With the 2024 NHL Draft about a month away, I wanted to take another look at what the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft could look like. We know the teams who hold the first 28 picks already, and the final picks aren’t far from being decided either with both Conference Final matchups locked at 2-2 as of Wednesday night.
This is a really fascinating portion of the season, where we see the full impact of a final impression on the public and private consensus. If a player played poorly in their final showing(s) like Konsta Helenius, they may start to drop down draft boards a little as a result. On the flip side, a player like Beckett Sennecke has risen significantly in the past month or so due to his excellent play down the stretch in the OHL playoffs.
Mock drafts like this are constantly changing but I wanted to give this exercise another go before the NHL Draft Combine in early June so we could get a good idea of where the majority of these prospects stand before teams get the chance to interview them directly. Those draft combine interviews can make a huge difference, especially for players who have left teams with questions this season like Cole Eiserman.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft Guide
It’s also worth mentioning that most NHL teams are just starting to have their amateur scouting meetings so teams won’t really have a fully formed list going into the combine. The testing can be interesting, but the interviews are the real draw for NHL teams. Stay tuned for some excellent coverage of the 2024 NHL Draft combine from our THW team!
Without further ado, let’s take a look at how the first round might shake out!
1. San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA)
No need to overthink this one. If you really need to know more about Macklin Celebrini at this point, read this.
2. Chicago Blackhawks: Artyom Levshunov, RD, Michigan State University (NCAA)
The public consensus seems to be leaning toward Ivan Demidov at second overall, but I think Artyom Levshunov’s potential as a top-pairing defender who could relieve some pressure from Kevin Korchinski is going to be tough for Chicago to pass up. They’ve likely had a lot more live viewings of Levhsunov than Demidov as well, and I expect the value of his position to be high enough that they lean toward the defender.
3. Anaheim Ducks: Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (MHL)
The Anaheim Ducks’ young forward group is soon to be the envy of the…
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