Overall this means the Edmonton Oilers are sitting out most of this year’s NHL Draft, and are expected to trade picks in its Cup window. Today we will discuss about NHL Draft: Grades 2024| Day 2| 2nd round| Best available.
NHL Draft: Grades 2024| Day 2| 2nd round| Best available
The 2024 NHL Entry Draft is the 62nd ongoing NHL Entry Draft. The draft is being held June 28–29, 2024, at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Per their April 2024 agreement, all draft rights held by the defunct Arizona Coyotes franchise were transferred to the new Utah hockey club. For the first time in franchise history, the San Jose Sharks received the first overall pick. The first three selections were Maclin Celebrini going to the San Jose Sharks, Artyom Levshunov being selected by the Chicago Blackhawks, and Beckett Seneca being selected by the Anaheim Ducks.
| General information | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | June 28–29, 2024 |
| Location | Sphere Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| Network(s) | ESPN, NHL Network, SN, TVA Sports |
| Overview | |
| First selection |  Macklin Celebrini(San Jose Sharks) |
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Grades 2024
Select Grade: A
scouting report
The 2024 draft class may not be very impressive, but that has nothing to do with the guy at the top of the list.
Celebrini had one of the best freshman seasons in NCAA history. The 17-year-old center scored 32 goals and 32 assists in just 38 games for Boston University. His goal total is the most for a draft-eligible player in men’s college hockey; Even more than Paul Cariya, Jack Eichel and Adam Fantilli.
This alone does not describe what Celebrini achieved this season. The BU Terriers won 28 of their 40 games on the strength of their freshman center. The team’s next highest goal scorer had 18, and the second-highest point producer was a defenseman (Lane Hutson). Celebrini dragged an otherwise ineffective team to the Frozen Four semifinals.
Day 2
From the No. 1 pick to the No. 225 pick in Round 7, this page is your home for every selection, including scouting notes from Rachel Doeri and team fit analysis for the 32 players taken in the first round from Ryan S. Clark. And Greg Wyshinski.
There is no area of the game where legitimate concerns exist. Simply put, he has no weak points. He excels as a length ice player and makes significant contributions on both ends.
Offensively, he navigates the middle of the ice, disrupting defensive schemes and finding passing lanes that others can’t. His puck protection skills, willingness to play through contact, spin off defenders and maintain play are qualities that will translate well to the NHL. Even without the puck, he remains a scoring threat due to his ability to find open space, keep his stick away from defenders and quickly release the puck. –Doeri
2nd round
The Belarusian is widely considered to be the best defender in the draft class, having impressed scouts in several areas. A right-shot defenseman, he imposes himself physically and dictates the offensive play. His rapid development has led scouts to believe that he could soon become an effective two-way defenseman in the NHL. He is adept at making good first passes, finding shooting lanes and controlling the game from the blue line.
Although still raw defensively, he has made tremendous progress due to his physical attributes, excellent skating ability and high puck battle success rate. Driver who is consistently engaged and playing at both ends of the ice has the ability to change momentum. Levshunov can become a top-pairing defenseman who dictates the play in transition and tilts the ice in his team’s favor.
Best available
He was an interesting first round of the NHL draft – perfect for a Las Vegas show.
Everything from Beckett Seneca being taken No. 3 overall and getting booed on TV, to surprise appearances from Celine Dion and Michael Buffer, to Ze’ev Buim falling to Minnesota at 12. Lots of pick-swap trades, as expected, but almost every lottery pick stayed.
The use of technology inside the sphere with player mosaics was different and cool, allowing for innovative graphics, introduction videos and an immersive experience.
Centralizing the draft in Vegas at the Sphere was a fun and unique approach, considering how isolated it is from an NHL arena. Using celebrities associated with the respective teams to select players was well done. The trade horn brought some excitement and was especially fun when it was blown when commissioner Gary Bettman was trying to announce a trade. The NHL deserves high marks for stepping outside the box and executing the draft in a fun and unique way.
