The 2024 NHL Draft is loaded with quality defensemen, but TSN director of scouting Craig Button sees forwards making a late push toward the top.
Boston University center Macklin Celebrini and Russian winger Ivan Demidov remain at Nos. 1 and 2 in Button’s May draft rankings, but two other forwards have moved up into the top five.
Up from 7th in March to 3rd is Jukurit center Konsta Helenius, who is coming off a very productive season in the SM Liiga this season, scoring 14 goals and 36 points in 51 games. It is the fourth-highest scoring season by a 17-year-old in league history, trailing only Aleksander Barkov (48), Mikael Granlund (40) and Kaapo Kakko (38).
“I think he’s an elite No. 1 center,” Button said of Helenius. “I think his brain power is enormous. His skills are excellent. He plays with a lot of confidence, but that emanates from a (high) level of understanding of the game.
“I think I might be a lowercase Sasha Barkov.”
Helenius has also been busy with his country in 2023-24, capping at the World Juniors (two points in seven games), U18s (seven assists in five games) and the men’s world championship (one assist in three games).
Also making a big move into the top 10 is Kelowna Rockets forward Tij Iginla, who moves from No. 10 to No. 4.
The 17-year-old scored 47 goals and 84 points in 64 games with Kelowna this season, and added nine goals and 15 points in 11 WHL playoff games.
“Tij drives the game,” Button said. “He makes the difference. He improves teams; He makes the players around him better. He can play with any player. He’s so smart, with an IQ off the charts. And you know what? I think he is just scratching the surface.”
Iginla concluded his season by helping Canada win U18 gold in Finland, where he scored six goals and 12 points in seven games to finish fifth in scoring in the tournament.
After the top four forwards, Button has four defensemen ranked in a row, starting with Saginaw’s Zayne Parekh at No. 5, followed by University of Denver blueliner Zeev Buium (No. 6), Michigan State’s Artyom Levshunov (No. . 7) and London’s Sam Dickinson (No. 8).
“I think they’ve distinguished themselves as the four best defensemen in the draft,” Button said. “Those four guys are all different, they are all good, they can go in any order. For me, they are all the best couples and have the ability to be number one.
One of the biggest risers on Button’s list is Oshawa Generals forward Beckett Sennecke, who jumps from 39th to 12th.
Sennecke scored 27 goals and 68 points in 63 games as a second-year player in the OHL, but had a strong postseason performance with 10 goals and 22 points in 16 games. However, an upper body injury suffered in Game 6 against North Bay ended his season early.
“I think Sennecke is very talented and a tough player,” Button said. “I think when Calum Ritchie returned to the Oshawa Generals lineup, he helped Beckett adjust and be more thorough. It’s not that he wasn’t, but I think his game could have flourished more.
“The individual part was there, and I think the team part really came into play when Calum came back into the lineup and Beckett realized he didn’t have to be that singular guy.
“He’s hungry, he’s got good hands, he’s smart and competitive.”
This year’s draft also represents a chance for Norway to make history. No Norwegian player has ever been chosen in the first round of the NHL draft, but two players have a chance to change that.
The biggest riser on Button’s list is Norwegian defenseman Stian Solberg, who jumps from 44th to 15th. Playing in Norway’s top professional league with Valerenga, the 18-year-old scored five goals and 15 points in 42 games.
The 6-foot-2 defenseman represented Norway twice this season, collecting two points in five games at the World Youth Championship before opening his eyes at the men’s world championship with three points in seven games.
“Solberg is very intelligent, calm and fluid,” Button said. “A defenseman who can play big minutes, control the game, play with power and take penalties. He has worked his way to the top of the first round.”
Three places below Solberg on Button’s list is fellow Norwegian Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, who rises from 29th to 18th.
The 18-year-old forward spent the 2023-24 season playing in the Swedish Allsvenskan with Mora IK, scoring eight goals and 18 points in 41 games.
Brandsegg-Nygard also played for Norway in the World Youth Championship (three goals and five points) and the Men’s World Cup (five points in seven games).
“When you watch Michael play, you realize he’s invested everywhere,” Button said. “He is involved everywhere. He is an excellent skater, tenacious, intelligent.
“My projection of Michael is that he is a player who will be important for teams to win. You could play against him in many different spots on your team and he will help you be successful.”
1 | Macklin Celebrini | Boston University (NCAA) | c | 6’0 | 190 | 35 | 31 | 59 |
2 | Ivan Demidov | Saint Petersburg (MHL) | L.W. | 5’11 | 181 | 30 | 23 | 60 |
3 | Konsta Helenius | Jukurit (SM Liiga) | c | 5’10¾ | 180 | 51 | 14 | 36 |
4 | Tij Iginla | Kelowna (WHL) | L.W. | 5’11¾ | 182 | 64 | 47 | 84 |
5 | Zayne Parekh | Saginaw (OHL) | d | 6’0 | 179 | 66 | 33 | 96 |
6 | Zeev Buium | Denver (NCAA) | d | 6’0 | 183 | 38 | eleven | 48 |
7 | Artem Levshunov | Michigan State (NCAA) | d | 6’2 | 208 | 36 | 9 | 3. 4 |
8 | Samuel Dickinson | London (OHL) | d | 6’2 ½ | 199 | 68 | 18 | 70 |
9 | Cole Eiserman | US NTDP (USHL) | L.W. | 6’0 | 195 | 57 | 58 | 89 |
10 | Cayden Lindstrom | Medicine hat (WHL) | c | 6’3¼ | 210 | 32 | 27 | 46 |
eleven | Carter Yakemchuk | Calgary (WHL) | d | 6’2¾ | 201 | 66 | 30 | 71 |
12 | Beckett Sennecke | Oshawa (OHL) | R.W. | 6’2 ¼ | 177 | 63 | 27 | 68 |
13 | Terik Parascak | Prince George (WHL) | R.W. | 5’11 ½ | 173 | 68 | 43 | 105 |
14 | Berkley Catton | Spokane (WHL) | c | 5’10 | 170 | 68 | 54 | 116 |
fifteen | Stian Solberg | Oslo (NOR) | d | 6’2 | 194 | 42 | 5 | fifteen |
sixteen | Anton Silayev | Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) | d | 6’7 | 211 | 63 | 3 | eleven |
17 | EJ Emery | US NTDP (USHL) | d | 6’3 | 185 | 61 | 0 | sixteen |
18 | Michael Brandsegg-Nygård | Mora (SWE J20) | R.W. | 6’1 | 198 | 41 | 8 | 18 |
19 | Julius Miettinen | Everett (WHL) | c | 6’2 ½ | 203 | 66 | 31 | 67 |
twenty | Jett Luchanko | Guelph (OHL) | c | 5’11 | 180 | 68 | twenty | 74 |
twenty-one | Michael Hage | Chicago (USHL) | C/RW | 6’0 ½ | 187 | fifty | 31 | 68 |
22 | Igor Chernyshov | Moscow (MHL) | L.W. | 6’2 | 192 | 22 | 13 | 28 |
23 | Cole Hutson | US NTDP (USHL) | d | 5’10¼ | 165 | 51 | fifteen | 51 |
24 | Adam Jiricek | HC Pilsen (Czech) | d | 6’2 ½ | 178 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
25 | Liam Greentree | Windsor (OHL) | R.W. | 6’2 ¼ | 207 | 64 | 36 | 90 |
26 | Sacha Boisvert | Muskegon (USHL) | c | 6’2 | 176 | 55 | 33 | 59 |
27 | Trevor Connelly | Tri-City (USHL) | L.W. | 6’0 ¾ | 156 | 48 | 26 | 66 |
28 | Emilio Hemming | TPS (SM Liiga) | R.W. | 6’0 ¾ | 201 | 40 | 7 | eleven |
29 | Leo Sahlin Wallenius | Vaxjo Jr. (SWE J20) | d | 5’11 ½ | 176 | 43 | eleven | 42 |
30 | andres basha | Medicine hat (WHL) | L.W. | 5’11 | 174 | 63 | 30 | 85 |
31 | Alfons Freij | Växjo (SWE J20) | d | 6’0 ½ | 187 | 40 | 14 | 33 |
32 | ryder ritchie | Prince Albert (WHL) | C/RW | 5’11¾ | 175 | 47 | 19 | 44 |
33 | Egor Surin | Yaroslavl (MHL) | C/RW | 6’1 | 191 | 42 | 22 | 52 |
3. 4 | Max Plant | US NTDP (USHL) | L.W. | 5’10¾ | 170 | 51 | fifteen | 61 |
35 | Justin Poirier | Comeau Bay (QMJHL) | R.W. | 5’7¼ | 185 | 68 | 51 | 82 |
36 | Aron Kiviharju | HIFK (SM Liiga) | d | 5’9¼ | 170 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
37 | Matvei Shuravin | Moscow (MHL) | d | 6’3 | 195 | 22 | 0 | 7 |
38 | Veeti Vaisanen | KooKoo (SM Liiga Jr.) | d | 6’0 | 177 | 37 | 3 | 22 |
39 | Luca Marrelli | Oshawa (OHL) | d | 6’1¼ | 181 | 67 | 6 | 57 |
40 | Niilopekka Muhonen | Kalpa (SM Liiga Jr.) | d | 6’4 ¼ | 195 | 32 | 4 | 10 |
41 | Tomas Galvas | Liberec (Czechia) | d | 5’10 ½ | 148 | 32 | 2 | 7 |
42 | Linus Eriksson | Djurgardens (SUE J20) | c | 5’11¾ | 183 | 245 | 5 | twenty-one |
43 | Spencer Gill | Rimouski (QMJHL) | d | 6’3¾ | 185 | Sixty-five | 12 | 46 |
44 | Maxim Massé | Chicoutimi (QMJHL) | R.W. | 6’1¾ | 186 | 67 | 36 | 75 |
Four. Five | Cole Beaudoin | Barrie (OHL) | c | 6’2 | 209 | 67 | 28 | 62 |
46 | Jack Berglund | Färjestad (SHL) | L.W. | 6’3 | 209 | 41 | fifteen | 3. 4 |
47 | Marek Vanacker | Brantford (OHL) | L.W. | 6’0 ½ | 174 | 68 | 36 | 82 |
48 | Teddy Stiga | US NTDP (USHL) | L.W. | 5’9¾ | 175 | 61 | 36 | 79 |
49 | Alexander Zetterberg | Örebro (SWE J20) | c | 5’7 | 158 | Four. Five | twenty-one | 58 |
fifty | carter george | Owen Sound (OHL) | GRAM | 6’0 ¾ | 196 | 56 | 3.30 | .907 |
51 | Ondrej Becher | Prince George (WHL) | C/LW | 6’1¼ | 170 | 58 | 32 | 96 |
52 | Kamil Bednarik | US NTDP (USHL) | c | 6’0 | 185 | 61 | 26 | Sixty-five |
53 | Lucas Pettersson | Mode (SWE J20) | c | 5’11 | 168 | 44 | 27 | 57 |
54 | Matvei Gridin | Muskegon (USHL) | L.W. | 6’1¼ | 182 | 54 | 33 | 73 |
55 | Adam Jecho | Edmonton (WHL) | R.W. | 6’4¾ | 197 | 54 | 23 | 47 |
56 | Jakub Fibigr | Mississauga (OHL) | d | 6’0 | 171 | 61 | 7 | 43 |
57 | Leon Muggli | ZUG (SUI) | d | 5’11¾ | 165 | 42 | 3 | 12 |
58 | charlie elick | Brandon (WHL) | d | 6’3¼ | 194 | Sixty-five | 4 | 27 |
59 | Juan Mostaza | Waterloo (USHL) | c | 6’0 ½ | 180 | 53 | 25 | fifty |
60 | Tarin Smith | Everett (WHL) | d | 6’1 | 175 | 67 | 8 | 46 |
61 | Dominic Badinka | Malmo (SHL) | d | 6’3 | 183 | 33 | 1 | 4 |
62 | Will Skahan | US NTDP (USHL) | d | 6’4 ¼ | 209 | 60 | 5 | 14 |
63 | Sam O’Reilly | London (OHL) | R.W. | 6’1 | 178 | 68 | twenty | 56 |
64 | Jacob Battaglia | Kingston (OHL) | L.W. | 6’0 ½ | 196 | 67 | 31 | Sixty-five |
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