Frankie Marrelli – McKeen's Hockey

2024 NHL DRAFT WRAP UP: The best value picks plus the biggest surprise in each round

Brock Otten — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 18:58:05 +0000

What a draft week it was! The Sphere in Vegas lived up to the hype, and then some. Perhaps, this is biased, but it was one of the most impressive spectacles that I have ever been part of. Derek Neumeier (our assistant director of scouting) and myself were blown away by the production. The feedback from fans was similar in nature; no question the live draft in Vegas was a massive success for the NHL.

But what about the actual draft action itself? Like any draft, there were things that went according to script and there were surprises.

From our Top 100 on our final draft rankings, 97 of said players were drafted. The only ones not selected were Alex Zetterberg, Daniil Ustinkov, and Tomas Galvas. Galvas was the highest of those three at 70th overall.

Let’s take a look at some of my favourite selections, some of the biggest surprises, and some of the best undrafted players.

ROUND ONE

Favourite Selection: Sam Dickinson (#11) to San Jose

Dickinson had been our favorite defender in this class nearly all season long and we really like the value San Jose got at #11 after trading up from #14 a few days prior. Dickinson is such a safe bet to a top four defender for the organization; the kind of player who can eat serious minutes for them when they’re ready to take that next step again as a playoff contender.

Favourite Selection: Stian Solberg (#23) to Anaheim

This represents one of the best fits in the draft for us. Solberg improved so much in the second half, and we saw that at the World Championships, where he was a standout playing tough minutes against NHL players with Norway. His game still needs further refinement, but he projects as the perfect partner for the likes of Olen Zellweger or Pavel Mintyukov (even though all three are left-handed shots) with his physical intense defensive presence. It’s obvious Anaheim really liked him as they traded up into this slot with Toronto.

Biggest Surprise: Terik Parascak (#17) to Washington

This one caught a lot of people by surprise on the draft floor. There was probably more talk that Parascak could be a “faller” due to concerns over pace/quickness, in combination with his average size. Even Parascak was incredibly surprised to be taken this early, with a look of bewilderment following the announcement of his name. Our Western scouts are still a bit leery of his NHL odds, but there’s no denying that he was one of the draft’s most intelligent players. Washington is banking on that, hoping that he can have a Joe Pavelski type career.

Biggest Surprise (bonus): Beckett Sennecke (#3) to Anaheim

This one wasn’t as big of a surprise to those on the floor because there was a ton of chatter about this about an hour prior to the draft. However, it’s obvious Sennecke had no idea because he was visibly shocked to hear his name, creating one of the most genuine and honest draft reactions of the weekend. Anaheim is banking on Sennecke’s athletic upside and second half improvements, which is often an intelligent thing to do.

ROUND TWO

Favourite Selection: Teddy Stiga (#55) to Nashville

Look at all the teams clamoring to sign Jake Guentzel this offseason, because of how good of a complementary offensive player he is. Stiga proved that same thing this year, playing alongside potential 2025 first overall pick James Hagens. He’s a hard worker. He’s skilled. His skating improved over the year. There’s a ton to like and we really like the fit in Nashville for him. These are the types of players Nashville had an abundance of when they were dominating the West.

Favourite Selection: Carter George (#57) to Los Angeles

Admittedly, I was a bit worried that Carter George would drop a bit because of his lack of size in a size-crazed industry (concerning goaltenders). So, it was great to see George go in the second round to Los Angeles. There’s a deep-rooted connection to Owen Sound there and George is a heck of a goaltender. He’s so polished and refined already; he’s a big game goaltender.

Biggest Surprise: Ilya Nabokov (#38) to Colorado

Speaking of goaltenders, it was a shock to see 21-year-old Ilya Nabokov as the first netminder taken…and this early. Granted, his resume spoke for itself this year as the KHL’s playoff MVP. Colorado obviously wasn’t a big fan of their goaltending this year and by selecting Nabokov, they’re taking someone who can be a potential difference maker very soon, a lot sooner than your average draft eligible netminder.

ROUND THREE

Favourite Selection: Tarin Smith (#79) to Anaheim

Anaheim has had tremendous luck drafting electric offensive defenders like Smith in recent years. Mintyukov, Zellweger and Rodwin Dionicio all fit the mold. Zellweger even came from the same Everett (WHL) program as Smith. He is very raw. However, his offensive upside from the backend is extremely high. With such a strong and deep talent pool in place, Anaheim could afford to take a chance on him.

Favourite Selection: Matvei Shuravin (#97) to Florida

We ranked Shuravin #34 in our final rankings but did realize that we were higher on him than we expected him to be selected this weekend. It would appear that his weaker second half really pushed him down some draft boards. However, that’s Florida’s gain as they selected an athletic defender who showed some terrific flashes this year at both the KHL and MHL levels.

Biggest Surprise: Henry Mews (#74) to Calgary

Personally, I had somewhat expected Mews to fall at the draft. I didn’t believe that he would be a top 40-45 pick. However, I also did not expect him to slide all the way to the mid third. He’s a fairly dynamic offensive defender. I certainly have questions about his projection, but this represents great value for Calgary, especially after they grabbed Zayne Parekh in the first.

ROUND FOUR

Favourite Selection: Heikki Ruohonen (#107) to Philadelphia

We felt that Ruohonen was being massively underrated this year due to the fact that he stayed in the Finnish U20 league in order to preserve his NCAA eligibility. He’ll play in the USHL next year then head to Harvard. The physically imposing two-way power pivot is someone who could dramatically outperform his draft slot.

Favourite Selection: Hagen Burrows (#128) to Tampa Bay

We get the concerns over the feet. Burrows needs to improve his skating. But the 2024 Mr. Hockey Award winner plays a mature, pro-style game. He is a strong playmaker, and he can find his way to the net. Once he fills out his frame, he could be a terrific middle six NHL player.

Biggest Surprise: Trevor Hoskin (#106) to Calgary

As someone who covers Ontario, I just didn’t see this one coming. I thought that maybe Hoskin had a chance to go late in the draft after a strong World Junior A Challenge performance, however, this early? It’s very, very rare to see a double re-entry selected from Canadian Tier 2, let alone almost in the Top 100. We’ll see how this one works out for Calgary in the long run.

Biggest Surprise (bonus): Aron Kiviharju (#122) to Minnesota

I mean, how could we not include Kiviharju here. Yes, we expected him to fall. But, to the end of the fourth? So, what’s next for Kiviharju? Would he consider coming to the OHL next year to help recover his former top prospect status?

ROUND FIVE

Favourite Selection: Luke Misa (#150) to Calgary

No question, we could have listed this as the biggest surprise of round five. Seeing Misa fall to the mid-5th round was shocking. However, this is also an excellent value pick by Calgary. Did Misa close out this past OHL season on a high note? No. But, does he have the skating ability, tenacity, and skill to be an NHL player in some capacity? Absolutely.

Favourite Selection: Justin Poirier (#156) to Carolina

At some point, a player becomes just too good to pass up, even if you have concerns over projectability. In the 5th round, Poirier is terrific value for the Hurricanes. The size, skating, and IQ components of his game are dicey. But you can’t argue with the production and the offensive upside. Bottom line, you’re not going to find many guys in round five who could be top six scorers and that’s Poirier.

Biggest Surprise: Max Graham (#139) to New Jersey

No offense intended to Graham, but when he was drafted, I turned to Derek (who also scouts the West for us) and asked him who? He was flabbergasted that Graham, a double overager, was selected. He didn’t come close to hitting the point per game mark as a 20-year-old and it certainly brings to light questions over NHL upside.

ROUND SIX

Favourite Selection: Anthony Romani (#162) to Vancouver

I get the hesitation from NHL scouts. Is his offensive skill set translatable? He’s purely a complementary guy; one of the “quietest” CHL leading scorers in recent memory. But, at some point you have to bet on players who think the game at an elite level and that’s Romani. One team used a 17th overall selection on a player with pace/strength concerns, but high-end hockey sense, and another used the 162nd overall pick. Who got the best value?

Favourite Selection: Luke Ashton (#165) to Columbus

A re-entry out of the BCHL, Ashton is a really intriguing defensive prospect. He’s big. He’s mean. He’s athletic. He flashes high end skill. How it all comes together at a higher level remains to be seen. But we really like the upside. We also really like that he’s going to Minnesota State, a program that has developed defenders like him well.

Biggest Surprise: Stevie Leskovar (#174) to Minnesota

Again, no offense meant to Leskovar, but Derek had the same reaction to him as I did Graham. If you had told me that Leskovar would be drafted ahead of Leenders, Fibigr, and Finn Harding from that same Mississauga team, I would have called you crazy. Leskovar is a big, mean, throwback on the back end. He got better this year in his first full year with the Steelheads. But an NHL draft selection?

ROUND SEVEN

Favourite Selection: Ryerson Leenders (#219) to Buffalo

It worked with Devon Levi. It could work again with Leenders. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s very athletic. Quick post to post and solid in scramble mode, Leenders just needs to refine his approach and improve technically. He’s capable of stealing games and he could end up being a draft steal when all is said and done, similar to the way Florida got Levi (then traded him to Buffalo).

Favourite Selection: Erik Pahlsson (#213) to Nashville

We’ve had Pahlsson ranked for a few years now, so it was great to see him finally get selected after a solid year in the USHL. Again, there are some projection concerns over the athletic profile, but he finds a way to be productive. He’s intelligent. He’s shifty. He’s probably going to produce at the college level too with Minnesota.

Biggest Surprise: Alex Zetterberg Goes Undrafted, but Mac Swanson gets selected

Again, you hit a point in the draft where players are worth selecting despite some limitations. Mac Swanson’s size and skating combination are worrisome, but he’s one heck of a smart player. If he hits, he’s going to be a home run. The same could be said of Alex Zetterberg, the Swedish equivalent, who did nothing but produce this year. If you’re taking a chance on Swanson this late, Zetterberg deserved to go too.

OUR BEST UNDRAFTED PLAYERS

Tomas Galvas

The undersized defender was one of the draft’s best skaters, but it wasn’t enough for NHL teams. He’ll need to take his offensive game to another level. Would be great to see him in the CHL next year.

Daniil Ustinkov

Ustinkov started the year as a potential first round candidate and ended up not being selected. Concerns over his processing ability ultimately scared off teams. Does he come over to London next year to try to turn his career around?

Alex Zetterberg

Again, this one feels like a misstep. Yes, he’s small. Yes, there are strength concerns. But he’s ultra talented. Few players available in the 7th round would have had the upside of Zetterberg.

Nolan Roed

Our aggressive ranking of Roed came mostly from me, as he was a player I was very impressed with at the USHL and high school levels. I liked the competitive drive in his game. Next year’s Joe Connor?

Lukas Matecha

He just couldn’t recover from his poor second half. If he can put together a more consistent season next year, he’ll be back on the draft radar.

Matthew Van Blaricom

This one is shocking to me. Loved the aggressive and tenacious approach. Had a terrific WJAC. Here’s hoping that he goes somewhere next year (USHL, NCAA) where he can show that he should have been selected.

Frankie Marrelli

I get it. He’s an undersized stay at home type. But this young man is just such a smart defensive player. He competes hard and he’s going to get better at the offensive end too.

Gian Meier

A breakout performer at the U18’s with Switzerland, we figured someone would take Meier given the flashes he showed this year as a two-way defender.

2024 IIHF U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Biggest Risers for the 2024 NHL Draft

Brock Otten — Sun, 05 May 2024 22:15:31 +0000

ESPOO, FINLAND - MAY 5: Canada's Carter George #30 and USAÕs Kamil Bednarik #11 look on during Gold Medal Game action at the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Metro Arena on May 5, 2024 in Espoo, Finland. (Photo by Andr Ringuette/IIHF)

The 2024 IIHF World Under 18 Championships have concluded. What a wild ride it was! Canada/USA did not disappoint as a gold medal final, with Canada using a five-minute major to Trevor Connelly to springboard them to victory. Meanwhile, the Swedes recovered from a slow start to the tournament to capture Bronze, their sixth straight medal at the U18’s. Perhaps the biggest story of this event was how future NHL draft prospects and underage players took over the event. James Hagens broke the tournament scoring record. Porter Martone and Gavin McKenna starred for Canada. The pesky, young Slovaks surprised by making the bronze medal game. This was supposed to be a springboard for 2024 draft eligibles but ended up being one for 2025 and 2026 eligibles.

While it is important to not be hyper reactive to a single tournament as a scouting team, there were certainly some individual players whose performances helped to increase their draft stock as we commence the discussion of our final rankings and as the 2024 Draft in Vegas draws near. This is only one small piece of the puzzle; what players have done previous to this tournament is still important, however you cannot overlook the positive performances of some players against many of the best players in the age group. This article aims to highlight several players who elevated their draft stock with strong performances. It excludes players who entered the tournament already extremely highly regarded (such as Tij Iginla or Konsta Helenius), instead focusing on those who had room to “move up.”

Teddy Stiga - USA

Stiga’s rise this year has been fairly steady. He’s been improving month after month, and as such, so has his draft ranking. One of the U.S.’ most integral complementary scorers around James Hagens and Cole Eiserman, Stiga has been a model of consistency at the last few major tournaments. A lot of his success this year has come from improvements made to his skating ability. A high-end processor and playmaker, Stiga looks the part of a future NHL player. Even without some of those high-end physical tools, he has likely put himself in first round consideration after yet another strong performance.

Cole Hutson - USA

Evaluating Hutson in the second half of the year has been tough due to injury, so he really needed to come into this tournament and have a strong performance. He did just that, capturing the tournament’s top defender award. He oozed confidence with the puck in the offensive, consistently keeping plays alive with his feet and ability to escape pressure. Best of all, Hutson was more than adequate defensively too. I’m not sure that he’s a first-round pick given the strength of this defensive crop, but Hutson’s rebound from injury has to have cemented his status as a top 50 selection.

Brodie Ziemer - USA

We’ve been pretty lukewarm on Ziemer this year as a scouting agency. The captain of the US’s U18 team, Ziemer is unquestionably a solid player, but we struggled to see significant upside as an NHL player. However, Ziemer was absolutely fantastic at the U18’s, showing even more offensively than he had previously, playing with Hagens and Stiga. The attention to detail away from the puck and effort remained consistent, but he was much more of a factor on the puck, creating through the cycle and with speed through the neutral zone. This is a player NHL scouts are going to like earlier than the amateur scouting community.

Max Plante - USA

Max has been another team USA member that we’ve been a bit hesitant with so far this year. Similar to his brother Zam, we’ve struggled with the kind of role that he’d play at the NHL level. However, much like Ziemer, Plante impressed playing a scoring line role alongside Cole Eiserman at this event. He showed well because of an attacking mentality; consistently around the puck, working hard to earn touches. At this point, Max has to be a lock to be drafted ahead of his brother Zam (150th in 2022).

EJ Emery - USA

Emery has been a borderline first round prospect for us all year, but his play at this event may have cemented that status. I really liked Emery’s play with the puck at the U18’s; it was unquestionably the most confident that he has looked this season as an offensive player. Point production will never be his bread and butter; he’s a future defensive stalwart. However, it was great to see progress in areas of his game that were previously very inconsistent. Emerging as a two-way stud, and given his impressive athleticism, Emery should be a first-round selection in Vegas.

Heikki Ruohonen - Finland

Committed to Harvard for next year, Ruohonen is an athletic, power center who had a very impressive tournament for the hosts. With good size and skating ability, in combination with physicality and strong three zone awareness, Ruohonen has a solid projection as an NHL player in some capacity. As he showed in this tournament, his offensive skill set has improved a lot over the course of the year. He could be flying under the radar right now because he hasn’t played above the U20 level in order to keep his NCAA commitment.

Tuomas Suoniemi - Finland

After failing to appear on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking for 2024, Suoniemi had a very strong tournament for Finland, oftentimes outperforming star Konsta Helenius as a play driver. Suoniemi’s league play this year has left a lot to be desired, but you cannot argue with his performances internationally. At the very least, he’s likely put himself on a similar level to a guy like Alex Zetterberg. They have parallels as undersized players without high end physical tools, however, they also have great offensive upside as they mature.

Mitja Jokinen - Finland

This was supposed to be the breakout tournament for Aron Kiviharju, after he returned from a lengthy injury. However, it was Jokinen who ended up being Finland’s most impressive defender. He showed a ton of poise with the puck and was confident jumping up in the rush to help create offense for the hosts. He’s not huge, but he was essentially what Kiviharju was supposed to be here.

Mathias Dehli - Norway

Dehli was outstanding for Norway in helping them remain competitive in the round robin, in addition to staving off relegation. He showed a really mature, complete game and drove pace from the middle of the ice. Coming into the U18’s, he was probably a long shot to be selected. After? He’s improved his odds considerably.

Jett Luchanko - Canada

How could you not be impressed by the Guelph Storm center? We’ve been telling you how good Luchanko is all season long, and his performance at this event should have cemented his status as a first-round pick. There’s so much to like about his game, but Luchanko’s vision and defensive play really stuck out at the U18’s. Lately, the media have been using Nick Suzuki as a comparable and I believe that Suzuki is a good representation of Luchanko’s high end upside.

Harrison Brunicke - Canada

The U18’s started off pretty rough for Brunicke. He struggled in the opening games with his puck management. However, it was important to remember that he was coming off of an injury and hadn’t played in a while. By the end of the tournament, Brunicke was one of Canada’s best defenders. His work on the penalty kill was phenomenal and integral to Canada’s success. Similar to a player like EJ Emery, Brunicke’s size and athleticism give him a ton of runway to improve.

Frankie Marrelli - Canada

Coming into the tournament, I wasn’t confident Marrelli would be drafted. I’ve always liked his play, but I’ve also struggled with his future role at the NHL level. While I do still see some projection issues, you’d be hard pressed to argue that Marrelli wasn’t impressive at the U18’s. He was a rock defensively, bringing physicality and strong rush defense to the table. Scouts will wish he were bigger given that he projects as more of a defensive type, but he has improved his draft odds considerably.

Cole Beaudoin - Canada

Don’t look at the stat sheet. Beaudoin’s value to Canada was enormous, even if he wasn’t among the team’s leading scorers. In the medal round he was among Canada’s ice time leaders and his attention to detail in the defensive end needs to be highlighted. It seemed like Beaudoin was always around the puck, generating or preventing chances. Yeah, his skating isn’t the prettiest. But, he’s a physical freak with a chance at a long NHL career.

Carter George - Canada

What else can you say about George, the tournament’s top netminder…other than he was outstanding. He was a model of consistency all tournament long and then he stood on his head to keep Canada in the gold medal game at a time when all hope looked lost. George may not have the ideal size of today’s NHL netminder, but he’s got everything else. He’s been our top ranked netminder all season long and nothing is going to change that now.

Gian Meier - Switzerland

This tournament was supposed to highlight the play of Leon Muggli and Daniil Ustinkov, two highly regarded Swiss defenders. Muggli ended up getting hurt and Ustinkov was only average, opening up the door for Meier to be a defensive leader for the Swiss. His size and mobility combination is impressive from the right side. He had some beautiful rushes in the tournament and really improved his chances of being selected in Vegas.

Linus Eriksson - Sweden

The captain for Sweden, Eriksson was the team’s most consistent forward, stepping up in key situations for them. He excelled on both sides of the puck and really drove play below the goal line. His vision and playmaking stood out positively and he has definitely helped his odds of becoming an NHL first round selection in June.

Alfons Freij - Sweden

I thought that it was a disastrous start for Freij at the event. Quite frankly, he was quite bad the first few games. However, he seemed to get better every game and he saved his best performances for the medal round. We’ve had Freij locked into our first round all season long and that’s not quite to change. However, after this tournament, I would guess many NHL scouting teams have moved Freij up their lists thanks to his ability to create chances in the offensive end.

Lucas Pettersson - Sweden

Sweden’s best player in the Bronze Medal game, Pettersson got better as the tournament went on. Once Alex Zetterberg went down to injury, I felt Pettersson really stepped up his game. His speed made him a very dangerous player in transition and he showed a great knack for finding soft spots in the offensive zone in order to use his big shot. Could be a coin flip as to whether Eriksson or Pettersson gets drafted first.

Leo Sahlin Wallenius - Sweden

One of the tournament leaders in ice time, Sahlin Wallenius was a rock for Sweden. He wasn’t as flashy or productive as Freij, but he was way more consistent at both ends. Previously, I’ve found Sahlin Wallenius’ off puck play and on puck decision making to be very inconsistent, but that wasn’t the case at this event. He was as steady as can be. I still prefer Freij’s upside, but I’m coming around on Sahlin Wallenius as a potential two-way NHL defender.