Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day we have brought you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2024 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr and Frederik Frandsen on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Hockey Prospects is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! We have a complete listing of our draft articles here. Today we bring you our 2024 NHL Draft Grades.
The big day has come and gone, and now we look back to see how each team did in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Granted, we know that it is way too soon to evaluate a draft, and that the true evaluation will be seen four or five years from now. However, we don’t want to wait, instead, we follow our yearly tradition and do our NHL Draft Grades now. To be transparent in our guidelines, our 2024 NHL Draft grades are based on the quality and quantity of total talent added to teams from the draft. It is not based on getting value for where you pick. For example, a team that lacks picks are likely to be given a very poor grade for this year’s draft, regardless of how they use them.
LWOS 2024 NHL Draft Evaluation and Grades Part 2
Note: VALUE PICK does NOT mean the best player drafted. It means the best value. For example, Macklin Celebrini was the first player taken in this draft. However, he is not our best value pick for the San Jose Sharks. Why? Because anyone can take the best player with the first overall pick. We are looking for value here, such as what steal did the team get in the draft that went later than we thought he would. If it was merely an exercise in naming the best player drafted, might as well just name the team’s first pick, as that is who their own scouts felt was their best player.
Our grades are based on every player in the class, even where the later picks are not mentioned in the write-up. Of course the higher the pick, the more he will affect the grade though.
Click Here for Part One
Dallas Stars: C-
Value Pick: Emil Hemming
The Dallas Stars grade is hurt by their lack of draft picks. While they had a first-round pick, they only had three total picks which included a fifth and seventh-rounder.
Hemming is a pure goal scorer. He has an excellent wrist shot and an outstanding one-timer. His quick-release fools goalies. While he needs work on his play away from the puck, the reality is that goal-scoring can not be taught, while other parts of his game can be developed. Another selection was Niilopekka Muhonen. He is a big, rangy athlete who plays defence. In watching him it’s clear that he has the skills to be a player. However, he has yet to put all those skills together into an effective package as a player. With these two picks, the Stars have drafted for upside, but their player development team will need to harness the talent.
Detroit Red Wings: B-
Value Pick: Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard
Brandsegg-Nygaard is an effective two-way power forward. His biggest strength is his unbelievable shot. It’s a mix of raw and heavy power and a quick release. It comes off the blade in a flash and is extremely hard to read. Brandsegg-Nygaard is a responsible player, effective in all three zones. Another selection, Max Plante, lacks size but is a skilled playmaker on the wing. He has great hands and the ability to make tape-to-tape passes through the smallest of openings. Finally, their pick Ondrej Becher was passed over in the past two NHL drafts. He proved his worth this past season with Prince George, scoring 96 points. Becher plays the game quickly and directly, driving the puck to the net. He also has a high-end work ethic. Becher is always involved in puck battles in the corners and front of the net. He is also strong defensively.
Edmonton Oilers: C-
Value Pick: Sam O’Reilly
Sam O’Reilly is a strong defensive centre who was a big part of the London Knights OHL Championship team. He is a physical player and epitomizes the phrase “tough to play against.” O’Reilly’s offensive game is still developing. He wins battles on the boards and cycles well down low. However, he will need to continue to work on converting possession into scoring chances going forward. Next up is Eemil Vinni, who is a 6-foot-3 goalie, who loves to challenge shooters by coming well out of his net and cutting down angles. He needs to work on his skating and side-to-side movement. Additionally, Connor Clattenburg is a physical forward, with limited offensive skills. He projects as a potential fourth-liner.
Florida Panthers: C
Value Pick: Simon Zether
The 2024 Stanley Cup Champions didn’t have a lot of picks this year, so they’re probably not all that concerned with their ranks in the 2024 NHL Draft grades. They had been moving them to improve their team. Of course that ultimately paid off earlier this week in a night the franchise will never forget.
Linus Eriksson is a smart player who plays an effective two-way game. He is almost always in the right position, making things difficult for the opposition. He is the perfect prospect to learn from current Panthers Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell. While it’s unrealistic to expect him to be the next Barkov, he could develop into a similar style of player capable of bringing second or third-line level offence with that excellent defence.
Matvei Shuravin is an excellent defensive defenceman. He uses his size, skating, and a long stick to prevent attackers from getting to the middle of the ice. He is a strong skater and maintains very good gap control. Shuravin also uses his smarts to read the play and cut off plays before they can become dangerous. There are questions as to how much offence he can provide. One more Panther selection was Simon Zether. He is a 6’3″ centre with outstanding skating ability. He can use his speed and lateral movement to create space and generate scoring chances.
Los Angeles Kings: C-
Value Pick: Liam Greentree
When we look at who has the best shot in the draft, Liam Greentree is right up there. He has a rocket of a shot that can go in from anywhere. While his shot is his main weapon, it’s by no means his only one. His passing is great and creative, which is only strengthened by his smooth hands. With the puck on his blade, he can create magic. In contrast, Greentree needs to improve his skating. Moreover, the Kings used a second-round pick on goaltender Carter George. He has very good puck tracking and positioning, however he lacks the high-end athleticism to become a truly elite goalie. This pick seems a bit of a reach. The Kings didn’t have another pick until round six. This lack of picks hurts their standing in our NHL Draft grades.
Minnesota Wild: A
Value Pick: Aron Kiviharju
The Wild addressed needs while also picking up outstanding prospects in this year’s draft. Zeev Buium is an incredibly intelligent player and offensive dynamo from the blue line. He spots openings and makes a quick crisp pass through them. His puck control and poise are excellent. Buium knows how to walk the line and move laterally in order to open up passing and shooting lanes in the offensive zone. He can quarterback the power play and projects to do so at the NHL level.
Ryder Ritchie is an explosive and powerful skater. He also shows an extremely strong work ethic and excels at both ends of the ice. He battles along the boards and works in the dirty areas of the ice at both ends of the rink. Ritchie pairs this strong work ethic with natural talent. He has an absolute bullet of a shot and gets it off quickly with a deceptive release. Another of their picks is Aron Kiviharju, who is an undersized defenceman with great puck-moving abilities. He shows excellent breakout skills as well as the ability to generate offence with both his skating and passing skills.
Montreal Canadiens: A+
Value Pick: Ivan Demidov
The Habs brass were overjoyed when Demidov fell to fifth overall, and ends up being a big part of the Canadiens excelling in their 2024 NHL Draft grades. He is the most offensively gifted player in this entire class. A dynamic player with a great shot, incredible hands, and the creativity to be a playmaker. He is the type of offensive talent the Habs have lacked since Alex Kovalev. Demidov is a player who has silky smooth hands. No matter how pressured he is, he keeps calm and allows his puck handling to get him out of trouble. His movements are fluid and beautiful to watch, and he has a great mix of patience and creativity. He’s also not bad in his own end of the ice.
Michael Hage is a tall, lanky centre who plays with incredible pace. His skating ability creates problems for opponents. He also has the shot and creative playmaking skills to take advantage. Another of their selections was Aatos Koivu, a popular pick amongst Habs fans. The son of legendary captain Saku Koivu, Aatos has more size than his father. He is very strong defensively and has a great shot. He projects as a potential third-liner. Finally, Owen Protz is another defensive-minded, left defenceman. He is very, very physical, and always looking for a huge hit. The offence for Protz can be best described as a work in progress.
Nashville Predators: B
Value Pick: Teddy Stiga
Egor Surin has never passed up the opportunity to throw a big check. He loves to hit on the forecheck. Even with the puck, he is more likely to try and go through an opponent than around them. He loves to get involved in the dirty areas of the ice. Surin also combines his feistiness with a decent shot, and the vision and passing skill to create offensive chances. Stiga improved his skating and became an important two-way centre for the US NTDP. He plays a smart and effective game, keeping the puck moving quickly and getting it into dangerous areas. He is also effective in his own end.
Miguel Marques is a pure sniper, with an excellent shot and quick release. He is a good gamble in the third round but needs work on his skating and defensive game. Viggo Gustafsson is an all-around defender. He uses his strong skating and good playmaking ability to create offensive chances. He also plays a strong defensive game and is physical.
Click Here to Check out 2024 NHL Draft Grades for the Next Eight Teams.
Main photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
