Official 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[sa cyred]

Do we like Helenius or naw

(Obviously looking at centers to center Michkov)

I was reading some articles and seemed like he would be a solid pick.

Konsta Helenius is a skilled and savvy Finnish prodigy

Konsta Helenius is an uber-skilled, complete prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft, but what traits does he bring and when should he get drafted?

nhlentrydraft.com

 

[BillDineen]

11 sennecke
12 Catton
13 Yakemchuk
14 Eiserman
15 Connolly

 

[JojoTheWhale]

There’s actually a sixth consideration, too. That would be TSN’s No. 13-ranked Carter Yakemchuk, the big 6-foot-3, 30-goal man from the Calgary Hitmen. He warrants inclusion in the same universe as the others. He was ranked as high as No. 4 on one list and as low as No. 20 on another, with four scouts having him in their Top 10.

This is also interesting to me. I expected some people to have him super high. I wasn’t sure if some others would drop him to the low 1st range. But that does seem to be a thing.

 

[BritainStix]

Is this the most open top 15 ever for a draft? I feel like literally any of the players can go from 3-15 without a huge surprise.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Catton is this year’s Benson.

 

[FatTugboatFlahr]

Buffalo is getting both of them.

 

[BigToe]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1805619991657447548

Surprised Iginla isn’t higher

 

[BillDineen]

Two scouts had Parekh as the No. 1 Dman on their lists and two scouts had Helenius at No.3 overall

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

Do we like Helenius or naw

(Obviously looking at centers to center Michkov)

I was reading some articles and seemed like he would be a solid pick.

Konsta Helenius is a skilled and savvy Finnish prodigy

Konsta Helenius is an uber-skilled, complete prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft, but what traits does he bring and when should he get drafted?

nhlentrydraft.com

My understanding is he's more of a Couturier type player. Not going to be a major producer but super high hockey IQ and good defense. I like the pick because from what I have read is that while he may not be the superstar center his hockey IQ will allow him to play with Michkov and be a good match there.

Someone else feel free to correct me as I am usually wrong.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Hage.

 

[MrGuyPerson]

Catton is this year’s Benson.

Nope. I've seen the comp numerous times. It really doesn't make sense to me. Yes they are small and have high offensive hockey IQ, but there is key differences. Zach Benson played great defense and has+had a motor that ran non stop. Benson's only flaw was his size and top speed. Catton has the offense, but is horrendous in his own zone. The reason Catton is bad at defense is the reason I would only take him if I had no other good option available. If Catton tried and just wasn't good at defense I would be all aborad because that is player who wants to win and just needs to learn how to do it. However, that isn't what I see. The way Catton approaches his own zone genuinely makes me wonder if he cares about it all(I heavily lean towards he doesn't). He floats in the D-zone, lackadaisically sticks his stick out like, "well I tried", frequently coasts on the back check, and appears avert to entering puck battles. Zach Benson would never play such lazy hockey. Stankoven would never either and that's the other comp people like to say Catton fits

 

[FLYguy3911]

Nope. I've seen the comp numerous times. It really doesn't make sense to me. Yes they are small and have high offensive hockey IQ, but there is key differences. Zach Benson played great defense and has+had a motor that ran non stop. Benson's only flaw was his size and top speed. Catton has the offense, but is horrendous in his own zone. The reason Catton is bad at defense is the reason I would only take him if I had no other good option available. If Catton tried and just wasn't good at defense I would be all aborad because that is player who wants to win and just needs to learn how to do it. However, that isn't what I see. The way Catton approaches his own zone genuinely makes me wonder if he cares about it all(I heavily lean towards he doesn't). He floats in the D-zone, lackadaisically sticks his stick out like, "well I tried", frequently coasts on the back check, and appears avert to entering puck battles. Zach Benson would never play such lazy hockey. Stankoven would never either and that's the other comp people like to say Catton fits

Comparing their draft situations not their scouting reports.

 

[TheKingPin]

McKenzie’s rankings are the best summation of what the league thinks, but we still have to remember that consensus doesn’t slot players. The draft is a measure of which bet a team is highest on given the available board. It doesn’t matter if 95% teams have Silayev at 4. What determines where he goes is a tiny handful of teams’ opinions.

With that being said, Demidov at 2 is interesting because Michkov was down at 5th last year. I can’t help but find that meaningful.

He had the Flyers taking Catton. Things have to break right but there is a path or two there. Charlie said he’s heard the Flyers are in on Catton and could actually be the one they are trying to trade up for if needed. I haven’t seen Charlie say that before though and Bobs list came out ahead of todays show so….

 

[MrGuyPerson]

Do we like Helenius or naw

(Obviously looking at centers to center Michkov)

I was reading some articles and seemed like he would be a solid pick.

Konsta Helenius is a skilled and savvy Finnish prodigy

Konsta Helenius is an uber-skilled, complete prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft, but what traits does he bring and when should he get drafted?

nhlentrydraft.com

Yes. His game compliments Michkov's. Hopefully he is still on the board by 12 though. Iginla is probably gone before 12 and his game also compliments Michkov well. We'll see how it shakes out though

 

[JojoTheWhale]

He had the Flyers taking Catton. Things have to break right but there is a path or two there.

Bob's list is just a survey of where X people in the league rank them. It's not a mock draft.

If someone has an additional bit of info for me in this area, please do link it though. I would love to read that from a source like McKenzie.

 

[TheKingPin]

Bob's list is just a survey of where X people in the league rank them. It's not a mock draft.

If someone has an additional bit of info for me in this area, please do link it though. I would love to read that from a source like McKenzie.

Yup so this is certainly a positive data point. Catton seems to be a sure bet top 6 player in the NHL. Maybe a 1C. I’d love to trade down from Fla pick and sweep up the forward or D that slips.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Lots of players I’ll be happy with at 12 (or 7). I think my grading will come down to who is left on the board

Best case scenario- Demidov

I’d be thrilled- Levunshov, Catton, Iginla, Buium, Dickinson, Silayev, Lindstrom, Parekh

I’d be happy but hopefully one of the above isn’t left on the board- Eiserman, Helenius, Yakemchuk

I’d be okay and hopeful, but a little upset if any of the above players are still on the board- Sennecke, Nygard, Hage, Connelly

I’d be pissed- anyone else

 

[Magua]

I've been cramming over the weekend.....

If Helenius is the pick, he'd be my forward version of Yakemchuk for disappointment level. And I like him! I just cannot even squint and see more than a middle 6 center. He's cerebral, and I love his routes (especially loading for breakouts), but I don't see a there there to his offense. "Efficient" would be the complimentary version. His skating bugs me at times with its inconsistencies. It can look slightly heavy with his burst, but sometimes he gets good push off his edges. He's aggressively fine in a lot of areas. But he's a floor guy.

Connelly is one of the 5 most talents players in the draft. The USHL always gets undervalued (he had the best points/game in the USHL without a teammate at a point/game), and maybe if he rescued kittens it would've helped his case. But on sheer talent, he's one of the most complete star upside guys I've seen. He's one of the most dynamic movers with the puck in the class, up ice or cutting middle or with a guy on his hip. I'm a fan of his short area passing, his ability through contact, his off-puck motion on the PP. This is high end talent.

Still an Eiserman guy. I saw late games; supposedly, he was shit early in the season. But the skill is simply too great. And he's not a one dimensional shooter, and even then, he's got great soft spot feel and can self-create. He's a better passer than the numbers say, and he's got quick feet. If he isn't a genius, I'm not bothered enough by it either. Everything about him feels like overcorrection. He's 2 weeks away from being a 2025 eligible!

Catton is this year’s Benson.

It makes even less sense to me. Benson is an unusual archetype with below average speed for a guy his size. Catton has one of the most explosive first steps in the draft. These rankings feel like there are a lot of cowards wanting floor picks.

 

[PDX Flyer]

I've been cramming over the weekend.....

If Helenius is the pick, he'd be my forward version of Yakemchuk for disappointment level. And I like him! I just cannot even squint and see more than a middle 6 center. He's cerebral, and I love his routes (especially loading for breakouts), but I don't see a there there to his offense. "Efficient" would be the complimentary version. His skating bugs me at times with its inconsistencies. It can look slightly heavy with his burst, but sometimes he gets good push off his edges. He's aggressively fine in a lot of areas. But he's a floor guy.

Connelly is one of the 5 most talents players in the draft. The USHL always gets undervalued (he had the best points/game in the USHL without a teammate at a point/game), and maybe if he rescued kittens it would've helped his case. But on sheer talent, he's one of the most complete star upside guys I've seen. He's one of the most dynamic movers with the puck in the class, up ice or cutting middle or with a guy on his hip. He's an offensive force.

Still an Eiserman guy. I saw late games; supposedly, he was shit early in the season. But the skill is simply too great. And he's not a one dimensional shooter, and even then, he's got great soft spot feel and can self-create. He's a better passer than the numbers say, and he's got quick feet. If he isn't a genius, I'm not bothered enough by it either. Everything about him feels like overcorrection. He's 2 weeks away from being a 2025 eligible!



It makes even less sense to me. Benson is an unusual archetype with below average speed for a guy his size. Catton has one of the most explosive first steps in the draft. These rankings feel like there are a lot of cowards wanting floor picks.

Is Connelly the kid who was bullying a special needs kid and had serious character flaws?

 

[Tarpongg]

I've been cramming over the weekend.....

If Helenius is the pick, he'd be my forward version of Yakemchuk for disappointment level. And I like him! I just cannot even squint and see more than a middle 6 center. He's cerebral, and I love his routes (especially loading for breakouts), but I don't see a there there to his offense. "Efficient" would be the complimentary version. His skating bugs me at times with its inconsistencies. It can look slightly heavy with his burst, but sometimes he gets good push off his edges. He's aggressively fine in a lot of areas. But he's a floor guy.

Connelly is one of the 5 most talents players in the draft. The USHL always gets undervalued (he had the best points/game in the USHL without a teammate at a point/game), and maybe if he rescued kittens it would've helped his case. But on sheer talent, he's one of the most complete star upside guys I've seen. He's one of the most dynamic movers with the puck in the class, up ice or cutting middle or with a guy on his hip. I'm a fan of his short area passing, his ability through contact, his off-puck motion on the PP. This is high end talent.

Still an Eiserman guy. I saw late games; supposedly, he was shit early in the season. But the skill is simply too great. And he's not a one dimensional shooter, and even then, he's got great soft spot feel and can self-create. He's a better passer than the numbers say, and he's got quick feet. If he isn't a genius, I'm not bothered enough by it either. Everything about him feels like overcorrection. He's 2 weeks away from being a 2025 eligible!



It makes even less sense to me. Benson is an unusual archetype with below average speed for a guy his size. Catton has one of the most explosive first steps in the draft. These rankings feel like there are a lot of cowards wanting floor picks.

I like all these takes, Helenius looks like a safe pick 2C, Eiserman like the most can’t miss- a first line 40 goal scorer after the top 6 or so for me

 

[DrinkFightFlyers]

I've been cramming over the weekend.....

If Helenius is the pick, he'd be my forward version of Yakemchuk for disappointment level. And I like him! I just cannot even squint and see more than a middle 6 center. He's cerebral, and I love his routes (especially loading for breakouts), but I don't see a there there to his offense. "Efficient" would be the complimentary version. His skating bugs me at times with its inconsistencies. It can look slightly heavy with his burst, but sometimes he gets good push off his edges. He's aggressively fine in a lot of areas. But he's a floor guy.

Connelly is one of the 5 most talents players in the draft. The USHL always gets undervalued (he had the best points/game in the USHL without a teammate at a point/game), and maybe if he rescued kittens it would've helped his case. But on sheer talent, he's one of the most complete star upside guys I've seen. He's one of the most dynamic movers with the puck in the class, up ice or cutting middle or with a guy on his hip. I'm a fan of his short area passing, his ability through contact, his off-puck motion on the PP. This is high end talent.

Still an Eiserman guy. I saw late games; supposedly, he was shit early in the season. But the skill is simply too great. And he's not a one dimensional shooter, and even then, he's got great soft spot feel and can self-create. He's a better passer than the numbers say, and he's got quick feet. If he isn't a genius, I'm not bothered enough by it either. Everything about him feels like overcorrection. He's 2 weeks away from being a 2025 eligible!



It makes even less sense to me. Benson is an unusual archetype with below average speed for a guy his size. Catton has one of the most explosive first steps in the draft. These rankings feel like there are a lot of cowards wanting floor picks.

Didn't someone post an analysis of USHL players and their lack of success in the first round outside a handful of guys from the USNDTP or something like that? Not saying Connelly is or isn't of that ilk or even saying you're wrong about USHL prospects being undervalued I just thought I read something about USHL players not panning out at the same rate as major junior leagues.

 

[Fight4yourRight]

This is also interesting to me. I expected some people to have him super high. I wasn’t sure if some others would drop him to the low 1st range. But that does seem to be a thing.

Woaw. Thought you were quoting Bob McKenzie the hf user and that he was active again. We haven’t been called ass clowns in a while.

 

[Tarpongg]

Is Connelly the kid who was bullying a special needs kid and had serious character flaws?

As I recall… Kicked out of a game for a racial slur, and posted a pic on social media of a friend who made a swastika out of blocks. The special needs bully was a kid who dropped last yr I think

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I wish there was some type of projection like mean or average, as in what a player is likely to become. Of course this is mostly unknowable so it’s a moot point. I just think a high ceiling means little if the player has a slim chance of reaching it and a better chance of not translating, just like a high floor means little (at least with lottery picks) if that’s what the player is likely to be

 

[Magua]

Is Connelly the kid who was bullying a special needs kid and had serious character flaws?

The special needs part was Mitchell Miller a few years ago. He was sociopathic, gleefully not remorseful, and convicted of assault. Connelly has had his share of off-ice stuff but nothing that level. There was an Athletic article that wasn't totally cut and dry discussing whether he was bullied himself or a bully when he was an early teen. A teammate did make a Swastika out of building blocks, and he posted it on Snapchat or something 2 years ago. That was the major stink. He did do counseling and volunteer work with a local rabbi, if you're looking for signs of contrition and maturity.

I have no idea how to evaluate his character. No one does here. But......his tape is straight up explosive skill.

Helenius looks like a safe pick 2C

That's where I'd push back. He looks like a safe 3C. Maybe his burst improves, his skills play up in subtle ways, the production at his age clearly is good. I wouldn't be hesitant if I thought he was a slam dunk 2C. He's a clever player off-puck and efficient with the puck, but to some degree, the "hockey sense" gets overblown to compensate for him not really showing high end creation or athleticism.