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2024 Draft

Sal_Butera said:
Snippet from Basu’s The Athletic article:
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That kind of athleticism and physicality, combined with the obvious talent should not be passed on. I suspect that he'll have no problem fully recovering from his injury.

I have a hunch that he'd have been the clear cut #2 if he hadn't been injured.
 
Sal_Butera said:
MacKinnon & Crosby from NS, and numerous others to central Minny for Shattuck St.Marys at 14

Interestingly, Buium’s parents ended up buying a house in Faribault (town where Shattuck’s is located), and his mom moved there during the time he attended the school, but how many hockey parents have the means to do so? Leave jobs, other kids etc.
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Some do, some don’t. I think it was Richard Park’s family that is super wealthy and bankrolled his move to Ontario minor hockey from SoCal. And then there was Pricer’s father, who got the pilots license.

For the Maritimes, in the past it was too small/disconnected to develop high calibre minor leagues. But the Q’s expansion into the region was a bit of game changer.
 
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lecoqsportif said:
Some do, some don’t. I think it was Richard Park’s family that is super wealthy and bankrolled his move to Ontario minor hockey from SoCal. And then there was Pricer’s father, who go the pilots license.

For the Maritimes, in the past it was too small/disconnected to develop high calibre minor leagues. But the Q’s expansion into the region was a bit of game changer.
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He actually built a kit private plane since that was the most affordable option
 
lecoqsportif said:
By all means, get elite-ish young talent for the future at 5.

But 26? With the current roster? Meh. Would rather get a younger-than-Suzuki young vet to deepen the roster. Another Newhook-like trade would be great. Add Struble or Harris (who won’t be waiver eligible anymore) to grease the wheels.
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Who's possibly available that fits that description?
 
worm said:
It is fairly nuts how these kids have to move so far from home at such a young age. Even at 16 to move far away home or even a different country.

McKenna (from Whitehorse) went to Kelowna at 13 and the medicine hat at 14 and 15.
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Bobby Orr left home at 14 to play junior hockey with guys 3 to 5 years older than him. Guy Lapointe had to play for a Habs farm team in Texas when he could barely speak a word of English.
 
Sal_Butera said:
MacKinnon & Crosby from NS, and numerous others to central Minny for Shattuck St.Marys at 14

Interestingly, Buium’s parents ended up buying a house in Faribault (town where Shattuck’s is located), and his mom moved there during the time he attended the school, but how many hockey parents have the means to do so? Leave jobs, other kids etc.
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Any kid going Shattuck's or Avon Old Farms in Connecticut has parents with money. Those schools are the Ivy League of hockey prep schools.
 

View: https://x.com/arponbasu/status/1799820810611458192?s=46&t=a3HPp5YfHU2XDo78oSJMFA

It seems at least somewhat probable that Russian phenom Ivan Demidov could be available for the Canadiens at No. 5, but if that happens, there is some question as to whether they would take him there, depending on who else is available, namely Medicine Hat Tigers centre Cayden Lindstrom.

In the unlikely event both of them survive through the first four picks, I would guess (and it is just that, a guess) that the Canadiens would lean toward taking Lindstrom (more on that in a bit). If just one of Lindstrom or Demidov is available at No. 5, that makes the decision somewhat easier for the Canadiens.
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But in the equally unlikely event that neither of them is available, I think the Canadiens would lean toward taking a defenceman. And I don’t think they would trade down later in the top 10 to recoup an asset and take one of the top wingers available in either Tij Iginla or Beckett Sennecke, because they view the No. 5 pick as an opportunity to add a significant piece in their rebuild, and trading down would lessen the likelihood that player is a significant piece.
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It is worth remembering that Hughes, in stating his preference to draft a forward with the No. 5 pick, prefaced that by saying “all things being equal.”

In the scenario where neither Demidov nor Lindstrom are available at No. 5, I believe that would make all things unequal.

The Canadiens like University of Denver left-shot defenceman Zeev Buium and Saginaw Spirit right-shot defenceman Zayne Parekh a lot, both of whom have a major puck-moving element the Canadiens lack on the blue line aside from Lane Hutson, who is still not a sure thing to hit as an NHL defenceman. I think both Buium and Parekh would be considered at No. 5, though it’s difficult to handicap which one would be preferred despite Parekh having the added bonus of shooting from the right side.
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There are a lot of questions about Demidov, though.

From a strictly hockey standpoint, the Canadiens recognize Demidov has game-breaking qualities they lack in the organization. But there is some doubt about whether his style would translate well to playoff hockey in the NHL.
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