Welcome to our first 2024 NHL Draft mailbag! Today we’ll be diving into questions around the draft’s biggest sleepers, which offensive-defenseman will score the most in the NHL, who the Central Division could draft, and some quick bites!
Q: Who are some of the best High School/Prep League players in this draft – not named Dean Letourneau? (from @AustinReporting)
A: Stay tuned for my Top 45 U.S. Prospects rankings dropping later this week! For now, I’ll say that Javon Moore is very deserving of the hype that he’s getting. I’m still holding my breath because of how big the jump from high school to juniors can be, but if he can maintain his energy and heavy forechecking against tougher competition, he could be very exciting!
Q: Who is one of your favorite sleepers picks for the 2024 Draft and why? (from @Derek_N_NHL)
A: This is the perfect place to hype up Daniil Ustinkov – a Swiss defender that I’m shocked to still see so low in some rankings. Bearish scouts point towards a bland World Juniors and measly league scoring – but I can’t help and acknowledge the context surrounding him. The Swiss League isn’t a development league for 17-year-olds, and Switzerland isn’t an international powerhouse. But Ustinkov has stepped up the plate in both settings – taking on top-of-the-lineup roles and never looking out of place, even if he’s not always inspiring. And there’s no denying the sheer potential he has. Ustinkov’s poise under pressure is incredible and his decision-making is consistently strong, even if it’s not always fast. He’s a flashy puck-handler, with the passing ability, vision, and risk-taking needed to pull of a stunner every single shift. Ustinkov has a lot to learn when it comes to working off his teammates and commanding the tempo of the offensive rush. But he’s also the fifth-youngest player in my rankings, and should see a boost in speed when he shifts to North American ice. Maybe I’m blinded by my love for J.J. Moser and David Reinbacher, but I’m slamming the over on every young and flashy Swiss defender that I can!
Q: Which 2024 Draft defenseman will create the most offense in the NHL? (from @FowleBall15)
A: If you’re looking for offense in this draft, you need to be looking at Zayne Parekh. I am consistently stunned by how fluid and smooth his game is. He is simply masterful with the puck on his stick, and has that special understanding of how to use space and time in the offensive end. Parekh has the most raw offensive talent of the defenders in this class, and thus has the highest scoring upside (I mean the sky is the limit for him), but I don’t know if he’s who I’m most confident will score the most. I’d sooner pick Zeev Buium or Sam Dickinson for that title.
Buium is simply fantastic at creating blue in the danger area around the offensive blue-line. The NHL is becoming uniquely adapted to players who use that space (from the tops of the cirlces to the offsides dots) and Buium has grown into it well.
Buium would be my top pick, though Dickinson’s ability to play 200-feet worth of offense, and command play from behind his own net with great vision and long-range passing, is also awesome. He’s my top-ranked defender overall, and could find a quick-track into scoring in the similar ways to Heiskanen or Doughty.
Q: If you were the general manager of the (Chicago Blackhawks and Minnesota Wild), who would you be looking to draft? (from: @SauceyApple and @MNWildTalk)
A: Ah yes, now that St. Louis is making a playoff push, let me consider all the top 15 talent coming to the Central Division! Let’s look in parts –
Chicago: The Hawks are in such a dream situation. They’re in a prime position to draft the Malkin to Bedard’s Crosby – or the Lidstrom to his Yzerman, depending which way they lean. I’d personally argue that this draft is a two-headed beast, led by Macklin Celebrini and Russian-phenom Ivan Demidov. Demidov is simply fantastic – finding a way to get on the puck and make a play every single shift. He has that next-level ability, and I’m very confident he’ll be great in North America. But I’d encourage Hawks fans to entertain other options as well. It’s my instinct that the team will be eyeing defensemen – with Sam Dickinson and Artyom Levshunov (LHD and RHD respectively) leading their list – but I’d also draw attention to Konsta Helenius.
There is no better complementary player in this draft than Helenius. He brings an incredible energy to every shift, dominating in the forecheck and making plays in the blink of an eye. Helenius certainly doesn’t have the ceiling of some of his peers – especially where I have him ranked – but I can’t get past the sense that he’ll be a very reliable NHLer for a very long time. Putting his game sense, tempo, and playmaking vision on a line with Connor Bedard could be incredible. Is Helenius worth #2? Well, I’ll have him #3! Though it’s likely we see him fall much further than that come draft day.
Minnesota: Good friend and stellar podcast host Seth Toupal recently pointed out just how undersized the Wild are this year (Twitter link). And I agree it’s been a major problem – there’s no consistency in the slot or the corners… Minnesota hasn’t been able to be confident in 50/50 possession. And while the easy answer would be to encourage drafting one of this year’s 6-foot-7 studs – shoutout Anton Silayev and Dean Letourneau – I don’t think that’s exactly what Minnesota needs. What they need is Trevor Connelly.
Connelly has the pro-ready frame that Wild fans are asking for. But he also knows how to use it – making it his goal to be stronger and grittier than anyone else on the ice. He’s as much of a power forward as you could ask for: with the finesse and skill to pull off highlight-reel plays, the hard-nosed offense to score every single game, and the strength to control any area of the ice. Connelly isn’t exactly NHL-ready, but he is NHL-built, and I remain abundantly confident in his ability to adjust to the faster and stronger pro scene. I have him confidently in my Top 10 and expect him to fall in the 8-15 range come draft day – meaning he could fall right into Minnesota’s lap. The idea of this kid playing for the team that made Marcus Foligno a 20-goal scorer makes me very, very excited.
Quick Bites
Q: Thoughts on Ilya Pautov? (from @EIHL_Analysis)
A: Well I certainly see the appeal, to say the very least. Ilya Pautov is, simply put, shifty – with great head-fakes on the puck and good lateral movement off puck. He pursues play well and hangs onto possession. But I find his playmaking isn’t at the same level as his puck-skills are – which keeps him really doing it all. It’s also always easy to worry about if undersized players like Pautov can maintain their strong forechecking through the next levels. Pautov is certainly worth drafting, and someone I’d consider as soon as 125 (if not earlier), but I have hesitations about his overall impact.
Q: Thoughts on Alfons Freij? (from @JoeMaciag2)
A: Alfons Freij may be the single most enjoyable player to watch in this draft class. I’d still probably award that title to Demidov or maybe Cayden Lindstrom, but the point is – Freij is electric. He’s a firecracker on the ice, using an amazing skating ability to get into position quickly and maneuver the puck well. But while he’s phenomenal when he works, I find Freij doesn’t make a splash every single shift. He’s much more hit-and-run, which can lead to entire games where I don’t notice him outside of looking for his number. Let me emphasize that Freij is an exciting prospect and worth drafting in the top 50 – you’ll just find me ranking him on the lower end of that range.
Q: Favorite 08s in the US? (from @blake25912164)
A: Man, the 08s are such an exciting class. I could write endlessly about the Chicago Mission alone! I mean Jack Hextall and Vic Plante, backed by Shaeffer Gordon-Carrol and Kalder Varga?? Or there’s J.P. Hulbert, who seems to reach a higher-and-higher tier with every season, just like his Dallas Stars program. Then there’s the elegant playmaking of Logan Stuart on a loaded LA Kings AAA team, or his former teammate Tyus Sparks, who swapped to a loaded Windy City program and performed just as well. Heck, I could even continue the connection with Windy City teammate Nathan Haud, who might really be my favorite, flaunting really cerebral and well-choreographed playmaking.
I could go on-and-on, and I’ll certainly dive deep into the 08s ahead of the USHL Draft. But for now, let me quickly hit on a few faves outside my region:
- William Bent out of Mount St. Charles has a great work to him. I think he’ll adjust to the challenges of juniors (and maybe even the NTDP?) really well and become an impact player quickly. Heads-up forward that moves the puck through the neutral-zone well.
- Noa Taamu is a good, rangy defenseman that’s always seemed to have more in the tank. He had a good year after transitioning to Canadian Prep but he’s still a bit too unruly. Someone I think could really carve out his own style and groove next season, depending on his plans.
- Max Brodeur may be my favorite goalie in the class. Always so dialed in, follows the puck well, and moves really fluidly in net. Lots to like about his fundamentals!!
Featured Image courtesy of:
© Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK