Prospect Info: The 2024 NHL Entry Draft Thread

[S E P H]

Las Vegas Sphere, Las Vegas, NV
The Draft will be held on June 28th and 29th, 2024​

Rankings
Bob McKenzie's Preliminary: Macklin Celebrini leads 'Big Three' atop Bob McKenzie's TSN pre-season NHL draft ranking | TSN
Bob McKenzie's Midseason: Macklin Celebrini the unanimous No. 1 prospect in Bob McKenzie's mid-season draft ranking | TSN
Bob McKenzie's Final: N/A

Scott Wheeler's preseason 2024 NHL Draft ranking

The class of 2024 is led by three very different star forward prospects but could be defined by its defensemen.

theathletic.com

2024 NHL Draft Rankings - HockeyProspect.com

HockeyProspect.com has produced NHL Draft Rankings for eligible draft prospects for the NHL Draft since 2004.

hockeyprospect.com

2024 NHL Mock Draft | 2024 NHL Draft | NHL Draft

2024 NHL Mock Draft and NHL Draft History. 2024 NHL Draft prospect videos, stats, and written profiles updated throughout the year.

www.mynhldraft.com

2024 NHL Mock Draft with Lottery Simulator | Tankathon

2024 NHL Mock Draft with lottery simulator to see where the top NHL prospects could be drafted. Order updated after every game. Some team needs are factored into each draft simulation result

www.tankathon.com

Database of Players

Elite Prospects - NHL Draft Center

List and rankings of all top prospects eligible for the 2024 NHL Entry Draft

www.eliteprospects.com

Click to read more...

 

[S E P H]

I like this draft and even though it isn't 2015 or 2023, it is still a solid year with a very good top 15 as of now. Very good draft for Finland, Russia again, Defencemen in general, and OHL. Bad draft for Sweden, USHL, and LHJMQ.

 

[henchman21]

I like this draft and even though it isn't 2015 or 2023, it is still a solid year with a very good top 15 as of now. Very good draft for Finland, Russia again, Defencemen in general, and OHL. Bad draft for Sweden, USHL, and LHJMQ.

I highly disagree on the USHL part... should be a banner draft for them. The USNDTP should have at least 4 1st round picks, but I could see 7 guys get pulled from that team alone in the first. I think 12 will ultimately get picked. There are 4 or 5 other USHL guys who have a 1st round shot IMO and that doesn't include Celebrini and Levshunov. Beyond them, I could see 25-30 non USNDTP USHL selections in this draft... and they'll end up with 55-65 guys with connections (including guys who went USHL and are drafted out of college like Celebrini).

 

[henchman21]

Through ~2.5 Torpedo games... Atanasov is a major flash guy. I don't know if he finally got some bulk on his frame or not, but he's taken big steps two years in a row. Definitely an overager to keep an eye on. He's been the best player on the ice in each game.

Silayev is a likely first rounder too. Huge and skates pretty well with good puck skills.

 

[Bowe Byrum]

Through ~2.5 Torpedo games... Atanasov is a major flash guy. I don't know if he finally got some bulk on his frame or not, but he's taken big steps two years in a row. Definitely an overager to keep an eye on. He's been the best player on the ice in each game.

Silayev is a likely first rounder too. Huge and skates pretty well with good puck skills.

Atanasov looks really talented but yeah 146 lbs ? Hope he put in 40.lbs lol

 

[henchman21]

Atanasov looks really talented but yeah 146 lbs ? Hope he put in 40.lbs lol

The two main reasons he hasn’t been drafted yet are size and substance. On the size, he’s still small… I don’t know if he’s much above 160-170, but he doesn’t look like 146 to me. At his size he gets injured a decent amount. West and tear sort of concerns. The substance is that he has always flashed. There have always been moments where he looks amazing… just nothing followed production wise and no consistency. Last year he looked a lot better and was showing more consistency outside of his injury. It is very early with only 3 games, but this is the most consistently impactful that I have seen him and the way he’s piling up points is impressive. Some big time plays in there.

 

[henchman21]

@Caser corrected me on Atanasov… not eligible for the next draft.

 

[95snipes]

These are the players I like early on-

I think Demidov is the most talented player in the draft. Pencil him in for 80+ points a year through his prime.

Eiserman is one of the better goal scoring prospects to come around over the past decade. Spoiled a bit on his game at the u18, but he is still very good. I've said it before, but he's going to shatter Caufield's goal record.

Levshunov is one of the most intriguing defense prospects I can remember. High end puck skills, but engagement can be an issue and defensive game needs work. I haven't seen a ton of him at this point.

I think Catton is in the same mold as guys like Barzal or Avalanche era Duchene. Could be your 1C, but ideally your 2C on a top contender.

Extremely impressed with Connelly at the Hlinka Gretzky. Very high skill level.

I think Ryder Ritchie will be a top six forward. Perennial 30 goal scorer type.

Cole Hutson is a high end puck mover. Interested to see where he goes. A little bigger than Lane, but decently similar.

Boisvert could be a big time riser. Big, skilled, smooth center. Reminds me a little bit of Lundell.

I like Parekh and think he can run an NHL power play. High upside as an offensive defenseman.

Hemming has the potential to be an absolute force. NHL frame with a high end shot and skill. Hockey sense can be questionable.

Beaudoin is projectable. Question is what the offensive ceiling is.

Big fan of Ondrej Kos. Everything is there to be a solid middle six type.

I like Lucas Petterson's two way upside.

 

[95snipes]

Macklin Celebrini leads 'Big Three' atop Bob McKenzie's TSN pre-season NHL draft ranking | TSN

Nine out of 10 NHL scouts surveyed to determine TSN’s Pre-Season Top 16 Rankings slotted the 17-year-old Boston University freshman from Vancouver at the top of their respective lists.

www.tsn.ca

I think Dickinson is a bit high and I'd have Mews higher, but no real issues with this list.

 

[S E P H]

Craig’s List: Macklin Celebrini, Cole Eiserman in tight race for top spot for 2024 NHL Draft | TSN

While TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button has Boston University centre Macklin Celebrini at No. 1 on his list ahead of USNTDP winger Cole Eiserman, he believes the margin between the two players is razor-thin.

www.tsn.ca

If we keep our pick, I guess there are a ton of options to get a right-shot defenceman.

 

[UncleRisto]

Kiviharju injured in practice, needs surgery, missing 4 months or so.

Alright, fine.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Speaking of Button. To be fair, he’s probably right sometimes too. But this was way off.

 

[Pokecheque]

Speaking of Button. To be fair, he’s probably right sometimes too. But this was way off.

To be fair, a LOT of people were way off on Lafreniere.

 

[95snipes]

Button gets way too much hate.

As of now, EJ Emery is my guy at 32. He'd be a really nice complement to Makar/Toews/Byram/Gulyayev.

 

[Balthazar]

Speaking of Button. To be fair, he’s probably right sometimes too. But this was way off.

Pick any list or rankings from that draft year and they are all similar.

 

[S E P H]

To be fair, a LOT of people were way off on Lafreniere.

I had Lafreniere 1st on my ranking, but I admit I had a lot of concerns about his lack of just everything (didn't really sparkle on the eye test even if he finished the game with 3 points). He's still an NHL player, but he should've moved to the Suisse league when he was already posting 100 points in the LHJMQ for back-to-back seasons. More players should follow the Matthews route when they are clearly too good for the NA junior system and are not developing.

 

[henchman21]

By the end of the year, there were some questioning Lafs at top. Detroit was prepared to draft Stutzle #1. But overall, yeah he was the guy. One thing that people should always be a bit wary of is a player who develops their full man body at young ages and use that to dominate more than legit skill. That was Lafs to a tee. He also hasn't shown much IQ at the highest level. Busts happen, simple as that. I do think Lafs can be a 2nd line player in time. It won't be in New York though.

 

[CobraAcesS]

By the end of the year, there were some questioning Lafs at top. Detroit was prepared to draft Stutzle #1. But overall, yeah he was the guy. One thing that people should always be a bit wary of is a player who develops their full man body at young ages and use that to dominate more than legit skill. That was Lafs to a tee. He also hasn't shown much IQ at the highest level. Busts happen, simple as that. I do think Lafs can be a 2nd line player in time. It won't be in New York though.

EJ, and Staal (the Pit one) were not enough clearly lol. Ekblad is good, but I'd throw him in that group as well.

I remember that knock was talked about with Landeskog though. Some people wanted Hubbydoe instead.

 

[henchman21]

EJ, and Staal (the Pit one) were not enough clearly lol. Ekblad is good, but I'd throw him in that group as well.

I remember that knock was talked about with Landeskog though. Some people wanted Hubbydoe instead.

Yeah Landy had that knock too. I’ve always thought he was underrated skill wise though.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Yeah Landy had that knock too. I’ve always thought he was underrated skill wise though.

Landy's puck skill in tight, and while skating and being pressured is a thing to behold, his wrist shot, I don't even know how to describe.. It's like heavy, but slow. I'll always have images of him ripping slap shots way closer than normal when he's in alone when he was younger.

He's got the puck on a string sometimes, and that's pretty rare for a power forward. I remember when he first went to the Allstar game. I think they had him doing some stick handling stuff if I remember right.

Talk about opposites with him and the way RNH turned out. Never have I ever regretted that pick lol.

 

[UncleRisto]

I just saw Byron Ritchie's kid is in the draft. The guy who played in the NHL in like 2007. Nope, don't like that.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, best player available but the Avs RD situation is bordering on crisis mode.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, best player available but the Avs RD situation is bordering on crisis mode.

A late 1st isn’t going to solve that issue.

 

[John Mandalorian]

A late 1st isn’t going to solve that issue.

You have to pick top 10 to get a second pairing RD? Or were you daft enough to think the comment was about getting another Makar?

 

[Pokecheque]

The Avs prospect base has needs across the board. Even if they draft a good RHD, that prospect likely won't be ready within the Avs' current window.

I wish the Avs would finally put some actual effort toward drafting and developing an actual goaltending prospect.