Winners and losers of the 2024 NHL draft?

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Spectrefire

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Jan 3, 2013
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Anyone want to explain how Pronman though the Sharks picking Celebrini at 1st overall was just an OKAY B+ pick???

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MichaelFarrell

Registered User
Aug 29, 2016
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Too early to like this first NHL games for him in October mega promise he had guaranteed a 40-50p player in the first season first season start worse than the next six seasons.
All I’m saying is I think he’s a good pick for the type of team they are trying to build. I liked that selection a lot for them.
 
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WhatTheDuck

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May 17, 2007
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Anyone want to explain how Pronman though the Sharks picking Celebrini at 1st overall was just an OKAY B+ pick???

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Should he give them a higher mark for making the easiest and most obvious decision of the draft? Also is Celebrini more than a B+ if rated against other first overall picks? Seems about right to be honest, if a McDavid sets the bar for an A+, then Celebrini is a B+ or A- at best.

A's should be reserved for when you are receiving exceptional value for the pick in question.
 

tomd

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Apr 23, 2003
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Winners in no particular order:

Minnesota Wild
Drafting Zeev Buium at 12 is just a great value pick. I had him as a top 5 player and the best defenseman of the draft. They continued to get great value in Ryder Ritchie 45 and Aaron Kiviharju at 122.

Carolina Hurricanes
I have them in this spot every year. They just got great value with their two second round picks in Badinka (34) and one of my favorites of this draft in Artamonov (50). Noel Fransen at 69 was a sneaky good pick too and taking a swing at Justin Poirer at 156 doesn’t hurt.

Montreal Canadians
Montreal got the 2nd best player of the draft at 5 in Ivan Demidov and a solid player in Michael Hage at 21. Of course they were going to draft Sakku’s son as well. I’m not super familiar with their later round picks but their first round picks make their draft a success to me.

Buffalo Sabres
I think Buffalo did really well this year again with their picks. Konsta Helenius at 14 was likely the best player available and they drafted some American players I like in Adam Kleber (a huge but raw defenseman) at 42, an underrated Brodie Ziemer at 71 and a highly regarded defenseman in Luke Osburn. I think they had a good draft.

Calgary Flames
On paper, this is one of the best drafts for Calgary in recent memory. Their first round definitely had some swings with Parekh at 9 and Matvei Gridin at 28. But, you have to like some of their later picks. Andrew Basha at 41, Henry Mews at 74, and Luke Misa at 159 are good value picks. This could turn out to be a great draft for Calgary.

Losers in no particular order

Anaheim Ducks
Almost always when a team reaches that high for that type of player, it doesn’t work out. I could be wrong, but they passed on a ton of talent to draft Beckett Sennecke at 3. I mean look, I like their picks in Solberg at 23 (a very physical defenseman), Patterson at 35 (a fast and skilled center) and Masse at 66 (a big power forward). But, you just can’t be a winner with Demidov and Lindstrom still on the board at 3 for me.

Chicago Blackhawks
Their draft could turn out to be a really good draft for them, but I am not a fan. I didn’t view Levshunov as the best defenseman of the draft let alone the 2nd best player overall. The fact Chicago took away the prospect of seeing Demidov and Bedard together makes them a loser. Maybe Vanaker and Boisvert turn into great forwards for them, but I feel like there were better options available. I like the fact they drafted Mustard.

Pittsburgh Penguins
I’m a Pens fan and I didn’t like their draft at all. Harrison Brunicke at 44 and Tanner Howe at 46 just didn’t sit well with me. I guess they aren’t terrible picks, but the upside is minimal. I don’t mind drafting Mac Swanson at 207, but I felt there was way more potential in Christian Humphreys (who is also from Pittsburgh). I was expecting more from Dubas. I was hoping he’d draft looking for skill and motor.

Edit:

I forgot to mention San Jose as an obvious winner. They picked up some great pieces.
Regarding Anaheim and Sennecke, I have to admit that his highlights are every bit as impressive and jaw dropping as Demidov's. And he's about 2.5 inches taller as well as being a natural right shot RW. I think Verbeek and Madden may have made a pretty shrewd pick when we look back on this draft in a few years.
 

Garbageyuk

Registered User
Dec 19, 2016
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Seems weird to have an "A" grade be completely unattainable.
I’d give their draft as a whole A+ because although their first 4 picks were pretty obvious, they made the right choice all 4 times, which seems to be asking a lot for most teams. They kept it simple and went BPA each time, so the odds are in their favour that this draft will turn out very good for them. That’s all you can ask, really.
 

57special

Posting the right way since 2012.
Sep 5, 2012
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Minnesota and San Jose were my two big winners.

Minnesota -
Zeev Buium was a great pick - I had him in my top 8.
Ryder Ritchie was good value at 45.
Aron Kiviharju I had in my second round.
Only pick I felt was poor was Steven Leskovar, I don't see him being much other than an AHL goon.

San Jose
Dickinson was my second favourite defender of the draft - he was in my top 5....
Sahlin Wellenius was tremendous value at 56.
Carson Wetch can absolutely fly, I liked that pick
Colton Roberts was a high value pick
I literally think that was why he was picked. Iowa has a young, smallish team, and are short on players with bad intentions.
 

User1996

Registered User
Jun 24, 2020
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Minnesota, San Jose are my favourites.

Toronto, Ottawa, and Edmonton aren’t very good for me.
 

Castle8130

Registered User
May 9, 2017
3,014
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Sharks absolutely killed it dude. I know im like the 30th person to say this but Celebrini is a 1st line C. Dickinson has a floor of a 2nd pairing guy. Chernyshov at 33 could make his way into the top 6. At the very least, middle 6. Leo Sahlin Walleinus is a smooth skating defender that could be a top 4 guy.

Man am i jealous as a hawks fan
 

Chainshot

Give 'em Enough Rope
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Feb 28, 2002
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As a Blues fan I absolutely love how Carolina took on this draft. If we take out the Poirier pick, which I wasn't a fan of, I feel like they got tremendous value out of every other pick they made.

Not for nothing, but that seems to be every year for me with the Canes. A lot of "hey this guy is still available, oh, nevermind, there he goes to Carolina!"

They do a nice job of it.
 

Murzu

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Dec 23, 2013
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Avs draft seems weird. A couple of selections that I'm happy with, mostly seems very meh and underwhelming though.

Grade C maybe.
 

spfan

Registered User
May 4, 2009
1,851
518
Winners in no particular order:

Minnesota Wild
Drafting Zeev Buium at 12 is just a great value pick. I had him as a top 5 player and the best defenseman of the draft. They continued to get great value in Ryder Ritchie 45 and Aaron Kiviharju at 122.

Carolina Hurricanes
I have them in this spot every year. They just got great value with their two second round picks in Badinka (34) and one of my favorites of this draft in Artamonov (50). Noel Fransen at 69 was a sneaky good pick too and taking a swing at Justin Poirer at 156 doesn’t hurt.

Montreal Canadians
Montreal got the 2nd best player of the draft at 5 in Ivan Demidov and a solid player in Michael Hage at 21. Of course they were going to draft Sakku’s son as well. I’m not super familiar with their later round picks but their first round picks make their draft a success to me.

Buffalo Sabres
I think Buffalo did really well this year again with their picks. Konsta Helenius at 14 was likely the best player available and they drafted some American players I like in Adam Kleber (a huge but raw defenseman) at 42, an underrated Brodie Ziemer at 71 and a highly regarded defenseman in Luke Osburn. I think they had a good draft.

Calgary Flames
On paper, this is one of the best drafts for Calgary in recent memory. Their first round definitely had some swings with Parekh at 9 and Matvei Gridin at 28. But, you have to like some of their later picks. Andrew Basha at 41, Henry Mews at 74, and Luke Misa at 159 are good value picks. This could turn out to be a great draft for Calgary.

Losers in no particular order

Anaheim Ducks
Almost always when a team reaches that high for that type of player, it doesn’t work out. I could be wrong, but they passed on a ton of talent to draft Beckett Sennecke at 3. I mean look, I like their picks in Solberg at 23 (a very physical defenseman), Patterson at 35 (a fast and skilled center) and Masse at 66 (a big power forward). But, you just can’t be a winner with Demidov and Lindstrom still on the board at 3 for me.

Chicago Blackhawks
Their draft could turn out to be a really good draft for them, but I am not a fan. I didn’t view Levshunov as the best defenseman of the draft let alone the 2nd best player overall. The fact Chicago took away the prospect of seeing Demidov and Bedard together makes them a loser. Maybe Vanaker and Boisvert turn into great forwards for them, but I feel like there were better options available. I like the fact they drafted Mustard.

Pittsburgh Penguins
I’m a Pens fan and I didn’t like their draft at all. Harrison Brunicke at 44 and Tanner Howe at 46 just didn’t sit well with me. I guess they aren’t terrible picks, but the upside is minimal. I don’t mind drafting Mac Swanson at 207, but I felt there was way more potential in Christian Humphreys (who is also from Pittsburgh). I was expecting more from Dubas. I was hoping he’d draft looking for skill and motor.

Edit:

I forgot to mention San Jose as an obvious winner. They picked up some great pieces.
As a fellow Pens fan, I agree on everything above, except for the Pens part haha. Brunicke and Howe aren't amazing, but were guys in the range. Alfon Freij was who I was really hoping could be there, but he went a bit earlier than I expected. Even though I personally think he's a top 20 guy.
I'd had hoped for Stiga and Artamonov for Pens, but who they got were in the group behind those 2.
 

Michoulicious

Registered User
Dec 9, 2014
7,503
8,242
Regarding Anaheim and Sennecke, I have to admit that his highlights are every bit as impressive and jaw dropping as Demidov's. And he's about 2.5 inches taller as well as being a natural right shot RW. I think Verbeek and Madden may have made a pretty shrewd pick when we look back on this draft in a few years.
No. Demidov is just more electric and spectacular.

I can understand betting on Senneke size/skill combo, but Demidov is probably the most tantalizing offensive talent in this draft, over Celebrini even.
 

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