GDT: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[Aaaarrgghh]

The players I find most intriguing right now are

Sam Dickinson - who strikes me as a very good defender and is showing some offensive pop lately, seems like a strong leader as well.

Cayden Lindstrom - who is showing signs of physical power forward potential. He doesn't have the best play selection but he seems to be figuring out how unstoppable he can be if he uses his strength.

What little I've heard of Dickinson intrigues me too. Though I must look him up more.

With all the hype around Lindstrom, I just assumed in my post that he'd be gone too. Though I'm personally not convinced of him yet. I just wonder if his sudden rise is just down to him figuring out how to use his size and if he has much more to lean on later beyond that. But I'll probably change my mind a few times before the draft.

If they land another legit top6 C option the forward group is going to be insane in a couple of season.

Marchenko& Voronkov keep developing better than originally hoped, Brindley looks like a ”steal” of a 2nd round pick so far

Exactly what I feel that Helenius could be. What I like about him beyond his hockey sense and two-way game is that he's not afraid to battle for the puck. A very versatile player.

 

[EspenK]

Just looking at the standings I can imagine Jackets looking at the 10th pick or so if they learn how to quit blowing leads. This shows some optimism, which for me, is rare after 20 years of letdowns.

In terms of who I have no clue but my preferences are, in order, a top6 C, a power forward,and a D who can actually play defense.

 

[Xoggz22]

The players I find most intriguing right now are

Sam Dickinson - who strikes me as a very good defender and is showing some offensive pop lately, seems like a strong leader as well.

Cayden Lindstrom - who is showing signs of physical power forward potential. He doesn't have the best play selection but he seems to be figuring out how unstoppable he can be if he uses his strength.

Agree on these two but I also really like Levshunov. I think we need more mobility on the back end in today's NHL and the ability to transition.

If we could nab another late 1st (not that we need more prospects), I also really like Boisvert and Chernyshov (maybe he goes too high) as both seem like they would be good pieces for continued long term offensive/2-way talent.

 

[stevo61]

I also wonder if we can get back into the 1st round if Adam Jiricek starts to fall. Id take a chance for sure if the position is right

 

[Cowumbus]

I also wonder if we can get back into the 1st round if Adam Jiricek starts to fall. Id take a chance for sure if the position is right

Provorov trade, maybe.

 

[NotWendell]

I miss forechecking. I've seen it the past couple games and it made me realize how much I missed the Torts era of forechecking.

 

[MoeBartoli]

I miss forechecking. I've seen it the past couple games and it made me realize how much I missed the Torts era of forechecking.

Agree. This year’s forecheck is certainly better than under Lars though that’s a bit like saying Spud Webb towered over Mugsy Boggues. But Torts style and his persona demanded tough forechecking.

 

[EspenK]

Agree. This year’s forecheck is certainly better than under Lars though that’s a bit like saying Spud Webb towered over Mugsy Boggues. But Torts style and his persona demanded tough forechecking.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

When we drafted Peeke? Or the year before Carlsson? Year before Collins? Year before Heatherington?

iirc the idea with carlsson was that he would be a solid two-way guy with a high IQ, good skating and crazy reach, not that he'd be a pure shutdown guy. peeke was seen as a two-way guy at that age, too.

collins and heatherington were both 100% "we need a big nasty shutdown defenseman" picks. i'd add sam ruopp to that list, too.

Its not like that isnt exactly what they tried to do, even Richard lately is that type of guy. Just a hard player to develop.

people have clowned on the movie armageddon for years because it's harder to teach miners how to be astronauts than it would have been to teach astronauts how to mine.

the same principle applies with drafting shutdown defensemen. it's harder to teach someone who's been the biggest kid on the ice his whole life how to skate/process at the NHL level than it is to take a smart, athletic kid with a projectable frame and focus on adding strength.

that doesn't mean they should never draft a big defenseman, but if a player's whole game is built around their size advantage and they're already close to being physically maxed-out, it's not worth burning a pick.

 

[stevo61]

iirc the idea with carlsson was that he would be a solid two-way guy with a high IQ, good skating and crazy reach, not that he'd be a pure shutdown guy. peeke was seen as a two-way guy at that age, too.

collins and heatherington were both 100% "we need a big nasty shutdown defenseman" picks. i'd add sam ruopp to that list, too.

people have clowned on the movie armageddon for years because it's harder to teach miners how to be astronauts than it would have been to teach astronauts how to mine.

the same principle applies with drafting shutdown defensemen. it's harder to teach someone who's been the biggest kid on the ice his whole life how to skate/process at the NHL level than it is to take a smart, athletic kid with a projectable frame and focus on adding strength.

that doesn't mean they should never draft a big defenseman, but if a player's whole game is built around their size advantage and they're already close to being physically maxed-out, it's not worth burning a pick.

Well 1st noone is close to being physically maxed out at 18. But regardless that style is tough to project all around and why so many of them are mid-late round finds. I dont think its as simple as they got by, by simply being big in most cases. Occasional ones like Sean Day do but he got figured out long before the draft. Its just a hard to style to develop, probably for numerous reasons. When we drafted Savard he was a guy who was supposed to be decently solid defensively and had some offensive punch in Juinor. He did what a lot of players fail to do and evolved his game.

But regardless these are reasons Id take defender early with top notch defensive skills and some questions about their offsense vs just taking pure skill. Last year I liked the Simashev pick and this year I think Dickinson is that style of guy although the offense seems to be coming through more this year. Silayev also intriques me

 

[cbjthrowaway]

Well 1st noone is close to being physically maxed out at 18.

i guess my point is that some guys have more projectable frames at that age. like kent johnson vs cole sillinger. the guys who lean on their physicality in junior are generally bigger/more filled out.

basically: it's easier to add a physical element to a guy with a projectable frame than it is to add a skill/IQ element to a guy who has always been bigger/stronger than their peers.

When we drafted Savard he was a guy who was supposed to be decently solid defensively and had some offensive punch in Juinor. He did what a lot of players fail to do and evolved his game.

savard, as a prospect, was almost a pure offensive defenseman. had 77 points in 64 games in his D+1 and 43 in 72 games in the AHL as a 20 year old.

his offensive game was dynamic against lesser competition, but not good enough to lean on in the NHL, so he reinvented himself, bulked up, started blocking shots and dedicated himself as a shutdown guy.

that's the type of development path they can replicate. find an athletic defenseman who produces, and if they hit a wall, simplify their game and bulk them up. it's a path i could see them going with ceulemans.

essentially: if you pick a puck-mover who has good reach, you can take a second swing at developing them if the skill doesn't float the to the top.

 

[stevo61]

i guess my point is that some guys have more projectable frames at that age. like kent johnson vs cole sillinger. the guys who lean on their physicality in junior are generally bigger/more filled out.

basically: it's easier to add a physical element to a guy with a projectable frame than it is to add a skill/IQ element to a guy who has always been bigger/stronger than their peers.

savard, as a prospect, was almost a pure offensive defenseman. had 77 points in 64 games in his D+1 and 43 in 72 games in the AHL as a 20 year old.

his offensive game was dynamic against lesser competition, but not good enough to lean on in the NHL, so he reinvented himself, bulked up, started blocking shots and dedicated himself as a shutdown guy.

that's the type of development path they can replicate. find an athletic defenseman who produces, and if they hit a wall, simplify their game and bulk them up. it's a path i could see them going with ceulemans.

essentially: if you pick a puck-mover who has good reach, you can take a second swing at developing them if the skill doesn't float the to the top.

He wasnt a pure offensive defenseman, he didput up offensive numbers. His old prospect page on here is interesting to go back and read

 

[koteka]

I am kind of excited about this draft. If we stay top 5ish we should be able to add a nice piece. Nobody that will transform the team overnight, but you can grab a guy who would be part of the foundation. I like that there are plenty of good D that are well regarded. If we don’t grab a C, Dickinson or Silayev would be great on the left side of the D to bring along with less pressure behind Werenski and Mateychuk, and then be ready to step in a major role when the Werenski contract is done. Or the Belarusian right D Artyom Levshunov is looking great at Michigan State - we could have the right D locked down for ten years with Jiricek and Levshunov.

A couple of late first round defensemen that are interesting

EJ Emery
Matvei Shuravin

If we do the Jackets thing and win meaningless games at the end of the season and get a worse draft pick, maybe trade back with Philly. Both these guys have size and skill but need time to develop. Emery is an American headed to North Dakota. Shuravin is a Russian who could develop in Russia for a few seasons. He has already played a few KHL games. Emery is seen as a defensive guy who could be a good partner for Mateychuk eventually. I don’t know why elite Russian defensemen are missing in the NHL, but potential of Silayev and Shuravin probably makes @ViD pretty happy.

 

[Napoli]

What is everyone's top 5 so far? I haven't done a ton of research but figured it'd be interesting to hear people's thoughts.

 

[tunnelvision]

I am kind of excited about this draft. If we stay top 5ish we should be able to add a nice piece. Nobody that will transform the team overnight, but you can grab a guy who would be part of the foundation. I like that there are plenty of good D that are well regarded. If we don’t grab a C, Dickinson or Silayev would be great on the left side of the D to bring along with less pressure behind Werenski and Mateychuk, and then be ready to step in a major role when the Werenski contract is done. Or the Belarusian right D Artyom Levshunov is looking great at Michigan State - we could have the right D locked down for ten years with Jiricek and Levshunov.

A couple of late first round defensemen that are interesting

EJ Emery
Matvei Shuravin

If we do the Jackets thing and win meaningless games at the end of the season and get a worse draft pick, maybe trade back with Philly. Both these guys have size and skill but need time to develop. Emery is an American headed to North Dakota. Shuravin is a Russian who could develop in Russia for a few seasons. He has already played a few KHL games. Emery is seen as a defensive guy who could be a good partner for Mateychuk eventually. I don’t know why elite Russian defensemen are missing in the NHL, but potential of Silayev and Shuravin probably makes @ViD pretty happy.

Thoughts on Pulkkinen? I look forward to watching how he will handle USA's offense today. Depending on his performance in the latter half of the season, he could be a D option for some non-first round pick if for whatever reason we don't grab a tall and defensively promising LD with the top pick.

 

[koteka]

Thoughts on Pulkkinen? I look forward to watching how he will handle USA's offense today. Depending on his performance in the latter half of the season, he could be a D option for some non-first round pick if for whatever reason we don't grab a tall and defensively promising LD with the top pick.

I’ll have to learn more about him. Jarmo, who drafted a Finnish overager last year, is probably pissed that Pulkinnen is now on people’s radar.

I do think it is a good sign when a bigger guy puts his game together late - as opposed to using their size when they are bigger than everyone at 16 and then dropping off when they aren’t the biggest guy anymore.

Due to work I literally only watched 2 minutes of the game today. Pulkkinen stole the puck and then turned it over and the commentator said “Pulkkinen turns it over again.”

 

[koteka]

Craig’s List: Dominant defencemen set to take over 2024 NHL Draft | TSN

Boston University centre Macklin Celebrini is the crown jewel and favourite to go first overall in the 2024 NHL Draft but expect defence to dominate draft day.

www.tsn.ca

 

[alphafox]

With the depth of defensemen available and only a couple of high-end players at the top of the draft, it makes more and more sense to firesale at the trade deadline. We could probably get Firsts for Jenner and Provorov, maybe flip Laine for a different asset that gels more with the team. That would push us into a bright new era assuming we get a complete management overhaul (which I sadly doubt).

Best case scenario nets us a top-end forward (Celebrini, Lindstrom) and 2 D-men from a deep class or more likely the best defense pool in the NHL (when we lose the lottery) by adding three more 1st round D from a top flight D-class.

 

[squashmaple]

With the depth of defensemen available and only a couple of high-end players at the top of the draft, it makes more and more sense to firesale at the trade deadline. We could probably get Firsts for Jenner and Provorov, maybe flip Laine for a different asset that gels more with the team. That would push us into a bright new era assuming we get a complete management overhaul (which I sadly doubt).

Best case scenario nets us a top-end forward (Celebrini, Lindstrom) and 2 D-men from a deep class or more likely the best defense pool in the NHL (when we lose the lottery) by adding three more 1st round D from a top flight D-class.

And that's how you end up like Buffalo. Pass.

 

[Cowumbus]

What is everyone's top 5 so far? I haven't done a ton of research but figured it'd be interesting to hear people's thoughts.

 

[Napoli]

Catton is crazy low on that list. I don't see him going past 4, hope Jarmo picks him.

 

[Cowumbus]

If you have CBS Sports Network LHD Zeev Buium is playing rn. 4th ranked NA skater.

 

[Jovavic]

That is quite the name

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

That is quite the name

I thought it was a comic book villain.

 

[tunnelvision]

Meaningless January mini-mock:

1 SJ: Celebrini -- Obvious BPA choice, especially for a rebuilding team lacking quality center talent
2 CHI: Lindstrom -- Big strong C is a nice complement behind Bedard for their future top-6
3 ANA: Jiricek -- likely will be looking at RDs with the top pick, and they're not afraid to "reach" for highest upside guy, despite his major injury
4 OTT: Levshunov -- Sens also want an RD or a toolsy LD. It's a coin flip between Levshunov and Silayev
5 CBJ: Silayev -- Disappointed that Ducks took the RD they wanted, they will settle for best available two-way LD left on the board, after a lengthy Silayev vs Dickinson debate in scouts' final pre-draft meeting.