Pre-Game Talk: 2024 Draft Thread

[DatDude44]

Another mock


17 STL Sacha Boisvert LHC Canada 6' 2" 178

2023-24

Muskegon Lumberjacks

USHL

57

34

28

62

86

7

49 STL Marek Vanacker LW Canada 6' 0" 175

Brantford Bulldogs

OHL

68

36

46

82

55

7

1

1

1

2

2

55 T STL Kamil Bednarik LHC United States 5' 11" 177

U.S. National Development Team

USHL

25

9

18

27

28

-2

If a difference making D ain’t available I’d be very okay with this. I think bednarik has steal of the draft potential if he’s in the late 2nd/3rd

 

[Blueswin]

Here is another draft giving us 2024 NHL Mock Draft: Macklin Celebrini Headlines 2-Round End of March Update - Bleacher Nation

Jiricek
Bednarik
Shuravin

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Here is another draft giving us 2024 NHL Mock Draft: Macklin Celebrini Headlines 2-Round End of March Update - Bleacher Nation

Jiricek
Bednarik
Shuravin

Shuravin I really like. I think he will be gone at the end of the first. Very young, shutdown d great skater 6’3”.

 

[Mike Liut]

Shuravin I really like. I think he will be gone at the end of the first. Very young, shutdown d great skater 6’3”.

Is he worth moving up for?

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Is he worth moving up for?

I wouldn’t move up for any of them at the price they will cost. Plenty of good D should be there for us. Just my opinion. All of the big 6 have warts in their game.

 

[Blueswin]

I am starting to really like Michael Hage

https://www.wcnc.com/video/sports/locked-on/lo-national/nhl-prospects-show/michael-hage-scouting-report-how-high-will-elite-tools-carry-him/535-1e5140a1-4ce2-40e5-be64-57bc64896f03

 

[BadgersandBlues]

Having read a lot about the upcoming draft, I'm not too worried about the fact that we're picking mid teens vs. where we might have been had we sucked down the stretch. Outside of the top 5-8, which we were never in the mix for, there are a lot of intriguing prospects, but all have positives and negatives. Players always fall too, so who knows. I think even at 16 there's going to be a solid choice and I trust our drafting process.

 

[Majorityof1]

Having read a lot about the upcoming draft, I'm not too worried about the fact that we're picking mid teens vs. where we might have been had we sucked down the stretch. Outside of the top 5-8, which we were never in the mix for, there are a lot of intriguing prospects, but all have positives and negatives. Players always fall too, so who knows. I think even at 16 there's going to be a solid choice and I trust our drafting process.

We are 7-2-1 over the last 10. If we were 2-7-1 instead, we'd be sitting at the 7th pick. Top 8 was not out of the realm of possibility.

Even so, I'd rather have a slightly higher pick. Ignoring what it takes to get a higher pick, picking sooner is always better. While prospects are organized in tiers, that doesn't mean they are all fungible within the tier, or that everyone will agree on who is in each tier. Picking sooner gives you a better chance for a player to slip to you, or gives you more choices on which player in the tier to take.

 

[ort]

There's so much random chance in the draft. You can get a late bloomer franchise pick in the low teens. You just never know. Maybe in an alternate universe they stink it up and draft 7th and take a decent player, but it turns out that the 12th pick that year turns into a superstar.

I mean, it's always better to pick earlier, but most successful teams are successful because they "luck out" and get players who outperform their draft pedigree.

 

[Thallis]

There's so much random chance in the draft. You can get a late bloomer franchise pick in the low teens. You just never know. Maybe in an alternate universe they stink it up and draft 7th and take a decent player, but it turns out that the 12th pick that year turns into a superstar.

I mean, it's always better to pick earlier, but most successful teams are successful because they "luck out" and get players who outperform their draft pedigree.

Most successful teams are successful because they draft franchise changing talent. In most cases, that happens in the top 5 of the draft.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

Also, picking higher moves our pick up in every round of the draft. An early 2nd rounder could blossom into a great player. Would of loved to have had two top-40 picks, including a top 8 pick.

I feel like this season has been a worst-case scenario, we dont have the depth or talent to truly compete, but i would say we played almost to the max-potential of this current roster. And the goalies are a big part of that. Its too bad we get punished for winning a bunch of close games that could have gone either way, being a middling team sucks.

 

[Memento]

I am starting to really like Michael Hage

https://www.wcnc.com/video/sports/locked-on/lo-national/nhl-prospects-show/michael-hage-scouting-report-how-high-will-elite-tools-carry-him/535-1e5140a1-4ce2-40e5-be64-57bc64896f03

He's my option if we're in the teens over guys like Jiricek. I don't care where he's rated; he's one of the best skaters in this class, has a lethal shot, and can do damn near everything on the ice.

 

[Drubilly]

I’m also digging Basha as a Blues pick.

 

[Majorityof1]

There's so much random chance in the draft. You can get a late bloomer franchise pick in the low teens. You just never know. Maybe in an alternate universe they stink it up and draft 7th and take a decent player, but it turns out that the 12th pick that year turns into a superstar.

I mean, it's always better to pick earlier, but most successful teams are successful because they "luck out" and get players who outperform their draft pedigree.

It's not random chance. We didn't luck into Robert Thomas. We had him really high on our draft board. It was luck nobody else above us didn't scout him as well, and didn't have him as high. But its not like we pulled a name out of a hat and Army was like "why are we drafting the guy from matchbox 20? Oh well"

 

[BadgersandBlues]

ESPN has us picking Hage in their most recent mock. Made him sound very interesting.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

I’m also digging Basha as a Blues pick.

Pretty fortunate to play with Lindstrom and McKenna. Doesn’t really do anything on his own. Skates well but doesn’t seem to accomplish much.

 

[Mike Liut]

ESPN has us picking Hage in their most recent mock. Made him sound very interesting.

He’s my choice in the 14-18 range.

 

[Drubilly]

Pretty fortunate to play with Lindstrom and McKenna. Doesn’t really do anything on his own. Skates well but doesn’t seem to accomplish much.

Yes he’s fortunate to play with those two but he can definitely hold his own. Kid has a motor and the smarts to make plays. He clearly assertive himself when Lindstrom was out of the lineup.

 

[STL fan in MN]

He's my option if we're in the teens over guys like Jiricek. I don't care where he's rated; he's one of the best skaters in this class, has a lethal shot, and can do damn near everything on the ice.

I came to the conclusion years ago that the USHL is underscouted and many of their players underrated.

From John Carlson to Jaden Schwartz and Kyle Connor…I’d watch these guys and be blown away. Yes, most of the best players in the USHL are all concentrated on the NTDP but when one of these guys really shines on a non-NTDP USHL team, they seem to get discounted.

I think the same is happening with Hage. Same could be said for Boisvert, Connelly and Gridin as well. This is a strong crop out of the USHL this year.

 

[Blueston]

I came to the conclusion years ago that the USHL is underscouted and many of their players underrated.

From John Carlson to Jaden Schwartz and Kyle Connor…I’d watch these guys and be blown away. Yes, most of the best players in the USHL are all concentrated on the NTDP but when one of these guys really shines on a non-NTDP USHL team, they seem to get discounted.

I think the same is happening with Hage. Same could be said for Boisvert, Connelly and Gridin as well. This is a stony crop out of the USHL this year.

agreed. and conversely, i've thought guys from ohl have traditionally been overrated bc toronto is center of hockey universe. i don't think that is true anymore, as lately guys like ritchie and musty seem to have been overly-scrutinized and picked lower than they should have.

 

[Memento]

I came to the conclusion years ago that the USHL is underscouted and many of their players underrated.

From John Carlson to Jaden Schwartz and Kyle Connor…I’d watch these guys and be blown away. Yes, most of the best players in the USHL are all concentrated on the NTDP but when one of these guys really shines on a non-NTDP USHL team, they seem to get discounted.

I think the same is happening with Hage. Same could be said for Boisvert, Connelly and Gridin as well. This is a stony crop out of the USHL this year.

Trading down and picking Gridin would be my second option if Hage isn't there. Not much of a fan of Connelly. Boisvert would be a decent pick, but I prefer Hage's speed.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Yes he’s fortunate to play with those two but he can definitely hold his own. Kid has a motor and the smarts to make plays. He clearly assertive himself when Lindstrom was out of the lineup.

He needs to play assertive now before they get eliminated. He’s just letting them run him out of the front of the net in the playoffs. Plays very small. If you’re drafting to win in the playoffs, then I don’t think I would pick him.

Look up Yegor Surin. He’s having one heckuva playoff in the MHL just three points behind Demidov. He’s leading his team. This is the time of year to find your guys that show up when you need them to.

 

[TheOrganist]

I came to the conclusion years ago that the USHL is underscouted and many of their players underrated.

From John Carlson to Jaden Schwartz and Kyle Connor…I’d watch these guys and be blown away. Yes, most of the best players in the USHL are all concentrated on the NTDP but when one of these guys really shines on a non-NTDP USHL team, they seem to get discounted.

I think the same is happening with Hage. Same could be said for Boisvert, Connelly and Gridin as well. This is a strong crop out of the USHL this year.

USHL is an underrated league. I was working for a USHL team when guys like Blake Coleman and Trevor Moore (who is breaking out for LA) were around. And plenty more talent that made it to the show. They were very good players. It’s a good, solid competitive league.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

USHL is an underrated league. I was working for a USHL team when guys like Blake Coleman and Trevor Moore (who is breaking out for LA) were around. And plenty more talent that made it to the show. They were very good players. It’s a good, solid competitive league.

I wonder how the upcoming changes to the CHL being allowed to college will effect the USHL

 

[TheOrganist]

I wonder how the upcoming changes to the CHL being allowed to college will effect the USHL

I would be very surprised if these changes take effect any time soon, if at all, as NCAA coaches and AD's are passionately against the idea. But to your point, there would definitely be a talent drain in the USHL if the cream of the crop 16-18 yr old American players can venture to the CHL w/out repercussions of NCAA eligibility.