Winners and losers of the 2024 NHL draft?

[Maurice of Orange]

Utah had the most pick with 11 players.

1-6: C Tij Iginla / Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
1-24: C Cole Beaudoin / Barrie Colts (OHL)
2-65: D Will Skahan / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
3-89: D Tomas Lavoie / Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL)
3-96: D Veeti Väisänen / KooKoo (Liiga)
4-98: D Gregor Biber / Rögle BK J20 (J20 Nationell)
4-103: C Gabe Smith / Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
5-135: C Owen Allard / Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
5-153: D Aleš Čech / BK Mladá Boleslav (Czechia)
6-167: C Vojtěch Hradec / BK Mladá Boleslav (Czechia)
6-190: D Ludvig Lafton / Färjestad BK J20 (J20 Nationell)

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Dallas had the least amount of picks with only 3 players selected.

1-29: RW Emil Hemming / TPS (Liiga)
5-158: D Niilopekka Muhonen / KalPa U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
7-222: C William Samuelsson / Södertälje SK J20 (J20 Nationell)

 

[ChaoticOrange]

Edmonton focused on overagers with their later picks and most not even coming off good seasons.
Their first 2 picks are okay and they had one okay late pick. The rest are essentially throw aways so I’ll give them a C-

I'd say this is about right.

It wasn't a total disaster. O'Reilly is a nice pick, Vinni is a good pick, Wakely and Nicholl were decent too. I don't know anything about Berry but it seems a few people are excited to have him so whatever. Sundin impressed at Leafs development camp last year but his skating needs a lot of work.

The only complete head scratcher pick is Clattenburg. At least we're taking no-talent coke machine facepunching wingers in the 5th round instead of the 2nd now but geez. Vancouver took a guy with 58 goals two picks after. Clattenburg is an overager and doesn't even have 58 points TOTAL in junior hockey so far.

Also for teams having a great draft, Calgary did exceptionally well. Value and talent up and down that draft class. I hate it.

 

[FissionFire]

Biggest Losers are the fans for not getting to see Satan drafted by the Devils, and Eiserman, Howe, and Zetterberg not drafted by Detroit.

 

[le_sean]

I don’t understand trading down 1 spot to give someone else Buium because you’re so desperate for a centre and not even picking the best centre available. Maybe hindsight will make this post look stupid, but as of today, that seems to be the dumbest move of the draft.

Next dumbest move is the Oilers trading for the 32nd pick. Unless you win the Cup, you are automatically losing trade value.

 

[hypereconomist]

Ducks, Flames, Hawks, Wild, Habs, and Sharks (in no particular order) had good drafts. Hard to pick a single winner, but the Sharks and Flames did well in the first two rounds.


Bruins, Blue Jackets, Oilers, Devils, Flyers, and Sens (in no particular order) had terrible drafts. Bruins or Sens seem like the ultimate losers though. Yakemchuk, Eliasson, and Ellinas were all reaches where they were picked, and I'm not a fan of picking size and physicality over skill and hockey sense. Then the Bruins picking Letourneau with their only pick in the first four rounds when players with equally high ceilings and less question marks were still on the board is an interesting decision.

 

[Canadienna]

I don’t understand trading down 1 spot to give someone else Buium because you’re so desperate for a centre and not even picking the best centre available. Maybe hindsight will make this post look stupid, but as of today, that seems to be the dumbest move of the draft.

Next dumbest move is the Oilers trading for the 32nd pick. Unless you win the Cup, you are automatically losing trade value.

I think for PHI the Cutter Gauthier situation played a role in passing on Buium.

He's another college draftee, they were teammates and they both have the same agent.

He may well have been a DND for the Flyers.

 

[Maurice of Orange]

Ducks, Flames, Hawks, Wild, Habs, and Sharks (in no particular order) had good drafts. Hard to pick a single winner, but the Sharks and Flames did well in the first two rounds.


Bruins, Blue Jackets, Oilers, Devils, Flyers, and Sens (in no particular order) had terrible drafts. Bruins or Sens seem like the ultimate losers though. Yakemchuk, Eliasson, and Ellinas were all reaches where they were picked, and I'm not a fan of picking size and physicality over skill and hockey sense. Then the Bruins picking Letourneau with their only pick in the first four rounds when players with equally high ceilings and less question marks were still on the board is an interesting decision.

I thought the Jackets made some good picks with their first four picks the bottom two picks not so much.

Columbus Blue Jackets
1-4: C Cayden Lindstrom / Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
2-36: D Charlie Elick / Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
2-60: G Evan Gardner / Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
3-86: D Luca Marrelli / Oshawa Generals (OHL)
4-101: D Tanner Henricks / Lincoln Stars (USHL)
6-165: D Luke Ashton / Langley Rivermen (BCHL)

Colorado and Toronto did poorly as they made some questionable pics when better players were available.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

I don’t understand trading down 1 spot to give someone else Buium because you’re so desperate for a centre and not even picking the best centre available. Maybe hindsight will make this post look stupid, but as of today, that seems to be the dumbest move of the draft.

Next dumbest move is the Oilers trading for the 32nd pick. Unless you win the Cup, you are automatically losing trade value.

I can’t help thinking the fact that Buium’s agent is also Cutter Gauthier’s agent plays a factor.

 

[le_sean]

I think for PHI the Cutter Gauthier situation played a role in passing on Buium.

He's another college draftee, they were teammates and they both have the same agent.

He may well have been a DND for the Flyers.

Cam York never posed a problem. I just don’t see how one player ruins it for an organization.

Still, Helenius was the best centre at that point.

 

[JPeeper]

I liked my Flames draft. Having 10 picks also helps since I think half the picks are fantastic and the other half are just alright.

Flames are LOADED with quality defense prospects. Flames have 3 (including the top 2) of the top 7 point producing d-men from the OHL.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Hold on let me check the NHLe models.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

SJ, Utah and Toronto are all winners.

SJ walked away with the best player in the draft and maybe the best D in the draft.

Utah walked away with 2 top 4 D

Leafs walked away with with a quality defensive prospect and a top 4 D

all 3 teams addressed their needs

 

[Maurice of Orange]

SJ, Utah and Toronto are all winners.

SJ walked away with the best player in the draft and maybe the best D in the draft.

Utah walked away with 2 top 4 D

Leafs walked away with with a quality defensive prospect and a top 4 D

all 3 teams addressed their needs

So Ben Danford wasn’t a reach even though he was projected as a late 2nd or early 3rd rounder by every outlet except for elite prospects.

 

[Xirik]

Devils picked Silayev after he miraculously fell, Got one of the better goalies in the 2nd round, and then went for boom or bust power forward players in the 3rd and later rounds.

For the draft capital they had I think they get a B+

 

[BenningHurtsMySoul]

Canucks got Romani in the 6th - 111 points and only 2 months older than the cutoff for this draft. Outscored every D+1 OHL player this season

 

[Czechboy]

Didn't like anything Oil did. Day two just felt like our old philosophy of coke machines. I did like the goalie pick. Not a homerun but some promise.

 

[Castle8130]

Utah continued their annual tradition of drafting the meanest behemoths they can find

 

[tomd]

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.

No argument that Demidov is a non-stop highlight reel now. But everything that Verbeek does - every single draft pick and trade - is with the playoffs in mind. I really believe that as time and space disappears, Sennecke will not. He proved that in the recent OHL playoffs. I'm not sure we can say the same about Demidov but only time will tell.

 

[dubey]

Hold on let me check the NHLe models.

Bro it's easier than that

Compare the draft vs Bab Mackenzie list

 

[boredmale]

SJ, Utah and Toronto are all winners.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Vancouver did exceptionally well for a team that didn't have a 1st or 2nd rounder. Even if only one of their picks makes it into the big show full time, that's still good value.

Quite a few teams had very good drafts, and some had mixed yet overall promising.
My Favourite has to be Seattle and I think Winnipeg did the most with the least.

I think Vancouver did even better with less considering they had no first or 2nd rounder.

 

[Sombastate]

Cam York never posed a problem. I just don’t see how one player ruins it for an organization.

Still, Helenius was the best centre at that point.

This is what alarms me the most. If you're going to isolate a singular position of need, fine. But Hage and Helenius, IMO, are objectively better. Not only did you pass on them, but once the "rebuild" that isn't actually happening is complete, you'll be competing with the teams that got both Helenius and Hage.

 

[Maplebeasts]

Declaring draft day losers immediately after is pointless as guys rated low heading into the draft rise and highly ranked prospects bust all the time. Teams that draft according to consensus look like fools later on and teams that reach sometimes are vindicated.

As for teams whose drafts I liked:

San Jose
Montreal
Minnesota

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

So Ben Danford wasn’t a reach even though he was projected as a late 2nd or early 3rd rounder by every outlet except for elite prospects.

I trust Wes Clark, the same things were said about Minten and Cowan.

Minten played NHL games last year and Cowan looks like a steal at 28.

If Wes Clark likes Ben Danford, I trust him, he's earned it.