GDT: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[CBJx614]

Is it fair to say that Demidov as a prospect is a step below Michkov but without the long term contract and character concerns?

Didn't Michkov break his contract? Or did I miss something?

Edit: I'm assuming you meant before the draft which definitely effected his draft stock

In a lot of ways I prefer Demidov as a player. I'd rather have him at 5v5. Michkov for the PP.

I think that extends off the ice as well. Michkov needed a translator to speak when he came over for the draft. I understand that it's not the end all be all, but if you're a projected top pick and you have desires to play in the NHL.. You should work a bit at learning English and showing that you want to come play in the NHL. Especially with how much access there is in the modern day. A small thing for sure, but you gotta be able to communicate with your coaches and teammates without a translator attached to your hip.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[CBJx614]

"Some" I guess it's gonna come down to whether or not those were our doctors. And whether or not Anaheim takes a D. They don't need a center, that doesn't mean they won't take one.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, some days I am in and some I am out on him. “Some” doctors makes me nervous. I know he’s a young man and I’d probably change my tune if it was unquestionable he’d recover and be fine, but it’s concerning.

 

[MAHJ71]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, some days I am in and some I am out on him. “Some” doctors makes me nervous. I know he’s a young man and I’d probably change my tune if it was unquestionable he’d recover and be fine, but it’s concerning.

Pretty much where I'm at except I'm thinking if Demidov is still there, go Demidov, if not I can accept taking a chance on Lindstrom.

 

[CBJx614]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, some days I am in and some I am out on him. “Some” doctors makes me nervous. I know he’s a young man and I’d probably change my tune if it was unquestionable he’d recover and be fine, but it’s concerning.

That's the thing though, with the an injury on your neck/back it's never unquestionable.

Even with the Eichel injury, even though he's come back and performing extremely well, it's only takes one bad hit for it to really bad. Or at least that thought is always lingering.

 

[CBJx614]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803378491028553970

 

[AnonCommentary]

Two things...

Thinking ahead to next month's development camp because I might wanna go down this year. If the pick is Demidov or Silayev does that mean they won’t be at the camp? What’s the rule on college kids?

Looking way ahead to the 2026 draft. I was listening to the TA prospect podcast and someone asked them about Gavin McKenna. Have you guys heard of him? Holy Crap! The only special exception to have a comparable rookie season was Bedard who was nearly 1/2 year older than McKenna in their respective rookie seasons (Bedard way higher on goals and McKenna way higher on assists).

Yeah if we pick Silayev or Demidov they will not be at camp as they are currently under contract back in Russia. Same reason we haven’t see Ivanov, Dolzhenkov, or Makarov over here in camps.

The rule with NCAA kids is they will be allowed to participate at development camp. They will however not be allowed at the prospects showcase in Buffalo for example.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Where does Cayden Lindstrom fit in this draft and how much of a concern is his health?​

Pronman: Lindstrom is one of the top prospects I struggled with the most this season. I didn’t love his hockey sense coming into the season and at the start of the year. Then he came out of the gates flying, and although he was riding a high shooting percentage, he was making plays more consistently than I’ve seen before. The Lindstrom of the first two months of the season looked like a potential No. 1 center in the NHL due to his 6-3 frame, high-end skating and physicality combined with good offensive touch

Then he got injured, and didn’t play the rest of the season, and everyone around him had great full seasons. So is Lindstrom the player I saw from September through November, or the player I had seen the prior year, or something in between? I think if you believe in his hockey sense, which I don’t think is unreasonable, he’s a top-five pick, and if you have more hesitation, which I do, he’s closer to 6-10.

Wheeler: As I recently reported, the doctor and physio who’ve been treating Lindstrom have now provided a pair of reports to NHL Central Scouting outlining that “they feel Cayden will make a full recovery without requiring surgery.” Back injuries are tricky though (recent stories like Gabriel Vilardi’s are obviously going to be front of mind) and he has dealt with some complications during his recovery process. Had he been healthy, and continued to play like he had in the first half, I think he quite likely would have been in my top five. He might still go there, even if I’ve slotted him closer to the top 10. That has more to do with sample size and the strength of the other prospects in that range though, too.


Still doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies , a couple reports gathered by Lindstroms agent …. I know J D doesn’t have much say in new regime , but one would think the back is fresh in his mind , with his past year .

 

[GoChill]

Still doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies , a couple reports gathered by Lindstroms agent …. I know J D doesn’t have much say in new regime , but one would think the back is fresh in his mind , with his past year .

That’s kind of how I feel. I like the idea of a tough 6’3” center but if his back acts up he could be the next Murray or Horton. Plus he only had two months where he looked like a top 5 pick. It’s not like he looked dominant last year.

If you take Silayev or Demidov or Buium at least you likely end up with a solid NHL player and who knows one of them could just as easily end up a star as well.

 

[GoChill]

I go back and forth but today I am kind of leaning Silayev. I know he maybe doesn’t have ideal offense for a fourth overall but he has been called the best defensive dman in the draft. He can skate and I believe he set a record for points by a dman his age in the KHL. That’s kind of a mixed bag though because not many guys his age play in the KHL. On the other hand that’s its own kind of achievement.

Everyone is excited about Mateychuk including me but it’s one thing to be 19 and skating circles around children and another to be 17 and playing a lot of minutes against men in arguably the second best league in the world.

Even if he is only average offensively we have Werenski, Mateychuk, plus Jiricek and Severson that are supposed to be good offensively. Having one big, mean defensive guy to help hold those 3rd period leads sounds good to me.

Than again I may change my mind tomorrow…ugh just start the draft already!

 

[Xoggz22]

San Jose - Celibrini (no brainer)
Chicago - Demidov (Robin to Bedard's Batman)
Anaheim - Silayev (The one thing they truly lack in their system is a big defenseman that can skate and play defense)
Columbus - Levshunov (best D in the draft, watches HFCBJ explode)
Montreal - Lindstrom (No brainer for Montreal)
Utah - Yakemchuk (Offensive blue liner that can grow into all around D-man with time)


That's the way I see it happening. If Levshunov actually goes #2 to Chicago, Columbus gets Lindstrom.

 

[LJ7]

Columbus - Levshunov (best D in the draft, watches HFCBJ explode)

I think Buium is better but I might have Levshunov eclipse him after more watching. My theory is if Levshunov played for Michigan instead of Michigan State then he would be the strong consensus 2nd best player in the class.

 

[KJ Dangler]

San Jose - Celibrini (no brainer)
Chicago - Demidov (Robin to Bedard's Batman)
Anaheim - Silayev (The one thing they truly lack in their system is a big defenseman that can skate and play defense)
Columbus - Levshunov (best D in the draft, watches HFCBJ explode)
Montreal - Lindstrom (No brainer for Montreal)
Utah - Yakemchuk (Offensive blue liner that can grow into all around D-man with time)


That's the way I see it happening. If Levshunov actually goes #2 to Chicago, Columbus gets Lindstrom.

Yes.. but that’s the mistake Jarmo made .. basically built forwards out , most teams build blueline and out . I think this is why many speculate they draft Levshunov.. for Chicago to go another dynamic forward , takes more time for D man to become impactful , so you have good forwards like we do , and still finishing at bottom of league because you then draft impact D, but they take more time

 

[majormajor]

I go back and forth but today I am kind of leaning Silayev. I know he maybe doesn’t have ideal offense for a fourth overall but he has been called the best defensive dman in the draft. He can skate and I believe he set a record for points by a dman his age in the KHL. That’s kind of a mixed bag though because not many guys his age play in the KHL. On the other hand that’s its own kind of achievement.

Everyone is excited about Mateychuk including me but it’s one thing to be 19 and skating circles around children and another to be 17 and playing a lot of minutes against men in arguably the second best league in the world.

Even if he is only average offensively we have Werenski, Mateychuk, plus Jiricek and Severson that are supposed to be good offensively. Having one big, mean defensive guy to help hold those 3rd period leads sounds good to me.

Than again I may change my mind tomorrow…ugh just start the draft already!

If you want a big mean defensive LD you sign Brenden Dillon.

You don't need to use a top pick for that, there's other ways to get shutdown D. Use the pick to take a swing on a potentially elite player.

 

[CBJx614]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1803480204024881431

 

[GoChill]

If you want a big mean defensive LD you sign Brenden Dillon.

You don't need to use a top pick for that, there's other ways to get shutdown D. Use the pick to take a swing on a potentially elite player.

Ordinarily I would be saying the same thing but in this case I kind of want Silayev. I don’t think this is just any old shut down defenseman. I think he could be an elite shutdown guy when he finishes developing and actually be better offensively than most people think.

He may be gone when we pick anyway.

 

[CBJx614]

Ordinarily I would be saying the same thing but in this case I kind of want Silayev. I don’t think this is just any old shut down defenseman. I think he could be an elite shutdown guy when he finishes developing and actually be better offensively than most people think.

He may be gone when we pick anyway.

I get your POV I go back and forth as well. You would think he would put up some points (20-30ish) by simply making better choices on the ice.

The potential without a doubt is there, but it's a huge risk given the other players we have to choose from. If we're outside of the top 5, I think it would be worth the risk.

 

[GoChill]

I get your POV I go back and forth as well. You would think he would put up some points (20-30ish) by simply making better choices on the ice.

The potential without a doubt is there, but it's a huge risk given the other players we have to choose from. If we're outside of the top 5, I think it would be worth the risk.

I think some of the better choices could come over time. Remember the KHL is a much faster league than the MHL that Demidov plays in or the NCAA for Buium/Levshunov and certainly faster than the CHL. If he played in one of those leagues he might make better choices too.

I dunno I’m no scout and even those guys that do this for a living can’t agree past Celebrini. I just don’t want to see us completely miss. Worst case Silayev is probably a pretty good player. If Lindstroms back becomes chronic he may never play in the NHL.

 

[CBJx614]

I think some of the better choices could come over time. Remember the KHL is a much faster league than the MHL that Demidov plays in or the NCAA for Buium/Levshunov and certainly faster than the CHL. If he played in one of those leagues he might make better choices too.

I dunno I’m no scout and even those guys that do this for a living can’t agree past Celebrini. I just don’t want to see us completely miss. Worst case Silayev is probably a pretty good player. If Lindstroms back becomes chronic he may never play in the NHL.

You don't have to convince me, go back a page or two and you'll see me pushing for him. But at the end of the day it's weighing their potential vs the likelihood of hitting it. And while at his absolute worst, he's a Gudbranson that skates like Hedman, I feel like the chances of him maxing his potential are less than a guy like Sennecke or Demidov. And in the top 5 you aren't drafting for someone's floor, you're taking a swing on someone with the highest ceiling. Silayevs production just isn't there to make it worth passing on potential 100pt guys who both could conceivably play center or in Lindstroms case, already plays center.. Almost ALL of his points came in the first month when he got some PP time.

 

[majormajor]

I think some of the better choices could come over time. Remember the KHL is a much faster league than the MHL that Demidov plays in or the NCAA for Buium/Levshunov and certainly faster than the CHL. If he played in one of those leagues he might make better choices too.

I dunno I’m no scout and even those guys that do this for a living can’t agree past Celebrini. I just don’t want to see us completely miss. Worst case Silayev is probably a pretty good player. If Lindstroms back becomes chronic he may never play in the NHL.

Well plenty of scouts agree with your take and cite the difficulty of the KHL as the reason why he didn't continue to show offense. But you can go on the MHL youtube page and watch Silayev's games for free, and see that he didn't show any offense prior to this year and he didn't show any offense when he was sent down to the MHL at the end of the year. There's zero offense even against his age group.

This is one of many games you can see of him in the MHL playoffs:

You don't have to convince me, go back a page or two and you'll see me pushing for him. But at the end of the day it's weighing their potential vs the likelihood of hitting it. And while at his absolute worst, he's a Gudbranson that skates like Hedman, I feel like the chances of him maxing his potential are less than a guy like Sennecke or Demidov. And in the top 5 you aren't drafting for someone's floor, you're taking a swing on someone with the highest ceiling. Silayevs production just isn't there to make it worth passing on potential 100pt guys who both could conceivably play center or in Lindstroms case, already plays center.. Almost ALL of his points came in the first month when he got some PP time.

You can look up a highlight reel where all of his points are included, and it's the kind of random points that defensive D-men get from time to time. He had a Gudbranson heater.

 

[GoChill]

Well plenty of scouts agree with your take and cite the difficulty of the KHL as the reason why he didn't continue to show offense. But you can go on the MHL youtube page and watch Silayev's games for free, and see that he didn't show any offense prior to this year and he didn't show any offense when he was sent down to the MHL at the end of the year. There's zero offense even against his age group.

This is one of many games you can see of him in the MHL playoffs:





You can look up a highlight reel where all of his points are included, and it's the kind of random points that defensive D-men get from time to time. He had a Gudbranson heater.

Good point that he didn’t do much at the end of the season in the MHL but there could be more to that. Injury or disinterest after being in the KHL, much like some players don’t show well when sent to the AHL after their NHL season ends. Also, last year wasn’t he only 16. Sometimes players develop offensive traits later than that. Lindstrom for instance or Joey back in the day.

Regardless your point is well taken. No doubt offense will never be his calling card.

Couldn’t somewhat similar points be made about Lindstrom. His offense came early this year before his injury and he wasn’t highly regarded offensively last year as a play making center or even finisher. Small sample size.

 

[GoChill]

You don't have to convince me, go back a page or two and you'll see me pushing for him. But at the end of the day it's weighing their potential vs the likelihood of hitting it. And while at his absolute worst, he's a Gudbranson that skates like Hedman, I feel like the chances of him maxing his potential are less than a guy like Sennecke or Demidov. And in the top 5 you aren't drafting for someone's floor, you're taking a swing on someone with the highest ceiling. Silayevs production just isn't there to make it worth passing on potential 100pt guys who both could conceivably play center or in Lindstroms case, already plays center.. Almost ALL of his points came in the first month when he got some PP time.

I don’t think most scouts see Lindstrom as a possible 100 point Center. In fact most don’t see Celebrini as a possible 100 point guy. A few do think Demidov has more offensive upside than Celebrini but like Macklins complete game better.

If Lindstrom is healthy and the back really is not a serious concern I’m all for him.

The Jackets definitely need to get bigger and tougher to play against.

 

[majormajor]

Good point that he didn’t do much at the end of the season in the MHL but there could be more to that. Injury or disinterest after being in the KHL, much like some players don’t show well when sent to the AHL after their NHL season ends. Also, last year wasn’t he only 16. Sometimes players develop offensive traits later than that. Lindstrom for instance or Joey back in the day.

Regardless your point is well taken. No doubt offense will never be his calling card.

Couldn’t somewhat similar points be made about Lindstrom. His offense came early this year before his injury and he wasn’t highly regarded offensively last year as a play making center or even finisher. Small sample size.

I don't think it's comparable to Lindstrom, no.

Lindstrom's game grew as he developed on his skillset and tactical approach to offense. You can see the learning in how he plays, not just point totals. And he scored a decent amount in his D-1, there isn't some aberration that we have to explain.

 

[GoChill]

I don't think it's comparable to Lindstrom, no.

Lindstrom's game grew as he developed on his skillset and tactical approach to offense. You can see the learning in how he plays, not just point totals. And he scored a decent amount in his D-1, there isn't some aberration that we have to explain.

I read a few reviews that said they weren’t too impressed with him offensively until this year. Sorry Idont have links handy.

That said he increased his point total this year in half as many games as last so a pronounced jump but you would expect some jump. Again though only 32 games this year and I read it was on a high shooting percentage.