New beginnings are on the horizon for the Utah Hockey Membership coming into the 2024 NHL Draft. Basic supervisor Invoice Armstrong will likely be making his first handful (13!) of draft picks on June 28 and 29 in Las Vegas. It’ll be a historic pair of days, because it’ll be the primary bunch of gamers ever drafted to the staff for the reason that relocation from Arizona. Thus, the 2024 NHL Draft has a bit extra that means to it than others, and Armstrong has the chance of drafting at six for the second yr in a row, that means an elite prospect will likely be heading to the Beehive State.
Associated: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Information
After all, everyone knows the course they went in final yr’s draft with Russians Dmitri Simashev and Daniil However, which, evidently, was a shock to the vast majority of followers. No mock drafts or any scouts had predicted such picks, and it looks like yearly there’s that one choose that makes you gasp and go who’s that man? This yr, they’ve loads of choices, and many defensemen, which affords them a variety of playstyles, which we’ll contact on later.
For Utah, there are a plethora of questions being requested, and whereas they don’t all have solutions, it’s okay to ponder them. That’s what we do. Now, let’s dive in and see what the 5 largest questions are coming into the 2024 NHL Draft for Armstrong and Utah.
What Comes of Ivan Demidov?
Ivan Demiov, the Russian spectacle of the 2024 NHL Draft, lit up the MHL (Russia’s prime junior league), and there’s little doubt the ability is there. Now, it’s a matter of pondering these questions: When will he arrive in North America? How will he carry out towards males within the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) versus the MHL? What’s his ceiling? After all, we don’t have all of the solutions to those questions, and fairly frankly, we might not till a few years down the highway.
That being stated, the Gold Star Hockey pre-draft camp in Fort Lauderdale held quite a few draft-eligible prospects, together with Artyom Levshunov, Zayne Parekh, and, in fact, Demidov. As many keep in mind, the 2023 NHL Draft housed the same state of affairs with Matvei Michkov, who was drafted seventh total by the Philadelphia Flyers. Whereas there’s no denying the jaw-dropping ability Michkov possesses, there’s nonetheless uncertainty about when he might see the ice in Philadelphia.
Even GM Daniel Brière isn’t absolutely conscious of what might occur with Michkov, which reveals the unpredictability in drafting Russians, a minimum of as of late with the present battle in Ukraine. Given how current and ongoing the Michkov state of affairs is, groups will probably be hesitant to draft Demidov; there’s no query about that. It’s now a matter of what number of groups will likely be reluctant, which leaves us with our subsequent query: might Demivov fall to Utah at six?
Whereas this query is very complicated, because the draft flooring, something can occur; it’s not sure he’ll fall after current information on the Russian famous person. “He has lived as much as every part we anticipated from final yr,” stated one scout. “He has these silky palms in tight, the power to complete across the internet and that heaviness on his stick. You see quite a lot of his targets the place he’s closely contested by defenders and he nonetheless scores as a result of he’s a pure in tight.”
This subsequent season, 2024-25, will likely be his final contract yr with SKA St. Petersburg, so theoretically, he could possibly be on American/Canadian soil by the tip of the common season. Whereas a number of issues must go proper for that to occur, it’s encouraging, particularly within the state of affairs the place he falls to 6.
Does Armstrong Prioritize Peak With Silayev, Dickinson, or Yakemchuk?
Peak issues within the NHL, however to what extent does one go to construct the most important NHL staff? That’s a very good query for GM Armstrong, however severely, who will he add throughout this yr’s draft? Final yr, he drafted 6-foot-4 defenseman Simashev alongside along with his teammate However, who stands at 6-foot-6. Don’t overlook he additionally took Maveric Lamoureux (6-foot-7) and Conor Geekie (6-foot-4) in 2022. This isn’t a basketball staff, however they’d in all probability be fairly good on that entrance, too.
In all seriousness, there’s a handful of gamers that enter the 2024 NHL Draft with massive frames. The one which’ll probably get essentially the most consideration is Russian defenseman Anton Silayev. He stands in at 6-foot-7 and noticed most of his manufacturing throughout the first handful of video games this season within the KHL. His skating is top-notch, however there are different considerations about his hockey IQ. Regardless of that, there’s no instructing top within the NHL, you both have it otherwise you don’t, and Silayev actually does.
Carter Yakemchuk is one other massive defenseman at 6-foot-3. He performed with the Calgary Hitman within the Western Hockey League this season, main the WHL in targets by a defenseman with 30. It was a formidable season, to say the least, and there’s rather a lot to love about his dimension and offensive presence. There’s additionally London Knight Sam Dickinson, who lit up the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and performed a large position within the Knights’ postseason run, which finally fell brief to the Saginaw Spirit. At 6-foot-3, he is aware of learn how to use his dimension and goes to be an on a regular basis NHLer down the highway.
All three gamers have distinctive traits that set them aside and it’ll be attention-grabbing to see what order they go in on draft day. Dickinson might go as excessive as three, however then you definately have a look at Yakemchuk, and so might he; it’s a coin toss. Nonetheless, after Celebrini is taken first total by the San Jose Sharks, chaos will ensue.
Will Utah See Any Motion on the Commerce Entrance?
Some of the thrilling issues as a fan is seeing trades happen throughout the draft. Seeing commissioner Gary Bettman announce the commerce(s) and the gang’s response is priceless, particularly if it’s your staff. On this case, we might see some motion with Armstrong and Utah as they appear to make a splash—a splash that’ll go down because the first-ever commerce in Utah historical past.
So, the primary choice is buying and selling up into the highest 5. Is it attainable? Effectively, in fact, it’s; Utah has an abundance of belongings that could possibly be used to commerce up, much like what they did after they traded up with the Sharks at 11 and took Geekie. That commerce included a late first (twenty seventh total) and two second-round picks (thirty fourth total and forty fifth total), so it will break the bank in the event that they have been to. At this level within the rebuild, it’s in all probability not essentially the most smart to commerce up except a proposal comes alongside that is smart and advantages the staff now and 5 years sooner or later.
The opposite a part of the equation is buying and selling down, which is certainly very attainable too. Let’s assume the draft order performs out as such: Celebrini, Levshunov, Silayev, Demidov, Lindstrom, or a variation of these 5 gamers; there will likely be loads of expertise at six. If Armstrong’s objective is to return away with an elite defenseman, buying and selling right down to eight and even 9, there’ll nonetheless be a kind of defensemen obtainable. In the event that they like Dickinson, Buium, Parekh, and Yakemchuk equally, they’re comparatively the identical, so why not purchase much more belongings and commerce down? In that case, if they will assure that they will land a kind of defensemen or a ahead of their liking, it’s a no brainer.
Is Beckett Sennecke an Choice at 6?
Every year, some prospects appear to return out of nowhere and push for the highest ten, prime 5, and generally even the highest three. That prospect final yr was in all probability Simashev, whom Armstrong drafted and is at the moment the top-ranked defenseman within the Utah system. Simashev going six was a shock to everybody. Not a single mock draft had him touchdown with the Coyotes, however up to now, it’s trying like a fairly good choose.
That participant is Beckett Sennecke this yr, who actually has a variety of opinions across the NHL and scouting world. He has quite a lot of likable traits: dimension, physicality, and his shot, all of which is able to assist him get drafted within the first spherical. Now it’s a matter of how excessive he’ll be drafted, which is the place scouts, followers, and analysts have appeared to have some controversy.
“Sennecke gives an important steadiness of depth, ability and consciousness on each side of the puck. He excels down low, alongside the boards and in small areas to win puck battles as he has smooth palms to take care of management and manipulate defenders within the offensive zone. He’s extraordinarily artful and his improved dimension permits him to guard the puck successfully and push his manner by visitors. He undoubtedly has the strengths that would make him a robust energy ahead.” – Peter Baracchini, The Hockey Writers
Including Sennecke at sixth total wouldn’t be the worst, as there are quite a lot of different gamers that wouldn’t be preferrred, however drafting him this early shouldn’t occur. Whereas he might go fourth total to the Columbus Blue Jackets, as they took him to dinner throughout the 2024 NHL Draft Mix, Sennecke to Utah probably gained’t occur.
Will Armstrong Add an Offensively Gifted Defenseman in Buium or Parekh?
Presently, Utah’s system doesn’t have a game-changer. Whereas that’s not essentially a nasty factor, it’s additionally an issue you wish to discover a resolution to. Simashev is on monitor to be a minute-eating defensive defenseman, however not fairly a game-changer. Whereas Geekie and However might have that ceiling in them, it’s not sure they are going to hit it. That brings us to 2 gamers within the 2024 NHL Draft who might take you out of your seat at any given second. That’s nobody apart from Zeev Buium and Zayne Parekh.
Buium, who comes from the College of Denver, had a stellar freshman season, placing up 50 factors in 42 video games. He’s a dynamic offensive defenseman who’s so enjoyable to observe within the offensive zone; it’s actually a spectacle. He is aware of learn how to use his skating to his benefit and has an edge to him regardless of not being the tallest. In my three-round mock draft for Utah, I had Armstrong taking Buium, and it’s protected to say that in the event that they have been to, they could possibly be coming residence with a famous person.
Parekh can also be extraordinarily gifted within the offensive zone. Recording 33 targets this season with the Saginaw Spirit and successful the Memorial Cup, it was fairly the season for him. His motor merely doesn’t cease, which makes it so exhausting for groups to foretell what he’ll do, whether or not that be within the offensive zone or defensive zone.
Certainly one of these two gamers at sixth total makes a ton of sense, and to be fairly sincere, certainly one of them needs to be the choose, all issues thought of.
2024 NHL Draft Will Be Stuffed with Surprises
The 2024 NHL Draft is almost per week away and can undoubtedly be stuffed with surprises. In Nashville final yr for the 2023 NHL Draft, no trades have been made throughout the first spherical; I’d anticipate that to vary this season in Vegas. Aside from Celebrini, nobody is penciled in, which might make for some massive surprises, whether or not that be through commerce or draft choice. Nonetheless, we’re extremely near the extremely anticipated draft and it’ll be a giant couple of days for all of the groups, particularly Utah.
