Prospect Info: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[StevenToddIves]

2024 Draft Profile:

C Dean Letourneau, St. Andrews College, PHC
This was a very difficult prospect profile for me, as-- to be perfectly honest -- I couldn't find any game-tape of his low-level prep school team and had to base the write-up on highlight videos and his two-game cup of coffee with Sioux Fallsof the USHL. It also did not help that he did not impress in his USHL games. So, we must take this with a grain of salt because, Letourneau certainly possesses many elements which will interest NHL scouting staffs.

Foremost, he is a true center who stands 6'7-210. He is the prototypical "skates well for his size", which is to say he can get some nice speed in space, but he has trouble getting going and needs work on his first steps and his agility. Letourneau's hockey skill seems pretty good across the board and he has one elite ability -- his shot. Letourneau can absolutely rocket the puck. He is also defensively aware and willing to play physically -- he knows how strong he is and uses it to his advantage.

Letourneau seemed a bit blown away by the game speed in the USHL, but it's tough to blame him since the talent gap was so huge over what he had ever seen before. He seems to have a solid awareness, but had trouble getting open for a shot. He prefers short, efficient passes and his stick handling is okay, though he mostly prefers to use his enormous size and reach to block off defenders.

There is a lot of mystery here for sure. One almost wishes he was not draft-eligible until next year, when we get to see a full USHL season out of him. Letourneau compares himself to Tage Thompson, and with the elite size and shot there could certainly be upside here. Conversely, it's possible that he is over reliant on his massive frame and will struggle at higher levels. It is for these reasons that Letourneau would be on my radar if he dropped on draft day, but I'd be cautious of drafting him too high. I'm looking forward to watching him next year in Sioux Falls and the following season at Boston College.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2024 Draft Profile:

C/RW Christian Humphreys, US-NTDP
This Pittsburgh native enjoyed had a terrific year playing with top talent in the greatest developmental hockey program on the planet. Humphreys served as a bit of a Swiss-army knife, alternating all over the top 9 at either center or RW. Though a bit undersized at 5'11-165, the US-NTDP coaching had no compunction playing him as the top line center for long stretches. Humpreys responded well, but not spectacularly, with a solid consistency of 200-foot efforts and 58 points in 52 games.

The consensus generally regards Humphreys as a late 2nd round pick. He's a jack of all trades and master of none. He's a good skater with good puck skills, he has good vision and thinks the game well, but it would be a stretch to call any of those abilities high-end. I think Humphreys' best attribute is his shot -- hard, accurate and quick -- but he has difficulty finding the soft spots of the ice in which to get it off. Though I'd rate Humphreys' compete as very good, he certainly does not seek out the greasy areas or invite physicality on either side of the puck.

Humphreys is not physically strong and needs to build core strength, but this is not a concern but rather an inevitability of being drafted into the NHL. Still, I would have to doubt his ability to remain at center in higher levels of hockey, as strength is not his strength and his biggest weakness might be in the face-off circle, where he is not remotely competent. Though he's improved defensively in his time with the program, I think his overall game would be empowered by simplifying things and allowing him to focus on the wing.

Overall, I like Humphreys as a player, but I also have certain reservations. I am concerned he has the necessary game for a bottom 6 role or the pure offense for a top 6 role. I'm not sure his listed position is where he fits best. I think he can work in a sort of utility role at the NHL level, where you slot him all over the line-up. He's a good player and worth drafting, just maybe not in the first 50 picks.

 

[evnted]

2024 Draft Profile:

C Dean Letourneau, St. Andrews College, PHC
This was a very difficult prospect profile for me, as-- to be perfectly honest -- I couldn't find any game-tape of his low-level prep school team and had to base the write-up on highlight videos and his two-game cup of coffee with Sioux Fallsof the USHL. It also did not help that he did not impress in his USHL games. So, we must take this with a grain of salt because, Letourneau certainly possesses many elements which will interest NHL scouting staffs.

Foremost, he is a true center who stands 6'7-210. He is the prototypical "skates well for his size", which is to say he can get some nice speed in space, but he has trouble getting going and needs work on his first steps and his agility. Letourneau's hockey skill seems pretty good across the board and he has one elite ability -- his shot. Letourneau can absolutely rocket the puck. He is also defensively aware and willing to play physically -- he knows how strong he is and uses it to his advantage.

Letourneau seemed a bit blown away by the game speed in the USHL, but it's tough to blame him since the talent gap was so huge over what he had ever seen before. He seems to have a solid awareness, but had trouble getting open for a shot. He prefers short, efficient passes and his stick handling is okay, though he mostly prefers to use his enormous size and reach to block off defenders.

There is a lot of mystery here for sure. One almost wishes he was not draft-eligible until next year, when we get to see a full USHL season out of him. Letourneau compares himself to Tage Thompson, and with the elite size and shot there could certainly be upside here. Conversely, it's possible that he is over reliant on his massive frame and will struggle at higher levels. It is for these reasons that Letourneau would be on my radar if he dropped on draft day, but I'd be cautious of drafting him too high. I'm looking forward to watching him next year in Sioux Falls and the following season at Boston College.

just wanted to piggyback here because i did have a chance to catch some SAC games. ill echo a lot of what STI said, but i think a couple things show more clearly at the prep level

agree with the assessment of his speed, acceleration, etc., tho i would highlight his four-way mobility as something i like, particularly for his size. his shot is definitely his calling card as well. he shows flashes of some decent playmaking but oddly enough it's mainly in transition or off give and go's. it almost feels like once he hits the offensive zone, he's focused on being the triggerman

letourneau has some serious flash, sometimes. he has those tage thompson-esque moments of trying to stickhandle everyone on the ice, and thanks to both his size/reach and general skill level, we do see him execute on these plays at the prep level. is he good enough/fast enough/smart enough to reliably project this at a higher level? ehh

funny enough, from most of my viewings i actually thought his physical play was almost restrained at points. perhaps this was because he could straight up crunch a kid without much effort, but it was more of a tool to shrug off pressure than it was a real component of his game

he was present defensively but i never found him to be too competitive. i can definitely believe that he tightened it up for his ushl games, but ive largely seen him pretty casual off puck. he'll find lanes and try to cut them off but hes really selective about what he actually battles for. he also never really showed much urgency to recover from failed handles/entries/etc. there are plenty of moments where you get the vibe he knows how much better he is than his competition and while i dont call it a compete concern, hes definitely not always huffing it on plays

IQ is a really tough gauge here because he can completely succeed off tools alone at this level. one thing i dislike and that gives me pause is that its somewhat common for him to go over the top with the puck. even when it works, i dont really like it because he's taking advantage of the size/skill gap and he'll probably never have the same freedoms at higher level (i say this because the tools arent over the top and hes not incorporating deception, exceptional reads, etc. all of which would make it more projectable). what i do like is a lot of his offensive zone off puck play. lots of subtle plays like stickchecks to free up passing lanes between his linemates

one complaint i do have, that STI was definitely seeing exposed in the ushl, is he does not seem to respond well to speed/high forechecking. i dont think its an awareness issue, its just not a pace level he seems comfortable dealing with. plenty of avenue to struggle against backcheckers or get outworked for a puck

outlook/draft slot is basically guessing with a prospect like this. a team might see the tools and take a gamble late 1st, particularly if they have multiple picks. i think the package is enticing enough to take him 2nd round, but we're talking major, major project. and i wouldn't bank on getting TNT at all, id be bracing for something of a bjugstad. dont think the raw skill level is super high

2024 Draft Profile:

C/RW Christian Humphreys, US-NTDP
This Pittsburgh native enjoyed had a terrific year playing with top talent in the greatest developmental hockey program on the planet. Humphreys served as a bit of a Swiss-army knife, alternating all over the top 9 at either center or RW. Though a bit undersized at 5'11-165, the US-NTDP coaching had no compunction playing him as the top line center for long stretches. Humpreys responded well, but not spectacularly, with a solid consistency of 200-foot efforts and 58 points in 52 games.

The consensus generally regards Humphreys as a late 2nd round pick. He's a jack of all trades and master of none. He's a good skater with good puck skills, he has good vision and thinks the game well, but it would be a stretch to call any of those abilities high-end. I think Humphreys' best attribute is his shot -- hard, accurate and quick -- but he has difficulty finding the soft spots of the ice in which to get it off. Though I'd rate Humphreys' compete as very good, he certainly does not seek out the greasy areas or invite physicality on either side of the puck.

Humphreys is not physically strong and needs to build core strength, but this is not a concern but rather an inevitability of being drafted into the NHL. Still, I would have to doubt his ability to remain at center in higher levels of hockey, as strength is not his strength and his biggest weakness might be in the face-off circle, where he is not remotely competent. Though he's improved defensively in his time with the program, I think his overall game would be empowered by simplifying things and allowing him to focus on the wing.

Overall, I like Humphreys as a player, but I also have certain reservations. I am concerned he has the necessary game for a bottom 6 role or the pure offense for a top 6 role. I'm not sure his listed position is where he fits best. I think he can work in a sort of utility role at the NHL level, where you slot him all over the line-up. He's a good player and worth drafting, just maybe not in the first 50 picks.

of all the players weve profiled, humphreys might be the one ive struggled the most with trying to develop a strong opinion on. i dont know what it is but every viewing i have hes just...there. nothing that bad to call out, and nothing that impressive either. i think hes best in transition but i cant even explain why, he just seems to know where to go and how to get there. like you said, hes not an amazing skater, thinker, handler, etc. but for whatever reason it seems to click for him in the neutral zone

 

[StevenToddIves]

2024 Draft Profile:

C Julius Miettinen, Everett WHL
There's a lot of range in how the draft consensus sees Julius Miettinen, but we can probably all be in agreement that he's difficult not to see. The young Finn is 6'3-210 and a good skater, so he's tough to miss out there. I've seen him ranked as high as the top 20 (Craig Button) and as low as the 4th round (McKeen's). There is a lot to like about his game and a few concerns, but I think it's important to start by saying Miettinen was a defenseman until just two years ago, when he switched to forward. Center is a very difficult position to learn, but Miettinen has progressed nicely, finishing the season with a 31-36-67 line in 66 games.

Despite his scoring line, Miettinen is far more of a playmaker than a pure scorer. He's actually a terrific passer, capable of high-vision passes which show a nice awareness and good creativity. Miettinen's scoring line is skewed mostly because he is deployed by the Silvertips as the net-front guy on the PP and when down a goal late. He's got a very nice set of hands and is capable of tough deflections and scoring on rebounds, and his strength in the crease is no joke. Miettinen is not proactively physical, but he uses his size and power as an offensive tool to get where he wants to go and then to be immovable once he gets there.

Almost all Miettinen's goals are scored from a few feet around the crease. Strangely with such a big, strong guy I'd say Miettinen's weakest quality is his shot. It takes awhile to get off and it doesn't have much zip or accuracy once he's outside the dots. He's a capable defender and plays off the puck and on the forecheck with some intensity, but I wouldn't go so far as to call him a high-motor guy.

Julius Miettinen is certainly a prospect I have time for. He's big and skates well and he's got some very intriguing offensive skills. The fact he's a recent convert to the position might indicate a higher development arc than other centers his age. However, I still think a top 20 ranking -- like Craig Button had -- is quite a stretch. I'd say he's in the conversation for a top 50 spot int he 2024 draft, but he's not necessarily a lock. I don't think a center of his size falls very far on draft day, but if he does he's certainly a value anywhere after the 2nd round.

 

[evnted]

2024 Draft Profile:

C Simon Zether, Rogle SHL

Zether offers a lot of traits NHL GM's tend to like: size (6'3" 190lb), right shot center, physical play, pro league experience, and a low maintenance game. Some outlets like him as an early 2nd round pick, others feel he's more suited as a mid 3rd round selection. We're going to do this a little differently here. I don't think there's a "right" answer this time, I think everyone has a similar read on the player and the discrepancy in his placements is merely a reflection of what each individual outlet prioritizes in projecting prospects.

Zether is not a power forward per se, but you best believe he uses his frame to his advantage. The player is excellent at pressuring defenders down low thanks to his incredible ability to staple them against the boards. Simply put, once he engulfs them, they're not getting out. And he's not just about the physical component either, Zether is more than capable of fishing a loose puck out from underneath them and getting it to his linemate. As you'd expect, Zether is also a monster around the crease. When he wants to park himself around the paint, he will, and he's not giving up his spot. While his offensive tools aren't anything to write home about, there's plenty of power behind his shots and passes, and he does have some impressive stickhandles from time to time. Perhaps the greatest part of Zether's game, apart from his body play and battles of course, is his multi-zone positional ability. This player always knows where to be, offensively or defensively. He has that great knack for being right where you need him to get play started.

Zether, unfortunately, appears a bit limited beyond these positives. The most glaring problem, which doesn't take too long to notice, is his combination of slow skating and low pace play. The game seems to lag when he possess the puck for an extended period of time. And, not to mention, so much of his game is basically stagnant anyway. This is the type of player you love to have causing havoc around the net or stationed back in your zone ready for an intercept, but don't really love in transition or under pressure. For as good as his positioning is, I don't think he uses it to his advantage enough. He covers lanes, sure, but he's not consistently threatening defenders or pressuring forecheckers. The obvious lack of flash or creativity is not particularly concerning given he'll be selected for the maturity of his game anyway, but teams are clearly looking at a system buy-in bottom 6 type outlook.

So, this brings me back to my introduction. Outlets that love chasing upside and that typically focus on mobility and puck skills above all else will likely have minimal interest in Zether. Outlets that prioritize physicality, defense, generating play from the boards, and overall pro tendencies will likely appreciate him much more. For us, while Zether offers a lot of things that really could benefit the roster, I'm a bit concerned the limited pace and hard skill might not be compatible with the pieces we have. I wouldn't hate the pick if we made it, there's an obvious path to the NHL with some skating improvement, and it's not like our staff hasn't shown the ability to get that done, but it just doesn't quite feel like a fit.

 

[evnted]

2024 Draft Profile:

LD Noel Fransen, Farjestad BK J20 Nationell

If you're invested in the online scouting community, you might've heard this name before. In fact, there are some internet scouts who straight up love this kid, like fringe 1st rounder. That said, he's typically been ignored in most rankings, particularly from the more traditional outlets. What gives? Well, it'll be clear pretty soon.

Let's talk the good first. Fransen is a quick, smooth skating defender who shows no discernible weakness in terms of agility, edge work, acceleration, etc. Simply put, he's a joy to watch move around the ice. Fransen shows great scanning and can make effective decisions with the puck, even at speed. His anticipation is high end, both on and off the puck, and he typically displays an impressive level of poise, even under pressure. While he might not have one specific calling card, his offensive tools are all + level, and coupled with his vision and activations, he's usually a threat offensively. He's not a very structured player, he'll have trouble maintaining his gap, and he's not always great at playing through contact, but he does show some decent intent at times, for example with his stick placement and how he leverages his body to create space under pressure. Fransen is clearly in the mold of a modern day, transitionally focused defender who plays a fairly aggressive style with the puck without typically neglecting his responsibilities in either zone.

I imagine this all sounds good, so why are a bunch of outlets really down on him? This'll be pretty quick, and pretty damning. I struggle to think of a prospect who is less trustworthy in game scenarios than him (excluding obvious headcases like Ryan Merkley, for example). This kid can have some insane lapses in play and make some of the most indefensibly reckless decisions with his passes, pinches, coverage, you name it. While it's hard to ever pin a full 60 minute loss on one player, Fransen has certainly made a few compelling arguments from time to time. Basically, when his play starts to break down, so does his engagement. It is just astounding how quickly things can fall apart for him, and even worse how he'll show zero desire to change or do anything in response to it, other than, perhaps, compound things and get even worse.

And that's that. You have a real talented, smooth skating defender with skill, vision, adequate size, and solid numbers, who otherwise should be of interest to many teams, but it's packaged in a player who can readily just throw games away. How do you rank that? To me, I like him as an honorable mention, which is to say, there's obviously something in this player that's worth highlighting, I just can't commit to a placement in which I would advocate for picking him. I can only imagine what his interviews will be like. Maybe a team rolls the dice, he gets it together, and they look like geniuses. Maybe he's just another player added to the long list of prospects of which fanbases tell us "look at his highlights, he's going to be a star!" only for it to never happen, or even come close. Either way, he's certainly interesting, and I'll be eager to see what happens.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2024 Draft Profile:

C/LW Kieron Walton, Sudbury OHL
One thing I thought I would never, ever see in draft analysis would be a smooth-skating, 6'6-210 Toronto-native playing in the OHL who is actually underrated by the draft consensus, but here we are. This has everything to do with context, of course. Buried on a talent-laden Wolves roster, Walton was relegated all season to a mostly bottom 6 role, where he accumulated a modest stat-line of 18-25-43 in 65 games. Walton would have still been able to generate more attention if he used his size and became a hitting/intimidation machine, but that's not really at the heart of his game. So, he just sort of merged into the background of a stacked team, despite the very impressive upside he offers.

Walton is one of the many good-but-not-great skaters we discuss for NHL drafts. While being a good skater at the OHL level usually indicates being an average one at the NHL level, for a 6'6 forward that still must be considered a plus. He's also a rangy kid, so building up some core strength would really improve his initial explosiveness. Like many big youngsters, once he gets going he can cover a lot of ice is a blink.

What impresses me about Walton is his mix of intelligence, commitment to two-way play and sneaky offensive upside. Walton is not a chess player, but he's a very good checkers player -- which is to say that he's obviously not dissecting possibilities and permutations ahead of time like a Pavel Datsyuk, he anticipates and reacts very well and makes excellent decisions both with and without the puck. When he has the puck, I'd have to say Walton was as impressive as any bottom 6 forward I've seen in the OHL. He has a surprisingly soft set of hands, and can really pull out a dangle or two. When that is combined with a big frame and long reach, you have a player who is really good at buying himself time with the puck. Walton is a good passer with a very heavy shot. He is great on the forecheck and knows the importance of taking the puck to the net. As with most oversized players, Walton is a terrific net-front presence and he's certainly shown improvements in his ability to tip shots and fish out rebounds.

Walton has to be on the shortlist of players primed to break out in the 2024-25 OHL season. He offers size and athleticism, heady play and an excellent motor. The question of whether he projects to the wing or the center at the professional level is of course an important one, and unfortunately we'll need to seem him in a bigger role in order to assess this with more accuracy. But the size and speed combo certainly will help him up the middle. As such, I think he is worth taking a flyer on as early as the mid-2nd round.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Who is this guy? He's really not very astute. The argument of "he's not as good as Sasha Barkov so don't draft him" seems a bit inane. I mean, should the Sharks pass on Celebrini because he's not as good as Bedard?

Good writers don't dismiss possibilities with arguments based on false equivalencies and without offering viable alternatives.

Devils Should Avoid Konsta Helenius at 10th Overall

Given the available names at and around that pick, GM Tom Fitzgerald needs to either prioritize a high-ceiling prospect or trade the pick.

thehockeywriters.substack.com

 

[Guadana]

Who is this guy? He's really not very astute. The argument of "he's not as good as Sasha Barkov so don't draft him" seems a bit inane. I mean, should the Sharks pass on Celebrini because he's not as good as Bedard?

Good writers don't dismiss possibilities with arguments based on false equivalencies and without offering viable alternatives.

Devils Should Avoid Konsta Helenius at 10th Overall

Given the available names at and around that pick, GM Tom Fitzgerald needs to either prioritize a high-ceiling prospect or trade the pick.

thehockeywriters.substack.com

Barkov was second overall. Another softie from Russia but still 2nd, if Helenius would be as good as Barkov, we would not have a chance to draft him. Barkov would be 1OA candidate this draft year.

 

[Xirik]

Who is this guy? He's really not very astute. The argument of "he's not as good as Sasha Barkov so don't draft him" seems a bit inane. I mean, should the Sharks pass on Celebrini because he's not as good as Bedard?

Good writers don't dismiss possibilities with arguments based on false equivalencies and without offering viable alternatives.

Devils Should Avoid Konsta Helenius at 10th Overall

Given the available names at and around that pick, GM Tom Fitzgerald needs to either prioritize a high-ceiling prospect or trade the pick.

thehockeywriters.substack.com

would have been helpful if he said who he thinks the Devils should pick. It would allow us to understand his mindset.

 

[StevenToddIves]

would have been helpful if he said who he thinks the Devils should pick. It would allow us to understand his mindset.

It's just completely useless writing. What would inspire a purported hockey writer to utterly dismiss a prospect he clearly has not even extensively researched, without offering an alternative or sound reasoning?

Look, all prospect writers have the prospects they are higher on and lower on, that's inevitable and natural. But if I have a prospect I'm higher on than most (like say, Nygard) and a prospect I'm lower on than most (say, Greentree), I'm not going to simply write an article saying "Don't Draft Greentree". Rather, I'm going to explain my reservations about Greentree and then explain in detail why I compare him unfavorably to prospects like Nygard who play the same position and will be available in the same general area of the draft. I will then make the focus (and title) of my article based on "why we should draft Nygard" instead of simply "why we should not draft Greentree" because, quite simply, that sort of unsupported negativity does not benefit anyone.

 

[Guadana]

It's just completely useless writing. What would inspire a purported hockey writer to utterly dismiss a prospect he clearly has not even extensively researched, without offering an alternative or sound reasoning?

Look, all prospect writers have the prospects they are higher on and lower on, that's inevitable and natural. But if I have a prospect I'm higher on than most (like say, Nygard) and a prospect I'm lower on than most (say, Greentree), I'm not going to simply write an article saying "Don't Draft Greentree". Rather, I'm going to explain my reservations about Greentree and then explain in detail why I compare him unfavorably to prospects like Nygard who play the same position and will be available in the same general area of the draft. I will then make the focus (and title) of my article based on "why we should draft Nygard" instead of simply "why we should not draft Greentree" because, quite simply, that sort of unsupported negativity does not benefit anyone.

Yeah. Greentree isnt Tkachuk you know. So dont draft him.

 

[Sheros expletives]

I agree with him simply because i dont like Helenius name.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I agree with him simply because i dont like Helenius name.

Well, it's as good of a reason as that guy gave.

 

[evnted]

would have been helpful if he said who he thinks the Devils should pick. It would allow us to understand his mindset.

he posted a bit more on twitter a week or two ago. essentially, his pick is catton because of his high offensive ceiling, strong transitional presence, and elite vision. to his credit, he did actually lean into the possible/likely W projection for him, but he also said his speed and agility are on par with that of jack and bratt which, uh, no lol. i dont struggle to understand why he likes catton more, but i think the opinion is a bit misplaced with how our team is currently positioned

let me get on my soapbox for a minute, because ive seen some of his anti-helenius arguments elsewhere and i really cant wrap my head around some of them. if people prefer the higher end offensive projection at the expense of everything else, i dont agree, but i get it, and its 100% their prerogative to like it more. the following, though, is not an acceptable opposition to the other player. paraphrasing it, he thinks we already have haula for 3C, and even if he's on jack's wing, we can sign someone else in free agency to play 3C

i have two things to complain about. #1, you do not, under any circumstances, make a decision at 10OA based on a 33 year old journeyman with 2 years remaining on his contract. that is outlandish. flippantly saying 3C can be filled by someone in free agency is not only greatly idealistic (in terms of fit/price/talent/etc.), it's basically punting the issue a couple years down the line, ensuring we'll need to, again, cross our fingers that the perfect match exists and is willing to sign here on an affordable deal. a better upside, age appropriate, home grown, cap controlled middle 6 projection is much more valuable than its being made out to be here

#2, im getting a bit tired of the "he's only going to be a 3C" argument. line numbers are irrelevant. tom has repeatedly said he wants to build the best possible top 9 in the league. we dont accomplish that by squandering the talent down the middle on one of them. nothing mandates we play our 3rd line 11 minutes a night. in fact, i want a 3rd line i trust enough to get 20min in a game if either of the other top 2 lines aren't getting the job done. not one contender in the history of the league has complained about having too much talented depth

almost lost myself a bit there lol. look, i get it, catton has better offensive upside and clearer offensive tools. i dont blame people for liking him more because of that, i can see what they're seeing. but people need to stop opposing helenius in the name of roster composition because no matter how much they try to push the necessity of a 70-80pt left winger, the 50-60pt two-way center will always play a more valuable role

 

[StevenToddIves]

Couldn't agree more with absolutely 100% of what you say here.

I couldn't help but add that -- if you think Catton's speed and agility are on par with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt? Well, you have no business writing about prospects. You simply cannot present blatant disinformation to sell a take. You might as well say your team should draft Parekh over Silayev because Parekh is taller.

Ultimately, the reason I posted that article is because it's just annoying and people need to know not to believe everything they read when it comes to the NHL draft. The fact is that Helenius is quite clearly a superior skater to Catton. Does that mean Helenius is the better player? Well obviously no, but I'm also not going to push the narrative that I'd prefer Helenius to Catton because he's a better puck handler and playmaker, because he's not.

Purposeful disinformation is always bad, and thank you @evnted for pointing it out.

 

[Guadana]

he posted a bit more on twitter a week or two ago. essentially, his pick is catton because of his high offensive ceiling, strong transitional presence, and elite vision. to his credit, he did actually lean into the possible/likely W projection for him, but he also said his speed and agility are on par with that of jack and bratt which, uh, no lol. i dont struggle to understand why he likes catton more, but i think the opinion is a bit misplaced with how our team is currently positioned

let me get on my soapbox for a minute, because ive seen some of his anti-helenius arguments elsewhere and i really cant wrap my head around some of them. if people prefer the higher end offensive projection at the expense of everything else, i dont agree, but i get it, and its 100% their prerogative to like it more. the following, though, is not an acceptable opposition to the other player. paraphrasing it, he thinks we already have haula for 3C, and even if he's on jack's wing, we can sign someone else in free agency to play 3C

i have two things to complain about. #1, you do not, under any circumstances, make a decision at 10OA based on a 33 year old journeyman with 2 years remaining on his contract. that is outlandish. flippantly saying 3C can be filled by someone in free agency is not only greatly idealistic (in terms of fit/price/talent/etc.), it's basically punting the issue a couple years down the line, ensuring we'll need to, again, cross our fingers that the perfect match exists and is willing to sign here on an affordable deal. a better upside, age appropriate, home grown, cap controlled middle 6 projection is much more valuable than its being made out to be here

#2, im getting a bit tired of the "he's only going to be a 3C" argument. line numbers are irrelevant. tom has repeatedly said he wants to build the best possible top 9 in the league. we dont accomplish that by squandering the talent down the middle on one of them. nothing mandates we play our 3rd line 11 minutes a night. in fact, i want a 3rd line i trust enough to get 20min in a game if either of the other top 2 lines aren't getting the job done. not one contender in the history of the league has complained about having too much talented depth

almost lost myself a bit there lol. look, i get it, catton has better offensive upside and clearer offensive tools. i dont blame people for liking him more because of that, i can see what they're seeing. but people need to stop opposing helenius in the name of roster composition because no matter how much they try to push the necessity of a 70-80pt left winger, the 50-60pt two-way center will always play a more valuable role

Jack Hughes... m...
Now I really want Catton.

Too bad I actually watched both to not wait Jack Hughes skating from Catton. Imagine how could fan be disappointed because he waited Jack Hughes 2.0(high playmaking ceiling, puck handling, elite skating).

Couldn't agree more with absolutely 100% of what you say here.

I couldn't help but add that -- if you think Catton's speed and agility are on par with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt? Well, you have no business writing about prospects. You simply cannot present blatant disinformation to sell a take. You might as well say your team should draft Parekh over Silayev because Parekh is taller.

Ultimately, the reason I posted that article is because it's just annoying and people need to know not to believe everything they read when it comes to the NHL draft. The fact is that Helenius is quite clearly a superior skater to Catton. Does that mean Helenius is the better player? Well obviously no, but I'm also not going to push the narrative that I'd prefer Helenius to Catton because he's a better puck handler and playmaker, because he's not.

Purposeful disinformation is always bad, and thank you @evnted for pointing it out.

Parekh isnt taller? Dont forget Silayev is soft. As Chernyshov. And Nygard too.

But how hard Catton and Parekh are. Huge puck battlers.

 

[Forge]

Is the draft worth going to? Was considering it

 

[Lou Bloom]

His reasoning is poor but Helenius is the player I like the least out of the names being bandied about for 10th overall (other than Eiserman). An undersized center that doesn't have high end speed or skill or much projectability is a scary proposition at 10th overall. Smart, two way center but I worry that his lack of physical tools will limit his overall effectiveness at the NHL level.

 

[Brodeur]

Is the draft worth going to? Was considering it

I’ve been to five and have tickets for this one. Not sure it’s totally worth the effort and they really marked up the price for the first round. Can be fun for photos/autographs but more likely to run into the Day 2 picks than the first rounders.

This year being in Vegas at least offers up things to do afterwards. I have most of my meals mapped out and I’m debating whether to watch the Beatles Cirque du Soleil show since it’s closing down in July. UFC is in town too, there’s an expo and a HOF that I’m debating attending.

Unfortunately day 2 starts early on Saturday morning, ideally would want to sleep in. In terms of whether it’s worth it, I’d almost look at it as a Vegas weekend and there happens to be a draft. I’ve enjoyed the drafts I’ve been to but can understand why somebody might find it as exciting as attending a graduation.

 

[Xirik]

It's just completely useless writing. What would inspire a purported hockey writer to utterly dismiss a prospect he clearly has not even extensively researched, without offering an alternative or sound reasoning?

Look, all prospect writers have the prospects they are higher on and lower on, that's inevitable and natural. But if I have a prospect I'm higher on than most (like say, Nygard) and a prospect I'm lower on than most (say, Greentree), I'm not going to simply write an article saying "Don't Draft Greentree". Rather, I'm going to explain my reservations about Greentree and then explain in detail why I compare him unfavorably to prospects like Nygard who play the same position and will be available in the same general area of the draft. I will then make the focus (and title) of my article based on "why we should draft Nygard" instead of simply "why we should not draft Greentree" because, quite simply, that sort of unsupported negativity does not benefit anyone.

Looking at it that way it definitely seems like a douchey thing to write about a player especially pre-draft.

 

[Forge]

I’ve been to five and have tickets for this one. Not sure it’s totally worth the effort and they really marked up the price for the first round. Can be fun for photos/autographs but more likely to run into the Day 2 picks than the first rounders.

This year being in Vegas at least offers up things to do afterwards. I have most of my meals mapped out and I’m debating whether to watch the Beatles Cirque du Soleil show since it’s closing down in July. UFC is in town too, there’s an expo and a HOF that I’m debating attending.

Unfortunately day 2 starts early on Saturday morning, ideally would want to sleep in. In terms of whether it’s worth it, I’d almost look at it as a Vegas weekend and there happens to be a draft. I’ve enjoyed the drafts I’ve been to but can understand why somebody might find it as exciting as attending a graduation.

Thanks for the response.

I live in Vegas, so for me it's fully just about whether the draft is actually worth it (and whether I can get the time from work off).

Love is totally worth it. I've seen it a few times. Enjoyed it quite a bit. But I'm also a sucker for most shows

 

[Xirik]

I’ve been to five and have tickets for this one. Not sure it’s totally worth the effort and they really marked up the price for the first round. Can be fun for photos/autographs but more likely to run into the Day 2 picks than the first rounders.

This year being in Vegas at least offers up things to do afterwards. I have most of my meals mapped out and I’m debating whether to watch the Beatles Cirque du Soleil show since it’s closing down in July. UFC is in town too, there’s an expo and a HOF that I’m debating attending.

Unfortunately day 2 starts early on Saturday morning, ideally would want to sleep in. In terms of whether it’s worth it, I’d almost look at it as a Vegas weekend and there happens to be a draft. I’ve enjoyed the drafts I’ve been to but can understand why somebody might find it as exciting as attending a graduation.

sounds like a extremely fun trip to me. Hopefully Edmonton or Calgary hosts the draft someday. would be fun to go to one at least once.

 

[Blackjack]

Who is this guy? He's really not very astute. The argument of "he's not as good as Sasha Barkov so don't draft him" seems a bit inane. I mean, should the Sharks pass on Celebrini because he's not as good as Bedard?

Good writers don't dismiss possibilities with arguments based on false equivalencies and without offering viable alternatives.

Devils Should Avoid Konsta Helenius at 10th Overall

Given the available names at and around that pick, GM Tom Fitzgerald needs to either prioritize a high-ceiling prospect or trade the pick.

thehockeywriters.substack.com

One thing that the criticisms of Helenius remind me of is what people said about Lundell in his draft year. High floor, low ceiling. I made a mental note of that and wondered how it would turn out. Looks like a pretty damn good pick now.

These are 18 year olds, if Helenius is really good enough to jump into the NHL as a 3C, as this writer supposes, it's crazy to think he can't get much better than that.

 

[evnted]

Is the draft worth going to? Was considering it

my answer would be yes regardless, but considering that this is the last draft before it goes to a more decentralized approach, you absolutely should go

the whole staff getting on stage gimmick is more exciting in person. its hard to explain, it just kind of builds an aura of suspense around things as you see them beginning to stand up. this year in particular could have some curve balls and extra activity on the floor given how uncertain most of the class is, which would only add to it

even if you're not super in the weeds on day 2 prospects (although anyone posting in this thread most likely is lol), it's still fun to check out the stuff they have on display in the concourse, try to meet up with some of the kids, and just hang out and root for the sleeper picks we've talked about here