Your top 7 for the 2024 draft

[MrNasty]

Celebrini
Demidov
Levshunov
Dickinson
Lindstrom
Catton
Silayev

 

[Jee]

Don't have a top 7, but the ones that have been interesting me are Celebrini, Demigod, Lindstrom and Eiserman.

 

[Habs]

I still like Iggy over Catton, he's young and growing.. but please take BPA unlike last year.

 

[OnTheRun]

https://dailyhive.com/calgary/canadiens-tij-iginla-report?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar

Habs have met with Iginla 4 times this season......link above

It's not really unusual for it to happen when the player is playing in North America, even more so in the case of Iginla who wasn't projected to be anywhere near Top5 at the beginning of the year, so you're playing catch up with someone who suddenly appeared on the radar.

 

[vokiel]

I still like Iggy over Catton, he's young and growing.. but please take BPA unlike last year.

You know the problem with BPA is that it's a subjective denunciation. They can always say the pick is the BPA on their list and you could not argue about it.

 

[Goldthorpe]

Aside from Celebrini, I really want Demidov. All the other forwards have questions marks I don't like.

Lindstrom isn't Slaf and I don't know what his true ceiling is - and I don't like his injuries. Catton has second line center in a non-playoff team vibe, he's not elite enough to give good minutes on a good team. Iginla is too raw to be picked that high.

I like Levshunov but he plays the wrong position.

I want the prediction that some have made that the D would be picked early to happen, because I want Demidov.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

You know the problem with BPA is that it's a subjective denunciation. They can always say the pick is the BPA on their list and you could not argue about it.

Imagine being a hockey brain and thinking Kotkaniemi could be BPA over Quinn Hughes.

Yowza.

 

[Habby4Life]

Don't disagree that that isnt a bad top six but I'm still not 100% sold on that right side. Guhle on his weak side, Reinbacher still only has a handful of NA ice games under his belt (although I am convinced he will be an NHL defenseman in the near future), and Mailloux has 1 game of NHL experience (although I do like what I see so far)

If Matheson was to be traded out in the next year or two, and the habs were to draft Levshunov, I could see a top six of:
Guhle - Levshunov
Hutson - Reinbacher
Xhekaj - Mailloux
in a couple years...that looks sooo good.

With all that said, I am definitely still leaning draft best forward

It might be wise to move Matheson this summer. His stock will never be higher and I don't think he will be the same player when this team is competitive.

I'm sure Hugo will make another surprise move at the draft, its thier MO.

 

[Habs]

You know the problem with BPA is that it's a subjective denunciation. They can always say the pick is the BPA on their list and you could not argue about it.

i don't know many that thought The Bach was anywhere near the BPA at 5?

Imagine being a hockey brain and thinking Kotkaniemi could be BPA over Quinn Hughes.

Yowza.

or Brady, that kid had stud written all over him and was exactly what we needed.

 

[vokiel]

i don't know many that thought The Bach was anywhere near the BPA at 5?

I didn't have him that high me neither, but apparently the scouts on habs said he was their BPA. Nothing left to argue about after that.

 

[Nicko999]

Celebrini
Demidov
Catton
Buium
Iginla
Levshunov
Parekh

 

[The Last Red]

Aside from Celebrini, I really want Demidov. All the other forwards have questions marks I don't like.

Lindstrom isn't Slaf and I don't know what his true ceiling is - and I don't like his injuries. Catton has second line center in a non-playoff team vibe, he's not elite enough to give good minutes on a good team. Iginla is too raw to be picked that high.

I like Levshunov but he plays the wrong position.

I want the prediction that some have made that the D would be picked early to happen, because I want Demidov.

I think either Demidov or Lindstrom will be there at 5, not so sure at 6.

 

[Kaiden Ghoul]

Is Lindstrom can overcome his back problem

Celibrini
Demidov
Lindstrom
Iginla
Catton
Parehk
Eiserman

 

[26Mats]

This provides a good prediction of what, subject to trades, will occur at the draft.

Each player, other than Celebrini, comes with their respective warts and concerns:

Demidov: the Russian factor and the level of competition he faced this year will be a concern to many teams;

Dickinson: high floor, but a lack of elite skating may restrict him to only a top 4 defenceman in the NHL. Do you want to expend a top 5 pick on the next Chariot?

Buuim: best skating defenceman in the draft, but is vulnerable in the defensive zone at times;

Lindstrom: His combination of size , skill and skating is probably unmatched in this draft. But what good is that potential if his availability is questionable due to his history of injuries.

Catton: How well does this highly talented, but smallish player's talents and game translate to the NHL game? Are you drafting the next Brayden Point or the next Sean Farrell?

Iginla: One of the youngest players available in the draft, teams have to question is this highly competitive player a one year wonder in the WHL?

I think it will come down to the Canadiens having to choose one of Lindstrom, Catton or Iginla. I know who I would choose.

who would you choose?

 

[OnTheRun]

i don't know many that thought The Bach was anywhere near the BPA at 5?

The Habs, the Yotes, the Preds and... The Flyers had him there.

"It would only take Michkov to fall out of the Big Five for any one of Leonard, Dvorsky or Reinbacher to fill the void." -Bob McKenzie, Jun 22, 2023

 

[Team_Spirit]

David Ettedgui thinks this is the Habs list;

 

[Habano]

Celebrini
Lindstrom
Demidov
Eiserman
Catton
Iginla
Buium

 

[Omar]

For people much smarter than me, where would Lindstrom and Demidov rank amongst forwards drafted in the last 3 years?

Now that Ferrari from TheHockeyNews has Catton at 3, everybody wants him...
I have to admin that I'm all for the Habs taking him if Lindstrom is not available.
Lots of time to go, and these lists are going to change... Not even worth thinking about until after the cup finals...

I’m scared shitless with these late risers now

 

[ChesterNimitz]

You have a lot of infos on prospect, Im curious like Im sure many others are. Which guy would you pick between these 3 ?

With his combination of size, skill and speed, Lindstrom is the potential home run of this draft class. If you can tolerate the health risk associated with taking this player, he’s the one to go with. Regrettably, I doubt in the end, that we will have the choice/ opportunity to draft this player. But if we do, he’s my choice.

 

[Joey Tavares]

1. Celebrini
2. Demidov
3. Lindstrom
4. Catton
5. Parekh
6. Iginla
7. Levshunov

 

[Intangir]

With his combination of size, skill and speed, Lindstrom is the potential home run of this draft class. If you can tolerate the health risk associated with taking this player, he’s the one to go with. Regrettably, I doubt in the end, that we will have the choice/ opportunity to draft this player. But if we do, he’s my choice.

I respectfully disagree with you on this one.

I've watched Medicine Hat quite a bit this year, and Lindstrom was definitely very good for them but he was not the primary play driver for his team most of the time. I also noticed that he didn't exhibit anything more than average-ish Hockey IQ by NHL standards in the games I watched, nor was he also that creative offensively.

Then you add the fact that Lindstrom looked quite raw to my eyes, missed his man a couple times in coverage, and overall just wasn't impressive when defending away from the puck.

Instead, every time I'd watch Lindstrom my eyes would be drawn to Basha and all the little smart connecting plays that he'd make.

Given what I saw of Lindstrom and others in this year's draft, even if we excluded the back injury that Lindstrom suffered, I'd say that the biggest potential homerun of the class (outside guys like Celebrini and Demidov whom I'd have solidly ahead of everyone else) would probably be Silayev.

Though I have seen little of him, Silayev impressed the hell out of me in the couple games that I saw.

Incidentally, here is some readily-available footage of him (3 games in the KHL) from earlier in the season for those who'd be interested:



Simply put, the blend of four-way skating ability that Silayev possesses while being 6'7, 200+ pounds is just elite.

Then you add to that the fact that Silayev's overall defensive attributes are unbelievably mature for his age overall, that his 1-on-1 defensive skills/reads are among the very best in this draft, that he is very good at denying zone entries and forcing dump-ins, that he is very good at boxing-out opposing forwards in front of the net, also very difficult to beat along the boards because of his blend of size/speed/strength/reach, and that he also has underrated handling/passing abilities.

Seriously, with favorable progression here and there Silayev could end up being not only a #1 defenseman in the NHL, but an elite one.

Back to the subject at hand of this thread; my list of whom I'd want the Habs to draft would go like this:

Celebrini
Demidov
Silayev
Dickinson
Buium
Catton
Iginla

 

[CHwest]

A lot of guys really high on Lindstrom,

You know the problem with BPA is that it's a subjective denunciation. They can always say the pick is the BPA on their list and you could not argue about it.

It's not who he thinks was bpa so he will harp on for a few more years, unless Reinbacher busts. Then we will hear about it for a decade.

 

[Bobby Holik agent]

Not my final rank at all, i'm in the bpa or trade down clan:

1. Celebrini
2. Buium
3. Parekh
4. Iginla
5. Lindstrom
6. Dickinson
7. Catton
(Helenius)

I gonna try to get hype with Demidov but so far i have difficulty, i find him small, playing in 3rd league in russia, in russia and very pattern heavy in his playstyle, Catton feel safer.

 

[Maitz]

Am I the only one that thinks Lindstrom will not be a top 6 and I don't want the Habs to pick him?

 

[KevSkillz4]

David Ettedgui thinks this is the Habs list;

Great list IMO. Leshunov and Parekh have high potential. I will not be mad to add a D like that on Habs team. I would add Catton on the list, but I would be very happy with one of them in this list.