The primary spherical of the 2024 NHL Draft is right here, and, as anticipated, Macklin Celebrini was chosen by the San Jose Sharks with the primary choose.
Comply with alongside right here as each choose is introduced tonight to see scouting reviews of each participant and evaluation of their choice.
See what scouts actually should say about the very best prospects in Pronman’s NHL Draft Confidential and Wheeler’s NHL scouts survey.
Learn extra:Â Take a look at all of our protection of 2024 NHL Draft.
1. San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston Univ. (NCAA)
June 13, 2006 | 6′ 0″ | 196 kilos
Tier: Elite NHL participant
Participant comparable: Sidney Crosby
Evaluation: Celebrini was the very best participant in school hockey this season and a frontrunner for a high crew within the nation. He checks each field you need in a high prospect, and is likely one of the few gamers I’ve scouted the place it’s laborious to see any noticeable weak point. He skates very properly. He has a really highly effective stride with a fast twitch in his first few steps and is ready to get by a whole lot of defenders. He’s extraordinarily expert and artistic with high-end offensive sense. Celebrini makes a ton of inauspicious performs with the puck on the transfer, in tight areas and from a standstill. He has a bullet shot and tasks to run a primary energy play within the NHL. He’s average-sized, however Celebrini is very aggressive, wins a whole lot of battles and tasks as a two-way middle within the NHL. He has all of the makings of a possible celebrity that you could construct a contender round.
Choose grade: B+
Ideas on the choose: Celebrini is likely one of the greatest and most full prospects I’ve ever seen. He checks each field with emphasis between his skating, ability, hockey sense, compete and scoring potential. He seems like a little doubt two-way first line middle in the future within the NHL who the Sharks can kind their rebuild round. He was the consensus first choose all season for a cause.
2. Chicago Blackhawks: Artyom Levshunov, RHD, Michigan State Univ. (NCAA)
October 28, 2005 | 6′ 2″ | 209 kilos
Tier: Bubble elite NHL participant and NHL All-Star
Participant comparable: Brent Burns
Evaluation: Levshunov was the very best defenseman within the Huge Ten this season and an enormous a part of Michigan State being a high crew. He’s extraordinarily expert and artistic, each as a puck-handler and passer. He has the fingers of a high offensive defenseman and appears very snug with the puck. He skates properly and might play an up-tempo fashion in how he assaults together with his ability. He has the offensive sense to doubtlessly run a PP1 within the NHL and has an excellent level shot, too. His defensive play doesn’t stand out as a lot, notably as a result of he tries to assault a lot, however he could make stops as a result of his athleticism and has physicality in his sport. He’s too aggressive at occasions, and performs like a ahead an excessive amount of for some scouts’ liking. He makes sufficient stops to ease most evaluators’ issues given how a lot offense he brings. He has the potential to be an affect NHL defenseman who scores at a premium degree.
Choose grade: A-
Ideas on the choose: In Levshunov, Chicago bought my second rated participant within the draft, however a participant who not at all was universally agreed upon at that quantity. Chicago has some nice younger defenders of their group, however Levshunov is an entire different degree of expertise. He was taking part in at a degree equal to pond hockey two years in the past, and was the most effective defensemen in school hockey this previous season. He’s massive, cell and has a ton of pure ability and offensive sense. He’s a budding star who I felt was being unfairly picked aside within the pre-draft course of. He’s a uncommon piece with star upside you possibly can construct a winner round.
3. Anaheim Geese: Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
January 28, 2006 | 6′ 2″ | 181 kilos
Tier: Bubble NHL All-Star and high of the lineup participant
Participant comparable: Kyle Connor
Evaluation: Sennecke’s pure level totals on the season don’t bounce out at you, however he was superb within the second half and was a high participant within the OHL playoffs. He’s 6-foot-2, skates fairly properly for his measurement and has game-breaking ability. He’s one of many extra artistic puckhandlers within the draft, and that he could make these tough performs at full pace makes him extremely intriguing for the NHL degree. He sees the ice properly and is artistic as a passer, though to not the extent of his 1v1 skills. There have been occasions after I’ve questioned his compete and consistency, however he answered these questions because the season continued. His inventory is sharply trending up, and he seems like a participant who generally is a difference-maker on the subsequent degree.
Choose grade: B-
Ideas on the choose: Sennecke is a dynamic winger who on his greatest video games is likely one of the most impactful gamers within the class. Based mostly on how he regarded within the closing months of the season, I completely get this choose. He has the potential high be a high line wing with star upside if he actually hits. I do marvel in regards to the match on Anaheim, given what number of nice younger forwards they’ve, though I presume Trevor Zegras is on his method out. There have been some nice protection prospects on the board they handed up as properly. We’ll see how Anaheim makes all of the items match, and in the event that they felt too uncomfortable with the Russian variable in Anton Silayev I do perceive this transfer.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Cayden Lindstrom, C, Drugs Hat Tigers (WHL)
February 3, 2006 | 6′ 3″ | 214 kilos
Tier: High of the lineup participant
Participant comparable: Chris Kreider
Evaluation: Lindstrom got here out of the gates this season flying for the primary few months. He then was harm for a lot of the second half although between a hand and again harm. When wholesome, he’s an elite athlete. He has the short twitch ft of a smaller ahead, and might get by opposing defenders. He’s an enormous, highly effective middle with a ton of physicality in his sport. Lindstrom has good offensive expertise, and might rating targets. His playmaking is one thing I’ve questioned at occasions though he’s proven good situations this season. He has the potential to be a real No. 1 middle if he hits though I don’t see a whole lot of NHL facilities who play the best way he does and I may see him get pushed to the wing.
Choose grade: B-
Ideas on the choose: Lindstrom tasks because the potential second-line middle for Columbus between Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger. In these three gamers it’s a whole lot of meanness and scoring potential down the center. Lindstrom’s hockey sense and harm historical past would have given me some pause at fourth general, however I presume Columbus bought the inexperienced gentle from their medical doctors to make this choose. I don’t know if he’s ever going to be the largest level producer within the NHL, however Lindstrom brings a singular ability set that coaches will love and has the potential to assist create an identification of a Columbus crew that individuals hate to play in opposition to.
5. Montréal Canadiens: Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
December 10, 2005 | 6′ 0″ | 192 kilos
Tier: NHL All-Star
Participant comparable: Lucas Raymond
Evaluation: Demidov has been the clear greatest participant in Russia’s junior league during the last two seasons. He’s essentially the most purely expert participant within the draft, and is extraordinarily artistic in making performs with the puck. He has a superb motor, assaults the web persistently and competes laborious to win pucks. Demidov created scoring probabilities seemingly each shift this season. Whereas he can run an influence play when the sport slows down, he makes a whole lot of performs on the transfer. He’s a strong however awkward-looking skater although, who’s a bit knock kneed and reliant on his edge work however will get round OK. He’s not the largest winger as properly so there may be some query about how his sport will translate to greater ranges. I see a possible top-line winger who will rating so much and play a method of sport that may attraction himself to coaches.
Choose grade: B+
Ideas on the choose: In Demidov, Montreal will get essentially the most purely expert participant within the draft. He gives a game-breaking factor to their system that they haven’t had earlier than. He has the potential to turn into a star for them down the road. They had been one of many few groups that bought their resolution maker abroad to get stay eyes on him, and clearly had been very snug with the thought of him. He tasks to be a high line/high energy play winger alongside budding star Juraj Slafkovsky.
6. Utah Hockey Membership: Tij Iginla, LW, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
August 1, 2006 | 6′ 0″ | 192 kilos
Tier: Bubble high and center of the lineup participant
Participant comparable: Viktor Arvidsson
Evaluation: Iginla was glorious this season within the WHL for Kelowna and on the U18s for Canada, rising as a high NHL prospect. The son of Jarome Iginla, Tij is a really gifted offensive participant. His stickhandling shows stand out consistently. He beats defenders one-on-one at a excessive fee and improvises very properly with the puck. He skates properly and might make high-skill performs together with his ft transferring. Iginla has an excellent shot that will get off the stick fast and might choose corners. He scored a whole lot of targets this season and tasks to beat professional goalies from vary. He will get to the within to attain as properly and shows a powerful effort away from the puck. His pure sense and playmaking don’t stand out like the remainder of his sport, although. He tasks as a powerful top-six wing who will rating a whole lot of targets.
Choose grade: B-
Ideas on the choose: Iginla is a participant who saved rising because the season went alongside, and have become an possibility this excessive within the draft. He’s a extremely aggressive goal-scorer with a ton of ability. I had some minor issues on his hockey sense, and I’m a bit shocked given a few of the nice protection prospects on the board resembling Anton Silayev, Zeev Buium and Zayne Parekh that they didn’t go in that route. Iginla tasks as a top-six ahead who brings a whole lot of components to a lineup.
(Illustration: Sean Reilly / The Athletic; images: David Berding, Maksim Konstantinov / SOPA Pictures / LightRocket, Gregory Shamus / Getty Pictures)