It’s mock draft season here in the NHL, and general manager Bill Armstrong has quite the handful on his plate entering the 2024 NHL Draft. The Utah Hockey Club enters the draft with a staggering 13 draft picks, which leads the NHL, with only the Montreal Canadiens coming close with 12. Naturally, this is an exciting time because there’s so much Armstrong and company can do with these draft selections. He could trade up, down, or stay put; the options are limitless.
Related: THW’s 2024 NHL Draft Guide
Their efforts to add key fundamental pieces to the rebuild will be influenced by a number of nuances, some of which are beyond their control. They can’t dictate what happens in front of them, only when they’re drafting, so the ball is in Armstrong’s court. If you remember, he stunned the NHL world by taking Russians Dmitri Simashev and Daniil But in the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft and now enters the festivities in Las Vegas with immense expectations.
As expected, there will always be pressure to hit on first-round draft picks, but in this circumstance, Armstrong is making history by picking sixth overall. As the newest NHL team, this will be Utah’s first draft pick in franchise history, making it that much more significant. That being said, with 13 draft picks, here is the complete 2024 NHL mock draft with some names Utah could select in under a week.
First Round – 6th Overall: Carter Yakemchuk, Calgary Hitmen, Defense
Having the sixth overall pick, there are so many directions they could choose to go, but in this mock draft, they go to the Western Hockey League (WHL), taking Carter Yakemchuk. There’s no doubt this isn’t going to be the most popular pick, but it makes sense when you look deeper into the numbers. First, Yakemchuk is an elite offensive defenseman with size and offensive instincts like no other. With the Calgary Hitmen this season, he took a massive leap forward, registering the most goals by a defenseman in the WHL with 30 and 71 points.
What makes him most attractive is that he’s a right-shot defenseman, a hot commodity in the NHL nowadays. Of course, no prospect is flawless, and that’s the case with Yakemchuk despite all the positive attributes. He folds under pressure at times, often leading towards a turnover or loss of possession, which he’s working on. At 6-foot-3, Yakemchuk has all the tools necessary to be a top-pairing defenseman and could be a Brett Burns type of player. He’ll need to round out his defensive game first, but this would add an elite prospect to Utah’s system and the first pick in franchise history.
Second Round – 38th Overall: Dean Letourneau, St. Andrews College, Center
This mock draft has no trades, but it’s possible they could trade one or multiple of these second-round picks to move back into the first round. In this one, they don’t, and at 38th overall, they take Dean Letourneau from St. Andrews College. If that school sounds familiar, it’s because it is; Armstrong has taken both Jonathan Castagna and Matthew Morden from there; thus, there’s familiarity. For Letourneau, though, he offers a package that you rarely see in drafts, and it’s his height. Standing in at 6-foot-6, he’s no small kid, and Armstrong has favored size in past drafts as well, as we all know.
Last season not a single player registered below 5-foot-11, and if you’ll slowly be able to tell, that’s the same trend in this mock draft. Letourneau had a phenomenal season with St. Andrews, racking up 61 goals and 127 points in 56 games. He is extremely raw and has a lot of work to do to make himself a top-six forward in the NHL, but he could arguably have the highest upside of any forward in the draft. At 38th overall, Armstrong is willing to make that gamble and take Letourneau, someone who could be a game-changer if he hits.
Second Round – 49th Overall (from WSH): Jesse Pulkkinen, JYP, Defense
What’s better than a 6-foot-6 forward? Of course, the answer is a 6-foot-6 defenseman, just like Jesse Pulkkinen. I’m not kidding, this kid is massive but extremely gifted offensively and defensively. After not being drafted last year in Nashville, he has slowly climbed the draft rankings and has so many attributes that make any scout or general manager jump up and down with excitement. Pulkkinen played in Finland this season, registering 28 points in 18 games with JYP, which was impressive stuff coming from a defenseman.
He was later brought up to the big club where he slowly but surely found his way and soon enough was playing nearly 20 minutes a night as a 19-year-old. They both play extremely different games, but Pulkkinen reminds me of J.J. Moser. They have completely different play styles, but they could see similar paths to the NHL, considering they were both overage and played in the highest competition they could during their draft year(s). Pulkkinen is the definition of a high-risk, high-reward type of player, and like Letourneau, if he hits, he could be a great piece of Utah’s blue line for the foreseeable future.
Second Round – 63rd Overall (from FLA): Maxim Massé, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, Right Wing
Under Armstrong, in the three drafts he’s been GM, he’s selected players from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) three times, and taking Maxim Massé makes it four. Massé is a good representation of a pure power forward, but that being said, he also has some nifty skills in his back pocket. With the Chicoutimi Sagueneens this season, he notched 36 goals and 75 points in 67 games, adding six points in eight playoff games.
Massé is able to use his 6-foot-1 frame to his advantage. While he is not the tallest, he knows how to use his body efficiently along the boards to win battles. His playmaking is also often swept under the rug, which is surprising when you are well above a point per game player, but he’s extremely creative with the puck. He’s constantly creating chances and knows how to anticipate defenders. Massé would add another good piece to Utah, and he has the potential to become a top-six forward, although it’s likely that he could be a third-line player.
Third Round – 71st Overall: Matvei Shuravin, CSKA, Defense
It wouldn’t be an Armstrong draft without taking a player from Russia because he’s taken at least one in all drafts he’s been GM. That player to kick off the third round is Matvei Shuravin, a big 6-foot-4 defenseman from CSKA, who is a great example of a defensive defenseman with size. This season, he played 11 games against men in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where he recorded just two assists.
He also played 22 games in the MHL (Russia’s top junior league) and notched seven assists in 22 games. If one thing about Shuravin holds true, it is how raw he is and the toolkit he possesses. If Armstrong were to take him, it would take a bit for him to develop and reach his full potential, which is that of a top-six defenseman at the NHL level. I’d lean more toward a number-five defenseman, but he could be a top-four option if he hits his maximum potential.
Third Round – 89th Overall (from COL): Hagen Burrows, Minnetonka High, Left Wing
A handful of players will fall for various reasons, and one is likely to be Hagen Burrows, but Armstrong stops the slide at 89th overall, taking the winger. Out of Minnetonka High, Burrows is a natural playmaker, and he’s easy to spot when turning on the tape. This season, the 18-year-old registered 19 goals and 59 points with Minnetonka High, additionally adding nine goals and 22 points in 25 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
Burrows is a smart player who can throw defenders off with his vision and consistently make hard plays, which isn’t done much with someone his age. However, there are a lot of aspects that need improving. First is his physical play, and while you’d think standing at 6-foot-2, he has all the height to use it, he’s still learning to grow into his body. Once he does this, he’ll add another element to his game. There’s also a lot of work to do in the defensive zone, but the skill is there, and Armstrong takes a jab at it in the third round.
Third Round – 96th Overall (from EDM): Hiroki Gojsic, Kelowna Rockets, Center
With Utah’s last third-round pick, they head to the WHL, where they take Kelowna Rockets center Hiroki Gojsic. This season, Gojsic was impressive, to say the least, recording 21 goals and 50 points in 68 games as a rookie. The Langley, BC, Canada native stands out not only for his unique name but also for his killer shot, which he used to his advantage this season, recording 21 goals. At 6-foot-3, he was able to use his body to his advantage, preventing defenders from knocking him off the puck.
He also used his body physically on the defensive side, which allowed him to make a difference and impact the game. However, he sometimes struggled with making the right play at the right time. What I mean by that is sometimes he’d wait too long and hesitate before making a play or not being decisive and rushing a play, leading to a turnover. Regardless, that’s the trial and error of being a rookie in the WHL, and he has plenty of time to shore up some of those issues in hopes of being a bottom-six forward in the NHL.
Fourth Round – 98th Overall (from SJS): Aidan Park, Shattuck St. Mary’s, Right Wing
Entering the fourth round, Armstrong and company travel south of Minneapolis to Shattuck St. Mary’s, taking winger Aidan Park. This season, he was impressive, recording 30 goals and 93 points in 56 games, which was third on the team. St. Mary’s has housed the likes of probable first-round picks Macklin Celebrini and Cole Eiserman, which goes to show some of the talents that have come out of the school.
Park seems to be a wildcard when looking at his strengths and weaknesses, but if there’s one thing for sure, it’s his hockey IQ. It sits well above the competition, and he has an extremely high intelligence for the game. Additionally, his shot also complements his IQ, where he can find lanes; his shot is there to back him up, which is where a lot of those 30 goals came from. In due time, Park could be a solid fourth-line player and would add depth to Utah at wing.
Fourth Round – 103rd Overall: Nate Misskey, Victoria Royals, Defense
During the 2023 NHL Draft, Armstrong drafted Justin Kipikie, a defenseman from the WHL. What better way to add his teammate Nate Misskey, who has many likable traits? The 6-foot-3 defenseman was hurt for a large portion of this season but still showed he is worthy of being drafted. In 44 games, he had seven goals and 34 points. Being on a rebuilding Royals team, there weren’t many positive things regarding wins and losses, but Misskey added much-needed stability on the blue line.
Misskey uses his strength, poise, and hockey IQ to succeed in all three zones. A lot of credit is due to his big 6-foot-3 frame, which he was able to use big-time, delivering crushing hits to opposing players. While his game is far from flashy, he plays a simple game with all the things you want to see out of a stay-at-home defenseman, and that’s arguably what’s most impressive about Misskey. The right-shot defenseman has lots of likable tools, and if he continues to develop, he’ll find himself an NHL role a few years down the line.
Fifth Round – 135th Overall: Elliott Groenewold, Cedar Rapid RoughRiders, Defense
Kicking off the fifth round, where Utah has just one pick, they take Elliott Groenewold from the Cedar Rapid RoughRiders of the USHL. Armstrong has a tendency in drafts to snag a few players out of the USHL. He did so last year with Michael Hrabal and Tanner Ludtke, so it’s no surprise he heads back there this year, taking Groenewold. The 6-foot-2 defenseman didn’t add much offense this season, only recording five goals and 16 points in 57 games.
However, that’s not Groenewold’s game. While it’s clear the offensive part of his game is slowly coming along, his defense and physicality stand out. This season, he had 77 penalty minutes (PIM), which was 35th most throughout the entire league. Groenewold’s ceiling isn’t the highest, as the offensive upside isn’t quite there yet, but he would add depth on defense, and at the end of the day, having depth across all levels as an organization is a good thing.
Sixth Round – 167th Overall: Robin Nico Antenen, EV Zug, Left Wing
With two sixth-round picks, with their first selection, Utah travels across the globe to Switzerland, drafting winger Robin Nico Antenen from EV Zug. He had a good draft season with the EV Zug U20 team, notching 20 goals and 40 points in 44 games, nearly a point per game. He also managed to add three goals and seven points in 11 playoff games, where he played a significant role. He also saw six games with the big club in the National League (NL) but was kept off the scoresheet.
Nico Antenen has a trait that few prospects possess: how lethal he is on the penalty kill. He showed that this season and made his opponents pay. On the flip side, he also showed how dangerous he is on the power play, where most of his offense came from during the 2023-24 season. That being said, he struggled during five-on-five play, where he lacked in production as a whole. That is something he’ll have to work on further, but it’s safe to say that the potential is there; he just needs time.
Sixth Round – 190th Overall (from DAL): Harrison Meneghin, Lethbridge Hurricanes, Goalie
After drafting three goaltenders during the 2023 NHL Draft, Armstrong and company only take one in this mock draft, Harrison Meneghin from the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the WHL. Meneghin showcased his dynamic skills this season, with a 2.59 goals-against average (GAA) and a .919 save percentage (SV%). However, he struggled in his four playoff games, with a 4.00 GAA and a .887 SV%.
Meneghin was named Central Division goaltender of the year in the WHL, which is impressive for someone in their draft year. The 6-foot-3 netminder was just the 10th Hurricanes goaltender in history to reach the 25-win mark, as he finished the season with a 27-20-5 record along with four shutouts. Meneghin accomplished a lot this season, and while Utah may not have an immediate need for a goaltender as opposed to last year, it’s never a bad idea to add more depth, especially with a player like Meneghin.
Seventh Round – 199th Overall: Jack Bodin, Örebro HK, Defense
Wrapping up the 2024 NHL Draft, Utah heads to Sweden, drafting Jack Bodin, a defenseman from Örebro HK. The lengthy 6-foot-3 defenseman notched six goals and 12 points in 46 games played in the J20 Nationell, Sweden’s junior league. He didn’t add much help in the playoffs, as in eight games, he only notched a goal and an assist for two points.
The stats aren’t mindblowing, and to be quite frank, not many sixth or seventh-round guys are going to be game-breakers; the probability is just so slim. However, with Bodin, one of his attributes is his calmness in the defensive zone. Even if he’s not putting up a ton of points, his work defensively goes miles beyond scoring goals. If he wants to make it to the next level, he’ll have to improve his mobility, but he’ll have plenty of time to do that as he develops further.
Armstrong in Driver’s Seat As Draft Draws Closer
The good thing about this draft for Utah and Armstrong is the volume of draft picks they have, and in this mock draft, they make the most of it. They fill a need for an offensive-minded defenseman with Yakemchuk, yet still add on the flipside with Letourneau; they add a player who has an incredibly high upside. While not targeting a specific area, they round out the draft by taking six defensemen, six forwards, and one goaltender, standing even keel on all positions. At this point in the rebuild, it’s a good idea to bolster every position, and in this mock draft, they do just that. While many fans may oppose the Yakemchuk selection, don’t be surprised if the draft plays out that way in Las Vegas, as Armstrong has never drafted a player out of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).