2024 NHL DRAFT: RANKING HOW ALL 32 TEAMS DID
Seven rounds. Dreams made for 225 teenagers.
What a weekend it was at the Sphere in Vegas, one of the most memorable NHL Drafts in its history. From the theatrics, the special guests and the excitement through the selection process itself, it was a good few days in Vegas as the NHL’s next top talent heard their names called.
As is tradition, we’re going to rank how all 32 teams did in Vegas. There weren’t really any teams that drafted poorly, with some of the teams at the bottom having just a few picks to choose from.
So which teams cashed out at the casino? Which picks will age poorly over time? Let’s take a look:
1. San Jose Sharks: A+
Notable Picks: Macklin Celebrini, Sam Dickinson, Igor Chernyshov
It’s hard to go wrong here. They got the best player, a top-pairing defenseman and a high-end power forward with their first three picks, and picked up great value with offensive defender Leo Sahlin Wallenius and the hard-working Carson Wetsch at 53 and 82. They needed a big boost to their pipeline and they came out looking great, especially on defense.
2. Chicago Blackhawks: A+
Notable picks: Artyom Levshunov, Sacha Boisvert, Marek Vanacker
Quality and quantity, baby. Levshunov is the best defenseman from this draft and is destined to be a top-pairing option for them. Boisvert gives them a potential No. 2/3 center who can do a bit of everything, including score. Vanacker is one of the harder forwards to play against due to his energy, and John Mustard is one of the fastest skaters in this class. AJ Spellacy and Jack Pridham were great value picks in the third round, too.
3. Calgary Flames: A+
Notable Picks: Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin, Andrew Basha
Calgary prioritized speed and offense today and I think it’s going to pay off. Parekh was the best offensive defenseman in the draft, and then they added another high-end option in Henry Mews in the third round. Andrew Basha is a battler coming off a great year in the WHL, and MAtvei Gridin was one of the USHL’s top players from start to finish – although I wouldn’t have taken him at No. 28. Still, that’s a great guy to have in the system, as is the skill of Jacob Battaglia at No. 62 and the speed of Luke Misa in the fifth round. But perhaps the most intriguing pick was Kirill Zarubin, a big goaltender who I do believe will be an NHLer one day.
4. Minnesota Wild: A
Notable Picks: Zeev Buium, Ryder Ritchie, Aron Kiviharju
The Wild didn’t have too many picks, but they kept hitting on value. Buium could be Brock Faber’s D partner for the next 15 years as a left-handed shooter with tremendous upside. Ryder Ritchie had a difficult year, but he knows a thing or two about scoring and I have fully faith in him bouncing back. The same goes for Kiviharju, who before missing most of the season with an injury, looked like a surefire top 10 prospect in this draft. All three should be good NHLers.
5. Montreal Canadiens: A
Notable Picks: Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, Aatos Koivu
Montreal nabbed the most skilled player in the draft in Demidov with their first pick, helping to ease the pain for a fanbase that wished they took Matvei Michkov last year. Hage gives them a center who could be a No. 2 behind Nick Suzukin in a few years. You also have to love the Koivu pick for sentimental reasons, and Logan Sawyer was one of the best Canadian Jr. A players this year. Tyler Thorpe was a nice late-round pick, too. The first two picks carry them here, but they’re going to be excellent.
6. Utah: A
Notable Picks: Tij Iginla, Cole Beaudoin, Will Skahan
Will Iginla become Utah’s first 50-goal scorer? They hope he will be. He had a monster season with the Kelowna Rockets and will be one of the team’s most marketable stars. I also love the Beaudoin and Skahan picks because they do so many things well, and Tomas Lavoie, Veeti Vaisanen and Gregor Biber all have some interesting upside on the blueline. I also liked the Owen Allard and Ludvig Lafton picks, too. Between the picks and all the work they did off the draft floor today, it was a good day to be a Utah fan.
7. Carolina Hurricanes: A
Notable Picks: Dominik Badinka, Nikita Artamonov, Noel Fransen
The Hurricanes continue to get value. They traded down and took Badinka, someone who I think could be a legitimate second-pairing threat given how much he has improved his two-way game this year. Artamonov should have been a first-rounder, but they got him late in the second, and Fransen had one of the most productive seasons ever seen from a defender in the Swedish junior leagues. And Justin Poirier, one of the better goal-scorers, at 156? Great. Love these picks.
8. Anaheim Ducks: A
Notable Picks: Beckett Sennecke, Stian Solberg, Lucas Pettersson
With six picks in the first three rounds, the Ducks went all in. They took a chance on Sennecke, someone who grew physically and allowed himself to rise up the draft ranks. Solberg is one of the most violent defenders around and I love him, and Pettersson is going to be a nice third-line center one day. Tarin SMith and Austin Burnevik are good value picks, as well.
9. Columbus Blue Jackets: A
Notable Picks: Cayden Lindstrom, Charlie Elick, Evan Gardner
At the very least, the Blue Jackets have a forward who, at worst, will be a second line-center. Lindstrom is big, strong, fast and has a wicked shot, and as long as he’s fully healed from his back injury, he’ll be an impact NHLer. Elick is a nice physical, shutdown defender and Gardner is a guy many believe has real potential. The Blue Jackets have a nice pipeline and I feel like they got some hits this weekend.
10. Seattle Kraken: A-
Notable Picks: Berkly Catton, Julius Miettinen, Nathan Villeneuve
Catton was a great pick, although I do wonder if they view him more as a winger down the line with some of the center depth they have. Miettinen and Villeneuve are both interesting picks, while Kim Saarinen has real NHL potential thanks to his size and mobility. Ollie Josephson and Clarke Caswell were nice picks outside the top 100 and I think Jakub Fibigr was taken way too late at 202.
11. Washington Capitals: B+
Notable Picks: Terik Parascak, Cole Hutson, Leon Muggli
I personally wouldn’t have picked Parascak in the first round, but nobody can deny just how good he was as a WHL rookie. And if he ends up being the real deal, the Caps could end up with the best steal of the first round. I really like Hutson, who plays a lot like his brother, and I think Muggli could be a decent third-pairing player. Ilya Protas and Eriks Mateiko were nice third-round picks and Nick Kempf has some backup potential after a great year with the USNTDP.
12. New York Islanders: B+
Notable Picks: Cole Eiserman, Jesse Pulkkinen, Kamil Bednarik
I love Eiserman, and think he will be a big-time scorer at the NHL level. It’s cool he got his centerman in Bednarik, too, someone many of the USNTDP’s players considered to be underrated. Pulkkinen is one of the best overage players in the draft after a great, minute-munching season in the draft, and I wouldn’t be surprised if fifth-rounder Marcus Gidlöf is an NHL starting goalie one day based on his 6-foot-6 frame and pure athleticism alone. The Islanders had a home-run draft, in my opinion.
13. Buffalo Sabres: B+
Notable Picks: Konsta Helenius, Adam Kleber, Brodie Ziemer
For once, the Sabres fell a bit in the rankings after years of building up one of the most exciting pipelines in the game. Helenius gives the team a two-way center who can do a bit of everything, while Kleber is a big defenseman who rose up the rankings in a big way this year. I think Ziemer might be a decent bottom-six forward who brings energy, skill and a good work ethic.
14. Detroit Red Wings: B+
Notable Picks: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Max Plante, Ondrej Becher
The Red Wings took some serious value today, which is always fun. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard isn’t the high-end goal-scorer they need in the system but he plays with power and does have a wicked shot. Plante is one of the best playmakers out of this draft, while Becher was one of the best overage players. I also think Landon Miller established himself as one of the more interesting goalie prospects and John Whipple has decent third-pairing potential. In all, I like it.
15. St. Louis Blues: B+
Notable Picks: Adam Jiricek, Colin Ralph, Lukas Fischer
The Blues definitely needed blueliners, and they committed fully to the bit. Jiricek has excellent upside, but missed most of the season due to injury. If he can rebound back to the level we know he’s capable of, he’ll be excellent. Ralph and Fischer gives them excellent size on the point, while Adam Jecho was a great power forward taken in the third round. I think Ondrej Kos is underrated, too.
16. New Jersey Devils: B
Notable Picks: Anton Silayev, Mikhail Yegorov, Kasper Pikkarainen
The Devils drafted with the intention of getting harder to play against. Having a 6-foot-7 defenseman in Anton Silayev in the pipeline is huge (literally), and Mikhail Yegorov was a workhorse with Omaha of the USHL. One sneaky good pick could be Matyas Melovsky in the seventh round, an overage who earned some great reviews from QMJHL scouts this year.
17. Vegas Golden Knights: B
Notable Picks: Trevor Connelly, Pavel Moysevich, Trent Swick
Connelly’s pick will likely be scrutinized for a bit, but he’s one of the best pure prospects in this draft. Moysevich, though, might be the more interesting pick. He’s a huge goalie coming off a big year in Russia and some scouts think he’s a future NHL starter. Trent Swick and Lucas Van Vilet are fine late-round picks.
18. Pittsburgh Penguins: B
Notable Picks: Harrison Brunicke, Tanner Howe, Chase Pietila
Quality over quantity here, and that’s fine. Brunicke had a big season with Kamloops, rising up draft boards significantly. Howe showed he could play out of Connor Bedard’s shadow, and they’re banking on his offensive gifts being a game-changer down the line. I also really like Pietila out of Michigan Tech – the 6-foot-2, puck-moving defender was a double overager, but he’s coming off a great freshman year at Michigan Tech and was a big part of Youngstown’s USHL title two years ago. Also, multiple USHLers called Joona Vaisanen, taken 175th overall, one of the toughest players they had to play against this year. Mac Swanson in the seventh is a huge value pick, too. I think he could beat the size concerns to become an NHLer.
19. Vancouver Canucks: B-
Notable Picks: Melvin Fernstrom, Riley Patterson, Anthony Romani
The Canucks were quiet on the draft floor, but I felt like they got fantastic value with their first three picks. Fernstrom had a great year in Sweden and was excellent at the U-18s. Patterson had nearly a point per game in his OHL rookie year, and Romani was one of the best overage players available after a mega season with North Bay. Parker Alcos was a good late pick, too. Given they didn’t pick early, this was a nice haul.
20. Nashville Predators: B-
Notable Picks: Yegor Surin, Teddy Stiga, Viggo Gustafsson
The Predators started off strong with two highly competitive forwards in Surin and Stiga and I thought they found a bit of value in Miguel Marques and Hiroki Gojsic. I feel confident in both Surin and Stiga as NHLers, but the others are just… whatever. Still, those two alone are exciting.
21. Philadelphia Flyers: B-
Notable Picks: Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund, Spencer Gill
I’m not exactly sure what Philly’s draft strategy was, but they’re clearly banking on upside with Luchanko. I think he’s better than most think, although he’s definitely not big. Gill is, though, and that’s a nice piece to add. I can see Berglund being a shutdown center in the NHL, and Heikki Ruohonen competes like hell out there. It was a fine draft.
22. Ottawa Senators: B-
Notable Picks: Carter Yakemchuk, Gabriel Eliasson, Lucas Ellinas
The Senators nabbed two of the most violent players in the draft in Yakemchuk and Eliasson. They also got size and skill in Javon Moore and value in Blake Montgomery. My issue with Ottawa is that their first two picks were taken before I would have felt comfortable selecting them, especially Eliasson, who has taken too many costly penalties for my liking. Yakemchuk has top-four potential, at least, and if he can fix his skating, he’ll be fine. I just didn’t love their picks, otherwise.
23. Edmonton Oilers: C+
Notable Picks: Sam O’Reilly, Eemil Vinni, Connor Clattenburg
It was a weird draft for Edmonton, who had some picks I liked and others I’m not too sure about. O’Reilly could end up being a steal based on how well he played near the end of the year, and Vinni was one of the top goalies in the draft. I don’t see any of the others being NHLers, but I do think it was smart to take a chance on Dalyn Wakely after his 104-point season in the OHL as an overage draft prospect.
24. Los Angeles Kings: C+
Notable Picks: Liam Greentree, Carter George, Jared Woolley
The Kings weren’t too busy, but Greentree can potentially be a top-six power forward who can lead a line if needed. George was one of the top goaltenders all season long, too, so that gives them another iron in the fire. Woolley is a defensive defenseman who I don’t think will make the NHL, but he’s solid defensively, at the very least. Greentree, though, is a nice pickup, especially since they traded down from 21 to land him.
25. Colorado Avalanche: C
Notable Picks: Ilya Nabokov, Will Zellers, Jake Fisher
Colorado borrowed Montreal’s strategy from last year, taking three goalies. Nabokov is one of the top goalies in the draft so that was a worthwhile pick, and Louka CLoutier and Ivan Yunin are both decent, under-the-radar options. Up front, Will Zellers was dominant with Shattuck’s, but college will be an interesting transition for him. Fisher also had a decent year with Fargo. The real value, though, is in the crease. I’m always a fan of a team taking multiple goalies.
26. Florida Panthers: C
Notable Picks: Linus Eriksson, Matvei Shuravin, Simon Zether
The 2024 Stanley Cup champs have a good one in Eriksson, someone who had a good year in Allsvenaskan. I like Matvei Shuravin, too, who brings size and mobility at No. 97. Simon Zether’s draft stock fell during the year but I think he was a nice pick at 129 if he can make it to the NHL. Beyond that, maybe Denis Gabdrakhamanov, the goaltender taken in the seventh round, can pan out. It just seems like taking a chance on a Russian goalie is the right move to make these days.
27. Boston Bruins: C
Notable Picks: Dean Letourneau, Elliott Groenwold, Jonathan Morello
Boston didn’t have many picks to work with but it seems like they got the guys they want. Letourneau has the potential to become the next Tage Thompson based on how he uses his size and speed to beat opponents. Groenwold is a mobile, physical defender who plays with pace, while Morello is coming off a good year of battling around the net in the OJHL. Nice picks.
28. New York Rangers: C
Notable Picks: EJ Emery, Raoul Boilard, Nathan Aspinall
I love Emery, who I think is one of the best shutdown defenders in the draft. But beyond that, I’m lukewarm on Boilard and don’t see any other potential NHLers. Emery alone helps them, though, because teams crave big, mobile, right-handed defenders who can handle their own in their own zone. Maybe Boilard becomes a middle-six, competitive scoring threat for them one day.
29. Toronto Maple Leafs: C
Notable Picks: Ben Danford, Victor Johansson, Miroslav Holinka
Well, Danford isn’t who I would have picked. But they’re banking on upside after watching him coming off a hot playoff run with the Oshawa Generals. He’s hard to play against and moves well, but he doesn’t have much upside with the puck – for now. Maybe he ends up being another steal for Toronto like Easton Cowan last year. As for Johansson, I’ve never heard of him. The real intriguing piece could be fifth-round goaltender Timofei Obvintsev, who blends size and speed in the crease, with some scouts thinking he’ll be a solid value pick. While Toronto is ranked low here, we know they do have a decent track record of surprising people with some of their finds.
30. Winnipeg Jets: C-
Notable Picks: Alfons Freij, Kevin He, Markus Loponen
With no first-rounder, the Jets didn’t have to make do with finding value. I think they did a good job with Alfons Freij and Kevin He, although I’m not sure about their roles in the NHL. Loponen and Walton might be depth guys at best, too.
31. Dallas Stars: C-
Notable Picks: Emil Hemming, Niilopekka Muhonen, William Samuelsson
The Stars have shown the ability to get some incredible value in the draft and Hemming could be that guy. I think he’s a bottom-six player, but he has speed, skill, and good hockey IQ. His net-front presence is what’s going to keep him active in the NHL. But with almost no draft capital, they didn’t have much to do.
32. Tampa Bay Lightning: C-
Notable Picks: Jan Golicic, Hagen Burrows, Joona Saarelainen
The Bolts didn’t draft until the fourth round, so they were destined to be low. But I really like Jan Golicic, I think Hagen Burrows is a future NHLer and Joona Saarelainen is one of my favorite small prospects in this draft. Even Kaden Pitre is a nice late-round pickup. The Bolts know how to find some value, even if they don’t have many notable prospects in their system.
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2024-06-29T22:35:55Z dg43tfdfdgfd