Who should the Chicago Blackhawks select 2nd overall in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft?

[wladyslaw]

Too bad about Saad sort of fizzling out. He’s had a long NHL career but he could never take that next step offensively. I thought he was going to fill in for Hossa’s absence, being more of a 70pt two way monster than a 50 pt middle sixer

Saad didn't fizzle out... Hossa --just retired

Just read another scout say--Demidov --in his opinion could be better than Celebrini... just hard to judge cuz lack of Tourney play... But KHL/MHL scout says he thinks he is as good or better than Michkov too in many areas of game... compares him to Kaprizov

 

[dreadpirateroberts]

If Michkov can come over now with years left, then Demidov will have no problem doing so once his deal is up

 

[Wally1112pac]

I'm still picking Demidov at 2. There's no reason not to. The whole "Russian factor" is just North American propaganda. Name me 1 high profile Russian that Russia didn't let come over seas in the last 30 years. We live in 2024 not 1984.

 

[Kevin Musto]

I'm still picking Demidov at 2. There's no reason not to. The whole "Russian factor" is just North American propaganda. Name me 1 high profile Russian that Russia didn't let come over seas in the last 30 years. We live in 2024 not 1984.

Russian Factor is entirely irrelevant to the conversation

 

[bwanajamba]

If Michkov can come over now with years left, then Demidov will have no problem doing so once his deal is up

Would be really nice if they could somehow get Demidov over as soon as this year to play in the AHL. (Or even the CHL if that's still an administrative possibility.)

SKA may not want to play nice since Demidov wouldn't sign an extension, but at some point they're going to get more out of some kind of arrangement to let him come over than they are from burying him again.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Would be really nice if they could somehow get Demidov over as soon as this year to play in the AHL. (Or even the CHL if that's still an administrative possibility.)

SKA may not want to play nice since Demidov wouldn't sign an extension, but at some point they're going to get more out of some kind of arrangement to let him come over than they are from burying him again.

Respectfully, he'd get cooked in the AHL next season.

But WHL or OHL is a good idea for him.

 

[Pez68]

If Michkov can come over now with years left, then Demidov will have no problem doing so once his deal is up

Will definitely be following this to see how it plays out.

 

[TLEH]

big bad ska huh

 

[Pez68]

Respectfully, he'd get cooked in the AHL next season.

But WHL or OHL is a good idea for him.

Lol.

 

[bwana63]

That´s what I think too and from need perspective really understandably so.

at #2 (or for that matter, any first round pick), it's BPA

 

[Taze em]

Respectfully, he'd get cooked in the AHL next season.

But WHL or OHL is a good idea for him.

So he’s being unjustly kept down away from the KHL, but he’d get cooked in the AHL? Am I missing something? Isn’t league ranks:
NHL

KHL
AHL

SHL
LIGA

 

[Castle8130]

Demidov would be one of the best AHL players if he played there next year lol.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I have a feeling if it's not Demidov that Davidson goes with Dickinson or Buium at #2 not Levshunov at #2

Dickinson seems to be rising up draft board and could be first defender to be drafted

I would not be thrilled if we reach for Buium at #2. Dickinson is not as bad at that spot and can be justified but Buium IMO would be reach

 

[Kevin Musto]

So he’s being unjustly kept down away from the KHL, but he’d get cooked in the AHL? Am I missing something? Isn’t league ranks:
NHL

KHL
AHL

SHL
LIGA

AHL is a much better league than the KHL. There's so much more talent playing there.

 

[Taze em]

AHL is a much better league than the KHL. There's so much more talent playing there.

Traditionally that hasn’t been the case. Is there new data or NHLe adjustments I don’t know about? Or is it just an opinion. Honestly curious.

 

[Kevin Musto]

Traditionally that hasn’t been the case. Is there new data or NHLe adjustments I don’t know about? Or is it just an opinion. Honestly curious.

Look at the best players in the KHL. Nikita Gusev, Reid Boucher, Nikolai Goldobin, Ryan Spooner... it's the place where careers go to die.

Meanwhile the AHL is full of budding NHLers. Or just fringe guys and legit vets. Over 50 players hit the 50 point threshold. Meanwhile less than 20 did in the KHL. There's just much less talent over there.

AHL has players that are on actual NHL contracts. They go and play in the KHL when they can't get those anymore.

 

[TLEH]

1) NHL
2) AHL
3) KHL
4) SHL
5) NLA
6) Liiga

Now I think Demidov would be in for a large adjustment but I think he could likely handle the AHL next year.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Traditionally that hasn’t been the case. Is there new data or NHLe adjustments I don’t know about? Or is it just an opinion. Honestly curious.

Traditionally the KHL has been full of very good Swedish Finnish and N American talent and that obviously hasn't been as prominent lately. The pay also isn't vastly superior in the KHL over the AHL like it used to be for the same obvious reasons.

The AHL is the superior league.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

his NHLe numbers are really good I believe, elite, at least based on the prospect card I posted in the thread

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Look at the best players in the KHL. Nikita Gusev, Reid Boucher, Nikolai Goldobin, Ryan Spooner... it's the place where careers go to die.

Meanwhile the AHL is full of budding NHLers. Or just fringe guys and legit vets. Over 50 players hit the 50 point threshold. Meanwhile less than 20 did in the KHL. There's just much less talent over there.

AHL has players that are on actual NHL contracts. They go and play in the KHL when they can't get those anymore.

Things might be different but the KHL used to be far more stringent with secondary assists. If a defenseman makes a great breakout pass and springs a two on 0 and the two forwards pass it back and forth before shooting and scoring the defenseman wouldn't receive an apple.

 

[Taze em]

But we don’t worry about MHL stats bloat.

What’s a better league. MHL gold or OHL? OHL or Big Ten ?

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

But we don’t worry about MHL stats bloat.

It's harder to put up points in the KHL than the AHL it doesn't make it a better league.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

But we don’t worry about MHL stats bloat.

What’s a better league. MHL gold or OHL? OHL or Big Ten ?

NHLe makes everything apples to apples, no?

 

[WarriorofTime]

KHL is better than AHL. Pays more for good veterans and AHL is a developmental league that requires 2/3 of skaters to be developmental players, so there's more bad players in AHL. But AHL is a closer playstyle to NHL. Not sure where people get idea that AHL is a better league. It's where you park your draft picks if they are not ready for the NHL, but the good ones don't stay there very long.

Meanwhile the AHL is full of budding NHLers. Or just fringe guys and legit vets. Over 50 players hit the 50 point threshold. Meanwhile less than 20 did in the KHL. There's just much less talent over there.

By this argument, the early 80s NHL was the peak era of play.

 

[WarriorofTime]

Traditionally the KHL has been full of very good Swedish Finnish and N American talent and that obviously hasn't been as prominent lately. The pay also isn't vastly superior in the KHL over the AHL like it used to be for the same obvious reasons.

The AHL is the superior league.

N. Americans still go the KHL. Swedes, Finns and Czech governments more or less recalled their players but the ones who left are all pretty scattered now. Then and now, KHL has always been primarily a Russian league, but more so now, but Russia is also doing a bit better development wise in more recent years, and some of the financial stuff has made the KHL healthier league wide. So that's helping offset some of it. AHL is pretty good for Veteran Players on NHL Contracts, but still not quite as much as top end KHL players.