For years, the Western Hockey League (WHL) has trailed behind the other two leagues in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) on the draft floor, but that trend is beginning to change. At the 2023 NHL Draft, five WHLers were selected before one player from the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) was taken, and by the end of the first round, nearly 20% of all players drafted were from the WHL.
The 2024 Draft promises to follow that pattern. With one of the deepest groups of WHL prospects in years, fans could see the most players selected from the league in a decade. That includes at least one player projected to go in the first five picks and will likely be joined by two more in the top 10. While they may not go toe-to-toe with the OHL this year, there’s a chance that a third or more of the players who hear their name called on the first day in Las Vegas could be from the WHL. Using the NHL’s Central Scouting list, here are the top 10 WHL prospects heading into the 2024 NHL Draft.
#10: Charlie Elick, D, Brandon Wheat Kings
Central Scouting Rank: 31st (among NA skaters)
While several defencemen caught scouts’ attention with high-flying offence, Charlie Elick made a name for himself by playing a solid defensive game. At 6-foot-4 and 203 pounds, he has the typical profile of a shut-down defender, and he’s more than happy to use his size and reach to his advantage. But what made him such an effective defenceman for the Brandon Wheat Kings was his mobility. He’s strong on his edges and has a long, powerful stride, enabling him to skate backward almost as quickly as others can skate forwards, and his quick lateral movement can cut down passing lanes and create turnovers mere moments after an attacker thinks he’s safe. On top of that, he has a developing offensive sense, which helped him score 27 points in 65 games this season.
Despite putting up the third-most points among Wheat King defenders, Elick doesn’t have the strongest sense with the puck, which can lead to poor decisions in the offensive zone. He loves to shoot the puck, regardless of whether there’s a clear shot or not, likely because of his weaker puckhandling skills. While there are few as good when shutting down opponents, he has a lot of room to grow to become an NHL defenceman.
#9: Andrew Basha, LW, Medicine Hat Tigers
Central Scouting Rank: 26th (among NA skaters)
The first of two Medicine Hat Tigers on this list, Andrew Basha‘s game is built around speed and puck control. He’s a very fast skater who will try to insert himself wherever the puck is, and more often than not, he can separate an opponent from it. He’s also a tireless worker, and despite not having the biggest frame in the WHL, he packs plenty of strength and is not afraid to chase a puck into the corners or behind the net. In his third season with the Tigers, he finished with 30 goals and 85 points, placing him fifth in scoring among draft-eligible players in the WHL.
Some wondered if his scoring would continue when linemate Cayden Lindstrom went down with an injury, but he continued to put up big points and became Medicine Hat’s primary play driver. The only concern scouts have is with his consistency, as he can look fantastic in one shift and be invisible in the next. Still, he’s a dynamic winger who will almost certainly hear his name called in the first round.
#8: Adam Jecho, C, Edmonton Oil Kings
Central Scouting Rank: 22nd (among NA skaters)
Adam Jecho was a force to be reckoned with for the Edmonton Oil Kings. The 6-foot-5, 201-pound center showed off some surprisingly soft hands in his first season in North America, finishing tied for second on the team with 23 goals and fourth with 47 points. He can move the puck in and out of traffic, looking for the perfect shooting lane, and when he finds it, he unleashes a heavy, accurate shot. He’s also surprisingly agile for a player his size and can get up to a good speed while moving laterally across the ice, making him one of the best pure power forwards in his draft class.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Guide
However, like a Medieval trebuchet, Jecho isn’t as effective without the puck as he is with it. His shot takes some time to load up, and when it’s gone, he doesn’t have the speed to keep up with smaller, quicker players when backchecking. He has some promising defensive habits, but his toolset is still very raw.
#7: Ryder Ritchie, RW, Prince Albert Raiders
Central Scouting Rank: 19th (among NA skaters)
Ryder Ritchie didn’t have the season he likely would have wanted, but he still emerged as a top prospect heading into the 2024 Draft. He got off to a blazing start, scoring 16 points in the first 11 games, and although his pace slipped after that, by mid-December, he still had 31 points in 34 games. Unfortunately, an injury took him out for the next 21 games, causing him to miss nearly two full months of hockey. When he returned, it took him some time to find the same rhythm he had before, but by the playoffs, he was once again the Prince Albert Raiders’ top player, scoring a point in each of his five games against the Saskatoon Blades.
Ritchie is a slick, intelligent winger who plays best when he’s controlling the play. He works hard to recover pucks and maintain possession, and in the playoffs, was often the first player in the corners. He also looked great at the U18 World Championship, in which he put up four goals and eight points en route to a gold medal with Canada. But, after winning the WHL’s Rookie of the Year last season, more was expected from him than 44 points in 47 games.
#6: Julius Miettinen, C, Everett Silvertips
Central Scouting Rank: 18th (among NA skaters)
Like Jecho, Julius Miettinen is a big forward who also had a great first season in North America, finishing with 31 goals and 67 points in 66 games. At 6-foot-3 and 201 pounds, his size helped him mesh flawlessly into the tougher, more physical WHL, and he established himself as a dangerous net-front presence. His positioning became a major asset for him, as he frequently was in the right place at the right time to bang a rebound into the back of the net. But it also helped him in transition, and combined with a decent skating stride and speed, he was a highly effective forward for the Everett Silvertips.
On offense, there is little that Miettinen can’t do. He has a great eye for finding the best avenue for a pass and while his shot isn’t the strongest, he still manages to get plenty of goals. On defence, he still has some room to grow, and while the positioning is there, he doesn’t always use his size advantage to separate opponents from the puck. Regardless, he’s been on the rise all season long, moving up from 49th on Central Scouting’s Midterm list, and will be a hot commodity on draft day.
#5: Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George Cougars
Central Scouting Rank: 15th (among NA skaters)
It’s fair to say that not even Terik Parascak expected to have the season that he did. Last season, he played just four games with the Prince George Cougars before he was sent down to his Canadian Sports School Hockey League team. That tempered expectations heading into 2023-24, and although he was the second-highest-scorer in the U18 league behind Gavin McKenna, he wasn’t expected to take on a major scoring role in the WHL. 10 months later, Parascak is heading into the NHL Draft as one of the best players in the league after finishing with 43 goals and 106 points in 68 games, leading all rookies in goals, assists, and points.
Much of Parascak’s meteoric rise is thanks to his high intelligence. Despite lacking a lot of mobility in his skating, he can be very deceptive with his movement, almost drawing opponents into a false sense of security before quickly stickhandling out of danger and firing off a shot. One concern is that he’s more of a passenger than a play driver and relies on having strong linemates, but when Cougars’ star Koehn Ziemmer went down early in the season with an injury, Parascak remained just as lethal. His defensive coverage will also need improvement, but his creativity will make him a high pick.
#4: Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary Hitmen
Central Scouting Rank: 11th (among NA skaters)
There arguably isn’t a more polarizing prospect than Carter Yakemchuk. There’s no denying that he was an offensive force for the Calgary Hitmen this season. His 30 goals topped all defencemen in the WHL and was the highest total from an 18-year-old defenceman in over a decade. He rushes the puck like no other blueliner, pulling off spin-o-ramas in the offensive zone and showing off a level of creativity that is lacking in some high-end forwards. Add in his high level of physicality and he could be a potential two-way defenceman in the NHL who can easily put up 50-60 points.
The big problem, however, is that Yakemchuk has shown little awareness of when to use his offensive skills. He frequently pinches at the wrong time, creating turnovers and odd-man rushes against his team, forcing him to scramble back into position before it’s too late. He’s inconsistent in transition and can look downright uninterested when his team is in the defensive zone. Hopefully, a lot of those issues become less troubling with a bit more maturity over the coming years.
#3: Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna Rockets
Central Scouting Rank: 9th (among NA skaters)
Whereas Parascak burst onto the scene unexpectedly, Tij Iginla’s rise this season was almost destiny. The son of Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla, Tij was initially given a B rating on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch list, projecting that he would be a solid second or third-round pick at the 2024 Draft, but he proved to be much better than that. In 64 games with the Kelowna Rockets, he scored an incredible 47 goals and 84 points, surpassing the totals that his dad recorded in his draft year in 1994-95.
However, Tij and Jarome play very different styles, which might give the younger Iginla an advantage on draft day. Whereas Jarome was a pure power forward, using a combination of high physicality and a dangerous shot, Tij is more of a pure sniper and likely a better scorer than his dad. He has a dangerously quick release that remains incredibly accurate no matter where he shoots from, and his puck handling allows him to get in and out of any situation he chooses. Add in some great skating and a developing physical side, and he could become the highest-drafted Iginla in the family.
#2: Berkly Catton, C, Spokane Chiefs
Central Scouting Rank: 8th (among NA skaters)
There aren’t many players as naturally talented as Berkly Catton. He’s a brilliant skater who can move in and out of traffic with speed, using an arsenal of fakes and dekes to put defenders on their heels. He oozes skill whenever he steps onto the ice, and he has the stats to back it up. In 68 games, he scored 54 goals and 116 points, putting him fourth in WHL scoring.
There are very few weaknesses in Catton’s game. He’s brilliant on offence, but he is no slouch when it comes to defending, using his high intelligence, speed, and agility to break up plays, create turnovers, and draw penalties. The only thing that may hold him back is his size. At 5-foot-11, some teams may see him as too small to be an impactful top-line player in the NHL. If he slips outside of the top five, he’ll be one of the biggest steals of the 2024 Draft.
#1. Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat Tigers
Central Scouting Rank: 3rd (among NA skaters)
The top-ranked WHL prospect, Lindstrom looks like the whole package. He’s a 6-foot-3, 214-pound power forward who was one of the league’s biggest hitters to start the season while also finishing at over a point per game and is a fantastic skater who can get up to top speed quickly and stay there for long stretches. He was the Tigers’ most impactful play driver in the first few months, meshing well with Basha to create one of the deadliest tandems in junior hockey. Basha would often serve as the puck carrier and playmaker, setting up Lindstrom once he got closer to the net. With his size and strength, no one had much of a chance to push him out of the way, allowing him to unleash a devastating shot both in power and accuracy.
Ranked third among all North American prospects, there are practically zero concerns with Lindstrom’s game and he’s all but guaranteed a top-five selection. The only worry is that he missed roughly half of the 2023-24 season with a hand injury returning just in time for the playoffs, where he went down with a disc herniation injury. He reiterated that he feels completely ready for the upcoming season at the NHL Draft Combine, but back injuries take a long time to heal, which may make some teams with an early pick a bit more cautious. However, injury or not, he’s one of the most intriguing prospects up for the 2024 Draft.
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