2024 NHL Draft: Final Top-32 Rankings
A handful of elite defensemen with stellar resumes will be hot commodities on draft day, but a grouping of high-scoring forwards also lived up to their end of the bargain
NASHVILLE (The Draft Analyst) — Despite the immense expansion of the NHL draft’s visibility and literal growth, which has taken place for over three decades, the event’s actual purpose has been completely unchanged since its inception in 1963. No matter the venue, format, or number of prospects eligible, the draft is where champions are built, and sometimes those champions become dynasties. There is a darker side, however, as poor decisions, staff micromanagement, analysis paralysis, or mistakes in player development can keep a franchise mired in mediocrity or worse for over a decade.
Strategizing processes and subsequently opining on the draft as an independent/underground analyst has no such implications. Nothing is at stake, and the world keeps spinning. It’s not that deep. Heck, even the idea of traveling long hours to see live games has proven to be a complete waste of both time and resources (Europe notwithstanding). Streaming services are infinitely more effective from my foxhole, and my daily battle rhythm is even less complicated after reading this article about the late Bill Walsh, the architect of the San Francisco 49ers’ dynasty and innovator of the West Coast offense.
Not only did Walsh rarely see his draft picks play more than once before blessing off on them, but he befriended a Hollywood actor with an obsession with the NFL draft and allowed him to make late-round suggestions that his staff actually followed through on. Like cancer in a designated blue zone, analysis paralysis never stood a chance.
More: 2024 Post-Lottery Mock Draft (Picks 1-32)
Of course, this probably sounds hypocritical coming from a guy who just dropped an 8500-word draft ranking. Still, the intent that drives this type of long-form draft coverage is for posterity only and not for shameless self-promotion and pretentious social media branding. Besides, the point stands — I watch hundreds of games a season and write about them without interference from YouTube videos or clickbait. And if anyone from the film industry with a thing for draft hopefuls on skates wants to chime in, do both of us a favor and keep thy scouting reports to thyself.
How is any of this relevant to my list of ranked prospects? Well, in this particular case, I think it is essential to remind those who care that I neither trust nor incorporate anyone’s opinion on these draft-related matters, with the lone exceptions being junior hockey and European broadcast teams who clearly know the players better than anyone else. Posting my opinions for free presents an open door for high-maintenance types who, after 10 years, still struggle with grasping my simple methodology.
So, for their sake, I have to dumb it down with a lengthy preamble that hopefully explains my rankings as nothing more than the culmination of watching 11 straight months of hockey and that being right is nowhere near as fulfilling as soaking up the opening festivities of a Djurgardens home game.
Anyway, here’s what I got on the 2024 draft:
1. To the draft tables and draft floor, we bid you a fond farewell
The 2024 NHL draft in Las Vegas will be the last of its kind, and not everyone will shed a tear. Once complete, gone will be the draft floor with draft tables where draft picks were agreed upon. It was unique, says the traditionalist, who might be old enough to remember when it was a private event held in a hotel conference room but too young to recall team sponsorships during the Original Six era. Even when the draft grew in scale and league event planners applied the shinier polish before opening the doors to the general public, our traditionalist assures you it remained intimate and elegant.
Perhaps there was something nostalgic about seeing a generation or two of your hockey heroes commiserate with one another within a maze of folding tables, looking all grown up in custom-made suits after trading in their skates for a front office role.
But what exactly were we watching? Grown men talking to one another while television analysts assured viewers at home that a major deal was in the works? Take away the backdrop of an indoor hockey venue with banners hanging from the rafters, and that scene plays out like something out of a Soprano’s funeral but without the Italian gourmet spread and exchanging of cash envelopes. Meet, greet, and shoot the breeze, and oh, when can we leave?
But these guys were making power moves right there on the draft floor, and we actually got to see it unfold, says Mr. Traditionalist. And you want to get rid of that? Yes, absolutely, you reply, because we don’t know that for sure. Couldn’t a trade be finalized in the lobby bar the night before? Wasn’t the Eric Lindros mega-deal — both of them — crafted and finalized in different hotel suites?
For all we know, these discussions between general managers or their scouts involved more talk of WAG gossip, summer plans, investment ideas, or remember-when stories and less brokering of franchise-altering trades or the revealing strategic plans. Loose lips sink ships, and those walls have ears, you say to the traditionalist. Better to have these schmoozers separated so they can remain rested for free agency and make the draft about what it should be about — the actual players being drafted. Everyone has a smartphone. Send texts instead and save tens of thousands on the travel budget.
Maybe that’s why most NHL GMs voted to decentralize the draft last October. The accommodations last year in Nashville were far from cheap, so you can imagine what the bill came to, and that’s including the bar tab. Using ballpark estimates, let’s say each team requires close to three dozen employees to make the draft run according to plan. You’re looking at around $10K-$15K a night per team just for the hotel, and that’s with the corporate discount. Throw in airfare and car rentals, and you’re looking at close to $50K per team for a two-day event. Multiple that by 32, and you’re closer to $2 million, and that’s not including what the league itself has to shell out of all its employees and event staff. Heck, maybe these estimates are on the conservative side. But then you have to pay the host arena for blocking out a weekend in the summer for an event that won’t generate nearly the same revenue as a concert or wrestling match. And let’s not get into ad sales and Nielsen ratings, two categories where the NHL lags behind its North American pro-league brethren. The NHL draft has never been a significant source of revenue, which best explains why the league is so quick to wedge it between the awards show (speaking of waste) and the start of free agency.
There probably isn’t any form of fraud going on, but shipping over a thousand paid employees on someone else’s dime to a major city for a two-day event is a classic case of waste and abuse, which best explains why the NHL Board of Governors spearheaded the format change in conjunction with league commissioner Gary Bettman, thereby limiting fiscal shenanigans to a minimum while shrinking the draft’s footprint beginning in 2025.
As such, future drafts will mirror current formats used by the NBA and NFL, albeit with a decreased coolness factor and not nearly as much wit and personality. Remember, this is the vanilla NHL we’re talking about, so no reason to think otherwise. The venues will be smaller; the commissioner will announce the picks (hopefully with their positions included), and only a select group of prospects will be invited for the first round of 32. As for the front office types and scouts, the shared-space draft floor will be replaced by a private war room from anywhere a location of their choice — home rink, practice facility, a local pub’s banquet room, whatever.
2. Star power
We knew heading into this season that 2024 draft prospects were at a disadvantage, though no fault of their own, for having the misfortune of succeeding the much ballyhooed 2023 class, which already has produced four full-time NHL’ers and counting. At this time last year, centers Connor Bedard, Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, and Will Smith, along with winger Matvei Michkov, had completed historic-level individual performances in one form or another and were near-unanimous choices for the top five of the draft, with Michkov’s KHL contract status the oft-discussed sticking point when gauging his eventual landing spot.
Of course, using the NHL readiness of a select few as a measuring stick for the collective strength of a draft class isn’t recommended, as the most talked about years — 1979, 2003, and 2015 lead the pack in that regard — are what they are because of all-star depth and numerous picks who went on to earn Hall of Fame credentials. The 2023 draft obviously isn’t there quite just yet, but even those who haven’t cracked an NHL lineup already proved they outgrew their respective leagues, regardless of the age of competition.
The elite core of this year’s group extends beyond the first five picks, but a fantasy-land scenario in which the 2023 and 2024 classes are merged into a single draft pushes the former well beyond the latter, with Boston University center Macklin Celebrini — the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner — and star winger Ivan Demidov from the Russian MHL representing the only challengers for this hypothetical top five for their historic production in their respective circuits. But the remaining must-haves from the 2024 bunch, talented as they may be, not only appear greener in terms of NHL readiness, but several are saddled with an added layer of uncertainty, whether in the form of shortened seasons due to severe injury or revealing on-ice limitations beyond their prominent measurables.
The San Jose Sharks hold the first pick of the draft and Celebrini will undoubtedly be their selection, but he could be the only player from his cohort of first-year-eligibles to see NHL ice next season, at least beyond the nine-game introductory phase before the first year his entry-level contract kicks in. The prospect drafted immediately thereafter has been up for debate since late December, when Celebrini began to distance himself from the field by a wide margin.
At that point, the general consensus labeled the 2024 draft as top-heavy on the forward side, which wasn’t the previous year. NHL Central Scouting confirmed this when their annual midterm rankings were released in January and featured five defensemen within their first 10 North American skater prospects (compared to none in last year’s top 10) and eight of 15 on the European side (versus five of 15 at midterm in 2023).
Recent history tells us adding elite defensemen into the top-tier mix doesn’t necessarily mean high-upside forwards with star potential who slip into the middle of the first round are locks for NHL success. Such is the case with the 2018 draft. Five of the first 12 picks that year played defense, and four — Rasmus Dahlin, Quinn Hughes, Evan Bouchard, and Noah Dobson — have hit the 70-point mark before age 25. Conversely, only five of the last 12 forwards drafted between the sixth and 30th overall picks have reached double digits in goals, and only one — Philadelphia’s Joel Farabee at 14th overall — has eclipsed the 20-goal mark.
The 2012 draft featured almost a dozen premier defense prospects, but its bust rate for first-round forwards isn’t nearly as high as in 2018. Although first-overall pick Nail Yakupov is one of the biggest draft flops in league history, eight of the 15 forwards taken in the first round remain NHL regulars. Five have eclipsed the 20-goal and 50-point marks more than once, including 70-point-or-more seasons from Filip Forsberg (11th overall), Tomas Hertl (17th), and Teuvo Teravainen (18th).
Where the 2024 crop will finish is anybody’s guess. As it stands, the 2017 draft was incorrectly labeled by yours truly as thin and inferior to the eventual 2018 class in both depth and stature, and you’ll soon find out in a neat little table down below that the 2017 draft saw the highest percentage of defensemen drafted since the lockout.
Nonetheless, since defensemen are the likeliest candidates to dominate the top 10 come June and potentially occupy each of the following four picks after Celebrini, it’s more likely that contending teams with thinner pipelines and later first-round picks will execute a best-player-available approach towards sliding forwards than with the second-tier defensemen, who may be available by the late second round.
Keep in mind that any analytics department worth its salt will inform its partnered scouting staff that 82 percent (37/45) of Hart Trophy finalists between 2009 and 2023 were forwards drafted in the first round, while only 56 percent (25/45) of Norris Trophy finalists in that same span were first-rounders. Unless playing it safe on draft day is an organization-wide philosophy, the better bet is to gamble on the high-upside forwards in Round 1 and deliver a second uppercut in Round 2 on a potential top-pairing defenseman.
One of those sliders in next month’s draft could be Medicine Hat Tigers’ center Cayden Lindstrom. Ranked third among North American skaters in each of NHL Central Scouting’s two in-season lists for the 2024 draft, Lindstrom scored 27 goals in 32 games but was hampered by separate injuries to his hand and back, not to mention dishing out only 19 assists despite playing a prominent top-six role on one of the WHL’s most potent attacks. Lindstrom also played for Team Canada at the early-season U18 Ivan Hlinka tournament and delivered a modest three points in five games. Last season’s No. 3 was the aforementioned Will Smith, who produced 126 points in 59 games for the U.S. U18 squad and won gold at the 2023 IIHF U18 World Championships with 20 points in seven games to lead the entire tournament.
If Lindstrom -- injuries, low-assist totals, and all -- is the best forward Canadian major junior will provide to the 2024 pool (at least according to Central Scouting), then what does that say about the rest of the forward group? Spokane Chiefs’ center Berkly Catton has a Smith-like skill set and delivered Smith-esque production, with his 54 goals and 116 points leading all North American first-year eligibles. But Central Scouting ranked him eighth in their final release, and four of the prospects ranked higher are defensemen.
Again, all this speculation could amount to a hill of beans once the 2006-born prospects are in their prime. The point is that the 2024 draft seems to have the usual share of wildcards near the top of the scale to further strengthen 2023's already epic reputation. To that extent, normalcy has returned.
3. Quality of league play and production
Let’s take a short trip back to the midway point of the 2022-23 season when five of the WHL’s top six scorers were first-year draft eligibles. Although the WHL is one of over two dozen circuits between North America and Europe that supply NHL teams with draft prospects, the fact that the most prolific scorers at any point of the regular season were younger than the league average was another piece of evidence supporting theories that the 2023 draft class was exceptional.
Of course, using team or league scoring numbers to predict NHL greatness can be a slippery slope, even in today's skill-friendly NHL, where the introduction of analytics and emphasis on player safety has helped subordinate size and grit to smarts and speed. But any dedicated hockey fan knows that the best players in today’s NHL were at one point the leading scorers or key figures for either their pre-draft junior or adult-age squads or the under-18 national teams. In most cases, the prospects from primary, secondary, and even tertiary tiers, i.e., those drafted within the first two or three rounds, are the undisputed pace-setters and team leaders for their respective clubs.
This year’s class is no different in that regard. Of my top 32 prospects listed below, 20 of the 24 North American junior players led their team in one major offensive category (goals, assists, points, points per game), and in some cases, by a significant margin. At the same time, the remaining four were top-liners who placed second or third. As for the eight European prospects, three were junior-league scoring machines and five were full-time regulars in an adult-age league and dominated junior during short-term stays.Most of them skated for playoff teams and appeared in big games with high stakes.
Another example that bolsters the 2024 crop’s reputation is that more combined first-year eligibles ranked in the top 20 in each of the three Canadian major junior leagues than last season. The WHL had only two — Catton (fourth) and Prince George’s Terik Parascak (eighth) - compared to the five they had in 2023. But the QMJHL increased from one (Mathieu Cataford) to three (Alexandre Blais, Justin Poirier, and Maxim Masse), while the OHL went from zero to four (defenseman Zayne Parekh and forwards Liam Greentree, Marek Vanacker, and Luke Misa).
As far as performance in international tournaments, the under-20 world junior hockey championships is the only actual best-on-best tournament played annually, and it can serve as a gauge of the strength of a draft class, specifically, how many first-year eligibles were nominated by their respective national federations to play at the event. After breaking down the rosters, it was discovered that the 2024 World Junior tournament had the fewest first-year draft eligibles (17) participating than any of the previous nine events. The most in that span was in 2018 (28), and the fewest before this year was in 2019 (18).
4. Strong on defense and wing; thin on elite centers and goalies
Centers
Celebrini is the best center in the draft by a country mile, which should serve as an indicator of what to expect from the rest of the pivots who are drafted thereafter. That isn’t a knock on Celebrini, who was phenomenal from start to finish and was considered Canada’s best forward at the world juniors despite being the lone 17-year-old. But no other center in this class came close to that kind of resume, including Catton’s 54-goal campaign, Konsta Helenius’ high assist-per-game rate in the SM-Liiga, and Lindstrom’s 1.44 points-per-game average.
Three of the first four centers ranked by Central Scouting were listed at six feet or less, including Celebrini and winger Tij Iginla, who was listed as a center. The big-bodied Lindstrom was the exception, whereas on the European side, only three pivots — Helenius and Sweden’s Linus Eriksson and Lucas Pettersson — are listed in the top 17, and all are technically sub-6-footers. From each point forward, however, the length of top-rated centers increases to the ideal size bracket — an obvious strategic decision by Central Scouting based on the average measurements of centers they ranked.
In fact, the combined number of sub-5-foot-10 center prospects from both regions (North America and Europe) was halved from 30 in 2023 to 15 in 2024. Conversely, the total number of prospects listed at 6-foot-4 or greater increased from 44 in 2023 to 61 in 2024. No position was impacted by this change more than center ice, where the number of pivots listed between 6-foot and 6-foot-1 nearly doubled from 28 in 2023 to 50 in 2024. Whether this decision was based on feedback from NHL scouts who were told to draft bigger forwards or it’s just the way the 2006 birth year shaped out will be played out on draft day, the truth is the smaller centers have more skill than the big boys, and nearly all of the top-tier pivots without a significant size advantage range from above-average to elite on the defensive side.
Wingers
Draft trends involving wingers continue to fascinate me. In 2014, 17 wings went in the first round, and then they decreased every year until they reached a low of four in 2017. There has been a slight increase since, however, and each draft between 2020 and 2023 saw an average of 12 wingers selected. Central Scouting’s love for defensemen may put an end to that, but my rankings below say otherwise.
The top-end wingers in this draft — Ivan Demidov, Cole Eiserman, Trevor Connelly, Michael Nygard, Emil Hemming, Igor Chernyshov, Beckett Sennecke, Liam Greentree, Terik Parascak, Melvin Fernstrom, and so on — give this particular class hope for being more than just the Celebrini & Defensemen draft. The names listed above represent the bulk of the position’s top tier, that is, if you choose to keep Demidov off his own island. But with or without him, there are more juicy fastballs on the flanks than any other position in the draft class.
Defense
This year’s collection of top-of-the-scale blue liners is the deepest we have seen since 2018, when current everyday NHL rearguards Rasmus Dahlin, Quinn Hughes, Adam Boqvist, Evan Bouchard, Noah Dobson, K’Andre Miller, and Rasmus Sandin all were drafted in the first round, with the first five falling off the board between the first and 12th overall picks. Although there is no guarantee to see a repeat performance next month in Las Vegas, it is reasonable to assume (based on Central Scouting’s final rankings) that as many as five from this year’s group will crack the top 10 compared to only three last year. In fact, the five defensemen who were among Central Scouting’s top 11 North American skater prospects represented the most since 2012, when seven blueliners were ranked in the first 11 slots. Last year’s final ranking had only three defensemen in the top 20.
If that’s the way the draft unfolds, it will fall well short of the eight defenseman selected within the first 10 picks in 2012. Another consideration for future debate is whether the defenseman will eventually outshine the forwards, which, in hindsight, is the case with 2018 and its unspectacular results with non-defensemen.
But calling this the year of the defenseman doesn’t necessarily mean the position will dominate the entire class. As you’ll see in the table below, defensemen, on average, have taken up 33 percent of salary-cap-era drafts, and the 2017 class — not 2012 or 2018 — saw more defensemen selected (36.4 percent) than any draft since 2004. If you go by my Day 1 ranking for 2024, it is expected that at least eight will crack the first round, but it could jump into the double digits if the likes of Aron Kiviharju and Adam Jiricek are still held in high regard despite suffering serious injuries and Swedish two-way types Leo-Sahlin Wallenius and Alfons Freij aren’t docked for their turnover issues at last month’s under-18 world championship.
Goaltending
Only six goalies were taken in the first round between 2013 and 2023, although three have come within the last four drafts. Last year, a deep group of netminders was assessed as the strongest in years, and the five who were selected in Roiund 2 tied the 2014 and 2002 drafts for the most goalies taken in any round in NHL history. This year’s collection is full of impressive backstops, and that includes several of Europe’s best first-year eligibles who were never listed by Central Scouting. This was despite the expansion of their European goalie list to 18 — the most since their 2006 final ranking.
Nonetheless, it is more likely we will see goalies fly off the board in the second round for a second consecutive year for at least two reasons: 1) Skaters should dominate the first round as usual, and 2) There are 11 teams who currently hold at least one extra pick in the first or second round, and the majority ranked near the bottom in 5v5 save percentage. Bank on Owen Sound’s Carter George to be one of the first goalies off the board if you take into consideration how many games he stole for the Attack and his MVP-caliber performance in leading Team Canada to an unexpected gold medal at the U18 world championships.
If I were to make another prediction, it woulds be that the expanded Central Scouting goalie list (40 total) won’t result in an equal or greater number of netminders compared to the 26 taken last year. Teams combined to draft either 20 or 21 goaltenders in the four drafts before last year’s bumper crop, so we likely see a slight reduction 12 months later. I will go another step further and say at least three Swedish goalies who were not on Central Scouting’s lists will get drafted.
Top-32 Final Rankings
Macklin Celebrini, C (Boston University, HE)
6’0, 190 | 6/13/06 | Shoots Left | North Vancouver, B.C. | Preseason Rank: 2nd
One of the benefits of Connor Bedard not recording a point-per-game average in his rookie NHL season is that it may finally be enough to convince those annoying “bust” people that they were expecting too much of a first-overall pick to begin with and that history says it’s better for your soul to give the best prospects a few seasons before spiking the football that they stink. Celebrini didn’t generate the same hype as Bedard, but was that fair considering how Celebrini toyed with NCAA competition as a 17-year-old freshman? There’s no reason why he can’t be an instant success for San Jose regardless of raw production after he was exactly that for the Terriers and again as Team Canada’s youngest player at the world juniors. Becoming the youngest Hobey Baker Award winner put Celebrini in a class by himself, literally and figuratively.Anton Silayev, LHD (HK Sochi, KHL)
6’7, 211 | 4/11/06 | Shoots Left | Sarov, RUS | Preseason Rank: NR
Silayev, at this early stage, is a near-generational shutdown defender and arguably the most polished we’ve seen in over a decade, if not longer. It’s actually scary to think what he’ll become once an NHL staff gets a hold of him because only one team will have the benefit of calling him their own. The comparisons to Zdeno Chara have reached ad-nauseam levels, but Silayev is KHL-experienced — as a full-timer who eats minutes, no less — with better mobility to boot. Similar to a shutdown corner in football or an aggressive shot-blocking center in basketball, Silayev’s zone of responsibility extends beyond the average defender’s coverage radius, and the opposition appears to avoid his side of the ice when possible.Ivan Demidov, RW (SKA-1946, MHL)
5’11, 181 | 12/10/05 | Shoots Left | Sergiyev Posad, RUS | Preseason Rank: 3rd
The talk of Demidov being equal to or better than 2023 draft phenom Matvei Michkov is more reasonable than it is outlandish, especially now that the former has smashed all kinds of U18 scoring marks in the goalie-friendly MHL. Demidov is right there with Celebrini in terms of dynamism, puck protection, and elite release and finish, in addition to a whole slew of additional measurables that should set a lucky franchise up for success. Although Demidov being held without a point in his seven career adult-league games can be seen as the end to any Michkov comparisons, there is enough evidence to suggest he’s going to be among the top perennial scorers once he reaches his prime.Tij Iginla, LW/C (Kelowna, WHL)
6’0, 182 | 8/4/06| Shoots Left | Kelowna, B.C. | Preseason Rank: NR
To say Iginla’s rise to such a lofty position was meteoric would be an understatement. Although he went ninth overall in the 2021 WHL bantam draft and was promising as a role player for the Memorial Cup-bound Seattle Thunderbirds, Iginla wasn’t on Team Canada’s roster for the U18 Ivan Hlinka and was assessed as a B-rated prospect on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary watch list. His move to Kelowna opened the door for an expanded role, and Iginla took full advantage by potting 47 goals — 41 more than the season prior — and 84 points. He contributed in every conceivable area regardless of strength and is as dogged a forechecker as he is a lethal scoring threat. Iginla is a very intelligent forward who can play center or wing and make creative decisions under pressure.Konsta Helenius, C (Jukurit, SM-Liiga)
5’11, 180 | 5/11/06 | Shoots Right | Ylojarvi, FIN | Preseason Rank: 12th
Helenius quickly established himself as one of Jukurit’s consistent scoring threats early into his 2024 draft year to earn top-six minutes and solidify that role for the SM-Liiga playoffs. There is no shortage of ways he can impact the game. He makes up for having a sub-six-foot frame by relentlessly pursuing the puck and throwing his sturdy 180-pound frame around, especially along the boards. If you don’t like your physical centers to be big and clunky, why not draft a point producer who’s neither? No average-sized pivot in this draft class combines plus-level offense with a fiery demeanor off the puck like Helenius, who also came up clutch for Jukurit in this year’s playoffs.Zeev Buium, LHD (Denver, NCHC)
6’0, 183 | 12/7/05 | Shoots Left | San Diego, Calif. | Preseason Rank: 17th
The leading scorer among all NCAA defensemen with 39 assists and 50 points in his true freshman season, Buium seamlessly carried his elite playmaking ability from the NTDP to Denver, where he was a play-driver for the Frozen Four-champion Pioneers. Built for today’s up-tempo game, Buium held his own and then some as an offense-pure blueliner in a physical conference, and he upped his game at both ends during Denver’s march to its second national championship in three years. The native San Diegan has powerful leg drive and quick feet to keep backskating opponents honest, and even then, there’s little chance they can stop Buium’s rapid inside moves that get him closer to the goal.Berkly Catton, C (Spokane, WHL)
5’10, 170 | 1/14/06 | Shoots Left | Saskatoon, Sask | Preseason Rank: 4th
The first overall pick in the 2021 WHL bantam draft, Catton possesses all the desired measurables a coach should want in a top-line center — a lightning-quick first step, deadly accurate passing, diverse finishing ability, and an acute feel for the game. Blend all these on a nightly basis, and you get the 54-goal, 116-point draft season Catton delivered for the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. He helped Canada take home the gold at the under-18 Ivan Hlinka tournament by leading the field with eight goals and 10 points.Sam Dickinson, LHD (London, OHL)
6’3, 199 | 6/7/06 | Shoots Left | Orillia, Ont. | Preseason Rank: 16th
The decision to fork over seven draft picks to acquire this smooth-skating vacuum cleaner from Niagara paid off handsomely for the top-ranked Knights, who entrusted Dickinson with an all-situations role in each of his two seasons in London. The fourth overall pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Dickinson exploded for 18 goals and 70 points in contributing to the Knights’ push for the Memorial Cup and was equally critical for Team Canada during their gold-medal run at the U18 Ivan Hlinka. Agile, smooth, and clean with his breakout decisions, Dickinson can be an imposing sight for the opposition as he powers his way up ice.Carter Yakemchuk, RHD (Calgary, WHL)
6’3, 201 | 9/29/05 | Shoots Right | For McMurray, Alb. | Preseason Rank: 26thA gifted playmaker with the bulk and physical traits of a defensive defenseman, Yakemchuk looked as impressive as his gaudy scoring numbers would indicate. He carried the load on offense for one of the WHL’s younger teams and still led the league goals by a defenseman with 30 to set a franchise record and place fifth in points among blueliners with 71. You don’t often see a 6-foot-3, 200-pounder dangle or toe-drag his way into the middle, but Yakemchuk compiled a forward-esque highlight reel that proved he can do more than just blast pucks from the point. Assuming risk is part of his thought process, however, and Yakemchuk rarely stays in one spot for long at either end of the ice. But in terms of creating offense with little to no help from anyone else, few defensemen in any of the last handful of drafts have done it better.Trevor Connelly, LW (Tri-City, USHL)
6’0, 156 | 2/28/06 | Shoots Left | Tustin, Calif. | Preseason Rank: NRMaturity often comes with age, which is why several teams with legitimate concerns in the present over Connelly’s past off-ice behavior likely assume risk and address anything they deem problematic through proper mentorship and player development processes. But when it comes to on the ice, there’s little Connelly can't master, as was seen during his season-long wrecking tour of both USHL and international competition. From breaking out of his zone to controlling possession flow, Connelly is only a short time away from mastering the art of playmaking. His 47 assists during the regular season — 17 of which came on the power play — were third-best in the USHL and only four off the leader. But the bigger takeaways are that 28 of those helpers were of the primary variety, including 15 of his final 21 assists of the season. He’s headed to Providence to play for Nate Leaman, who certainly won’t mind Connelly’s top-of-the-scale puck control, work rate, and physicality, even if the latter can border on undisciplined.
Cole Eiserman, LW (U.S. U18, NTDP)
6’0, 195 | 8/29/06 | Shoots Left | Newburyport, Mass. | Preseason Rank: 1st
The narrative surrounding Eiserman’s draft season may never shift away from the fact that he once was a potential first-overall pick whose game was heavily criticized beyond his plus-plus sniping ability. Thus, the onus will be on the native Bay Stater to continue doing what he does better than any prospect we’ve since Cole Caufield, so try not to get entangled in what may amount to an inconsequential footnote. Eiserman, who broke Caufield’s career goal-scoring mark with the NTDP thanks to a 57-goal draft season, was the best finisher in this class from wire to wire, and his potential to remain an elite sniper until the tail end of his greying years remains unchanged.Michael Nygard, RW (Mora IK, Allsvenskan)
6’1, 198 | 10/5/05 | Shoots Right | Oslo, NOR | Preseason Rank: NRA powerful sniper with pull-away speed and a muscular frame, Nygard was the only first-year-eligible forward in Sweden to play most of the season against adult competition, and the results were beyond impressive. After beating the daylights out of J20 Nationell competition in 2022-23, Nygard made Mora’s A-team in the second-division Allsvenskan and never appeared to let a season-opening 14-game goal drought prevent him from sticking to a heavy, aggressive style which not only kept him in the lineup but saw his ice time increase in the process. By season’s end, the strapping winger was playing consistent middle-six minutes and soon found himself neck-deep in Mora’s playoff run on a productive “kid line” that helped the team rally from 2-0 down to beat AIK in four straight. Realizing he can’t play full throttle at the end of every shift, Nygard makes use of his puck-handling ability and smarts to keep the game situation under control, but the threat of his blistering shot never seems to be lost on the opposition. As you can see, Nygard has done the requisite work to become the first Norwegian taken in the first round of the draft.
Cayden Lindstrom, C (Medicine Hat, WHL)
6’3, 210 | 2/3/06 | Shoots Left | Dawson Creek, B.C. | Preseason Rank: 32nd
Lindstrom is earning comparisons to every power center under the sun, but the reality is he’s quite unique on several levels. For starters, Lidstrom is both athletic and quick while measuring in at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, which automatically gives him unicorn status over any draft-eligible center. He becomes an even more enticing prospect once you see the way he executes his usual stickhandling displays after attacking space with confidence, and Lindstrom won’t let up from there. Although he centered a potent line alongside fellow 2024-eligible and playmaker extraordinaire Andrew Basha, Lindstrom served as either a shooter option or the net-front presence — two areas he dominated to the tune of 27 goals in only 32 games. But concerns do exist beyond his hand and back injuries that shortened his season, beginning with the fact that he mustered only 19 assists for a 0.59 assists-per-game average that is among the lowest from a top-rated WHL first-year-eligible forward in the last 11 years. Central Scouting never budged on ranking Lindstrom third in either of their North American skater lists, but the aforementioned concerns make him less of a guarantee.Artyom Levshunov, RHD (Michigan State, Big-10)
6’2, 208 | 10/28/05 | Shoots Right | Zhlobin, BLR | Preseason Rank: 7th
Zeev Buium may have won the NCAA defense scoring crown and a national championship, but the Belarus-born Levshunov was just as valuable to Michigan State’s offense in the Spartans’ return to Big-10 prominence. Big, rangy, and confident to attack up ice for rush chances, Levshunov entered his draft season with plenty of hype after a strong 2022-23 effort with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers. But after recording a near-point-per-game average in his true freshman season en route to earning Big-10 Rookie of the Year honors (over several recent first-round picks), many view Levshunov as the best at his position in the entire class, beginning with NHL Central Scouting, who ranked him second only to Macklin Celebrini on each of their two North American skater lists. That’s a bit generous for my taste, however, as Levshunov never served as the Spartans’ undisputed No. 1 and lacks an elite skill or benchmark that would definitively separate him from any of the other five top-tier defensemen. In the end, being less bullish on Levshunov simply just comes down to a preference for forwards and a perceived higher ceiling from most of his closest competition.Zayne Parekh, RHD (Saginaw, OHL)
6’0, 179 | 2/15/06 | Shoots Right | Markham, Ont. | Preseason Rank: 12th
No draft-eligible CHL defender since the turn of the century has scored more goals than Parekh, who tallied 33 times just one season after his 21 goals in 2022-23 set the OHL mark for under-17 blueliners. Parekh is no hard charger and can seem nonchalant when he isn’t on the puck, especially in the defensive zone. But just inside the opposing line is where Parekh is going to make his millions, as he is highly instinctive, acutely aware, and armed with multiple shot and pass variations. He’s going to get shots through no matter the tactics being used against him, but it became commonplace to see clueless opposing forwards buckle at the knees after indecisively approaching Parekh at the point. His 96 points were the most by an OHL defender since Ryan Ellis hit the century mark in his draft+1 campaign of 2010-11.Igor Chernyshov, W/C (Dynamo Moscow, KHL)
6’2, 192 | 11/30/05 | Shoots Right | Penza, RUS | Preseason Rank: 8thChernyshov is one of my favorites in this draft class, and the only reason I knocked him down 10 spots from last April’s initial ranking was that half of my current top-ranked kids weren’t listed a year ago, and the other half were defensemen deserving of a bump. He remains a top-10 talent nonetheless and his dual-threat abilities were evident and effective on a nightly basis during his half-season in the MHL. But Chernyshov does more than light up the scoreboard, and his power-forward tendencies can make him unstoppable in any zone, as KHL-level defenders weren’t exactly taking liberties with him. If you’re asking why he’s ranked lower than Michael Nygard despite having more left in the tank at the end of shifts and playing in the tougher KHL than the second-division Allsvenskan, my only answer is Nygard seems like the safer bet to have the better NHL career, although Chernyshov is essentially right there with him.
Beckett Sennecke, RW (Oshawa, OHL)
6’2, 177 | 1/28/06 | Shoots Right | Toronto, Ont. | Preseason Rank: 11th
A slick, creative power forward with ideal height for a commanding view of the ice, Sennecke was one of Oshawa’s difference-makers during their run to the OHL final before an upper-body injury in the conference finals against North Bay likely shut him down for the remainder of the playoffs. Nonetheless, Sennecke is on the plus side of nearly every measurable that would entice the average fan, let alone a head coach or scouting director. He is a confident puck handler with the agility and lateral quickness to slice into traffic or dance his way around it, and he can dial up a heavy wrister off a quick release or give-and-go for a labeled one-timer. An underrated aspect of Sennecke’s game is his off-the-puck awareness, as he often appears where he isn’t expected and rarely reveals his intentions once he has the puck and is facing the goal. His detractors may point to his modest scoring output during the regular season (27 goals and 41 assists in 63 games), but Sennecke upped his tally to nearly a goal a game in the playoffs and was consistently dangerous when carrying the puck.Sacha Boisvert, C (Muskegon, USHL)
6’2, 176 | 3/17/06 | Shoots Left | Trois-Rivieres, Que. | Preseason Rank: 10thA Quebec-born game-breaker who rejected the QMJHL for the greener pastures, of the NCAA, Boisvert is a premier USHL prospect who was third-team All-USHL for Muskegon and ranked among the league leaders with 38 goals — 14 on the power play — and 68 points. But it’s more likely NHL scouts are enamored with Boisvert beyond numbers, as he can play a mean, aggressive game away from the puck in one sequence and explode up the ice the next, albeit with a wide-based stride. Once inside the zone is when you’ll see Boisvert use a series of peelbacks and tight-quarter stickhandling that usually precedes a heavy sling from the middle (Boisvert was 11th with 188 shots in 65 games) or a neat pass across the seam that threads the needle. Although he was held without a goal in eight playoff games, Boisvert still thrives in an up-tempo attack by dictating pace and using his quickness and elite stickhandling to keep the ice tilted. He was a tough matchup for USHL defenders of all sizes and skill sets.
Linus Eriksson, C (Djurgardens, Allsvenskan)
6’0, 183 | 3/23/06 | Shoots Left | Stockholm, SWE | Preseason Rank: NR
Eriksson is a crafty leadership type who has the maturity advantage over most European draft prospects, particularly those from Sweden. He is a strong, well-balanced skater who can dictate tempo, and he’s a go-to option at center, on whom his linemates can depend to make the perfect pass after doing the necessary work to dupe the opposition. He may not have the eye-popping J20 scoring numbers like the rest of Sweden’s top-end draft prospects, but it’s important to credit Eriksson for earning an Allsvenskan promotion and sticking with the club as an everyday regular. Eriksson produced 11 points in 29 games against adult competition (three goals, eight assists) to lead all under-18 prospects in the circuit and was a middle-six mainstay during Djurgardens’ lengthy playoff quest for an SHL promotion.Egor Surin, C/W (Loko Yaroslavl, MHL)
6’1, 192 | 8/1/06 | Shoots Left | Voronezh, RUS | Preseason Rank: NR
Playing angry and violent can go a long way if a player has the skill to back it up, even in today’s kindler, gentler NHL. Surov makes it a point to impact shifts one way or another, and both contending Loko Yaroslavl in the MHL and Russia’s U18 squad (yes, they’re still around) tabbed the physical lad to serve in leadership positions. His wrister is as quick and heavy as you’ll find but probably not as deadly as his open-ice wallops that Surin usually delivers once or twice a game. Russia or no Russia, there is no way scouts aren’t aware of the fact that Surin finished top-10 in the MHL in points, shots, and penalty minutes as a 2006-born eligible.Lucas Pettersson, C (MoDo J20, Nationell)
5’11, 168 | 4/17/06 | Shoots Left | Ornskoldsvik, SWE | Preseason Rank: NR
The top overall scorer during the J20 Nationell’s Forts stage and one of the best 200-foot centers available for this year’s draft, the speedy Pettersson answered the bell after lofty preseason expectations were bestowed upon him. He was MoDo J20’s undisputed top-line center and all-around Mr. Everything during each of the first two phases of the Nationell season, which was highlighted by a 31-point effort in only 18 Forts contests (14 goals, 17 assists). Bolstering Pettersson’s reputation was a consistent top-line role for Team Sweden at the U18 tournament level, where he combined for 29 points in 14 games, including a telling eight-point performance in six games against mostly U20 competition at the World Jr. A Challenge last December and an MVP-caliber effort at the U18 worlds.Nikita Artamonov, RW (Nizhny Novgorod, KHL)
5’11, 187 | 11/17/05 | Shoots Left | Nizhnekamsk, RUS | Preseason Rank: NR
A winger by trade who competes and executes like a 200-foot center, Artamonov may have been one of the KHL’s youngest regulars in 2023-24, but he certainly didn’t play like it. For a prospect only one year removed from his first full junior season, Artamonov proved he came a long way just weeks into his initial KHL campaign. He registered eight points in his first 11 games, and in October, the 5-foot-11, 187-pounder became the youngest player in KHL history to record four points in a game. Artamonov plays a fast-paced game built on anticipation and stubbornness. His constant fronting of the puck and energetic coverage in the defensive end were effective at limiting the quality of shot attempts and neutralizing or blocking them altogether.Terik Parascak, RW (Prince George, WHL)
6’0, 173 | 5/28/06 | Shoots Right | Lethbridge, Alb. | Preseason Rank: NRIt was clear early into his 2023-24 campaign that this fourth-rounder from the 2021 WHL bantam draft would draw more attention than anticipated. But talk of a Parascak becoming a potential top-20 pick soon shifted from impossibility to near certainty after he needed only his first 14 games to notch 17 goals and 29 points, which was later followed by a season-ending heater in which he produced 39 points in his final 21 games. It sure feels like ice water is running through his veins when he’s controlling the puck in the offensive zone and delivering on his strike-first gambles do indicate a highly cerebral winger whose 105-point season was certainly earned.
Liam Greentree, RW (Windsor, OHL)
6’2, 207 | 1/1/06 | Shoots Left | Oshawa, Ont. | Preseason Rank: 21st
A power forward with soft hands, Greentree delivered on the expectations of being named Spits’ captain by doubling his production from 45 points last season to 90 points in 2023-24. He never went more than two games without a point and went bananas on the scoresheet in three four-point efforts and a season-best six points in an 8-2 blowout of Peterborough on Jan. 27. He is a consistent scoring threat with or without the puck, which is an important consideration with the added context of his team finishing with the OHL’s second-worst record after contending last season.Dominik Badinka, RHD (Malmo, SHL)
6’3, 183 | 11/27/05 | Shoots Right | Chomutov, CZE | Preseason Rank: NR
In a season where Adam Jiricek was expected to outperform all Czech draft prospects, it was this high-energy puck rusher who surpassed his fellow countryman by looking more dynamic, more engaged, and often more physical, all while playing against men in the SHL. Although Badinka isn’t without flaws on the defensive side, he is an excitable player with a booming shot nonetheless, and his ability to take over games was evident during his brief stay at the J20 level. He loves to increase the speed of the attack with his puck-carrying ability and will keep himself close to the puck once offensive-zone possession begins.Jett Luchanko, C (Guelph, OHL)
5’11, 180 | 8/21/06 | Shoots Right | London, Ont. | Preseason Rank: NR
One can only wonder where Guelph’s attack at any strength would have placed had they not been able to rely on Luchanko, a heady pass-first center who doesn’t flinch under pressure when stickhandling against a double team and fits pucks through narrow openings to exploit the space his delay tactics create. He is deceptively quick in key spots and is the go-to option for clean zone entries, but he also hustles on the backcheck and stick-lifts unassuming opponents from behind. Luchanko tied London Knights’ Red Tilson Trophy-winner Easton Cowan for second in the OHL with 30 power-play assists, and he was one of the best in the circuit at splitting the seam for one-timer options.Teddy Stiga, C/W (U.S. U18, NTDP)
5’10, 174 | 4/5/06 | Shoots Left | Sudbury, Mass. | Preseason Rank: NR
There is a fair chance we may see a repeat of the 2020 draft when only one NTDP’er was taken in Round 1. But it is also likely that the energetic Stiga will be the first one taken from the 18’s after Cole Eiserman, although Stiga is a multi-dimensional asset with strong off-the-puck habits and a sweet one-timer of his own. A native Bay Stater committed to Boston College, Stiga was third on the NTDP in goals (36), points (79), and shots (184), and 30 of his 36 tallies came at even strength. He came up clutch in big moments, and there were countless nights when he was the best player on the ice.Michael Hage, C (Chicago, USHL)
6’1, 187 | 4/14/06 | Shoots Right | Oakville, Ont. | Preseason Rank: NR
Developed within a USHL program known for producing future NHL talent, Hage is an Ontario-born pivot with size and 200-foot consistency who distinguished himself on one of Chicago’s thinnest rosters in recent memory. He was the team leader in multiple offensive categories and it’s likely the University of Michigan already has a plan to have the smooth-skating Hage serve as a top-six center as early as next season. His 33 goals in 54 games put him sixth all-time on the Steel’s single-season scoring list, but Hage does more than just score and uses strong skating mechanics and effective stickwork to wrestle possession away from the opposition.Melvin Fernstrom, RW (Orebro J20, Nationell)
6’1, 185 | 2/28/06 | Shoots Right | Balsta, SWE | Preseason Rank: NR
A sniper with a plus-plus wrister and a perfect scoring touch, Fernstrom blitzed the J20’s divisional and seeding brackets to help Orebro and its potent attack reach the Nationell championship game. The results never changed when Fernstrom had different centers throughout international and league play, and he easily stands as one of the draft’s top finishers. Fernstrom produced 25 points in 25 matches representing Sweden at the U18 level, but his dominance of the J20 was more pronounced on one of the deepest attacks the Nationell had seen in several years.Stian Solberg, LHD (Valerenga, Metal Ligaen)
6’2, 194 | 12/29/05 | Shoots Left | Oslo, NOR | Preseason Rank: NR
It is expected to be a banner draft for Norway’s hockey federation, as Michael Nygard is a lock to be the highest Norwegian drafted, while the physical Solberg should hear his name on Day 1 as well. Doubly important is that Solberg played his draft season in his country’s elite league and was an everyday regular to boot. Big, tough defensemen are abundant in this draft, but only a few have Solberg’s speed and confidence. He signed a contract with Farjestad in Sweden’s SHL, although the WHL’s Regina Pats own his rights after taking him in the second round of last year’s CHL Import Draft.Tanner Howe, LW (Regina, WHL)
5’10, 175 | 11/28/05 | Shoots Left | Prince Albert, Sask. | Preseason Rank: 14
Howe is another gritty yet highly-skilled forward whose size is often mentioned as often as his MVP-caliber play for Regina. He proved himself to be a self-reliant scorer after his center from a season ago went on to greater things in the NHL, but Connor Bedard had plenty to say about Howe’s importance to Regina when the two were linemates in 2022-23. True, Howe’s production dipped from 85 points to 77, but removing Bedard from the equation barely made a difference, and he still finished as the Pats’ leading scorer by 25 points.Alexander Zetterberg, W/C (Orebro J20, Nationell)
5’7, 158 | 4/27/06 | Shoots Right | Sundvall, SWE | Preseason Rank: 19
A torrid scoring clip in international play that began last August at the U18 Ivan Hlinka is now up to 32 points in 18 games (17 goals, 15 assists), and Zetterberg still has at least one more tournament remaining on the schedule. Whether his mastery of best-on-best events is fueled by a desire to quell early-season criticisms of his size should be moot at this point, as the 5-foot-7, 160-pound scoring machine has shredded the J20 Nationell as well. A telling aspect of Zetterberg’s game that continues to be overlooked is his ability to change momentum by himself, usually in the form of puck domination and high-danger shot generation.