Welcome to my preliminary ranking of the top 64 prospects eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft.
This is my third of what will be seven rankings for the upcoming draft, presented this season with an all-new design and user interface (which has allowed me to do full scouting reports on all 64 prospects for the first time ever this early in a season). It follows my preseason top 32 and way-too-early top 24, and will be followed by my midseason top 64 (released at the end of January), a March top 64, an updated top 32 post-U18 worlds (released in May), and my final top 100 (released in June).
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Though the class of 2024, made up predominantly of 2006-born players, is led by three very different star forward prospects, it will be defined by both its high quantity and quality of defensemen. An incredible 10 of the top 20 prospects on this list are defensemen (for reference, there were only ever four defensemen from the 2023 NHL Draft who were even in consideration for last year’s top 20).
The ranking, now completely sortable, is also broken down into tiers to give you a better sense of the fluidity within groupings and the drop-offs between them. This ranking is divided into six tiers. They are: 1, 2-4, 5-8, 9-27, 28-55, and 56-64+. Also included are 35 honorable mentions (sorted alphabetically).
Note that while I consult scouts, coaches, general managers, team staff and agents in building my draft rankings, the following evaluations are strictly my own.
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Tier 1
Celebrini has, so far, traveled the path of a true star-forward prospect. He doesn’t profile in the Connor Bedard, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby echelon, but he was a star at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, he was a star as one of the youngest players in the USHL with the Chicago Steel last season (where he put together the most prolific 16-year-old season in the league’s history, led the league in scoring, and was named the USHL Player of the Year), he was Canada’s best player at U18 worlds as an underager while dealing with a lingering shoulder issue, and he has again looked like a star as the youngest player in college hockey at BU so far this season (coming off of shoulder surgery, no less). What he accomplished to date would be impressive even if he were on the older side of 2024 draft eligibles. It’s even more impressive because of his June birthday.
His profile has it all, too. He’s a natural center. He plays with confidence and presence that is rare in a player his age, consistently looking to attack and dictate with the puck. He’s also an intelligent off-puck player who understands timing, routes and how to get open and make himself available without the puck in his hands. He’s a plus-level skater. He’s a hardworking player defensively and into battles and races for pucks. He’s got dynamic puck skill that allows him to break down opponents and coverage at speed. He’s a tactile shooter and finisher who can get pucks off in a variety of ways, from a variety of stances, and without needing to tunnel vision for it (plus he has a hard one-timer). He’s consistent in approach. He sees and executes through seams with a lot of crispness. He is sturdy and thick for his age, and absorbs and plays through bumps extremely effectively, staying over pucks and extending sequences through a strong lower half. Those tools combine with excellent puck protection skills to allow him to play a heavy-skill game. He’s a quietly powerful player for a 6-foot kid, and while he’s not going to bully his way around the ice, he commands play and imposes himself.
Photo:
Richard T. Gagnon / Getty Images
C
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Tier 1
Boston U.
Tier 2
A dynamic goal scorer in the truest sense, Eiserman possesses an exhilarating ability to cleanly pick his spots in the net and beat defenders and goalies one-on-one when the shot isn’t there. He can score in every which way: long range, midrange, jam plays, rush plays, quick hands in tight, the one-timer, a lethal catch-and-release (there isn't a pass he can't take and get off). Last year, he showed one of the better shots and sets of hands I’ve seen in a player that age. This year, he's on track to break Cole Caufield's NTDP goal-scoring record. He’s actually two and a half months younger than Celebrini, too, with a late-August birthday that makes him one of the youngest players in the draft.
Eiserman’s a shot creator who, against his peers, takes whatever he wants and seems to score every game.
I actually think he's a better skater than he has been given credit for in conversations I’ve had with folks about him, too, but it’s his dancing puck skill, quick release, shot variety (he can rip it in motion, off catch-and-releases, standing still, and from a one-timer, and he’ll make goalies guess wrong in alone because of how fast his hands are), and sneaky strength (when he uses it, which he could do more of) that allows him to create at will against his peers. He can frustrate, though, too, and scouts desperately want to see him round out his game. He can be a little careless and selfish with the puck. He can get carried away trying to do too much, stickhandling into trouble or shooting into shin pads. And he just needs to use his teammates better. He doesn’t miss when he’s got an opportunity, though. The puck pops off of his stick so effortlessly and he produces that "he’s about to score here” feeling every time the puck comes to him in a good spot. It’s cliche, but you can’t teach that. He looks to me like he’s on a track to pass through BU on his way to NHL stardom as a first-line winger and PP1 focal point.
Photo:
Jari Pestelacci / Getti Images
LW
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Tier 2
U18
Belarus has produced two top-10 picks at the NHL Draft, but Levshunov looks like he’s got a real chance to be the country’s first top-five selection. He had a stellar rookie season in North America last year, registering 43 points in 65 combined regular-season and playoff games in the USHL to fast-track his way into college hockey at Michigan State. With the Spartans this season, he hasn't looked the least bit like a teenaged freshman either, playing big minutes to excellent two-way results and producing at almost a point per game. While he’s on the older side of the first-year eligibles for 2024 because of his October 2005 birthday, I don't think he's on a track that's far off the one Owen Power and his November birthday took.
Levshunov’s profile checks all of the boxes teams are looking for in a high-end defenseman. He’s a righty with a pro build already. He’s a smooth skater with plus-level four-way mobility and good length. Though he was a little green defensively when he arrived in the USHL, he made fast progress and really figured it out last year (which included becoming a top penalty killer as the season progressed after not starting there) and his ceiling defensively is sky high with the right development. He’s a heady passer and carrier who can comfortably lead exits and entries. He walks the line proficiently and manages the game well in control, which has allowed him to produce very high shot totals so far this season at MSU. And after beginning to take over games offensively and show a more dynamic element in the second half of last season in the USHL, all while picking his spots well, he is playing with confidence and identity already in college hockey. He already possessed all of the tools he needs to become a stud, and he just keeps getting better and better. With a little more ambition and continued fine-tuning, I believe there's first-pairing upside there. I was very high on him coming into this season, and he has still exceeded my expectations. When he's been out there, the Sparts have won his 20-plus minutes a game handily.
Photo:
MSU Athletics
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Tier 2
Michigan State U.
Demidov is a highly skilled, playmaking forward who finished third in the MHL in scoring last year (extremely rare for a player his age in a league typically dominated by 19- and 20-year-olds) and played at a higher point-per-game pace than the two players in front of him while playing alongside his older brother, Semyon. After a strong preseason with SKA, he won a job out of camp but played little and then after bouncing between levels trying to re-find his game injured his knee. He’s on the older side as a December 2005, and he’s got work to do to get stronger and smooth out his straight-line skating stride a little (it's not an issue, per se, and he’s very shifty side to side, but he could use an extra gear pulling away), but he's a true play creator and you want the puck in his hands so that he can slip around the ice to make things happen for himself or his linemates. His ability to get off the wall to the middle, either with the puck on his stick into traffic (though I think he falls back on his heel-to-heel skating a little too much), his manipulation one-on-one, or passing through layers to the weak side of coverage, is pretty unique. He's got some of the best hands in the draft (though he too often gets himself into trouble trying to beat two or three guys in a crowd). He’s also a pretty engaged off-puck player who keeps his feet moving, hunts pucks on the forecheck, and can turn a steal into a game-breaking play in an instant. He’s not at Matvei Michkov’s level (as some have suggested) for me but he still looks — at this age — like one of the more talented prospects to come out of Russia in recent memory (his game also has more of a pro style/roundedness to it than Michkov's at the same age) and scouts really like him.
Photo:
Alexey Fillippov / Associated Press
RW
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Tier 2
St. Petersburg
Tier 3
After filling the stat sheet in Finland’s top junior league as a 16-year-old last fall, and outshining a strong group of Finnish forward prospects on route to a bronze at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (where he capped off an 11-in-seven tournament with a four-point performance in the bronze medal game), Helenius played exclusively in Liiga on loan from Tappara to Jukurit last season after returning from the tournament at the end of November, registering 11 points in 33 games as the league’s youngest player. Since, he has also stood out playing above his age group at both U18 worlds (where I thought he really drove the bus on an otherwise disappointing team) and the World Junior Summer Showcase, even excelling at his natural center position (there was some wonder if he’d be a center or winger at the NHL level, but he’s solid in the faceoff circle, his defensive play is where it needs to be, and he has looked like he belongs down the middle when there in Liiga). This season, though the point production hasn't popped in Liiga yet, he has played well and created looks in my viewings (he's probably owed more). He’s a joy to watch navigate, manipulate and pass the puck. His ability to find his teammates in space and then get pucks to them with the perfect weight and timing, even while he’s well covered, is a ton of fun to watch and I’m fascinated to see how far he can take it. He has also grown an inch to get to 5-foot-11 and stirs the drink through his effort level, regularly coming up with pucks where you don’t expect him to while impacting play at both ends of the rink. Against his peers, he’s both a driver and a playmaker. He does such a good job identifying lanes and attacking into them/taking what the defense gives him. He’ll look for his own look when it’s there or play in a quick give-and-go when spacing tightens up. He seems to create constantly. He’s a plus-level skater. He anticipates the play at a very high level off the puck (the puck just seems to find him again and again inside the offensive zone). Every time I see him he looks like a legit top-10 pick. He’s also getting to the inside against pros more this year and has looked pretty clearly like one of the draft’s most talented forwards in my viewings. I like the determination he plays with, too. He has already proven to be a play driver as well. Last season, on a Jukurit team that finished 11th in the 15-team Liiga and was outscored 165-155, they actually outscored the opposition 18-9 with a 16-year-old Helenius on the ice at even strength. This season, his underlying numbers have remained strong, with the team generating 60 percent of the shot attempts with him on the ice.
Photo:
Daniela Porcelli / Associated Press
C
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Tier 3
Tappara
The story of the draft early on this season, Silayev is a unicorn 6-foot-7 defenseman who has risen to the top of the class playing legitimate minutes for one of the KHL's better teams through the first couple of months — an extremely rare feat for a 17-year-old. He has already broken the league’s under-18 scoring record by a defenseman, and will soon break the under-19 one. He’s playing on the power play, consistently registering multiple shots per game, and has even played both sides. Silayev is an excellent skater who walks the line with ease, drops back onto his heels comfortably, and pushes forward to either carry pucks up ice, close gaps, or disrupt a carrier with an active stick. Despite how prodigious his play has been, he looks like he's only scratching the surface of his true potential as well, with steps to be taken in his decision-making on the puck (I find he's a little too trigger happy — he actually shows good poise and comfort when he doesn't rush), his shot (which he gets off in volume and does a good job putting on target, but will definitely add power as he gets stronger and works on it), and his ability to impose himself with his size (which he's doing more and more of, now leading Torpedo in hits). He has shown some soft skill for a big man, he's disruptive in zone defense and hard to beat off the rush because of his length, and there's plenty of room for continued growth and development within his game. There are some scouts who think he's the top D prospect in the draft, and a real contender for the top two or three picks. I'm still partial to Levshunov, but debated ranking Silayev as high as No. 5 here.
LHD
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Tier 3
Torpedo
It’s never easy to play a regular role for the London Knights, especially as a 16-year-old (Dickinson’s a June birthday) and a defenseman. But that’s what Dickinson did last season, stepping into a blue line that initially had four drafted prospects plus a would-be first-rounder in Oliver Bonk. What started as Dickinson finding an immediate role finished with a strong playoffs that saw him play over some of those drafted players in key situations. This season, he's now playing a leading role in all facets of the game (which has included successfully quarterbacking the power play) on a Knights team that looks poised to contend again. He’s a strong 6-foot-3 defenseman who skates well in all four directions, plays hard, defends at a high level, has skill and poise with the puck (which was on display more at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and has continued to reveal itself for the Knights this season), and has started to make better and more consistent reads under pressure (he's showing real comfort and even deception past opposing forwards these days). He’s not the most dynamic player with the puck, but he has all of the physical tools you look for, can shoot it, comfortably moves it, has a high floor, and could have a really high ceiling (at both ends) with proper development. He's also helped by a June birthday that gives him some more runway. Scouts are extremely excited about his toolsy game and potential upside, and I don't blame them. He can command a game and there aren’t really any major holes, which is saying something for a defenseman his age. He looks like he's got a real chance to be a two-way stud in the NHL. I considered ranking him as high as fifth here.
Photo:
Natalie Shaver / OHL Images
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Tier 3
London
The No. 1 pick in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft, Catton has impressed both in the WHL (where he quickly became an offensive catalyst on a bad team and finished second on Spokane in scoring last season, and has taken another step as deceptive and dangerous whenever he’s on the puck this year) and internationally, first at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (where he captained Canada Red to silver and led them in scoring with 12 points in seven games) and in flashes in a limited role as an underager at U18 worlds, and then at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he was named captain, led the tournament in goals (eight) and points (10) in five games, and shined through, demonstrating his knifing, slippery game. Inside the offensive zone, the way he baits and shades, drawing players to him and then playmaking past them with a pass or a cut, is pretty impressive. Catton’s a heady playmaker who uses spacing to his advantage and sees the ice at an advanced level, regularly executing quick plays through coverage or delaying into a pre-planned play. He’s got multi-dimensional skill, with an ability to play both with speed on the rush (he’s a smooth skater) and more slowly inside the offensive zone when the pace ramps down and he has to spin away from pressure (which he does so well). He’s got great instincts offensively. He tracks back consistently. He thrives in tight spaces and on cutbacks, he can play on the perimeter or take it to the net, and he’s got a dangerous and quick release while moving. Catton's path from fitting right in as a rookie who was asked to play center on a top line and handled it extremely well (he even won the majority of his draws last year) to constantly threatening as a deceptive and dangerous player offensively to start his draft year has positioned him as one of the top forward prospects in the draft after the big three of Celebrini, Eiserman and Demidov.
Photo:
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images
C
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Tier 3
Spokane
Tier 4
Parekh was one of the best stories in junior hockey last year and he has turned me into a total believer this year. Despite playing in just 50 of Saginaw’s 68 games after missing three weeks due to injury from the end of February into March and another couple for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge (where he scored three goals and five points in seven games as the highest-scoring defenseman on the fourth-place-finishing Canada Black), he still broke the OHL’s all-time goals record by a U17 defenseman, scoring 21 times and regularly looking dynamic on the puck. An OHL Cup All-Star and first-round pick into the OHL even before his breakout season last year, Parekh is one of the top offensive defensemen in junior hockey this year. He plays an aggressive offensive style that looks to attack off the line into the slot or even the front of the net or below the goal line. He’ll also regularly involve himself in the rush much like a winger does, driving down the wall in control to look to put defenders on their heels with his skating and attack into his shot or create an odd-man rush. He’s super confident on offense and opening up his feet (where necessary) around the zone without going to his heel-to-heel by default. He’s got great hands and a balanced skating posture which helps him carry pucks and beat the first layer of pressure to get to his spots. When the puck arrives on his stick, it just seems to stop and glue to him through his movements — a very rare quality that almost makes him look lackadaisical with the puck because it's settled so easily into his pocket. He likes to roam, but he has learned to pick his spots better and his head is constantly on a swivel to identify where he is in relation to his teammates. When he plays freely, you're drawn to him whenever he touches the puck because he's always a threat to make something happen. He’s got great footwork and edges to manipulate across the line and stop up along the boards to change directions. He protects the puck extremely well with players leaning on him. And then he also defends at a high enough level to be given free rein to go out there and look to attack. Though his defense is a common criticism among scouts, I'd argue he's got a great stick and reads the play quite well, I've liked what I've seen from him on the penalty kill, and even though he doesn't play a particularly physical style, I think he's made important progress in his own zone. Add in a frame that is more mature than I think people realize/give him credit for, that he's a very good communicator (he's constantly talking on the ice), passes that are always tape-to-tape and perfectly flat, an ability to draw penalties escaping pressure as well as just about anyone in the draft (he's never in trouble), and a want to have the puck and make a difference, and there’s a fascinating prospect. He has regularly played close to 30 minutes for the Memorial Cup hosts so far this season.
Photo:
Dennis Pajot / Getty Images
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Tier 4
Saginaw
Yakemchuk was the only 2024 draft eligible to make one of the WHL’s All-Star Teams when he was named a Central Division Second All-Star last season. Only a couple of weeks away from being eligible for the 2023 draft, he played a big role for a middle-of-the-pack Calgary Hitmen team and his 19 goals were third most by a defenseman behind only 19-year-old Hudson Thornton and Anaheim Ducks top prospect Olen Zellweger. I thought he was mostly unnoticeable at U18 worlds for Canada, but part of that was his role/usage and he has looked back to himself in an even greater role on a poorer team at the start of this season. Led by his instincts, he generates a lot from the back end for a Hitmen team that generates little. While his game in the WHL does come with some give and take, he’s got pro size, a pro shot and an attack mentality that is complemented by sound decision-making on when to eagerly jump off the line or into the rush and when to hold it or outlet it. He also protects the puck really well for a defenseman, which allows him to make the most of his decisions to involve himself in the play around the offensive zone. It’s not uncommon to see him take a puck to the inside off the wall. And while I’d say he’s a good but not great defender, he's got the size and tools (it never hurts when you're a 6-foot-3 righty who can skate) to take the steps he needs to there and he plays hard at both ends.
Photo:
Jari Pestelacci / Getti Images
RHD
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Tier 4
Calgary
Brandsegg-Nygard is one of the most well-rounded forwards in this class and the best of a wave of Norwegian players who’ve joined Mora IK’s program. He's an October 2005 with a pro frame who played to above a point per game at the junior level and scored his first pro goal in HockeyAllsvenskan last season. He lost out on playoff action and a real chance to play for the senior men’s national team at worlds after undergoing knee surgery in March, but he was healthy in time for his draft year and got off to an excellent start, registering nine points in his first three J20 games and quickly establishing himself back with the pro club in preseason and regular-season play. He’s a multi-faceted shooter who can score from the top of the circles with his wrister but also gets down to one knee and really powers through a good one-touch shot — skills that have helped him excel on both the flank and the bumper on the power play across domestic and international levels. He’s not a dynamic individual play creator but he’s got pro size, he works extremely hard and engages himself in the play, he plays well off of his linemates, and he’s got good all-around skill. He also plays the game with a physical tilt even against pros, constantly engaging in battles and keeping his effort level ramped up. He looks like a projectable middle-sixer to me, and a solid top-sixer with the right progress.
RW
🇳🇴
Tier 4
Mora IK
Kiviharju is the player on this list who has been on the scene the longest. He made the leap to Finland’s top junior league at 15 and didn’t just play but excelled, immediately becoming one of its most productive defensemen and even wearing a letter on his jersey. He then played and starred at the U18 worlds twice; first in Germany at 16, topping Finland’s blue line with six points in six games to help steer them (figuratively, but also literally steering the game on the ice) to a silver medal, and then again in Switzerland (still as an underager), where he was the best defenseman on a team that disappointingly lost in the quarters. He also led the Finns to bronze at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, again as an underager. Last season, after an excellent preseason with TPS, it looked like he might play his way into being the youngest full-time player in Liiga and at the world juniors. But then neither of those things happened and he bounced between levels and was one of the final cuts for Finland’s under-20 national team. Then, after making a move away from TPS to join HIFK for his draft year, he got off to an up-and-down start, scored his first pro goal, and then suffered an injury which required surgery and a four-month timeline (a timeline which will again take him out of the world juniors, where he was poised to play a leading role). He was going to need a big year for teams to use a high pick on a diminutive defenseman, and now he may not get an opportunity to really show them what he's got. I've moved him down into the front of my fourth tier because of that and even then, NHL scouts I've talked to would be hesitant using this high a selection on him at the moment. I still like the player though, so here's hoping he can get back and finish strong.
I’m a huge fan of the way Kiviharju plays the game. He manages play in front of him with impressive poise and comfort, directing and influencing play all the way down the ice. He’s a joy to watch advance play under pressure inside his own zone, effortlessly side-stepping forecheckers to headman pucks. He walks the line beautifully, with a knack for shaping shots through to the net. His first touch on the move is always perfectly caught. He’s clever. He processes the game faster than the opposition and sees things that others don’t see. And he’s a smart defender who gaps up well and gets pucks going the other way quickly with little bump passes and exits in order to offset some of his size limitations.
He’s definitely most noticeable breaking the puck out of his own zone, where his little carries and outlets make a big difference. He shows deception across the line though as well, although there are times I’d like to see him look to attack and take charge himself in the offensive zone a little more. It can look like he’s always trying to set up the next heady little play instead of just commanding it. When he does really attack, he usually accomplishes what he’s looking to as well because he’s hyper-aware out there of the way the play develops. Cerebral is the perfect word. He can lack a separation gear in straight lines, which can result in a lot of resets, but he’s quick and comfortable through his crossovers and usually makes the right play when he does have to turn back and regroup. He also plays his off side comfortably. I still like him to become a second-pairing, PP quarterback but I anticipate that as other prospects establish themselves as the year goes on that he'll slide down my list.
Photo:
Daniela Porcelli / Associated Press
LHD
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Tier 4
HIFK
Lindstrom's a big center (though his NHL Central Scouting listing dropped him from 6-foot-5 to 6-foot-3.25?) and excellent skater who already uses his size to his advantage, whether through finishing his checks, shielding pucks, powering through contact, or going to the net front to provide screens. He's also got decent overall skill and quick hands, both in flight and around the net and the wall. He can play off of the puck and take up space in front, play on the cycle and stay over pucks to help his team maintain possession inside the offensive zone, create in transition putting defenders on their heels with a head of steam, and even make skill plays from a standstill inside the offensive zone. He's also strong in the faceoff circle. He looks like a projectable middle-six centre, which at his height would make him a pretty rare player type in the league. He's an easy player to like and one most scouts like a lot. He might even the top-10.
Photo:
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images
C
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Tier 4
Medicine Hat
Hemming is a raw but very interesting prospect who battled inconsistencies in his play and deployment at Finland’s U20 level last year with TPS after showing so much promise last fall (which included a strong showing at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge before an illness kept him out of Finland’s last two games, and a six-point hat trick with TPS's junior team). Then, after hitting a bit of a wall late in the year, he was tremendous again internationally at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where his four goals and nine points in five games led the Finns to a bronze medal. That play has continued into this year without the inconsistencies, too. Hemming has turned head with his skill at the junior level, where he has played to more than a goal per game and two points per game, and has had some really nice stretches of play in Liiga as well, already scoring his first three pro goals as a 17-year-old (he won't turn 18 until next summer, either). Hemming has clear tools as a 6-foot-1, 200ish-pound winger with real individual skill as both a handler and a shooter. I’d like to see him use his size a little more, but that’s not uncommon for a player his age. He’s got high-end (or close) skill; a dangerous wrister on the power play; and quick, one-touch release and catch-and-release motion. When the puck lands on his stick and he looks to attack and keeps his feet moving, he can create looks and beat defenders and goalies.
RW
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Tier 4
TPS
The first forward taken in the QMJHL’s 2022 draft (No. 3), Massé lived up to the selection (which was not the consensus choice at the time), playing to nearly a point per game and nearly 30 goals as a 16-year-old last season. The leading goal scorer (second in points) on a young Chicoutimi team, he was named the CHL’s rookie of the year. Massé, who earned high praise from around the QMJHL last season and performed well for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup but was a little snakebitten to begin the year (though the points have really started to come of late), possesses a natural and versatile shot and above-average skill across the board. But it’s the completeness of his game that really stands out for a player his age. He can penalty kill, he’ll go to the dirty areas and make plays around the net, he battles, and he’s just a toolsy player. With continued work on his below-average skating (which will likely mean he's picked lower than where I have him here), he’ll be a good NHL player. He reminds me of recent, well-rounded QMJHL draft picks like Dawson Mercer and Zach Dean, though I think he has more skill than the latter did at the same age.
Photo:
Darryl Dyck / Associated Press
RW
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Tier 4
Chicoutimi
The No. 7 pick in the 2022 OHL Priority Selection, Mews played an important role on one of the best teams in the OHL as a rookie last season. He had a stellar showing as the captain of the otherwise disappointing Canada White at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in the fall, tying for the team scoring lead with eight points in six games, and had another strong showing at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, again leading Canada’s defense in scoring. He has looked sloppy and unsure of himself at times this season though, which has softened his outlook for some to more of a mid-to-late first-rounder rather than an upper-half guy.
Mews is an athletic, right-handed shot who is capable (key word) of consistently driving and tilting play from the back end. When he’s at his best, he dictates play by regularly looking to activate into the rush or off the line to use his skill and playmaking ability from the back end. Last year, I thought he defended hard, too. But this year, he has struggled at times with his gap control and seems to get beat one-on-one or on misreads a little too often (everything, as one scout said to me, is just a little too "chaotic" with him at the moment). I love his attack and take-instead-of-give mentality offensively, and it’s complemented by a good frame, NHL skill and an NHL shot, and an ability to execute against coverage and pressure to the middle third of the ice (he's an impressive slot passer). For now, I'm prepared to sit tight with where I think he belongs in this draft, but that belief may waver if he doesn't tighten things back up to where I believe they can be.
Photo:
Luke Durda / OHL Images
RHD
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Tier 4
Ottawa
Because of his December 2005 birthday, Buium (the younger brother of Red Wings prospect Shai) entered the national program a year ahead of Eiserman and company. Last year, in his second season, he really hit his stride, too, becoming a driver for the U18s. And this season, after growing a little (he was listed at 5-foot-11 last year and is now listed at 6 feet by NHL Central Scouting and 6-foot-2 by Denver), he hasn't lost his identity in college, stepping in at Denver to play roughly 20 minutes a game with basically the same feverish activity (and maybe a smidge more restraint, though I'd guess it won't last) that he did at lower levels. He’s a plus-level skater who plays an extremely involved game in all three zones, whether that’s activating into the rush or off the point, shaking pressure on exits or across the blue line, working in and out of give-and-gos, or playing tight gaps against the rush. He's a very busy player on both sides of the puck and he gets in and out of his transitions and footwork so quickly that he can play that style. When he’s dialed in, applying pressure on and off the puck and using his feet and his skating to influence play, he can really impact a game. And while I wouldn’t say his skill level is super high-end for his size, and some question his lack physicality (with one scout even calling him soft), he has come a long, long way in developing his offensive tools into a real strength and learning to defend with the occasional bump on top of all of his stick work and footwork. He has played some very good hockey for a while now (last spring to finish strong at the NTDP, again at the World Junior Summer Showcase, and now as a freshman with the Pioneers) as well. Even though he's a draft-eligible, I think he's got a really strong case for the American world junior team this December. And while I think there’s a chance he ends up as more of a second-round guy as a projected No. 4-6 for most teams, I'm really intrigued at the possibility that he might be more than that, especially after his growth spurt.
Photo:
Jari Pestelacci / Getti Images
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Tier 4
Denver
Chernyshov’s a November 2005 who has progressed in line with his older age, establishing himself as a point-per-game MHL player and scoring his first KHL goal (at 16 years and 352 days, he was actually the 11th-youngest player to ever play in a KHL game) last season. This year, he has bounced between the MHL and KHL, creating more looks at the junior level than his production suggests but playing almost not at all in his appearances with the big club. He’s a big, strong winger and power-forward type who plays a straight-line game and has the individual skill and quick release to go at defenders and make plays off the rush, or finish from the slot with a quick, one-touch shot in zone. He’s a smooth skater, too, which complements his impressive rush game. Add in a committed game off the puck and there's a lot to like about his mould. He can attack at defenders in a variety of ways, threaten on the puck or get open off of it, works hard, and profiles like a pro and future top-nine NHL winger.
Photo:
Vladimir Fedorenko / Associated Press
LW
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Tier 4
Dynamo Moscow
Adam Jiricek, the younger brother of Blue Jackets top prospect David, is a summer birthday who worked his way from junior into Czechia’s top pro rung as a 16-year-old last season and has mostly played there this season (though I don't think it has gone as well as he would have hoped for). It wasn’t a coincidence that he played alongside Kings draft pick Jakub Dvorak, even as an underager, as U18 worlds went on, either. He doesn’t have the presence that his big brother has, but Adam plays the game with confidence and intention and has started to develop an ambitious game against his peers. He’s got good four-way mobility, an active disposition, balanced shooting mechanics, an eye for spacing and identifying opportunities to jump on both sides of the puck, and legit skill with the puck to build upon. I remain a little more cautious in my evaluation of him than most scouts because he feels a little rawer than the defensemen in front of him here to me.
Photo:
Vaclav Salek / Associated Press
RHD
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Tier 4
HC Plzen
Here I am, once more, ready to make an early bet that a Hutson will grow a couple of inches and emerge as the best of the bunch from his NTDP class (seeing as teammate Logan Hensler, who is a different animal, is in the 2025 draft class). Cole’s point-per-game U17 season (and well-above point-per-game U18 team production) at the program last year was actually more prolific than Lane’s was, and he did it while four and a half months younger than his brother was at the same age (Cole’s a summer birthday). He was the most talented defenseman on either of the NTDP’s teams last year. This year, though the points haven't come quite as easily to him to start, it's clear Cole is trying to really dial in his game defensively and the play creation has still been there (I expect him to have struck the right balance by year's end). Cole's got more of a physical element to his game than Lane does and plays opponents really hard so that his size is less noticeable, gluing himself to them in order to be as disruptive as possible. He was the most impressive 2024 defenseman at U18 worlds for me, too, even though he was only playing 17-19 minutes per game as an underager. He quickly identifies second and third options, often a step ahead of opposing structures. The way he shows one thing and does another is pretty unique. His little hesitations in control into quick, decisive attacking moments grab your attention and allow him to make plays past the first layer. He has the puck on a string at times. I think he’s a better skater than his big brother was at the same age (he snakes his way through gaps in coverage so effortlessly and his lateral agility on cuts is a major strength). He executes some beautiful stretch passes. He’s got great touch and feel on his backhand as well as his forehand. And he's holding his own defensively for my money. It was clear watching the program last year that both the U17s and U18s were so much better with him out there than without. That has been less pronounced this year as some of the other D have taken steps forward, but I'm still a big believer in the talent and it's no coincidence he's the highest-ranked skater on my list who was given a 'B' rating by NHL Central Scouting (which "indicates a 2nd/3rd round candidate).
Photo:
Jari Pestelacci / Getti Images
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Tier 4
U18
Ritchie’s another in a long list of summer birthdays in this draft class who excelled as 16-year-olds in their respective leagues last season, in his case finishing third on a bottom-of-the-standings Prince Albert team in scoring at nearly a point per game. I liked what I saw of him at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge as well, and he was one of Canada’s most dangerous forwards at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup to kickstart this year as a standout for scouts — play which has continued, now as the Raiders' focal point offensively, into this season. I had high expectations for him this season and he has so far met them. He’s also now listed at 6 feet after being listed at 5-foot-10 last season. Ritchie’s a shifty playmaking winger who can make highlight-reel skill plays with the puck. He protects it extremely well and will commonly shake past or around opposing players, building speed through his crossovers to hang onto the puck inside the offensive zone until a play presents itself. There’s also some real creativity to his game as an equal opportunity facilitator and finisher (he’s got a really nifty curl-and-drag and snap release that can cleanly beat goalies from midrange). He’s a crafty, talented winger who looks like he’s got top-six upside to me.
Photo:
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images
RW
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Tier 4
Prince Albert
Howe is an interesting case study this year. It's his third full season in the WHL and his fourth in part. And despite having been really very productive to date (69 points in 64 games as the league’s second-most productive under-17 player and then 85 in 67 as the league’s fifth-most productive under-18 player), it still feels like his draft year is a prove-it year because the player at the top of both of those lists was Connor Bedard, his frequent linemate. He was also largely unnoticeable in front of the NHL’s brain trust in Germany at 2022 U18 worlds, despite playing alongside Bedard (a combination Team Canada probably was a little too reluctant to move off of), and again at this year’s U18 worlds in Switzerland, where he was given more of an opportunity as one of three returnees and was fine but unspectacular, eventually getting banged up and falling out of the top six. He did play away from Bedard more than I think most people realize (including for stretches as the team’s second-line center behind him) and did show he could be successful in driving his own line in the WHL when he did. He has so far looked up to the task of his draft year this season, too, and is by all accounts a competitor who is determined to prove his merits as an unquestioned first-rounder in this draft. After being named captain in Regina, he's leading the Pats in scoring while playing on a bit of an island talent-wise.
There’s a lot to like about his game as well. He doesn’t necessarily wow you with his skill level for a player with his statistical profile and size, but he makes a lot of small area plays (little five-to-10-foot passes through feet and sticks under pressure), he always seems to be around the puck inside the offensive zone, he’s tenacious off the puck, he can play down the middle or on the wing, and he’s got well-rounded skill and decent skating. I like him.
Photo:
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images
LW
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Tier 4
Regina
The only non-OHL defenseman on Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer, Elick really came into his own as the tournament progressed, playing more than 26 minutes in the gold medal game and forecasting what was to come in what has been an impressive start to his draft year. Led by standout physical attributes, Elick's a steady, engaged defender with two-way upside and a developing offensive game. I like the way he defends in zone and boxes out. He’s got a good stick and feet defending the rush, but can also step up and lay the body, which he does with force (he's one of the hardest-hitting players in the draft, regularly driving through players to sit them down along the wall, and occasionally even leaving his feet). He's also a really strong skater moving forward, which he's using to be more involved in the rush this year. Teams are high on his toolsy makeup as a staunch defender and solid skater who can hold his own offensively.
Photo:
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images
RHD
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Tier 4
Brandon
A star prospect who would have gone at the very top of the OHL draft had he not chosen to go to the Chicago Steel and commit to the University of Michigan, Hage was limited to just 13 games last season (five goals, five assists and 10 points) after undergoing shoulder surgery. He’s playing a massive role with the Steel this season, though, and there are staff there who think he’d be in the top-10 conversation if not for the lost time last year. Hage is a natural center who has it all. He’s got pro size, he’s got dual-threat skill as an individual creator and an elevator, he plays hard, he stays on pucks, he battles, and he reads the game at an advanced level with an intelligent, studious approach. This team doesn't have the talent we're used to seeing out of the Steel and that will limit his counting stats, but I expect him to stamp himself as one of the USHL's best players before the year's done.
Photo:
Alina Nelson / Chicago Steel
C
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Tier 4
Chicago
As one rival USHL coach put it to me: "Sacha Boisvert is a really good player.” Boisvert, a top prospect in Quebec growing up who was a first-round pick into the QMJHL even after he’d gone to the U.S. for the final two years of his minor hockey, is a North Dakota commit who was named to the USHL’s All-Rookie Second Team last year after he finished third on the Lumberjacks in scoring as a 16-year-old. As a 17-year-old, he's now wearing a letter on his jersey with Muskegon. He’s got desired height and position on his side, room to fill out his frame, and NHL skill that includes a quick release, good instincts on and off the puck, above-average feet and great feel with the puck on his stick both at speed and in slowing the game down.
Photo:
Courtesy of Muskegon Lumberjacks
C
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Tier 4
Muskegon
The No. 2 Finnish D in this draft class to Kiviharju, Vaisanen has also already played up a year — first to help Finland to bronze at last year’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup and then again at the 2023 U18 worlds in Finland. I don't expect him to make the U20 team this year, but it wouldn't be a complete shock and I’d expect him to be a big part of it in the two tournaments after he’s drafted. He’s a competitive and smooth-skating two-way defenseman who established himself as a minute-eating player at Finland’s U20 level, made his Liiga debut in the playoffs with KooKoo last year, and has played exclusively at the pro level this season. I like his stick, his gaps and his positional awareness defensively. He’s a comfortable distributor, shooter (he’s got a hard shot) and handler with the puck, even if his skill level on offense isn’t dynamic. I have questioned his discipline and decision-making in control at times (he has been prone to coughing pucks up when playing against higher-end competition) but I think some of that is just a byproduct of his age and the advanced levels he has been asked to play at. He's got a chance to be a No. 4-5 D.
Photo:
Daniela Porcelli / Associated Press
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Tier 4
KooKoo
Connelly is a highly talented playmaking winger who was very productive in the USHL last season, has consistently flashed his skill early on this season, and led Team USA’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup team in scoring this summer, registering 10 points in five games on route to a bronze medal. He's committed to Providence.
Teams have expressed concerns about his on- and off-ice conduct, though. Connelly has admitted to posting a photo depicting a swastika to his Snapchat in March of 2022, and has denied accusations that he used a racial slur toward an opponent during a game in 2021.
On talent, he’d be a first-round prospect in this draft class. Though he has room to develop physically and add strength, his slight build doesn’t hold back his shot (which uses a quick release to fool goalies) or his skating (which is fast and fluid). He possesses some of the better hands, on-puck movement at speed, offensive zone problem solving, and touch as a passer in the draft, regularly making plays in tight coverage. He’s a dynamic one-on-one player who can turn defenders inside out with his hands and uses quick crossovers and a light skating stride to be agile on cuts and changes of direction. His ability to beat players laterally and shake around and through coverage, combined with his playmaking sense, gives him top-six NHL upside as a player.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
LW
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Tier 4
Tri-City
Tier 5
I really like this kid. He takes what's given while maintaining an eager game. He's an excellent skater and playmaker who transports pucks through neutral ice, joins the rush, jumps in and out of lanes, and then has the cleverness needed to hold and play pucks into space with proper timing. He's got good hands for a defenseman. His offensive zone instincts are already there. And whenever I watch him, it feels like he has taken a step versus the last viewing as he builds confidence and finds new ways to impact play. There are two legit 2024 D prospects on Vaxjo's J20 team this season, and I was partial to Alfons Freij coming into the year. I'm partial to Wallenius now, for sure, although they both have first-round talent/upside.
LHD
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Tier 5
Vaxjo
An important part of a top team in the OHL last season, Cristoforo’s play took him off the table at the trade deadline when the Spitfires were looking to add. By year’s end, his 41 points in 63 games were one more than Ducks top-10 pick Jamie Drysdale’s 40 in his 16-year-old OHL season (in the exact same number of games), and three more than Kings top-10 pick Brandt Clarke’s (in six more games). He was also a big part of Canada Red’s silver medal at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, where he wore an "A" and performed well at both ends (although he played a limited role at this month’s Hlinka Gretzky Cup). This season, on a Windsor team in transition, he has played a huge role, averaging close to 25 minutes a game and nearly approaching 30 on a couple of occasions (which at times I think has actually been too much for him). Cristoforo doesn’t possess the effortless skating stride that made Drysdale a top-10 pick or the bold play-creating that made Clarke one, but he’s a well-rounded offensive defenseman who boasts strong edges and good skating in his own right, plays and defends really hard shift to shift, and has skill but always seems to make the right decisions. He plays a modern style and has what you want from a 5-foot-11 defenseman.
Photo:
Dennis Pajot / Getty Images
RHD
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Tier 5
Windsor
An excellent skater with athletic genes (he's the son of former CFL linebacker Eric Emery) who has taken noticeable steps in the way he sees the ice and passes, Emery is a projectable, right-shot two-way defender with pro qualities. Raised and developed in B.C., Emery's mom is Canadian but Eric is American, and he chose the NTDP to college route and committed to the University of North Dakota. Emery owns and commands his ice defensively, continues to show growth handling and transporting pucks, and has major steps that he can continue to take in his development. He's not going to be a power-play guy in upper levels, but he defends and skates well enough to project as an effective five-on-five defender and potential penalty killer.
Photo:
Rena Laverty / US-NTDP
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Tier 5
U18
Silayev has drawn the majority of the attention with Torpedo, but scouts have been impressed when they've watched that team by Artamonov, who is off to one of the better starts by a draft-age KHL forward in years, as well. He's a skilled and spatially-aware left-shot right winger who plays the game to get open and apply pressure when the puck gets to him. He knows who he is and how to best fit into a line, he plays within himself, and he allows the game — and the play — to come to him. I think he's got a little more of a finishing/goal-scoring element to his game than his statistical profile indicates, too.
LW
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Tier 5
Torpedo
One of the more productive rookies in the OHL last year, Sennecke was a standout on a young Oshawa team, earning Second All-Rookie Team honours and playing both wings successfully (he’s a right-handed shot but often played the left wing with would-be Avalanche draft pick Calum Ritchie, although has played right wing to start this year). He looked a little skinny when I first went to see him play last fall, and he still looked it at a recent viewing this fall, but his stride and shot, which both lacked power a year ago, made clear progress over the summer (his release, which has always been naturally quick, now has some oomph, and his skating has really smoothed out to help his rush game). He can definitely handle the puck. He’s got soft hands and a confidence on it, even under pressure spinning and weaving off the wall or attacking right into defenders with his stick skill. He also moves well in control, side-stepping checks and sticks nicely. He's impressively dexterous and does a good job catching bad passes and handling puck in his feet. But he does have a bad habit of playing one-on-one a little too much, which has frustrated some. He'll dangle past a defender once or twice a game, but also turn it over when there are better plays trying to be a hero. There are also times when he needs to empty the tank on the backcheck, but he has made more of an effort to finish his checks and battle through contact this year. Still, he has noticeable skill, he's one of Oshawa's only really creators in the absence of Ritchie (who is rehabbing from shoulder surgery still), and his feet and stick move in and out of unison to shade away from opposing reach-ins really well. He also sees through coverage well and — when he's not so focused on making the individual play — can really pass it through gaps in coverage. All in all, while he's a first-round talent, I'm not sold on him being a first-round pick.
Photo:
Terry Wilson / OHL Images
RW
🇨🇦
Tier 5
Oshawa
After playing his rookie season in a limited, at times even scratched role with the WHL-champion Seattle Thunderbirds, Tij, the son of Jarome Iginla and No. 9 pick in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft, was traded in June to Kelowna in a package which included a first-round and second-round draft pick. Since, he has taken off with the Rockets, regularly looking dangerous both off the rush and attacking inside the offensive zone. He's an excellent skater who can beat you in a straight-out race, cut past you laterally with quick weight shifts, or build speed through tight crossover patterns around the offensive zone. On the puck, he's a dangerous individual creator who can create in knifing bursts and works quickly to put defenders on their heels attacking on angles and jumps. He's also a fan favourite type who gets after it on the forecheck and involves himself in the play often. Add in NHL puck skill and a dangerous and heavy wrister that makes him a threat from mid-range, and you've got a fun player and prospect.
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Tier 5
Kelowna
An OK Hlinka Gretzky Cup soured some on Greentree, but he was well-liked last season for his consistency on a deep Spitfires team (consistency which led OHL rookies in goals with 25 and earned him a First All-Rookie Team nod) and he has got off to a productive start in a top-of-the-lineup role with a now-rebuilding team in Windsor — a team he leads in scoring early on. Greentree's game is about being around it. He finds his ways onto pucks inside the offensive zone, plays an opportunistic style, and then has decent skill and an NHL release (the puck comes off of his stick hard, and quickly, and hits his spots). I haven't seen a dynamic quality, and he isn't a burner, but he's got pro size and a well-rounded toolkit. He strikes me as the kind of player who often gets drafted in the second or third round, and maybe a little too high occasionally in the first.
Photo:
Tim Cornett / OHL Images
RW
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Tier 5
Windsor
One of the older players on this list as an October 2005, Zether’s profile so far reflects his age. He was a point-per-game J20 player and got appearances at U18 worlds and the World Jr. A Challenge already last season, and has taken a smart but at-times passive game to another level this season, earning a call-up to the SHL team and dominating his peers in ways he didn't a year ago. He has pro size to work with, an intelligent game built on plus-level vision, a head that’s always up, and hands that control the puck smoothly at a little over 6-foot-2. He’s got work to do to get a little quicker but he has made progress there and he's so good at knowing where to be and using spacing to his advantage that his average footspeed isn't noticeable. He reads the game at a high level, he’s got some skill, he’s a right-shot center who plays a reliable game, and he has started to take pucks to the interior and look to create for himself a little more instead of always making the efficient but low-upside play.
Photo:
Jari Pestelacci / Getti Images
C
🇸🇪
Tier 5
Rogle
A fourth-round pick in the WHL Bantam Draft who played at Edge School last year and went scoreless in five WHL games, Parascak has burst onto the scene this season, quickly climbing the lists of NHL scouts after scoring in each of his first four games of the season (including a four-goal, eight-shot, six-point third game of the year). He leads the WHL in goals early and earned back-to-back rookie of the week nods to start the year. And while he gets to play with the team's two drafted stars, Riley Heidt and Koehn Ziemmer, on the top power play, he doesn't play with them at 5-on-5 and has really clicked on a seperate line with import Ondrej Becher, giving the Cougars two of the league's dynamic duos early on. His off-puck timing and spatial awareness have so far defined his game, regularly getting into the right spots at the right time to bang home rebounds or tap-in backdoor passes. He anticipates play offensively at a high level, knows how to get open and play off of a driver (which Becher is), has a great wrister and one-touch shot from mid-range, always goes to the net when the play funnels there instead of hanging out wide, and has skill around the net and in tight to his body when challenged by defenders. He's not a flashy skater or individual playmaker off the rush but with timing and good skill he makes things happen offensively.
RW
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Tier 5
Prince George
Humphreys, who recently decommitted from Michigan State to commit to Michigan, has taken a noticeable step forward this season while predominantly centering Austin Baker (and occasionally Eiserman, who has spent some time on their left wing). There was a lot of talk heading into this year as to which non-Eiserman/Hagens forward from the 2006-born NTDP group would emerge, and so far Humphreys has stood out from the pack for me (though Bednarik gets that nod from most). Some of that growth has just been the physical kind, too. Humphreys, who scored five goals in his NTDP debut a year ago but was listed at 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds in his U17 year, is now an inch taller and 20 pounds heavier. That added strength has allowed him to get the most out of his talented and intelligent game. Humphreys has quick hands and a great feel for the game as a playmaker, which blend with a heady disposition and good instincts on and around the puck to create an interesting offensive package. I'm still not quite sure where I'm going to land on his NHL projection, but I've liked what I've seen from his development curve to this point.
C
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Tier 5
U18
Badinka's an interesting case study as a Czech who played last year in Finland and is playing this year in Sweden. He's also a November 2005. But despite being on the older side of the draft, he still led all under-18 defensemen (which included the draft class ahead of him) in scoring in Finland's top junior league last year, and has so far looked his age as a point per game defenseman in Sweden's junior level who was recently called up to the SHL team. Malmo's program has developed a bit of a reputation for how hard they've recruited players from outside Sweden, with a junior roster made up of Czechs, Slovaks, a Slovenian, and a bunch of Danes and Norwegians this season. Badinka has stood out within that group, playing with a presence about him at both ends. He's got size, moves the puck and sees the ice well, likes to carry it and influence play, plays hard and confidently, and takes space on both sides of the puck when it's there. He missed out on playing at U18 Worlds due to appendicitis, but I think he would have had some more buzz had he played.
RHD
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Tier 5
Malmo
Freij is a smooth-skating, strong-on-his-feet-and-his-edges defenseman who thrives in transition both ways, handles the puck comfortably and confidently on exits and past pressure, walks the line beautifully, and will roam and maneuver when opportunities present themselves inside the offensive zone (sometime to his detriment defensively). He's an aggressive and skilled defenseman who has the tools to defend better and just needs to buckle down a little more defensively and make better decisions with the puck (I think he reads play well, he's just a little too zealous on both sides and it comes with some mistakes). I'd be eager to work with him because there's some real potential there.
Photo:
Vaclav Salek / Associated Press
LHD
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Tier 5
Vaxjo
Ustinkov, who has already played games at the NL level (a very good pro league) for ZSC in parts of this season and last, and is an import selection of the London Knights but will play his draft year back in Switzerland, was really impressive as an underager at U18 worlds with Switzerland (who he represents internationally despite also having Russian citizenship) and played well again at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. A late-August birthday, he makes the right choices with the puck and reads without it, consistently on both fronts and in all three zones. He plays with a great deal of poise and maturity. His head is always on a swivel and he’s just a smart player who takes what’s given to him and advances and steers the play. He needs to get a little quicker getting back to pucks, etc., but that will come with age/strength. When he’s been on the ice, the Swiss national team has been able to hang with anybody. That says something. That he's played exclusively between the NL and second-tier SL pro levels this season (to decent underlying results) does too.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
LHD
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Tier 5
Zurich
One of the best skaters in the draft, Misa's a November 2005 who is in his third season in the OHL. He wins races and can create with his feet, regularly beating his man wide and getting a step on defenders for partial breaks. He's not the biggest kid and the knock on him in his first two years in the league was that he needed to use his speed to get to the middle third of the ice more, and play with a more competitive edge, but he has made noticeable progress on both fronts this year to emerge as one of the top scorers in the OHL and more of a driver of play at both ends.
Photo:
Brandon Soto / OHL Images
C
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Tier 5
Mississauga
The son of Eric Beaudoin, a former OHL captain and fourth-round NHL draft pick who played parts of three seasons in the NHL and had a successful career in Europe, Beaudoin plays a pro style and makes good reads and decisions around the ice. He's a big, strong, driven, hardworking, decently skilled player who carried over his standout play at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup into his second OHL season with an eight-points-in-four-games preseason. While his start to the regular season has been a little slower in production, he has gotten back into a rhythm of late, has played well in my viewings at both ends, and has created some good looks that haven't gone in. An incredible athlete in the gym, he already looks like a pro physically. Though he's not quick, he's a strong and sturdy skater when he gets into his stride, which allows him to get after it on the forecheck (where he excels) and drive play down ice. Beaudoin is a very well-rounded player who supports pucks well on both sides of the puck, protects pucks well against defenders, and can be relied upon defensively and offensively. He's already wearing a letter and I could see him as an OHL captain as early as next year.
Photo:
Terry Wilson / OHL Images
C
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Tier 5
Barrie
The first draft-eligible player to play in an SHL game this season and an alternate captain with Sweden's Hlinka team this summer, Pettersson is a smart and well-rounded two-way center who both has talent and understands how to get the most out of his game. He makes decisions quickly on the ice and shoots it quickly when he gets it in good spots, with a dangerously accurate snap shot and a confident one-touch shot. He's got great hands and an ability to delay and hesitate on defenders, freezing them off the rush so that he can cut past and gain an advantage. He's also a faster skater who does a good job forcing turnovers, intercepting passes, and creating breaks for himself. Plus, he's capable penalty killer who has worn a letter for his club and country. I'm a fan and could see him take a leap in the second half.
C
🇸🇪
Tier 5
MoDo
One of the most talented offensive defensemen in the draft, the small but skilled Felicio put up the most productive 16-year-old season by a defenseman in the history of the USHL last year and consistently drove offense and made plays for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which it otherwise lacked from its back end. This season, he's now playing at around a point per game, which if it stood would also put him right up there amongst the most productive draft-eligible seasons in league history. He’s an extremely mobile defender who walks the line and evades pressure as well as just about anyone in the draft, regularly sending opposing players the wrong way to attack past pressure, whether that’s on exits or to get into a more advantageous spot inside the offensive zone with the puck. He sees the ice at a very high level, uses excellent footwork to open lanes, and just flat-out makes plays. Though he’s on the smaller side, he also plays hard, engages, will play the body, likes to pinch to keep the play on offense, and manages a tight gap well. He might not be a first-round pick because of his size, but I like him at the edges of it. Even considering his size, I was surprised when NHL Central Scouting only gave him a 'W' rating (which "indicates a sixth-/seventh-round candidate) in their initial players to watch list.
LHD
🇺🇸
Tier 5
Madison
Bednarik's an easy player to like and is well-liked by scouts for his consistency and his know-how. He's a heady, methodical player who makes little plays all over the ice and does everything well without having the dynamic quality you'd see in a first-rounder. He's got well-rounded skill and has shown he can stir the drink and make a play depending on what's called for. He also plays to his linemates' strengths, which has made him a natural fit with Eiserman and Max Plante of late. I think we're going to see more offence out of him in college, too. He hasn't shown the flash of some of the other '06s at the program, but there's some talent there and he reads and anticipates play quite well.
Photo:
Rena Laverty / US-NTDP
C
🇺🇸
Tier 5
U18
Skahan’s a big, already 200-plus-pound defender with good mobility for his size and age and I think a little more offense to his game than his statistical profile suggests. He outlets the puck well, he’s got a heavy shot, and with his frame and mobility, scouts are intrigued by his potential defensively. His father, Sean, is also a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with the Minnesota Wild and Anaheim Ducks, so he comes by the power and strength in his game honestly. There’s a lot to work with there. I was expecting him to take a bigger step as a big-time two-way defenseman with the U18 team this year than he has so far, though, and that has slid him out of first-round consideration for me for the moment.
Photo:
Rena Laverty / US-NTDP
LHD
🇺🇸
Tier 5
U18
Surin is a talented and multi-dimensional offensive player who excels on the flank on the power play because of his plus-vision and a dangerously quickly release from mid-range. He can frustrate with his lack of discipline though, whether by trying to be too cute at five-on-five attempting unnecessary one-on-one plays, or by constantly taking careless penalties (scrums after the whistle, interference trying to be sly, high hits, stick infractions, etc.). Some of it you can live with because he's competing for possession and battling for pucks, or looking to play the body, but there are too many times in a game when he's reckless in his decision-making on and off the puck. I expect there will be teams that really like him because of his skill and fire, and others that think he doesn't have the head for the game and aren't sure he'll be able to play his style, at his size, against NHL competition.
C
🇷🇺
Tier 5
Yaroslavl
Fernstrom has impressed scouts this season on a team with fellow 2024 prospect Alexander Zetterberg, producing at a very high clip at the J20 level out of the gate (he has come back down to earth a little). He's a strong kid who who can stay over pucks and power through a variety of shot types, with an excellent one-timer and a heavy wrister. He has looked dangerous on the flank on his off-side on the power play this season, but also does a really good job hiding off of coverage and finding gaps to get open into in the offensive zone at five-on-five. While his skating can look hurried at times, it's actually quite strong. He shades away from sticks with the puck really well. I like the way he supports, tracks and gets the puck back defensively. I like the way he protects and shields it against defenders offensively. He's a competitor who works hard and likes to mix it up (and occasionally takes bad penalties). There's a lot to work with.
RW
🇸🇪
Tier 5
Örebro
One of two legitimate 2024 prospects who stayed at Shattuck instead of jumping into the USHL full-time, I've liked Zellers more than teammate Aidan Park whenever I've watched the pair this season (both at Shattuck and for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup). A North Dakota commit, Zellers does a wonderful job playing pucks into space and skating into them. He has legit touch and skill on the puck, and has scored some beautiful goals this season. I like his approach to offence and the way he uses the puck to create advantages for himself or his linemates. Drafting players out of the prep school circuit always comes with a longer timeline and a bit of a risk, but he looks like a B or B+ prospect to me.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
LW
🇺🇸
Tier 5
Shattuck
A name prospect out of Czechia for what feels like years now, Jecho, who has played in three Hlinkas, a U17 WHC, a U18 worlds, Finland, and now the WHL, is a huge center (though he has also played a lot of wing coming up and isn't particularly strong in the faceoff circle) with decent skills. He's an average skater who moves well for his size. He can shoot and handle the puck, with a wrister that comes off quickly. He protects pucks well and will make the odd soft area play. He has learned to work and use his frame off the puck to become a more rounded player defensively. But while NHL Central Scouting and some scouts I've talked to view him as a first-rounder, I'm not there. He doesn't generate enough looks for himself individually and remains too much of an off-puck player on his lines to be considered a first-round talent for me (even though he does a good job reading play off of the puck to pick his spots to drive the middle lane or get open out wide). I expect that he tops out as a bottom-six type.
C
🇨🇿
Tier 5
Edmonton
Playing on a line with Lindstrom this season, Basha, who is a couple of inches taller than he was a year ago, has looked good. He's a good skater who gets off the mark quickly and attacks in short bursts. And while he has excellent hands, he doesn't hold onto the puck too long (a common problem for players with his skill set), instead using a two-touch short or a quick handle into a deft pass back against the grain to make the majority of his plays. His patience then becomes a utility rather than a crutch, only going to it when he needs to, and relying on quick reads the rest of the time. He has also shown a willingness to forecheck, play through bumps, and fight for positioning and possession. He makes plays under sticks and through feet and into space, he thrives moving off the puck in and out of five-and-gos, and he has legitimate skill.
Photo:
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images
LW
🇨🇦
Tier 5
Medicine Hat
An A-rated skater by NHL Central Scouting, Shuravin has impressed scouts the last few weeks with his play defensively at the KHL level after an early October call-up. He has played a limited role but he has handled it well and done a really nice job limiting the opposing team to mostly subdued looks while he's been out there. He's a strong skater who gaps and angles well, with balanced posture skating backwards and comfort transitioning from his heels to his toes to close or to step back after accepting a pass and then move forward. Though his statistical profile is a little lacking, he does see the offensive zone well and has executed some heady passes in my viewings. Beyond the odd seam pass and carry below the goal line, though, his game offensively is pretty vanilla and he hasn't shown much of an ability to beat opposing players one-on-one (without holding it out wide to prevent them from reaching in, at least).
LHD
🇷🇺
Tier 5
CSKA
Gridin, a Russian import to the USHL, is off to one of the hottest starts in North American junior hockey, leading a strong Muskegon team in scoring out of the gate. He's got skill on the puck and a quick NHL look to his release. He regularly tries and pulls off difficult, clever little moments on the ice to snake his way out of trouble or play pucks through or past defenders. Part of that is a credit to his ability to think and adapts quickly on the ice (I've seen him lift his head from a pass reception and make a number of instinctual, no-panic plays under immediate pressure in a split second). He has also taken positive steps away from the puck to round out his game. Add in decent size and good skating and there's a lot to like. If he keeps it up, he'll climb my list further. He committed earlier this week to the University of Michigan.
RW
🇷🇺
Tier 5
Muskegon
The first time I watched Max Plante play, I was scouting his older brother, Zam, now a Penguins prospect and then a star at Hermantown High. Immediately, Max stood out even next to his older brother for his dynamic puck-handling ability. Where Zam's game was about smarts, Max's was all about having the puck. When I was done the viewing on tape, the pair had toyed with the opposition and I texted a Minnesota-area NHL scout to say this: "That Max Plante is a demon." A year later, he was predictably named to the national program. But there was a hitch: He was really tiny. So even when he made plays in his U17 year, it always seemed to come with a but. Now he has grown a couple of inches and the playmaking has continued. He has also clearly worked hard to round out his game, becoming more of an all-around player and worker when he doesn't have it. I'm a fan of the skill level but also the way he plays the game, which has an increasingly endearing quality to it. I could see him surprising some people to become a skilled and determined NHLer, even if 5-foot-10 is as tall as he gets.
Photo:
Rena Laverty / US-NTDP
LW
🇺🇸
Tier 5
U18
Park is equal parts talented and competitive. He's got a desire to win and stay on pucks and plays the game with pace, whether that's hunting or pushing through arms and sticks to drive to the slot or the net in control of the puck. He then has excellent hands in tight when he gets there, which allows him to tuck and finish plays around the crease and has made him a tremendous bumper/goal-line guy for Shattuck's power play. He keeps his feet moving to stay involved, get open, and track pucks, and has shown he can play both center and right wing. A University of Michigan commit, he's not going to follow the one-and-done or two-and-done path that many have with the Wolverines, but he's a legitimate NHL prospect who should become an impactful collegiate player in time.
Photo:
Steven Ellis / Daily Faceoff
C
🇺🇸
Tier 5
Shattuck
Tier 6
Viewed by many as the star D prospect in the American 2006 class when he arrived at the program, Whipple has become more of a good piece of the puzzle with the national team than the quote-unquote guy. He's a solid player though, with a competitive spirit and decent tools and skill. It took him some time to find out who he was and then to make better decisions on both sides of the puck, but he's figuring it out. He can defend, make reads, move it, and will execute difficult plays fairly consistently. I still think he's got another level to find in college hockey if the right team is willing to be patient.
Photo:
Rena Laverty / US-NTDP
LHD
🇺🇸
Tier 6
U18
The diminutive Zetterberg, a natural center who NHL teams will probably scout as a winger, is a lot of fun to watch and on talent and skating (he’s got great speed, which helps to offset some of the strength deficiencies when he’s playing down the middle), continues to belong on this list even as he works to find another level production-wise (which he's going to need for teams to believe in him as an NHLer, even if they all like his game at the junior). He’s got a magnetic ability with the puck and because of his light, airy skating mechanics he’s able to dart past defenders in transition, knife through coverage and quickly escape the boards out of won foot races in order to avoid having to engage in too many battles along the wall. Even if he gets a call-up and shows he can hang in the pro ranks this season, there are teams that won’t want to use a top-two-rounds pick on him. But he has been a front-line player consistently internationally and he has shown he can be defensively sound as a center within his age group. He plays at his pace and dictates against his peers with his vision and poise on the puck.
C
🇸🇪
Tier 6
Orebro
A talented offensive winger with an aggressive approach, Vuollet has played up with the pro club in SHL and Champions Hockey League actions this season, and has looked threatening whenever he has played at the J20 level with his peers. His most dangerous tool is his NHL-caliber one-touch shot. If you leave him open and find him, he doesn't need time and space to get his shot off. He generates great power dropping to one knee to push through his shot, without needing to wind-up to connect with it or dust it off. He's also a heady offensive player on the puck so that while his focus is on challenging defenders, he also sees the ice and facilitates into space for his linemates well. And while he's on the older side of this draft and he's not the biggest kid, he's one of the better Swedish-born prospects in this class for me.
LW
🇸🇪
Tier 6
Skelleftea
The No. 1 pick in the 2022 QMJHL draft, Lavoie hasn't produced or shown the offence you'd expect out of a player of that notoriety coming out of minor hockey, but he's now playing huge, tough minutes in the league, regularly logging 25-plus a game. He looks heavy out there, with skating that can kick and splay out, which has limited his ability to play in transition offensively with his feet and at times one-on-one defending faster players. But he moves pucks efficiently, has a good head for the game, and plays an effective, trusted style. While he doesn't look like a star prospect anymore, I do think with the right development that he could become a solid third-pairing type in the NHL in time.
RHD
🇨🇦
Tier 6
Cape Breton
Galvas is a small but talented defenseman who skates effortlessly and already has his first pro goal and assist at Czechia's top level after dominating their junior level offensively out of the gate. He's a natural handler who blends good touch with his four-way mobility to rotate around coverage, shape play crossing over and maneuvering across the blue line, or carry pucks past the first layer of pressure. I like the way he jumps in and out of coverage while still recognizing where his responsibilities are and when he needs to hop back out to the blue line. I like the way he jumps on pucks and gets them out of danger so that he can spend less time defending. He makes little plays under pressure to seamlessly outlet pucks from his own zone, uses his feet to annoy opposing carriers as much as a player his size can, and thinks the game at an advanced level all over the ice to limit some of his physical deficiencies. There aren't many defensemen his size in the NHL, so there's some inherent risk there, but he has fit in at the pro level nicely and with some more strength and reps maybe there's something there. He'll be a good AHLer at minimum.
LHD
🇨🇿
Tier 6
Liberec
One of the best passers in the draft, Caswell is an elusive and slippery playmaker who facilitates into open space beautifully. He has a knack for drawing coverage and then using the gaps that have been vacated to play pucks back into for his linemates. The No. 6 pick in the 2021 WHL Bantam Draft, Caswell receives mixed reviews from scouts, with some praising his sixth-sense in the offensive zone on the puck, and others questioning whether he has the roundedness in the rest of his game that he'll need to make his pass-first style work up levels. He needs to get to the slot and score more if he's going to get picked in the draft's first two rounds, but he does have some unique attributes and I could see him becoming one of the WHL's more productive forwards in a couple of seasons.
Photo:
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images
LW
🇨🇦
Tier 6
Swift Current
Patterson was a player I was eager to dial in on this fall after I'd heard good things about him coming out of the OJHL and into the OHL from a couple of sources. Sixteen-year-olds don't often lead their teams in scoring by 19 points or go for 30 goals and 70-plus points in 50-something games in the OJHL (although he did play on a bad team where his defensive responsibilities weren't the focus). I've liked what I've seen from him with the Colts as a rookie in his draft year so far as well. He had some learning to do defensively to start the year in the OHL in terms of picking up marks and keeping his feet moving, but he has adjusted quickly and shown a real commitment to improving his play off of the puck and upping his pace when he doesn't have it (he has really got after it and shown a real desire to get to pucks so that he can make plays of late). He's a strong skater and athlete. He's fairly strong on pucks and in the faceoff circle. He goes to the net, attacks the middle third, and plays a direct attacking style offensively. He shoots it hard, gets it off quickly, and has good feel around the slot. He executes little slip plays one-on-one to take pucks under defenders and to the net. He plays with confidence, he's very vocal, and he wants to take the space that's offered. I think the points are going to start to come in Barrie (it sounds like a couple potential assists are actually under review by the league and may be updated as well). The Colts paid a lot to acquire him, sending six draft picks to Flint, who owned his right (he was previously a Michigan State commit). I was pretty surprised when NHL Central Scouting didn't even list him on their players to watch list (he's the only unlisted player ranked here, though a couple of others are in my honourable mentions). I wasn't alone in that either. In fact, I heard from an OHL GM and an OHL head coach who were “shocked” he wasn’t on it. Sounds like there are multiple NHL clubs who've expressed interest in him early on as well.
Photo:
Terry Wilson / OHL Images
C
🇨🇦
Tier 6
Barrie
Mateiko really caught my eye as captain of the Latvians at U18 Worlds, to the point where I found myself texting sources about him after each Latvia game. Though he only registered two points in five games, he could have had a couple more and the Latvians only scored six goals in all. He's got good skill and soft hands for a 6-foot-4 kid, and while his stride can still look a little choppy, he can really move out there and it quickly went from being awkward to arguably above-average. He gets after it and uses his pro frame well, he has shown he can attack at defenders one-on-one and protect pucks in possession, he stays above pucks defensively, and he has just made a ton of progress since the start of last year with the Sea Dogs develop a layered game. Though the Sea Dogs named 20-year-old Peter Reynolds as captain of their young team this year, I know they considered Mateiko even though he's a draft-eligible as well (would have been a particularly rare nod as an import player, too). I could see him becoming a depth NHLer.
LW
🇱🇻
Tier 6
Saint John
Danford doesn't maybe have the statistical profile you'd look for out of a second- or third-rounder, and some scouts are hesitant about his offensive game, but he has the respect of a lot of people around the OHL and the Generals gave him a letter for his draft year (and I know they considered naming him captain and likely will at some point). He gets high marks as a person and as a player he takes care of his own end first but is developing his offensive instincts and starting to take more chances off of the line and involve himself in more plays around the O-zone. His skating is just OK but not an issue. More importantly, the details are already there (stick placement, gap control, reads, positioning, etc.). I've also seen him show more comfort under pressure to beat the first layer of late and better and better choices atop the blue line to work off of his teammates and use space to his advantage. I did nearly rank defensemen Marcus Kearsey, Eric Burger and Mathieu Taillefer in his place, though.
Photo:
Terry Wilson / OHL Images
RHD
🇨🇦
Tier 6
Oshawa
Tier Honourable Mention
RW
🇷🇺
Tier Honourable Mention
Ufa
LW
🇺🇸
Tier Honourable Mention
U18
C
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Baie-Comeau
C
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Rimouski
LHD
🇸🇪
Tier Honourable Mention
Orebro
C
🇨🇿
Tier Honourable Mention
Tri-City
C
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Chicoutimi
LW
🇺🇸
Tier Honourable Mention
U18
LHD
🇸🇪
Tier Honourable Mention
Farjestad
G
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Owen Sound
LHD
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Charlottetown
LW
🇨🇿
Tier Honourable Mention
Ilves
RW
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Shawinigan
G
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Mississauga
C
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
St. Andrew's
RW
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Lethbridge
LHD
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Ottawa
RHD
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Oshawa
LHD
🇩🇪
Tier Honourable Mention
Mannheim
LHD
🇨🇭
Tier Honourable Mention
Zug
G
🇸🇪
Tier Honourable Mention
Djurgarden
RW
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Baie-Comeau
RHD
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Vancouver
C
🇫🇮
Tier Honourable Mention
KalPa
LHD
🇷🇺
Tier Honourable Mention
Chelyabinsk
RHD
🇫🇮
Tier Honourable Mention
Ilves
LW
🇸🇪
Tier Honourable Mention
Frolunda
LW
🇺🇸
Tier Honourable Mention
U18
C
🇫🇮
Tier Honourable Mention
Kiekko-Espoo
LW
🇺🇸
Tier Honourable Mention
Fargo
RHD
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Brooks
LW
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Brantford
RW
🇷🇺
Tier Honourable Mention
CSKA
RW
🇨🇦
Tier Honourable Mention
Calgary
RW
🇺🇸
Tier Honourable Mention
U18
About this story: Editing by Naoko Asano, Sarah Jean Maher and Ambika Sharma. Development by Marc Mazzoni. Design by Sean Reilly. Photos by Michael Miller / ISI Photos / Getty Images; MSU Athletics; Jari Pestelacci / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images.
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