Craig Button releases his final Craig's List for the 2024 draft

[BLNY]

Certainly interesting that Eiserman has suddenly climbed back up the rankings. I don't know if he'll go 5th. I don't know if Craig did it based on who is picking where. But, I never felt Eiserman deserved the drop to 15.

 

[Jared Dunn]

Craig seems to have historically been a guy who tries to make bold projections about how guys will adapt to the pro/NHL game. He's had guys significantly higher or lower based on his personal projections. Like everyone else, he gets a ton wrong, but you can go look at some of his rankings, and he got some of his bolder rankings right. He had Adrian Kempe at 10 and Brayden Point at 17 in 2014 for example.

For sure you pick the long shot every time you're bound to hit a couple. I'm just saying I doubt he's really building a concrete opinion on more than a few players. Like he's TSN's "head scout" but he probably spends, what, 6-8 hours a week watching or investigating prospects? I was just surprised to see him roll out three full rounds lol

Not saying this influenced him in any way but Button was the Director of Scouting for Dallas and was closely involved with Drafting Iginla in 1995

He has said probably 300 times on podcasts and radio by now: "we thought Jarome would be just a 30 goal scorer, and we were wrong - am I gonna make the same mistake with Tij?" (more or less)

 

[Hockeyville USA]

For sure you pick the long shot every time you're bound to hit a couple. I'm just saying I doubt he's really building a concrete opinion on more than a few players. Like he's TSN's "head scout" but he probably spends, what, 6-8 hours a week watching or investigating prospects? I was just surprised to see him roll out three full rounds lol

Craig is married to the game much more than the average fan would like to believe. The guy has worked long and hard to know as much about the game as possible. Sure, some of his reports may not be as well versed as you'd like because he has a ton of duties/responsibilities as a hockey expert at TSN, but I do think he's a bit more well versed about each draft talent pool than you're giving him credit for.

 

[Jared Dunn]

Craig is married to the game much more than the average fan would like to believe. The guy has worked long and hard to know as much about the game as possible. Sure, some of his reports may not be as well versed as you'd like because he has a ton of duties/responsibilities as a hockey expert at TSN, but I do think he's a bit more well versed about each draft talent pool than you're giving him credit for.

But he's not dedicated to just that, he's working games for TSN and other duties. It just doesn't seem realistic that he can get that wide a bearing on so many prospects. Hell most amateur scouts would probably tell you they don't have a serious read on that many players.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Certainly interesting that Eiserman has suddenly climbed back up the rankings. I don't know if he'll go 5th. I don't know if Craig did it based on who is picking where. But, I never felt Eiserman deserved the drop to 15.

He's got a bankable skill. Even if you think the rest of his game is wanting, some team might take a chance on drafting him high in the hope they get a 30-40 goal scorer and can work out the kinks.

 

[docbenton]

He's got a bankable skill. Even if you think the rest of his game is wanting, some team might take a chance on drafting him high in the hope they get a 30-40 goal scorer and can work out the kinks.

Definitely. At this stage I would never care too much what a players weaknesses are, I would focus on how truly standout their strengths are. And then of course how driven they are to improve.

Goal scorers don't miss because they don't play defense, they miss because they don't score goals.

 

[Craig Ludwig]

Yikes, this is bad. I would bet my house that Habs would never take Eiserman.

 

[Byron Bitz]

Is Bob McKenzie just not even doing his final rankings this year? The draft is a week away what’s he waiting for?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I guess the history of every draft ever says that the "consensus" rankings aren't going to end up being right, so tossing it into the blender a bit probably isn't the worst way to go.

 

[Crow]

Is Bob McKenzie just not even doing his final rankings this year? The draft is a week away what’s he waiting for?

I read somewhere that it’s coming today.

 

[BLNY]

He's got a bankable skill. Even if you think the rest of his game is wanting, some team might take a chance on drafting him high in the hope they get a 30-40 goal scorer and can work out the kinks.

Caufield had some of the same knocks. He's in the right situation and is rounding into a complete player. If Eiserman has any work ethic at all, I wouldn't have a problem taking him at 5.

 

[57special]

But he's not dedicated to just that, he's working games for TSN and other duties. It just doesn't seem realistic that he can get that wide a bearing on so many prospects. Hell most amateur scouts would probably tell you they don't have a serious read on that many players.

and during that time he would be talking to hockey people.

 

[ORRFForever]

Is Bob McKenzie just not even doing his final rankings this year? The draft is a week away what’s he waiting for?

He's building suspense. He KNOWS the anticipation is killing you.

 

[Brodeur]

Is Bob McKenzie just not even doing his final rankings this year? The draft is a week away what’s he waiting for?

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802734937033830423

Normally it'd be done on Monday when the draft is on Friday. So this seems "usual." His 2019 rankings were released on June 17 (Monday) and the first round was June 21 (Friday). Then the pandemic years happened so that was different. Then ESPN experimented with having the first round on Thursday/Wednesday in 2022+2023. Bob released his rankings on the Thursday before the first round (Wednesday).

 

[Jared Dunn]

and during that time he would be talking to hockey people.

So his rankings that are wildly out of line with all other scouting reports are from consensus among hockey people? Not sure that lines up

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Button back at it again with one of the draft lists of all time

 

[Deep Blue Metallic]

He's got a bankable skill. Even if you think the rest of his game is wanting, some team might take a chance on drafting him high in the hope they get a 30-40 goal scorer and can work out the kinks.

If you're going to risk a 1st-round pick on a one-dimensional 18 year-old, pick a guy who can score.

It's far easier teaching that guy to play a 200' game (assuming he's willing) than hoping to get offensive production at the ultimate level of the sport from a more well-rounded player.

 

[User1996]

This boards obsession with consensus rankings is hilarious.

Craig always provides one of the more authentic lists you'll see. Some posters here would have an aneurysm if they saw every single scouts individual lists like Craigs.

Thanks for putting this out there for everyone. Unbelievable that any list that strays from the consensus is considered “bad”.

Like, Craig puts a list out that isn’t heavily influenced by other lists. Let’s just enjoy a different perspective instead of crucifying these independent thinkers.

 

[HabsAddict]

Buttons is a clickbaiter so the more controversial his picks are more his name is out there.

Pass.

 

[Byron Bitz]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1802734937033830423

Normally it'd be done on Monday when the draft is on Friday. So this seems "usual." His 2019 rankings were released on June 17 (Monday) and the first round was June 21 (Friday). Then the pandemic years happened so that was different. Then ESPN experimented with having the first round on Thursday/Wednesday in 2022+2023. Bob released his rankings on the Thursday before the first round (Wednesday).

Why wait so long?

 

[STL fan in MN]

I won't get into the weeds about where he has the the top guys ranked, but I wonder what he knows about Stiga that puts him at 64 in the ranking.

I found that interesting too. I recall Button gushing over Stiga at the U18s, talking about him making a push for the late 1st round/early 2nd round. So I expected Craig to have him in that range.

And he came out with a ranking on May 22 as well and had Stiga at 48. Stiga has played 0 games since then yet dropped 16 spots. Maybe it’s because he officially measured in at 5’10” even at the Combine? That’s really the only thing that’s happened regarding Stiga since early May.

 

[Brodeur]

Why wait so long?

People will find a reason to complain about anything nowadays.

In a normal year, the SCF would be over and the focus would shift to the draft. Release rankings a month in advance and most of the general public would miss it in favor of the playoffs. I get that draft nerds want things asap, but I don't think there's a reward for being the first to release. Central Scouting having to release theirs in early April tends to mean their ranking is a bit stale by the time June rolls around but some people will still cite it.

I forget exactly when Bob does the actual polling, but if you polls teams/scouts closer to the draft, you'll end up with more 'accurate' rankings.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Why wait so long?

Closer to the draft the more information he can get on which team is targeting who.

 

[StreetHawk]

Thanks for putting this out there for everyone. Unbelievable that any list that strays from the consensus is considered “bad”.

Like, Craig puts a list out that isn’t heavily influenced by other lists. Let’s just enjoy a different perspective instead of crucifying these independent thinkers.

When we look back at these lists from all the various scouting services who has actually hit well? Reality of the draft is that all but a couple to a few of kids drafted will play in the nhl as a teenager. So lots of development ahead of them and a lot of that not with the nhl clubs as they return to the chl and euro leagues plus remain to go to the ncaa. Unlike in mlb which has multiple minor leagues that they get the player soon after their draft unless that player goes unsigned and returns to the draft the next year. The nhl clubs don’t control as much of the development as mlb does.

 

[MS]

This boards obsession with consensus rankings is hilarious.

Craig always provides one of the more authentic lists you'll see. Some posters here would have an aneurysm if they saw every single scouts individual lists like Craigs.

I'm never quite sure if a majority of this board is 14 years old and each draft is the first draft they've ever followed or if people are simply incapable of learning from the information provided by literally every single previous draft ever to happen.

There is some NHL team that has Berkley Catton ranked top-5 and some NHL team that has him in the 2nd round. The way that people try to establish a consensus ranking as a 'thing that is right' instead of a loose framework to build off of is absolutely nuts.

I don't agree with everything on Button's list but if anything it's actually 'more consensus' than the average NHL team's list probably is, considering he doesn't do DNDs or anything like that.