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Reasoning for my top 16 rankings

Draft Class: 2024
Created By: Caufield
Published: May 1 at 5:06 p.m.
Description
Not a mock
Lottery Winners:
  1. Logo of the Arizona CoyotesArizona Coyotes (6→1)
  2. Logo of the St. Louis BluesSt. Louis Blues (16→6)
ROUND 1TEAMORIGINALPLAYERDETAILS
1Logo of the Arizona Coyotes-Not much explanation is needed for him, he is a Franchise alternating talent that could win every important trophy (Hart, Stanley Cup, Conn Smythe, and even has a shot at Art Ross)
2Logo of the San Jose Sharks-I don't think he will nor should fall as much as Michkov. The reason behind that is that his contract is only an extra year (and he shows very strong interest in leaving for NA asap) and he has shown no signs of bad culture that Michkov seemed to have. Talent-wise, he is easily #2 and much closer to Celebrini than to the 3rd ranked, imo
3Logo of the Chicago Blackhawks-He doesn't have the ceiling of some, however, he is everything you need and wants from a defenseman. He has a great defense, will put up respectable points, and is very big with a strong frame. Easily becomes a #1 Defender on any team that gets him
4Logo of the Anaheim Ducks-The reason why he isn't ranked above Dickinson is that he has some questionable defending. However, his offensive potential is huge, and the difference between him and Dickinson is very small, and it will be very easy to justify him being the top Defense pick in this draft, due to his RD position
5Logo of the Columbus Blue Jackets-He is quite polarizing compared to many other prospects. However, the biggest red flag imo is his injury proneness. I personally see no true red flags when his is playing the game. He has 1C potential, and with his size, could be one of the most desirable centers in the league. It is just the question of if injuries could mess up his development, like it has for Dach, who is still a solid 2C, but could have been something else without the injuries.
6Logo of the St. Louis Blues-This one might be a bit out there, but his offensive potential is just ridiculous. Yes, his defensive game needs work, and in terms of being a defense is slightly undersized, but he could easily develop as a sort of Bouchard with proper development and pairing in his early 20s in the NHL
7Logo of the Montreal Canadiens-Has dropped a bit due to questionable playoffs, but I see a strong case to rank him over Lindstrom. Size does give him a bit of a disadvantage, over other prospects. I do see him being a sort of Marner, where he is a guy that absolutely will take you to the playoffs, but when the postseasons roll in, you need other players to rely on, possibly due to being smaller frame and not having that much grit.
8Logo of the Ottawa Senators-This guy isn't over guys like Catton and Lindstrom, because his offensive ceiling is likely not quite at their level, but he will be a very important top-line player that will likely clutch up in important games. With the physical game he has, and the amazing goal scoring, he will be a threat on the offense, and get a respectable amount of points every year, and be a crucial player in the playoffs
9Logo of the Seattle Kraken-This guy has taken a solid rise since the past few mock drafts and is definitely a guy who could be a top-line guy long-term. He isn't always the most flashy, but he has talent, and if he can put it all together in the NHL, he will be a beast. He isn't higher due to the fact that he could have some of the problems that other Finnish had when it comes to playing in the NHL, and risks not adapting properly.
10Logo of the Calgary Flames-His offensive ceiling is very questionable, and that is a reason why is slips a bit in my rankings, but he is essentially an even bigger Simashev, who understandably went very high. I do expect him to be higher than 10 when all is said and done
11Logo of the New Jersey Devils-I really like his offensive ceiling, but his size for an offensive D is the reason he is pretty high. There are a lot of offensive D-man who lack size, but he doesn't, and that could bring a very important piece to a D-core. He needs big steps defensively though
12Logo of the Buffalo Sabres-Although he has the highest offensive ceilings amongst all D, he has terrible defense and isn't that big either. He could end up going much higher than 12, or go much lower, and both are valid at the end of the day
13Logo of the Philadelphia Flyers-Falls because of his flaws. The ceiling is undeniable, but will his poor skating prevent him from finding open shot lanes? That is the question that will determine his draft spot. I do see a bit of a Jason Robertson situation here in which skating brought down his stocks even if there was a lot of talent, but hopefully, Eiserman can improve like Roberston did and become a crazy goalscorer
14Logo of the Minnesota Wild-Very high on him compared to other people, and I do see top-pairing potential in him. He had ridiculous playoffs, and even if he was in the 2nd division in Sweden, it is still very good hockey, and still played against men. Inconsistent may be his biggest question mark, but overall, does remind us quite a bit of Slaf's Draft year, where an international event completely changed his season for the better. There is risk with him, but there is a very big reward if the risk pays out
15Logo of the San Jose SharksLogo of the Pittsburgh PenguinsI really don't know how to evaluate him. I know for a fact he will fall for his off-ice stuff, but may not be justifiable. He probably should be higher, but their is a factor to consider that brings his stocks down, and that is why he is ranked low. Although its not at all the same situation, it is a bit similar to the Russian factor where Russian talents fall due to an outside factor
16Logo of the Detroit Red Wings-I'm not sure how much talent there is with him, but he has decent potential and likely will be an important secondary scorer on a lot of teams. Even if he only gets to a 50 pt range, he can still be very important with his power forward role
17Logo of the Washington Capitals-
18Logo of the New York Islanders-
19Logo of the Vegas Golden Knights-
20Logo of the Chicago BlackhawksLogo of the Tampa Bay Lightning
21Logo of the Los Angeles Kings-
22Logo of the Nashville Predators-
23Logo of the Toronto Maple Leafs-
24Logo of the Anaheim DucksLogo of the Edmonton Oilers
25Logo of the Colorado Avalanche-
26Logo of the Ottawa SenatorsLogo of the Boston Bruins
27Logo of the Calgary FlamesLogo of the Vancouver Canucks
28Logo of the Montreal CanadiensLogo of the Winnipeg Jets
29Logo of the Philadelphia FlyersLogo of the Florida Panthers
30Logo of the Carolina Hurricanes-
31Logo of the Dallas Stars-
32Logo of the New York Rangers-

Top Comments

May 1 at 10:51 p.m.
#1
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Joined: May 2019
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Good list. It’s hard to measure a high-floor defensive dman vs an undersized scoring winger vs an upside offensive dman…almost should be two lists. One for if everyone hits their ceiling…another for if everyone hits their most probable outcome.
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May 2 at 5:22 a.m.
#2
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Joined: Jan. 2024
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If Trevor Connelly makes it to the mid - late teens I'd pray Staios makes a move up to grab him. His talent is undeniable despite the off the ice stuff, I think once he matures he'll smarten up. Personally I'd love a draft of Catton + Connelly/Nygard if Staios can work some magic.
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