NHL Draft 2024: Most Notable Prospects amid Mock Draft Predictions

The 2024 NHL draft is slated to kick off on Friday night at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and there should be no shortage of drama during the two-day event. The San Jose Sharks hold the No. 1 overall pick and are widely expected to use it on Boston University center Macklin Celebrini.

However, there's plenty of uncertainty surrounding the rest of the draft, as few mock drafts fall in line after Celebrini is off the board.

Even if most mocks were in agreement, it only takes one team to make a surprising move for everything to descend into chaos. And it only takes one franchise to fall in or out of love with a prospect for that to occur.

Here, we'll dive into some of the latest mock drafts from around the web and take a close look at some of this year's most noteworthy prospects.

Celebrini is the top-ranked prospect on the final draft board of Bleacher Report NHL staff, and he's the top pick on virtually all mock drafts. It's not hard to see why.

After tallying 64 points (32 goals and 32 assists) in just 38 games as a freshman, the 18-year-old has established himself as the most notable prospect in this class. There are no real holes in his game, and he has the tools and work ethic to be equally impressive as a pro.

"No explanation necessary," The Athletic's Scott Wheeler wrote while paring Celebrini with San Jose at the top of his mock draft.

While Celebrini appears to be a "safe" prospect with an extremely high floor, however, there's no guarantee he'll end up being the best player from the 2024 class. As B/R's NHL staff—with scouting provided by Adam Herman and Hannah Stuart—noted, Celebrini isn't quite a generational talent:

"The only real knock on Celebrini is that he does not have a trait that stands out as bordering on generational. Conor Bedard has his shot. Connor McDavid is defined by his skating. Celebrini is a fantastic shooter and has high-end puck skills, but they are not at such a rare level as to be unmatched."

Still, it will be a significant surprise if Celebrini isn't the first player off the board on Friday.

Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov is an intriguing prospect because he closely follows Celebrini as a high-floor player.

"Levshunov might be the most NHL-ready player in this year's draft with the size (6-2, 205) and skill set that helped him have 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 38 games as an 18-year-old college freshman," Adam Kimelman of NHL.com wrote.

Kimelman mocked Levshunov to the Chicago Blackhawks at No. 2, as did Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com, Bleacher Report's Jake Rill and Wheeler. Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News, however, predicted that Chicago will favor SKA St. Petersburg wing Ivan Demidov instead.

"When you have the chance to pair Connor Bedard with Demidov and replicate the [Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane] model that brought them three Cups, you do it," Ferrari wrote.

Herman and Stuart, for what it's worth, have Demidov as the second-ranked prospect on the B/R board—though they admitted that he's a "hard player to project" coming out of the MHL.

There could be some real intrigue at No. 2, as the Blackhawks decide whether to pair 2023 first overall pick Connor Bedard with a standout defender or a top-tier scorer. Most mocks, though, appear to favor the defensive route.

"After selecting a franchise-altering center in Connor Bedard with the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, the Blackhawks can focus on finding a game-changer on defense," Kimelman wrote.

If Levshunov doesn't go second overall, he's unlikely to be on the board for long. Ferrari paired him with the Anaheim Ducks at No. 3 in his mock.

Medicine Hat (WHL) center Cayden Lindstrom could be a bit of a wild card on draft night. The 18-year-old oozes potential but is still developing and missed time this past season with a back injury.

"The injury offers a lot of what-ifs about where Lindstrom might've slotted had he had a full season to develop and build a résumé," Herman and Stuart wrote. "His upside is very high and, in a weaker draft such as this one, the cost/benefit analysis pushes in his favor."

The question, of course, is where Lindstrom will land. Rill mocked him to the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 4, as did Kimelman.

"The 18-year-old already is back on the ice training for next season after returning to play four games during the Western Hockey League playoffs, and the belief is the back problem he dealt with will not be a lingering issue," Kimelman wrote.

However, Ferrari, Morreale, and Wheeler all mocked Lindstrom to the Montreal Canadiens at No. 5. Like Levshunov and Demidov, Lindstrom shouldn't wait long to hear his name called.

"If the Ducks and Blue Jackets don't take Lindstrom, I think Montreal or Utah will," Wheeler wrote.

Lindstrom is a true boom-or-bust prospect, and there's no telling how quickly he'll return to pre-injury form. His upside is worth betting on, though, and some team will undoubtedly do it early.