NHL team draft lists remain a work in progress. While there is more clarity and certainty as we draw near the end of the season, there’s still a number of teams competing and of course, there’s the Under-18 World Championships which begin April 25 in Finland. With no Russian or Belarussian involvement, the rest of the world’s hockey-playing nations will send their best draft eligibles to the tournament, along with a few younger players eligible for the 2025 NHL draft.
Beyond that, there are other high-end players still in the mix for a league title or the Memorial Cup.
Remember, there are some players in this draft with late birthdays (after Sept. 15, 2005) whose seasons have come to a close. For example, Carter Yakemchuk’s Calgary Hitmen failed to qualify for the WHL playoffs, while Zeev Buium’s tremendous freshman season ended with a National Championship victory for Denver. Players anticipating an NHL Combine invite will have a short break away from the game before ratcheting up training in preparation for the off-ice testing portion of the event. As per usual, the NHL Scouting Combine will take place in Buffalo in early June.
There will also be some draft-eligible players who will be asked to participate in the men’s world championships, as Adam Fantilli did for Canada last year. Macklin Celebrini (Canada), Buium (United States) and Konsta Helenius (Finland) may all find themselves in that situation. Regardless of Celebrini’s participation, he will go first overall in June at the Sphere in Vegas. Buium, while having experienced an epic rise through the rankings, could go even higher should he play for the U.S. and be as successful as he was with Denver. And based on his season in Liiga, Helenius should fit right in with the Finnish men’s national team. In any event, players evaluated at the senior level rarely hurt their final ranking, but there is room for upward movement.
This point in the scouting schedule has plenty of benefits. Scouts can narrow their focus and catch multiple games of a series to provide additional context on multiple players. General managers, whose teams will not compete in the NHL playoffs, can get out on the road and get in-person viewings of players they expect to see when it’s their turn to pick.
All told, any hockey being played right now is high-leverage, high-pressure hockey, and viewings in those circumstances carry additional weighting in the final evaluation process.
While most consider a ledge in this draft after Celebrini and again in the 20 range, the projected top 10 is crowded and has increasingly become a difficult task to complete. Every time you turn around, a star-studded player is accomplishing another incredible feat. Celebrini was in tough against Cutter Gauthier and Jackson Blake, but still emerged as the Hobey Baker winner. Ivan Demidov continues to establish new marks in the MHL. Tij Iginla has been rising all season long and a top-10 pick is not out of reach for Jarome’s son. Could that pick be made by the Calgary Flames?
This draft remains defence-heavy, with a nice sprinkling of mostly averaged-sized forwards. We have players from all corners of the world, and we also have a diversity of players from all levels. As we move further down in Round 1, the apples-to-apples comparisons become much more difficult. We will have further clarification once the draft lottery is held in the first week of May. In the meantime, here are the rankings for April.
1. Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University, (NCAA)
Height: Six-foot Weight: 190 pounds
After winning the Hobey Baker, there’s nothing left for him to do in the amateur ranks. Would love to see him play for Canada in the men’s worlds.
2. Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State University (NCAA)
Height: Six-foot-two Weight: 208 pounds
A big, right-shot, mobile defenceman provides considerably less risk than other Eastern European players high on the board.
3. Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight: 181 pounds
Demidov has demonstrated he’s unfazed by demolishing the MHL. Not just in the regular season, but his playoff numbers have already set the gold standard for draft eligibles in the league and there are still games to play.
4. Anton Silayev, D, Torpedo (KHL)
Height: Six-foot-seven Weight: 211 pounds
A player every NHL team will clamour for based on what we’ve seen in recent Stanley Cup contenders and champions.
5. Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Height: Six-foot-three Weight: 190 pounds
As a late birthday, he won’t get a chance to play in the U18s, so the on-ice portion of his book is closed. Thirty goals and 120 penalty minutes are two eye-popping stats.
6. Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Height: Six-foot Weight: 178 pounds
At the top of my list for the most dynamic defenceman I’ve seen in the CHL, which dates back to when I first started broadcasting games in the late 1990s.
7. Zeev Buium, D, University of Denver (NCAA)
Height: Six-foot Weight: 183 pounds
Exposure playing almost 30 minutes in each of the two games en route to a National Championship gave the general public a look at what scouts have seen all season long.
8. Sam Dickinson, D, London Knights (OHL)
Height: Six-foot-three Weight: 204 pounds
Dickinson brings a complete package to the table. He will try to force the difficult play on occasion when the simple play would be most effective.
9. Berkly Catton, C, Spokane Chiefs, (WHL)
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight: 170 pounds
Catton has built currency dating back to the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer. His 54 goals and 116 points this season with Spokane provided further evidence that he belongs here.
10. Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight: 186 pounds
Iginla’s continued rise up the charts didn’t end in the regular season. He had a brilliant Round 1, but the Rockets have run into a much more difficult second-round opponent.
11. Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Height: Six-foot-three Weight: 210 pounds
With this latest setback, there is some concern that the injuries that limited Lindstrom to 36 games (regular season and playoffs) are more lasting than originally thought.
12. Cole Eiserman, LW, USNTDP
Height: Six-foot Weight: 197 pounds
Completely aware of why he’s slid, Eiserman will be a fascinating study at the U18s where the U.S. isn’t the heavy favourite it’s been in years past.
13. Konsta Helenius, C, Jukurit (Liiga)
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight: 180 pounds
Two straight years of middle-six production as a teenager in Liiga inspires confidence that Helenius’s game will translate seamlessly to the NHL.
14. Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Height: Six-foot-two Weight: 175 pounds
Sennecke loves to cut to the middle on the rush from the off side but is also a serious threat to beat opponents wide off the rush on the strong side.
15. Liam Greentree, LW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Height: Six-foot-two Weight: 211 pounds
Greentree is a safe bet who plays a power-forward role with elevated skill, especially in the goal-scoring realm.
16. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Mora (Allsvenskan)
Height: Six-foot-one Weight: 194 pounds
Brandsegg-Nygard is a player you can trust in all situations and someone who has produced well at the pro level despite mid-tier minutes.
17. Trevor Connelly, C, Tri-City Storm (USHL)
Height: Six-foot-one Weight: 156 pounds
It will be interesting to see how Connelly fits in both on and off-ice with the U.S. at the U18s.
18. Igor Chernyshov, LW, Moscow Dynamo (MHL)
Height: Six-foot-two Weight: 192 pounds
Chernyshov is a steady all-around player who has a penchant for hunting pucks. He doesn’t need much time or space to create offence and he can score at ease.
19. Andrew Basha, LW, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight 184 pounds
Cayden Lindstrom drew scouts to Medicine Hat and in the process, Andrew Basha and Tomas Mrsic have emerged as legit prospects. Basha plays with passion, he’s highly competitive and is quick to make plays.
20. Michael Hage, C, Chicago Steel (USHL)
Height: Six-foot-one Weight: 190 pounds
Hage had a huge bounce-back season resulting in 1.39 points per game. He moves well and is involved in the play. When engaged, he is a threat whenever he comes over the boards.
21. Sacha Boisvert, C, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
Heigh: Six-foot-two Weight: 176 pounds
Boisvert has shown off some different dynamic elements throughout the season, but putting them all together game in and game out has been inconsistent.
22. Adam Jiricek, D, HC Plzen (Extraliiga)
Height: Six-foot-two Weight: 178 pounds
Jiricek’s size and two-way ability certainly tantalize scouts but he hasn’t played since the world juniors and several other defencemen have progressed more.
23. Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George Cougars (WHL)
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight: 174 pounds
Parascak closed the regular season strong, with nine goals in his final eight games, to finish with 105 points. His point production has been remarkably consistent, including the playoffs to date.
24. Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph Storm (OHL)
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight: 185 pounds
Luchanko won’t be able to avoid the spotlight now as he did for most of the season. He will have a chance to shine for Canada and play to his identity as a smart, skilled, two-way forward at the U18s.
25. Aron Kiviharju, D, Jokerit (Liiga)
Height: Five-foot-nine Weight: 170 pounds
Kiviharju missed most of the season after having surgery in the fall but there could be some vindication if he can get back up to speed for Finland at the world championships.
26. Marek Vanacker, LW, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
Height: Six-foot Weight: 175 pounds
Vanacker plays with pace, has a good stick and protects the puck well. He can drive play but is equally adept at playing with other high-end skilled players.
27. Ryder Ritchie, RW, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
Height: Six-foot Weight: 175 pounds
Ritchie ended the playoffs on a five-game heater and will now get a chance to reclaim a spot higher up the rankings with a good showing for Canada at the U18s.
28. Julius Miettinen, C, Everett Silvertips (WHL)
Height: Six-foot-three Weight: 205 pounds
Miettinen is a responsible, hard-working centre who is strong on draws. He outsmarts and outmuscles opponents all over the ice.
29. Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D, Vaxjo U20 (SHL)
Height: Six-foot Weight: 176 pounds
A smooth skating defenceman who can transport the puck. Sahlin Wallenius is a threat as an addition on the rush and projects as a secondary powerplay threat.
30. Dean Letourneau, C, St. Andrew’s College (High school, Ontario)
Height: Six-foot-six Weight 210 pounds
Letourneau dominated at the high school level and clearly has the size everyone desires. It would have been great to see him at the U18s, but absent that, he will have the NHL Combine testing and interview period to prove he belongs in Round 1.
31. Brodie Ziemer, RW, USNTDP
Height: Five-foot-11 Weight: 192 pounds
Mature both on and off the ice, Ziemer plays an intense, responsible two-way game. He possesses impressive leadership qualities and could wear a letter at some point in his career.
32. Luca Marelli, D, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Height: Six-foot-two Weight: 185 pounds
There’s nothing spectacular about Marelli’s game other than he plays safe, mistake-free hockey. He plays in control and with the poise of someone beyond his years.
