HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[le_sean]

Helenius is the 2nd best 100% center in the draft and there is no chance of getting the best, If the organization wants a center then there is really only one choice.

That being said Demidov, Lindstrom, Levshunov, are all ahead of him in BPA. Anyone else you can argue deep in the weeds about which is the next BPA.

Yeah that worked out well for the team before, reaching specifically for a centre who happens to be from Finland while passing on the son of a former NHL legend, among other clearly better players.

 

[Xirik]

Yeah that worked out well for the team before, reaching specifically for a centre who happens to be from Finland.

basing a draft pick on a player drafted in the past who did work out and isn't relevant to the current player being talked isn't very sound unless you uncovered that all of Finland drinks "suck at hockey" water.

Also if you read my post I never said that they should draft Helenius.

 

[Habs7631]

Yeah that worked out well for the team before, reaching specifically for a centre who happens to be from Finland while passing on the son of a former NHL legend, among other clearly better players.

Except Helenius wouldn’t be a reach since there’s no clear BPA after Celebrini-Demidov-Lev.

Also what happened with KK is irrelevant with today.

 

[le_sean]

basing a draft pick on a player drafted in the past who did work out and isn't relevant to the current player being talked isn't very sound unless you uncovered that all of Finland drinks "suck at hockey" water.

Also if you read my post I never said that they should draft Helenius.

I’m not basing it on what happened in 2018. I’m just saying it parallels it.

Except Helenius wouldn’t be a reach since there’s no clear BPA after Celebrini-Demidov-Lev.

Also what happened with KK is irrelevant with today.

Lots of scouts would disagree with that. He’s clearly a tier below Iginla, Lindstrom, Silayev.

 

[Xirik]

I’m not basing it on what happened in 2018. I’m just saying it parallels it.

Drafting for position isn't usually a great idea, I agree on that.


Edited**

The Draft Simulator has been updated with mcKenzie's and Button's rankings.

Draft Sim

 

[Redux91]

Preliminary rankings dont come out til Hlinka tournament.

Rough top 25 rankings:

1. Macklin Celebrini (C) - Boston University
1. Cole Eiserman (LW) - US NTDP
3. Ivan Demidov (C) - MHL (Russia)
4. Artyom Levshunov (RD) - Green Bay (USHL)
5. Aaron Kiviharju (LD) - HIFK (Liiga)
6. Igor Chernyshov (LW) - MHL (Russia)
7. Berkley Catton (C) - Spokane (WHL)
8. Zeev Buium (LD) - US NTDP
9. Linus Ericksson (C) - Djurgardens J20
10. Konsta Helenius (RW) - Jukurit (Liiga)
11. Cole Hutson (LD) - US NTDP
12. Zayne Parekh (RD) - Saginaw (OHL)
13. Cayden Lindstrom (C) - Medicine Hat (WHL)
14. Beckett Sennecke (RW) - Oshawa (OHL)
15. Tomas Lavoie (RD) - Cape Breton (QMJHL)
16. Trevor Connelly (C) - Tri-City (USHL)
17. Anton Olsson (LD) - Mora J20
18. Carter Yakemchuk (RD) - Portland (WHL)
19. Liam Greentree (RW) - Windsor (OHL)
20. Maxim Massé (RW) - Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
21. Sam Dickinson (LD) - London (OHL)
22. Ryder Ritchie (RW) - Prince Albert (WHL)
23. Henry Mews (RD) - Ottawa (OHL)
24. Jesse Heslop (LW) - Everett (WHL)
25. Tij Iginla (C) - Kelowna (WHL)

Interesting seeing these rankings from June 30 , 2023 from Page 1

 

[SlafySZN]

Interesting seeing these rankings from June 30 , 2023 from Page 1

It’s a ranking coming from which analyst?

 

[G0bias]

Anyone know when the Black Book comes out? Got it in 18', thinking of getting it this year

 

[RationalExpectations]

Waiting for the tournament he's going to excel at. First it was the U18, then it was the World Championship because he's used to playing with pros. You got anything scheduled Helenius can show off at?

Quite unfair assessment. Most draft eligible have not even played world championship, you can t demote him because of this. In the U18 he did not have a great tournament but Finland was not a great team either. If you want the 5 game tournament against juniors to discard a 55 game season against pros, sure…

 

[NotProkofievian]

Everyone's Kotkaniemi. You, me, this cockamamie

 

[WeThreeKings]

Quite unfair assessment. Most draft eligible have not even played world championship, you can t demote him because of this. In the U18 he did not have a great tournament but Finland was not a great team either. If you want the 5 game tournament against juniors to discard a 55 game season against pros, sure…

He was just ribbing the poster about claims he made regarding Helenius.

But everyone has been asking questions about Helenius skill level all year long and his opportunities against his age group were fails in that department. That leaves questions as to realistically how much scoring can he do at the NHL level.

And it's the scouts who have cooled on him after his last viewings. The u18s in particular weren't good at all. You can say the Finnish team is weak sure, but there were only weak teams besides Canada and USA and when you get your lunch handed to you by Teddy Stiga, that doesn't help your stock.

Nothing stops him from still becoming a good player but his opportunities to take a top 10 spot were missed and I'd bet on Catton or Lindstrom at center , even if they have to move to wing over Helenius personally.

Luckily for me, someone who remains unconvinced of his offensive upside, his size and failure to take his opportunities have closed the door on being the Habs selection so it's nothing i have to be concerned about.