DON Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 Good for a chuckle; "As far as I can tell, the only general manager who intentionally traded away a top-three pick in the last 30 years was Mike Milbury, who sent Zdeno Chara, Bill Muckalt, and a first-round pick (2001 No.2 overall – Jason Spezza) to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Alexei Yashin. Suffice it to say, much like most of Milbury’s decisions as an executive, the trade represents one of the worst decisions in NHL history." https://montrealhockeynow.com/2024/05/28/montreal-canadiens-value-of-moving-down-and-trading-down-nhl-trade-hughes/ Gotta add this bit, what an idiot! ..."Some 18 months later, Milbury would be at it again when he traded Roberto Luongo and Olli Jokinen to the Florida Panthers for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. That trade was 20 years ago today. It was a mistake then just as much as it is a mistake now. Big Mistake With the number one pick at the upcoming 2000 draft, and with goalie Rick DiPietro the likely not go number one, Milbury thought it was a good time to move Luongo to give Rick a clear path to becoming the Isles starter." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomh009 Posted May 30 Share Posted May 30 2 hours ago, DON said: Dach unproven yet. Many 'seem' to think he is the #2 centre they lack, not sure why? Training camp play? Newhook likely a winger or bottom six centre. Beck/Kapanen/Evans all bottom six centres, if 1st two even make the NHL. So drafting a skilled centre upgrade would seem smart and Catton or Lindstrom would fit the bill. Potential, as I said. And any as-of-yet undrafted centre--including Catton or Lindstrom--will also, by definition, be unproven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 Nice interview with Tij Iginla, comes across as a really mature young man. Not surprising. https://www.tsn.ca/chl/video/iginla-chipped-away-at-draft-lists-by-burnishing-big-game-creden~2931652 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 9 hours ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said: Nice interview with Tij Iginla, comes across as a really mature young man. Not surprising. He supposedly has a very solid all-round game on the ice and write ups keep saying same stuff; high ceiling, sure-fire NHLer, coachs will love his play... opposite of an Eiserman (Hoffman 2.0?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 10 hours ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said: Nice interview with Tij Iginla, comes across as a really mature young man. Not surprising. https://www.tsn.ca/chl/video/iginla-chipped-away-at-draft-lists-by-burnishing-big-game-creden~2931652 I am always cautious about putting too much faith in interviews with *** ANY *** prospect as too often it can be a matter of the interview reflecting their having been very well trained by PR professonals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 38 minutes ago, GHT120 said: I am always cautious about putting too much faith in interviews with *** ANY *** prospect as too often it can be a matter of the interview reflecting their having been very well trained by PR professonals. That can be true however in this case I have zero concerns about Iginla regarding his character/attitude. I think he has had a great mentor in his father. Edmonton is not that big a city so you hear a lot of stories. I have been involved in a lot of sports so I have heard a lot of stuff about NHL players in this city, could tell you a lot of good stories over a beer but I'll say this. I have talked to many people over the years who either knew Jarome Iginla growing up, played hockey with/against him or knew him for other reasons. They all say exactly the same thing. He is one of the nicest, humblest, hardest working guys they have ever known. When it comes to a lot of qualities quite often (not 100% of the time), the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree so I have no doubt Tij is a quality guy. The Habs know this. I will not be disappointed if the Habs draft him as I think he will be a 30+ goal guy in the NHL, play a 2 way game and be a great teammate. That's good enough for me for the #5 pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 Being a quality person doesn't guarantee success on the ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Minister Koivu Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 4 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said: That can be true however in this case I have zero concerns about Iginla regarding his character/attitude. I think he has had a great mentor in his father. Edmonton is not that big a city so you hear a lot of stories. I have been involved in a lot of sports so I have heard a lot of stuff about NHL players in this city, could tell you a lot of good stories over a beer but I'll say this. I have talked to many people over the years who either knew Jarome Iginla growing up, played hockey with/against him or knew him for other reasons. They all say exactly the same thing. He is one of the nicest, humblest, hardest working guys they have ever known. When it comes to a lot of qualities quite often (not 100% of the time), the apple doesn't fall to far from the tree so I have no doubt Tij is a quality guy. The Habs know this. I will not be disappointed if the Habs draft him as I think he will be a 30+ goal guy in the NHL, play a 2 way game and be a great teammate. That's good enough for me for the #5 pick. I would love to hear some stories 🥳 I was working in a hotel that hosted OHL teams throughout the season when they were in town. One day I was setting up this luncheon and in through the door walked in Doug Gilmour with the Kingston Frontenac. I was like holy crap that’s Doug Gilmour 😱 and he just chuckled. I was surprised to read in the duty report the next morning that a very drunk Doug Gilmour had locked himself out of the room at 2am and he was completely naked. Completely naked and very drunk at the front desk asking to be let in his room 🥳 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Minister Koivu Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 1 minute ago, Commandant said: Being a quality person doesn't guarantee success on the ice. Nope but a person of character will give you their all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 11 minutes ago, Commandant said: Being a quality person doesn't guarantee success on the ice. Of course it doesn't but scoring 47 goals in the WHL as a 17 year old and finishing 5th in scoring at the U18's is impressive. Button didn't move him up to 4th in his rankings because of his character. Talent and character is a great combination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 As said before, Button is an outlier from what most would rank. Yes he has Helenius at 3 and Iginla at 4, but thats not where most have them, and as much as I like Helenius, I would be surprised if either player goes top 5. All that said, I think Iginla's a good player but there are no sure things in this draft, even Celebrini isn't a sure thing. Everything is potential. Which brings us back to the point.... yes Dach is potential, but he's a centre IMO, and for that reason I think we can go for the best forward regardless if they are C or W, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 35 minutes ago, Commandant said: As said before, Button is an outlier from what most would rank. Yes he has Helenius at 3 and Iginla at 4, but thats not where most have them, and as much as I like Helenius, I would be surprised if either player goes top 5. All that said, I think Iginla's a good player but there are no sure things in this draft, even Celebrini isn't a sure thing. Everything is potential. Which brings us back to the point.... yes Dach is potential, but he's a centre IMO, and for that reason I think we can go for the best forward regardless if they are C or W, Agree with your points, Iginla just happens to be a prospect I really like. There is no sure thing, we have seen countless examples of that. Where most hockey writers/pundits have the players rated and where the pro scouts have the players rated could be entirely different, although as we have seen there is a great divergence after Celebrini. It will be a fun draft to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hab29RETIRED Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 2 hours ago, Prime Minister Koivu said: Nope but a person of character will give you their all Is a guy who is named and locks himself out of his hotel room, or accused of having an inappropriate relations with his kids babysitter a character guy? On the flip side, he did give it is all on the ice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomh009 Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 9 minutes ago, hab29RETIRED said: Is a guy who is named and locks himself out of his hotel room, or accused of having an inappropriate relations with his kids babysitter a character guy? On the flip side, he did give it is all on the ice. Some kind of a character! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 Watching semi-final game and again Parekh skating looked (to me anyways) weak. He is shifty but not a strong skater is seems. He had a breakaway and easily caught be backchecker. NHL Draft 2024 prospects ranking: Celebrini leads Pronman’s April list, Levshunov follows - The Athletic (nytimes.com) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meller93 Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 2 hours ago, DON said: Watching semi-final game and again Parekh skating looked (to me anyways) weak. He is shifty but not a strong skater is seems. He had a breakaway and easily caught be backchecker. NHL Draft 2024 prospects ranking: Celebrini leads Pronman’s April list, Levshunov follows - The Athletic (nytimes.com) Parehk falls behind several other D men on my personal list. For me it’s probably: Buium Levshunov Dickinson Silayev Yakemchuk Parehk On the forward side, not saying I think he’s the best slayer, but Iginla is my favourite prospect thing year. This is pure anecdote but he just pops out to me with this “it” factor. I just think he’s going to be an awesome NHLer that you love to have on your team. A better Arturi Lehkonen. I still pick Demidov over him of course because of the massive upside. Lindstrom vs Iginla, I’m happy with either. If Hughes goes with Lindstrom, I’ll feel very good because I trust they don’t see injury issues. Iginla would be an instant favourite of mine if drafted though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 For what is worth, Lindstrom was the WHL nominee; "Top Draft Prospect Award Nominees: Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL), Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit / OHL), Maxim Massé (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL) The CHL Top Draft Prospect Award is presented annually to the top prospect eligible for the upcoming NHL Draft from the Canadian Hockey League." Given how big and physical Lindstrom is, seems a perfect fit for Hughes wanting more physicality. But, if Iginla is picked would be fine by me, he seems a safer pick... if Lindstrom/Demidov are gone, i would be happier with Catton though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted June 1 Author Share Posted June 1 1 hour ago, Meller93 said: Lindstrom vs Iginla, I’m happy with either. If Hughes goes with Lindstrom, I’ll feel very good because I trust they don’t see injury issues. That's pretty much exactly how I feel. Assuming Demidov is gone, if they can choose between a Lindstrom (with no underlying/ongoing injury issues) or an Iginla then I am happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted June 1 Author Share Posted June 1 I guess Button is not the only outlier with Iginla in the top 5. Dickinson has been impressive at the Memorial Cup and could easily be the 1st defensemen taken. McKeen’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide: Top 32 Final Rankings Our scouting team has finalized the top 32 ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft! Macklin Celebrini remains our top pick, with Ivan Demidov, Sam Dickinson, Cayden Lindstrom, and Tij Iginla rounding out the top 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hab29RETIRED Posted June 1 Share Posted June 1 28 minutes ago, DON said: For what is worth, Lindstrom was the WHL nominee; "Top Draft Prospect Award Nominees: Cayden Lindstrom (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL), Zayne Parekh (Saginaw Spirit / OHL), Maxim Massé (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL) The CHL Top Draft Prospect Award is presented annually to the top prospect eligible for the upcoming NHL Draft from the Canadian Hockey League." Given how big and physical Lindstrom is, seems a perfect fit for Hughes wanting more physicality. But, if Iginla is picked would be fine by me, he seems a safer pick... if Lindstrom/Demidov are gone, i would be happier with Catton though. Here are my concerns about Lindstrom if he is available at #5 and the decision we have to make 1) if don't take him, are we passing on a Getzlaf type of player? How close of a comparable other than size is he to projecting to be a Getzlaf type of player? 2) He has the potential to be another Eric Chouinard type of mistake, when we took the wrong player from Ramparts in taking Chouinard over Daze. Questions I'd have are whether his hockey IQ is low as some have said and his success Junior may not be translatable to the NHL because it was driven by the following two factors: A) his size/strength advantage at In the WHL level B) he benefits by playing with Higher IQ players like Basha and the next generational talent in Gavin McKenna. I don't watch much junior hockey and rely on what I read, but if Lindstrom is available, I'd hope the HuGort has a complete understanding and clarity about those concerns. the other player I'd bring the Chouinard concern is Iginla. If he projects to be close the player his father was. I'd take him. But we also took Chouinard based on his gene pool, and we can't afford to make that type of mistake again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs Fan in Edmonton Posted June 1 Author Share Posted June 1 1 hour ago, hab29RETIRED said: the other player I'd bring the Chouinard concern is Iginla. If he projects to be close the player his father was. I'd take him. But we also took Chouinard based on his gene pool, and we can't afford to make that type of mistake again. I don't think anyone is suggesting you take Tij Iginla simply because his father is Jarome. As one scout said "hockey players also inherit genes from their mother". He is also a different type of player than his father although there are some similarities. You take him because you project that he will be an excellent forward at the NHL level. The advantage of having a father like Jarome is that he had the opportunity to have a great mentor, not all junior players have access to that. I don't remember much about the drafting of Chouinard, I had to do some research. If you say that he was drafted simply because of his gene pool then I will take your word for it. That was a long time ago and a different management team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 I think worrying about if Lindstrom or Iginla are comparable to Chouinard, is the same (but opposite) of worrying whether you are over drafting Iginla cause his father. You can't let these things from drafts that took place over 25 years ago impact what you are doing today. Just judge the player on who he is as a player/person. Not the picks you made in the 80s and 90s, or the player's parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 But obviously is impossible to ignore hall of fame name. He is different player than Jerome, they say. But, does have similar effective shot off the wing and not scaird to go to front of net. Just what ceiling does he have, vs other forwards available at 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomh009 Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 4 hours ago, DON said: Given how big and physical Lindstrom is, seems a perfect fit for Hughes wanting more physicality. Has Hughes said that he wants bigger and more physical players (and specifically forwards)? Or is there some other evidence for that? Because what I'm seeing is a priority on hockey IQ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 Jagger Firkus named Player of the Year as the best & brightest from the CHL are recognized at the 2024 CHL Awards | Canadian Hockey League CHL Announces 2023-24 All-Star and All-Rookie Teams presented by CCM | Canadian Hockey League Parehk was CHL d-man of year, 1st team all-star Catton/Yakemchuk 2nd team all-star The big guy was CHL draft player of year 2026 draft; 3rd team all-star Forward – Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat Tigers / WHL): 34G-63A, 97 PTS, -4 in 61 GP during the 2023-24 season; alongside Connor Bedard, the 2026 NHL Draft prospect is one of only two 16-year-old skaters in the WHL to record 90-plus points in a single season over the last 25 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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