Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to KeynoteUSA Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
LAS VEGAS — The Sharks only moved up three spots, but they could be facing a completely different 2024 NHL Draft with their rise from No. 14 to No. 11 on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, San Jose sent the No. 14 and No. 42 picks to the Buffalo Sabers for the No. 11 pick in Friday’s first round.
Instead of hoping that players like Carter Yakemchuk, Zayne Parekh, Konsta Helenius, Berkly Catton or Cole Eiserman could fall to them at No. 14, they could now be in prime position to come away with a No. 1 center (Macklin Celebrini). ) and perhaps a number one defender or a number one winger.
And who knows? Maybe Zeev Buium, Sam Dickinson or someone else falls to 11th?
San Jose Hockey Now spoke with an NHL scout Thursday about this top tier of prospects, in alphabetical order, forwards Catton, Eiserman, Tij Iginla, Helenius and Beckett Sennecke, along with defensemen Buium, Dickinson, Parekh and Yakemchuk.
Centers Celebrini and Cayden Lindstrom, winger Ivan Demidov and defenders Artyom Levshunov and Anton Silayev are all expected to leave before No. 11.
Catton is a 5-foot-10 center with a high motor and dynamic offense.
The NHL scout prefers Catton over Helenius when it comes to smaller offensive centers. He believes both will have some adjustments on offense, penetrating the middle of the ice in the NHL at their size, but Catton has an advantage in one significant area.
“I think Catton’s skating is a little bit better, it’s just that little bit that’s needed,” the NHL scout said.
Eiserman is a 1.83 meter tall winger. He is considered one-dimensional, but that dimension is the best option in the 2024 draft.
However, Eiserman comes with a little baggage.
“I don’t think his teammates dislike him, as a person, guys get along with him,” the scout said. “But he’s on the ice, how he carries himself and how he handles his stuff on the ice. He’s just on his own page.”
Iginla is a highly competitive 6-foot-0 winger, the son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. He has one of the best shots in the draft outside of Eiserman.
“I don’t know how he gets past Calgary (at No. 9),” the scout said. “He’s Eiserman who doesn’t have a bunch of nonsense.”
Helenius is a highly competitive 5-foot-11 two-way center.
This scout prefers Catton, but noted that it was close and that Helenius was productive last season in a men’s league, unlike Catton.
Sennecke is a 6-foot-3 winger, a late-rise player with a tantalizing combination of size, playmaking ability, handle and shooting ability.
“I think the team that gets him will be very happy if they get him in this nine-to-10 range,” the scout said of the likely top-10 pick. “Slick puck skills, makes guys miss. Really soft hands. Really creative.”
Buium is a 6-foot-10 defender and an offensive force who won the world junior, world under-18 and NCAA titles this season.
“Offensive creativity,” the scout said. “Really, really good skater. High, high skill. He’s going to run your first power play.”
However, the scout thinks that Buium still doesn’t really know how to defend himself effectively.
“I don’t think it’s because he chooses not to play (defense),” the scout said. “I don’t think his defensive game is polished.”
Dickinson is a 6-foot-10 two-way defender, who this scout compares to Ryan Suter.
“He is constant and very intelligent,” said the scout. “He is a very good skater. He is skilled and doesn’t have many flaws in his game. He is as solid a defender as he can be in the first round.”
Dickinson may not develop into a top-tier power-play defender, but he should be good enough for a second unit, as well as being a first-choice penalty killer.
Parekh is a 6-foot-0 defender, similar to Buium, an offensive wizard with real defensive concerns.
Parekh is also a terrific skater, but the scout is concerned about stubbornness in his game.
“I don’t think it’s that he doesn’t know how to play defense, because if you can make him understand that he needs to do that for the offense to work, then I think you’re fine,” the scout said.
Ultimately, this explorer prefers Parekh over Buium.
“He’s a little bigger and there’s a little more creativity and high-level skill,” the scout said.
Yakemchuk is a 6-foot-10 defenseman with a powerful shot and high-level offensive instincts, but with real concerns regarding skating and defense.
“You’re getting almost a fourth forward,” the scout said. “He makes some explosive (mistakes) on both sides of the puck.”
Sharks general manager Mike Grier will have a much better chance of landing one of these top prospects at No. 11.
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