HF Habs: 2024 NHL Draft Thread

[jaffy27]

Been a tough day...gotta keep my brain doing something mindless

You came o the right place then lol

 

[WeThreeKings]

So for the next 6 weeks I get to be nervous on whether Lindstrom goes 1 pick before us like Will Smith last year..

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

Habs love the late riser when picking top 5. KK… Slaf… Reinbacher…

Get ready for Sennecke

 

[Gabouch04]

Catton is good.

This is stuff he won’t be able to do in the NHL. All of his offense come from the rush, he will not translate well.

But hey for a few highlights clips he’s fun to watch.

 

[26Mats]

I think we can safely assume we're picking one of:

1. Demidov
2. Lindstrom
3. Iginla

Goldenhands will finally be wrong with the guy he's hyping. Or we can all melt down again when Hughes announces Helenius!

Are Levshunov, Parekj, Dickinson, and Buium not better prospects than Iginla? If they are, how much is the separation?

 

[lamp9post]

That is about as clueless a mock draft write up as I've ever seen...

If any sport writer took the time to consider the organization & GM, they'd know the odds of the Flames trading up to bypass Iginla is about as good as the odds were for the Rangers to win the draft lottery tonight...

ESPN hockey articles are usually the worst as far as informed takes... but this athletic writer sets a new low bar

Why? There will better players with higher ceilings than Iginla at #5.

 

[Miller Time]

Julian Mackenzie is the Flames beat writer & Arpon is the Habs for The Athletic

Roger. So my initial assessment stands... Terrible take from a writer whose job it is, in theory, to know better

 

[Hacketts]

I was thinking the same thing, but it might just be cope/hope that it happens.

Anaheim is stacked at F right now and Verbeek has already said they want D..

Maybe it comes down to Columbus. Trading down 1 pick wouldn't be the craziest thing.

I think Ducks would be more logical, They'll most likely get the same player at 5 and we skip ahead of the jackets.

If Demidov is on the board.

 

[salbutera]

Are Levshunov, Parekj, Dickinson, and Buium not better prospects that Iginla? If they are, how much is the separation?

It’s not a matter of separation IMO, this will be a draft based on individual team needs & preferences

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Habs love the late riser when picking top 5. KK… Slaf… Reinbacher…

Get ready for Sennecke

I can live with that. The pro upside seems pretty legit.

 

[Habaneros]

chatgpt is great at generating complex code with obscure 3rd party libraries but sucks for whatever reason at gathering sports stats or event.

Please send this info to chatgpt..

 

[Runner77]

I think there is a world where Demidov slips to 5, although maybe not the most likely outcome. Without a solid consensus at #2, and Anaheim, Columbus and Chicago having needs on defense (and all of them taking a forward high last year) they may all choose a D.

The planetary coordinates for that world are located at the Athletic’s headquarters.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

Yes, but Helenius is missing the size that Bobrov loves.

If Helenius was 6ft3-6ft4 - forgetttttttaboutittttttttttttt, we would draft the sh*t out of him at #5

But does he carry the mail or take the bulls by the horn? That's the most important metric here.

 

[26Mats]

It’s not a matter of separation IMO, this will be a draft based on individual team needs & preferences

Well, Hughes mentioned separation many times in his press conferemce.

And, Martin Lapointe says they want the best player available.

 

[BLONG7]

Asking here, but is that the first time in recent memory that no one moves?

Not sure, it sure seem highly unlikely this would happen eh....

 

[26Mats]

Asking here, but is that the first time in recent memory that no one moves?

They said it was the first time since 2010.

 

[DramaticGloveSave]

I honestly thought Celebrini would happen for us this year lol still processing

 

[cphabs]

I see. It’s a collaborative delusion.

I salute you! Fantastic lmfao!

 

[Runner77]

But does he carry the mail or take the bulls by the horn? That's the most important metric here.

For full effect, you need glasses resting on your forehead while mentioning that metric.

 

[Ozmodiar]

There's been one undersized winger taken Top 5 in last 10 years, Marner

Odds Demidov falls to us is higher than Lindstrom IMO

And Lucas Raymond.

It has more to do with position than size - teams want to build down the middle or from the back.

not sure about odds, but I would not be at all surprised if Chicago decided to add a big center like Lindstrom to draw some attention away from Bedard. Create 2 good lines. (Crosby / Malkin)

 

[admiralcadillac]

Michkov or Leonard for me, take the D this year. But you know, I do tend to complain from time to time so....

I agree with you, unless they honestly thought Reinbacher would be better than anyone this year.

But the reality is we will all be looking at this:

Reinbacher + Lindstrom, Tij or Catton

for

Silayev/Buium/Dickinson + Michkov/Leonard

 

[Habs7631]

If Demidov and Lindstrom are gone trade down, then trade up from the WPG 1st for another top 13 pick.

Draft 2 of Catton/Helenius/Eiserman/Sennecke/Buium/Yakemchuk/MBN

If that scenario is possible, don’t draft Iginla at 5, instead leave with 2 of those guys.

 

[Miller Time]

Why? There will better players with higher ceilings than Iginla at #5.

Sure. While Iginla is rising and may well get picked around 4-6 if the right team is sold on his upside.... It's also easily arguably that he isn't.

This draft is about as wide open from 2-8?9? as any in recent memory.

But that's not the point. GMs don't make decisions the way fans do. Relationships matter tremendously and significantly influence their assessments... As do things like market fit.

Look at Hughes & his former clients (relationships), or a big driver in their rational in picking Slaf (his mental/emotional makeup to handle the Montreal spotlight & pressure (market fit).

Conroy would be not only gambling on his 5th pick hitting, he'd be risking assets to move up and, if Iginla was still on the board (as with this scenario), taking the massive risk of Iginla hitting and being selected with the pick he gave up quality assets to move out from.

All of this playing out over a 3-4 year window when the Flames will desperately need some strong positive PR (contentious publicly funded arena gets built in that time, while the current roster is handcuffed by Treviling's parting gift).

It's about as lose lose a scenario as a GM could self inflict...

Plus, there is literally no GM in the league that knows Tig the player and person as well as Conroy does.

Factor it all together, and that scenario is about as unlikely as it gets. Far more likely would be Conroy being willing (& supported by ownership) to be aggressive in moving up to ensure they get Iginla.

 

[Nicko999]

This is the year you go all in for a player like Demidov. Pay the price and move up.

Yes, we have a million D prospects that could sweeten the deal along with the 5th.

 

[Jabba11]

Rumors are they love Demidov and Davidson wants to be like his cool buddy Dubas

Rumors are actually that Kyle Davidson likes Sam Dickinson a lot and they've scouted him a bunch of time. They might be willing to stay put and pick him 2nd.