With the 2024 NHL Entry Draft wrapping up in Las Vegas on June 29, all 32 teams added plenty of hopeful future NHLers to their organizations. Some teams made surprising moves, while others found themselves getting possible steals. Grading drafts almost immediately after the conclusion of it (especially an NHL Draft) is tough and can certainly prove to be wrong down the road, but with that said, let’s take a shot at it and see what they all look like in a few seasons.
Anaheim Ducks
2024 picks: Beckett Sennecke, Stian Solberg, Lucas Pettersson, Maxim Masse, Ethan Procyszyn, Tarin Smith, Alexandre Blais, Austin Burnevik, Darels Uljanskis
Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek surprised many again this year, taking Oshawa Generals forward Beckett Sennecke as the number three pick overall. Still, Sennecke can be one of the better players in the draft class if he can continue his development and “silence” the doubters of the selection.
With the rest of their selections, the Ducks did add some much-needed depth to their pipeline. The one position they did not address that will eventually need to be done is at the goaltender position. Verbeek also found some value in the middle and late rounds with Blais and Burnevik. Ultimately, this draft class will be judged on how Sennecke works out.
Grade: A-
Boston Bruins
2024 picks: Dean Letourneau, Elliott Groenwold, Jonathan Morello, Loke Johansson
With the Boston Bruins only having made four selections in this year’s draft, they will be banking on their first-round pick, Letourneau, to develop and turn into an everyday NHL player. He is a young player but feels like a “Boston” type of pick with his size and playing style. If he can develop his game even more in college in the coming seasons, the Bruins will be more than happy. But overall, having only the four selections puts a damper on the grade.
Grade: C+
Buffalo Sabres
2024 picks: Konsta Helenius, Adam Kleber, Brodie Ziemer, Luke Osburn, Simon-Pier Brunet, Patrick Geary, Vasily Zelenov, Ryerson Leenders
Even with moving down in the first round, the Buffalo Sabres got a player many believed would be a top-10 pick in Helenius. Their first three picks of Helenius, as mentioned earlier, Kleber and Ziemer, have a solid chance of making an impact in the Sabres’ lineup in the near future. The most valued pick the organization could end up having is their seventh-round selection of Leenders, who has proven to be a strong netminder in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Mississauga Steelheads.
Grade: B+
Calgary Flames
2024 picks: Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin, Andrew Basha, Jacob Battaglia, Henry Mews, Kirill Zarubin, Trevor Hoskin, Luke Misa, Hunter Laing, Eric Jamieson
The Calgary Flames arguably may have had one of the stronger drafts of all the NHL teams this year. Adding Parekh, who can run the powerplay and be a true offensive force from the defenseman spot, along with a handful of fellow Canadian Hockey League (CHL) prospects, the Flames addressed their offensive need within their pipeline. They could very easily have found themselves one of the steals in the draft by selecting Luke Misa, who was projected to be a fringe first-round, early second-round pick, in the fifth round at the 150th pick.
Related: THW 2024 NHL Draft Guide
The Flames also added to their goaltending depth with Zarubin in the third round. Overall, they seemingly checked the boxes needed for this year’s draft.
Grade: A
Carolina Hurricanes
2024 picks: Dominik Badinka, Nikita Artamonov, Noel Fransen, Alexander Siryatsky, Oskar Vuollett, Justin Poirer, Timur Kol, Roman Shokhrin, Fyodor Avramov, Andrey Krutov
The Carolina Hurricanes already boasted one of the league’s most complete pipelines, and this draft class seemed to add even more depth to it. They may not have added any players who will light the world on fire, but with Artamonov and Poirer (who could be another steal as a late-round pick), they certainly found pieces who could end up being role players or depth guys in the NHL. Artamonov may need a bit more time to make it to the NHL but could be the headline piece of this year’s draft class for the Hurricanes organization.
Grade: B+
Chicago Blackhawks
2024 picks: Artyom Levshunov, Sacha Boisvert, Marek Vanacker, John Mustard, AJ Spellacy, Jack Pridham, Joel Svensson, Ty Henry
With Connor Bedard in tow, the Chicago Blackhawks clearly wanted the right players to build around the 2024 Calder Trophy winner (NHL Rookie of the Year). Levshunov resembles a top-pairing defenseman who can be a lockdown defender and add some offense. His game should only improve as he likely will spend more time at Michigan State next season. The rest of the Blackhawks’ draft class after the second overall pick resemble players who can feed off a player like Bedard (i.e., Vanacker) or generate the offense themselves (Boisvert and Mustard). This draft is yet another step in the right direction for the Original Six organization as they look to return to being one of the league’s premier teams.
Grade: A
Colorado Avalanche
2024 picks: Ilya Nabokov, William Zellers, Jake Fisher, Louka Cloutier, Ivan Yunin, Maxmillian Curran, Tory Pitner, Christian Humphreys, Nikita Prishchepov
A draft class headlined with three goaltenders, the Colorado Avalanche did add some value at the position and could have found a long-term answer in the crease with Nabokov (even though he is on the older side of draft picks at 20 years old). They also found value in the later rounds with Humphreys, but they did not seem to add any players who could strongly impact the NHL lineup.
Grade: C+
Columbus Blue Jackets
2024 picks: Cayden Lindstrom, Charlie Elick, Evan Gardner, Luca Marrelli, Tanner Hendricks, Luke Ashton
Adding the CHL Prospect of the Year in Lindstrom solidifies the center position for the organization’s future and adds even more excitement to the forward group the Columbus Blue Jackets have in their arsenal. Another value pick came with the selection of Marrelli, who may not be the offensive force that some of his fellow defensemen draftees are, but he will be a solid defensive defenseman and a potential powerplay guy with the offense he can produce. The only selection that was a bit of a surprise and shock was goaltender Evan Gardner. Overall, the Blue Jackets, like the Blackhawks, continue to take steps in the right direction to get themselves back on track.
Grade: A-
Dallas Stars
2024 picks: Emil Hemming, Niilopekka Muhonen, William Samuelsson
With fewer picks than the Bruins did, with three, 2024 GM of the Year Jim Nill and the Dallas Stars were able to add Hemming to a pipeline that has seen a handful of players make their way to the NHL lately. Outside of that, they were unable to add top-level talent, though.
Grade: C+
Detroit Red Wings
2024 picks: Michael Brandsegg-Nygärd, Max Plante, Ondrej Becher, Landon Miller, John Whipple, Charlie Forslund, Austin Baker, Fisher Scott
Detroit Red Wings fans have become accustomed to Steve Yzerman having a “type” in his draft picks: a full 200-foot game. With Cole Eiserman, among other prospects who many fans were hoping would be selected by the Red Wings, Yzerman went with Brandsegg-Nygärd as he plays that full game but also adds some extra scoring touch.
With Becher, a more seasoned junior player, they could expect him to jump to the professional ranks either in the ECHL or American Hockey League (AHL) sooner rather than later. It was kind of surprising to see them draft goaltender Landon Miller with Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine already in the pipeline. Overall, it was a true Yzerman type of draft, but they added some strength and grit in the later rounds.
Grade: B
Edmonton Oilers
2024 picks: Sam O’Reilly, Eemil Vinni, Connor Clattenburg, Albin Sundin, Dalyn Wakely, Will Nicholl, Bauer Berry
The Edmonton Oilers were able to make their way into the first round to snag O’Reilly, who will add some depth to the pipeline. Vinni also adds a much-needed goaltender to their system for the future. But overall, the Western Conference champions more or less just added depth to their bare pipeline this year.
Grade: C
Florida Panthers
2024 picks: Linus Eriksson, Matvei Shravin, Simon Zether, Stepan Gorbunov, Hunter St. Martin, Denis Gabdrakhmanov
The Stanley Cup champions relied on their mid-to-late round picks to add some depth to their pipeline. They were unable to add any prospects who will end up making a major impact in the NHL in the future, though, rather adding players who will likely be depth options in their careers.
Grade: C
Los Angeles Kings
2024 picks: Liam Greentree, Carter George, Jared Woolley, James Reeder
The Los Angeles Kings were able to find value in each of their picks in this year’s draft. Greentree brings some excitement to the forward grouping in their system, and Woolley is a solid defenseman from the backend who could factor in as a bottom-pairing option at some point. With George, the Kings are getting a prospect with something to prove after being one of the higher-ranked goaltenders. If he tweaks his game a bit, he could be an impactful piece for the organization in a few seasons.
Grade: B
Minnesota Wild
2024 picks: Zeev Buium, Ryder Ritchie, Aron Kiviharju, Sebastion Sioni, Chase Wutzke, Stevie Leskovar
The Minnesota Wild prioritized the defenseman position and made the jump to 12th overall to get Buium to eventually headline the defensive core with Brock Faber. They were able to find value in each of their picks and add prospects to their pipeline who should all be able to become impactful players for the team soon.
Grade: A
Montreal Canadiens
2024 picks: Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, Aatos Koivu, Logan Sawyer, Owen Protz, Tyler Thorpe, Mikus Vecvangas, Ben Merrill, Makar Khanin, Rasmus Bergqvist
Making 10 total selections in the draft definitely helps the Montreal Canadiens’ grade, but they knocked it out of the park with the selections of Demidov and Hage. The story of Koivu being picked by the team with which his father, Saku, played a part in his career was also notable. Kent Hughes took full advantage of his assets in the draft and built one of the more impressive draft classes for 2024.
Grade: A
Nashville Predators
2024 picks: Egor Surin, Teddy Stiga, Viggo Gustafsson, Miguel Marques, Hiroki Gojsic, Jakub Mitola, Viktor Norringer, Erik Pählsson
The Nashville Predators added some much-needed skill to their pipeline with Surin and took advantage of Stiga dropping into the second round. Both players should be highly impactful for the Preds in the future, and the rest of the class should be able to add some depth. Mitola will likely eventually fill the “next goaltender in line” role if he can also develop his game.
Grade: B+
New Jersey Devils
2024 picks: Anton Silayev, Mikhail Yegorov, Kasper Pikkarainen, Herman Träff, Max Graham, Veeti Louhivaara, Matyas Melovksy
The New Jersey Devils prioritized adding size to their system this year. While they did that, they only added maybe two prospects who could become full-time impact players. Silayev will add some much-needed size to the backend, and Yegorov was one of the top goaltenders in the draft. They did get some value with their selection of Melovsky, though.
Grade: B+
New York Islanders
2024 picks: Cole Eiserman, Jesse Pulkkinen, Kamil Bednarik, Dmitry Gamrin, Marcus Gidlöf, Xavier Veilleux
Adding Eiserman, who is considered the best pure shooter in the draft class, immediately boosts the New York Islanders’ pipeline. If he can develop the rest of his game to complement his elite shooting, he could become a high-level NHLer. The organization was able to stock up on prospects to help replenish a bare system. The selection of two goaltenders was a bit odd, but both could end up having and adding value to the system as well.
Grade: B
New York Rangers
2024 picks: EJ Emery, Raoul Boilard, Nathan Aspinall, Rico Gredig
The four-player New York Rangers draft class is headlined by Emery, who models his game after K’Andre Miller and will be given ample time to develop and mature his game. The rest of the selections the Rangers made were not jump-off-the-screen picks but added further depth to the pipeline.
Grade: C+
Ottawa Senators
2024 picks: Carter Yakemchuk, Gabriel Eliasson, Lucas Ellinas, Javon Moore, Blake Montgomery, Eerik Wallenius
The selection of Yakemchuk over players like Parekh and Sam Dickinson will likely be tracked with a watchful eye. If things do not pan out in the Ottawa Senators’ favor, it will clearly affect the grade in the future, but with that said, they are still getting a solid defenseman in Yakemchuk. They went the long-term route with a few of their picks and did not seem to add enough to the system to help the NHL roster in the near future.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Flyers
2024 picks: Jett Luchanko, Jack Berglund, Spencer Gill, Heikki Ruohonen, Noah Powell, Ilya Pautov, Austin Moline
The Philadelphia Flyers did add some high-level offense with Luchanko and some prospects that brought some intrigue. But overall, they did not add enough to their pipeline that will immediately make a difference. If the intrigue among their class can turn into production and development, then there’s a strong chance the grade will end up higher when we look back at this a few seasons down the road.
Grade: C+
Pittsburgh Penguins
2024 picks: Harrison Brunicke, Tanner Howe, Chase Pietila, Joona Väisänen, Mac Swanson, Finn Harding
Not having a first-round selection thanks to the Erik Karlsson trade hurt Kyle Dubas and the Penguins, but they were able to address a few needs in the draft. Brunicke and Pietila bring some needed depth to the defenseman position in the pipeline, while Howe brings some excitement offensively. The selection of Swanson brings some value as well, especially if he can put on some muscle and hit a growth spurt at some point over the next few seasons.
Grade: C
San Jose Sharks
2024 picks: Macklin Celebrini, Sam Dickinson, Igor Chernyshov, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Carson Wetsch, Christian Kirsch, Colton Roberts, Nate Misskey, Yaroslav Kosostelyov
Selecting two of the top prospects in the draft alone puts the San Jose Sharks’ grade at an A, but continuing to find value throughout the entire draft enhances that even more. Mike Grier and the Sharks are heading in the right direction with their selections in the 2024 Draft.
Grade: A+
Seattle Kraken
2024 picks: Berkly Catton, Julius Miettinen, Nathan Villeneuve, Alexis Bernier, Kim Saarinen, Oliver Josephson, Clarke Caswell, Jakub Fibigr
Adding Catton to the organization gives the Seattle Kraken another player to eventually go along with Matty Beniers in the forward lineup, and they also added some extra depth to their system with their selections. If they can hit on a couple of them, it will go a long way toward them getting established going forward.
Grade: B
St. Louis Blues
2024 picks: Adam Jiricek, Colin Ralph, Lukas Fischer, Ondrej Kos, Adam Jecho, Tomas Mrsic, William McIsaac, Anotine Dorion, Matvei Korotky
The St. Louis Blues targeted defense this year and added a couple of solid ones in their first three picks. Their selections added a lot of size and skill to their pipeline. If Jecho can work on his skating abilities, he could become a very valuable pick for the Blues.
Grade: B+
Tampa Bay Lightning
2024 picks: Jan Golicic, Hagen Burrows, Joona Saarelainen, Kaden Pitre, Joe Connor, Noah Steen, Harrison Meneghin
With not having any picks until the fourth round, the Tampa Bay Lightning were unable to add any top-end talent once again this year. They will likely rely on players like Burrows and Pitre (who missed a good part of the 2023-24 season due to injury) to develop and become a factor in the NHL lineup at some point. The organization’s pipeline still needs some work. They were able to pull off a trade with Utah to get some help, but that does not factor into their draft grade.
Grade: D
Toronto Maple Leafs
2024 picks: Ben Danford, Viktor Johansson, Miroslav Holinka, Alexander Plesovskikh, Timofei Obvintsev, Matt Lehey, Sam McCue, Nathan Mayes
The Toronto Maple Leafs did not target one specific position in this year’s draft, but did add a strong defenseman in Danford after trading back in the first round. A few of their picks were met with some surprise due to the player not necessarily being selected where some believed they would, but the trust is fully in the scouting department, and the organization is likely hoping that at least one or two of them outside of Danford can pan out.
Grade: C
Utah Hockey Club
2024 picks: Tij Iginla, Cole Beaudoin, Will Skahan, Veeti Vaisanen, Gregor Biber, Gabe Smith, Owen Allard, Ales Cech, Vojtech Hradec, Ludvig Lafton
The Utah Hockey Club took a big swing in their first draft as an organization and got an uber-strong first round out of it with Iginla and Beaudoin. They will add a mix of offense and grittiness to the pipeline. Iginla is a player who could end up being the face of the franchise. They were another team that found value in each of their selections in the 2024 Draft.
Grade: A
Vancouver Canucks
2024 picks: Melvin Fernstrom, Riley Patterson, Anthony Romani, Parker Alcos, Basile Sansonnens
The Vancouver Canucks are a bit like the Lightning, not having a pick until number 93, which limited their ability to add top-level talent to their system. Fernstrom has a strong scoring ability, and Romani and Patterson both had good junior seasons in the OHL, but not adding pieces to their system that are likely to be key contributors in the future did not help the organization.
Grade: C-
Vegas Golden Knights
2024 picks: Trevor Connelly, Pavel Moysevich, Trent Swick, Lucas Van Vliet
There is no doubt that Connelly has the talent to be a strong NHLer, but the off-ice issues he has had come into play as well. Adding a goaltender in Moysevich was very much a value pick, and Van Vliet was as well, being selected in the seventh round. The Vegas Golden Knights are looking to add to a bare pipeline and did a solid job in doing so with limited picks this year.
Grade: B-
Washington Capitals
2024 picks: Terik Parascak, Cole Hutson, Leon Muggli, Eriks Mateiko, Nicholas Kempf, Petr Sikora, Mirsolav Satan
The Capitals spread the wealth position-wise in the 2024 Draft and added pieces that should easily impact their lineup in the future. Hutson falling to them in the second round could end up becoming a steal, and adding Kempf later on in the draft for the goaltender position could pay off in a few seasons as well. They had value picks at almost every selection.
Grade: B+
Winnipeg Jets
2024 picks: Alfons Freij, Kevin He, Markus Loponen, Kieron Walton
Another team that did not factor into the first round was the Winnipeg Jets, who went off the cuff a bit with their selection of Freij in the second round and could not add players who many feel will make a difference for the organization in the future.
Grade: D
Only Time Will Truly Tell
As I mentioned at the beginning of these grades, it is hard to truly grade an NHL draft class immediately following its conclusion. Each organization is clearly hoping that their picks work out for the best, and time will truly tell how these prospects and classes will pan out and grade out.
