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

[goonsaredumb]

Looks like Demidov unofficially measured at 6'1" today. Official height will be done by the NHL later this week. That could change things up a bit for Chicago. Hawks are taking him to dinner tonight.

If he's really 6'1 how can Verbeek pass that up if Chicago doesn't pick him, he was already the 2nd most skilled player in the draft and he doesn't have that long ass contract like Michkov, the only thing I really thought would get in the way of Verbeek picking him was his size

 

[Perry was Here]

Looks like Demidov unofficially measured at 6'1" today. Official height will be done by the NHL later this week. That could change things up a bit for Chicago. Hawks are taking him to dinner tonight.

Interesting since his previous listing was 5'11". Kinda wonder if that's a hockey 6'1".

 

[Gliff]

Sean Shapiro of EP spoke with Demidov this morning. Apparently he is currently rehabbing an ankle injury, so he’s not participating in on-ice activities, but he said he should be back on the ice around development camp time.
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His agent says he is measuring at 6'1.
So much for the "midget" narrative.

If the Ducks take a forward it better be him.

 

[tomd]

His agent says he is measuring at 6'1.
So much for the "midget" narrative.

If the Ducks take a forward it better be him.

Yup, 6'1" puts the discussion in a whole different realm. Actually makes it tough for Chicago. Looks like we could be back to having Levshunov available at 3OA. But if Demidov is available there needs to be a serious discussion about taking him. This Yakemchuk nonsense has to end now.

 

[Anarchynate]

Current top 5 not including Celi

sennecke
Dickinson
demidov
Buium
Tig/ Catton

Would be thrilled with either. I’m not high on lev as most are. Reminds me too much of LaCombe from my viewings. I like what I see in Lindstrom but back injuries scare the crap out of me

 

[Perry was Here]

Anyone have an opinion on Teddy Sitga? I know hes not 6'3 so half of you are going to instantly write him off.

I thought he was fantastic at World juniors.... Hes going to BC this year and likely going to play on a top team w/ top players... we passed on brindley last season, and i assume well have different guys at 31 + 35.

But if we go dmen at 3... i expect us to look for a forward at 35.... i think Masse is prob my best guess.

Stiga has been a riser and his game in general to me is what Verbeek likes. He either gets picked before 31 or between 31 and 35. I'm really hoping Verbeek picks Badinka though.

Masse, I like the idea of but I think the Verbeek type in that range would be Jett Luchanko and I would also like him.

 

[Vaakou]

Would be awesome if we could snag 2 from this list with a trade.

Demidov
Levshunov
Lindstrom
Yakemchuk
Sennecke
Buium

 

[airforceones25]

Clearly Demidov plays bigger than what he's listed and I've seen reports of him weighing in the 180's. He's never been afraid to shy away from contact either. I swear people don't actually watch but these tiny narratives and can't grow are going to be funny to look back it if he indeed measures in at 6'

 

[LeBrun is a Clown]

Passing on Demidov would be mindblowing to me. Yakemchuk is a project. The holes are obviously there, otherwise he would be competing #1st overall. But Demidov is gamebreaking imho.

Same could be said for Demidov and #1. He’s not the clear cut pick and Yak has too many intangibles and innate skills to pass up on. A lot of people will say Silayev is the unique D from the draft but it really is Yak. Over time I expect a lot of fans to start to like him

 

[HanSolo]

Decided to pick up EP's draft guide for a work flight reading. Only got as far as Lindstrom and Levshunov after reading all their intro stuff.

I like that they have game notes with observations from specific games.

Feel like I'm validated a bit on what I've been feeling with Levshunov and read through some potential flaws I wasn't even aware of. EP has him as the top rated defenseman (4th overall) he has high level attributes and a good build but an inconsistent motor and execution at both ends of the ice. What struck me from the game notes was how often Lev seemed to shirk at forechecking pressure and seemed to lack drive to use his toolkit to really impose himself in games. Draft year motivation/drive issues only add to my concerns.

Demidov was an interesting read. All the game notes indicate that he has unbelievable skill and could end up a more skilled player than Celebrini. The EP scouts weren't echoing the same concerns I have that his playstyle is tougher to adapt (and thus harder to project out) given how he could abuse his MHL competition by being clearly better than them, but they did repeatedly note that he was clearly more than head and shoulders above his competition and being in the MHL was likely going to be a detriment to his development because he spent many games just f***ing around with the puck. Games he could get 6-7 points he'd only get three because he spent most of the time just experimenting with razzle dazzle plays. There are a small handful of game notes from the few KHL and VHL games he got this year and they noted it was harder for him to make an impact offensively but he did adjust his game to focus on playing responsible defense with the diminished ice time.

I still think it's a risky pick but there's potential for him to be a solid winger for us. If we're expecting him to be a goal scorer though, I think we're going to be disappointed. Picking him up would be adding to a glut of playmakers.

I don't want this to be a word salad so I'll keep Lindstrom brief. He seems to be a really solid option at forward who was showing a really sharp upwards development curve before the injury and could be a great option to add a big guy with a bit of a mean streak and reasonably high skill/drive/defensive responsibility. I'm just still really concerned about that back injury. If the team is willing to take the risk, I'd trust that they've done their diligence with medical professionals to determine the long term possibility of an injury prone guy.

 

[LeBrun is a Clown]

Demidovs games won’t translate, he’s a Filatov

You don’t spend a too 3 pick on a winger unless it’s a sure thing

 

[HanSolo]

If he's really 6'1 how can Verbeek pass that up if Chicago doesn't pick him, he was already the 2nd most skilled player in the draft and he doesn't have that long ass contract like Michkov, the only thing I really thought would get in the way of Verbeek picking him was his size

If I was Verbeek I'd be concerned or at least apprehensive about his ability to adapt his skill to even just the KHL, to say nothing of the NHL. MHL junior level competition is below the CHL so him making mincemeat out of that league isn't something that should inspire confidence. I'm not against taking him at 3 but there's nothing slam dunk about this kid imo.

 

[All Mighty]

No Silayev at the showcase, so he must not be a Gold Star client. Coulson Pitre is there, though.

 

[Terry Yake]

yakemchuk at 3 would be so stupid. if he's the guy they want, then there's no reason not to trade up. he'll still be on the board around 6-8 i'd say

 

[Ducks DVM]

No Silayev at the showcase, so he must not be a Gold Star client. Coulson Pitre is there, though.

What is the Demidov injury?

 

[LeBrun is a Clown]

yakemchuk at 3 would be so stupid. if he's the guy they want, then there's no reason not to trade up. he'll still be on the board around 6-8 i'd say

Good chance cbj / Utah / mtl go for him

 

[Terry Yake]

What is the Demidov injury?

wonder if its the knee injury that sidelined more than once this past season

 

[Gliff]

No Silayev at the showcase, so he must not be a Gold Star client. Coulson Pitre is there, though.

Glad Surin is there. I desperately want him in the second round.

What is the Demidov injury?

Ankle issue, not the knee he hurt earlier.

 

[anezthes]

If the team is willing to take the risk, I'd trust that they've done their diligence with medical professionals to determine the long term possibility of an injury prone guy.

I have zero faith in management regarding any kind of injuries. Herniated disc? Just play through it.

 

[tomd]

Good chance cbj / Utah / mtl go for him

Heck, Chicago too..or maybe even SJ. He’s that good, right?

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Anyone have an opinion on Teddy Sitga? I know hes not 6'3 so half of you are going to instantly write him off.

I thought he was fantastic at World juniors.... Hes going to BC this year and likely going to play on a top team w/ top players... we passed on brindley last season, and i assume well have different guys at 31 + 35.

But if we go dmen at 3... i expect us to look for a forward at 35.... i think Masse is prob my best guess.

I really like Stiga. Pace of play, smarts and urgency will get him to the league, even as an energy guy. But he might be one of those up and down the lineup types who can play with anyone. He just seems like a winner

 

[Hockey Duckie]

In a wide open draft like this, not sure that does anything for them. In a situation where 2 and 7 yield similar talent, no one is likely to give up much. They and SJ are the two teams who really don't need to be coy about who they're taking.

There is no debate that Celebrini is tops and then a mix thereafter. San Jose doesn't have to dick around. Chicago, on the other hand, can play around.

There's no harm in playing games before the draft for Chicago. It's free draft capital for the 'Hawks if the Ducks bite. With news that the Ducks might be hot on RD Yakemchuk at #3, there might be some truth on playing with the Ducks' heartstrings to secure RD Lev. Yakemchuk is a serious project RD and you don't take serious projects at #3 overall. With picks 31, 35, and 58, it's possible that the Ducks could dangle #58 with the #3 to move up one spot because they're that desperate to fulfill the RD spot.

Although, with news about Demidov having grown taller and clear intentions of not re-signing in the KHL after his contract is up this season, Anaheim might not be so desperate to land a Yakemchuk and Chicago might want to re-think about passing up on Demidov.

Of course, the Ducks might also be playing along that they want Yakemchuk to throw off Chicago from believing we're dead set on Lev to induce a potential trade.

 

[Emerald Duck]

Looks like Demidov unofficially measured at 6'1" today. Official height will be done by the NHL later this week. That could change things up a bit for Chicago. Hawks are taking him to dinner tonight.

Not surprising that an 18-year would still be growing. Maybe the Ducks need to meet his parents.

If one can imagine a 6'2", 200 lb player with Demidov's puck skills ...

 

[Anarchynate]

Not surprising that an 18-year would still be growing. Maybe the Ducks need to meet his parents.

If one can imagine a 6'2", 200 lb player with Demidov's puck skills ...

That would be sennecke

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Does Yakemchuk match better with Mintyukov or Zellweger in a future defensive pair ?

Yakemchuk is an OFD. The perfect pair match would be a shutdown LD. A Stian Solberg-Yakemchuk pairing would be devastating on both ends of the ice.

The better match would be either LaCombe or Hinds.

As of now, with his defensive game apparently being a work in much-needed progress, Minty seems like the better fit - but having Minty paired with a guy who’s himself overly active offensively could result in Minty not getting to use his offensive talent and being forced to play more of a conservative game, which would let some of his strengths go to waste. But the appeal with Yakemchuk would probably be that he becomes a guy that uses his frame effectively defensively (and consistently), as well.

Yakemchuk has played in the WHL for three seasons. I have no idea how long he's been 6'3 and 194 lbs, but at least he's been that size for this season. His defensive game hasn't vastly improved when compared to his offensive game for the past three WHL seasons. On top of that, his discipline has devolved in this past season.

I get that the Hitmen were a bad team, but Yakemchuk could refrain from replicating a turnstile defensively. At his stature, he should be able to be in the positive rating. Hell, Drysdale was on a terrible Erie Otters team in his draft year and he was a +9, tied for 4th on the team.

Hitmen +/- ratings, high and low

2021-22: high = +11, low = -27​

2022-23: high = +19, low = -14​

2023-24: high = +29, low = -13​

Right now, Yakemchuk is a physical OFD whose defense may or may not show up.

If you compare Yakemchuk to Lev, it's kinda scary how much Lev has improved to change from an OFD and into a 2WD.

• USHL
  • Scoring
    • 6th in team scoring
    • 1st in USHL scoring for d-man U18
  • +/- rating
    • worst +/- on the team

• NCAA
  • Scoring
    • 2nd in team scoring
    • 2nd in NCAA scoring for d-man U19
    • 9th in NCAA scoring for d-man league-wide
  • +/- rating
    • best +/- on the team
    • 6th best +/- for NCAA d-man league-wide

Lev went into a higher league this past season and displayed he can improve his defense. There's a significant gap between Lev and Yakemchuk. At least I know Lev has shown the propensity to improve his game offensive and defensively to where you question how much higher can he go as opposed to hoping Yakemchuk can develop that defensive game at a higher level of play.