NHL mock draft: Anything's possible once Celebrini goes

Ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft, which starts Friday in Las Vegas, theScore's Kyle Cushman, Nick Faris, John Matisz, and Josh Wegman project the 32 first-round picks.

No drama at No. 1. Celebrini, the youngest player ever to win the NCAA's Hobey Baker Award, immediately becomes a franchise cornerstone in San Jose. He possesses an extremely diverse skill set for an 18-year-old, doing basically everything at a high level. Bonus: Celebrini has a strong connection to Northern California. His dad, Rick, is vice president of player health and performance for the Golden State Warriors.

While the idea of getting Connor Bedard a running mate up front is tantalizing, both Ivan Demidov and Cayden Lindstrom come with some question marks. Levshunov, who's spent the last two years in North America, has very few. He's a well-rounded, 6-foot-2 defenseman with an explosive skating stride and great offensive instincts. As a righty, he complements left-shooting blue-line pillars Kevin Korchinski and Alex Vlasic.

The Ducks could draft a big center (Lindstrom), slippery winger (Demidov), or towering defenseman (the 6-foot-7 Silayev). Their decision will influence the next several picks. In Silayev, they get an elegant skater with shutdown potential who managed to chip in offensively in the KHL, tallying 11 points in 63 games, at a precocious age.

Lindstrom barely played in the second half of the season due to hand and back injuries, but what he showed out of the gate in Medicine Hat is enough to entice the Blue Jackets. The 6-foot-3 center plays a physical game and possesses exciting speed and a lethal shot. He'll form a potent one-two punch with last year's third overall pick, Adam Fantilli, for years to come.

Montreal's core lacks a dynamic, game-breaking forward, and Demidov is exactly that. The strong, 6-foot winger is considered the most skilled player in the draft class. He used his creativity and elusiveness to post 60 points in 30 games in Russia's top junior league, and he reportedly told teams that he plans on jumping to North America in 2025-26.

The draft really begins to open up here. As many as seven players would be worthy candidates for this selection. General manager Bill Armstrong opts to take Dickinson - a smooth-skating, 6-foot-3 blue-liner who has "minute muncher" written all over him - with the first pick in Utah history.

Immediate needs are best addressed in free agency, not the draft. That means Steve Staios, Ottawa's rookie GM, shouldn't feel compelled to use this pick on a right-handed defenseman. Evaluating all options leads the Senators to Sennecke, an exhilarating puck-handler whose dominant postseason (22 points in 16 OHL games) helped him rocket up draft rankings.

The Kraken haven't drafted a defenseman in the first round in their brief history, but that changes here. Buium had one of the best freshmen seasons by an NCAA blue-liner, producing over a point per game and leading Denver to a national title. Even if he doesn't hit the same offensive heights in the NHL, his superb puck-moving ability and developing defensive game give Buium top-of-the-lineup upside.

The Flames choose a franchise icon's son who also happens to be a top-10 talent. In other words, while it's impossible to ignore the familial ties, the selection's completely justifiable. Iginla's a high-compete winger with a fantastic shot and great handles. He put up 84 points in 64 WHL games, then starred for gold medal-winning Canada at the world under-18 tournament.

Talented, undersized forwards often slip in the draft. The 5-foot-10 Catton is the latest example. Whether he sticks at center or moves to the wing in the pros, GM Tom Fitzgerald is glad to add another dynamic presence up front. Catton is one of just four Canadian Hockey League players since 2000 to score at least 50 goals and 115 points in his draft year, joining No. 1 picks Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, and Bedard.

The move up the board from No. 14 to No. 11 pays dividends for the Sharks, who have their choice of two top-10-caliber blue-liners to address a barren cupboard of defense prospects. They debate taking Zayne Parekh but grab the 6-foot-3 Yakemchuk, who has the tools to lead dangerous rushes, snipe goals from above the faceoff circles, and play competent or disruptive defense in the NHL. He's drawn comparisons to Sharks legend Brent Burns.

The Flyers simply can't pass on the best player available. Yes, they acquired Jamie Drysdale this season and drafted Oliver Bonk last year, but Parekh has legitimate star potential that's too appealing to pass on. His production in the OHL over the past two years (133 points in 116 games) was historic, and he plays with an edge that will endear him to Philadelphia fans.

The Wild think long and hard about two-way center Konsta Helenius but opt to keep the defenseman train going. Solberg has top-four potential as a 6-foot-2, mobile, physical defender who can make a clean first pass. The Norwegian showed very well at the world juniors and World Championship.

Helenius' mature game could help him reach the NHL sooner rather than later, especially compared to other picks in this range. That makes him an intriguing fit for the Sabres after they traded down from No. 11. Helenius was a top-six center in Finland's main pro league all season and produced at an impressive clip. He's not a home run swing, but he could become an impactful top-nine piece.

Targeting a versatile player, Detroit drafts the second Norwegian of the round. Brandsegg-Nygard's effort level, defensive awareness, and pinpoint shot helped him fit in with adults in Sweden's second pro division and Norway's world championship group.

The Blues need help on the back end at the NHL level and in their farm system. Jiricek - the younger brother of Blue Jackets prospect David Jiricek - is a mobile, right-shot defenseman with size. Adam garnered some top-10 buzz before a knee injury at the world juniors ended his season prematurely.

Hage is one of the biggest risers in the class due to a productive second half. He's a speedy center who bagged 33 goals and added 42 assists in 54 USHL games and is off to the University of Michigan in the fall. Hage joins Ivan Miroshnichenko, Ryan Leonard, and Andrew Cristall in Washington's next wave of forwards as the club slowly transitions out of the Alex Ovechkin era.

Eiserman, who entered the season as a possible top-three pick, plummets after scoring 58 goals in 57 games - the third-most in NTDP single-season history. What gives? There are concerns about his vision, hockey IQ, and compete away from the puck. But the Blackhawks would surely be thrilled to add Eiserman to an organizational forward group that lacks dynamic offensive threats outside of Bedard.

The Golden Knights swapped prospects they'd drafted in Round 1 to acquire Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, and Mark Stone. Even if Luchanko becomes trade fodder, his speed, smarts, scrappiness, and promise in the dot (ranked ninth in the OHL in faceoff wins) make the 5-foot-11 center a wise pick.

Greentree scored 36 goals and 90 points on a poor Spitfires team. Named an OHL captain at 17 years old, he brings top-six potential to an Islanders prospect pool that's devoid of high-end upside. An underwhelming end to the campaign at the under-18s drops his stock slightly.

The Kings' prospect pool needs centers with upside and, at this point in the first round, Beaudoin's the right choice. The Ottawa native's competitiveness and sound two-way game will take him places. He's a solid bet to make the NHL. The question: can Beaudoin produce offense at the pro level?

Based on talent, Connelly would be worth a top-10 pick. He's a true game-breaker offensively. But there are behavioral red flags: Connelly posted an offensive photo to Snapchat in 2022 that got him kicked off his Triple-A team. A year earlier, he was accused of directing a racial slur at an opponent. It's unknown if Predators GM Barry Trotz would be willing to look past this, but he did tell his scouts to swing for the fences.

Elite fitness results at the scouting combine - where Emery won several jumping tests, crushed 12 pull-ups, and had the third-longest wingspan - enhanced the 6-foot-3 defenseman's draft stock. He becomes Toronto's first high pick at the position since Rasmus Sandin in 2018.

Chernyshov is a powerful winger with finishing touch. His style could make him a textbook complementary top-six forward, and his lack of KHL production (four points in 34 games) doesn't scare the Avalanche. Demidov was the only draft-eligible player to outscore Chernyshov in Russia's junior league over the past two seasons.

The Bruins, who acquired this pick in Monday's Linus Ullmark trade, are thrilled Elick's still on the board. Elick's a right-handed shutdown blue-liner who kills plays with his phenomenal skating and willingness to get physical. Put another way, he's exactly the kind of prospect Boston could use.

Letourneau is one of the biggest wild cards in the draft. The 6-foot-7 center with Tage Thompson-like upside produced 61 goals and 127 points in 56 games - but he did so at a prep school facing relatively weak competition. As an organization rich with prospect depth, the Canadiens can afford to make this risky pick.

Parascak isn't big or quick, but he's highly intelligent and fills the net. He ranked in the top 15 in WHL goals (43) and assists (62) as a linemate of the league's top sniper, Capitals prospect Zac Funk. Rather than lament Parascak's limitations, Carolina ventures that he'll keep lighting the lamp.

Sahlin Wallenius is an excellent skater who played big minutes for Sweden at the under-18s. He's a modern two-way defenseman who would be considered much earlier in the draft if he were taller than 6-feet.

The Stars love to draft out of Ontario (see: Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston, Thomas Harley) and O'Reilly's coming off a solid showing for London in the OHL playoffs and Memorial Cup. The center, who's a projected bottom-six NHL forward, gets high marks in hockey sense and motor.

Boisvert boasts an intriguing combination of good size (6-foot-2) and a dangerous shot: think Sean Monahan or Josh Norris if everything goes right. The Rangers love the idea of adding a player with that potential to a prospect pipeline that's thin down the middle.

The rebuilding Ducks own multiple first-round picks for the fourth time in six years. Drafting Silayev and Vanacker, the scoring leader (36 goals, 82 points) for a strong OHL team, elevates a prospect pool that's already deep and balanced.

The Flyers lack centers in their system and address that with Miettinen. The Finnish pivot projects more as a shutdown forward than an offensive dynamo - his physicality and 6-foot-3 frame could make him a fit on the third line.

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