Who should the Chicago Blackhawks select 2nd overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft?

[dreadpirateroberts]

Not even a sure thing that Celebrini turns pro according to Pronman. Might not be anyone jumping straight to the league from this draft outside of 9-gamers

If Chicago won, I think he goes pro. Playing in a massive market with Bedard right away would’ve been really enticing

 

[Drumman44]

I say this without a shred of sarcasm. I am so pumped for 51 days of draft speculation. Getting Celebrini would have obviously been amazing but it’s going to be very cool reading up on all these prospects until late June.

 

[Hacketts]

I 100% understand the Demidov appeal, chance to be an elite forward.

Butttt... going from a team construction point of view your top 4 forwards and all under 6'0... and the chance to get a legit #1 D seems like the right move?

That's a tough decision.

 

[Mrfenn92]

I 100% understand the Demidov appeal, chance to be an elite forward.

Butttt... going from a team construction point of view your top 4 forwards and all under 6'0... and the chance to get a legit #1 D seems like the right move?

That's a tough decision.

As of now bedard for sure. Nazar more then likely after that I’m not sure where the other two sub 6 foot top 6 guys are.

 

[HawksDub89]

I voted Demidov but I’ll probably change my mind several times between now and the draft. Levshunovs ceiling is a 1RHD, big, physical, skates well, bomb of a shot and good passer.

I don’t know… you win with those kind of players in the playoffs.

 

[Hacketts]

As of now bedard for sure. Nazar more then likely after that I’m not sure where the other two sub 6 foot top 6 guys are.

Reichel/Moore

 

[Taze em]

NHL Records

records.nhl.com

Real murderers row of draft picks coming from the MHL.

 

[Putt Pirate]

I voted Demidov but would get ( and be totally fine) with Lev. I could see the reasoning both ways and we do need both. Having a projected #1 D would be harder to fill than a top line winger most likely.

 

[dreadpirateroberts]

I 100% understand the Demidov appeal, chance to be an elite forward.

Butttt... going from a team construction point of view your top 4 forwards and all under 6'0... and the chance to get a legit #1 D seems like the right move?

That's a tough decision.

I got no problem if they went with Levshunov. If you want to add size to the top 6, you are probably waiting until next year when you have a chance to draft Porter Martone and sign Rantanen in FA

 

[bwanajamba]

NHL Records

records.nhl.com

Real murderers row of draft picks coming from the MHL.

NHL Records

records.nhl.com

Would you have picked Makar?

 

[Mrfenn92]

Reichel/Moore

Moore is still a bit away and he’s 5’11 195 right now
Reichel has a lot more to prove

 

[deytookerjaabs]

Here he is a few months shy of his 18th birthday against the KHL.

Other highlight reels have him treating the MHL like a league of pylons. He's not so elite that the magic just carries over at a young age against adults. Or, to put it another way, he's no Bedard.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Every Russian kid plays in the MHL, other than the ones that came to North America as junior players, since it's the Russian junior league. With the CHL Import Ban of the last couple years, that's basically everyone, and Russian forwards typically have a better track record from staying in Russia than coming to the CHL. That includes Kucherov, Panarin, Kaprizov, Nichushkin. It is the main feeder into the KHL and VHL and just a stop on a Russian player's journey. Last season, the Hawks used a 2nd round pick on a player that played exclusively in the MHL in Roman Kantserov who by the end of the most recent season, was playing in a top six role in the Playoffs on the team that won the KHL Championship. Demidov can't really control how good or not good other players in the League are. As far as prospects go that have played in the MHL (it's a relatively new thing, as it began in 2009-10, prior to that players like Ovechkin and Malkin would play in the Russian 3rd division as youths, but had they been born less than a decade later, they would have also played in the MHL), he is considered amongst the best.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

Demidov

Don’t overthink it.

 

[TLEH]

NHL Records

records.nhl.com

Real murderers row of draft picks coming from the MHL.

Now find the player that was 2 PPG in the MHL.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Literally the opposite has happened

podkolzin and michkov didnt start top 3 and slide?

 

[Kevin Musto]

More than anything we need a team that's built for the playoffs.

We need winners.

 

[Fantomas]

podkolzin and michkov didnt start top 3 and slide?

No, I mean Demidov didn't slide, he rose in recent rankings. I understood your post to mean that you were comparing Demidov to those other cases.

 

[Taze em]

Now find the player that was 2 PPG in the MHL.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

NHL Mock Draft 2024: Macklin Celebrini to Sharks as we pick for every lottery team

The Athletic's NHL writers make the first 16 picks in the draft order, and Pronman audits the picks.

theathletic.com

FWIW Powers has the Blackhawks taking Demidov here.

Also, re: any notion of the Sharks not taking Celebrini, Grier already came out and said they're taking him lol. Pretty funny after Davidson played coy so much last year

Probably reading into things too much but KD calling it a win to pick 2 probably means they think 1 and 2 are more 1a and 1b this year. And when he was asked to comment on how talented the defense group was I almost got the feeling like they're not going that direction so they don't care because he didn't mention names and was kind of just like yeah its a good group etc...They might've just wanted one of Celebrini or Demidov if the ceilings are comparable...again probably reading way too much into this, maybe pick 2 is a win because it removes the guessing game and they still address a need

 

[dreadpirateroberts]

He was stuck in the MHL because he supposedly told them that he wouldn’t resign. When he did play a few games in the KHL, he averaged like 3 minutes per game. How is he going to do anything with such little ice time?

 

[Toews2Bickell]

No, I mean Demidov didn't slide, he rose in recent rankings. I understood your post to mean that you were comparing Demidov to those other cases.

I meant from time of lottery to draft day, pretty sure both Podkolzin and Michkov were top 3 when the draft order came out, Podkolzin for sure because Hawks were picking 3rd that year

 

[TLEH]

So none.

 

[bwanajamba]

Demidov put up 1.72ppg in his D-1 and D0 years and that pic is comparing him guys who never touched the MHL until they were 19. You have to get all the way to #17 to find a guy who played more than 17 games. Pretty disingenuous response.

 

[Northernhawk]

Kind of reminds of the 2019 Dach draft…1st and 2nd were locks and the draft really started at #3 and Chicago…

1.NJ Jack Hughes
2.NYR Kaapo Kakko

3.was between Kirby Dach, Bowen Byram, Dylan Cozens, Trevor Zegras, Alex Turcotte, etc, etc