With my final draft rankings piece releasing earlier this week, It’s time to unload the mailbag. Readers on social media and throughout my comment sections have sounded off and now it’s my turn to come back with some answers.
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is already just a week away, with the Stanley Cup Final dragging a bit later than fans expected. The Sphere in Las Vegas will play host to all 32 NHL teams as they hope to land their future stars and leaders. The San Jose Sharks will undoubtedly be selecting Macklin Celebrini from Boston University, the freshman center who dominated the NCAA and was excellent for Canada at the World Juniors despite being just 17. Who else will go at the top of the draft? Is there anyone who could jump into the first round that nobody is talking about?
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Guide
I’ll answer all these questions and more throughout this article!
“Which prospects do you consider to be the “sleepers” of the first round? Players who have the potential to go higher than projected?” – Brooke L.
I think Dean Letourneau is a guy who has the potential to shock some people on draft night. It’s not common to see guys who play their draft season in a high school prep circuit getting drafted in the first round, but Letourneau’s got a real shot this year.
Firstly, he’s a massive forward with excellent hands and skating for his size. Letourneau’s unique puck handling radius, coupled with a solid wrister, made him the most dominant offensive force in his league play this year.
Secondly, he will no longer be spending the 2024-25 season in the USHL, followed by a jump to Boston College the following year, as he originally planned. Will Smith’s decision to go pro next season has opened up a roster spot for BC and Letourneau is going to make the jump straight from high-school prep hockey to the NCAA.
A few other guys who I think could jump into the top-32 come draft day are Dominik Badinka, a well-rounded right-shot defender who is 6-foot-3, Yegor Surin, a highly competitive center who dominated the Russian junior level, Julius Miettinen, the big Finnish center who caught fire down the stretch in the WHL, and Adam Kleber, a 6-foot-5 defensive defender who showed significant offensive growth, though he’ll need another jump of that level to become a true high-end NHL defender.
“Who is your favorite player to watch coming out of this draft? To add a stipulation, no projected first-rounders” – Jacob B.
Yegor Surin stands out here, he’s just so fun to watch as a forward who really gets after it. There’s no such thing as playing below 100% effort for Surin as he pesters opposing defenders on the forecheck and then empties the tank on a backcheck to help get the puck out of his own zone. I don’t think he has any premium offensive tools at this point, but I could see him becoming a well-loved two-way 3C if he develops nicely.
Another guy I just love to watch is John Mustard, though for a very different reason. Mustard is a wicked skater, and I think his speed and shot combo should earn him an NHL role. The amount of times he joins the rush but has to slow down at the blue line to not go offside is remarkable, and a quick, puck dominant center could go a long way in unlocking a whole other level to Mustard’s offensive game.
“Which players mocked in the 1st round do you think could slip?” – Jimmy B.
Ryder Ritchie is someone I’ve been high on throughout this draft process, despite an injury and a slow start this year lowering his draft stock quite a bit. He’s still ranked as a first round prospect by many outlets but I just don’t see him actually being drafted that early on draft day due to some inconsistency of effort and his lack of physical game. He plays for a Prince Albert Raiders team that is just beginning to rise out of their rebuild so I expect a big year from him next season.
Terik Parascak is a really interesting prospect because the stat line screams top-10 pick, but there’s no guarantee he even goes in the first round. The Prince George Cougars had an absolutely stacked top-six forward group, and sliding into that group helped Parascak immensely. I think he’s got some real talent though, with the hockey sense and puck skills to be a middle-six player despite his lackluster skating ability.
This is a bit of a borderline case since I see him ranked typically in the mid to late 30s, but Cole Hutson is someone who was often ranked in the top half of the first round just eight or nine months ago, and I’m confident he won’t be selected in the first this year. There’s tons of talent here, considering he’s a better skater than his older brother Lane and is a bit bigger too (a hair over 5-foot-10), but his offensive game doesn’t look as elite as his brother’s and there are questions about his defensive play as well.
“How high do you think Beckett Sennecke could go?” – Jason H.
The sky’s the limit for Beckett Sennecke at this point. The scouting world was divided on him early this season as the skill and size were evident, but the results didn’t really match. Sennecke has grown several inches in the past two years (who’s to say he’s done growing now?) and has some of the best hands in the entire class.
Sennecke played his best hockey to date down the stretch in the OHL and into the OHL playoffs where he was phenomenal for the Oshawa Generals who only ended up losing following an injury to Sennecke. Over the final weeks of his season he proved that his great play could turn into a massive impact on the score sheet, partly due to the return of Calum Ritchie who gave him a strong linemate to work with.
Ever since the OHL playoffs we’ve heard “Sennecke is rising big time”, and that was true when he was considered a mid first rounder and then we heard it again when he was considered a top-16 guy, and it has just kept going. Many public mock drafts have had him going in the top-10 now, with a few having him being selected within the first five or six selections. I think the ceiling for him is going to be Montreal at fifth overall, though it’s more likely he’s towards the end of the top-10.
“In a perfect world, realistically, who is the best player that can fall to the Wings at 15? – Chris P.
I’ll tackle these in order of least to most likely to fall to Detroit at 15.
Berkly Catton is the absolute dream scenario for a Red Wings team that has long been in need of electric offensive talent. By my estimation, Catton is closer to a top-five player in this class than the 15th best, but his 5-foot-10 frame is likely enough for him to at least slide out of the top-10. However, it’s not all that likely Catton makes it past New Jersey, Buffalo, Minnesota, etc. since there’s not a team in the league who couldn’t use a rush creator with as much pure skill and sense as Catton.
Tij Iginla is a very good prospect who is labeled as a center but who mainly played on the wing. I expect he’ll stick to the wings in the NHL as well, which doesn’t hurt Detroit considering the bounty of talent they’ve got down the middle in the NHL and their prospect pool. The biggest reason to get excited about Iginla is the shot, as he scored 44 goals in the WHL this season, good enough for sixth best in the league. He’s also got great skill with the puck and competes hard on both ends of the ice.
Zayne Parekh is someone who could go anywhere from the top-five to the teens. He has a level of offensive talent that rivals just about every player (not defenseman, player) in the draft class. Parekh’s goal scoring ability from the blueline is remarkable and his hockey sense is the best in the class for my money. He isn’t a particularly strong defensive player, but he showed some flashes of that in the Saginaw Spirit’s Memorial Cup run so I’d be thrilled to land him if I were the Red Wings.
Konsta Helenius is someone who has fallen out of favor a bit of late in the public sphere, partially thanks to lackluster performances at the U18 World Championship and the Senior Men’s World Championship where he scored three points across a combined 11 games. However, you should know that Helenius is not one to underestimate. Even though he’s a 5-foot-11 center, Helenius was a playdriving, playmaking force in the Finnish Liiga this season, and he scored a ton of points along the way. Obviously Detroit has plenty of talented playmakers, but a forward who can shield the puck and extend possessions like Helenius does is a very valuable player.
All it would take for at least one of these guys to fall to Detroit at 15 would be for Sennecke and one other rise to go in the first 14 picks. Whether that’s Stian Solberg, Michael Hage, or another more shocking pick, there’s a decent chance Detroit gets someone they’re very high on with the 15th pick.
Nearly Draft Day
With the 2024 NHL Draft just one week away, I can hardly wait to see how the first round plays out. Follow along with all of our draft day coverage right here at The Hockey Writers by checking out our draft guide and staying tuned to all our social media pages!
Who do you think will be the best player available to Detroit at 15? How high do you think Sennecke is selected? Sound off in the comment section below!