Alexander Appleyard, Gray Matter, Ben Jordan, SpokedZ, Chris Ford, Austin Garret and Josh Tessler combined their draft rankings and put together the official Smaht Scouting 2024 NHL Draft Spring Rankings.
Below you will find the rankings and a high level summary on each player.
#1 – Macklin Celebrini, F, Boston University
I feel confident that Celebrini will eventually be a top line asset at the NHL level. The production will come quickly with his shot and his acceleration. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching him leverage his acceleration to get himself into quality shooting lanes. Not only is it working well at full strength, but it is even more lethal when on the power play. His ability to identify and quick take advantage of tight passing lanes to the slot will net him quite a number of assists at the next level. Defensively, he is responsible and quite sound. (Josh Tessler)
#2 – Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg
The most dynamic, fun, and exciting player in the draft, Demidov just oozes skill and creativity in every facet of his game. The way he’s able to slow the game down and weave around defences—sometimes a bit too much—is mesmerising; his small area skill is really impressive, and the creativity and quickness that he brings makes him an electrifying player to watch. In my eyes, he’s still a strong contender for first overall, and he’ll likely remain my personal #1 for the rest of the year; the dynamic skill that he has could make him a uniquely talented player in the NHL, and the prospect of where that could take him is so exciting to me. The questions with Demidov largely come down to translatability, consistency, and decision-making. It’s hard to say how his game will translate to smaller ice, higher pace / intensity, and tougher competition, given his skating limitations and tendency to slow down and do too much; which makes a more easily projectable player like Celebrini difficult to pass up. But I have a lot of faith in the skill and the mind that Demidov has to figure it all out, and I fully believe he’s going to be an incredible NHL player, surpassing even my expectations. For me, after #1, it’s a no-brainer. (Gray Matter)
#3 – Berkly Catton, F, Spokane
Catton is going to push the envelope all season for the #2 spot in the upcoming draft. He blends nifty edgework with high-end skill alongside a surgical approach to dissecting opposing teams’ defensive structures. His microstat profile is aburd through two games. He’s averaging five dangerous shots a game, completing 75% of his passes with 29% going to dangerous areas of the ice, and is involved in a ridiculous 58% of all offensive transitions for Spokane with a 94%(!!!) success rate. Outside of Bedard, he’s the best WHL player I’ve tracked in three years. (Austin Garret)
#4 – Cayden Lindstrom, F, Medicine Hat
Cayden Lindstrom continues to remain one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft with his combination of size, speed, and skills giving him the upside of a top-six contributor at the NHL level. Despite not having played since December, his film up until then remains incredibly impressive. When I watch him play, all I can think is POWER. Everything he does is so powerful, from his stride to his shot. He leverages his size and skill to great effect in the offensive zone where he is frequently a threat to score from everywhere or find an open teammate when he pulls multiple defenders into his space. His forechecking ability remains one of the best in this draft and he is a capable defender with the physical tools to continue to improve in this area. He may slip in the draft due to his injuries but should he make a complete recovery, he could prove to be one of the best players in this class. (Chris Ford)
#5 – Zeev Buium, LHD, University of Denver
Zeev Buium is the most well-rounded defenseman in the 2024 NHL Draft class. In the offensive zone, Buium is a great quarterback from the point. He will shift across the point and pinch up with the puck in an effort to identify and utilize a passing lane to the slot. Defensively, Buium does a good job of positioning himself in front of the attack to take away skating lanes. When moving the puck up the ice, if he is slightly further back behind his teammates he’ll opt to pass forward to them. (Josh Tessler)
#6 – Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor
Greentree continues to rise up draft boards as he routinely exceeds expectations in terms of production and consistency of play on one of the worst teams in the OHL. As a result of playing with a lackluster supporting cast Greentree has been forced to do it all for Windsor this year where his work ethic on both ends of the ice shone. He possesses very good hands and is capable of beating goalies cleanly with a variety of shots and shows off a goalscorer’s touch in tight. He is one of the more intelligent prospects coming out of the OHL this year and has proven to be the best draft year forward in the league. He uses the threat of his shot in combination with his hands to play make for his teammates. While he may not be the most technically gifted skater, he is still pacey and is able to create separation with cut-back and has a quick first step. He is able to think himself into space and when you consider the growth he has shown in his game since entering the OHL, it would not surprise me if he is able to become an average NHL skater in the future. The combination of size and skill will no doubt carry him into the lottery of this draft with the potential to become a top-six player capable of producing points at even strength and on the powerplay with the ability to play up-and-down the lineup.(Chris Ford)
#7 – Artyom Levshunov, RHD, Michigan State
The Michigan State defenseman has been intriguing from an offensive standpoint. He loves jumping into the rush and pinching up with and without the puck. He will look to position himself in the high slot and pepper shots on net. Levshunov has collected quite a few assists at 5v5 as a result of generating rebounds for his teammates at the crease. Defensively, Levshunov’s positioning can be spotty at times. Since he likes to pinch up and play up in the offensive zone, there are shifts in which he finds himself slightly out of position and struggles to get back into position. When Levshunov is in position and ready to defend, he isn’t always assertive and I’d like to see Levshunov work on being more assertive when looking to shut down the attack. (Josh Tessler)
#8 – Sam Dickinson, LHD, London
Dickinson is likely to be one of the first defenders off the board come draft day in June. He has a pro-favoured frame at 6ft3 and 194 lbs, and uses it incredibly effectively in both ends of the ice. If it weren’t for 2023 1st round pick Oliver Bonk (PHI) taking PP time, I think we would perceive Dickinson’s offensive capabilities differently, and project him out a bit differently. In the defensive zone, he nips plays in the butt, and accelerates the transition game with quick up passes. Skating is a strength, and there is no glaring weakness directionally. He can go all four directions well, with good agility to re position when needed. (Ben Jordan)
#9 – Tij Iginla, F, Kelowna
Tij Iginla can be very tenacious in his pursuit of the puck in the offensive zone. Iginla looks to pray on the vulnerable and does a great job of stick lifting and poke checking to cause disruption in puck possession. Iginla does well at feathering passes in tight and does a good job with puck security when being pursued by multiple attackers at close proximity. He’s got a good shot especially from range. But, should he be leading the rush he’ll love to attempt wrap-around shots. Iginla has second line upside and could be deployed at center or wing without losing a step. (Josh Tessler)
#10 – Nikita Artamonov, LW, Nizhny Novgorod
When draft day comes the chatter about Nikita Artamonov is likely to include “this guy came out of no-where this year”. But make no mistake, the Nizhnekamsk native has been one of the best three Russian forwards amongst his age-group for the last couple of years. This year however? He has taken a giant leap, and is playing at a level in the KHL that very few draft eligibles ever achieve. 23 points in 54 games is preposterous, with Michkov, Tarasenko and Panarin the only players in the KHL’s 15 year history to do better P/GP wise. Artamonov belies the outdated stereotype of the skilled, Russian winger who only plays in the offensive zone. He is an energiser bunny. Voracious on the fore-check, diligent in the defensive zone, with an active stick that constantly disrupts lanes. Furthermore, while no-one would mistake him for a physical player, he is more than happy to go to the corners or net-front. However, he is not just an “energy” player. He is a great skater and a fantastic passer, alongside this his ability to get free ice in the offensive zone is exceptional. The downsides? He is not the most “creative” player, his hands are quite average and he could use his solid shot more than he does. Nevertheless, Artamonov has the potential to be a 70+ point, two-way winger in the NHL if he keeps developing. (Alex Appleyard)
#11 – Trevor Connelly, F, Tri-City
Trevor Connelly does a good job of not forcing the puck into danger and will pivot away from pressure to get the separation that he needs to complete a pass to the interior. But, if he doesn’t have a great passing option to the interior and yet sees that his teammate does have a passing lane to the low slot from behind the net, Connelly will pass the puck along the boards to get the puck into the hands of the teammate behind the net. When driving the cycle to find a lane to the slot, he does a good job of navigating the puck around pressure with his reach and great handling. He will work the puck along the boards and scan for passing lanes to get the puck to an open teammate in the slot. If he has the puck and a teammate is close by with an attacker looking on, he will delay, draw the attacker to him and then pass to his teammate who is now open with a clear lane to the crease. When in transition, if he faces pressure once he gets the puck in the neutral zone, he’ll re-group and find another lane into the offensive zone. (Josh Tessler)
#12 – Zayne Parekh, RHD, Saginaw
Zayne Parekh is one of the better puck moving defensemen in the 2024 NHL Draft class. He loves to take advantage of tight passing lanes when on the rush and pressure intensifies. Parekh will complete outlet and stretch passes underneath the stick of the attacker with ease. When off puck but his team has possession of the puck, Parekh loves to jump into the rush and provide his teammates with a passing option up ice. In the offensive zone, when pinching up he loves to change up his pace to throw off attackers and buy separation so he can net enough space to get a pass off to the interior. Defensively, his positioning has been solid, but he isn’t an overly assertive defenseman. (Josh Tessler)
#13 – Cole Eiserman, LW, USNTDP
Eiserman is constantly making an impact each shift he is out there for. In the offensive zone, he is a good forechecker, will fight for pucks down low and in the corners. Eiserman will rely on his reach to stick lift attackers and force a disruption in oppositional puck possession. He has good puck manipulation and will use it to draw in attackers and then quickly pass underneath the stick to an open teammate. Eiserman has an excellent shot especially from range. He does play with a bit of a physical edge in all three zones. If he isn’t the one shutting down play, he isn’t far behind and will scoop up pucks below the red line. When in transition, if Eiserman is driving the puck up ice, he does struggle to get separation around attackers. Eiserman projects to be a top six goal scorer, who won’t always push play up ice, but will provide his linemates with someone who fights hard for pucks and will be a threat with his shot. (Josh Tessler)
#14 – Adam Jiricek, RHD, Plzen
Adam Jiricek is one of the stronger defensive defensemen in this class. When defending against the rush, he communicates well with his forwards to explain where he needs the support prior to crossing into the defensive zone. He implements extremely good positioning to shut down passing and shooting lanes to the interior. Jiricek does a great job of re-adjusting his positioning when defending against multiple attackers to shut down potential one-timers. When behind the red line and along the boards, he plays with a physical edge and will look to pokecheck. Jiricek’s floor seems to be a top four defensemen, but with more and more refinement he could potentially be a top two defensemen. (Josh Tessler)
#15 – Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, RW, Mora
There has never been a Norwegian who has gone in the first round. The highest a Norweigan has been picked was Marius Holtet, who went 42nd overall in 2002. Next summer Michael Brandsegg-Nygård will change that. The Oslo native has everything to be a top NHLer. Brandsegg-Nygård, no matter how much you watch, has no major issues. The things that make him stand out? His release is fantastic, he gets the puck off crisply, quickly, and with a high level of accuracy even if it is away from his body or in his feet. His hockey IQ is impressive, he is virtually never out of position and seemingly knows where everyone is on ice at all times. He is also a legitimate power-forward, who likes to throw his weight around and get to the net-front. On the boards he regularly dominates men 15 years his senior. Defensively he is also impressive, with an active stick and the ability to win most 1-v-1 battles. While he has no “holes” he does have a few things to improve upon to reach his potential. His skating is solid, but will need to get more explosive. Additionally, while his vision is fantastic, he does not always connect on pass attempts, and will likely never be a high-end play-maker. But make no mistake, he has the potential to be one of the premier two-way wingers in the NHL. (Alex Appleyard)
#16 – Anton Silayev, LHD, Nizhny Novgorod
Anton Silayev is a defensive defenseman who has measures in at 6’7″ / 207 lbs. He has extremely good speed for his size especially his lateral speed that allows him to shift positioning when he is slighly further away from where he needs to be when defending against the rush. Silyaev uses his reach and size to take up space. While he does a good job of eliminating skating lanes to the interior, he doesn’t always shut the play down all together. He can be quite physical along the boards and I got a feeling that it won’t be long before he starts to use his. physicality a bit more to shut down the cycle / rush. While this ranking might seem relatively low to where others have Silayev, the offensive upside of Artamonov, Iginla and others in the 10-20 range made it a challenge for the Smaht team to push Silayev up higher. (Josh Tessler)
#17 – Konsta Helenius, RW, Tappara
The 2024 NHL draft does not have an abundance of Centers with clear 1C upside, but Helenius is certainly on that short list. Last year the Finn put himself in the conversation as a potential top five pick, with 11 points in 33 Liiga games at just 16 years old. This year he has advanced that conversation further. 36 points in 51 games, while playing Center in one of the world’s best five pro leagues? That should probably be turning more heads than it has. Since 1990 Olli Jokinen (by coincidence Helenius’s current coach), Mikhail Granlund, Alex Barkov, Patrik Laine and Kaapo Kakko are the only five draft eligibles who have produced at 0.70 P/GP in Liiga. 4/5 went top three, and 4/5 have become consistent 65+ point NHL players, with Kaako still having a chance to make it 5/5. Helenius’s game is built around his high IQ, which he uses to dictate play. He is a fantastic transition player and drives play as a result. His passing is crisp, accurate and deceptive, and while he might primarily be a play-maker he has a good shot, especially his one-timer from the left half-wall on the power-play. He is not the fastest, but is extremely shifty and agile. Helenius also has an exceptional compete level, and is more than solid defensively. Once he matures physically he certainly has the potential to be a legitimate 1C in the NHL, albeit many teams might move him to wing. (Alex Appleyard)
#18 – Igor Chernyshov, LW, Dynamo Moscow
Igor Chernyshov is a Russian power forward prospect. He plays a gritty grame and works the boards with great pressure shift in shift out. He is defensively responsible in transition and will put up a tough fight at open ice. In the defensive zone, he will fall back to the low slot and provide support to his defensemen down low. From a production stand point, Chernyshov has thrived off of odd man rushes / breakouts in MHL play. Most of his MHL primary 5v5 points have come off of odd man rushes. (Josh Tessler)
#19 – Alfons Freij, LHD, Växjö
For the first time in a long time, there is a real possibility that we don’t see any Swedes drafted in the first round in 2024. That being said, Swedish defenseman Alfons Freij possesses many traits and attributes that give him a shot at hearing his name called on day 1 and still make him a very intriguing prospect for any organization. His two best and most projectable traits are his skating and puck moving ability, and they often go hand-in-hand. Freij is an incredibly mobile defenseman who oozes confidence with the puck on his stick. He often will take the puck from behind his own net and carry it up ice into the offensive zone to create scoring chances. Always with his head up, he also makes a fantastic first pass when it’s a better option than keeping it for himself. He’s a dual threat in the offensive zone as well, capable of creating passing lanes to distribute while also possessing a great shot. Freij is not afraid to take risks with the puck, and those risks don’t always pan out. At times he will turn the puck over and gift odd man rushes to the opposition. He’ll need to learn to be a bit more selective with his playmaking in order to excel at the next level. Another aspect of his game that will need to improve as he develops is his in zone defense. His skating prowess makes him a capable rush defender, however at times he can get caught out of position chasing pucks once the opposition has established possession. That said, his foundational tools and willingness to experiment with them give him serious potential. (SpokedZ)
#20 – Carter Yakemchuk, RHD, Calgary
I wouldn’t be surprised if Yakemchuk is a name that continually keeps rising up lists. He hasn’t played in any marquee events, and thus hasn’t had the early season hype that some other names have had, but don’t be fooled by that. Since the new year of this past season, Yakemchuk has really started to take strides, and his game continues to round itself out. Yakemchuk has a nice blend of size, skill, and aggressiveness that allow him to be a force all over the ice. His instincts are great, and he joins the rush when he feels he can contribute to the play. He holds his own in the defensive zone with his size and ability to separate puck carriers from the puck to quick start offense the other way for his side. (Ben Jordan)
#21- Andrew Basha, F, Medicine Hat
Andrew Basha is entertaining to watch every shift. His puck movement in transition is excellent. His handling and distribution is excellent. Basha’s puck manipulation makes him a threat on the rush and mid-cycle. He is shifty, mobile, agile and has tremendous speed. Basha does a good job of utilizing tight passing lanes to the slot. He will grab possession of loose pucks off the boards, drive to the trapezoid and look to feather passes to the low slot. (Josh Tessler)
#22 – Luke Misa, C, Mississauga
Luke Misa plays a very high-tempo game, prays on the vulnerable when on the forecheck, can drive the rush and create chances off of the rush regularly. Misa will feather passes in tight lanes in all three zones as he looks to push play up ice. In the offensive zone when off puck, he does a great job of finding open ice down low to create an intriguing passing option for his teammates. He will also look to jump onto loose pucks at the crease and capitalize with a quick goal before the goaltender can react. (Josh Tessler)
#23 – Sacha Boisvert, C, Muskegon
Sacha Boisvert is an entertaining watch. He’s got absolutely incredible handling and its led to gorgeous assists. Boisvert will toe drag to get separation and then quickly make use of a passing lane. He has a great shot off of the rush and has found success sniping far side top shelf goals from low danger. Boisvert makes use of tight passing lanes and won’t shy away from a pass over / under the stick of an attacker to get the puck in the hands of a open teammate further up in the zone. But, it’s the handling that makes Boisvert a fun prospect to watch. His dangling and toe drags have helped light the lamp in Muskegon regularly. (Josh Tessler)
#24 – Teddy Stiga, LW, USNTDP
Teddy Stiga always keeps his feet moving off-puck and looks to provide passing options for his teammates laterally and up ice. When on the forecheck or defending against the halfwall, he is relentless in his pursuits and is constantly keeping his feet moving and accelerating at the moment of puck movement. More often than not, Stiga will look to make contact with his stick instead of engaging with a shoulder or hip check. Has great speed to keep in tow when teammates are pushing the puck up ice. Stiga does struggle with pressure when he gets in a tight jam. He will tend to struggle with netting separation in the corners when pressure is at the backside. Stiga has a quick shot from a far and that makes him dangerous. If a goaltender gives him a gap, he doesn’t hesitate and fires. He carries a middle six winger projection. (Josh Tessler)
#25 – Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa
Sennecke oozes confidence and skill, and that’s how he earned himself a spot as an HM just outside our round 1. Sennecke is an absolute hound on the forecheck where his motor will not stop until he gains possession of that puck. From there he flashes elite ability with his hands, and does a great job in small areas weaving and stickhandling through defenders skates, and sticks. He does a great job keeping pucks and plays alive off the wall by slipping through checks or dangling in a phone-booth. Unfortunately, his situation in Oshawa has been iffy at best, and I hope that forward group finds some more chemistry adn purpose in the new year, as I think Sennecke’s draft stock could benefit enormously from it. (Ben Jordan)
#26 – Ryder Ritchie, F, Prince Albert
After a very strong Hlinka Gretzky tournament for Canada, I think that many were expecting Ritchie to put up better point totals than he has managed thus far. Although there may be something to this, Ritchie is still doing a lot of things very well. I have a tough time seeing him falling out of round 1 as the season goes along. His feet and hands are ultra quick making him an exceptional puck carrier. If you give Ritchie time to pickup speed and attack defenders downhill, you will be sorry after he beats you, and secures middle ice. (Ben Jordan)
#27 – Michael Hage, C, Chicago
Hage is a two-way forward with excellent distribution, good reach and provides tight pressure in his own zone. His reach and handling allow him to navigate around pressure with ease when driving the puck up ice. In transition, he will look to pass off of the boards if he runs into too much pressure and he has spotted an open teammate further up in the neutral zone. Hage has excellent speed and can push pace to be the driver on a middle six line in the NHL. (Josh Tessler)
#28 – Aron Kiviharju, LHD, TPS
Two years ago the Finnish blue-liner was being talked about as a potential #1 pick, yet now there are whispers that he might fall outside the 1st round. Is this simply a case of the spotlight being so strong, for so long, that his weaknesses have been magnified? The answer is probably no. There are legitimate concerns over his game. He is undersized, he is not the best skater, and early this season a knee injury that required surgery has put him out for four months. Kiviharju was expected to be healthy again in February, but is still not back on ice. However, in a league where top pairing defensemen are at a premium, if Kiviharju falls outside the first? There is the potential for one of the bigger draft steals in recent history. While there are concerns about his game the upside is inarguable. His hockey IQ would be the envy of most NHLers, he is almost always two-steps ahead and rarely makes bad decisions. This, combined with fantastic vision, great passing and silky hands means he is great in transition, and controls play when set-up in the OZ. Defensively he has an active stick, good gap control, and thrives on breaking up plays before they develop. He is also strong down low, even against players 15 years older and 50lbs heavier. His upside is still a top pairing defenseman despite the concerns. (Alex Appleyard)
#29 – Emil Hemming, F, TPS
If the draft was all about raw talent then the big Finnish winger would be in seriously contention to go top 10. Scouts often talk about the “S’s of scouting”… skill, smarts, speed, size and skating. Hemming has them all. He can be a juggernaut even against men in Liiga, able to use his speed, edge-work, pick-handling and size in conjunction to drop a shoulder and get past anyone. Even at 17 years old against men, Hemming has an incredible transition game. His wrist-shot is lethal to boot, and he is able to pick a corner from anywhere on ice. Alongside this he is creative with silky hands, and when he is “on” this combined with a natural swagger and confidence means that he will undress defensemen regularly. While he may not be the most “natural” passer he has good vision as well, and tries to make cross-ice plays that most would never see. However, there are some real concerns about Hemming’s game that mean he is likely to go later in the 1st. While he has the size he rarely uses it, and plays on the perimeter. Defensively he gets lost far too often, and his consistency is also worrying, as even against his own age-group he can go missing for long stretches. There is the upside for him to be a 30 goal scorer in the NHL if he can iron out these kinks. (Alex Appleyard)
#30 – Daniil Ustinkov, LHD, Zürich
Daniil Ustinkov is a solid defensive defensemen and has been excellent at eliminating gaps all season against men in Switzerland (National League). He isn’t overly assertive with his pressure, but makes does an excellent job of using his positioning to shield lanes to the inside and forces play to low danger. When attackers look to use pivots to shake free from pressure, Ustinkov matches edge for edge and doesn’t leave a gap. On the flip side, he will use pivots to shake free of pressure when he has the puck. From a transition perspective, Ustinkov looks to usually make an outlet pass from the backend to a teammate further up in the defensive zone and let his forwards push play up ice. But, there are some shifts in which he looks to be a bit more of a driver in transition. He will skate up the offensive zone blue line to be a passing option for his teammates in the neutral zone, facilitate a controlled zone entry once he has the puck on his stick, push the puck up the boards and try to find a gap to get a pass off to a teammate down in the zone. When off puck and the oppositional breakout is about to kick off, he will skate up to the backside of an attacker off of the boards to make it a challenge for that attacker to grab control of the puck off of a pass from a the defenseman looking to complete a breakout pass. (Josh Tessler)
#31 – John Mustard, F, Waterloo
John Mustard is my early “Didn’t know who he is but I love him” player of the 2024 draft. Playing on a line with Gavyn Thoreson in the USHL, Mustard has looked great in all my viewings of him this year. He does have an awkward skating stride as he hunches over with a less bent knee, but with the puck on the stick Mustard can get to an above-average pace. His skill is great for his size, and he can get off the wall and into dangerous areas at ease at times with the puck on his stick. He’s a great forechecker and is very defensively responsible for a winger. He’s involved in 40% of the offensive transitions for Waterloo and has a 31% shot share (his shots/team shots when he’s on the ice). I’d like to see him get more pucks into dangerous areas of the ice with his passing, but his skill level is there that I’m not worried that only 16% of his passes have gone to dangerous areas of the ice. He’s a player to watch in the upcoming months because he has room to improve his microstat profile and if that happens, then his production profile is going to improve from impressive to “how did we not rank him in the first place?”. (Austin Garret)
#32 – Lucas Pettersson, C, MoDo
Lucas Pettersson quietly came into this season as one of NHL Central Scouting’s ‘A’ grade prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft, and he did nothing this season to suggest that was a mistake. Pettersson is an offensively gifted two-way centerman who finished this season as top scorer in the J20 Forts Division with 31 points in 18 games (14 goals, 17 assists). He also represented Sweden at multiple international tournaments, always wearing a ‘C’ or ‘A’ on his sweater. Hockey IQ and skating lay the foundation for Pettersson’s success. He’s a very smart player who is able to think and play at breakneck speed, making him a nightmare to defend off the rush. A dual-threat offensively, Pettersson is capable of setting up his teammates from anywhere in the offensive zone while also possessing a dangerously hard and accurate snap-shot. He also provides defensive value as well, both off the rush and in-zone. He’s able to read and disrupt plays, forcing turnovers and intercepting passes, and oftentimes turning defense into offense for MoDo. Whether or not Pettersson is selected on day 1 will likely depend on how much of his offense teams believe will translate in the NHL. While there are questions about how much of an offensive threat he’ll be at the next level, his two-way ability combined with his hockey IQ and dynamic skating make him a first-round pick for us. (SpokedZ)
#33 – Henry Mews, RHD, Ottawa
Henry Mews is a solid puck moving defenseman and a great distributor when pushing the puck up ice. Mews has excellent handling that he can ulitize to navigate through tight pressure to get separation before completing an outlet feed. While he has had productive shifts where he pushed pace, there are shifts in which I see Mews will encounter pressure and pass into traffic instead of using his handling to open up an uncontested passing lane. Defensively, Mews will struggle with gap control from time to time and his defensive work could use further refinement, but when you to balance that with his distribution with the puck you are looking at high second round pick. (Josh Tessler)
#34 – Topian Hynninen, RW, Jukurit
Hynninen is a guy I’ve really enjoyed watching all year, and he’s steadily improved as the season’s gone by. He doesn’t necessarily excel at any one skill, but he isn’t lacking in any either. He’s very well-rounded; he does everything quite well, but it’s the energy and the pace that he plays with that stands out the most when you watch him. He plays hard, does very well in both offensive and defensive transitions, and is just an extremely effective player in all that he does. Making life miserable for opponents with his speed and intensity, constantly forcing errors and turnovers; and doing all of it against pro competition, without looking out of place in the slightest. The ceiling is likely not too high with him, but those traits alone I think will absolutely make him a valuable energy player in the NHL, and if he can further develop and unlock the playmaking potential I believe he has, well, that’s a great bonus. (Gray Matter)
#35 – Dominik Badinka, RHD, Malmö
Dominik Badinka is a 6’3”, 183lb right-shot defenseman who has seen his draft stock skyrocket this season. An interesting note on Badinka- he’s followed one of the most unusual development paths we’ve seen, playing in 3 different countries in 3 years. He spent his 16-year-old season in Czechia for Pirati Chomutov, his 17-year-old season in Finland for Jokerit, and his 18-year-old season in Sweden for Malmo. While he is one of the oldest defensemen in this draft class, he looks to be one of the furthest along in his development. Badinka finished this season having played more SHL games for Malmo (33) than J20 games (17). In those 33 SHL games, he tallied 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points while averaging around 15-minutes TOI. Badinka is a calm, mobile defenseman with size and two-way ability. He’s excellent on retrievals and breakouts, which enabled him to adjust to the SHL quickly and be given more and more ice-time. He’s an excellent puck mover who likes to have the puck on his stick and dictates play with poise and confidence. He’s also a solid defender who plays hard and was unafraid of the older competition in his first SHL season. He does lack high-end handling skill and ability to work the blue line in order to project as a true first powerplay QB or top pair defenseman (at this point). That being said, he still projects to be a reliable, minute-munching second pair defenseman who provides value at both ends of the ice. (SpokedZ)
#36 – Tomas Galvas, LHD, Olomouc
Tomas Galvas is a solid puck moving defenseman, who does an excellent job in keeping the puck secure with traffic at his side. He won’t force the puck into tight pressure deliberately, but has shown that if he is encountering multiple attackers that he can keep his feet and hands moving to secure the puck and position it away from the attackers before chipping it off the boards. Galvas does a good job of using an active stick to trap attackers and force them to dump the puck in the neutral zone and take away potential shooting / passing lanes in his own zone. He has an excellent power stride that he will use to get himself into position to defend should be a bit too far away from where he needs to be. (Josh Tessler)
#37 – Cole Beaudoin, C, Barrie
Cole Beaudoin is one of the stronger transitional centermen in the class. He doesn’t have flash, but instead has excellent reach and speed that he will utilize to push the puck around pressure in the neutral zone. Should he run into a brick wall as he approaches the slot off the rush, he will look to complete a drop pass to a teammate skating up behind him. Beaudoin’s ranking is indicative of how consistent he has been offensively with his ice time in the OHL level. I see a third line center at the next level. (Josh Tessler)
#38 – Miguel Marques, F, Lethbridge
Miguel Marques is wired to get pucks to the interior. Whenever he has the puck outside of the slot and pressure intensifies, he looks for the tighest gaps and uses them to get pucks to the slot. He has great handling and will implement shot fakes and toe drags to net the separation that he needs to get a pass off. When shooting from range, he has a very quick shot release and will look to target glove side. He also tallied quite a few backdoor goals at 5v5 this season by being in the right space at the right time. He isn’t always the facilitator in transition, but plays a fairly active role in getting the puck up ice. Defensively, he plays more of a support role, but always looks to cement himself in open ice towards the blue line so he can provide an outlet lane for his defensemen. Marques has middle six upside. (Josh Tessler)
#39 – Noel Fransén, LHD, Färjestad
Noel Fransen went from being a relatively unknown defenseman in this draft class to one with fringe first round potential. He finished this season with the most goals and points of any defenseman in the J20, and he did the same last season in the J18. Fransen is an offensive-minded defenseman who thrives with the puck on his stick. He transports pucks through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone with ease using his quick feet and explosive speed bursts. He’s constantly with his head up, scanning the ice and identifying open lanes to attack. He’ll either attack these lanes to establish possession in the offensive zone, or he will attack and drive the net himself. He’s also scored a handful of coast-to-coast goals this season. Fransen has a terrific first-pass when the option to transport the puck himself isn’t there. Inside the offensive zone, he has a hard and accurate one-timer capable of beating goaltenders from distance. (SpokedZ)
#40 – Cole Hutson, LHD, USNTDP
Cole Hutson has tremendous upside, great mobility and shiftiness to open up space for himself to make an uncontested pass or shot. He likes to pinch up in the offensive zone and pass to the interior. But, Hutson has struggled with puck control and sometimes delays a bit too long when determining his next move while pinching with the puck. (Josh Tessler)
#41 – Matvei Shuravin, LHD, Kranaya Armiya Moscow
Matvei Shuravin is a solid defensive-minded defensemen who does a good job of taking away space with his power stride. Should be slightly out of position, he’ll use his lengthy stride extensions to match pace and shut down the rush by trapping the attacker along the boards. He isn’t an overly assertive defenseman when taking on the F1, but maintains good positioning and extends his stick blade out towards the attacker to trap them. His distribution from deep in his own zone has been great. He can wire quick stretch passes to the neutral zone and does a good job of identifying tight passing lanes while pushing the puck up in the defensive zone and seeing that he could potentially get the puck in the hands of a teammate further up in the zone. His puck control and quick distribution in the defensive zone doesn’t always match to successful puck movement in the offensive and neutral zones. Shuravin will try to bring the puck up the middle in the offensive zone, but isn’t quick to get a pass off and runs into walls. When he doesn’t have possession of the puck in the offensive zone, he looks to engage himself in puck battles down low, win loose pucks and pass to the slot. (Josh Tessler)
#42 – Veeti Väsiänen, LHD, KooKoo
In a draft brimming with exciting defensemen, Veeti Väisänen gets a bit lost in the shuffle. Is he an exciting player? Not really. Will he be a top pairing guy in the NHL? Unlikely. But what Väisänen lacks in terms of highlights, he makes up for with a well-rounded skill-set and a level of defensive maturity that few defensemen have at 17. This season, playing against men in Liiga, Väisänen has utilised his smooth skating, defensive IQ and strong stick to be a reliable presence on KooKoo’s back-end. He rarely gets beaten in the defensive zone, and he is strong in transition, utilising his great skating ability in conjunction with a level of calmness with the puck on his stick that allows him to scan the ice and pick out the best outlet options. However, while there is a lot to like about Väisänen, his upside is limited by his lack of high-end skills. He will likely never put up too many points, given his shot is just average, he is not overly creative, and his hands are middling. He also starts to turn the puck over as soon as he gets away from making the simple play. Late in the first he could be a solid option, and can certainly be a good second pairing defenseman down the line. (Alex Appleyard)
#43 – Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George
Terik Parascak is a prospect with a lot diverse opinions around him. A lot of sites have Terik ranked as a first rounder, while some have Parascak as a second rounder. It largely comes down to whether or not you believe that his current play style will translate to the NHL level or will more polishing need to take place. The Smaht Scouting team is a bit more cautious with Parascak and I’ll explain why. Parascak does an excellent job of identifiying where he needs to be off-puck to provide his linemates with a quality passing option in a quality shooting lane. But, when Parascak is leading the charge and has the puck on his stick, his speed hampers his ability to cut to the inside. Parascak isn’t an overly physical player and won’t use his weight often when dealing with tight pressure while in possession of the puck. We project Parascak to be a third line forward at the next level. (Josh Tessler)
#44 – Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph
What makes Jett Luchanko lethal is his edges, agility and quick decision making. Luchanko has shown consistently that he can dodge pressure with his edges and that has made him extremely difficult to shut down when he is at full speed. Does an excellent job of incorporating delays while in possession of the puck in the offensive zone to draw confusion and a passing lane to a nearby teammate. Luchanko projects to be a middle six center at the next level. (Josh Tessler)
#45 – Jacob Battaglia, RW, Kingston
Has excellent stick-handling and mobility to navigate around pressure along the half-wall. His straight line speed still requires further polishing, but his edgework has proven to be quite strong. Battaglia can pivot out on a dime, delay to throw off the attack and that leads to a fellow teammate skating into position to give Battaglia a quality passing lane to exploit. Battaglia won’t be the primary puck mover on the line, but will play an excellent support role. (Josh Tessler)
#46 – Marek Vanacker, LW, Brantford
Marek Vanacker is a power forward prospect with great agility and excellent north-south speed. That combination has made it tough for opponents to catch up to should they fail to pivot alongside Vanacker when he pivots. Vanacker also has great reach and that allows him to quickly get a shot off after peeling the puck away from the attacker in front of him. His reach also comes in handy when the pressure intensifies as he skates to net front. (Josh Tessler)
#47 – Yegor Graf, C, SKA St. Petersburg
Graf can be a frustrating player at times, but he brings good intensity, and shows flashes of some very promising skill and play creation. He’s lacking in size and strength, and he can struggle with puck skills sometimes: struggling on receptions, poor control; but other times he’ll display some pretty high-end hands and crafty playmaking that catches you off guard. And he’s a very smart off-puck player as well, which lessens the impact of the occasional on-puck issues, and makes him a great complementary player on a line with a better play-driver. When paired with Demidov this season, I think Graf has really shined, and his best play has come; you get to see a lot more moments of high skill and creativity from him when Demidov is driving the play, and I think their play styles complement and elevate each other. I don’t think Graf will ever be able to drive play effectively on his own, but he’ll do some damage if you pair him with a skilled forward who’s more adept at creating space. (Gray Matter)
#48 – Tanner Howe, F, Regina
Tanner Howe plays a high-energy skilled game with a dogged off-puck game that allows him to play bigger than he is. I had very high expectations for Tanner Howe to be a dominant offensive player in the WHL and he’s somewhat disappointed. He has a good-not-great offensive transition involvement percentage of 35% and can go missing for stretches in transition with the puck not touching his stick as much as I’d like. His passing volume is rather low because of the lower percentage of transition opportunities, but he is passing at 24% to dangerous areas of the ice which is good. He’s fumbled the puck more than he did last year and some of his passes are off the mark, but the skill level and thought process behind his decisions are all there. I expect him to rise as the year goes on, but if his microstat profile stays the same, his size will see him slip in the draft. (Austin Garret)
#49 – Yegor Surin, C, Yaroslavl
Surin is an interesting but frustrating player who’s moved up and down my board all year, and I’m still unsure of where to place him. He has a ton of skill, a pretty good motor, and good playmaking in flashes, but he doesn’t really know what to do with his tools most of the time. Some games he’s dominant, plays well physically and brings the skill that he has on every shift; but other times—most games I’ve seen—he really struggles to be effective. He generally plays well when given space by more passive defences, but when he’s challenged, it becomes a problem; he lacks real escapability and explosiveness in his skating, and he rarely ever tries to manipulate pace of play or use much deception in general. So combine that with his constant individualism and failure to work off his teammates, and what you typically see is him charging towards opponents solo and hoping to either pull the puck through their legs or power through them, and it’s not often a recipe for success, even in the MHL. When he does work off his teammates, there’s a lot more to like there; if he can be reined in a bit and learn to play more of a team game, he could be a solid complementary playmaker, or physical energy guy; both roles I think he could perform well in. (Gray Matter)
#50 – Leon Muggli, LHD, Zug
The NLA is a top five league on earth. Yet at 17 years old Leon Muggli has already established himself as a good bottom pairing defenseman, something very few players manage to do. In fact, in the leagues 86 year history, the only defenseman who had a clearly better draft year? David Reinbacher, the #5 overall pick last year. So why is Muggli not ranked as a potential 1st round pick anywhere? The answer is related to upside. Muggli is super well-rounded, with plus skating, a good outlet pass, a deceptive wrist-shot and high IQ inside the red-line. For a 17 year old he makes very few mistakes, and is already able to PK well vs men. However, he is not “exceptional” in any area, is very risk-averse as a player, and his offensive game is unlikely to enable him to even be on an NHL power-play. It is very likely that he will play in the NHL one day, but in order to become more than “just” a solid #4 defenseman? He will need to take a few more risks and show more creativity once established in the offensive zone. Muggli could also do with engaging more physically at times, though that likely comes with more physical maturity. Whoever takes him, likely in the 2nd round, will be getting a player with a true high-floor, who is probably not that far away from being able to play in the NHL. And if he keeps improving, he can potentially become a very good 2nd pairing NHLer one day. (Alex Appleyard)
#51 – Adam Jecho, RW/C, Edmonton
Adam Jecho is consistently stronger defensively than he is offensively. Jecho will make good use of his physciality to close off the cycle behind the red line. He has excellent east-west speed that he can build up with his crossovers and that makes him quite strong at adapting to changes in puck movement when defending against the cycle. Jecho projects to be a checking line center, who can shift over to the wing and be a bit more physical on the backcheck if need be. (Josh Tessler)
#52 – Matvei Gridin, F, Muskegon
This season Gridin is leading the USHL in points. He is outproducing players such as Trevor Connelly and Michael Hage, who seem certain to go inside the first round, yet the concensus is that the young Russian winger will go somewhere in the mid-2nd come June. Why is that? Well, it is mainly based around the way he plays the game, and not his skill-set and talent level. It is fair to say that Gridin plays on the perimeter, cheats a lot to create offence, plays at a slow pace, and does not back-check with effort consistently. Those are the things that will make NHL teams think twice before drafting the future Michigan Wolverine winger. But what does Gridin do well? He is a fantastic play-maker, with high-end hands, an accurate and quick release he can get off from any spot, and the ability to see plays in the offensive zone very few players his age can. Gridin also has a level of confidence that can border on arrogance, which makes for some real highlight reel plays. Skating wise he is agile for his size, is a smooth skater who while not a burner has at worst average straight-line speed. Despite the flaws he has clear top-six upside at the NHL level, and if he falls into the mid-2nd? Could be a potential steal down the line. But there is also the real risk he will “just” end up a high-scoring minor leaguer. (Alex Appleyard)
#53 – Harrison Brunicke, RHD, Kamloops
The only South African born NHL player to have made it to date has been Olaf Kölzig. Brunicke has an excellent shot to join the ranks. He has excellent speed through his crossovers and straight line extensions and that allows him to grab onto loose pucks in his own zone and drive up ice quickly. Brunicke does seem to struggle to find success along the blue-line when he is called upon to control the puck at the point and find seperation and a passing lane to the inside. But, there is no denying how great Brunicke can be at pushing pace from the backend and leading the transition. (Josh Tessler)
#54 – John Whipple, LHD, USNTDP
Whipple has excellent reach and will use his reach nicely in transition when defending against the rush. He extends his stick out to take away space and force dump ins. Whipple has excellent speed with his crossovers and straight line extensions. His speed allows him to adjust his positioning quickly off puck to keep his positioning aligned with a vulnerable attacker who has their back turned towards Whipple. He is one of the stronger rush defenders in the class and should be rewarded with an early day two selection at the NHL Draft. (Josh Tessler)
#55 – Stian Solberg, LHD, Välernga
Solberg is a heavy, smooth-skating physical defender who skates fast, hits hard, and takes no prisoners. He’s been playing in Norway’s top men’s league for a few years, and has looked very solid; he also played a big role for Norway at the world juniors, and performed very well there, putting his skating and physicality on display regularly. He’s a very effective play-killer, both in-zone and on the rush; he defends aggressively, and forces opponents to the boards and into physical battles, where he typically overpowers them and turns play the other way. Offensively, there’s potential, but it needs work. He’s a very good skater overall, which gives him a significant advantage, and he shows good offensive instincts in general: he knows when to join the rush, times his plays well, recognises passing lanes and space to attack; but his offensive toolkit is a bit lacking, and he winds up turning the puck over with lacklustre passes, and taking too many poor shots from the perimeter, as he runs out of options due to a lack of reliable handling skill. But then occasionally he’ll just show off and go end-to-end, displaying skills you haven’t seen from him otherwise, leaving you wondering where that goes the rest of the time. But the strength and physical play he has in addition to his steady defensive game is very impressive for this stage in his development, and as he keeps getting stronger, I can easily see him growing into a great modern shutdown defender in the NHL, with potential for more if he’s able to refine and regularise his offensive flashes. (Gray Matter)
#56 – Jakub Fibigr, LHD, Mississauga
The Czech blue-liner is going slightly under the radar this season, easy to understand why when you consider just how many defensemen are eligible for this draft who have clear top four NHL upside. Of all major draft outlets only Craig Button has him going inside the second round. His 0.7 P/GP in the OHL may not immediately jump off the page, but he was not on PP1 for most of the year, and in turn the majority of his points came at even strength. In fact, he picked up 0.49 non-PP P/GP this season. Between 2006 and 2019, only 30 CHL defensemen hit over 0.45 non-PP P/GP in their draft year. Of those 30? 20 became legitimate NHL players, and 13 reached top four level. Of course, that is all well and good, but what does Fibigr do that will give him a good chance at an NHL future? His game is built around his skating. He uses it well in all three zones, from cutting off zone entries with his lateral mobility, to joining the rush and creating difficult situations for opposition defenses with his long, smooth stride. Fibigr looks effortless on ice as a result, and it allows him to play the game in an aggresive manner, as he can use his skating to recover from any mistakes. However, his game certainly does not lack effort. Despite still being physically immature he is not scared to take a hit, or dish one out, and he is constantly searching for “soft-ice”, with his off-puck movement being a big plus in all three zones, creating headaches for any team when it comes to lane coverage. His hands are above average, and he thinks the game very well, often looking a step ahead. He is good at getting shots through, but does lack a bit of zip on his release. Overall, Fibigr is a well-rounded blue-liner who if he simply keeps developing over the next few years? Can probably become a #4-5 defenseman in the NHL. (Alex Appleyard)
#57 – Charlie Elick, RHD, Brandon
Charlie Elick is a defense first defenseman who can close gaps with quality speed through his power stride and crossovers. Once he picks up possession of the puck, he generally quickly gets ride of the puck once he has spotted a lane to an open teammate up ice. Elick isn’t as overwhelming physically as some other defensemen in the class, but will use his physicality to quiet the rush. Elick projects to be a number four/five defenseman. (Josh Tessler)
#58 – Kamil Bednarik, C, USNTDP
Kamil Bednarik is extremely good in transition and has excellent good north-south speed to help him push pace. He will struggle in the corners and behind the red line with intensified pressure on his backside. But, usually Bednarik will only find himself in such situations if he can’t find a teammate to pass to off of the rush. Once he has passed the puck after bringing the puck up ice, Bednarik does a good job of acquiring open ice with an excellent shooting angle. (Josh Tessler)
#59 – Ben Danford, RHD, Oshawa
Ben Danford can be a very physically intimidating defenseman especially when the puck carrying attacker is vulnerable and has their back turned to Danford. But, he doesn’t just look to throw his weight, he will also look to extend his stick and catch opponents off guard with a pokecheck. His positioning is quite good and a lot of that can be credited to his excellent edgework and well-timed pivots to stay in tow when defending against an attacker. (Josh Tessler)
#60 – Leo Sahlin Wallenius, LHD, Växjö
Leo Sahlin Wallenius is a left-shot defenseman who plays on the same Vaxjo J20 team as the aforementioned Alfons Freij. Of the two defenseman, Sahlin Wallenius is by far the more offensive-minded. He’s a skilled and mobile defenseman who looks to influence the play every time he steps onto the ice. He transports pucks through the neutral zone at high pace and into the offensive zone, creating high danger scoring chances with ease. Inside the offensive zone, Sahlin Wallenius is a very creative and unpredictable attacker. Never settling for hope shots from the point, he excels at activating from the blue line and skating around in search of open looks. He is also a solid enough defender that he should be able to make himself a fairly well-rounded defenseman with some legitimate offensive upside. (SpokedZ)
#61 – Adam Kleber, RHD, Lincoln
Adam Kleber has excellent speed for his 6’4″ frame and great stick-handling that he will use to shift the puck around tight pressure before passing to an open teammate in the slot or along the blue-line. Kleber will throw his weight behind the red line and will implement quality shoulder checks to shut down the oppositional cycle. I would like to see Kleber acquire an active stick and use his reach when defending against the rush in the neutral zone, but he does an excellent job of taking away centered passing lanes with an active stick in the defensive zone. Ultimately, if Kleber uses his active stick more and more, he will only garner more ice time especially at the next level. (Josh Tessler)
#62 – Simon Zether, C, Rögle
Simon Zether is a player I’ve been quite surprised hasn’t earned more love in this draft class. He’s a 6’3” two-way center who earned a full-time spot on Rogle BK’s SHL squad this season. He’s a highly intelligent player who already excels on the defensive side of the puck. He knows how to use his big frame to be a physical pest and is strong enough to win battles versus much older competition. He also does possess some legit skill and has proven to be a goal-scoring threat when playing against his peers. He’s shown much more willingness to use his size and strength to his advantage offensively over time as well, taking pucks at the blue line and driving to the net himself with defenders unable to take the puck from him. A lack of footspeed could hinder the offensive upside, but his intelligence, reliability and defensive prowess should make him a valuable NHL centerman for a long time. (SpokedZ)
#63 – Luca Marrelli, RHD, Oshawa
Luca Marrelli is a excellent distributor from deep in his zone. He does an excellent job of incorporating delays to allow his teammates to skate further down before feathering a pass. Marrelli does a good job of igniting odd man rushes with those well-timed passes. Defensively, Marelli has a bit of a passive approach. I would like to see Marrelli acquire an active stick or look to be physical when he is right next to the puck carrier. But, he does keep excellent positioning. Offensively, if he runs out of real estate, he won’t force the puck into a tight spot and will complete a well-placed drop pass. (Josh Tessler)
#64 – Christian Humphreys, C, USNTDP
Christian Humphreys does an excellent job of threading tight passes. It doesn’t matter if its in transition or behind the red line in the offiensive zone, Humphreys can capitalize in tight. He will also look to be deceptive too with his distribution and won’t shy away from behind the back backhand passes after capturing a loose puck behind the red line. If he sees a teammate skating into a potential passing lane and has an attacker forcing Humphreys to push the puck to one side of his body, he will swing the behind the back pass instead of repositioning himself to be square with his teammate. If he looks to square up, he might lose that passing option. (Josh Tessler)
Honorable Mentions
Ryerson Leenders, Herman Träff, Timur Kol, Oskar Vuollet, Riley Patterson, Christopher Thibodeau, Justin Poirier, Sam O’Reilly, Clarke Caswell
Full List
| Rank | Player | Position | Team |
| 1 | Macklin Celebrini | F | Boston University |
| 2 | Ivan Demidov | RW | SKA St. Petersburg |
| 3 | Berkly Catton | F | Spokane |
| 4 | Cayden Lindstrom | F | Medicine Hat |
| 5 | Zeev Buium | LHD | University of Denver |
| 6 | Liam Greentree | RW | Windsor |
| 7 | Artyom Levshunov | RHD | Michigan State University |
| 8 | Sam Dickinson | LHD | London |
| 9 | Tij Iginla | F | Kelowna |
| 10 | Nikita Artamonov | LW | Nizhny Novgorod |
| 11 | Trevor Connelly | F | Tri-City |
| 12 | Zayne Parekh | RHD | Saginaw |
| 13 | Cole Eiserman | LW | USNTDP |
| 14 | Adam Jiricek | RHD | Plzen |
| 15 | Michael Brandsegg-Nygård | RW | Mora |
| 16 | Anton Silayev | LHD | Nizhny Novgorod |
| 17 | Konsta Helenius | RW | Tappara |
| 18 | Igor Chernyshov | LW | Dynamo Moscow |
| 19 | Alfons Freij | LHD | Växjö |
| 20 | Carter Yakemchuk | RHD | Calgary |
| 21 | Andrew Basha | F | Medicine Hat |
| 22 | Luke Misa | C | Mississauga |
| 23 | Sacha Boisvert | C | Muskegon |
| 24 | Teddy Stiga | LW | USNTDP |
| 25 | Beckett Sennecke | RW | Oshawa |
| 26 | Ryder Ritchie | F | Prince Albert |
| 27 | Michael Hage | C | Chicago |
| 28 | Aron Kiviharju | LHD | TPS |
| 29 | Emil Hemming | F | TPS |
| 30 | Daniil Ustinkov | LHD | Zürich |
| 31 | John Mustard | F | Waterloo |
| 32 | Lucas Pettersson | C | MoDo |
| 33 | Henry Mews | RHD | Ottawa |
| 34 | Topias Hynninen | RW | Jukurit |
| 35 | Dominik Badinka | RHD | Malmö |
| 36 | Tomas Galvas | LHD | Olomouc |
| 37 | Cole Beaudoin | C | Barrie |
| 38 | Miguel Marques | F | Lethbridge |
| 39 | Noel Fransén | LHD | Färjestad |
| 40 | Cole Hutson | LHD | USNTDP |
| 41 | Matvei Shuravin | LHD | Kranaya Armiya Moscow |
| 42 | Veeti Väisänen | LHD | KooKoo |
| 43 | Terik Parascak | RW | Prince George |
| 44 | Jett Luchanko | C | Guelph |
| 45 | Jacob Battaglia | RW | Kingston |
| 46 | Marek Vanacker | LW | Brantford |
| 47 | Yegor Graf | C | SKA St. Petersburg |
| 48 | Tanner Howe | F | Regina |
| 49 | Yegor Surin | C | Yaroslavl |
| 50 | Leon Muggli | LHD | Zug |
| 51 | Adam Jecho | RW | Edmonton |
| 52 | Matvei Gridin | F | Muskegon |
| 53 | Harrison Brunicke | RHD | Kamloops |
| 54 | John Whipple | LHD | USNTDP |
| 55 | Stian Solberg | LHD | Vålerenga |
| 56 | Jakub Fibigr | LHD | Mississauga |
| 57 | Charlie Elick | RHD | Brandon |
| 58 | Kamil Bednarik | C | USNTDP |
| 59 | Ben Danford | RHD | Oshawa |
| 60 | Leo Sahlin Wallenius | LHD | Växjö |
| 61 | Adam Kleber | RHD | Lincoln |
| 62 | Simon Zether | C | Rögle |
| 63 | Luca Marrelli | RHD | Oshawa |
| 64 | Christian Humphreys | C | USNTDP |
| HM | Ryerson Leenders | G | Mississauga |
| HM | Herman Träff | RW | HV71 |
| HM | Timur Kol | LHD | Omsk |
| HM | Oskar Vuollet | C/LW | Skellefteå |
| HM | Riley Patterson | C | Barrie |
| HM | Christopher Thibodeau | C | Kingston |
| HM | Justin Poirier | RW | Baie-Comeau |
| HM | Sam O’Reilly | RW | London |
| HM | Clarke Caswell | F | Swift Current |