Kraken 2024 draft
- Thread starter majormajor
- Start date
I'm going to share here my favorite youtube scout right now - Simon St. Laurent.
I love his analysis in all of the videos so far. He's about halfway through the top ten type prospects.
And the Jesse Pulkkinen video piqed my interest as well. He's an overager but should go high in the 1st in my opinion.
I love his analysis in all of the videos so far. He's about halfway through the top ten type prospects.
And the Jesse Pulkkinen video piqed my interest as well. He's an overager but should go high in the 1st in my opinion.
I've never heard of a player kicked off that many teams before. Kind of incredible. I imagine he's a do-not-draft for our club, and I personally would support not drafting him.
I think this Pulkkinen guy would be a top 5 or 10 pick if he wasn't a one year overager. I'd take him in the top half of the draft, there's a chance he'd be my favorite target if we get stuck around #13 and it's just fallers I don't like such as Eiserman and Parekh.
I just read the long article in The Athletic. Red flags galore. To paraphrase one of the scouts in the article, "I believe in a path to redemption but it’s not my job to provide it.”
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Agreed. I was reading about him last weekend when I was on the road. Major character issues with him. There is no questioning his skill, but he would be a PR nightmare for teams to draft in the 1st round.
I wasn't even thinking about PR. I was thinking that players aren't going to play hard for each other if they've got guys in the room they don't enjoy being around.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Yeah. Could be. Though players like Connelly can act like bullies at the junior level but will realize quickly that the pro's level the playing field considerably.
He is one of those players, who if he figures his off-ice issues, can be a a very good player. Someone will take a chance on him for sure, just depends who.
I don't think teams would want him in the room even in development camp. He'll need more time to grow up.
There's 32 clubs so probably someone takes him, but I think it would be better to wait a couple years and let him grow up and get some good testimonials before signing him to an NHL club.
Not great at math, but after tonight, not counting the vagaries of the actual draft lottery, on paper we have assured ourselves of no worse than the #12 draft slot, with #9, #10, and #11 remaining possible depending on how the final games turn out. We should be able to nab a good player in the entry draft in other words.
RainyCityHockey
Registered User
In theory we could end anywhere between 8 - 12.
Though, that's how it stands right now.
12 - Minnesota - 85 points, 2 games(Kings, Kraken) left
11 - Buffalo - 82 points, 1 game(Islanders) left
10 - New Jersey - 81 points, 1 game(Lightning) left
9 - Seattle - 79 points, 3 games(Blues, Jets, Wild) left
8 - Calgary, 77 points, 3 games(Coyotes, Canucks, Sharks) left
Unless we win all remaining games we can't fall to 12th worst as we're already trailing Minnesota by six points.
Buffalo and New Jersey have just one, pretty tough, game left even thought he Lightnins won't be playing for anything in that remaining game against the Devils.
Calgary has an easy schedule but have lost like crazy, of late, and even against the Yotes or Sharks.
The most likely outcome will be the Kraken with the 9th - 11th worst record.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Here's my list (based on copious research and the hockey analytical ability of a Muscovy duck):
Out of reach
Celebrini
Demidov
Silayev
Levshunov
Lindstrom
Yakemchuk
Dickinson
Don't want
Eiserman
Catton
Connelly
Would be delighted with (alphabetical order)
Buium
Frij
Helenius
Iginla
Parekh
I wish Yaremchuk would fall to us because of his mean-streak. We have nobody that is regularly impolite enough to knock down opponents in our crease. It seems Yaremchuk would solve that problem. But his stock seems to be really rising.
Out of reach
Celebrini
Demidov
Silayev
Levshunov
Lindstrom
Yakemchuk
Dickinson
Don't want
Eiserman
Catton
Connelly
Would be delighted with (alphabetical order)
Buium
Frij
Helenius
Iginla
Parekh
I wish Yaremchuk would fall to us because of his mean-streak. We have nobody that is regularly impolite enough to knock down opponents in our crease. It seems Yaremchuk would solve that problem. But his stock seems to be really rising.
Last edited:
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Trying to watch as many scouting videos as I can. I came here to post that I would prefer Yakemchuk over Buium or Parekh and looks like you have the same idea. I don't know if Yakemchuk gets picked before those other two though. Which works good for us.
I pretty much agree with everyone on your "Don't want" list other than Catton. I think he could be a tremendous get. What are the reasons your are not sold on him? Size?
Your"Would be delighted with (alphabetical order)" is the same as me, outside of Parekh. I have no doubt of his offensive skills but despite his height he looks "small" to me. That does concern me a bit. I am getting higher and higher on Iginla as well and would be 100% ok with him. Saw more videos on him and while he does not play a true PF game, he is always driving the net, drawing defenders and has good vision to make a play to his open teammates. He also has a heck of a shot. Does need a bit of work on defensive side but I am hoping that changes as he matures.
I watched Denver's NCAA tourney championship run and I don't think Zeev Buium is going to make it to our pick.
In the final he shutdown Smith, Leonard, Perreault, and Gauthier, and had a beautiful assist on the second goal. Looks like he'll be a great player at both ends, I'd personally have him around 2nd or 3rd OA on my list.
Who will fall in his stead?
Well Silayev is back down in the MHL for their playoff run and he has shown zero offensive ability. He won't go as high as people expected before.
Dickinson like I've said before is going to be second and third favorite for a lot of clubs but depending on how things go might not be anyone's #1 choice.
And as much as I love Yakemchuk I think he will be hit and miss with teams. Some will love him and bet on his defense improving while others will be much lower on him. So depending on how things unfold I could see him falling.
In the final he shutdown Smith, Leonard, Perreault, and Gauthier, and had a beautiful assist on the second goal. Looks like he'll be a great player at both ends, I'd personally have him around 2nd or 3rd OA on my list.
Who will fall in his stead?
Well Silayev is back down in the MHL for their playoff run and he has shown zero offensive ability. He won't go as high as people expected before.
Dickinson like I've said before is going to be second and third favorite for a lot of clubs but depending on how things go might not be anyone's #1 choice.
And as much as I love Yakemchuk I think he will be hit and miss with teams. Some will love him and bet on his defense improving while others will be much lower on him. So depending on how things unfold I could see him falling.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Can't drop below 11 anymore. 1 loss in regulation of the 2 games left guarantees us 9th OA. If we lose out the last two (Jets, Wild) and Flames win 1 of their last three (Sharks, Coyotes, Canucks) we end up picking 8th OA.
Started looking pretty likely we end up picking top 10.
superdeluxe
NAFO
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
After today, we are still at 9th OA but can't pick any worse than 11 OA. If we lose 1 of our last 2 in regulation, we can't pick worse than 9th.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
Yeah. Silayev worries me because of that. He may be a defensive stalwart but I want more of a 2 way D-man than a Bouwmeester or Vlasic.
I see Dickinson as being a lot like Jay Bouwmeester.
Silayev I don't think he even has that much offense in him. Just pure shutdown D. It's hard to compare him to anybody. Something like Zadorov but Silayev might be an actual elite shutdown guy. His defensive skating ability is unparalleled.
I don't think Silayev would be a bad pick around #10, it's still a hard player type to get, but I have other guys I hope fall to us.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
A lot of projections have Helenius not getting picked before our pick, and I just can't see Francis passing him.
Finnish: Check
2-way Forward: Check
Center: check (also plays RW)
The more I watch scouting reports, the more I like the likes of Yakemchuk and Iginla. I feel that Iginla is another one of those players that Francis will really like.
Preferred - In no specific order
* Not even counting Celebrini as an option
Demidov
Levshunov
Lindstrom
Helenius
Yakemchuk
Catton
Buium
Parekh
Iginla
Would rather stay away
Silayev
Dickinson
Eiserman
Reaches. But won't be that upset
Brandsegg-Nygård
Jiricek
Do not touch
Connelly
Ideally, if end up in the top-10 and grab any of the preferred guys on my list, I will be pretty happy.
I don't think there's a chance they fall far enough
Celebrini
Buium
Demidov
Levshunov
Iginla
Possible and would love
Yakemchuk
Lindstrom (potential big faller because of the back issue, he's not going to U18s)
Pulkkinen
Helenius
Catton
Wouldn't be that upset
Silayev
Surin
Brandsegg-Nygard
Dickinson
Would rather not
Parekh
Please no
Eiserman
Connolly
By the way I don't think most scouts would call Brandsegg-Nygard a reach around our pick. He's putting up high end playdriving results and good playoff scoring in the Allsvenskan (strong tier two men's league). Adam Jiricek would be a reach just because he's barely played all year. Great Hlinka, poor start in the Czech league, and then he's done for the season.
Fistfullofbeer
Moderator
I get the concern around Parekh as well. I do think Pulkkinen would be quite a reach for us in the top-10. Based on all the projections I am seeing, he is at best a late 1st round pick or an early 2nd round pick.
Assuming we end up picking at 9, you really think someone grabs Iginla before then? The one team I can see being aggressive on him is Calgary, who are likely to pick right before us. Can you see any other team going for him before us?
