Habs Fan in Edmonton

I think we are getting a little off topic, maybe a cold shower is in order for some of you??

Monty continues to look like a #1 goalie, the young defense is coming along, just need a 2nd line that can score and this team is pretty close to contending for a playoff spot.

Habs played a terrific game, tough penalty on Armia. I thought Evans and Armia were tremendous tonight. Oilers were fortunate to win.

A very interesting top 15, makes me wish the Habs could trade up with the Winnipeg pick and have a 2nd one in the top 15. Again it shows how all over the place the picks are after Celebrini. Demidov looks like a ridiculous talent. I think he had Silayev at 13, have seen him #2 or #3 in some mock drafts, that is quite a difference. Parekh is a wild card, such amazing offensive skills. It will be a very interesting draft.

I hope so as I like Lindstrom. Size without skill is useless but if you can get both!! You also don't need to be a monster. Suzuki is only 5' 11" but he is over 200 lbs and has excellent core strength and balance. He is hard to knock off the puck. A lower center of gravity is not a bad thing if you are strong. Certainly part of the reason Suzuki doesn't seem to get hurt much. I would take another Suzuki in a heartbeat.

I don't think a 17 year old can lead the Olympics in goals and be MVP playing on a big ice surface without having a fair bit of skill. I just think there was too much hype regarding Wright because he peaked early (declared a generational talent when he was 16). He still may be a very good NHL player but the hype was a little much. Obviously the Habs went with BPA instead of worrying about position. It's still early though.

Interesting to read the posts after they drafted Juraj. It's obviously not an exact science when you are drafting 17/18 year olds. I think they got it right.

A good article, could be one of these guys unless we win the lottery. How Catton and Lindstrom compare against each other in the 2024 draft class (nhlentrydraft.com)

Agreed, we hope and pray for a good outcome.

Thanks for the detailed update. You always get a different and better perspective when you can see the game live and watch plays develop as well as see stuff away from the play. It seemed like a game where the effort was there but the execution was not. I agree about Harris, smart player, mobile but I think other teams know that playing the body on him is very effective, I see him as the odd man out. As frustrating as it is to watch Gallagher and Anderson sometimes, it's too early to buy them out, too much dead cap space.

The Oilers-Avs game was about as good a game as I have seen this year. The OT was phenomenal when you get 3 on 3 with McDavid, Draisaitl, MacKinnon and Makar. Arturi scores with a second left. I still say without a doubt that McDavid is the best player in the world but MacKinnon is certainly number 2, a phenomenal player.

Sens win, Coyotes win and Blue Jackets win, not a terrible night.

Senators win in OT! A ray of hope to move up.

Engstrom is a wonderful skater, Habs are so deep in LD prospects.

That would be celebration time. All I want for Christmas is a lottery win. Please Santa, I have been extra good this year.

Agreed, I don't think he is an option at 7 either, would love to see the Sens and Yotes go on a winning streak but I won't hold my breath for that to happen.

Another mock draft, a lot of defensemen near the top seems to be pretty common, Catton seems to be in that 6-8 range a lot, Lindstrom all over the place. 2024 NHL Mock Draft | NHL Draft Rounds - Lines.com

It was good to see Winnipeg lose last night. Now if Dallas or Colorado win that division then Winnipeg has a very tough 1st round opponent (Dallas or Colorado) and if they go out early then it pretty much guarantees that 1st round pick would be no later than mid 20's.

I could live with that. The Habs seem to get up for the good teams so I expect a close one.

Rankings definitely all over the place, Lindstrom 10 (probably because of his injury) and Helenius 12. Yakemchuk seems to be rising on a lot of boards. It will be interesting after Celebrini. Sportsnet’s 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: March Edition (msn.com)

I think Hughes has said something similar in the past and was just repeating himself here. I think most GM's would say the same thing that if it's a tough choice between 2 x 17/18 year old prospects then organizational need would take precedence. It only makes sense. I think this draft will be especially interesting as I think every mock draft I looked at had someone different at #2. Commandant has Helenius at #2, I haven't seen him rated that high in any other mock draft but he could very well be right as there seems to be no clear cut #2. We will know in 3-4 years who was right.

I saw Pronman's rankings, he obviously likes the defensemen in this draft as many others do. I think because there is no obvious BPA after #1 many teams will draft based on need.

That is probably true but Slafkovsky had to earn their confidence first. He is finally doing that which is great to see.

Agreed, it really seems to be a "jumble" after #1 but I expect many here will have a favourite (ie. mine is Lindstrom) they hope the Habs take. There also may be a greater likelihood of trading up and down a few spots because drafting 3rd or 7th may not be such a big difference.

Of course there will be some 2nd guessing, there always is. A lot of people 2nd guessed talking Slaf over Wright, taking Reinbacher over Leonard or Michkov. Only time will tell if they get it Wright, I mean right. Picking 18 year olds is far from a perfect science and we get caught up in the hype generated by the media. Now if the Habs win the lottery I expect minimal 2nd guessing.