Macklin Celebrini to Pittsburgh thread.

The Old Master

come and take it.
Sep 27, 2004
17,643
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burgh
In a hypothetical scenario, would you keep the pick if you were guaranteed one of the following players at the position?

  1. Berkly Catton
  2. Zayne Parekh
  3. Carter Yakemchuk
no
They can spin sending the 2024 out with a simple "Our scouts think 2025 is much deeper after the top X. We think the second half of round 1 in 2025 will net a better player that we can get at 10th overall this year"
so much depends on how it is deeper.
1. more franchise players
2. better but not great players
3. larg no. of safe be ts that go well into the second round.
4. ect. ect. ect.
 

Pancakes

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There is 0 chance Dubi will move the pick if it's top 10 because that would mean he's planning on next year being worse than this year.
I agree with that. If you look at the comments Dubas has made and the trades that he made at the deadline it's clear that he fully intends to try again to make the playoffs next year.

If he wanted to kick off a rebuild he would have moved out a lot more guys than just Jake and Chad.
 

The Old Master

come and take it.
Sep 27, 2004
17,643
4,891
burgh
There is 0 chance Dubi will move the pick if it's top 10 because that would mean he's planning on next year being worse than this year.
lets see
1. the core will be older.
2, our better picks are still a year away
3. we won't win any trade we make for picks next year, (2-3 years down the road. maybe)
4. some of our better players will want out this off season.
5. little cap room to add fa
6. SULLY WILL STILL BE COACHING.
i could go on, but even stopping here. any gm that doesn't know we are going to be worse, needs to be fired.
 
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Sideline

Registered User
May 23, 2004
11,115
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no

so much depends on how it is deeper.
1. more franchise players
2. better but not great players
3. larg no. of safe be ts that go well into the second round.
4. ect. ect. ect.
I have no idea if the draft next year is deeper or not. My point was just if Dubas thinks next year is going to be a disaster, but he doesn't want to admit it publicly then he can just lie about why he gives up a top 10 pick this year.
 
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Big Friggin Dummy

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Feb 22, 2019
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The draft that matters is 2026. I mean, they all matter for this team, but lucking into McKenna would be hilarious. The hockey world would implode like some bargain bin sub on its way down to the Titanic.
 
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BusinessGoose

Registered User
May 19, 2022
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There is 0 chance Dubi will move the pick if it's top 10 because that would mean he's planning on next year being worse than this year.
He already sent the pick out once, thinking it would be safe

You know he wasn't planning on this team to be this bad

Yet here we are

Planning on and being better next year is very much not a safe bet anymore either
 

coooldude

Registered User
Jul 25, 2007
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Hey all, Sharks fan coming in peace -- our fates are linked with this pick, and the parallels with Doug Wilson, EK65, etc are strong (but at least you guys won a boatload of cups before you faced this pain!)

I wanted to add a few facts to your discussion.
- Dubas has to tell Grier whether PIT is keeping the pick by 72h after the draft lottery.
- If he says nothing, PIT keeps the pick.
- If he keeps the pick, it CANNOT be traded. That's my understanding.
- Per many of your posters in this thread, no team can move up more than 10 spots. So, PIT could end 16th, win the lottery and get to 6th (and then the worst overall team gets Celebrini), and then decide in 72 hours whether to keep that pick or give it to SJS. Same with 15 to 5, 14 to 4, 13 to 3.
- If you are 12th and win the lottery, you get 2nd Overall and have 72 hours to decide whether to keep it.
- Obviously below 11th, you can win either 1st or 2nd and then keep it or give it up.
- Obviously if you end 11-16 and don't win the lottery, then SJS automatically gets the pick.

Now, as a non-Pens fan, my speculation:
Dubas will try to retool on the fly. I think this means he'll keep the pick in 2024 IF he thinks he can draft a player like Celebrini who can contribute immediately, OR if he can draft a player and then flip that player for an asset that can help you win in 2025. The pick will have less value than if it were tradeable, but a high end prospect and more "selling the future for today" will probably be the route he goes to see if he can give y'all's core one final shot.

It sounds like many of you think this is terrifying due to Sullivan and an aging core, but it's my guess from an outsider's POV what he's likely going to try. Sharks will most likely have PIT's unprotected 2025, unless you guys end 11+ and don't win the lotto and are forced to give the pick up.

Good luck in the stressful times navigating the end of the season. We're over in the Sharks forum desperately hoping for a 25.5% chance at Celebrini.
 

Your Boy Troy

Registered User
Sep 19, 2013
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Brampton, Ontario
I would keep the pick for Demidov and no one else.
What about Cayden Lindstrom? He’s a 6’4” power-forward centre for Medicine Hat who has continued to progress offensively. He has an impressive stat line for a player who was a 3rd-round draft pick in the WHL draft. He would be my pick if they miraculously had a top-five selection this draft.
 
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CheckingLineCenter

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Aug 10, 2018
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What about Cayden Lindstrom? He’s a 6’4” power-forward centre for Medicine Hat who has continued to progress offensively. He has an impressive stat line for a player who was a 3rd-round draft pick in the WHL draft. He would be my pick if they miraculously had a top-five selection this draft.
like I said, no one else
 
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SEALBound

Fancy Gina Carano
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Hey all, Sharks fan coming in peace -- our fates are linked with this pick, and the parallels with Doug Wilson, EK65, etc are strong (but at least you guys won a boatload of cups before you faced this pain!)

I wanted to add a few facts to your discussion.
- Dubas has to tell Grier whether PIT is keeping the pick by 72h after the draft lottery.
- If he says nothing, PIT keeps the pick.
- If he keeps the pick, it CANNOT be traded. That's my understanding.
- Per many of your posters in this thread, no team can move up more than 10 spots. So, PIT could end 16th, win the lottery and get to 6th (and then the worst overall team gets Celebrini), and then decide in 72 hours whether to keep that pick or give it to SJS. Same with 15 to 5, 14 to 4, 13 to 3.
- If you are 12th and win the lottery, you get 2nd Overall and have 72 hours to decide whether to keep it.
- Obviously below 11th, you can win either 1st or 2nd and then keep it or give it up.
- Obviously if you end 11-16 and don't win the lottery, then SJS automatically gets the pick.

Now, as a non-Pens fan, my speculation:
Dubas will try to retool on the fly. I think this means he'll keep the pick in 2024 IF he thinks he can draft a player like Celebrini who can contribute immediately, OR if he can draft a player and then flip that player for an asset that can help you win in 2025. The pick will have less value than if it were tradeable, but a high end prospect and more "selling the future for today" will probably be the route he goes to see if he can give y'all's core one final shot.

It sounds like many of you think this is terrifying due to Sullivan and an aging core, but it's my guess from an outsider's POV what he's likely going to try. Sharks will most likely have PIT's unprotected 2025, unless you guys end 11+ and don't win the lotto and are forced to give the pick up.

Good luck in the stressful times navigating the end of the season. We're over in the Sharks forum desperately hoping for a 25.5% chance at Celebrini.
This all sounds fairly spot on.

I think the pick will be relatively straightforward. I imagine that by now, they have their list of go / no-go prospects. If it's 1-3OV, they 100% keep it. If they get 11+, obviously goes away. I think they have their idea of which prospects they will be willing to keep it for. They may have to do a some spy work to see if they have sense on who is wanting who. I think if a guy like Cayden Lindstrom is available, they keep it. Guys like Eisermann or Catton it becomes more tricky.

My hunch says that Dubas believes in the group. If it's 10 or lower, they keep it with the sole intent on finishing better next year. They will swing for the fences next year if they think they are giving you guys a lottery pick. Including firing Sullivan.
 
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Ragamuffin Gunner

Lost in the Flood
Aug 15, 2008
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lets see
1. the core will be older.
2, our better picks are still a year away
3. we won't win any trade we make for picks next year, (2-3 years down the road. maybe)
4. some of our better players will want out this off season.
5. little cap room to add fa
6. SULLY WILL STILL BE COACHING.
i could go on, but even stopping here. any gm that doesn't know we are going to be worse, needs to be fired.
Again, this isn't a video game where you move players or tank w/o real-world consequences. They may fall flat on their faces again next summer but Dubi is certainly going to be managing like they'll be a PO team. Giving up a top 10 pick this year will never happen.
 

SEALBound

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How bad is this draft? Like 2012 bad?
I would say it's shaping up to be similar to last year's draft except the 1ov - Celebrini - isn't quite as good as Bedard.

After that you have a solid 2-5 and after that, standard 1st round picks. You have an exception Russian that could anywhere.
 

DesertedPenguin

Registered User
Mar 11, 2007
7,030
7,833
This is what Corey Pronman said about the draft in his latest prospect rankings.

This has become one of the more unique drafts I’ve covered from a talent distribution standpoint. At the top, there is a projected superstar in Macklin Celebrini. The top five picks or so all look like potential impact players in the NHL. I have four players projected as potential No. 1 defensemen in the NHL, to go along with Celebrini. In that sense, this draft class looks quite strong. Usually, though, there are about 20 players you are excited about in a given draft — players you think will be a top-six forward, top-four defenseman or a No. 1 goalie. This draft has fewer than that in my view.

 

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