NHL Draft | Twelve sure values ​​of the first round

Macklin Celebrini will be a member of the San Jose Sharks on Friday night. Again this year, there is no sort of suspense surrounding the identity of the very first pick in the draft. However, after him, almost anything can happen. The Press offers an overview of the 12 most prominent prospects of the moment.

Foreword

Like last year, we present to you the main candidates who should hear their names first, Friday evening in Las Vegas. Barring a trade, the Montreal Canadiens will likely choose one of these young men fifth overall. Since this is not a mock draft (mock draft, in English), we have favored the alphabetical order. Our selection is based on aggregations from Hockey Pipeline and Elite Prospects, which have compiled dozens of pre-draft rankings made public by scouts or media organizations.

Zeev Buium

Position: defender
Team: University of Denver (NCAA)
Date of birth: December 7, 2005
Size: 6 ft
Weight: 186 lbs

In a vintage full of defenders, Zeev Buium arrives with a prestigious calling card: he has just achieved, neither more nor less, the best offensive harvest in some 40 years for a first-year defender in the American university ranks . His 50 points placed him first in the country at his position, just beating Lane Hutson, even though he is almost two years younger than the Canadian’s young prodigy. Recruiters praise his extraordinary intelligence for the game. Furthermore, without being a colossus, he is already stronger than Cale Makar, Adam Fox or Quinn Hughes at the same age.

Berkly Catton

Position: center
Team: Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
Date of birth: January 14, 2006
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 175 lbs

Across leagues, no 2024 draft-eligible prospect has more points than Berkly Catton (116) in 2023-24. According to many analysts, he would be one of the best skaters available, if not outright the best. However, we should not be surprised if his small size caused him to lose a few ranks. An NHL team manager quoted anonymously by Athletic summed it up this way: If he were two inches taller, he’d probably be the second pick behind Macklin Celebrini. But we’re not there yet.

Macklin Celebrini

Position: center
Team: Boston University (NCAA)
Date of birth: June 13, 2006
Size: 6 ft
Weight: 197 lbs

The consensus of all consensuses. The San Jose Sharks, holders of the very first pick, are not even pretending: their general manager Mike Grier “escaped” during a recent press briefing, confirming that Macklin Celebrini would be their man. It has long been assumed that the Vancouver native will be the successor to Connor Bedard and Juraj Slafkovsky in the top row. His 64 points in 38 games at Boston University, along with the Hobey-Baker Trophy, only reinforced his status as a favorite. Since September 2023, mock draft aggregator Hockey Pipeline has not listed any rankings that put Celebrini anywhere other than first overall.

Ivan Demidov

Position: right winger
Team: SKA-1946 St-Petersburg (MHL)
Date of birth: December 10, 2005
Size: 6 ft
Weight: 192 lbs

His skating doesn’t seem to make anyone dream, but he is such a magician with the puck that he could be selected as early as second overall, according to many observers. The fact that he plays in Russia, with all the aura of mystery that surrounds this country, has the double effect of fueling his legend among enthusiastic supporters and chilling recruiters. However, he is not preceded by the same uncertainty as Matvei Michkov at the same date last year. Although he wasn’t at the NHL Combine, he met with team executives and reporters in Florida on the sidelines of the Stanley Cup Final. His intention is clear: to make the jump to North America as quickly as possible. Number 2 or not, he should hear his name soon enough.

Sam Dickinson

Position: defender
Team: London Knights (OHL)
Date of birth: June 7, 2006
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 203 lbs

The defensemen’s tour continues with one of the top offensive contributors of last season in the Ontario Junior League. His 70 points in 68 games are certainly exciting, but analysts wonder if his sense of the game will be enough to translate that production to the NHL. He is, however, touted for his defensive skills, an asset. He is also arriving at the top of his game: he had the lowest body fat percentage of any athlete at the NHL Combine in early June.

Cole Eiserman

Position: left winger
Team: US National Development Team
Date of birth: August 29, 2006
Size: 6 ft
Weight: 197 lbs

If the draft had taken place six months ago, or even earlier, Eiserman would have possibly been chosen in the top 5. On June 28, 2024, if he climbs into the top 10, it could be close. The reluctance about him is (strangely) proportional to the incredible amount of goals he has scored over the past two years, when he has just beaten Cole Caufield’s record of 126 goals in the uniform of the American national team of development. He carries the reputation of an attacker who is not passionate about defense, or even about team play at all if it is not he who sends the puck into the net. However, how many teams will dare to look up to a natural scorer?

Konsta Helenius

Position: center and right winger
Team: Jukurit (Liiga)
Date of birth: May 11, 2006
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 189 lbs

17-year-old small forwards who produce regularly in Liiga, the main Finnish championship, are not legion, and even rarer are those who have managed to transpose their offensive successes into the NHL for 20 years. Konsta Helenius, Europe’s top prospect at mid-season according to NHL Central Scouting, is touted for his intelligence and vision on the ice. Specialist Corey Pronman of The Athletic, however, points out that teams doubt that he will really become a dominant player in the NHL. It could slip out of the top 10.

Tij Iginla

Position: Forward
Team: Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Date of birth: 1^er August 2006
Size: 6 ft
Weight: 191 in.

It’s necessarily preceded by his last name, which is inevitable when you’re the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla. But this striker has brilliantly managed to make a name for himself over the last year. Fabulous at the U18 World Championship, Iginla spent the season rising in the esteem of recruiters. He also found himself, at 17, among the top scorers in the Western Junior League (47), making him one of the most dangerous scorers of this vintage. He is less strong than his father, but he is not pleasant to face nonetheless.

Artyom Levshunov

Position: Defender
Team: Michigan State (NCAA)
Date of birth: October 28, 2005
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 205 lbs

Best player in the North American rankings after Macklin Celebrini according to the NHL Central Scouting, the Belarusian is the most anticipated right-hander of this wave of defenders. He’s big and excels at both ends of the ice, and he was just named defensive player of the season in the Big Ten conference, one of the toughest in the NCAA. He looks a lot like a safe bet in the top 5or even the top 3. Even if the Montreal Canadiens have said they have a preference for a forward, management will seriously scratch their heads if he is available in fifth place.

Cayden Lindstrom

Position: attacker
Team: Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Date of birth: February 3, 2006
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 213 lbs

We mentioned the Canadian above. We can’t talk about Cayden Lindstrom without talking about the Habs. From the moment the NHL lottery gave the CH fifth place, Lindstrom’s name began to be mentioned in public space. The big forward has everything going for him… except health, as he missed more than half of the 2023-2024 season. He claims to have provided teams with proof that he is 100% back. If this is the case, his 27 goals in 32 games will make organizations salivate, in a league where power forwards are, even today, among the most sought-after athletes.

Zayne Parekh

Position: defender
Team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Date of birth: February 15, 2006
Size: 6 ft
Weight: 178 lbs

His 96 points in 66 games speak for him. The Ontario Junior League’s top defenseman, he racked up points at an astonishing rate for a dominant club. A devastating shot and unwavering confidence in possession are apparently the signatures of this right-hander. However, it seems that the team that chooses him will have to learn to deal with his defensive deficiencies. His 64 penalty minutes also raise eyebrows for a defenseman who is not known for his physical play. His offensive flair, nevertheless, is irresistible.

Anton Silayev

Position: defender
Team: Nizhny Novgorod Torpedo (KHL)
Date of birth: April 11, 2006
Height: 6’7″
Weight: 207 lbs

Analysts unanimously describe it as a natural phenomenon. It’s not every day that you come across a 6’7″ athlete so fluid on skates. Unlike the other most sought-after defenders, he is not gifted offensively. However, he is one of the few, if not the only, among such high-ranking prospects to have played in the professional ranks in 2023-2024. We praise his versatility and his great defensive responsibility, a rarity at this age.