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The Asti Spumanti wasn’t unmistakably Nando.
Prospect Info: 2024 NHL Draft Thread
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Starting to think he won’t fall to us
CalamityX23
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- May 2, 2023
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Having already been sold to MBN for a bit due to everyone's generous and informative analysis and opinions, but this one part has cemented the pick for me.
We share the same Birthday. 21 years difference but the same birthday, 10/5. It's MBN or give me death!
We share the same Birthday. 21 years difference but the same birthday, 10/5. It's MBN or give me death!
evnted
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- Apr 14, 2016
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i would be surprised if he wasnt an option, though the worlds have definitely helped out both his and solberg's stocks. of the teams right in front of us (because i certainly dont expect he'll go, say, top 5) both OTT and SEA are much better served going D imo, and while CGY could use help everywhere, i dont think theyre in a position where adding him makes sense, they need more swings on gamebreakers. ARZ (Utah? lol) is the only team im not convinced we have a read on yet, they kind of do their own thing (and deliberately pump out misdirection smoke ie going leonard at 6 last year)
Guadana
Registered User
Thanks for your words.
Nygard wasnt my top priority from the start but when more I watched him than more I liked him.
Of course Denmark is not the hardest team to play against but still its a solid competition for 18 yo player.
Its a bad mock draft.
For the same reasons. Jackets have good defensive depth(NHLers + prospects), they need second center a lot.
Ducks dont draft from Russia in their first round.
After that everything will change.
Again Buffalo have huge offensive depth, they are having so many forwards outside NHL. They need right defenseman.
Buium doesnt look like a player who will fall to us, but I would be happy to draft him.
I think Nygard will be available. Cant see any realistic scenarios. Only if one specific scouting director will fall in love with him. But we cant predict things like that.
Guadana
Registered User
1 is Celebrini for SJ
2 Chi will pick Demidov, Levshunov or Lindstrom. Because they need D, center or huge talent
3 Ducks will pick Levshunov or... may be Buium, may be DIckinson, maaaaaay be Yakemchuk. I believe they need RD more than anything.
4-5 Jackets and Montreal both need center or offensive star. I believe they will pick between Lindstrom and Demidov. And if both are not available, Montreal may pick Iginla or Catton or even Helenius(less likely, they should have ptsd with Kotka)
6 Arizona are interesting but they hardly needs in defenseman.
7 Ottawa needs right defenseman. And defensemen overall - Chychrun look like he will leave them.
8 Seattle should draft defensemen. They have good center depth in Beniers, Wright, Firkus.
9 Calgary needs center and defensemen. Still Iginla should be their first winger priority
There is very little chance that some of this teams will draft Nygard. The only problem is Fitz, who loves to draft for needs and im not sure he is recognizing center in Nygard. The problem for devils is the forward who can play forechecking game, physical game and be productive is the BIGGER problem than third line center. I think we need Nygard as our top-6 contributor more than we need third line center. Especially with how Nygard can play center role. He is playing near Tkachuk style of game with better defensive habits.
2 Chi will pick Demidov, Levshunov or Lindstrom. Because they need D, center or huge talent
3 Ducks will pick Levshunov or... may be Buium, may be DIckinson, maaaaaay be Yakemchuk. I believe they need RD more than anything.
4-5 Jackets and Montreal both need center or offensive star. I believe they will pick between Lindstrom and Demidov. And if both are not available, Montreal may pick Iginla or Catton or even Helenius(less likely, they should have ptsd with Kotka)
6 Arizona are interesting but they hardly needs in defenseman.
7 Ottawa needs right defenseman. And defensemen overall - Chychrun look like he will leave them.
8 Seattle should draft defensemen. They have good center depth in Beniers, Wright, Firkus.
9 Calgary needs center and defensemen. Still Iginla should be their first winger priority
There is very little chance that some of this teams will draft Nygard. The only problem is Fitz, who loves to draft for needs and im not sure he is recognizing center in Nygard. The problem for devils is the forward who can play forechecking game, physical game and be productive is the BIGGER problem than third line center. I think we need Nygard as our top-6 contributor more than we need third line center. Especially with how Nygard can play center role. He is playing near Tkachuk style of game with better defensive habits.
For some reason I can't shake Columbus possibly taking a D. Provorov is only signed for one more year. I guess we'll see who they name as GM. One name who's been mentioned is Mark Hunter who's been running the London Knights, so there could be a connection with Sam Dickinson there.
Ducks haven't used many high picks on Russians playing in Russia but they did take Pavel Mintyukov (OHL) recently and Pat Verbeek is still relatively new to the job. They always seem to bust my mock draft. Levshunov seems like the most logical pick but I could see them taking Silayev if they think he's anything close to Victor Hedman who Verbeek had in Tampa.
Monsieur Verdoux
Registered User
First off, big thanks to all you guys providing such in-depth reports and discussions on the 2024 prospects. Learning a lot just by lurking.
Main callout is that Pronman is now also on the Solberg bandwagon (mocked to STL at #16) - after we heard it first from @StevenToddIves .
It might not be accurate, but to Pronman's credit, he did mentioned alternative picks for many of the teams in the Athletic article:
- ANA: Levshunov/Dickinson
- CBS: Lindstrom/Demidov
- BUF: Helenius/Iginla - I think you are right there, they need RD more then anything.
Main callout is that Pronman is now also on the Solberg bandwagon (mocked to STL at #16) - after we heard it first from @StevenToddIves .
Great break down of the needs.
Guadana
Registered User
Valid argument about Hunter.
But they have Svozil, Mateychuk and Jiricek on the defensive prospect list. They have Werenski and Severson signed long term. I dont think they will draft defenseman in this situation when they have obvious center question. lack of star power and potentially one(at least) of Lindstrom or Demidov are available.
Guadana
Registered User
We are always welcome.
Okay, than he should start from this "alternatives" and use them as a main choice and use his "main" choice as alternative.
Chernyshov is my top-10. ANd im thinking he should fall because of Russian factor too. It is reasonable.
Overall I think the problem of many writers and scouts is how many players they are trying to watch too many prospects. And they dont watch NHL mostly. Reason why some of them are missing on the obvious very projectable NHL potential players, reason why they like players who cant translate every tool on nhl level. Im lazy person Im watching mostly only first rounders. at least im making focus on them. I dont have opinion about 25-40 draft spots this year because I didnt watch enough of this players, didnt watch enough games of them. Reason why I have quite good takes for first round every year, sometimes top-20 only. Im not trying to do more than I can.
Unless I missed it earlier in the thread, I don't see much talk on Catton. While i don't think his rush goals will all translate over to the NHL, he's easily one of the most talented forwards in this draft.
I know some knock his size, but he has time to grow and add on weight. I'd personally be stoked with him at 10 if he's available.
I know some knock his size, but he has time to grow and add on weight. I'd personally be stoked with him at 10 if he's available.
MasterofGrond
No, I'm not serious.
I’m a big Catton guy, I think he has IT. I’d happily draft him, I just think we won’t because he’ll either be gone already or Fitz will opt for a guy with a more complementary style.
He has definitely been discussed in the thread if you search it. There were concerns brought up that he won’t translate as a center.
Guadana
Registered User
Because we dont need softy perimeter playmaker.
We would not be doing our jobs if we did not question the likelihood of Catton playing center in the NHL. The player in recent drafts who he is perhaps most reminiscent of is Cole Perfetti, who has played exclusively wing in the NHL.
I'm a big fan of Catton, and I'm not a big fan of overemphasizing size with forwards in the draft. But let's face it -- Helenius is about the same size as Catton, and there's not much doubt he will play center at the highest levels.
Right now I have a very close battle in my 7-8-9 rankings -- in order, Brandsegg-Nygard, Helenius, Catton. They are all terrific young prospects, but Catton makes the least sense in NJ. While Catton is clearly the best of the 3 in the offensive zone, there are three zones in hockey and (although he's no slouch anywhere, this is a heck of a player) Catton is by far the third most effective of the 3 in the other two zones.
The Devils forward group would benefit most from improvements in the areas of speed and interior play. Again, while Catton is not a bad skater or strictly perimeter player, he rates far behind Brandsegg-Nygard and Helenius in both respects.
Offensive firepower is a big part of hockey, but not the only part. And this is the calling card of Berkly Catton's game. This is absolutely a compliment for a terrific young player. But offensive firepower is just one of several aspects which a hockey team needs to succeed, and it's an area where the Devils -- who need several other elements -- are already strong.
In sum, I'd certainly be *fine* if the Devils drafted Catton. The kid is special, and he'll score at any level, and he's a character kid. But I think folks like @Guadana and @evnted and myself have explained in some detail on this thread why we feel Brandsegg-Nygard or Helenius might be better forward fits in New Jersey.
2024 Draft Profile:
LD Daniil Ustinkov, ZSC Switzerland
Generally, I avoid mentioning the Devils in draft profiles even though I write them these days exclusively on a Devils thread, because I want to make them universal and timeless. However, the Devils have an organizational need at LD and have recently been building a team heavy on Swiss nationals (and, although he has dual citizenship and a Russian name, Ustinkov considers himself Swiss and plays international hockey for Switzerland).
Most notably, however, is this is a kid with a shot to fall to the Devils pick in the 3rd round who is much, much better than he has been given due credit for.
Ustinkov is a very strong and solidly built 6'0-200 with terrific skating ability. He played this year in the Swiss Men's league which is probably neck-and-neck with the Czech league as the 4th best league in Europe after only the KHL, SHL and Finnish Liiga. Though he only averaged just north of 10 minutes per game, he was rock-solid defensively and his mix of strength and speed enabled him to win both puck races and greasy, in-tight battles with impressive regularity. This is even more impressive when you realize that Ustinkov missed the 2025 draft by mere days and is probably the youngest player being ranked in the top 2 rounds for the 2024 draft.
Ustinkov's defensive game is, right now, where he excels the most. He's certainly got a lot to learn, but his positioning and gaps are already at a pretty good level, even for a men's league, and his reads and anticipation of the game are truly impressive in both their maturity and instinctual grace. This is a smart and athletic kid, and he also features a high-compete level and willingness to engage physically. There are myriad reasons to believe Ustinkov can develop into an excellent defensive-defenseman.
Ustinkov's consensus rankings range from the early 2nd round to the mid-3rd, which seems low for a player of his defensive acuity and strength/skating combination. Needless to say, it's because many write him off as a strictly defensive defenseman --bolstered by the fact he only scored 9 assists all year with no goals. Well, I'm here to tell you this is the rare defensive defenseman who is actually better with the puck than without it.
While Ustinkov is one of those no-red-flags, good-across-the-scouting-board defenders, his one truly special ability might just be his almost preternatural savvy with the puck and ability to quickly and efficiently transfer pucks from danger areas to safe zones with high-end passes.
By no means a creative or exciting passer, Ustinkov might be the most *accurate* passer of all 2024-class defenders taken after the top 15 picks. He's exceptionally accurate in his decision making as well. So, what you have here is a guy with the defensive ability to break up a play, then the savvy and hands to calm the puck down and separate from forecheckers, then the ability to lace heady passes up-ice, all in a heartbeat. He does this several times every game, even as a 17 year old in a men's league.
The combination of everything described above gives me little doubt Daniil Ustinkov will be a regular NHL defenseman. Yes, there is a possibility he'll level out as a 3rd-pairing guy, but I also feel he has some unheralded upside offensively. Simply put, a kid this smart, this fast, this good with the puck, and this efficient in his passing game? He's got the tools -- and I think as the youngest regular defenseman in a men's league, he's toiled as a team-first guy, willing to sacrifice taking offensive chances to better compliment his team. He rarely rushes, and seldom activates from the point, even though he clearly has the necessary tool-kit to do so.
In conclusion, I think Ustinkov is, at the very least, one of the safest defensemen in the 2024 draft class and, at the very most, a kid with some sneaky upside who might be one of the more underrated players for the 2024 draft. He's a great pick anywhere in the 2nd round, and an absolute steal thereafter.
LD Daniil Ustinkov, ZSC Switzerland
Generally, I avoid mentioning the Devils in draft profiles even though I write them these days exclusively on a Devils thread, because I want to make them universal and timeless. However, the Devils have an organizational need at LD and have recently been building a team heavy on Swiss nationals (and, although he has dual citizenship and a Russian name, Ustinkov considers himself Swiss and plays international hockey for Switzerland).
Most notably, however, is this is a kid with a shot to fall to the Devils pick in the 3rd round who is much, much better than he has been given due credit for.
Ustinkov is a very strong and solidly built 6'0-200 with terrific skating ability. He played this year in the Swiss Men's league which is probably neck-and-neck with the Czech league as the 4th best league in Europe after only the KHL, SHL and Finnish Liiga. Though he only averaged just north of 10 minutes per game, he was rock-solid defensively and his mix of strength and speed enabled him to win both puck races and greasy, in-tight battles with impressive regularity. This is even more impressive when you realize that Ustinkov missed the 2025 draft by mere days and is probably the youngest player being ranked in the top 2 rounds for the 2024 draft.
Ustinkov's defensive game is, right now, where he excels the most. He's certainly got a lot to learn, but his positioning and gaps are already at a pretty good level, even for a men's league, and his reads and anticipation of the game are truly impressive in both their maturity and instinctual grace. This is a smart and athletic kid, and he also features a high-compete level and willingness to engage physically. There are myriad reasons to believe Ustinkov can develop into an excellent defensive-defenseman.
Ustinkov's consensus rankings range from the early 2nd round to the mid-3rd, which seems low for a player of his defensive acuity and strength/skating combination. Needless to say, it's because many write him off as a strictly defensive defenseman --bolstered by the fact he only scored 9 assists all year with no goals. Well, I'm here to tell you this is the rare defensive defenseman who is actually better with the puck than without it.
While Ustinkov is one of those no-red-flags, good-across-the-scouting-board defenders, his one truly special ability might just be his almost preternatural savvy with the puck and ability to quickly and efficiently transfer pucks from danger areas to safe zones with high-end passes.
By no means a creative or exciting passer, Ustinkov might be the most *accurate* passer of all 2024-class defenders taken after the top 15 picks. He's exceptionally accurate in his decision making as well. So, what you have here is a guy with the defensive ability to break up a play, then the savvy and hands to calm the puck down and separate from forecheckers, then the ability to lace heady passes up-ice, all in a heartbeat. He does this several times every game, even as a 17 year old in a men's league.
The combination of everything described above gives me little doubt Daniil Ustinkov will be a regular NHL defenseman. Yes, there is a possibility he'll level out as a 3rd-pairing guy, but I also feel he has some unheralded upside offensively. Simply put, a kid this smart, this fast, this good with the puck, and this efficient in his passing game? He's got the tools -- and I think as the youngest regular defenseman in a men's league, he's toiled as a team-first guy, willing to sacrifice taking offensive chances to better compliment his team. He rarely rushes, and seldom activates from the point, even though he clearly has the necessary tool-kit to do so.
In conclusion, I think Ustinkov is, at the very least, one of the safest defensemen in the 2024 draft class and, at the very most, a kid with some sneaky upside who might be one of the more underrated players for the 2024 draft. He's a great pick anywhere in the 2nd round, and an absolute steal thereafter.
2024 Draft Profile:
LD Alfons Freij, Vaxjo Jr. SWE JR
This is a player who is often discussed as a late 1st round pick for 2024, and it's easy to see why. He's 6'1-190 and can absolutely fly -- he's in the top handful of all defensemen in the entire class in his sublime skating ability. Freij lives to produce offense and absolutely crushed the Swedish junior circuit and international play with gaudy offensive numbers all year long. The only reasons he is likely not being considered higher in the draft ostensibly has much to do with a high-risk, high-reward style of play which can backfire against his team, and likely was the main cause of his not seeing any SHL time this past season.
Freij is an exciting, puck-rushing defenseman who lives to create offense. He is elite in his combination of puck-handling, speed and an almost uncanny ability to identify open ice which makes him both a one-man breakout and break-in machine. In terms of zone exits and entries, he is absolutely a high-end prospect. This is a kid who can not only burn, but he can also dangle, and he has the confidence and composure with the puck to have his head up the entire time.
Once in the offensive zone, he lives to activate off the point and at times can look like a 4th forward out there. He's almost sinister in the accuracy and creativity of his passing game -- maybe not quite a Parekh or Buium, but certainly in the conversation. He's not a hard shooter, but he's got an arsenal of release points and can beat a goalie with his wrist-shot more on deception than power.
Defensively, Freij is in the very large gray area between "acceptable" and "reliable". While he is very good in his gaps and stick-work and excels at defending against the rush, he's also in need of great improvements in puck battles and absolutely avoids any physical play to a bit of an alarming degree. In Swedish junior play, he's a lot more effective in his own zone because he plays with a lack of concern for anything but getting the puck and transitioning it back to offense. In international play -- while still a weapon offensively -- he can unravel defensively, often losing multiple puck battles on the same shift to more physical forecheckers.
With Freij, I don't think this amounts to "softness" so much as he gets frustrated when he can't open up the game and play to his foremost strengths. I think he needs a few years in the SHL before he transfers to North American hockey, but the upside is certainly tantalizing. This is a fast and skilled kid with a very good understanding of the game who -- if he can improve his few caveats -- is potentially a high-scoring defenseman even at the highest levels.
LD Alfons Freij, Vaxjo Jr. SWE JR
This is a player who is often discussed as a late 1st round pick for 2024, and it's easy to see why. He's 6'1-190 and can absolutely fly -- he's in the top handful of all defensemen in the entire class in his sublime skating ability. Freij lives to produce offense and absolutely crushed the Swedish junior circuit and international play with gaudy offensive numbers all year long. The only reasons he is likely not being considered higher in the draft ostensibly has much to do with a high-risk, high-reward style of play which can backfire against his team, and likely was the main cause of his not seeing any SHL time this past season.
Freij is an exciting, puck-rushing defenseman who lives to create offense. He is elite in his combination of puck-handling, speed and an almost uncanny ability to identify open ice which makes him both a one-man breakout and break-in machine. In terms of zone exits and entries, he is absolutely a high-end prospect. This is a kid who can not only burn, but he can also dangle, and he has the confidence and composure with the puck to have his head up the entire time.
Once in the offensive zone, he lives to activate off the point and at times can look like a 4th forward out there. He's almost sinister in the accuracy and creativity of his passing game -- maybe not quite a Parekh or Buium, but certainly in the conversation. He's not a hard shooter, but he's got an arsenal of release points and can beat a goalie with his wrist-shot more on deception than power.
Defensively, Freij is in the very large gray area between "acceptable" and "reliable". While he is very good in his gaps and stick-work and excels at defending against the rush, he's also in need of great improvements in puck battles and absolutely avoids any physical play to a bit of an alarming degree. In Swedish junior play, he's a lot more effective in his own zone because he plays with a lack of concern for anything but getting the puck and transitioning it back to offense. In international play -- while still a weapon offensively -- he can unravel defensively, often losing multiple puck battles on the same shift to more physical forecheckers.
With Freij, I don't think this amounts to "softness" so much as he gets frustrated when he can't open up the game and play to his foremost strengths. I think he needs a few years in the SHL before he transfers to North American hockey, but the upside is certainly tantalizing. This is a fast and skilled kid with a very good understanding of the game who -- if he can improve his few caveats -- is potentially a high-scoring defenseman even at the highest levels.
I'm confident Brandsegg-Nygard is very likely to fall to the #10 pick.
As much as I personally adore his game (I have him #7 overall), we can all probably agree it's a bit unrealistic that a player with a 12-20 consensus ranking slips into a top 5 of a draft with names like Celebrini, Demidov, Levshunov and Lindstrom.
From 6-9 the uncertainty builds, but not to any absurd degree. At #6 Utah is unlikely to pass on a much-needed and universally higher-rated D like Silayev, Dickinson, Parekh or Yakemchuk to go a bit off the board at forward. At #7, Ottawa is certainly a possibility, but they also need RD and are traditionally far from the most chance-taking team when it comes to drafting out of Europe. At #8 most pundits are confident Seattle goes with D. At #9, Calgary also has a bigger need at D than F, and if they go F it's likely because of the PR boon and goal-scoring jolt it will give them with Tij Iginla.
Lou Bloom
Registered User
- Oct 14, 2020
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I think Sennecke definitely deserves to be in the discussion at #10, he’s an incredibly talented player that’s only gotten better as the year has gone on. Outside of Demidov and Celebrini he might be the best playmaker in the class.
Catton is a superior playmaker to Sennecke. I'd also say Catton is superior to Sennecke pretty much across the board in terms of offensive awareness and skill, although some would prefer Sennecke because he's bigger and faster.
Lou Bloom
Registered User
- Oct 14, 2020
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Catton may be the superior playmaker at the junior level but I think Sennecke has much better NHL projectability and developmental runway. His ability to make plays in tight areas and vision is superior to Catton.
Catton is my favourite for 10. Then Helenius. This is assuming the top-defensemen are all off the board.
I don't think Catton will really be in consideration for the Devils, given how the org operates.
If catton is there at 10 I take him every time and don't even question it. He'll be the BPA. Idc about player size in the draft that much unless it's a tiny defenseman or they're like 5'6.
And if he doesn't end up playing center it isn't that big of a deal either. I'd take a 1LW over a 3C in the draft any day. You can sign or trade for a 3C.
And if he doesn't end up playing center it isn't that big of a deal either. I'd take a 1LW over a 3C in the draft any day. You can sign or trade for a 3C.
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