Speculation: With the third pick in the 2024 NHL draft the Anaheim Ducks select...(Draft is June 28th @ 4pm PT. ESPN. ESPN+)

[robbieboy3686]

I’ll leave you with two thoughts:
1. How many points would Buium levshuniv Dickinson it Parekh have had in the KHL as 17 year olds?
2. He’ll play the right side on the Ducks

Bonus thought:
How much better will Silayev make guys like zellweger mintyukov and lacombe knowing that they are covered by an outstanding defenseman? The ducks have nothing close to that right now.

I’m on the big Russian train for sure:
. 1 way ticket plz and ty

 

[Hinterland]

The scuttlebutt is that the Ducks are looking at D for that 3OA pick (take that scuttlebutt for what it is worth). If so, the decision is likely between Levshunov, Silayev, and Dickinson. Each player has his pros and cons but Silayev just seems like a player that PV would drool over. We'll know soon enough...

I'd pick neither at 3. Parekh, Buium and Yakemchuk are the ones with higher offensive upside. Especially Yakemchuk is a once in a decade kinda prospect. Unique player. Not without risk but wouldn't shock me if someone takes him in the top5 based on upside alone. He's got the potential to do it all.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

Any russian would be fine for me. Silayev or Demidov.. hell even Dickinson I would love to have

 

[Beckett]

I'd pick neither at 3. Parekh, Buium and Yakemchuk are the ones with higher offensive upside. Especially Yakemchuk is a once in a decade kinda prospect. Unique player. Not without risk but wouldn't shock me if someone takes him in the top5 based on upside alone. He's got the potential to do it all.

I can talk myself into any of the proposed picks at 3... I'd put my money on Silayev though. Kind of hoping they surprise and grab Buium; my bet for who will have the best career.

 

[JAHV]

Silayev is highly unlikely to justify a 3rd overall pick because he never scored at any level. He's very likely to justify a 5-10 pick but that's not quite what the Ducks are looking for. I don't recall a player like Silayev getting drafted 3rd overall. Like ever.

There are lots of prospects available who do have the tools to justify a 3rd overall pick. Are they higher risk than Silayev? Absolutely but unless the Ducks are able to do a trade then I feel like that's a risk they should take. If they're unwilling to do it then the Ducks gotta go with Dickinson instead. Not quite as big and physical as Silayev but some more offense, more dynamic with the puck. Still a poor pick for a 3rd overall in my book but at least a player with a bit more offensive upside and more of a track record when it comes to generating offense.

I'll repeat that I think the Ducks will and should go with a forward or a RHD anyway...and the most gifted players in this draft are definitely RHD's and forwards anyway...with Buium being the lone exception.

I'm not a fan of drafting players expecting then to play them on their offside in the NHL. No matter where they played in their draft season this is a bad plan. This is something that can be tried over time but there's no guarantee it's gonna work. NHL is different than any other league.


Of course if the Ducks feel that Silayev is significantly better than everybody else then they're gonna draft him but I don't think they're keen on using an early pick on yet another LHD.

I was going to say Erik Gudbranson, but he scored a bit in Juniors. Bryan Allen might be close. He was drafted 4th overall.

(Sorry, I'm just cycling through all of the giant pylons Murray went through in the 10's.)

 

[tomd]

I'd pick neither at 3. Parekh, Buium and Yakemchuk are the ones with higher offensive upside. Especially Yakemchuk is a once in a decade kinda prospect. Unique player. Not without risk but wouldn't shock me if someone takes him in the top5 based on upside alone. He's got the potential to do it all.

I think when you are talking about a generic team then you'd be more correct then if talking specifically about the Ducks. Parekh is everything that PV would hate in a D and I think he'd rather do a self-appendectomy than pick him. Buium is too much like Zellweger and Mintyukov and at 6' does not satisfy PV's desire to become more big and physical (you can say that's right or wrong but it is what it is). Yakemchuk probably has the highest ceiling but also is the least likely to hit it. His floor is really low though and he could be limited to being a PP specialist or a career AHLer. Very risky as a top 5 pick although all it takes is one team to love him. I don't think it will be the Ducks though. I've criticized my share of Ducks picks recently but one thing I've noticed is that they haven't taken big risks with top 5/10 picks. Yakemchuk would be an uncharacteristically risky pick at 3OA.

 

[Trojans86]

I can talk myself into any of the proposed picks at 3... I'd put my money on Silayev though. Kind of hoping they surprise and grab Buium; my bet for who will have the best career.

I agree, I think Buium will end up the best as well

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

You guys are depressing me over picking any D. Screw them all. Give me Demidov or Lindstrom and call it a a day.

Find a large D with warts at 29-32 not at 3 please.

 

[tomd]

You guys are depressing me over picking any D. Screw them all. Give me Demidov or Lindstrom and call it a a day.

Find a large D with warts at 29-32 not at 3 please.

Have to assume Demidov is going 2OA. Lindstrom is a definite option but has warts of his own.

 

[duckpuck]

I think not enough consideration is being given to Demidov. Perhaps that's because the "reports" indicates the ducks want a D-man. But some of the scouts are extremely high on Demidov. If the ducks in that camp, he would make a lot of sense.

If Chicago takes Demidov, then the draft becomes very interesting. Madden/Ducks have an amazing track record in evaluating d-men. I'd be comfortable with whoever they pick at the end of the day. But if they're not high on Silayev then there could be another team looking to overpay for a trade.

 

[Trojans86]

For our second pick I’d love to trade up and get one of the bigger Forwards like Greentree. This looks like a good year for a mid round power forward with some good offensive skill. If we wait too long we may get stuck with a big guy that doesn’t quite have the offensive skill. Those guys get picked early.

Greentree and Madden’s pick at d and I’m ecstatic.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

For our second pick I’d love to trade up and get one of the bigger Forwards like Greentree. This looks like a good year for a mid round power forward with some good offensive skill. If we wait too long we may get stuck with a big guy that doesn’t quite have the offensive skill. Those guys get picked early.

Greentree and Madden’s pick at d and I’m ecstatic.

Not to nitpick but Greentree still has to develop the power forward side of his game. He's currently a big body with skill and smarts, but doesn't really make use of his size all that much.

 

[Trojans86]

Not to nitpick but Greentree still has to develop the power forward side of his game. He's currently a big body with skill and smarts, but doesn't really make use of his size all that much.

Totally agree but I’d rather have a big guy that has great skill/skating/iq than a big guy that bullies kids in juniors but doesn’t have great skill or iq. I don’t have interest in another max jones and I’m starting to feel gaucher doesn’t have the skill to be a high quality top 9 player either. I think it’s easier for a 6’3 guy to start playing a little more physical out of necessity than a big guy to suddenly develop high end skill and it.

 

[tomd]

I think that the "moving up" ship has sailed with Edmonton's playoff success. That pick will be 29, 31, or 32. Moving up into the 15-20 range might have been feasible when the Edmonton pick was 24 but it's a whole different situation now.

 

[bracer028]

You guys are depressing me over picking any D. Screw them all. Give me Demidov or Lindstrom and call it a a day.

Find a large D with warts at 29-32 not at 3 please.

I also agree with this. After the drysdale trade, posters on here claim they can find a Dmen in the later rounds.

So why pick a dmen at 3?

 

[Gliff]

I also agree with this. After the drysdale trade, posters on here claim they can find a Dmen in the later rounds.

So why pick a dmen at 3?

Because there is a difference between a top 4 defensemen and legit top pairing guy. The Ducks have drafted 1 legit top pairing guy ever, and he still wasn't a #1.

If they think the guys available to them at 3 have that potential then it seems like a no brainer considering the forward group we have.

 

[cheesymc]

I think that the "moving up" ship has sailed with Edmonton's playoff success. That pick will be 29, 31, or 32. Moving up into the 15-20 range might have been feasible when the Edmonton pick was 24 but it's a whole different situation now.

This is where I am leaning towards. If you look at the all-star rosters, I think selecting a forward in the top 3 has a higher probability (unless there is a Doughty/Hedman level defensemen available). You see many defensemen in the 2nd round or later become studs because although they aren't elite in a skill they just have the right combination of grit and determination to keep getting better. Skill is nice if they are elite like a Hughes, but I'd like our scouts to prioritize athleticism and intensity/intangibles. Attributes that made late picks (Weegar) or undrafted defensemen (Giordano) into studs.

It seems like there are 6 really good defensemen around the top 10 with different profiles that are all worthy of being a top 5 pick, but none of them give me a feeling of being a surefire top 2/3 pick.

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Yeah the Edmonton pick dropping at least five spots, definitely sucks the wind out of the idea of moving back up into the top 15 or so. The pick value chart I use, shows that 32+35 easily gets you to that range in theory, but that doesn't mean a team would actually do it.

Would gladly move the EDM 1st + our second in a package for an upgrade who fits the need and age window.

 

[FiveTacos]

This is where I am leaning towards. If you look at the all-star rosters, I think selecting a forward in the top 3 has a higher probability (unless there is a Doughty/Hedman level defensemen available).

Generally speaking dmen have a higher learning curve to become impact players. Their mistakes, particularly defensively, are much more glaring. If a skilled dman never learns how to defend, he has to be like a huge scorer to be worth it ... Even a 50 pt guy who sucks defensively will probably end up a journeyman.

That said, a guy with Silayev's tools, who has also proven he can hang in a men's league, are very very rare. And Lev is certainly interesting based on his steep trajectory, although his type is a little more common (but still usually taken in the top 10).

 

[cheesymc]

Generally speaking dmen have a higher learning curve to become impact players. Their mistakes, particularly defensively, are much more glaring. If a skilled dman never learns how to defend, he has to be like a huge scorer to be worth it ... Even a 50 pt guy who sucks defensively will probably end up a journeyman.

That said, a guy with Silayev's tools, who has also proven he can hang in a men's league, are very very rare. And Lev is certainly interesting based on his steep trajectory, although his type is a little more common (but still usually taken in the top 10).

I agree, I think out of the defensemen Silayev and Levshunov are likely at the top of our list based on upside and fit. It is just very worrisome to not be able to see any offensive upside in Silayev even when he was playing in the MHL, and seeing lack of defensive intensity from Levshunov in the NCAA. But both have the elite tools that can continue to get better year over year. Minty really surprised me with his defensive upside and physicality this year so maybe the same can be true for Levshunov.... and maybe Silayev has some sneaky offense... or at least a big point shot that we need.

 

[tomd]

This is where I am leaning towards. If you look at the all-star rosters, I think selecting a forward in the top 3 has a higher probability (unless there is a Doughty/Hedman level defensemen available). You see many defensemen in the 2nd round or later become studs because although they aren't elite in a skill they just have the right combination of grit and determination to keep getting better. Skill is nice if they are elite like a Hughes, but I'd like our scouts to prioritize athleticism and intensity/intangibles. Attributes that made late picks (Weegar) or undrafted defensemen (Giordano) into studs.

It seems like there are 6 really good defensemen around the top 10 with different profiles that are all worthy of being a top 5 pick, but none of them give me a feeling of being a surefire top 2/3 pick.

Unfortunately except for maybe Demidov there really isn’t a forward worthy of being taken at 3OA either.

 

[cheesymc]

I'm trying to forecast who we are targeting. It will be interesting to see who the Blackhawks pick, my guess is still Levshunov. So I am thinking we are looking at 5 players and we might go with a forward.

1-Celebrini

Players I can see being selected in the top 3 because of upside and how quickly they project to go pro:
2-Lindstrom - Fits what we are looking for, big, fast, positionally versatile, hard to play against, goal scorer. Can be ready within 2 years.
3-Levshunov - One of the strongest and athletic defensemen, good skater and hands and might go pro within 1 year.
4-Demidov - Elite hockey IQ and hands and good compete, and might develop into a center? Wants to go pro after a year.
5-Silayev - Unicorn size/skating, potential to be a really physically intimidating player and shut-down profile. Might go pro after 2 years.
6-Buium - Most balanced defenseman, with high IQ, leadership, and intangibles. Might be ready to go pro in a year.

Players I don't see being selected in the top 3:
7-Parekh - So fun to watch offensively but needs 3-4 years to physically develop and learn to defend.
8-Dickinson - Seems like a 'tweener for me, not really high end offensively but really toolsy and has size/skating to be a good defender. I think he would need 3 years to develop.
9-Igilna
10-Nygard
11-Yakemchuk - I think we would like his profile, just not with a top 3 pick. I think he looks like an ideal player for Utah who can be another high producing below average or average-ish defender like Chychrun.

Players I see falling outside top 10 who the Ducks wouldn't consider unless we traded down:
-Helenius
-Eiserman
-Catton
-Connelly
-Sennecke

 

[cheesymc]

Unfortunately except for maybe Demidov there really isn’t a forward worthy of being taken at 3OA either.

I think the forwards would be Demidov or Lindstrom. Demidov added value by communicating his commitment to come over after another season and he's getting better off-puck and showing some potential to play center which I think Verbeek would like.

But I think we are still looking for bigger players. Watching the playoffs shows that it's nice to have skill, but teams want playoff types with the size, speed, and compete. I think Edmonton and Florida is showing that is the current model. Lindstrom was ascending towards a top 3 pick until his injury occurred and brings all of the elements Verbeek wants. Lindstrom projects to be a really difficult player to play against.

 

[tomd]

I think the forwards would be Demidov or Lindstrom. Demidov added value by communicating his commitment to come over after another season and he's getting better off-puck and showing some potential to play center which I think Verbeek would like.

But I think we are still looking for bigger players. Watching the playoffs shows that it's nice to have skill, but teams want playoff types with the size, speed, and compete. I think Edmonton and Florida is showing that is the current model. Lindstrom was ascending towards a top 3 pick until his injury occurred and brings all of the elements Verbeek wants. Lindstrom projects to be a really difficult player to play against.

I agree with everything you said. My feeling is that they are probably leaning D at this point between levshunov and Silayev. The thought of getting a potential top pairing D with size is just too appealing.

 

[ScarTroy]

I think the forwards would be Demidov or Lindstrom. Demidov added value by communicating his commitment to come over after another season and he's getting better off-puck and showing some potential to play center which I think Verbeek would like.

But I think we are still looking for bigger players. Watching the playoffs shows that it's nice to have skill, but teams want playoff types with the size, speed, and compete. I think Edmonton and Florida is showing that is the current model. Lindstrom was ascending towards a top 3 pick until his injury occurred and brings all of the elements Verbeek wants. Lindstrom projects to be a really difficult player to play against.

Lindstrom-Carlsson-Gauthier would be quite a line to try to play against. If they don’t think his injury history is concerning he’d be a nice add.