While most of the NHL’s upper-class have secured playoff berths over the past week, nine teams have secured a much worse fate: mathematical elimination. For these unlucky (or straight-up pitiful) few, there remains a small light at the end of the tunnel: the NHL Entry Draft.
Let’s take a look at some of the top young talents available for the NHL’s bottom-feeders in June.
First Overall: San Jose Sharks
The 2023-24 campaign for the Sharks has been nothing short of disastrous, but all will be forgiven should they land the first selection of the draft.
Best Player Available (BPA): Macklin Celebrini:
Celebrini has been the clear-cut top option since the first day of the season and has done nothing to dissuade scouts across the league. Celebrini has been one of (if not the) best players in NCAA hockey this year as a freshman and is a finalist for the Hobey Baker, the prize for the top college player of the year.
At 6’0”, Celebrini isn’t huge, but he is physically adept, aggressive with the puck, and has several highly coveted tools. Celebrini is fast and agile, has a cannon of a shot, an excellent puck handle, and excellent playmaking and IQ to boot. While it may take him a season or two to adjust to the NHL pace—especially with a weak supporting cast on whichever team he lands—it is easy to see him becoming a dynamic, offensive first-line centre at the next level.
Two: Chicago Blackhawks
Despite Connor Bedard’s rookie year, the Blackhawks were miserable this year. Should they add another top-two pick to their team to go along with Bedard, Kevin Korchinski, Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore, they’ll have one of the best young cores in the league to build around.
BPA: Ivan Demidov:
Demidov is clearly the best player available after Celebrini. While he may fall in the draft because he is Russian, there is no one in this draft other than Celebrini with higher upside.
Demidov is the textbook definition of dynamic. What sticks out immediately is his puck handling, which is otherworldly, allowing him to make plays that pull fans out of their seats and defenders onto their asses. He combines this with a strong shot, high-end skating, and both vision and playmaking abilities, all complimented by his ability to create space for himself through his handle.
Demidov can be guilty of doing too much, and—playing in a lower-tier league—he’s often able to get away with attempts that he certainly will not at higher levels. hat said, he is one of the most skilled, toolsy players to be available at the draft in the past five years, and any team that passes on him risks sincerely regretting it.
Three: Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks have been mired in a five-year rebuild and are likely to appear in the top three for a second straight year. Will 2024 be the year they get the final piece of the puzzle?
BPA: Berkly Catton:
This is where the field opens up and where this article may begin to diverge from consensus. Aytrom Levshunov and Cayden Lindstrom are who are likely viewed as the two best players for this slot, but, like Demidov, Catton is such a dynamic player that his skill is hard to pass on.
Catton finished his regular season in the WHL as the top-scoring prospect in all of Canadian junior hockey with 54 goals and 116 points in 68 games. He plays a lot of minutes and is heavily relied upon by his team (which accounts for some of his high-scoring numbers) but also has tremendous skill.
Catton is a triple-threat offensive player, boasting a high-end transition game, both in his speed and agility, an almost sixth sense for playmaking, and a quick, accurate shot. His defensive game is not a strength, but only the two players ranked ahead of him say they are as skilled.
Four: Columbus Blue Jackets
Once again, the Blue Jackets find themselves as one of the worst teams in the league. However, in a defenceman-heavy draft, with their two top prospects (Adam Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk) both defencemen and Zach Werenski locked up long-term, they find themselves in an interesting position.
BPA: Cayden Lindstrom:
While this draft has many strong options at D, it would be tough to envision a team letting Cayden Lindstrom fall past this point. After being out for half the season there is more uncertainty, but he is a tantalizing prospect who could end up as high as second overall.
Lindstrom is a big dude, standing at over 6’4” and 215 pounds, but that is certainly not all he has to offer. Lindstrom offers a combination of excellent body positioning and control that allows him to dominate possession and attack off the rush, while also possessing small-area skill to score and distribute tight to the net. Lindstrom is the dream archetype for a top-six centre; physical, aggressive, skilled and poised.
Five: Arizona Coyotes
BPA: Zeev Buium:
With the top forward options likely exhausted by this point, the Coyotes will likely be taking a defenceman with this slot. However, there is no more dynamic option than Zeev Buium.
As another NCAA freshman, Buium was more than up to the challenge. His puck handling and elusiveness along the offensive blueline make him a constant threat. His top speed and mechanics aren’t spectacular, but Buium still makes the most of his skating abilities. He can shoot, he can pass, and he can even defend capably, even if it is a work in progress. Buium has one of the highest ceilings in the draft and can very likely become an impact, top-pair offensive catalyst.
Six: Montreal Canadiens
BPA: Sam Dickinson:
This is a bit of a tough slot for the Habs. Especially after drafting David Reinbacher last summer, they’d love to walk away from the table with a high-end forward. While one of Demidov or Catton could still fall to them here, more likely than not they’re ending up with a defenceman, though Dickinson is a solid consolation prize.
Dickinson isn’t a particularly flashy player but is solid and projectable in almost every area. Dickinson is a very effective defender, both in closing gaps off the rush and sticking with his man on in-zone coverage. He wins puck battles at a high rate and projects to be a top-four matchup defenceman with some offensive upside.
Seven: Ottawa Senators
BPA: Atryom Levshunov:
There are a few directions the Sens could go with this pick, but almost all the paths lead to selecting a defenceman.
Levshunov is one of the highest-ranked defenders in prospect circles and some have suggested he could go as high as second overall. He’s a big defenceman and the third NCAA freshman likely going in the top 10. Levshunov is a very mobile defenceman and puts that skillset to good use, frequently activating as the weak-side D and often leading the rush himself. He is also confident with the puck on his stick in-zone, playing through pressure and using his vision and shot to make plays.
Though Levshunov is physically aggressive, his defensive game still has warts and he can get caught doing too much with the puck. Levshunov, as mentioned, has been highly talked about and likely won’t be available this late and has a good chance of surpassing Buium and Dickinson as the top defender in the draft.
Eight: Calgary Flames
BPA: Anton Silayev:
While it’s difficult to see the Flames passing on Tij Iginla in this spot (son of Flames legend Jarome Iginla), Silayev is probably the top option available and is likely to go ahead of players like Catton and Buium due to his physical attributes.
Standing at an imposing 6’7, Silayev grabbed the scouting community’s attention early in the season by posting strong scoring in Russia’s top league, even if the process hadn’t caught up with the numbers. He’s cooled significantly since then but still has a lot to offer.
Silayev’s offensive ceiling is debatable. His decision-making is so-so, but he has shown flashes of poise playing in the second-best league in the world. He takes a lot of shots but could improve in this area. His best offensive asset is his mobility, which is particularly impressive for his size. This is also likely his best asset on defence. He is a very capable rush defenceman and can close gaps using his feet. Silayev also has a disruptive defensive stick to complement his skating, creating a well-rounded defensive game that still has room to grow. If Silayev can add more muscle and bring more consistency to his offensive game, he should end up as a high-end top-four defenceman.
Nine: Seattle Kraken
BPA: Zayne Parekh: Without any big game-breaking talents throughout their roster and several good-but-not-elite prospects in their system, Seattle may look to take a swing with this pick. There is a lot of risk attached, but if Parekh hits, a swing will be well worth it.
Besides maybe Buium, Parekh has the highest offensive upside of any defenceman in this draft. Parekh can skate, shoot, handle and holds supreme confidence with the puck on his stick. He had a record-breaking year in the OHL as a result, finishing with 33 goals and 96 points. Parekh is active in joining the rush, skating with the puck, and creating shots for himself. He can suffer from tunnel vision and get himself and his teammates into difficult situations, but—as the numbers show—he’s an individual offensive force the likes of which we’ve rarely seen. Some have questioned if his style of play will translate to offence in the NHL, but the biggest qualm by far is his defending.
Parekh is not a strong defender, and barring a serious change, doesn’t project to be. Parekh gives away the puck a lot, does not defend the rush well and has mediocre positioning in-zone.
The risk with Parekh is twofold: first, will he be able to earn a coach’s trust at higher levels with his poor defending, and second, will the offence come at the next level at a high enough rate to justify this? That said, if he becomes as good as his OHL numbers, Parekh will almost certainly become a top-pair, potentially a number one defenceman, however much of a long-shot that may be.
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While these are the best options for those teams already eliminated, there are still many prospects worth keeping your eye on.
Tij Iginla: Iginla is no nepo-baby. He plays a very professional game and has improved in almost every facet over his WHL career, an improvement that has continued throughout an outlandish scoring run to start the playoffs. He is a high-end puck carrier with a tight, powerful stride that weaves him through the neutral zone and allows him to be a voracious forechecker. While he’s an underrated playmaker, his booming shot is his standout skill.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard: A Norwegian forward playing in second-tier Sweden, MBN is a fast, physical, 200-foot player who should have no trouble finding a way into an NHL lineup. He has a hard shot that can come off his stick in a variety of ways, though he doesn’t create many chances for himself except off the rush. He projects as a high-end complementary forward with goal-scoring upside.
Liam Greentree: One of the top forwards in the OHL this season, Greentree has a well-balanced offensive game, though without high-end skating, may lack a degree of dynamism. Outside of the skating, Greentree does almost everything well. He has a hard shot, great puck handling, excellent positioning and wins a lot of puck battles.
Konsta Helenius: Among the youngest players in Finland’s top league, Helenius has acclimated himself very well, even if he doesn’t have that jump-of-the-page offensive talent. He’s very smart and has a high motor, projecting to be a defensively responsible pivot with some offensive upside.
Carter Yakemchuk: Like Parekh, as another offensively gifted defenceman with some serious warts, Yakemchuk is a bit of a risk. He is likely the best shooter among the defence cohort, paired with excellent and dynamic puck handling and supreme confidence. And like Parekh, he is a so-so skater with poor defensive habits across the board, but at 6’4” he has more upside in this area if he can iron some things out.
