2024 NHL DRAFT Talk

[dudacek]

38 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

. That said, I think it is interesting there is industry chatter about Buffalo trading the pick as that indicates to me there are multiple conversations around that. As always, talking about it and doing it are 2 different things.

Who is the worst player a top 12 pick has ever been moved for?

The fact that it is in conversation tells me Adams has at least interest in adding a piece that is more than “around the-edges.”

[JohnC]

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Who is the worst player a top 12 pick has ever been moved for?

The fact that it is in conversation tells me Adams has at least interest in adding a piece that is more than “around the-edges.”

The issue isn't simply what is the value of a top 12 pick as it is what is the value of a top 12 pick included within an outgoing package of players. What young player/s on the roster is the GM willing to include and what prospects in the system is he willing to trade? In general, KA has been more inclined to value his assets higher than many others do. This is going to be an intriguing offseason. Is the GM going to be bold or stay with his conservative instincts of being cautious. I don't really know. 

[Archie Lee]

40 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

Pronman mock draft https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5531872/2024/06/05/nhl-mock-draft-2024-celebrini-levshunov/

I have made no bones about how much I don't like Pronman's rankings but it still gives us things to talk about and there is a fun Sabres note in here. 

1. Mack Celebrini
2. Artyom Levshunov
3. Anton Silayev
4. Cayden Lindstrom
5. Ivan Demidov
6. Sam Dickinson
7. Carter Yakemchuk
8. Zeev Buium
9. Berkly Catton
10. Beckett Sennecke
11. Tij Iginla (Pronman: Several NHL team sources think Buffalo is a strong candidate to trade their pick.)
12. Konsta Helenius

I don't see any logicaly way Tij Iginla makes it past Calgary at 9. That would be the perfect spot to take him in. That said, I think it is interesting there is industry chatter about Buffalo trading the pick as that indicates to me there are multiple conversations around that. As always, talking about it and doing it are 2 different things.

On Iginla, I have heard the sentiment (in an Athletic Pod) that Calgary might not see him in their top 10 and might not wish to put the sort of additional pressure on a kid that would come with drafting him into that situation (Dad’s a legend here). It seems they may draw fire whichever direction they choose. 

I’m more than fine with trading #11. As @JohnC has said, there is certainly a minimum that we should expect back (3C min or top 6 wing, with some term or certainty we can extend; we might need to add). But 2 things:

- I would really prefer to deal one or two of our prospects. We don’t have space for them to begin with. Adding a top 9 forward with term is important, but further diminishes the space for our existing prospects. Trading a prospect or two and keeping #11 allows for a better integration of prospects to our NHL lineup over the next few seasons. It is hard for me to imagine that Adams does not see this. 

- I would feel a little better if there were more rumours about young vets being shopped who fit the general mold of what we are looking for. Obviously there could be discussions on players that we aren’t aware are available. 

[French Collection]

Just got my copy of Elite Prospects Draft guide. 1900 pages. Tons of information, too bad I have to work today.

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, French Collection said:

Just got my copy of Elite Prospects Draft guide. 1900 pages. Tons of information, too bad I have to work today.

No you don't

[dudacek]

4 minutes ago, Archie Lee said:

On Iginla, I have heard the sentiment (in an Athletic Pod) that Calgary might not see him in their top 10 and might not wish to put the sort of additional pressure on a kid that would come with drafting him into that situation (Dad’s a legend here). It seems they may draw fire whichever direction they choose. 

 

LGR asked under what scenario Iginla gets past the Flames.

To me, the answer is "if Berkley Catton (or name your player) is still on the board".

There will be player available at 9 you can easily justify taking over Iginla.

[JohnC]

1 minute ago, Archie Lee said:

On Iginla, I have heard the sentiment (in an Athletic Pod) that Calgary might not see him in their top 10 and might not wish to put the sort of additional pressure on a kid that would come with drafting him into that situation (Dad’s a legend here). It seems they may draw fire whichever direction they choose. 

I’m more than fine with trading #11. As @JohnC has said, there is certainly a minimum that we should expect back (3C min or top 6 wing, with some term or certainty we can extend; we might need to add). But 2 things:

- I would really prefer to deal one or two of our prospects. We don’t have space for them to begin with. Adding a top 9 forward with term is important, but further diminishes the space for our existing prospects. Trading a prospect or two and keeping #11 allows for a better integration of prospects to our NHL lineup over the next few seasons. It is hard for me to imagine that Adams does not see this. 

- I would feel a little better if there were more rumours about young vets being shopped who fit the general mold of what we are looking for. Obviously there could be discussions on players that we aren’t aware are available. 

Once the Cup series has been concluded the rumors will be flying all over the place. Then the exchanges are going to get heated here.  I predict that @GASabresIUFAN will be on fire. I advise those less than sturdy individuals to stay out of this rampaging lawyer's way. 😀

[LGR4GM]

I've decided that Carter Yakemchuk is Rasmus Ristolainen and I don't want anything to do with it. I could 100% be wrong here as Yakemchuk has a ton of offensive tools but just watching shift by shift tape and it doesn't look right. The tracking data I've seen backs it up, I would draft him in the late teens but not at 11. 

[Flashsabre]

https://soundofhockey.com/2024/06/03/a-data-driven-look-at-2024-nhl-draft-top-prospects/
 

A different approach to looking at some of the top draft prospects.

[Flashsabre]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Pronman mock draft https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5531872/2024/06/05/nhl-mock-draft-2024-celebrini-levshunov/

I have made no bones about how much I don't like Pronman's rankings but it still gives us things to talk about and there is a fun Sabres note in here. 

1. Mack Celebrini
2. Artyom Levshunov
3. Anton Silayev
4. Cayden Lindstrom
5. Ivan Demidov
6. Sam Dickinson
7. Carter Yakemchuk
8. Zeev Buium
9. Berkly Catton
10. Beckett Sennecke
11. Tij Iginla (Pronman: Several NHL team sources think Buffalo is a strong candidate to trade their pick.)
12. Konsta Helenius

I don't see any logicaly way Tij Iginla makes it past Calgary at 9. That would be the perfect spot to take him in. That said, I think it is interesting there is industry chatter about Buffalo trading the pick as that indicates to me there are multiple conversations around that. As always, talking about it and doing it are 2 different things.

https://www.tsn.ca/devils-gm-open-to-dealing-10th-overall-pick-eyes-goaltending-help-this-summer-1.2129949?collectionId=TSN%2FRECS%2FMIX%2FRFY
 

NJ at #10 moving their pick might put a wrench into things or maybe not. Depends how many players are sitting there that other teams covet.

[LGR4GM]

This is why I think NHL scouts are stupid: "You just worry sometimes with people from those non-traditional countries, but there are some good traits there.” – Western Conference scout, May 2024"

I don't care if you come from the Sahara desert, if you can play hockey you can play hockey.

[Flashsabre]

6 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I've decided that Carter Yakemchuk is Rasmus Ristolainen and I don't want anything to do with it. I could 100% be wrong here as Yakemchuk has a ton of offensive tools but just watching shift by shift tape and it doesn't look right. The tracking data I've seen backs it up, I would draft him in the late teens but not at 11. 

To me Eiserman and Yakemchuk are the two riskiest top 12 picks. Both bring very unique skill sets but there overall games are questionable for a pick that high. I would actually put Lindstrom in there too. The back injury is hopefully just a one time thing he is past but those can be very tricky. 

[French Collection]

10 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

This is why I think NHL scouts are stupid: "You just worry sometimes with people from those non-traditional countries, but there are some good traits there.” – Western Conference scout, May 2024"

I don't care if you come from the Sahara desert, if you can play hockey you can play hockey.

Waiting an extra year or two for Kaprizov didn’t turn out too bad for the Wild. He may have developed differently if rushed into the league.

[Brawndo]

FWIW this is from Corey Pronman’s Mock Draft this AM

 

11. Buffalo Sabres: Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna (WHL)

Some may say Buffalo can’t take another scoring winger, but you could have said the same thing about their approach last season and the Zach Benson pick has looked good for them so far. Iginla is a highly competitive and skilled winger who can score and would complement the group Buffalo is building. Several NHL team sources think Buffalo is a strong candidate to trade their pick.

[Thorner]

18 draft picks over the next 2 drafts. We should see a fair few moved 

We have to move 4 just to get to an average slate, never mind the surplus of prospects 

[GASabresIUFAN]

4 hours ago, JohnC said:

Once the Cup series has been concluded the rumors will be flying all over the place. Then the exchanges are going to get heated here.  I predict that @GASabresIUFAN will be on fire. I advise those less than sturdy individuals to stay out of this rampaging lawyer's way. 😀

Make reasonable well thought out suggestions and there should be no problem.  Say we should trade our 11th overall pick for Jeannot and a 7th and ..........

Speaking of the NHL draft.  Two former Sabres' son are in this year's draft class.  Max Plante, son of Derek, looks like a 3rd round pick.  The other is Miro Satan Jr.  The kid is 6'7" 190.  Talk about needing time to fill out.  He was 51st on Central Scouting EU list.  Looks like a late round pick.   

Edited June 5 by GASabresIUFAN

[French Collection]

11 minutes ago, Flashsabre said:

To me Eiserman and Yakemchuk are the two riskiest top 12 picks. Both bring very unique skill sets but there overall games are questionable for a pick that high. I would actually put Lindstrom in there too. The back injury is hopefully just a one time thing he is past but those can be very tricky. 

I didn’t know Lindstrom had a back injury. Those can linger or never go away and surgery can be career ending.

[French Collection]

7 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

No you don't

Now I need to cut the grass, it would have to wait if the draft was in a few days.

I am interested in everyone after Celebrini to about #16. Lots of information and game notes. Now watch them trade the pick.

I don’t watch much video like you do, I take other people’s word on skills. I love to read up on opinions. My favourite list is Bob McKenzie, because of actual NHL scouts, so the accuracy is decent.

This guide will be great on draft weekend to get more info on the later round picks.

[LGR4GM]

2 hours ago, French Collection said:

Now I need to cut the grass, it would have to wait if the draft was in a few days.

I am interested in everyone after Celebrini to about #16. Lots of information and game notes. Now watch them trade the pick.

I don’t watch much video like you do, I take other people’s word on skills. I love to read up on opinions. My favourite list is Bob McKenzie, because of actual NHL scouts, so the accuracy is decent.

This guide will be great on draft weekend to get more info on the later round picks.

I watch a lot less than I used to. Mostly just the guys that I find interesting now. 

EPs guide is great. I think their game reports really give you a feel for players. Their let's watch series is fantastic too. 

[kas23]

10 hours ago, Archie Lee said:

On Iginla, I have heard the sentiment (in an Athletic Pod) that Calgary might not see him in their top 10 and might not wish to put the sort of additional pressure on a kid that would come with drafting him into that situation (Dad’s a legend here). It seems they may draw fire whichever direction they choose. 

I can see them passing on Iginla too. There’s going to be sizable baggage with that pick. What if he’s not living up to expectations (ie. Not being Jarome) or if Daddy thinks they are using him wrong. You think he’s going to sit pat and not make some phone calls?

[French Collection]

Carter Yakemchuk.

I was really interested in him around 11 because he is a good sized RHD who is physical and has a good offensive game. 71 points in 66 games for a non playoff team.

His ceiling is Brent Burns but he has a lot of warts.

The research I have read talks a lot about his lack of hockey sense and whether his offense is translatable to the NHL. One scout compared him to Risto, chasing guys to hit them and ending up out of position. Hearing that turns me off of the kid. Another guy compared him to Jeff Jilson.

 

[French Collection]

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.

6’1” 198 Norwegian RW who payed in Sweden’s Allsvenskan, second division.

He projects as a middle six winger who plays hard and can contribute offensively. He sounds like a potential fan favourite in Buffalo, hard nosed two way player. .I watched him play twice in Prague and he fit in with men and was on the top line with Zuccarello.

11 might be too early. He or countryman Stolberg might be good picks if the Sabres were to move back in some kind of swap.

[Brawndo]

 

[French Collection]

Konsta Helenius’ coach is Olli Jokinen. He thinks the kid is not too far away from being ready for NHL hockey. Quite a statement for a kid that could go 5th or 15th. He has played a full season in Liiga and did very well.

Jokinen says it is his approach to the game that makes him a pro, he strives to get better every day and is detail oriented. He already plays a 200’ game.

Some scouts worry about his offensive upside but most agree he can be a middle 6 centre at the NHL level.

He may be an option at 11.

[LGR4GM]

Teddy Stiga 5'10" LW, #8:

First, he plays on a line with James Hagens and James Hagens is probably in the conversation for the 1st overall pick in 2025. I mention that because Stiga has help and that includes fellow 2024 options Eiserman, Plante, Hutson, and Ziemer. That all said let's talk about Teddy because I noticed him throughout the year but finally sat down to look at him and I kinda fell a little bit in love. There is a play in the highlights below that blows my mind. It starts at 1:46 mark and Stiga breaks into the zone and drives the net with a defender in front of him. At first I thought he screwed up the shot and it just rebounded to Hagens but nope. Stiga corrals a pass in his skates, fakes a shot, then does this nice little slip pass back to Hagens. I have no idea how he knew Hagens was even there but it is a perfect pass. His shot in underrated IMPO as I think he releases really well. He has some of that Benson battle that I love where he just always seems to end up with the correct leverage to win puck battles. Watch some clips, you will see him win pucks and then drive inside, he does lack the elite layer of manipulation that Benson has and I think his overall handling skills are certainly less. Still, Stiga just seems to end up with pucks on his stick either from his excellent checking or simply because he's really smart. He knows what to do with those pucks as well, again refer to that earlier clip.

Now Stiga needs to improve his skating, not because it is bad, he's got good edges and ok balance but if you watch him sprint, you will notice the lack of extension so he is shorting himself more speed. Also his handling is average as in he can handle but this isn't a guy like Sennecke who can just put it on a string and weave through you. Also, he is 5'10"... I think he'll measure 5'11" but either way that means he doesn't have the most weight to throw around so parts of his game may be harder to translate. All that said, I think the brain he has with the rest of his skills, even if not elite, point to a middle 6 player who connects on whatever line you want him. At 43, I think he is more than worth it. He has enough skills that his high end hockey sense will make up for any other short commings especially with his motor.

 

Jett Luchanko 5'11" C, #7: 

Where Stiga plays with a future top 2 draft pick, Luchanko plays with... umm overager Braeden Bowman? Not a lot of talent left on Guelph after a certain Bruins prospect didn't come back. Good news is that if you watched the U18s, Luchanko was there and did pretty good even as he was used more as a checking line type as opposed to an offensive catalyst. His game is built on his skating, which is quite good. He has good speed, nice edges, decent balance. He is also willing to engage physically and use his body to gain position and then make a play. Making plays is his game as he tends to pass more than shoot and you will see lots of nifty little touch passes or dekes and passes to help him do this. He has a decent shot but nothing special there IMPO and even with his excellent passing, I don't feel he has some spidey-sense level to his reads. 

He will probably get drafted higher than Stiga and with an August 21 bday, he is only about 3 weeks shy of being 2025 eligible so we should consider that. Still, I question his abilities to a degree. He can facilitate plays for sure but I never really feel he is dictating them in the offensive zone. If you catch some glimpses of his defensive work, that is really good and you can see him cut plays off or win battles and start transitions usually with a nice pass. Overall I find him to be fine but he never really brings that something extra and considering he is a 2nd round option, that isn't overly surprising. Buffalo could do worse in the 2nd and if you believe his young age gives him more runway, take him and let him simmer. In 3-5 years you may get a really good skating middle 6 forward.