that skilled and NHL scouts are that high on him, then it would seem more likely that Demidov is picked ahead of us.

Sure, I was specifically talking about the scenario where Demidov is available at 5. I would bet at least what's in my wallet that they'd pick him if that's the case

 

[Playmaker09]

It's very hard. Assuming both pass the interview test (the one that Wright allegedly failed), I think Silayev's upside and his floor is better than Catton's so I'd go with him. A 6'7" beast who held his own in the KHL at 17 would've been top2 at worst if Russian hockey wasn't being artificially suppressed.

I'm less high on Dickinson now that a bunch of scouts put him down. I'm going (in order of preference) (Levshunov), Silayev, Catton, Demidov, Sennecke I think.

Dunno why people are so quick to forget Samuel Morin or Jared Cowen or Logan Brown, but players whose best asset is being big don't have a floor.

 

[Kents polished head]

I like some players more than others but of the players being discussed as the potential 5th overall pick, Sennecke is the only one I’d be legitimately mad at.

Same, excluding of course some really, really off the board pick which is probably not going to happen.

I would not even mind most Ds. I think projecting the D you draft with how he would fit with the nature of our current D prospects is a waste of time. Some of them might be traded, some others might simply not pan out, some might have career-altering injuries, and some others might actually change the way they play the game, as it happens rather often for Ds (see Hamrlik and Stralman who completely changed their game during their career).

I would not even be THAT surprised if a guy like Mailloux ended up more as a two-way guy than a pure offensive D as he develops. He certainly has the size and physical abilities to play more than one kind of game.

People have been burnt dozens of time on this very board in the past because they idealize how their favorite team's prospects will actually develop. It's not set in stone.

You pick the player who's most likely to be an important piece going forward. If that's Dickinson, so be it. I would not even be mad. It just provides us with a surplus that can be changed into a trading chip.

At #5 though, I want a projectable pick and one who is likely to be a finished product some day. Not a shot in the dark.

 

[ReHabs]

Dunno why people are so quick to forget Samuel Morin or Jared Cowen or Logan Brown, but players whose best asset is being big don't have a floor.

I never said Silayev’s best asset is being big or his high floor. Try to read posts before responding.

 

[le_sean]

I'd go Sennecke if Demidov/Lindstrom are gone.. but Parekh is just behind him in that sense, I think getting a forward is more important for us.

Yeah I’d go with a forward too, just thinking of what Arpon said with them having the defenders available on a tier above.

So if we draft Parekh, I don't see a defense corps that can ice both he and Hutson on the same team and be a legitimate contender. Given his offensive talents, making him available in the trade market could bring us a solid return.

I like Parekh, but in this NHL you have one PP unit that plays 1.5 mins and uses one defender. Neutering one of him or Hutson would seem silly. But based on pure talent, he’s right up there in this draft.

 

[sheed36]

I like some players more than others but of the players being discussed as the potential 5th overall pick, Sennecke is the only one I’d be legitimately mad at.

I probably wouldn't be mad at taking Sennecke @ 5 but I'd be somewhat disappointed since I'd prefer Iginla over him if Demidov and Lindstrom both go top 4. Give me the bloodline kid over the tall lanky late riser kid this time around but I do think that Sennecke will be the Habs pick @ 5 this year if both Demidov and Lindstrom go top 4 but we'll see since lots can happen depending on who goes top 4 in this seemingly unpredictible draft.

 

[Kents polished head]

I probably wouldn't be mad at taking Sennecke @ 5 but I'd be somewhat disappointed since I'd prefer Iginla over him if Demidov and Lindstrom both go top 4. Give me the bloodline kid over the tall lanky late riser kid this time around but I do think that Sennecke will be the Habs pick @ 5 this year if both Demidov and Lindstrom go top 4 but we'll see since lots can happen depending who goes top 4 in this seemingly unpredictible draft.

I have a feeling the faller is Demidov this year for some reason.

 

[Whitesnake]

Which is why I think, if what Arpon said is true, that they go Parekh at 5 on the off chance Demidov and Lindstrom aren’t there.

I'M all for pure talent. I keep saying that. But to me pure talent isn't solely stats. Needless to say what Parekh has done in the OHL is special. But I have no idea how his defensive games makes him a top 5 player. No idea how a top 5 player should be seen as a guy you need to protect. Hutson? Makes sense at 62. But top 5? No way.

That would be a pick I won't like.And this year, you actually have to work hard to make me not like a player.

LOVE
Demidov
Iginla
Dickinson

LIKE
Lindstrom
Sennecke
Buium
Catton
Yakemchuck

OKAY
Levshunov
Eiserman
Silyaev

DISLIKE
Helenius
MBN
Parekh

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

I have a feeling the faller is Demidov this year for some reason.

If the right team grabs him, boy oh boy will a lot of teams have regrets.

If it's Ottawa, then he'll be a player, but I'm sure they will find a way to screw it up.

 

[sheed36]

I have a feeling the faller is Demidov this year for some reason.

Even if Demidov is still there @ 5 you think the Habs would pass on him and go with someone else like a Sennecke, another forward, or one of the dmen maybe? I haven't seen any info on Iginla being linked to the Habs (but I could've missed it) so I wonder is he even a option for the Habs @ 5.

 

[Whitesnake]

If the right team grabs him, boy oh boy will a lot of teams have regrets.

If it's Ottawa, then he'll be a player, but I'm sure they will find a way to screw it up.

If Surin is there at 25, Ottawa will pick him. To make up for the Tyler Boucher fiasco.

 

[Kents polished head]

Even if Demidov is still there @ 5 you think the Habs would pass on him and go with someone else like a Sennecke, another forward, or one of the dmen maybe? I haven't seen any info on Iginla being linked to the Habs (but I could've missed it) so I wonder is he even a option for the Habs @ 5.

I don't know man. I don't know if we should even read that much in those reports, dinner and combine interview stuff. From what is being reported it looks like some teams have a guy at 15 and the next team might have him at 3. This might get wild.

 

[Sam I Am]

I'M all for pure talent. I keep saying that. But to me pure talent isn't solely stats. Needless to say what Parekh has done in the OHL is special. But I have no idea how his defensive games makes him a top 5 player. No idea how a top 5 player should be seen as a guy you need to protect. Hutson? Makes sense at 62. But top 5? No way.

That would be a pick I won't like.And this year, you actually have to work hard to make me not like a player.

LOVE
Demidov
Iginla
Dickinson

LIKE
Lindstrom
Sennecke
Buium
Catton
Yakemchuck

OKAY
Levshunov
Eiserman
Silyaev

DISLIKE
Helenius
MBN
Parekh

LOVE
This list

LIKE
To bump Sennecke up a notch and Dickinson down one

OKAY
With Clayton and Yak being rated higher than usual

DISLIKE
Chronic back injury to promising young power forward

 

[sampollock]

It seems that the only forwards Demidov would lose out to would be Lindstrom or Celebrini. I'm high on Sennecke but I don't think they're passing on Demidov if he is there for him.

Yup right with ya

 

[McGees]

I don't expect Dickinson to go 3 at all - seems lower with NHL teams than you'd expect. I think 3 is Silayev and I don't see CBJ going Demidov over Lindstrom.

It looks like Celebrini-Lev-Silayev-Lindstrom-Demidov to me, but two weeks out so plenty of room for that perception to change.

McCagg said CBJ would likely go Demidov/Sennecke/Lindstrom and to me sounded like Demidov was preference

Ducks are bit of wildcard...he seemed to think they liked Yakemchuk or another who I forget rn (sennecke or Demidov maybe?)

 

[MTL Dirty Birdy]

If Carbo was a two way player, so is Danault. The issue some have with Danault is how he sneaked his way to becoming a solid 2 way center in the 2nd half of his prime years. Same issue some have with Matheson right now. They see who he was and can't believe who he has become in his later 20's.

Danault is 70th in pts/game over the last 239 games with the Kings (min 50 games played for centers). His prorated stats during his time with the Kings is 0.64. That prorates to 53 pts in a 82 game season. ROR during this same span was at 0.74 pts/game.

Sorry bud but Danault is a two way center. With the Habs, we started him 60+% of the time in the D zone. With the Kings, it's more like 50-55%. This is why his point and goal totals have increased a bit with the Kings.

He was also getting PP time with the kings in his first two seasons I believe. Never saw that with the Habs. Putting up 45-55 points mostly even strength and to be near elite in a shutdown role is most definitely a solid second line two way center. Love the post!

If Silayev is the pick, I quit my job, I quit my girlfriend, I quit everything and I will become no-binary trans women.

But Kev…. Would that mean you identify as a rainbow warrior??? . I hope for you that we dont draft Silayev haha

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Do we know why Columbus is dead set at getting a forward at #4?

Their forwards are mostly grinders. They have OK prospect depth on D. They need scoring.

 

[Naslund]

If the right team grabs him, boy oh boy will a lot of teams have regrets.

If it's Ottawa, then he'll be a player, but I'm sure they will find a way to screw it up.

That last sentence is an oxymoron.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Dunno why people are so quick to forget Samuel Morin or Jared Cowen or Logan Brown, but players whose best asset is being big don't have a floor.

Sure but Silayev isn't one of those players. Silayev's best asset is being an excellent skater at 6'7 (and not just "for his size") who can already play real minutes and produce in a top pro league. That doesn't mean he'll be Victor Hedman 2.0 but he's not anything like a Cowen/Morin type of prospect. Those guys poured cement into their skates and gloves before every game and could barely produce in the CHL.

 

[Naslund]

Their forwards are mostly grinders. They have OK prospect depth on D. They need scoring.

Fantilli
Sillinger
Johnson
Chinakhov
Gaudreau (many more years)
Laine
Marchenko
Texier

Not enough grinders may be the problem.

 

[Trabdy2]

Why is Demidov so far ahead of Catton?

In my view, I'd say Demidov is more dynamic and creative offensively, and he has the skills he needs to support it. He seems to adapt quickly to defender positioning and problem solve pretty organically when driving a play. The hard plays seem very easy for him, and he sees things other players probably either don't see or wouldn't attempt. I don't think that Catton is bad at these things (in fact he's very good at them too), I just think that Demidov is a good half step above in these areas.

Also, I believe Demidov is an inch or so taller than Catton, which wouldn't hurt his case.

 

[HURRICANES ROCK]

Would be nice to get our hands on the 10th or 11th picks and still have our 5th. I think if Hughes can't find a trade to add another pick, he will consider trading down with our 5th. Personally, I want us to keep it simple and take Iggy 5th but there is a part of me that thinks Gorton/Hughes and our scouts will like all of Iggy, Sennecke, Eiserman.

What would we get if we trade down from 5 to 10th or 11th? Not sure but maybe we use that asset to have two picks from 9-14 range. That's an angle not many of us are considering.

No chance whatsoever they trade down.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

That last sentence is an oxymoron.

Only if in a binary matrix. I think Demidov could be more than just a randy dangler in the NHL.

Something in that Kanata water...

 

[Naslund]

Just draft Iginla if you want to sleep well at night. No brainer. He will be a giant pain to play against. Gallagher-type player, but with talent and good size. When players falter as they go through the playoffs, he will have the strength to keep going. It's such an easy pick to make. We already have Dach, Suzuki, Slafkovsky, Caufield, Newhook and Roy. We don't need to reach for a risky miracle pick. Will Sennecke/Demidov be physically strong enough to be impactful players, will Lindstrom be skilled/healthy enough? Pick the kid that is a guarantee to make life very difficult for the opposition. With Iginla, the floor is extremely high, the ceiling remains unpredictable. Also, he is a perfect fit for Dach, who needs a goal scorer.

Only if in a binary matrix. I think Demidov could be more than just a randy dangler in the NHL.

Something in that Kanata water...

You are overthinking this.

 

[Playmaker09]

Sure but Silayev isn't one of those players. Silayev's best asset is being an excellent skater at 6'7 (and not just "for his size") who can already play real minutes and produce in a top pro league. That doesn't mean he'll be Victor Hedman 2.0 but he's not anything like a Cowen/Morin type of prospect. Those guys poured cement into their skates and gloves before every game and could barely produce in the CHL.

Outside of a two week hot streak Silayev hasn't produced anywhere either. Not in the MHL, not in his in his D-1.