GDT: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[CBJx614]

I know he's not the sexy pick and really not the pick we should make with #4. But I still find myself stuck on Silayev occasionally. Even without any offensive generation, this defense is SORELY missing a stout defender and he likely gives us a one of a kind rock solid defender who can skate like Hedman for the next decade. Even if he's not being used as a PP guy, he's bound to put up 20-30pts/season from simply playing in the system.


(Yes, yes I know we can get on the market or trade for one)

All I'm trying to say is that I won't be as devastated as most when the Jackets do something stupid and actually draft him

 

[GoJackets1]

I’m still firmly in the you don’t draft a defensive D-man in the top 5. Those are the single most easily acquired players in FA.

I’m surprised to see Dickinson over Buium in that list.

 

[CBJx614]

Second, two of the top five picks on TSN’s final list this year are Russians — left-shot right winger Ivan Demidov at No. 2 and towering 6-foot-7 defenceman Anton Silayev at No. 4.

There is the so-called “Russian Factor” to consider. More on that in a moment.

In the case of Demidov, he is, in the eyes of our scouting panel, the clear consensus No. 2 choice behind Celebrini. Six of the 10 scouts surveyed had him at No. 2. All 10 had him in their top five. No other prospect in the draft, save Celebrini, had Top 5 unanimity.

Not No. 3 ranked Artyom Levshunov, the Belarussian freshman defenceman from Michigan State University, who was close (three votes at No. 2 and eight of 10 votes in the Top 5), or No. 4 ranked Silayev or No. 5 ranked Medicine Hat Tiger centre Cayden Lindstrom (each of whom had seven of 10 votes in the Top 5).

It is, however, one thing for a scout to rank Demidov at No. 2 overall; it’s quite another for an NHL general manager to make the decision to actually take him there.

“I have no problem personally ranking Demidov at No. 2,” said a scout, “but I couldn’t assure you my team would take him there if we were picking second overall. There’s a lot more that goes into it now, especially that high.”

“If you’re going to take a Russian in the top five picks, your owner has to be on board,” one scout said. “It’s not just a hockey decision. Your GM has to have an idea of how soon that [Russian] player will or won’t be coming to North America. It’s not insurmountable, but there are added layers to taking a Russian really high in the draft.”

Another scout, however, believes the Russian Factor is overplayed.

“The good ones always come over,” the scout said. “Maybe you have to wait a year or two or three, but history tells us the good ones come and they’re often worth the wait.”

Silayev is repeatedly referred to as a “unicorn.”

There are no 6-foot-7 defencemen in this draft who move as well as him. There aren’t many 6-foot-7 defencemen on the planet who skate as well as this behemoth. He started the KHL season with a flourish, getting eight points in eight games, but his offensive output really dried up as the season wore on. The early comparisons to Victor Hedman have mostly faded, but the excitement over his future NHL prospects have not.

“At the end of the day, all that really matters is that he’s a 17-year-old who played regularly in the KHL and played well and showed he has all the tools be a shutdown NHL defender who can still skate and carry or pass a puck up the ice,” said a scout. “That’s a unicorn.”

“He’s going to be an elite defender,” another scout said. “A huge minute muncher. That and that alone provides huge value, but he’s not without some offensive ability, but it’s most definitely secondary.”

 

[CBJx614]

I’m still firmly in the you don’t draft a defensive D-man in the top 5. Those are the single most easily acquired players in FA.

I’m surprised to see Dickinson over Buium in that list.

If it's a normal 6'2-6'5ish slow pylon kinda shut down defender, similar to Gudbranson I would agree. Silayev isn't that. If he can keep his game simple and become an efficient breakout guy, by either skating or making that simple first pass, he could be worth his weight in gold.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805632044891849018

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

If it's a normal 6'2-6'5ish slow pylon kinda shut down defender, similar to Gudbranson...

Drafted 3OA:

Erik Gudbranson | Erik Gudbranson Profile | Erik Gudbranson Scouting Report 2010

Erik Gudbranson scouting report for NHL Draft. Profile contains Erik Gudbranson stats, videos and written bios

www.mynhldraft.com

"Gudbranson’s character is unquestionable. He possesses all the traits one likes in a player: He is a leader, very composed and poised on the ice, mature, smart, and has future captain written all over him. In terms of his ability, he has a rocket shot, which has helped increase his offensive production. He makes crisp, smart first passes, and can contribute in all three zones. For a guy of his size, Gudbranson is a smooth skater. Finally, he has innate hockey sense that rivals many of the top picks in the draft. "

 

[Doggy]

I’m surprised to see Dickinson over Buium in that list.

Why are you surprised? If there is one glaring consensus from this draft class it's that there is zero consensus on who goes where in the top ten after Celebrini. Nothing should be a surprise.

 

[Viqsi]

Drafted 3OA:

Erik Gudbranson | Erik Gudbranson Profile | Erik Gudbranson Scouting Report 2010

Erik Gudbranson scouting report for NHL Draft. Profile contains Erik Gudbranson stats, videos and written bios

www.mynhldraft.com

"Gudbranson’s character is unquestionable. He possesses all the traits one likes in a player: He is a leader, very composed and poised on the ice, mature, smart, and has future captain written all over him. In terms of his ability, he has a rocket shot, which has helped increase his offensive production. He makes crisp, smart first passes, and can contribute in all three zones. For a guy of his size, Gudbranson is a smooth skater. Finally, he has innate hockey sense that rivals many of the top picks in the draft. "

Funny thing, I remember that draft also being one where there was supposed to be one or two really good forwards at the top and then a bunch of killer defensemen, and yet most of those defensemen ended up dropping like rocks. Anyone else here remember "Gormley Is The Pick"?

 

[Xoggz22]

Funny thing, I remember that draft also being one where there was supposed to be one or two really good forwards at the top and then a bunch of killer defensemen, and yet most of those defensemen ended up dropping like rocks. Anyone else here remember "Gormley Is The Pick"?

As I recall, didn't Portzline even indicate Gormley was the pick and then have to recant? I know that drum was beat very hard for a while.

 

[CBJx614]

Drafted 3OA:

Erik Gudbranson | Erik Gudbranson Profile | Erik Gudbranson Scouting Report 2010

Erik Gudbranson scouting report for NHL Draft. Profile contains Erik Gudbranson stats, videos and written bios

www.mynhldraft.com

"Gudbranson’s character is unquestionable. He possesses all the traits one likes in a player: He is a leader, very composed and poised on the ice, mature, smart, and has future captain written all over him. In terms of his ability, he has a rocket shot, which has helped increase his offensive production. He makes crisp, smart first passes, and can contribute in all three zones. For a guy of his size, Gudbranson is a smooth skater. Finally, he has innate hockey sense that rivals many of the top picks in the draft. "

There's a major difference between being a "smooth" skater versus being an elite skater. His skating is compared to if not better than Hedman at the same age

Gudbranson was also playing against kids, Silayev was 17 holding his own against grown men in the KHL.

 

[Viqsi]

As I recall, didn't Portzline even indicate Gormley was the pick and then have to recant? I know that drum was beat very hard for a while.

That's exactly what I was referencing. "Gormley Is The Pick" was the original headline on the Puck-Rakers blog post, and it continued to be in the URL even after he revised it to Joey.

 

[CBJx614]

Drafted 3OA:

Erik Gudbranson | Erik Gudbranson Profile | Erik Gudbranson Scouting Report 2010

Erik Gudbranson scouting report for NHL Draft. Profile contains Erik Gudbranson stats, videos and written bios

www.mynhldraft.com

"Gudbranson’s character is unquestionable. He possesses all the traits one likes in a player: He is a leader, very composed and poised on the ice, mature, smart, and has future captain written all over him. In terms of his ability, he has a rocket shot, which has helped increase his offensive production. He makes crisp, smart first passes, and can contribute in all three zones. For a guy of his size, Gudbranson is a smooth skater. Finally, he has innate hockey sense that rivals many of the top picks in the draft. "

Anton Silayev is literally the 2024 NHL Draft’s biggest unicorn

With his unique blend of skating ability and massive size, Russian defenseman Anton Silayev is undoubtedly the unicorn of the 2024 NHL Draft.

nhlentrydraft.com

To start off, Silayev is such an intriguing player for his skating alone. Very few hockey players at high levels are as tall as he is, and even fewer are strong skaters. Silayev is a complete outlier in that regard. Despite his frame, he skates as if he is closer to 6 feet than 7 feet. His strides are clean mechanically, showing an effortlessness in his skating that is remarkably impressive for his size. His stride is also very long. Paired with the power he generates, the smooth stride, and the amount of space he can cover, he is shockingly fast. Not only does he get back into plays, but if he gets caught deep in the offensive zone, he can catch up and prevent clean entries against smaller players—players who should not be caught by someone as big as Silayev.

Perhaps even more impressive is just how smooth his edges are. He can weave his way up the ice, getting around obstacles around him. His crossovers are also very smooth and powerful, aiding in his pursuit of pucks or players when needed. However, that does not mean he is a perfect skater. Because of his height, he has a higher center of gravity. Thus, he does have some issues with balance going into battles, as he can stand a little too upright. This allows players with good strength to get under him and knock him off balance, winning puck battles against him. But that’s something he can adjust to with more strength training and a coach who can focus on getting him lower in his stance.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

There's a major difference between being a "smooth" skater versus being an elite skater. His skating is compared to if not better than Hedman at the same age

Gudbranson was also playing against kids, Silayev was 17 holding his own against grown men in the KHL.

There's a major difference between "smooth skating" and "pylon." There's a difference between "shut down" and "can contribute in all three zones."

But I'm not here to take up for Gudbranson as much as to point out that the Panthers were not drafting a "pylon shut down defender" in 2010 so the comparison is flawed.

 

[Doggy]

Why'd you guys have to bring up the 2010 draft? I ended up looking through all our picks and other than Johansen at #4 and Dalton Prout in the 6th round, we got absolutely nothing from two second rounders (Dalton Smith and Petr Straka), two fourth rounders (Brandon Archibald and Mathieu Corbeil-Therriault), fifth rounder (Austin Madaisky) and a seventh rounder Martin Ouellette). What a dreadful draft for us!

 

[CBJx614]

There's a major difference between "smooth skating" and "pylon." There's a difference between "shut down" and "can contribute in all three zones."

But I'm not here to take up for Gudbranson as much as to point out that the Panthers were not drafting a "pylon shut down defender" in 2010 so the comparison is flawed.

The comparison is flawed from the get go, i see Silayev as more comparable to Gavrikov than Gudbranson. Igor Larionov said that Silayev was his most trusted defender in the playoffs.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Why'd you guys have to bring up the 2010 draft? I ended up looking through all our picks and other than Johansen at #4 and Dalton Prout in the 6th round, we got absolutely nothing from two second rounders Dalton Smith and Petr Straka), two fourth rounders (Brandon Archibald and Mathieu Corbeil-Therriault), fifth rounder (Austin Madaisky) and a seventh rounder Martin Ouellette). What a dreadful draft for us!

Madaisky is such a weird case. Not sure he had nhl upside but he was legitimately a solid AHL player for a year or two and then just left to play overseas. He was Canadian. Very odd situation.

Smith was always a questionable pick.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

The comparison is flawed from the get go,

Agreed. You described a player as a pylon when discussing the draft, except the player was not a pylon at his draft.

 

[CBJx614]

Agreed. You described a player as a pylon when discussing the draft, except the player was not a pylon at his draft.

Similar to Silayev, people were trying to project him as something he was not. He never put up the points to justify him being something that scouts wanted him to be.

There's a difference for being a "smooth skater for his size" versus being a a good skater despite his size.


For the record I think the draft will go something along these lines with Silayev going somewhere in the 6-10 range.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805668500067041750

 

[KJ Dangler]

Honestly , I don’t think the team is remotely considering a defenseman with the first pick . We took Lindstrom , Sennecke, Inginla out to dinner , no word of any defenseman that I’m aware of .. I thought I read Catton as well somewhere, but not 100% sure on him…

I think if the draft goes
Celebrini
Demidov
Lindstrom

That we would try to trade back , if we can’t , I believe we would take Sennecke at 4 .

 

[Youngguns1380]

Honestly , I don’t think the team is remotely considering a defenseman with the first pick . We took Lindstrom , Sennecke, Inginla out to dinner , no word of any defenseman that I’m aware of .. I thought I read Catton as well somewhere, but not 100% sure on him…

I think if the draft goes
Celebrini
Demidov
Lindstrom

That we would try to trade back , if we can’t , I believe we would take Sennecke at 4 .

My hope is if Demidov or Lindstrom aren’t available to pick at 4, then DW has a trade for an impactful player in his back pocket. We have a glutton of mid/bottom 6 wings and adding another wing outside of Demidov (top 6?) doesn’t make any sense.

 

[majormajor]

If it's a normal 6'2-6'5ish slow pylon kinda shut down defender, similar to Gudbranson I would agree. Silayev isn't that. If he can keep his game simple and become an efficient breakout guy, by either skating or making that simple first pass, he could be worth his weight in gold.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805632044891849018

There's a major difference between being a "smooth" skater versus being an elite skater. His skating is compared to if not better than Hedman at the same age

Gudbranson was also playing against kids, Silayev was 17 holding his own against grown men in the KHL.

Anton Silayev is literally the 2024 NHL Draft’s biggest unicorn

With his unique blend of skating ability and massive size, Russian defenseman Anton Silayev is undoubtedly the unicorn of the 2024 NHL Draft.

nhlentrydraft.com

Gudbranson has actually become a very good skater in the NHL. He was billed as a strong skater for his size and I don't think that ended up being wrong. He's fast forward and backward, and he doesn't have a lot of weaknesses in terms of pivoting. He gets burned occasionally but that's because he misreads the play. I expect Silayev to be better but not really because he's taller or a better skater, I just generally like Silayev's defensive reads. I'm not sure whether Silayev tops out around Gavrikov or Chara level defense. Silayev does make mistakes and attackers can get pucks through his long legs.

His ability to weave skating the puck forward is not something I put a lot of stock in. He has the skating for it but zero natural deception. He's not quickly reading defenders when he skates the puck forward.

 

[KJ Dangler]

My hope is if Demidov or Lindstrom aren’t available to pick at 4, then DW has a trade for an impactful player in his back pocket. We have a glutton of mid/bottom 6 wings and adding another wing outside of Demidov (top 6?) doesn’t make any sense.

Not sure Sennecke, Inginla Hulenius, Catton would be considered mid , bottom 6 wings ? I’ve seen some scouts that think Sennecke becomes a 90 point winger .. Hulenius / Catton would be #2 centers most likely .. but I get your sentiment I think , that with our timeline , a young impact forward would be traded for ?

 

[ViD]

So , getting back to our pick at 4 … do we agree that if Demidov is available at 4 , you have to take him ? I get it , we need a center , and I’ve always beat drum all things similar you gotta take the center . But let’s be honest , Lindstrom isn’t remotely as good as Demidov . Aside from Lindstrom having the back issue , which I’m willing to trust we know that won’t be an issue , Lindstrom had one half of a really good season . He wasn’t great or even a standout last year .. when I looked , I think he was .6 points per game last year . Where is everyone at regarding this pick ?

Considering that he’s turned out to be bigger and stronger than everyone thought, with good English and an expressed desire to play in the NHL soon, I will be shocked he’s available at 4

 

[Youngguns1380]

Not sure Sennecke, Inginla Hulenius, Catton would be considered mid , bottom 6 wings ? I’ve seen some scouts that think Sennecke becomes a 90 point winger .. Hulenius / Catton would be #2 centers most likely .. but I get your sentiment I think , that with our timeline , a young impact forward would be traded for ?

Tkachuk - obviously, but CBJ stands a better chance of getting a Willy Wonka Golden Ticket.

As much as I like Catton/Hulenius - they are smallish and may not end up as a center.

 

[majormajor]

Considering that he’s turned out to be bigger and stronger than everyone thought, with good English and an expressed desire to play in the NHL soon, I will be shocked he’s available at 4

I wouldn't be shocked but certainly surprised.

Tkachuk - obviously, but CBJ stands a better chance of getting a Willy Wonka Golden Ticket.

As much as I like Catton/Hulenius - they are smallish and may not end up as a center.

Catton is probably a wing, he's said so himself.

Helenius is a stocky physical player with very polished center habits. There's no way he's not a center. But not really relevant for us at #4, we need to swing harder.