i have not been looking forward to seeing this thread pop up (as much as i like following the draft) but i cant disagree with the timing lol
i wouldnt describe the 2024 class as my favorite. the russians/whl kids look strong again, and we have a handful of top end ncaa players this year, but its pretty light out of the qmjhl (per usual), sweden, and even the usntdp, which is weird since conversely i think its a better than average ushl class. i dont think the ohl group is that great either (comparatively speaking to what they normally put out) though theyve trended better as of late
im concerned about star power coming out of this draft, particularly up front. i also dont see a lot of great C options as you go down the board, unfortunately. they exist (hage, luchanko, boisvert, pettersson, etc.) but youre kinda crossing your fingers a bit on their outlook. now, theres plenty of interesting defensive projects, some of which could break really well, but i think theyll need strong developmental systems to tie everything together, even at the top end. board-favorite steve kournianos said it best the other day when he mentioned it felt like a draft where a defender taken outside the 1st round will have the best career
the one positive, though, is i think the draft has a lot of smart, solid compete, and even interior-focused middle 6 upside pieces. no one who makes or breaks the roster, but could help elevate a line and really feed off a jack or nico. iginla, who i doubt will be available for our pick, would add great scoring, pace, and forechecking. i wouldnt get wrapped up in projecting him like his father, but i do see a lot of hagel in him. artamonov has been very impressive as well. larionov is a more kid-friendly coach with torpedo (which helps to explain his role) but he certainly hasnt looked out of place, regularly outworking and outthinking khl level talent. players like chernyshov and sennecke you have to squint a little to see what they could turn out to be long term, but the former combines size/skill/skating with good vision and a 200ft effort, and the latter showcases some exceptional awareness and handling while likely being a ways away from a final product given a recent (and dramatic) growth spurt. luchanko as previously mentioned is a high motor, high IQ player who could likely mesh with anyone. parasack is toffoli-esque with his elite anticipation and ability to park himself in scoring lanes. basha is in the mold of a brindley or konecny from prior years, very high pace and creative offensively
i could keep going. like i said, i dont really love the class, but theres no shortage of fill-in checking line options who could be available at our pick (if we retain it i suppose lol), and i think more than usual this will be a year where you really want your team to be good at developing players. ill be interested to see if/how many players close out the season with a strong enough step forward to take themselves out of our range