Prospect Info: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[StevenToddIves]

Health for sure worries me, but also I’m not sure I see the offensive upside to justify taking him in the 5 range, which is where most people have him. I think the BIG CENTER thing is papering over some of his warts as a prospect.

I don’t think he’s a bad prospect, I just think he’s more 8-15 than 3-7.

Cayden Lindstrom's health is a legitimate concern, and I'll concede that.

But I'll gladly debate everything else.

Lindstrom is not just 6'4 -- he's a high-motor, elite-compete player who is absolutely ferocious and near-impossible to beat down low. He's a high-end skater, puckhandler, shooter and passer -- all the tools are there. Though the injuries limited him to 32 games, Lindstrom's PPG was about the same level as Catton's, while offering a far stronger 200-foot game at center.

Most of Catton's high-end scoring plays were from the perimeter, while Lindstrom's were down low. As we all know, at the higher levels there is less space/time to create from the perimeter, while a greater percentage of goals are created and scored from down low. That is, unless your line has a guy capable of dominating physically down low, which creates more room for your pure skill players like Catton -- and this is precisely what Lindstrom is capable of becoming.

I get you are not putting down Lindstom and you like him, I'm just explaining why he's pretty easily my #3 overall forward for the 2024 draft. If he falls to the Devils at #10 -- which I still see as highly unlikely -- I'm pretty sure Tom Fitzgerald absolutely sprints to the podium to draft him, regardless of who else is available.

 

[Guadana]

Health for sure worries me, but also I’m not sure I see the offensive upside to justify taking him in the 5 range, which is where most people have him. I think the BIG CENTER thing is papering over some of his warts as a prospect.

I don’t think he’s a bad prospect, I just think he’s more 8-15 than 3-7.

Lindstrom is very rare interior scorer. You will not remember at least one player who was as good in redirection, driving the net and rebounds/puck battles on the slot in the same time. Its very rare. With his skating ability and very good starting speed he will be productive on nhl level. I believe team will fond perimeter playmaker for him. There are enough of Cattons every year on the draft.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Cayden Lindstrom's health is a legitimate concern, and I'll concede that.

But I'll gladly debate everything else.

Lindstrom is not just 6'4 -- he's a high-motor, elite-compete player who is absolutely ferocious and near-impossible to beat down low. He's a high-end skater, puckhandler, shooter and passer -- all the tools are there. Though the injuries limited him to 32 games, Lindstrom's PPG was about the same level as Catton's, while offering a far stronger 200-foot game at center.

Most of Catton's high-end scoring plays were from the perimeter, while Lindstrom's were down low. As we all know, at the higher levels there is less space/time to create from the perimeter, while a greater percentage of goals are created and scored from down low. That is, unless your line has a guy capable of dominating physically down low, which creates more room for your pure skill players like Catton -- and this is precisely what Lindstrom is capable of becoming.

I get you are not putting down Lindstom and you like him, I'm just explaining why he's pretty easily my #3 overall forward for the 2024 draft. If he falls to the Devils at #10 -- which I still see as highly unlikely -- I'm pretty sure Tom Fitzgerald absolutely sprints to the podium to draft him, regardless of who else is available.

Lindstrom absolutely has the potential to be a very rare NHL player. I agree with that wholeheartedly, and I think more or less anybody watching him should agree. We’re just disagreeing on the likelihood of that happening.

And lord knows my track record isn’t perfect and it’s probably worse now that I have less time to watch prospects than ever.

But only a coward hedges his (barely above room temperature) takes and I am NO coward.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Some good content in here

 

[njdevils1982]

2024 Draft Profile:

LD John Whipple, US-NTDP
It's important to write-up Whipple, because he's a Morristown, NJ native who should be available into the 4th/5th rounds and fills an organizational need as a physical, shut-down left-shot defender. The 6'1-195 skates very well and lives to punish the opposition with his aggressive physicality. The reason he's probably been overlooked by the draft consensus has more to do with his non-existent offensive game than anything else.

Whipple is a very simple player, and this is not a detriment. He is an excellent defender -- smart reads, great gaps, astute positioning, mostly good decision-making. He has a bit of trouble against the rush, but again it's not his skating which is absolutely a strength with this player. He just seems to get a bit frustrated when he can't immediately use his notable strength as a tool to separate puck-carrier from puck.

Whipple guards the crease like it's his mother's reputation. You don't want to mess around with an extra slap at the goalie when he's on the ice. Whipple has a bit of Radko Gudas to him, in that he sometimes can toe the line between "physical hockey player" and "seeming sociopath". With your defensive defenders, this is not necessarily a bad thing at higher levels of hockey.

With the puck, Whipple is "functional" at best and "a guy on your team" at worst. He's a complete catch-and-release player whose sole desire is to quickly get the puck to someone who is better at offense. This is not to say he's weak -- he's an okay puck-handler and makes fine, if conservative, passing decisions. He won't hurt you on offense, but he won't help you either.

It's certainly this limitation which will drop Whipple to the later rounds, but he's a nice hometown pick for NJ in that range. The Devils only have one proactively physical LD in the prospect pool with Daniil Karpovich, and Whipple's mix of high mobility and defensive acuity make him a smart late-round selection.

a slightly smaller colin white?

 

[StevenToddIves]

a slightly smaller colin white?

Whipple is a better skater too, but that's an ok stylistic comparison. He's a bottom pairing-type, but if he falls in the draft he'd be a great grab in Round 5 or 6. I just wouldn't reach too early, even though the Devils could use this type of player at LD.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Lindstrom absolutely has the potential to be a very rare NHL player. I agree with that wholeheartedly, and I think more or less anybody watching him should agree. We’re just disagreeing on the likelihood of that happening.

And lord knows my track record isn’t perfect and it’s probably worse now that I have less time to watch prospects than ever.

But only a coward hedges his (barely above room temperature) takes and I am NO coward.

People change their minds all the time. In November, I wasn't sure Hage was a 1st rounder and had barely seen Solberg -- now I have them both in my top 15.

Sometimes the more you see a player the more subtleties come to light. A great example of that is Nygard -- I always saw him as a top 20 pick, but he does so many little things which win hockey games so exceptionally, I have no choice but to consider him a top 10 lock.

Other times, the more you watch players the more things they need to improve come to light. At the outset of the season I had Eiserman at #3 overall, but after pulling out half my hair watching him prioritize a me-game over a team-game, he plummeted out of my top 10.

With Lindstrom, I think he accomplished everything on the ice except a full progression of an organic draft-eligible season, since it was cut short by injury. The tools and heart are undeniable. He can be special. I refuse to knock him in my rankings because of injury, so he was an easy call for me at #3 overall.

 

[Normal Devil]

I think we need to keep our #10 pick .. prospects are too good to trade it off. Given that the farm system is looking a little shaky we could definitely use a top prospect added to the mix. I'd be surprised if we were in this high of a slot again for a while.

 

[bossram]

A few of the main draft guides have been released now. Some rankings of note for Devils fans:

MBS
- Wheeler: 14
- Pronman: 17
- Elite Prospects: 16

Helenius
- W: 10
- P: 14
- EP: 11

Catton
- W: 8
- P: 6
- EP: 8

Sennecke
- W: 17
- P: 7
- EP: 9

Lindstrom (no publication thinks he'll make it to 10+)
- W: 11
- P: 10
- EP 3

 

[My3Sons]

A few of the main draft guides have been released now. Some rankings of note for Devils fans:

MBS
- Wheeler: 14
- Pronman: 17
- Elite Prospects: 16

Helenius
- W: 10
- P: 14
- EP: 11

Catton
- W: 8
- P: 6
- EP: 8

Sennecke
- W: 17
- P: 7
- EP: 9

Lindstrom (no publication thinks he'll make it to 10+)
- W: 11
- P: 10
- EP 3

You left out the most important one:

Celebrini
- W: 1
- P: 1
- EP: 1
- M3S: 10

You heard it here first folks. He's falling to NJ at 10!! Print the jerseys now!!

 

[bossram]

You left out the most important one:

Celebrini
- W: 1
- P: 1
- EP: 1
- M3S: 10

You heard it here first folks. He's falling to NJ at 10!! Print the jerseys now!!

My mom's friend's cousin's uncle's hairdresser's son's roller teammate actually knows the Celebrini family. True, he is pulling a Lindros to come out to NJ.

 

[longislanddevil]

Does anyone know when McKenzie’s final rankings are to be released?

 

[evnted]

Does anyone know when McKenzie’s final rankings are to be released?

a week or so before the draft

 

[Brodeur]

Does anyone know when McKenzie’s final rankings are to be released?

Last year he released it on June 22 (Thursday) and Day 1 of the draft was June 28 (Wednesday).

In the past, I seem to remember his rankings usually coming out on the Monday of draft week when the first round was on a Friday like it does this year. I wonder if ESPN ended its experiment with having the draft on Wednesday or Thursday, but probably just a function that it's already a tight window with a potential Game 7 being on June 24.

 

[Alex NJD]

Saw people raving about Dickinson's performance in the memorial cup game last night on the main boards and twitter. Haven't watched but someone mentioned he has the type of skillset that NHL scouts and management love. Doubting he will be there at 10, same with Buium.

On the other hand there are 6 dmen which are commonly ranked within the top 10 of this years draft which is the most in recent memory. Closest was 2018 with 5 guys rated as potential top 10 guys and 2 top pairing guys fell to #10 and #12 (Bouchard and Dobson) wonder how likely that could be to happen this year?

 

[mdj12784]

I think we need to keep our #10 pick .. prospects are too good to trade it off. Given that the farm system is looking a little shaky we could definitely use a top prospect added to the mix. I'd be surprised if we were in this high of a slot again for a while.

I agree. We’d have to really be blown away to give it up.

 

[Brodeur]

You left out the most important one:

Celebrini
- W: 1
- P: 1
- EP: 1
- M3S: 10

You heard it here first folks. He's falling to NJ at 10!! Print the jerseys now!!

Can we use AI to create a Celebrini gas mask bong video?

 

[evnted]

Saw people raving about Dickinson's performance in the memorial cup game last night on the main boards and twitter. Haven't watched but someone mentioned he has the type of skillset that NHL scouts and management love. Doubting he will be there at 10, same with Buium.

On the other hand there are 6 dmen which are commonly ranked within the top 10 of this years draft which is the most in recent memory. Closest was 2018 with 5 guys rated as potential top 10 guys and 2 top pairing guys fell to #10 and #12 (Bouchard and Dobson) wonder how likely that could be to happen this year?

the top of this class is so variable that while i think its quite possible someone slips out of the top 10, its finicky to project

celebrini, demidov, and lindstrom should be top 10 locks, so we're basically saying only one more F can go top 10 for this not to happen, which could be the case, but requires certain scenarios:

-if demidov and lindstrom both go top 4, which has a decent chance of happening, MTL is still likely going F, which means the entirety of 6-10 will have to be D
-with us in the picture at 10, either a big name LD has to slip or every other non-celebrini/demidov/lindstrom pick has to be D
-we also need to factor in the likelihood of CGY selecting iginla, which would scoop up that final F spot

the discussion also necessitates that whoever slides legitimately becomes top pair caliber. i liked dobson more than i like most of the probable slip candidates (yakemchuk, parekh), though that's not to say either of them still cant get there

so all of this to say, i think it winds up the case one or two of those names go outside the top 10, but forecasting the lotto range of this draft is so challenging that its not an easy exercise to discuss how it happens. any of ANA/UTA/OTT/SEA going F probably guarantees it

 

[LouJersey]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797984446119022686

 

[MartyOwns]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797984446119022686

obviously. that’s why i don’t really care about this year’s prospects, i’m 90% sure we’re trading it (as we should).

 

[My3Sons]

obviously. that’s why i don’t really care about this year’s prospects, i’m 90% sure we’re trading it (as we should).

I think it's a trade NJ ultimately loses. I'm skeptical the value will be there. Especially if they move that pick for a goalie. Ullmark for Saros for 10? No thanks. Both will be signing boat anchor contracts.

 

[Blackjack]

A few of the main draft guides have been released now. Some rankings of note for Devils fans:

MBS
- Wheeler: 14
- Pronman: 17
- Elite Prospects: 16

If we draft Muhammed bin Salman I’ll be so disappointed

 

[tailfins]

If we draft Muhammed bin Salman I’ll be so disappointed

I hear he's quite the enforcer

(oof - that's in poor taste)

 

[Nocashstyle]

obviously. that’s why i don’t really care about this year’s prospects, i’m 90% sure we’re trading it (as we should).

I am absolutely not opposed to moving the pick at all. That said, every year Fitz makes it known that he’s willing to entertain offers for their first round pick and nothing comes to fruition. I’m betting they just make the pick because the offers won’t be worth it.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1797984446119022686

"His range of motion is not completely full, but he's doing a lot of things (off-ice)," Fitzgerald said. "He's working out to gain strength, a lot of plyometrics. He's really excited and is looking forward to getting to the gym every day, get stronger, and that's music to my ears. What's this kid going to be like when he puts on another 10 pounds of muscle?"