IllaZilla Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 Final iteration of the Athletics 2024 NHL draft have the Wild taking Konsta Helenius, C, HIFK. Or Cole Eiserman, LW, USNTDP if he’s available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallyTigerShark Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 7 hours ago, IllaZilla said: Final iteration of the Athletics 2024 NHL draft have the Wild taking Konsta Helenius, C, HIFK. Or Cole Eiserman, LW, USNTDP if he’s available. I would be happy with either of those choices. I just hope the Wild keep the pick and take the best player available. I care nothing about trading down and accumulating other picks unless doing so somehow unloads salary off our team to free up cap space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 I am being somewhat interested in the possibility that Silayev could fall to with in a pick or two of the Wild at #13. A 6'7" mobile defenseman who plays with physicality? IMO that's a player that the team should move up and get if they can. But yes lots of mocks have Eiserman at #13 although its interesting. Craig Button has him in his Top 10. I've seen other mocks which suggest that Eiserman is as low as #18. Is this the hype train pushing him forward or backward? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 10 hours ago, CreaseAndAssist said: I am being somewhat interested in the possibility that Silayev could fall to with in a pick or two of the Wild at #13. A 6'7" mobile defenseman who plays with physicality? IMO that's a player that the team should move up and get if they can. But yes lots of mocks have Eiserman at #13 although its interesting. Craig Button has him in his Top 10. I've seen other mocks which suggest that Eiserman is as low as #18. Is this the hype train pushing him forward or backward? Be nice to see the Wild get a defenseman bigger than 4'2". At least if they go after Silayev for his size they won't be reaching nearly as much as they did for Stramel. As far as Eiserman, I think it depends on what you think is more important, pure scoring or a rounded game. I've read some reports that say his ability to score from wherever outweigh the flaws in his game. I've also read that he's got too many flaws (skating, smarts, size) to outweigh any scoring he may do. But this is the type of player the Wild were going to get when they decided that the Playoffs were more important than tanking for one season and getting a top 10 (or even 5) pick. I think they take Konsta Helenius. A nice pick, for a nice team. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimtown guy Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 13. Minnesota Wild: Konsta Helenius, C, Tappara (Fin.) The Wild love to grab players who play good, responsible hockey, and they have had plenty of success over the years with Finns. Helenius plays a lot like former franchise cornerstone Mikko Koivu, and he could replicate him a bit stylistically despite being smaller. Helenius would be a great fit on a Wild team that wouldn’t ask him to play too high up the lineup https://thehockeynews.com/news/2024-nhl-mock-draft-first-round-prediction-after-stanley-cup-final Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallyTigerShark Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 (edited) Barring someone, like Silayev, falling unexpectedly, the player I hope they take is Stian Solberg. He’s arguably the most physical defenseman in the draft and the book on him is that he loves to play physical. So he not only has the size you want, he plays with the attitude you want. He’s been playing in the men’s league over there and doing well against that competition. He could be NHL ready in a hurry. Great penalty kill guy who could keep the front of the net clear. He’s not going to score like some of the other defensemen, but he’s not unskilled on that side of the ice either. He’s well rounded and plays the game like BG wants. Has a nasty streak that could be reminiscent of Scott Stevens. He’d be my pick at 13. He’s what this team needs, which is a mean imposing SOB who other players are not going to look forward to knocking heads with. He would be a perfect addition to Faber, Brodin, etc. Edited June 26 by TallyTigerShark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbgarnett Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 If Rutger McGroaty is available straight up for #13 would you trade it for him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallyTigerShark Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 56 minutes ago, bbgarnett said: If Rutger McGroaty is available straight up for #13 would you trade it for him? I probably would if I could, but from what I’ve read and heard, the Jets are going to have substantial enough offers that trading him within the division would be unlikely. He’s going to bring plenty of good offers for them to choose from. It’s hard to pass on guys who can put the puck in the net, but I really think that with a couple of the guys we have coming, we need not only a physical presence, but someone who is going to throw their weight around to not only clear the net, but help stick up for KK, Boldy, etc., and I think Solberg is that player. The first line of his scouting report with Elite Prospects says that what stands out is his mean streak. Old school style hip checker who looks for contact. Great on the penalty kill. Sign me up for that all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 4 hours ago, TallyTigerShark said: Barring someone, like Silayev, falling unexpectedly, the player I hope they take is Stian Solberg. He’s arguably the most physical defenseman in the draft and the book on him is that he loves to play physical. So he not only has the size you want, he plays with the attitude you want. He’s been playing in the men’s league over there and doing well against that competition. He could be NHL ready in a hurry. Great penalty kill guy who could keep the front of the net clear. He’s not going to score like some of the other defensemen, but he’s not unskilled on that side of the ice either. He’s well rounded and plays the game like BG wants. Has a nasty streak that could be reminiscent of Scott Stevens. He’d be my pick at 13. He’s what this team needs, which is a mean imposing SOB who other players are not going to look forward to knocking heads with. He would be a perfect addition to Faber, Brodin, etc. The two Norwegians, Stian Solberg and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are two players who I think would work well for the Wild and give them hustle, physical play as well as strong two-way play. Solberg is 6'2", and loves to be a pain in the ass for opposing skaters and likes to hit. Nygard is just a relentless forechecker who also loves a physical brand of hockey. We talked about both of those players when we did our 2024 Minnesota Wild Draft Preview podcast a little over a week ago. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 2 hours ago, bbgarnett said: If Rutger McGroaty is available straight up for #13 would you trade it for him? I saw that brought up on Judd Zulgad...I think you consider it, but one would think Winnipeg would ask for even more from the Wild since it would be an inter-division trade. I think the asking price will be too high; although it would be interesting to see if he'd be willing to turn pro depending on who signs him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 I wonder if we see the Wild take Helenius only to move Rossi out…I know they drafted Jonas Brodin a lot higher than many scouts had him and shortly thereafter traded Brent Burns for some magic beans… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 27 Share Posted June 27 (edited) 23 hours ago, IllaZilla said: I wonder if we see the Wild take Helenius only to move Rossi out…I know they drafted Jonas Brodin a lot higher than many scouts had him and shortly thereafter traded Brent Burns for some magic beans… And yea...about that 2nd 1st round pick from that 2011 draft. Yikes. And you and I knew it as soon as the name was announced. It's hard to see the Wild would move Eriksson Ek back to the 3rd line and since Yurov seems to be the favorite for the future top line spot...Rossi seems like an odd-man out. But do other teams value him? Also, just tossing this out there...but we will be at Tom Reid's tomorrow from 5:30PM to 10:00PM for the draft if anyone wants to meet and greet; celebrate or heckle the team as it makes it's 1st round pick or whatever. Edited June 27 by CreaseAndAssist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandron Posted June 28 Share Posted June 28 6 hours ago, CreaseAndAssist said: And yea...about that 2nd 1st round pick from that 2011 draft. Yikes. And you and I knew it as soon as the name was announced. It's hard to see the Wild would move Eriksson Ek back to the 3rd line and since Yurov seems to be the favorite for the future top line spot...Rossi seems like an odd-man out. But do other teams value him? Also, just tossing this out there...but we will be at Tom Reid's tomorrow from 5:30PM to 10:00PM for the draft if anyone wants to meet and greet; celebrate or heckle the team as it makes it's 1st round pick or whatever. Sorry, I will be busy tomorrow with my unpredictable work. Hope, you will choose the best one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandron Posted June 28 Share Posted June 28 Nice article was published yesterday. Faber and Rossi were named to 2023-24 NHL All-Rookie Team. "Faber and Rossi join Kirill Kaprizov (2020-21) and Jonas Brodin (2012-13) as the only players in franchise history to earn All-Rookie Team honors." https://www.nhl.com/wild/news/brock-faber-and-marco-rossi-named-to-2023-24-nhl-all-rookie-team-062724 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IllaZilla Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 Huh…Buium fell to the Wild…maybe the Hockey Gods are done $h!tting on the Wild… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted June 29 Author Share Posted June 29 (edited) 17 minutes ago, IllaZilla said: Huh…Buium fell to the Wild…maybe the Hockey Gods are done $h!tting on the Wild… Well...technically, he didn't "fall" to them. BG made the shrewd move of giving up their pick plus a 3rd that could have turned out who knows how, for him specifically before the Flyers realized he was the better pick. Ok, ok...we will have to wait n see how shrewd the move is, but, gotta like the moxie shown by BG taking this well calculated risk. Edited June 29 by TropicalFruitGirl26 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 (edited) He did fall to the Wild, most mocks had us nowhere near him. He's another 6'0" puck moving defenseman, albeit very skilled and shifty with some decent offensive talent to his game. However, physically speaking he's more of what we already have a deep collection of. Having watched him play at Denver he was always noticeable and looked dangerous with the puck. I think fans will like the fact they have a chance to watch him play college hockey with the bunch of NCHC programs in our state, however it was an unexpected fall where obviously the organization liked him a lot so they traded up to get him. History has shown that usually hasn't worked in the Wild's favor. Solberg, Jiricek were bigger, more physical defenders that we left on the board and only time will tell if that was a wise decision or not. Tom Reid's was pretty quiet tonight, only small bunch of hockey fans there to watch the draft. Still #4 player rated by the Hockey News, #3 by HockeyProspect.com, #7 by Eliteprospects.com, #7 by TSN's Bob McKenzie, #4 by TSN's Craig Button, #4 North American Skater according to NHL's Central Scouting, #4 by Consolidated ranking...yea, I think its safe to say he fell to us. Edited June 29 by CreaseAndAssist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 From Eliteprospects..."Buium scans ahead of each retrieval, plans his escape route in advance of collecting the puck, makes sure to draw in at least one forechecker, and then beats them with near-comical ease, keying a clean breakout and activating into the rush. He is intelligent, deceptive, skilled, even creative in a part of the game where being efficient would suffice." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallyTigerShark Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 (edited) I guess I’m about the only one unhappy with the pick. Hope it works out, but we need size and physicality, not another lightweight defensemen regardless of how skilled he is offensively. I wanted Solberg badly. Guess we can wait and see how it works out. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see how this helps this team from getting push around, especially on the penalty kill. I’m not pissed off about this pick like I was last year (not hindsight either, pissed immediately), because I think Buium will be successful. He’s just not the style of player we needed with our roster makeup. Edited June 29 by TallyTigerShark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexandron Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 Zeev Buium is a pretty young guy. He could gain more weight and can be slightley taller during next couple years . But he definitely has a nice talent. I am already impressed regarding his achievements at his young age. Just finished reading an article about him. Plus he was drafted at #12(I like that number more), but not at #13. Some how we always have relations with Flyers in a recent few years. It seems they are getting stronger and stronger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 11 hours ago, TallyTigerShark said: I guess I’m about the only one unhappy with the pick. Hope it works out, but we need size and physicality, not another lightweight defensemen regardless of how skilled he is offensively. I wanted Solberg badly. Guess we can wait and see how it works out. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see how this helps this team from getting push around, especially on the penalty kill. I’m not pissed off about this pick like I was last year (not hindsight either, pissed immediately), because I think Buium will be successful. He’s just not the style of player we needed with our roster makeup. I don't disagree. At some point we need to start drafting and developing some bigger, more physical blueliners. We have a ton of 5'11"-6'1" players in our defense prospect pool. Jack Peart (5'11") Kyle Masters (6'0") Carson Lambos (6'1") Kalem Parker (6'0") Ryan O'Rourke (6'1") David Spacek (6'0") Daemon Hunt (6'1") Now toss in Buium at 6'0". He is probably the most skilled with the highest development ceiling of this group but they certainly are all kind of have the same attributes beyond height. Day two should be interesting. Some more scouting anecdotes on Zeev Buium: From HockeyProspect.com Speaking to his tool-kit, he’s physically strong, sturdy, and coordinated, but his skating probably falls into the solid but unspectacular category. Buium has limited use of his multi-directional crossovers. What this looks like on the ice is that he can fail to keep his hips forward and inadvertently skate over the top of himself, shortening his stride length. This reduces how efficient a skater he can be, which matters considering the amount of minutes we think he will be logging at the NHL level. It means that he can be susceptible to agile skaters who force him to pivot or reach out with his stick rapidly, since his rate of recovery will be slightly reduced as the result of his improper posture when initiating his crossovers. The good news is that as he gains strength, and as he continues to develop, his mechanical issues should self correct at least to some degree. It’s just with a defenseman who we project in the top of the lineup at his size, you rather not see the issues he does have. Will his skating ultimately keep him from being able to develop into the potential number one defenseman we envision? The answer is that we don’t think so. We wish he skated like Luke Hughes or Josh Morrissey, but his skating means that he’s just more likely to need an insulating partner in a playoff series when he’s going up against the likes of a Connor McDavid or a Nathan MacKinnon. From Eliteprospects.com (building from the previous quote in my other post) That same tact allows Buium to suffocate opponents defensively. He gaps up early in the neutral zone, expertly guides puck carriers away from the center lane with his stick, and steals possession with a well-timed stick lift or by driving through his opponents’ hands to separate them from the puck entirely. During sustained pressures, Buium scans, disrupts plays as they develop, and exacts a physical toll on anyone who would deign to set up shop in soft ice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 You got a gem here. The 2 dmen I wanted the sharks to grab above all others were Buium or Dickenson In May, sharks fans were all discussing who to take at 14. Everyone wanted to move up and draft one of Buium or Dickenson. Do you go for the most elite offense, with no defense? Parekh Do you want offensive first, but at least passable D? Buium > Yakemchuk > Freij > Kiviharju/Mews Do you want true two-way? Dickinson > Solberg/Jiricek > Brunicke Do you want defensive first, but at least passable offense? Silayev > Emery > Badinka/Shuravin > Ustinkov (Note: All are seen as shutdown D, but with offensive potential and a good outlet pass.) Do you want the most elite defense, with no offense? Elick > Skahan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 (edited) Wild draft RW Ryder Ritchie with the 45th Overall pick. 6'1", 177lbs Shoots Right Quick comparable: Martin Necas according to Eliteprospects. Ritchie’s both a scoring and playmaking threat, he combines give-and-goes with crossovers and east-west movement, constantly shifting the defence and creating gaps. Just when opponents think they’ve figured him out, he cuts back and finds the trailer. His shot, in particular, is a constant threat. There are zero tells inside his release, transferring his weight suddenly and hiding his blade the whole time. He adapts to tricky passes and instantly fires them, even under pressure. 2023 WHL Rookie of the Year Edited June 29 by CreaseAndAssist 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 Another anecdote on Ryder Ritchie from an NHL scout: "Really good player. Great skill. He needs to mature his game a bit but he is really talented.” - NHL Scout, May 2024 One of the smoothest, flashiest players in the entire draft supported by a give-and-go style and improving physical game, but failed to take a step this season. Offensively, Ritchie’s strength is how dynamic he is in transition. With the puck, he’s a dynamic skater, who explodes right away and uses linear crossovers to build great speed. He gets off the wall, attack the inside, and overall is one of the best skaters in the draft. He loves to swing in the neutral zone, build speed off-puck, and acquires it at top speed. He has quick puck skills, and can beat defender one-on-one, either with outside speed or with quick move in the triangle under the stick. He has a good wrist-shot that he can fire quickly, surprising the goaltender many times on his goals this season. On breakaways or in-tight around the net, he owns good poise to use his puck skills and beat goaltenders. Sometimes, his shot selection can improve. In terms of playmaking, Ritchie can make some great passes when he holds the puck and creates offensive advantages by beating defender before passing. We’d like to see him improve his quick/one-touch passing when needed. Defensively, Ritchie needs to improve his two-way play. Positively, he sprints hard with his speed on the forecheck and on the tracking and covers a lot of ice quickly. After that, Ritchie needs to generate more stops by creating contact (mostly using more stickcheck and stopping in battle when needed). He tends to turn too much in certain situations. Overall, it will be interesting to see the development of Ritchie in the future. His overall production in the WHL regular season was under the expectations. There’s no doubt that he has high upside with how dynamic he is in his skating and puck skills. If his puck management/decisions, two-way play and consistency can improve, he had the upside to explode and be a good offensive player from this draft. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CreaseAndAssist Posted June 29 Share Posted June 29 (edited) RW, Ryder Ritchie (former NHL'er Byron Ritchie's son) #26 by Consolidated Ranking #22 by Eliteprospects.com #31 by Bob McKenzie (TSN) #32 by Craig Button (TSN) #30 by the Hockey News #16 by NHL Central Scouting (NA skaters) More from EliteProspects: The passing skill’s clearly a top-six-calibre tool,” Elite Prospects Dir. of North American scouting Mitchell Brown wrote in March. ”He sauces pucks over sticks with perfect weight, slips them under, hooks them around, and has the deception and patience to get defenders to reach or swipe, opening the passing lane.” The next steps for Ritchie will come by dictating the game more often. With the puck, that means carrying the puck, manipulating defenders, and especially attacking the inside more often. Without it, it means more precise, faster off-puck movement. Willing to engage opponents, but he must initiate and control contact to consistently win battles. Edited June 29 by CreaseAndAssist 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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