2024 Draft

[Fig]

Of course it's a "weak" draft, the Flames are about to load up on draft picks haha.

I seem to recall 2013 was a draft full of can't miss prospects and wasn't touted as weak. The fact we tried stapling that initial rebuild to it in the wrong way was a huge part of that downfall IMO.

Even then, the top 15 in that draft was quite solid. It's the loss of our first rounders to injury (Klimchuk, Monahan) and substance abuse (Poirier) and then drafting for need vs BPA (6 dmen from the 3rd round onwards). That further flushed assets down the toilet by not allowing the scouting group to properly swing for the fences and find those gems.

2013 NHL Entry Draft Picks at hockeydb.com

A sortable list of players drafted in the 2013 NHL Entry draft, including their career scoring after being drafted

www.hockeydb.com

When I look at the later round drafting, it looks very uncharacteristic. Like there must have been some major GM override there.

 

[Volica]

Sell everything and lets just get Celebrini. He'd look great in a Flames sweater!

Honzek/Celebrini/Coronato on 1 line, with JP & CZ on the other

This is the way.
I said it before, the goal for the Flames this year should be to finish no higher than the 5th worst seed and try to luck their way into that pick. That range gives you that 10% chance(ish, 8.5/9.5) at the first overall.

Plus it does allow Calgary to sort of maneuver around if they land a bunch of assets from trading their UFA's.

I think modern drafts have shown, you can get a real game changer at 5 or better even; and to really not be afraid of D. These guys are developing so fast nowadays that it only takes a year or two for these really high end guys to be big time impact players.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I seem to recall 2013 was a draft full of can't miss prospects and wasn't touted as weak. The fact we tried stapling that initial rebuild to it in the wrong way was a huge part of that downfall IMO.

If they got their wish and tricked Colorado into trading 1OA for 6, 23 and 28 it would've worked too.

 

[Yepthatsme]

This is the way.
I said it before, the goal for the Flames this year should be to finish no higher than the 5th worst seed and try to luck their way into that pick. That range gives you that 10% chance(ish, 8.5/9.5) at the first overall.

Plus it does allow Calgary to sort of maneuver around if they land a bunch of assets from trading their UFA's.

I think modern drafts have shown, you can get a real game changer at 5 or better even; and to really not be afraid of D. These guys are developing so fast nowadays that it only takes a year or two for these really high end guys to be big time impact players.

Modern drafts show the exact opposite in my opinion; you should be lean forwards instead of defense in the 1st. Calgary’s adjustment to it is why we have become one of the better drafting teams league wide the last 10 years. Forwards are the easiest players to project, defense not so easy, and goalies are just throwing darts. You’ll see much higher percentage of defense bust out at the top of the draft, but more importantly top pair/top 4 D slip to the 2nd/3rd much more than top line/top 6 forwards. The forwards who do are usually the types who produce large amounts offense but have that 1-2 large question marks too. Calgary adapting to this has boosted the amount of impact players we’ve been getting drastically. Our picks in the 1st/early second have almost exclusively been forwards, then pivot to defense in the late 2nd/3rd rounds, then crapshoot the rest of the draft with a goalie taken somewhere in there. It’s why we’ve hit with extreme consistency in the 1st, taken risky forwards early in the 2nd, then completely built out our defense core and/or pipeline in the 2nd and 3rd.

Take elite offense and tool kits for forwards early. Trust our scouts to continue to identify players like Andersson, Kylington, Fox, as well as the next wave like Poirier, Morin, and Kuznetsov later.

 

[Fig]

Modern drafts show the exact opposite in my opinion; you should be lean forwards instead of defense in the 1st. Calgary’s adjustment to it is why we have become one of the better drafting teams league wide the last 10 years. Forwards are the easiest players to project, defense not so easy, and goalies are just throwing darts. You’ll see much higher percentage of defense bust out at the top of the draft, but more importantly top pair/top 4 D slip to the 2nd/3rd much more than top line/top 6 forwards. The forwards who do are usually the types who produce large amounts offense but have that 1-2 large question marks too. Calgary adapting to this has boosted the amount of impact players we’ve been getting drastically. Our picks in the 1st/early second have almost exclusively been forwards, then pivot to defense in the late 2nd/3rd rounds, then crapshoot the rest of the draft with a goalie taken somewhere in there. It’s why we’ve hit with extreme consistency in the 1st, taken risky forwards early in the 2nd, then completely built out our defense core and/or pipeline in the 2nd and 3rd.

Take elite offense and tool kits for forwards early. Trust our scouts to continue to identify players like Andersson, Kylington, Fox, as well as the next wave like Poirier, Morin, and Kuznetsov later.

BPA vs positions, but point still stands. We also have a great scouting team that allows this success. Scouting team deserves props.

 

[Volica]

Modern drafts show the exact opposite in my opinion; you should be lean forwards instead of defense in the 1st. Calgary’s adjustment to it is why we have become one of the better drafting teams league wide the last 10 years. Forwards are the easiest players to project, defense not so easy, and goalies are just throwing darts. You’ll see much higher percentage of defense bust out at the top of the draft, but more importantly top pair/top 4 D slip to the 2nd/3rd much more than top line/top 6 forwards. The forwards who do are usually the types who produce large amounts offense but have that 1-2 large question marks too. Calgary adapting to this has boosted the amount of impact players we’ve been getting drastically. Our picks in the 1st/early second have almost exclusively been forwards, then pivot to defense in the late 2nd/3rd rounds, then crapshoot the rest of the draft with a goalie taken somewhere in there. It’s why we’ve hit with extreme consistency in the 1st, taken risky forwards early in the 2nd, then completely built out our defense core and/or pipeline in the 2nd and 3rd.

Take elite offense and tool kits for forwards early. Trust our scouts to continue to identify players like Andersson, Kylington, Fox, as well as the next wave like Poirier, Morin, and Kuznetsov later.

Not sure about that.
If you look since 2017, the top 10 draft picks of the draft, there's not a lot of 'going wrong' with defenders.

Here's the list since 2017, minus 2023 because we're pretty early here.

Heiskanen, Makar, Dahlin, Hughes (Quinn), Boqvist, Bouchard, Byram, Broberg, Seider, Sanderson, Drysdale, Power, Hughes (Luke), Edvinsson, Clarke, Nemec, Jiricek, Korchinski, Mintyukov.

That's the list. There are a bunch #1 defenders on this list already. That means #1 defenders that aren't even in their primes as defenders. How many pure busts do you actually see here? Broberg? Meanwhile on the forward side... there's a lot of Alex Turcotte, Kaappo Kakko, Filip Zadina type guys.

Don't be afraid of defenders. In fact, it's the easiest way to get your #1 guy. Unless you're NYR, Vegas or other markets people actual want to play in.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Not sure about that.
If you look since 2017, the top 10 draft picks of the draft, there's not a lot of 'going wrong' with defenders.

Here's the list since 2017, minus 2023 because we're pretty early here.

Heiskanen, Makar, Dahlin, Hughes (Quinn), Boqvist, Bouchard, Byram, Broberg, Seider, Sanderson, Drysdale, Power, Hughes (Luke), Edvinsson, Clarke, Nemec, Jiricek, Korchinski, Mintyukov.

That's the list. There are a bunch #1 defenders on this list already. That means #1 defenders that aren't even in their primes as defenders. How many pure busts do you actually see here? Broberg? Meanwhile on the forward side... there's a lot of Alex Turcotte, Kaappo Kakko, Filip Zadina type guys.

Don't be afraid of defenders. In fact, it's the easiest way to get your #1 guy. Unless you're NYR, Vegas or other markets people actual want to play in.

Agree with this. And there could be a few available this year.

 

[JPeeper]

When the Flames inevitably lose the lottery they should be going d-man in this draft, none of the forwards outside of Celebrini are worth it, no game breaking talent. Bunch of big good d-man though and the Flames have no d prospects that highly touted even though I really like Poirier and Morin.

 

[RasmusAndersson]

Has anyone seen Tij Iginla lately? 27 goals in 37 games, good for 6th in the WH. With an absolute rocket.

I’m trying not to be overcome with bias here, but if we aren’t in the top-5 how do we pass on him? He seems to be exactly what we need.

Iginla-Zary-Coronato??? Are you kidding

 

[Fig]

Not sure about that.
If you look since 2017, the top 10 draft picks of the draft, there's not a lot of 'going wrong' with defenders.

Here's the list since 2017, minus 2023 because we're pretty early here.

Heiskanen, Makar, Dahlin, Hughes (Quinn), Boqvist, Bouchard, Byram, Broberg, Seider, Sanderson, Drysdale, Power, Hughes (Luke), Edvinsson, Clarke, Nemec, Jiricek, Korchinski, Mintyukov.

That's the list. There are a bunch #1 defenders on this list already. That means #1 defenders that aren't even in their primes as defenders. How many pure busts do you actually see here? Broberg? Meanwhile on the forward side... there's a lot of Alex Turcotte, Kaappo Kakko, Filip Zadina type guys.

Don't be afraid of defenders. In fact, it's the easiest way to get your #1 guy. Unless you're NYR, Vegas or other markets people actual want to play in.

17 had a lot of bust dmen though. Why ignore that draft?

TBH, we got a damn good one in Valimaki in 2017. But the Nokia thing jinxed him and he got irreparably broken like humpty dumpty.

But I guess the point still stands with that info. Don't be afraid of dmen. We got a solid 2/3 dman with 1 upside in the first round. But due to fate, his career badly derailed due to injury and pandemic and coaching choice. I trust Button and Co to grab a good one. Even if we do scratch our heads in confusion like Valimaki and Honzek at first. I give them the benefit of a doubt. Even also if we play games and trade down to get Zary + Boltmann + Poirier, I trust our drafting.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Yeah Artem and Jiricek all look like stud Dman. I'd be ecstatic with one of them

 

[FLAMESFAN]

Yeah Artem and Jiricek all look like stud Dman. I'd be ecstatic with one of them

Jiricek over Silayev, Dickenson and Buium?

Im all for a D guy who can play big minutes, PP/PK, shut down the opp, and be a leader.

 

[Volica]

17 had a lot of bust dmen though. Why ignore that draft?

TBH, we got a damn good one in Valimaki in 2017. But the Nokia thing jinxed him and he got irreparably broken like humpty dumpty.

But I guess the point still stands with that info. Don't be afraid of dmen. We got a solid 2/3 dman with 1 upside in the first round. But due to fate, his career badly derailed due to injury and pandemic and coaching choice. I trust Button and Co to grab a good one. Even if we do scratch our heads in confusion like Valimaki and Honzek at first. I give them the benefit of a doubt. Even also if we play games and trade down to get Zary + Boltmann + Poirier, I trust our drafting.

My point was drafting them with what'll be a top 10 pick that Flames will likely have.
Yes, of course through drafts there are a bunch of busts in the first round, but I was specifically talking about those first 10. These top tier guys are just so ready nowadays. It isn't the same as a decade ago where you were two years away from being two years away as a defender.

Here was my original quote:

I think modern drafts have shown, you can get a real game changer at 5 or better even; and to really not be afraid of D. These guys are developing so fast nowadays that it only takes a year or two for these really high end guys to be big time impact players.

My original point was even talking about taking defenders at 5 or earlier haha.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

This draft is hard to distinguish.

Levshunov or Silayev would probably be my 2/3 guys.

Then there’s Dickinson and Buium and Yakemchuk who all bring something. Upfront there is Eiserman, Demidov, Catton, and Lindstrom.

Iginla and Helenius are skilled too. The guy no one is talking about is Artamanov.

That’s 13 players in this draft that I really like. We should be getting one of those players.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I really like Eiserman, I hope we somehow get him.

 

[herashak]

To me there’s a top 8, maybe 9 with Helenius. My top 8 is the same as Cosentinos list, which should be where the Flames are at when they trade a couple guys

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Best name in the draft has to be Brandsegg-Nygard, no?

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Best name in the draft has to be Brandsegg-Nygard, no?

YES AND NORWEGIAN TOO <3

 

[Lunatik]

My gut says we pick 8-10 and draft Ritchie or Iginla

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Best name in the draft has to be Brandsegg-Nygard, no?

I’d actually put him in there too. I forgot about him. 14 players I like. Incoming 9th in the west.

 

[Potty John]

I’m all in on the draft Iginla train. Good chance we end up with another first this year and can draft a good D prospect.

 

[JPeeper]

Iginla should be drafted no higher than the 20's, if we can snag that extra 1st rounder I am all in for Iginla, but there is no way in hell we should be using our own first on him, massive reach.

 

[RasmusAndersson]

Iginla should be drafted no higher than the 20's, if we can snag that extra 1st rounder I am all in for Iginla, but there is no way in hell we should be using our own first on him, massive reach.

Why? 27 goals in 37 games, shooting up a lot of draft boards. If he continues at this rate and is top-5 in goals in the WHL in his draft year he’s worth a top-10 pick imo

 

[JPeeper]

Why? 27 goals in 37 games, shooting up a lot of draft boards. If he continues at this rate and is top-5 in goals in the WHL in his draft year he’s worth a top-10 pick imo

Because he has nothing else to his game.

 

[RasmusAndersson]

Because he has nothing else to his game.

Genuinely wondering, have you watched him play a lot? I feel like that’s not what most scouts are saying. I’ll defer to your judgement though because I haven’t seen him play.

Cosentino from Sportsnet just ranked him 12th and said: “Continued success to the tone of eight multi-point efforts in his last 10 games. Occupying a top-10 spot is not out of the question by year’s end.”

He’s a goal scoring center, feels like that’s exactly what we need. I’ll take someone who isn’t as solid defensively if he can be that trigger guy on the PP we’ve been missing since, well… Iggy