Fresh off the world junior hockey championship, it’s a good time to provide some updates on players selected at the 2024 NHL draft in Las Vegas. As is always the case, some prospects have been trending up significantly while others are battling through growing pains and injury setbacks.
January marks the halfway mark of the NHL season. Most teams are gathering for midseason meetings with pro and amateur scouting staffs to evaluate their organizational depth and strategize for the upcoming draft and trade deadline.
Decisions that are made in the next couple of months can have significant, short- and long-term, ramifications on the trajectory of a franchise.
Here’s a fresh look at my top-10 list from last year’s draft class, followed by analysis of the top players from Rounds 2 through 7.
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1. Macklin Celebrini, 5-foot-11, 197 pounds, Left Shot - Centre
Drafted 1st overall by the San Jose Sharks
Celebrini is the clear-cut top prospect out of the draft class. He’s a Calder Trophy candidate who is averaging just shy of 20:00 TOI per game for the Sharks.
Celebrini is one of the leading rookie scorers in the NHL this season. He’s posted 13 goals and 16 assists in only 33 games. He isn’t a one-dimensional player and competes the full length of the ice. He pushes through traffic and works to create turnovers. The 18-year-old's energy and enthusiasm are evident on a nightly basis, and the Sharks have an elite franchise player to build their team around for years to come.
2. Ivan Demidov, 6-feet, 192 pounds, Left Shot - Forward
Drafted 5th overall by the Montreal Canadiens
Demidov has been running hot in his last 10-game segment, producing seven goals and four assists for SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL. He’s averaged over 14 minutes per game in that span, all of his ice time coming at even strength and the power play. Equally as important is the fact Demidov was plus-five during that stretch.
It’s no secret that I had Demidov as the second-ranked prospect last June and he’s done nothing to relinquish the spot. He’s a dynamic offensive talent who, like Celebrini, plays in traffic and battles for pucks. He has elite offensive instincts and has displayed much-improved attention to detail in all three zones this season.
Here’s an example of what I’ve been witnessing from Demidov recently. The following clip illustrates how quickly he reads, reacts, makes plays and pushes back physically:

3. Beckett Sennecke, 6-foot-3, 192 pounds, Right Shot – Forward
Drafted 3rd overall by the Anaheim Ducks
Sennecke had one of the best surprise reactions when the Ducks took him third overall last June at the Sphere in Las Vegas. He’s been working hard to prove Anaheim made the right selection.
The 18-year-old is one of the top scorers in the OHL this season and has been very difficult to defend in the offensive zone with his length and stature. He protects pucks very well along the wall and rips plays on net in a flash. Sennecke has produced 28 goals and 35 assists through 35 games. His entire game is on the rise. He’s engaged defensively and can be trusted in a variety of roles.
4. Zeev Buium, 6-feet, 186 pounds, Left Shot – Defenceman
Drafted 12th overall by the Minnesota Wild
Many years ago, when I started my NHL scouting career with the Nashville Predators, I witnessed the beginning of Ryan Suter’s career and the potential that was on the horizon. In the prime of his career, Suter logged an incredible amount of ice time in all situations.
Buium is a different player in some skill categories but his approach to playing the game and overall reliability is very much the same as Suter’s. Buium is a winner. He has won two World Junior gold medals and an NCAA championship in the last year alone. He averages north of 25 minutes of ice time playing college hockey at Denver University. He also led the nation in scoring for a defenceman last year and is tied for the lead this year, with 24 points in 20 games. Buium also possesses a sneaky physical element, setting up to be a future top-pairing NHL defenceman.
5. Zayne Parekh, 6-feet, 187 pounds, Right Shot – Defenceman
Drafted 9th overall by the Calgary Flames
Parekh continues to thrive in the OHL and play to his identity. He’s a transitional defenceman who quarterbacks the power play and produces offence. His defensive game has improved a great deal from the start of the year; Parekh is being deployed in all situations and is generally more engaged in his zone. He’s been physical and reacts quicker than most of his opponents when jumping to loose pucks.
In Parekh’s last 10 games, he averaged just shy of 27:00 TOI per game while deployed in all situations. He produced three goals and nine assists, and was a tidy plus-seven.
Here’s an example of Parekh doing what he does best off the rush:

6. Berkly Catton, 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Left Shot – Forward
Drafted 8th overall by the Seattle Kraken
Catton was one of the few Team Canada forwards at the World Juniors in Ottawa who played to his identity throughout the tournament. He was truly one of the players who was snake-bitten in terms of results. He drove play and created his fair share of scoring chances.
Catton is playing for the Spokane Chiefs and has been one of the top point producers in the entire WHL, averaging 1.8 points per game (15 goals and 39 assists in 30 appearances). His most recent outing saw him explode for a goal and six assists against Wenatchee.
Catton projects as a top-six scoring forward at the NHL level. In the meantime, he's rounding out his game at the junior level, being deployed in all situations and averaging over 20:00 TOI. I appreciate his quickness, vision and all-around compete. He’s trustworthy and works.
7. Tij Iginla, 6-feet, 191 pounds, Left Shot – Forward
Drafted 6th overall by the Utah Hockey Club
Iginla is out for the remainder of the season after undergoing hip surgery in December. He produced 14 goals and 18 assists in 21 games before being shut down. Iginla’s combination of power, skill, high-end compete and elite shooting project him as a top-six winger at the NHL level. He’s also generally engaged defensively and can be trusted in a variety of roles overall.
8. Liam Greentree, 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, Left Shot – Forward
Drafted 26th overall by the LA Kings
The Kings have to be very excited about landing Greentree with the 28th overall selection last June. He’s a big part of the reason his junior club, the Windsor Spitfires, is one of the top teams in the OHL and CHL this season.
Greentree is in a tight race with draft-eligible Michael Misa from the Saginaw Spirit for the OHL scoring title. He’s already produced 30 goals and 42 assists and is on pace to easily surpass 100 points by year's end. His combination of size and skill gives opponents all they can handle at the junior level and his skating has improved as well. Greentree is quicker out of the blocks now and showing an ability to separate from checks in open ice and transition. He’s the captain in Windsor and is being deployed in all situations.
Below is an example of the effort Greentree puts forth on a nightly basis. He’s killing a penalty in this clip. The goal he scores is a bit of a muffin that should have been stopped, but the sequence shows how Greentree uses his length to kill a play in his zone. He ends up separating in the neutral zone and taking the puck to the net for the short-handed tuck:

9. Michael Hage, 6-feet, 188 pounds, Right Shot – Centre
Drafted 21st overall by the Montreal Canadiens
Hage is a quick-strike forward who’s a threat to create off the rush and gets pucks to the net effectively in high-danger scoring areas. Opponents have to respect his speed and creativity.
Hage is the leading scorer for the Wolverines (11 goals and 13 assists) and sits in the top 15 of the NCAA scoring race. I appreciate his skill and competitive nature, but the next thing I’m looking for is a bit more detail defensively. There are times he ends up on the wrong side of his man, high in the defensive zone, resulting in opposing scoring chances. At the end of the day, for now, his offence wins out. Montreal has another potential top-six scoring forward on the horizon.
10. Konsta Helenius, 5-foot-11, 189 pounds, Right Shot – Center
Drafted 14th overall by the Buffalo Sabres
Helenius is developing at the AHL level, playing for the Sabres long-time affiliate the Rochester Americans, and having a solid rookie campaign. The Finnish youngster has produced six goals and 11 assists while averaging over 18 minutes of ice time per game in a variety of roles. Helenius captained Team Finland at the WJC in Ottawa.
The 18-year-old is a diminutive player, but he’s quick and smart. In my opinion, he leans toward being a play driver and distributor more than a goal scorer at the NHL level. He makes plays from the perimeter on the power play and tracks the entire 200 feet to assist defensively. He’s adjusted well to the smaller ice surface in North America and projects as a potential top-six forward.
Top players from Rounds 2 through 7
Round 2. Cole Hutson, 5-foot-10, 165 pounds, Left Shot – Defenceman
Drafted 43rd overall by the Washington Capitals
Hutson is a dynamic play driver and power-play quarterback. His skill set was on full display at the WJC playing for Team USA as Hutson finished the tournament with 11 points in seven games.
Round 3. Ilya Protas, 6-foot-4 198 pounds, Left Shot – Forward
Drafted 75th overall by the Washington Capitals
Illya’s brother "Aleksai" is having a wonderful year at the NHL level with the Caps and Washington has to be excited about the younger Protas' potential as well. He’s a big body whose skating is rounding into form, which opens up more opportunity for him to produce offence. Protas has great puck touch as well: he's produced 29 goals and 38 assists playing for the Windsor Spitfires this season.
Round 4. Kevin He, 5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Left Shot – Forward
Drafted 109th overall by the Winnipeg Jets
He is a powerful skater in the open ice and a threat off the rush. The 18-year-old possesses a quick and accurate release, and shows a willingness to take the play to the net off the wall. He averages nearly 20 minutes of TOI per game playing for the Niagara Ice Dogs. His defensive detail is a work in progress but his offensive numbers are very impressive (26 goals and 28 assists in 39 games played).
Round 5. Marcus Gidlof, 6-foot-6, 179 pounds, Catches Left – Goaltender
Drafted 147th overall by the New York Islanders
Gidlof takes up a ton of net. His size affords him the luxury of playing deep in his net and he rarely tracks outside his posts, moving side to side and squares up very well. He’s a hybrid-style goaltender who’s splitting time between the Swedish junior league and top pro league, SHL. His SHL numbers are excellent (2.07 GAA and a .917 save percentage). Gidlof was the goalie of record in Sweden’s shootout loss to Czechia in the bronze medal game at the WJC but it certainly wasn’t his fault, considering the shootout wasn’t decided until the 14th round.
Round 6. Kieron Walton, 6-foot-5, 211 pounds, Left Shot – Forward
Drafted 187th overall by the Winnipeg Jets
Walton’s skating has gone to another level this season and the results speak for themselves. Walton has fantastic touch, pucks are on and off his stick in a hurry. His long reach extends plays and his stature allows him to shield opponents. He’s already produced 26 goals and 43 assists in only 39 games. Walton could end up being a steal for the Jets as he appears to have middle-six NHL upside at this stage of his development.
Round 7. Jakub Fibigr, 6-feet, 171 pounds, Left Shot – Defenceman
Drafted 202nd overall by the Seattle Kraken
Fibigr is a two-way defenceman who’s deployed in all situations at the junior level. He’s playing for the Brampton Steelheads in the OHL and suited up for Team Czechia at the WJC. He relies on his skating ability and hockey sense to read and react ahead of opponents in the defensive zone. He isn’t elite offensively but a capable distributor on the power play. Fibigr has produced two goals and 14 assists in 29 games at the OHL level this season. He contributed five assists for Team Czechia in Ottawa.
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