Pre-Game Talk: 2024 Draft Thread

[Davimir Tarablad]

I just hope whoever we draft ends up developing into a top6 F or top3 D.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Burns, loof, and mayich are all what you are describing. One of them is more likely to he 3ld than buchinger.

Agreed. I’ve soured a bit on Buchinger in the last year or so. Pretty good OHL d-man but I question if he brings enough strengths to outweigh the weaknesses once he gets to pro hockey. I’ll be interest to see how he looks in Springfield next season.

That said, I don’t think I’d describe a left side of Freij, Lindstein and well, any 3rd pairing caliber LD as “hot damn”. Both Freij and Lindstein project as top-4 guys but to reach hot damn status for me, the top guy needs to be either a #1 caliber guy or at least a very good #2 type. I could see either/both Freij and Lindstein reach very good #2 status but I wouldn’t count on it.

 

[PerryTurnbullfan]

Agreed. I’ve soured a bit on Buchinger in the last year or so. Pretty good OHL d-man but I question if he brings enough strengths to outweigh the weaknesses once he gets to pro hockey. I’ll be interest to see how he looks in Springfield next season.

That said, I don’t think I’d describe a left side of Freij, Lindstein and well, any 3rd pairing caliber LD as “hot damn”. Both Freij and Lindstein project as top-4 guys but to reach hot damn status for me, the top guy needs to be either a #1 caliber guy or at least a very good #2 type. I could see either/both Freij and Lindstein reach very good #2 status but I wouldn’t count on it.

I can say when he returned from injury that he had a strong showing in the playoffs. I would like to see how he adjusts to the AHL as well. He can probably take all the power play time he is capable of given the talent pool.

 

[Beauterham]

I can say when he returned from injury that he had a strong showing in the playoffs. I would like to see how he adjusts to the AHL as well. He can probably take all the power play time he is capable of given the talent pool.

I'm a bit worried at the situation at Springfield though... we have quite a lot of left handed defensemen for next season: Loof, Malmstrom, Buchinger, Gaudet... I still don't believe it's a 100% certain Lindstein will play in Sweden (although probably). Buchinger needs to play a lot of minutes and I hope he isn't going to be buried in the lineup or forced to play as a forward like they did with Duszak regularly. I also don't like it that they didn't play him in a single game at the end of last season.

 

[stl76]

Call me crazy, but I’m not sure there will be a better player available at #16 than Solberg.

 

[WeWentBlues]

Locking in on Freij as the pick unless we acquire another pick before 16 and/or trade-up from 16.

 

[Stealth JD]

Call me crazy, but I’m not sure there will be a better player available at #16 than Solberg.

But Solberg may very well be there at 48 as well. At the very least #16 is way too high to select him; trade down if that's the guy we want.

 

[Blueston]

Agreed. I’ve soured a bit on Buchinger in the last year or so. Pretty good OHL d-man but I question if he brings enough strengths to outweigh the weaknesses once he gets to pro hockey. I’ll be interest to see how he looks in Springfield next season.

That said, I don’t think I’d describe a left side of Freij, Lindstein and well, any 3rd pairing caliber LD as “hot damn”. Both Freij and Lindstein project as top-4 guys but to reach hot damn status for me, the top guy needs to be either a #1 caliber guy or at least a very good #2 type. I could see either/both Freij and Lindstein reach very good #2 status but I wouldn’t count on it.

I think the range of possibilities from Lindstein and freij are such that they could both become legit #1d or both could be 4D and it wouldn’t be huge surprise. They could each be worse and flame out, but even if they “hit” the range of outcomes for smart and talented young d is wide. they both have enough talent and are far enough (especially physically) from reaching peak that I’m not ready to cap either’s potential.

 

[STL fan in MN]

I think the range of possibilities from Lindstein and freij are such that they couid both become legit #1d or both couid be 4D and it wouldn’t be huge surprise. They couid each be worse and flame out, but even if they “hit” the range of outcomes for smart and talented young d is wide. they both have enough talent and are far enough (especially physically) from reaching peak that I’m not ready to cap either’s potential.

Certainly possible. Just not counting on it is all. And I think you know I’m quite high on Lindstein. And warming up to Freij.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Call me crazy, but I’m not sure there will be a better player available at #16 than Solberg.

You’re not crazy. Not sure I could justify using that high of a pick on him but that’s mostly because I haven’t been able to see too much of him. Not like Norwegian pro league games are available on tv. And it’s such a non-typical path, it’s hard to evaluate guys in that type of league. But if the Blues target him and “reach” on him a bit, I wouldn’t bat an eye. Of what I’ve seen, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be considered in the same tier as Friej, Badinka etc.

But Solberg may very well be there at 48 as well. At the very least #16 is way too high to select him; trade down if that's the guy we want.

I seriously doubt he’ll be available at 48 now. I expect a late rise. Like I said above, I’m not sure I could justify using pick 16 on him but if he’s their guy and they get wind of another team behind them also after Stolberg (like how Edmonton was poised to select Oshie one pick later) then go ahead and make the pick. But otherwise, yeah, trade down a bit and get him. But I’ll be shocked if he lasts to 48 now.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Now he was comparing them purely 1 for 1, but Pronman did mentioned the similarities between Seider and Solberg, so I do think it's possible that he's viewed higher in the professional scout world than the media/fan scout world. There are a handful of defensemen that I could easily see being drafted in the 1st when a lot of rankings/mocks have them in the 2nd.

I think we are in that weird spot, where it's at the end of the players ranked in that 2nd tier, where we might get someone to fall, but also at the start where teams feel more comfortable going off the board and grabbing their guy.

 

[Blueston]

Certainly possible. Just not counting on it is all. And I think you know I’m quite high on Lindstein. And warming up to Freij.

It’s hard to count on any 18-19 yo becoming 1d. I don’t think there are any in this draft that I would say I’m confident will be 1d. Top 4 is easier to see and there are a handful of guys I’d feel confident projecting. But there are so many experts who say nobody better than 2-3d in this class and I think that is wrong. I expect that we will see a couple guys at least who end up as 1d, but unless you have a heisksnen or Hedman can be hard to predict. Did folks see Josi or mcavoy this good? So that is where I am at on Freij. He has all the physical tools but top d is mental so does he have that? Lindstein question is more physical. But that is also why we need more top 4 prospects bc development of d is super hard to foresee.

 

[Damian Frerker]

i was thinking of Solberg and Skahan in the 2nd but seems unlikely now. watched highlights of solberg and love it

 

[tfriede2]

This may be a draft to trade down from 16 to the 20s, pick up an extra 2nd, and draft someone like Surin or Freij with the 1st, then try to package our 3 2nds (or combo of our 2nds) to move up into very early 2nd or late 1st?

 

[STL fan in MN]

It’s hard to count on any 18-19 yo becoming 1d. I don’t think there are any in this draft that I would say I’m confident will be 1d. Top 4 is easier to see and there are a handful of guys I’d feel confident projecting. But there are so many experts who say nobody better than 2-3d in this class and I think that is wrong. I expect that we will see a couple guys at least who end up as 1d, but unless you have a heisksnen or Hedman can be hard to predict. Did folks see Josi or mcavoy this good? So that is where I am at on Freij. He has all the physical tools but top d is mental so does he have that? Lindstein question is more physical. But that is also why we need more top 4 prospects bc development of d is super hard to foresee.

Yep, totally agree. I firmly believe 17/18 year old d-men are much harder to project than 17/18 year old forwards (and it’s not easy for forwards either). Goalies even harder to project. I don’t have any analysis to back that up but I’m sure some PhD student somewhere has done the research (and likely subsequently got hired as a team’s data analyst and the info kept private) but forwards are much closer to their finished product during their draft year than d-men and that makes drafting d-men riskier. More of a projection. But also more exciting. I both love and hate it.

Agree that there’s likely to be some #1 d-men come out of this draft. What’s hard to predict is which ones. If a lot of them hit their top end potential it could end up looking like 2008 (Doughty, Pietrangelo, Karlsson, Josi, Carlson etc) and if not, more like 2011 (Larsson, Hamilton, Brodin, Siemens, Ryan Murphy, Oleksiak, Beaulieu, Klevin, Connor Murphy, Mayfield, Edmundson). Still some good players in 2011 but it’s so hard to predict teenagers, particularly d-men.

 

[ezcreepin]

It’s hard to count on any 18-19 yo becoming 1d. I don’t think there are any in this draft that I would say I’m confident will be 1d. Top 4 is easier to see and there are a handful of guys I’d feel confident projecting. But there are so many experts who say nobody better than 2-3d in this class and I think that is wrong. I expect that we will see a couple guys at least who end up as 1d, but unless you have a heisksnen or Hedman can be hard to predict. Did folks see Josi or mcavoy this good? So that is where I am at on Freij. He has all the physical tools but top d is mental so does he have that? Lindstein question is more physical. But that is also why we need more top 4 prospects bc development of d is super hard to foresee.

Not to mention the Seider pick was wild at the time. I remember lots of people online and commentators were very curious why Detroit would reach like that, but he turned out to be worth the pick. I'm hoping the Blues can find that type of player at their position this year.

 

[Mike Liut]

I’m 90% sure Army is trading our 1st and at least one of 2nds to improve the roster. I think he’s going to be really busy this off season.

 

[STL fan in MN]

Not to mention the Seider pick was wild at the time. I remember lots of people online and commentators were very curious why Detroit would reach like that, but he turned out to be worth the pick. I'm hoping the Blues can find that type of player at their position this year.

Yeah, I remember watching the draft that year and the reaction Yzerman got and him looking smug with the pick. Turns out he was right. I didn’t care much at the time as I was still high from the Cup win and the Blues didn’t have a 1st that year but I recall it making pretty bit waves.

I found Pronman’s old rankings from 2019. He had him at 22:
Pronman 2019 Rankings

Most others had him in the late teens. And these were the final lists. Pretty sure the mid-season ones he wasn’t really even considered for the 1st round at all. Then DET picks him 6th.

Honestly, it takes balls to do that as you don’t want to be the guy that takes the next Dylan McIlrath but if you really believe in a kid that much, draft him!

 

[LGB]

This is not a first round caliber D

 

[Blueston]

Not to mention the Seider pick was wild at the time. I remember lots of people online and commentators were very curious why Detroit would reach like that, but he turned out to be worth the pick. I'm hoping the Blues can find that type of player at their position this year.

i think the guys who i could see someone in our range (not necessarily us) saying, "screw it, we like him and don't care what others think" are freij, brunicke, emery, and jiricek. each of them have enough of what you look for in top 4 d that it's not that much of a reach, regardless of their ranking. hard to see anyone else on d (other than consensus top 6) going in top 20, although i expect others will sneak into 1st round.

 

[LGB]

Watching more clips Solberg is interesting, but the first two games I found and watched of him he was bad.

 

[sfvega]

This may be a draft to trade down from 16 to the 20s, pick up an extra 2nd, and draft someone like Surin or Freij with the 1st, then try to package our 3 2nds (or combo of our 2nds) to move up into very early 2nd or late 1st?

That's the camp I've been in. If we were top 10 or 12, stand pat easily. But where we're at, I'd love to turn 16 into 22-26 and a 2nd. Get 4 guys in the top 2 rounds, because there's some good depth and I don't think there's much drop-off between 16 and the mid-20s. And if we can get another pick in the top 40-45, that's a big get.

 

[Blueston]

Watching more clips Solberg is interesting, but the first two games I found and watched of him he was bad.

big talent but yeah, rather inconsistent. if you have espn+, norway's wc games from thsi week are on there. it's good chance to see him against likely best competition he's faced to date. i thought he looked quite impresssive against czechs. i haven't finished finnish game, but he hasn't been as good so far.

 

[Blueswin]

That's the camp I've been in. If we were top 10 or 12, stand pat easily. But where we're at, I'd love to turn 16 into 22-26 and a 2nd. Get 4 guys in the top 2 rounds, because there's some good depth and I don't think there's much drop-off between 16 and the mid-20s. And if we can get another pick in the top 40-45, that's a big get.

I could see a trade like this happening with the Hawks who have 3 2nd round picks, making a move from 20th to our 16th pick. Last year they tried to move up in the early teens to get Moore but no one would trade & then he fell to them at 19.