Another little sleep and it will finally be NHL Draft day. The best night of the year.
So far, we know that the Sharks will select Macklin Celebrini and that for a few days, the Hawks have apparently hesitated between two names: Artyom Levshunov and Ivan Demidov. Their choice is made and everything points in the direction of Levshunov. #GoodNewsForTheCanadian
Speaking of Demidov, teams are aware of the talent he represents. They are also calling the Hawks to find out about the availability of the second pick, because they know he has equal, if not greater, talent than Macklin Celebrini. That’s what Tony Marinaro mentioned to BPM Sports.
You can hear his segment right here.
When Marinaro mentioned this, I fell out of my chair. I know that the Russian is an excellent player, but to compare his talent to that of Celebrini…
After all, the Boston University kid might even be better than Connor Bedard.
And today, in addition to speaking in French with a journalist from Quebec, the winger reassured many people with his English, in particular.
His measurements (his weight and height), the fact that he is in North America for the draft, the fact that Matvei Michkov only stayed one year in Russia despite a contract in the KHL are other factors that make so that several teams are reassured. Could this harm the Canadian?
After all, he speaks fifth and the three teams in front of him (excluding the Sharks) have no priority in terms of attackers and defenders…
As for the Canadiens, they don’t have the luxury of knowing the players who will be selected before them. It’s therefore a little more difficult to know the identity of the next CH player. Experts and journalists have their ideas, opinions, but the answer will be revealed tomorrow evening around 7:30-7:45 p.m.
While the idea of drafting a defenseman at the fifth spot is increasingly popular, Tony Marinaro would be very surprised if Kent Hughes and his group set their sights on a fullback. He mentioned earlier on BPM Sports that he believes that Tij Iginla or Beckett Sennecke would be prioritized if Ivan Demidov and Cayden Lindstrom are no longer available.
Here are his four realistic priorities if he were the CEO:
- Ivan Demidov
- Cayden Lindstrom
- Tij Iginla
- Beckett Sennecke
Even though he believes the Canadiens are targeting a forward, he is a big fan of Zeev Buium, the Denver defenseman who has been heavily linked to the Canadiens. Marinaro admitted it himself: he is not the greatest connoisseur of prospects, but he relies on interviews with prospects and discussions with scouts.
And when he spoke with Buium, he was very impressed. He likes her confidence and personality. The left-hander compares himself to Quinn Hughes, no less, and he says he brings a winning culture and knows how to make clubs win because of his all-around game.
Let’s say the team that drafts him will be in a boat with a youngster like that.
A lot of
– I’m eager to.
– A beautiful moment, indeed.
– To read.
