Draft Rankings

[NWTHabsFan]

The U18s just got a lot less interesting for me. Still a ton of talent on display, but…

[Willie Dog]

Latest rankings from THN

thehockeynews.com/news/ferraris-2024-nhl-draft-rankings-top-64-before-the-world-u-18s

Some forwards have moved up whereas Eiserman has dropped to 16... wow

I wonder if we could move some pieces and picks for a mid 1st rounder and snag him, he could be a Cole project for MSL...

Good article on Eiserman

theathletic.com/5353960/2024/03/22/cole-eiserman-nhl-draft-2024/

[Willie Dog]

I'm curious, in the 1st round, if a team loses 4 straight do they get the 17th spot in the draft? If so, can we hope the Jets get bounced 4 straight?

[Andrew]

Apr 19, 2024 12:59:40 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

I'm curious, in the 1st round, if a team loses 4 straight do they get the 17th spot in the draft? If so, can we hope the Jets get bounced 4 straight?

I don't believe that's the case. Draft rankings align with regular season standings except for the 4 playoff conference finalists which draft 29-32.

[Willie Dog]

Apr 19, 2024 13:48:26 GMT -5 Andrew said:

Apr 19, 2024 12:59:40 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

I'm curious, in the 1st round, if a team loses 4 straight do they get the 17th spot in the draft? If so, can we hope the Jets get bounced 4 straight?

I don't believe that's the case. Draft rankings align with regular season standings except for the 4 playoff conference finalists which draft 29-32.

Darn... lol... thanks for the info... so it looks like the best we can hope for from the Jets pick is 28th i think but capfriendly has it at 29th

[Tankdriver]

Apr 19, 2024 13:57:18 GMT -5 Willie Dog said:

Apr 19, 2024 13:48:26 GMT -5 Andrew said:

I don't believe that's the case. Draft rankings align with regular season standings except for the 4 playoff conference finalists which draft 29-32.

Darn... lol... thanks for the info... so it looks like the best we can hope for from the Jets pick is 28th i think but capfriendly has it at 29th

I read an article this morning that explained how high the Jets pick could be for the Canadiens and it requires a lot of favourites to lose in the first round and the Jets lose. The best we can get is 23rd if all goes to that plan.

www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/nhl/playoff-outcomes-could-help-canadiens-draft-hopes/ar-AA1njmdo?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=12858521a1534427ac7bc6aaa06d1299&ei=41

[folatre]

The Jets are a good team, but I doubt they make the WCF. Yeah, Winnipeg had the seventh best record (4 division winners, plus Carolina and Boston), so the 'by the book' script would make the pick 26th.

It will take smart amateur scouting in this draft because most draft analyses that I have read this spring seem to coalesce around the observation that the bottom third of the first round is even more of a crap shoot than it is some years.

[Willie Dog]

Dobber comes out with their rankings

dobberprospects.com/2024/04/20/dobberprospects-april-top-96-for-the-2024-nhl-draft/


Lindstrom is #3

Catton is #6

Iginla is #8

Greentree is #11

Both Iginla and Greentree look very intriguing

Eiserman is #15

[NWTHabsFan]

A whole lot of Habs presence at the U18s in Finland. And why not, a ton of talent on display and it is the last big international tournament before the draft.

Hughes, Vinny, Bobrov and Lapointe all at the CAN-SWE game (and a few of them caught USAs big blowout win earlier today too).

[Willie Dog]

Good article about Catton and he's already wearing the right colours 😃

www.tvasports.ca/2024/05/03/dans-la-mire-du-ch---lespoir-qui-se-voit-deja-avec-dach-et-slafkovsky

In the sights of CH?

The hope that is seen with Dach and Slafkovsky

He has just collected 116 points in 68 games in the WHL and... already seems to have done his homework on the CH

“I would say a trio with me, Kirby Dach and Juraj Slafkovsky could be very dangerous. Two big and talented players to whom I could bring my vision of the game and my skills [...] It would be an entertaining unit, I think.

Between now and the draft, TVA Sports and Le Journal will publish and broadcast several reports on the players that the Canadian could obtain with his precious first choice on Friday, June 28.


Berkly Catton, one of the best playmakers in the 2024 draft and potential top-7 contender, is not one of those prospects who prefers to wiggle his tongue in an interview.


Eloquent and comfortable in his answers, the young man is a pleasure to interview, especially since he is passionate about everything that concerns NHL teams.

The answer you read above regarding the CH, he threw it out without thinking. Obviously, this wasn't the first time he'd thought about a scenario like this.

“I see myself more as a winger in the NHL. That explains why I mentioned these two names,” the boy adds with a smile.

Speaking of smiling, CH supporters would have every reason to have a huge smile on their face when imagining the potential arrival of Catton within their team.

“Their figures are no longer up to date!”
Berkly Catton played this season in the Western Junior League, with the Spokane Chiefs.

An excellent puck handler and very effective in transition and on the power play, he stands out first and foremost for his extraordinary vision of the game.

This guy could find your palette across a four-lane highway in the middle of rush hour.

One of the only question marks on his CV concerns his size: he measures, according to the various statistical platforms, 5 feet 11 inches and weighs 163 pounds.

“Their figures are no longer up to date [laughs]!” Catton quickly says.
“I weigh 175 pounds now, not 163!” he says.

“It's certain that I still need to gain a little strength, but honestly, my style of play adapts well to all situations. I've never been hit hard before. My intelligence of the game compensates for the few pounds that I concede to my opponents. I have qualities in me that they don’t necessarily have,” says the skater.


Stratospheric statistics

If Catton's measurements are no longer up to date, according to him, there are still several columns provided by the various statistics sites which remain truthful and impressive: goals, assists and points.

54 goals, 62 assists, 116 points. All this in 68 matches... and at only 17 years old. And above all, an improvement of 61 points compared to his first campaign.

“I think the best way to explain all this is trust,” comments the main person concerned. In your second year in the league, you know a little more what to expect. I also had a lot of success at the last Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and came home full of confidence. Then I had a really good summer of training with my friends Kevin Korchinski, Brayden Yager and Riley Heidt. They are top players who have already been drafted in the NHL, so they push me to the maximum.


It must also be said that the majority of Catton's time in the course of a day is spent... with a stick in his hands and a ball nearby.

“Since I was very young, it’s been like that! I throw pucks and balls in my basement, I dribble with a ball in my driveway. In fact, that’s all I do [laughs]! It's funny, because the years go by, but my love for hockey only grows. I do the same things I did when I was a little boy.”

“If you want your coach to trust you in the NHL…”
When asked which NHL players he would compare his style of play to, Catton throws out two pretty interesting names: Clayton Keller and Jack Hughes.

But what makes Catton so pleasant in an interview is that he is so voluble in talking about the areas he needs to improve.


“My defensive game is at the center of the aspects that I work on. I'm sure this is a response you get a lot from productive prospects, but if you want your coach to trust you in the NHL, you have to be good defensively. I want to be on the ice for the important moments at the end of the game.

“I don’t find my defensive game bad,” the skater immediately specifies. But if I want to be considered “defensively effective”, I think there is still room for improvement. All this will certainly be helped by gaining a few pounds this summer, but also by playing a lot of matches and watching others.

“Even if you don’t want to look at the rankings…”
We often forget that the hopes that make supporters salivate are only 17 years old. They are still children. Big kids. But children nonetheless.

Not only is the media attention given to them in their draft year immense, but they also have to live with a reality where they are listed via numerous expert and amateur rankings which are very difficult to ignore.

“Even if you don't want to look at the rankings, there's always one that jumps out at you when you open your social media accounts. And if by chance you manage to avoid that, there is one of your good friends who will be happy to show you the latest published (laughs). I have learned to live with that and just tell myself that the team that selects me will do so because they will have been attracted by my game and my personality. That’s all that matters to me.”



And what impact does he think he will have in the NHL?

“Every time in my life when I had to change leagues to face better or stronger players, my level of play always immediately increased. I think it will be the same once in the NHL. They are the best in the world!”

“Whether as a center or winger, I think I will be a big asset on the power play. A player who will put on plays and make his linemates look good. I can also score goals by myself, by the way [laughs]! In all humility, I think I can really be a good National League player one day.

What if his name was pronounced by the CH? The young man smiled toothily.

"Canadians? The name says it all: it’s a country’s team! It would be a dream. A magnificent city, an impressive arena. One of the best crowds in the National League. It would be... really cool to land there.”

[seventeen]

Well, I'm ready to pick him.

Seriously, I like the comments he made. He didn't brag, but he didn't lack confidence either. He knows his strengths, weaknesses and where he needs to improve. I liked the bit about his defensive play...that he's not bad defensively, but he wants to be 'defensively effective'. He is most certainly aware that coaches value defensive awareness and in order to be on the ice in the last minute, he has to have the trust of the coach by beings defensively astute.

He exudes good hockey IQ and that is a key with the Habs management. They won't draft a dumbo.

I think I read somewhere that the Habs have shown interest. That is not unexpected since he's a scoring forward rated high in this draft, so might be one of those available at Montreal's pick (if it isn't #1). I also thought I'd read he had been interviewed already, but that seems early to me. Interviewed by who? It couldn't have been Hughes or Gorton unless they made a stealth trip. I'm skeptical of that comment, but I don't doubt Catton's in the Habs' conversations.

PS

Just watched the video. Based on one clip, I think he overrated his defensive abilities. Just kind of floated, but this may also be a reflection of the amount of minutes he played and having to pace himself. Also it was only one clip and in another, he did work hard to backcheck and block a pass with his stick.

He certainly has skill coming out of his ying yang. Some of those passes and individual plays were highlight worthy. Interesting that he compares himself to Jack Hughes because his skating style really reminds me of Matt Barzal. He doesn't look like he's going fast because he's got long strides, so he manages to lull defenders as he appears to be moving at a certain speed when actually it's faster. Very much like Barzal. What's also interesting is that you might think that would hurt his acceleration, but in none of the video was that noticeable. He accelerates quite well, without seeming to accelerate, another Barzal characteristic.

There's a lot there to like and while he needs coaching on the defensive side, he is smart enough to catch on quickly. When he learns to not pace himself, there's going to be a lot of dynamism there.

Thanks Willie, for the info.

[folatre]

Catton is a dynamic play-driver and I agree with his own assessment that wing is the most logical projection for him. For sure he is on the Habs' radar.

It would be fascinating to know two things: Montreal's ranking of the non-Celebrini forwards with top 10 talent (Demidov, Catton, Lindstrom, Iginla, Eiserman); and whether they see a d-man or two who project to be more special than any of the non-Celebrini forwards.

[Willie Dog]

http://instagram.com/p/C6e2AwdOmI2

[folatre]

I think the teams with the best odds of picking second (Chicago and Anaheim) would be crazy not to take to Demidov. They both desperately need an offensive difference-maker playing chess on the wing. Therefore, if for whatever reason, they want to seriously entertain offers (and by the way, how often are top five or ten picks ever moved in the last 30 years), then I think it would come at a significant cost. Maybe something along the lines of the Habs' first rounder, Winnipeg's first, and Harris or Barron. And this type of scenario would only work if Chicago or Anaheim or whoever are basically comfortable that a kid like as much as Demidov is going to be there in the 5-6 range.

[Willie Dog]

Let's hope this happens at least

Attachments:

[seventeen]

May 2, 2024 20:33:51 GMT -5 folatre said:

I think the teams with the best odds of picking second (Chicago and Anaheim) would be crazy not to take to Demidov. They both desperately need an offensive difference-maker playing chess on the wing. Therefore, if for whatever reason, they want to seriously entertain offers (and by the way, how often are top five or ten picks ever moved in the last 30 years), then I think it would come at a significant cost. Maybe something along the lines of the Habs' first rounder, Winnipeg's first, and Harris or Barron. And this type of scenario would only work if Chicago or Anaheim or whoever are basically comfortable that a kid like as much as Demidov is going to be there in the 5-6 range.

They also need a stud defenseman, unless they think Korchinski is that guy. A Levshunov type might be exactly what they need as well. i'm not ready to concede a forward to them. They have Nazar, Moore, Kantzerov, Lardis, Greene, and Colton Dach as prospects and if half hit, that's 3 guys along with Lukas Reichel. They also have 2 first round picks and 3 second round picks this year. Two and Two in 2025 and 1 and 3 in 2026. Lots of dart throws, but this is a strong defense draft so they might be tempted. Their scouting and development needs to be really good.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

May 2, 2024 20:33:51 GMT -5 folatre said:

I think the teams with the best odds of picking second (Chicago and Anaheim) would be crazy not to take to Demidov. They both desperately need an offensive difference-maker playing chess on the wing. Therefore, if for whatever reason, they want to seriously entertain offers (and by the way, how often are top five or ten picks ever moved in the last 30 years), then I think it would come at a significant cost. Maybe something along the lines of the Habs' first rounder, Winnipeg's first, and Harris or Barron. And this type of scenario would only work if Chicago or Anaheim or whoever are basically comfortable that a kid like as much as Demidov is going to be there in the 5-6 range.

Demidov is flashy. He isn’t as good as Michkov was and we didn’t take Michkov. We need sound players with teamwork and not flashy stick handlers. I go for Eiserman and start counting the goals.

[Willie Dog]

Problem was Michkov can't come overvuntil his contract is done in 2 more years, Demidov can come over next year, plus demidov is a complete player imo, he can score and he's a dangerous playmaker, 2nd line winger with Dach would be deadly... talent wise, he's got Kovalev potential imo

[folatre]

Hockey is debatable, but I would be mildly surprised if Demidov and Levshunov are not taken second and third (not sure which goes #2). I really wonder what teams' lists look like starting at #4.

[NWTHabsFan]

Right now the Winnipeg pick is 27th because one of NYR-CAR will lose their series and drop into the 28th rank as they both had more points than the Jets.

It stays at 27th if all of DAL, FLO and VAN advance to the semis

It moves to 26th if one of DAL, FLO or VAN do not advance past the second round

It moves to 25th if two fail to advance

It moves to 24th if all three fail to advance

Tonight’s game 7 between DAL-VGS can actually help if Dallas lose. But honestly, who can cheer for the Vegas Golden Cheaters?

[seventeen]

The Athletic is full of guys defending Vegas as being smart, using a loophole etc and no one should be slagging them for good management practices. These are the bureaucrats of the world. The policy is blah, blah, blah and I'm just following policy. Those guys should never lead anything. Everyone else is handcuffed by an $82MM salary CAP and Vegas wasn't. Simple as that. I don't care if you boosted your line-up because of a 'timely' injury. Just ice an $82 MM salary roster. One of Stone, or Hertl or Hanifin sits in the press box. Hockey was lucky this year, unlike 2020, because the star player involved wasn't really healthy and played like crap. The fact he was playing at all tells you everything you need to know about the Golden Cheaters. Teams playing that game where the medical staff aren't above board in their 'diagnoses' should lose 3 first and second round draft picks. And the solution is so, so simple. Why did the NHL ever think removing the CAP in the playoffs was a good thing? It's just typical Bettman mismanagement. He really is a doofus.

[Willie Dog]

McKenzie came out with his latest draft ranking

www.tsn.ca/nhl/bob-mckenzie-s-nhl-draft-ranking-an-unpredictable-ride-after-macklin-celebrini-1.2116004

After celebrini and demidov, there's 2 D then Lindstrom at 5... would be cool if Hughes could package the Jets picks a next year pick with a couple of prospects and move up to between 10 and 15 and get another forward

[seventeen]

Yeah, I've been running through that in my head. I place more value on picks than most, because you need to keep replenishing, even when you're contending. I would rather they packaged the Jets pick with a younger D (Mailloux for example because he'd have a lot of value) and move closer to that 10 spot than the 15 spot. That would give us the opportunity for another forward (Iginla or Catton if he's dropped). From Basu and Godin today, the Habs have a 17% chance (1 in 6, I think) of winning the 1 or 2 position. That sounds better than 8.5% of getting Celebrini. If we get the #1 great, it's simple. If it's #2, then Demidov is still there or they could go for someone else. One in 6 is Russian roulette, no?

The main point made by Bob McKenzie is that after Celebrini, there is absolutely no consensus whatsoever. Every team will claim that they couldn't believe Player X was available at their spot.

[Skilly]

Apparently we draft 6th

[Tankdriver]

Was just a practice run. They don't draft until later. Hopefully....

[seventeen]

May 7, 2024 15:23:40 GMT -5 Tankdriver said:

Was just a practice run. They don't draft until later. Hopefully....

The 'actual' draft, according to Marc Dumont, takes place a couple of hours before the televised draft. That give them time to prepare the cards, stage, etc. according to Marc. Or.....it gives them time to cook the books. The point is that the picking is done privately, and while an accounting firm is in charge of truthfulness and accuracy, we know how accounting firms can be swayed depending on what's on offer.

I'm not saying the rankings are tainted (Edmonton getting McDavid the best argument for honesty), but who knows in a particular year, which team actually got the top pick? Would it not be easier to make the random picks on tv and have some different system of hoopla? Probably, but clarity of thought, creativeness and due diligence are not part of the Bettman administration. "Who you Know" is at the core of their behaviour.

[franko]

May 7, 2024 15:44:49 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Would it not be easier there not be more integrity to make the random picks on tv and have some different system of hoopla?

does that work better?

[seventeen]

May 7, 2024 16:06:50 GMT -5 franko said:

May 7, 2024 15:44:49 GMT -5 seventeen said:

Would it not be easier there not be more integrity to make the random picks on tv and have some different system of hoopla?

does that work better?

I clearly wasn't clear enough. Making the picks live would certainly dispel all the concerns/runours/debates over book cooking. Unless, of course, one ball is weighted slightly differently than the others.

[Willie Dog]

Just saw Bettman on sportsnet... smarmy

[Willie Dog]

We get 5th