A GLANCE AT EACH PICK IN THE FIRST ROUND OF THE NHL DRAFT

A glance at how the first round of the 2024 National Hockey League draft unfolded on Friday night at the Sphere in Las Vegas:

1. San Jose Sharks — Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA)

The consensus No. 1 pick and complete player will be the foundation on which the Sharks base their rebuild.

2. Chicago Blackhawks — Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (NCAA)

Belarus native should be a valuable contributor on the Blackhawks blue line for years. Full-package defenceman.

3. Anaheim Ducks — Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa (OHL)

Few mock drafts, if any, had Sennecke in the top three. Puck skills and size have him on right path.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets — Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)

Big body (6’4’’, 215 pounds) and skill help him control play. Plays with edge and honesty in his game.

5. Montreal Canadiens — Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg Jr. (Russia Jr.)

Canadiens fans will love his high-level skillset. Won’t be long before he’s driving the offence in Montreal.

6. Utah — Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna (WHL)

Son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla drives play and is smart at both ends. Brings a relentless effort.

7. Ottawa Senators — Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary (WHL)

Great shot and puckhandling skills will be welcomed on Senators’ blue line. Led WHL defencemen with 30 goals.

8. Seattle Kraken — Berkly Catton, C, Spokane (WHL)

High-level decision-making and skills in tight spots among his strengths. Led CHL draft-eligible players with 116 points.

9. Calgary Flames — Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw (OHL)

Dynamic play, creativity and overall skill resulted in CHL defenceman of the year honours. Been compared to Erik Karlsson.

10. New Jersey Devils — Anton Silayev, D, Nizhny Novogorod (KHL)

His 6-foot-7 frame will fit in with Devils defence corps. Has a physical side and is positionally sound.

11. San Jose Sharks — Sam Dickinson, D, London (OHL)

High hockey IQ and mobility are above-grade. Willingness to be physical and a powerful shot will help Sharks.

12. Minnesota Wild — Zeev Buium, D, University of Denver (NCAA)

Led NCAA defencemen with 50 points with fine playmaking skills. Wild traded up one spot to take him.

13. Philadelphia Flyers — Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph (OHL)

OHL’s most sportsmanlike player excels in all situations. Plays with a lot of detail and responsibility in his game.

14. Buffalo Sabres — Konsta Helenius, C, Jukurit, (Liiga)

Strong offensively and eventually should bring skill and pace to the Sabres forward group. Hockey IQ is strong.

15. Detroit Red Wings — Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Mora (Sweden 2)

First Norwegian in NHL history to be picked in first round. Maturity in his game helps him stand out.

16. St. Louis Blues — Adam Jiricek, D, Plzen (Czechia Extraliga)

Smart heads-up defender brings mobility. Knee injury suffered at world junior ended his season at 19 games.

17. Washington Capitals — Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George (WHL)

Sharp hockey sense and skill resulted in 105 points to lead CHL rookies. Makes something happen on each shift.

18. Chicago Blackhawks — Sacha Boisvert, C, Muskegon (USHL)

Became a better skater as season progressed. Competitive and steady, has a scoring touch and some physicality.

19. Vegas Golden Knights — Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City (USHL)

Has the offensive ability to be a game-breaker. Questions about off-ice maturity resulted in a drop.

20. N.Y. Islanders — Cole Eiserman, LW, US U18 (USHL)

Regarded as best pure goal-scorer available. Has to take big steps when he doesn’t have the puck.

21. Montreal Canadiens — Michael Hage, C, Chicago (USHL)

Dynamic offensive player thanks to IQ. Committed to University of Michigan, where he will work on defensive side.

22. Nashville Predators — Yegor Surin, C, Yaroslavl Jr. (Russia Jr.)

Skill and agility are in his game and he plays with an edge as well. Working on consistency and discipline.

23. Anaheim Ducks — Stian Solberg, D, Valerenga (Norway)

Hard-hitting blueliner doesn’t give up an inch. Defensively wise and uses his stick well to break up chances.

24. Utah — Cole Beaudoin, C, Barrie (OHL)

Vision with the puck highlights his two-way game. Work ethic and gritty approach are evident each time out.

25. Boston Bruins — Dean Letourneau, C, St. Andrew’s College (Ontario High School)

Towers over most prospects at 6-foot-6 1/2. Strength and a scoring touch are among his assets.

26. Los Angeles Kings — Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor (OHL)

Captain of the Spitfires defines leadership. Possesses good puckhandling skills and is smart defensively.

27. Chicago Blackhawks — Marek Vanacker, LW, Brantford (OHL)

Played through a shoulder injury and managed to record 82 points. Character and skill are top-notch.

28. Calgary Flames — Matvei Gridin, RW, Muskegon (USHL)

Led the USHL in scoring with 83 points. Shot release and intelligence keep opposing defenders on their toes.

29. Dallas Stars — Emil Hemming, RW, TPS Turku (Liiga)

A threat to score each time he hits the offensive zone. Becoming a quicker skater on his to-do list.

30. N.Y. Rangers — E.J. Emery, D, US U18 (USHL)

Could become a shutdown defenceman with proper development. Father Eric played in the CFL in the 1980s.

31. Toronto Maple Leafs — Ben Danford, D, Oshawa (OHL)

Defensive defenceman who shoots right and thinks the game well. Positionally sound and wise in his own zone.

32. Edmonton Oilers — Sam O’Reilly, F, London (OHL)

Plays with a competitive, sharp game and was a solid contributor in the playoffs for the Knights.

2024-06-29T00:01:36Z dg43tfdfdgfd