Draft 2024: Here are the ranks where Slafkovsky and Reinbacher would come out
From one year to another, it's difficult to compare drafted players when they're not the same age. A draft session is a bit like playing Russian roulette.
You never know what you might land on, and it can be fatal for an organization!
Journal de Québec journalist Kevin Dubé questioned three NHL scouts to determine the draft positions of Juraj Slafkovsky and David Reinbacher in the 2024 amateur draft.
The 2024 draft is no exception as many are comparing it to last year's. At first glance, there's no generational player like Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid, or Matthews. In reality, the quality of defensemen is often highlighted. We could easily see five defensemen in the top 10, if not six. Attackers were in demand in 2023. However, one question arises more often: at what rank would a player drafted in the last amateur drafts be placed this year?
Juraj Slafkovsky
It took a while for Juraj Slafkovsky to prove he was indeed the right choice at the first overall pick in the 2022 draft. A big-bodied forward with exceptional puck possession, he gained momentum in the second half of the season. Now, he's seen as a player who could approach a point-per-game pace with his linemates. In 2024-2025, it's believed he could surpass 30 goals and 70 points if he continues on this trajectory.
At the time, Kent Hughes surprised many by prioritizing the Slovak over Shane Wright, Simon Nemec, and even Logan Cooley.
The three scouts agree on one thing: Slafkovsky wouldn't surpass Macklin Celebrini this year. Ultimately, all three scouts place Slaf in the top 10 of this year's draft.
Scout 1: Top 3
Scout 2: Top 5
Scout 3: Between 6 and 10, in the same category as Cayden Lindstrom
It's quite surprising when you think about it, but you have to go back to the 2022 draft. You need to understand the data available at that time. This is what pushes him further according to two of the three scouts. After that, there's the famous question of fit with the team. The Canadiens needed a big body capable of creating space for smaller players.
David Reinbacher
Faces were long when former Montreal Canadiens goalkeeper Carey Price awkwardly announced David Reinbacher's name. Nevertheless, according to all three scouts, the defenseman is greatly underestimated in Montreal. In a year where the quality of defensemen is evident, he is placed in the top 4 of the best defensemen by each scout.
Opinions, however, are more divided regarding his potential draft position this year:
Scout 1: He would be the 2nd defenseman of the draft, behind Artyom Levshunov
Scout 2: He is among the top three or four best defensemen. He could well become a Noah Dobson.
Scout 3: Artyom Levshunov, Anton Silayev, and Sam Dickinson would be ahead of him.
This says a lot about their current trade value. Wow! One of the scouts even compares him to Noah Dobson. The Islanders' star defenseman had a phenomenal season, part of the NHL elite. One scout places Reinbacher ahead of Sam Dickinson, Anton Silayev, and Zeev Buium. That's promising! The third scout sees him as the fourth defenseman of the 2024 draft behind Levshunov, Silayev, and Dickinson. Just seeing his name considered among these talented young defensemen who are likely to make a big impact in the NHL in the coming years sends a shiver down your spine, doesn't it?
Ultimately logical choices
In the end, we realize that Kent Hughes' intuition is quite accurate under the circumstances. It's a cold analysis from three scouts in the Bettman circuit, but one thing is certain: optimism is warranted for these two first-round picks of the Canadiens. Since the draft is an inexact science, only the future will tell if they are right.
| POLL | ||
Who will be the first defenseman selected next Friday at the NHL draft? | ||
| Artyom Levshunov | 214 | 56 % |
| Anton Silayev | 71 | 18.6 % |
| Sam Dickinson | 79 | 20.7 % |
| Zeev Buium | 18 | 4.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
