Kraken 2024 draft

[Fistfullofbeer]

I think he's a bigger talent than Firkus, would be a higher rated prospect. But if anything he looks more frail than Firkus, which is a little bit scary. I'm not sure if the hip injury was a cause or consequence of that frailty, kind of an important question!

I think Catton has more high-end skill than Firkus as well. I feel like his passing is already at an NHL level. I am sure the team(s) will do their due diligence around health concerns.

I am at a point now where I could be happy with a lot of choices. Skipping Celebrini, my preferences are:

--Tier 1--
Buium
Demidov
Levshunov
Lindstrom

--Tier 2--
Igina
Helenius
Dickinson

--Tier 3--
Catton
Parekh
Silayev

We are at 8 so we could definitely get a player from my T1 or T2. But again, T3 would not disappoint me at 8.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

So numero uno is Celebrini automatically,then Russian Demidov, and Levshunov,Dickinson and Catton as top 5. Followed by Lindstrom,Silayev,Connolly,Parekh,Eiserman as the next 5. From there it will come down to Iginla,Shuravin,Helenius,Greentree and Z Buium! The last 5 for a top 20 will be Sennecke,Yakemchuk,Sahlin-Wallenhuis,Brangsegg-Nygaard, and Boisvert! With the next 5 as possibles in Vanacker,Ritchie,Letourneau,Elick and Hage. Now some teams could view this differently from the top 5-15 depending on whether a team drafts for need or BPA. Love to see Seattle move up from the 8th slot to say top 4 then maybe we have a shot at(LDman) Dickinson who could potentially be a top 3 maybe top 2...D-man in time! I like Tij Iginla because he comes from great bloodlines and he's only going to get better plus you know he already has a great work ethic, is dedicated and has a good Character and loads of skill and can play Centre and Wing

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

So numero uno is Celebrini automatically,then Russian Demidov, and Levshunov,Dickinson and Catton as top 5. Followed by Lindstrom,Silayev,Connolly,Parekh,Eiserman as the next 5. From there it will come down to Iginla,Shuravin,Helenius,Greentree and Z Buium! The last 5 for a top 20 will be Sennecke,Yakemchuk,Sahlin-Wallenhuis,Brangsegg-Nygaard, and Boisvert! With the next 5 as possibles in Vanacker,Ritchie,Letourneau,Elick and Hage. Now some teams could view this differently from the top 5-15 depending on whether a team drafts for need or BPA. Love to see Seattle move up from the 8th slot to say top 4 then maybe we have a shot at(LDman) Dickinson who could potentially be a top 3 maybe top 2...D-man in time! I like Tij Iginla because he comes from great bloodlines and he's only going to get better plus you know he already has a great work ethic, is dedicated and has a good Character and loads of skill and can play Centre and Wing

I wouldn't move up in this draft at all UNLESS a player you view as at top-5 player drops out of it. Then try moving up 2 spots to 6 OA if required. And Dickinson would certainly NOT be the player I would move up for.

 

[majormajor]

I think Catton has more high-end skill than Firkus as well. I feel like his passing is already at an NHL level. I am sure the team(s) will do their due diligence around health concerns.

I am at a point now where I could be happy with a lot of choices. Skipping Celebrini, my preferences are:

--Tier 1--
Buium
Demidov
Levshunov
Lindstrom

--Tier 2--
Igina
Helenius
Dickinson

--Tier 3--
Catton
Parekh
Silayev

We are at 8 so we could definitely get a player from my T1 or T2. But again, T3 would not disappoint me at 8.

I think my tier 1 is very similar to yours.

I'm still not sure of Levshunov, I'll have to watch him more. I liked Yakemchuk a lot but I've only seen a game or two. Both are unconventional.

BTW: I know a high end defensive prospect would be nice but man if Cayden Lindstrom would fall to us....

I'd love that. Lindstrom's injury makes it harder to predict where he'll go, maybe he'll slip far enough for us.

On the NHL draft class podcast the central scouting guys were discussing it and mentioned that his back injury was in off ice training. That is better in my opinion, he has to play a rambunctious style to be at his best, so if he wasn't injured by playing rough, then it's not like he has to stop playing that way.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

I think my tier 1 is very similar to yours.

I'm still not sure of Levshunov, I'll have to watch him more. I liked Yakemchuk a lot but I've only seen a game or two. Both are unconventional.

I looked at Yakemchuk and my concern with him, outside of his defense, is his skating. It seems average at best based on the videos I have seen.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

I looked at Yakemchuk and my concern with him, outside of his defense, is his skating. It seems average at best based on the videos I have seen.

And Yakemchuk has that late 2005 B-day so he'll turn pro in a year...not a big fan of that since he'll have this summer and next to be ready to turn Pro and most of the time that jump is daunting especially for a D-man! Besides he's a RDman and the Kraken have quite a few of those though none will be as good as Yakemchuk is suppose to be

 

[kihei]

Latest revision

Tier 1: Would love to get one of these (different order but the same players as Fistfullofbeer' Tier One with the inclusion of Silayev)

Demidov
Silayev
Lindstrom
Levshunov
Buium

Tier 2 Would be perfectly happy with any of these

Parekh (I'm warming to the idea)
Catton
Iginla
Dickenson
Yakemchuk (I'm cooling on him just a little among d-men as I think he has to go the farthest to reach his ceiling)

Tier 3 Might pout

Helenius
Greentree
Eiserman

If there is any poetic justice in the world, Greentree must eventually become a Leaf.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Scouting profile on Ivan Demidov



Also, both Berkly Catton and Cayden Lindstrom won't be able to improve their draft stock during the U-18 tournament as both are done for the season.



BTW: Another scouting video on Zeev Buium.

 

[Hug Ben Laf]

The draft prospect I drool over in the top 10...top 12... is Carter Yakemchuk and I hope he will end up as a Kraken this summer.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

The draft prospect I drool over in the top 10...top 12... is Carter Yakemchuk and I hope he will end up as a Kraken this summer.

I am cooling off on Yakemchuk. The ceiling is there but he needs a lot of work to get there. Decision making and skating. And the latter is a big concern for me.

 

[kihei]

It is a fool's bargain, but it feels like all of the players in the top ten are predictable at the moment, four forwards and six defensemen. Of course, subject to change real fast. The forwards are Celebrini, Demidov, Iginla (is there a world where Calgary passes on this guy if he gets to them?), and Catton, the iffiest of the bunch at the moment.

Then there are the six defensemen. But gook luck predicting which of these guys goes where. I have now seen everyone of them ranked first among their class and everyone of them ranked last among their class. It is a hilarious logjam. Right at this moment I would say the ranking would approximate something like Buium, Levshunov, Parekh, Silayev, Yakemchuk, Dickinson in that order. My current guy is Buium, but I would take any of them.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

It is a fool's bargain, but it feels like all of the players in the top ten are predictable at the moment, four forwards and six defensemen. Of course, subject to change real fast. The forwards are Celebrini, Demidov, Iginla (is there a world where Calgary passes on this guy if he gets to them?), and Catton, the iffiest of the bunch at the moment.

Then there are the six defensemen. But gook luck predicting which of these guys goes where. I have now seen everyone of them ranked first among their class and everyone of them ranked last among their class. It is a hilarious logjam. Right at this moment I would say the ranking would approximate something like Buium, Levshunov, Parekh, Silayev, Yakemchuk, Dickinson in that order. My current guy is Buium, but I would take any of them.

I could be 100% wrong but I don't see Celebrini (duh), Buium, Levshunov getting to us. I would put Demidov on that list but I don't know how much the Russian factor plays part into that. All bets are off as to where Dickinson, Silayev, Parekh and Yakemchuk go. For forwards, the same is true with Demidov (Russian factor), Lindstrom, Catton.

Here is my current top-8 ranking (04/23) based on a combination of upside and low risk. Not counting the high floor here. Also, keeping Eiserman and Connelly out of the list due to concerns.

Celebrini
Levshunov
Demidov
Buium
Lindstrom
Yakemchuk
Catton
Parekh

The bottom-3 on that list have the highest risk, in my opinion while still having very high ceilings. After this is more of a "safe", yet very good group with higher floors but lower ceilings.

Dickinson
Silayev
Iginla

I think these are a solid group of players because I see Dickinson and Silayev both as atleast top-4 D-men and Iginla as a 2nd line forward.

I would love it if the Kraken land someone from the high-ceiling group but won't be upset with Dickinson, Silayev or Iginla either. Neither of them are a bad consolation prize, unless you miss out on Celebrini.

 

[kihei]

I could be 100% wrong but I don't see Celebrini (duh), Buium, Levshunov getting to us. I would put Demidov on that list but I don't know how much the Russian factor plays part into that. All bets are off as to where Dickinson, Silayev, Parekh and Yakemchuk go. For forwards, the same is true with Demidov (Russian factor), Lindstrom, Catton.

Here is my current top-8 ranking (04/23) based on a combination of upside and low risk. Not counting the high floor here. Also, keeping Eiserman and Connelly out of the list due to concerns.

Celebrini
Levshunov
Demidov
Buium
Lindstrom
Yakemchuk
Catton
Parekh

The bottom-3 on that list have the highest risk, in my opinion while still having very high ceilings. After this is more of a "safe", yet very good group with higher floors but lower ceilings.

Dickinson
Silayev
Iginla

I think these are a solid group of players because I see Dickinson and Silayev both as atleast top-4 D-men and Iginla as a 2nd line forward.

I would love it if the Kraken land someone from the high-ceiling group but won't be upset with Dickinson, Silayev or Iginla either. Neither of them are a bad consolation prize, unless you miss out on Celebrini.

Yeah, this looks really solid to me with a couple of minor caveats.

I'm not sure the Russian problem is as daunting as it once was. Seems like a fair number of the good ones are arriving over here without that much muss or fuss these days. Anyway, I can't imagine Chicago passing on the chance of a Bedard/Demidov line, but even if I am wrong, I see no way the he drops to us. So my list of players that will be definitely gone by the time we draft would be:

Celebrini
Buium
Demidov
Levshunov

Lindstrom is a cuspy one, though. On paper, no way he falls past five. But his back injury concerns might be a big factor in determining whether a team takes a chance on picking him this high. I think some team will take that risk and he will be gone by the time we draft, but I don't think it is a 100% impossibility that he couldn't fall to us. In which case, I would grab him unless Buium is still on the board.

Your upside/risk rankings, I agree with, though I might nudge Demidov ahead of Levshunov and Parekh slightly ahead of Catton because Zayne's upside is so insanely high if everything clicks. I have tempered my reticence toward drafting Parekh and would do so if it was a choice between him, Yaremchuk and Dickinson as the defensemen left when it came to our turn.

I would be very happy with Iginla if it comes to that, and I would love Silayev. I'd be absolutely ecstatic if we could nab him at #8 as he has a crazy upside as well but who figures do be a really important piece of the puzzle even if he doesn't reach his full potential. Dickinson seems kind of vanilla to me on paper; I'm not warming to him. I've gone back and forth on Catton, but I hope we don't pick him either. But even if we did pick either of those two, it would hardly be a disaster. I don't know why Freij is so low, but if Francis goes way off the beaten path and picks him, I wouldn't complain, not that that is likely to happen. In short, we are in pretty good shape. Of course the same could be said for the other 15 or 16 teams that are going to get a good player, too.

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Yeah, this looks really solid to me with a couple of minor caveats.

I'm not sure the Russian problem is as daunting as it once was. Seems like a fair number of the good ones are arriving over here without that much muss or fuss these days. Anyway, I can't imagine Chicago passing on the chance of a Bedard/Demidov line, but even if I am wrong, I see no way the he drops to us. So my list of players that will be definitely gone by the time we draft would be:

Celebrini
Buium
Demidov
Levshunov

Lindstrom is a cuspy one, though. On paper, no way he falls past five. But his back injury concerns might be a big factor in determining whether a team takes a chance on picking him this high. I think some team will take that risk and he will be gone by the time we draft, but I don't think it is a 100% impossibility that he couldn't fall to us. In which case, I would grab him unless Buium is still on the board.

Your upside/risk rankings, I agree with, though I might nudge Demidov ahead of Levshunov and Parekh slightly ahead of Catton because Zayne's upside is so insanely high if everything clicks. I have tempered my reticence toward drafting Parekh and would do so if it was a choice between him, Yaremchuk and Dickinson as the defensemen left when it came to our turn.

I would be very happy with Iginla if it comes to that, and I would love Silayev. I'd be absolutely ecstatic if we could nab him at #8 as he has a crazy upside as well but who figures do be a really important piece of the puzzle even if he doesn't reach his full potential. Dickinson seems kind of vanilla to me on paper; I'm not warming to him. I've gone back and forth on Catton, but I hope we don't pick him either. But even if we did pick either of those two, it would hardly be a disaster. I don't know why Freij is so low, but if Francis goes way off the beaten path and picks him, I wouldn't complain, not that that is likely to happen. In short, we are in pretty good shape. Of course the same could be said for the other 15 or 16 teams that are going to get a good player, too.

I have no problems putting Demidov in that top-4. Or Lindstrom as the 5th. I do think its unlikely any of those 5 make it to us. Both of us seem to have warmed up to Parekh. Same with Silayev. I do value Catton higher than Parekh but its more to do with the ceiling-risk curve. Parekh, has an insane ceiling but comes with a lot more risk than Catton who has a pretty damn high ceiling of his own.

I think Francis has to go pretty off-board to really make a "bad" pick. Stay away from Eiserman and Connelly.

 

[majormajor]

Celebrini
Levshunov
Demidov
Buium
Lindstrom

Assuming these 5 are gone:

Yakemchuk
Catton

These two are my favorite targets for the Kraken. Very high upside there. I want us to take a swing.

Parekh

Also high upside but I'm skeptical his defense will ever be acceptable.

Dickinson
Silayev
Iginla

On my list I would add Helenius to this tier of solid but lower upside players. Helenius looks like he is playing better than any of them currently and that he could jump right into the NHL if you wanted him to.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

DraftPro Draft simulator is online again.

Draft Simulator

NHL draft simulator.

draftprospectshockey.com

 

[Fistfullofbeer]

Assuming these 5 are gone:



These two are my favorite targets for the Kraken. Very high upside there. I want us to take a swing.



Also high upside but I'm skeptical his defense will ever be acceptable.



On my list I would add Helenius to this tier of solid but lower upside players. Helenius looks like he is playing better than any of them currently and that he could jump right into the NHL if you wanted him to.

I can see a case of having Yakemchuk higher than Parekh. It is very subjective on balancing offence, defense and upside.

I was most definitely considering Helenius for that 3rd tier. Infact, I am amazed that he is not ranked higher for a 17 year prospect who had 36 points in 51 Liiga games. I admit to not having seen much of him except for some highlights. But most of the scouting reports I have read point out to his lack of elite tools and good but not great skating.

That being said, is it realistic to think that a 5'11, 181 lbs 17 year old kid is done growing? I would think he would keep getting better. Skating can be improved and his high hockey IQ could make up for the lack of elite tools.

 

[majormajor]

That being said, is it realistic to think that a 5'11, 181 lbs 17 year old kid is done growing? I would think he would keep getting better. Skating can be improved and his high hockey IQ could make up for the lack of elite tools.

I think he might greatly exceed his perceived top upside, but that's because it's hard to tell with very smart players like that. They figure things out sometimes.

Unless a guy is in the middle of an ongoing growth spurt, then I assume the height will stay the same, it does for 90% of boys at that point. And Helenius might end up very thick, like a Suzuki type build over 200 lbs, but materially that doesn't change the upside much one way or the other. He'll be thick enough to play his game either way. He looks strong and tough as is.

 

[kihei]

I forgot Helenius when writing my above post. He does seem like he will be able to step in sooner than later. While I'm wishing for others, if RM picks him, I am fine with it.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

I haven't seen too much on Helenius so far.

Though, isn't he more of a dependable 200 feet player without a solid floor but not a huge ceiling?

 

[kihei]

I haven't seen too much on Helenius so far.

Though, isn't he more of a dependable 200 feet player without a solid floor but not a huge ceiling?

He is like the forward version of Sam Dickenson. Like Dickenson, just about everybody loves Helenius' overall game and praises him as a polished player likely to step in sooner rather than later and contribute significantly at the NHL level. He has a very high hockey IQ and pays attention to little details. The rub on him seems to be while he is indeed all that, he is not elite in any single area. As a result, there is some question of what his ultimate upside is. He is sort of a jack-of-all-trades player who may fly under the radar a little because he doesn't get the respect that he deserves.

From what i've read, he has a solid floor as a middle six winger, more likely a second line winger, but early in the draft you might want to go for more than that. I bet he makes a hell of a contribution to the team that drafts him, but there are players that I hope are still available when it is our turn to draft and I would prefer to take a chance on them. LIke Dickenson, Helenius is a good player, maybe a very good player, but not a sexy pick. But he could make a lot of GMs who pass on him look really stupid in a couple of years. I would say that his ceiling is actually in some dispute at the moment.

 

[luapejrug]

He is like the forward version of Sam Dickenson. Like Dickenson, just about everybody loves Helenius' overall game and praises him as a polished player likely to step in sooner rather than later and contribute significantly at the NHL level. He has a very high hockey IQ and pays attention to little details. The rub on him seems to be while he is indeed all that, he is not elite in any single area. As a result, there is some question of what his ultimate upside is. He is sort of a jack-of-all-trades player who may fly under the radar a little because he doesn't get the respect that he deserves. From what i've read, he has a solid floor as a middle six winger, but early in the draft you might want to go for more than that. I bet he makes a hell of a contribution to the team that drafts him, but there are players that I hope are still available when it is our turn to draft and I would prefer to take a chance on them.. LIke Dickenson, Helenius is a good player, maybe very good player, but not a sexy pick. But he could make a lot of GMs who pass on him look really stupid in a couple of years.

Beniers and Wright are more jack of all trades players of themselves so Kraken should be trying to looking for high skill/ceiling players that can pair with them and take the offense to another level imo.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

The draft lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 7th.

Snapshots: Draft Lottery, Petry, Blues

The NHL announced today the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 7, to determine the order of selection …

www.prohockeyrumors.com

 

[The Marquis]

Lolchicagowinslol

 

[RainyCityHockey]

Lolchicagowinslol

Wouldn't a new franchise make a good landing spot for Celebrini? Especially one that is basically one top six center away from comleting their already strong prospect pool?



Anywys, I hope we don't move down more than one spot.