The 2024 NHL draft is full. After Macklin Celebrini went first total to the San Jose Sharks, there have been many twists and turns all through the occasion.
From sure prospects dropping to others going effectively above their pre-draft rating to the Utah Hockey Membership making main trades on Day 2, it was a wild weekend.
Now that every one 225 alternatives have been made, what stands out essentially the most? ESPN reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski determine the picks, trades and moments we’ll keep in mind most — for higher or worse.
WINNERS
Holding the draft at Sphere
Hockey followers ought to take a second to thank UFC for serving to to create essentially the most aesthetically spectacular NHL draft ever held.
The NHL knew it had one weekend on which to schedule the draft, due to the late finish of the Stanley Cup Last and the start of free company on July 1. The NHL knew it wished to carry the even in Las Vegas, as each a preferred vacation spot for crew personnel and a banger of a farewell celebration if that is the final in-person draft. One downside: T-Cell Area, residence of the Vegas Golden Knights and the logical place for the draft, was booked for UFC 303.
So Steve Mayer, NHL chief content material officer, and his group pursued a extra bold different: Sphere in Las Vegas, the James Dolan-owned leisure orb beforehand greatest identified to hockey followers because the place the place the Nashville Predators did not get to look at U2 carry out. The end result was an NHL draft like no different and a landmark second for the power, which hosted its first (of many) sporting occasions.
The league used the peak of Sphere to create unbelievable imagery, from a draft board that cascaded into the sky to transferring photos of a whole lot of draft picks in a large collage. Each decide felt epic, each inside Sphere and outdoors, the place they had been broadcasted to the remainder of The Strip on the outside of the constructing.
However essentially the most memorable use of the constructing was, after all, the commerce horn. Followers just like the NHL draft for the offers as a lot as as prospects. Leaning into that, the NHL had an ostentatious aim horn sound and graphics take over Sphere when a commerce was introduced. From the blockbusters to the decide swaps, each deal caught the followers’ consideration with the loudest enviornment gimmick for the reason that Columbus Blue Jackets aim cannon. From sights to sounds, Sphere was a singular expertise. — Wyshynski
The San Jose Sharks
Free company hasn’t even began, and the argument could possibly be made that the Sharks have had one of many strongest offseasons within the NHL as a result of they added a pair of top-six facilities. That is what it meant for them to draft Boston College freshman middle Macklin Celebrini with the primary decide after signing Boston Faculty freshman middle Will Smith, their first-rounder from final yr, to an entry-level contract.
Again when the Sharks began their rebuild, the aim was to middle it across the kind of elite gamers they felt might develop into franchise cornerstones, much like what’s been executed in Colorado, Edmonton, Dallas and Florida.
Celebrini reiterated that he would weigh his choices relating to both signing with the Sharks or returning to BU, whereas Smith might be in coaching camp. No matter Celebrini decides, normal supervisor Mike Grier added a pair of top-six facilities who might be on team-friendly contracts each time Celebrini does be a part of the crew.
And keep in mind, they strengthened their farm system considerably by including defenseman Sam Dickinson with their second first-rounder. Excessive marks throughout for Grier and his entrance workplace. — Clark
It was essentially the most wholesomely unwholesome second from Friday’s first spherical when the Anaheim Geese introduced Beckett Sennecke as their third total decide — and a surprised Sennecke mouthed “what the f—?” to his equally shocked dad and mom earlier than they embraced.
Naturally, Sennecke’s response made the social media rounds. At a draft the place the No. 1 total decide was all however confirmed for months forward of time, it was a pleasant distinction to see Sennecke’s trustworthy astonishment at seeing his personal dream come true much more rapidly than he anticipated it could. — Shilton
Beckett Sennecke has superb response to being drafted No. 3 by the Geese
Beckett Sennecke is chosen by the Anaheim Geese with the No. 3 decide within the 2024 NHL draft.
Faculty hockey
The victories school hockey had in Las Vegas began Thursday on the NHL Awards, when NCAA merchandise Connor Hellebuyck (Vezina Trophy) and Quinn Hughes (Norris Trophy) took residence {hardware}. It stored going into Friday with Celebrini going first and the Chicago Blackhawks choosing Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov No. 2. Collectively, Celebrini and Levshunov grew to become the second school hockey gamers to go 1-2 at a draft since 2021 when College of Michigan teammates Owen Energy and Matty Beniers had been chosen with the primary two picks.
One other layer to Celebrini and Levshunov going 1-2 is how the school sport continues to draw elite gamers past the USA. In Celebrini’s case, he grew to become the fifth first-round decide from Canada since 2016 who both performed school hockey or was dedicated to a school program of their draft yr. It is a group that features Cale Makar, Owen Energy, Kent Johnson and Adam Fantilli. It’s kind of of a pattern now, contemplating there have been solely three Canadians that both performed school hockey or had been dedicated to a program who had been taken within the first spherical between 1993 and 2015.
Celebrini, Levshunov and Zeev Buium had been the three school gamers who went within the first spherical. However there have been additionally six USHL gamers who went within the first spherical, and all of them are presently slated to play school hockey along with St. Andrew’s Faculty middle Dean Letourneau, who is ready to play at Boston Faculty within the fall. — Clark
Norwegian hockey
There have been solely 9 Norwegians who’ve ever made it to the NHL. And but the nation had 4 gamers get drafted in 2024, with two of them coming within the first spherical. It began when the Detroit Crimson Wings drafted Michael Brandsegg-Nygard with the fifteenth decide, turning into the primary Norwegian to ever go within the first spherical. Eight picks later, the Geese drafted one other Norwegian, Stian Solberg.
Only for context, the primary Norwegian to play within the NHL was Bjorn Skaare, who performed as soon as for the Crimson Wings through the 1978-79 season. It is a path that was later traveled by Espen Knutsen, Andreas Martinsen and present Norwegian nationwide crew captain Peter Thoreson, earlier than Mats Zuccarello grew to become the nation’s most distinguished participant, with 636 factors in 835 video games.
Zuccarello and Tampa Bay Lightning prospect defenseman Emil Martinsen Lilleberg had been the one Norwegians to play within the NHL through the 2023-24 season. However with Brandsegg-Nygard and Solberg going within the first — whereas 4 Norwegians as an entire had been drafted — it seems this could possibly be one thing of a golden age for Norwegian hockey. — Clark
The Utah Hockey Membership
Welcome to the NHL!
Proprietor Ryan Smith famous that the league’s latest crew was getting boos from the group with out having performed a single sport but — perhaps the primary inkling of a geographic rivalry between Vegas and Salt Lake Metropolis. If UHC wished to make a giant first impression, then mission completed. GM Invoice Armstrong chosen some of the distinguished names within the first spherical in Kelowna ahead Tij Iginla, son of Hockey Corridor of Famer Jarome Iginla.
Then he opened Day 2 with the weekend’s largest blockbuster, buying defensemen Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning and John Marino from the New Jersey Devils.
As Armstrong stated, his crew can rating, however wanted assistance on the again finish, and boldly sought it out on the draft. My how instances have modified: Might you ever think about Armstrong buying and selling for a participant with seven years and $56.59 million left on his contract as GM of the Arizona Coyotes? Free company ought to be enjoyable instances in Salt Lake Metropolis. — Wyshynski
Utah Hockey Membership selects Tij Iginla with first-ever decide
Tij Iginla turns into the primary participant to be drafted by the Utah Hockey Membership enlargement franchise.
The Golden Knights had really impeccable timing, buying and selling goaltender Logan Thompson to Washington on Saturday morning proper earlier than Thompson was set to do an autograph signing session for hometown followers at Sphere. Thompson stated he was at residence in mattress when GM Kelly McCrimmon referred to as to share information of the deal, and the goaltender might have simply skipped out on following by means of with the meet and greet.
However Thompson stored it stylish and went to Sphere anyway to cycle by means of an extended line of Golden Knights’ trustworthy who got here for his signature — and now, an opportunity to say goodbye (and thanks). Credit score to Thompson for benefiting from an unexpectedly poor scenario and honoring one last dedication in Vegas earlier than his subsequent chapter begins. — Shilton
Logan Thompson is a champ for staying to signal autographs and take photos with followers half-hour after being traded. pic.twitter.com/sJ2QByxorT
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) June 29, 2024
LOSERS
Goaltenders within the first spherical
No goaltenders had been taken within the first spherical this yr. No goaltenders had been taken within the first spherical final yr. There wasn’t a goaltender taken within the first spherical in 2022, both. Altogether, it means there hasn’t been an NHL crew that is taken a goalie within the first spherical since 2021. Metallurg Magnitogorsk’s Ilya Nabokov was the primary goalie off the board, drafted No. 38 total by the Colorado Avalanche.
Crimson Wings prospect Sebastian Cossa and Minnesota Wild prospect Jesper Wallstedt had been the 2 goalies who had been first-round picks in 2021. What’s it about goaltenders that has led to them being shut out of the primary spherical? Might or not it’s potential that it has one thing to do with the truth that extra goalies taken within the later rounds are having success? None of this season’s Vezina Trophy finalists had been first-round picks, whereas the final three Vezina Trophy winners had been drafted no larger than 118th.
Whereas there hasn’t been a goalie drafted within the first spherical since 2021, there was a time when it was a reasonably widespread prevalence. There was at the least one goalie drafted within the first spherical from 2019 by means of 2021. However when it comes to what the figures have seemed like since 2014? The NHL has had 5 drafts (2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021) when a goalie went within the first spherical, with six drafts (2014, 2016, 2022, 2023 and 2024) wherein a goalie wasn’t taken till Day 2. — Clark
Having to rationalize a problematic decide
When Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon described his nineteenth total decide Trevor Connelly, he described the participant’s high-end expertise and offensive ability. Absent was something about his character, till he was requested about it.
“We’ve a consolation stage that this can be a participant that can characterize our group as we might anticipate any participant to take action,” he stated.
Many consider Connelly fell to No. 19 due to two incidents as a youthful participant. When he was 16, he posted a picture to Snapchat of a swastika made with constructing blocks within the kids’s space of a library. In line with The Athletic, his crew the Lengthy Island Gulls dropped him after that. In 2021, he was accused of directing a racial slur at an opponent throughout a sport and was suspended, though the California Novice Hockey Affiliation lifted the ban when it could not corroborate the accusation. Connelly has denied utilizing a slur.
McCrimmon would not elaborate on what Connelly instructed him to ease any issues, though Connelly himself instructed the Related Press that he knowledgeable groups that “I’ve put in lots of work in myself and executed lots of issues locally and volunteered quite a bit.”
That form of imprecise hand-waving may need labored previously, however followers are demanding extra from groups that make this type of decide at the moment. It is one factor for McCrimmon is say his crew’s “due diligence may be very intensive” and that Connelly had “some development and a few recognition of areas the place he made errors.” It is one other to elucidate what any of that really means, given the circumstances. — Wyshynski
Swedish hockey
Whereas Norway had a second, Sweden had its lowest variety of gamers chosen for the reason that 2015 draft, when simply 19 Swedes had been chosen. This season, that quantity was 22 gamers from Sweden taken, fourth most behind Canada (87), the U.S. (39) and Russia Federation (27).
Maybe the most important indication that this wasn’t essentially the most strong yr for Swedish prospects: They did not have a participant chosen within the first spherical of the draft. The primary Swede drafted was middle Lucas Pettersson of MODO Jr. at No. 35 total to the Anaheim Geese.
In line with ESPN Stats & Data, 2010 was the final earlier yr {that a} Swedish participant wasn’t taken within the first spherical. It is the fourth time it is occurred within the final 25 years (2024, 2010, 2004, 2003). Previous to this yr, the final time no Swede was picked within the high 10 was 2015; Joel Eriksson Ek was the primary Swedish participant taken, twentieth total that yr. — Wyshynski
No participant trades on Night time 1
The NHL had put in a kitschy aim horn graphic (and sound impact!) at Sphere for use when golf equipment made a commerce. However it took some time for that factor to get any use — as a result of not one normal supervisor made a major commerce throughout Friday’s first spherical.
And that was a bummer. Participant trades are the lifeblood of a draft after concerning the tenth decide, when you understand the variety of prospects being taken who will really see NHL motion within the subsequent season or two is dwindling.
In years previous, we have seen trades go down even earlier than the draft’s opening bell that gave us all one thing to speak about lengthy into the night time forward. Alas, that wasn’t the case this yr.
Kudos to Utah’s GM Invoice Armstrong and Tampa Bay’s Julien BriseBois for bringing the warmth to start out off Day 2, although. That aim horn was blowing loud and proud out of the gate on the pre-9 a.m. hour native time, little question electrifying all those that had an satisfying time in Sin Metropolis the night time earlier than. — Shilton
No QMJHL gamers within the first spherical
This was one other draft cycle that noticed the QMJHL have greater than a dozen gamers get chosen. This was additionally one other draft cycle that noticed the QMJHL fail to supply a first-round decide; the second yr in a row. Previous to that, the earlier time the QMJHL did not have a first-rounder was the 2008 draft, when goaltender Jake Allen was a second-round decide by the St. Louis Blues.
Granted, the yr Allen was drafted got here off a draft cycle that noticed the QMJHL produce 4 first-rounders. And since then, the QMJHL has had three years wherein that they had the No. 1 decide, with Nathan MacKinnon (2013), Nico Hischier (2017) and Alexis Lafreniere (2020). They’ve additionally had draft lessons that noticed as many as 5 gamers go within the first spherical. That got here as just lately as 2020, the identical yr that Lafreniere was chosen with the primary decide.
Altogether, that is the fourth time since 2000 that the QMJHL did not have a first-round decide, and the primary time in league historical past that it is gone consecutive years with out a first-round decide, in accordance with the QMJHL’s information. – Clark
The timing of the draft and free company
Not {that a} weekend in Las Vegas is a few kind of punishment, nevertheless it’s additionally not a perfect scenario for quite a lot of entrance workplaces both. Why? Due to the extraordinarily tight turnaround they face with making an attempt to get again residence as they search to have the whole lot so as earlier than free company opens Monday at midday ET.
However that is additionally the NHL, the place managing the small window between the draft and free company has develop into a ceremony of passage. It was like that final season when groups traveled from an albeit extra centralized metropolis in Nashville the place that they had two days to arrange. Again in 2022, the NHL needed to readjust due to the truncated 56-game schedule it performed whereas navigating the pandemic. That yr, the draft ended July 8 with free company beginning July 13 — a four-day window in between.
It is what makes the choice to maneuver to a decentralized draft subsequent season one thing that might plausibly profit extra entrance workplaces. As an alternative of touring to a central location, groups will be capable of function from their respective services. One beginner scouting director instructed ESPN final week that the choice to maneuver to a decentralized draft resulted in “a divided opinion.” Alternatively, one other beginner scout stated they had been in favor of the brand new method, as a result of it allowed groups to overtly discover their choices in a personal room fairly than in a extra public setting just like the draft flooring. — Clark