It’s been more than a month since the 2024 NHL Draft. Of the 32 hockey players who were selected in the first round, 20 have already signed rookie contracts. We are talking about the top ten players who will soon appear on the platforms of the strongest league in the world.
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Ben Danford (Toronto, Election 31)
The Maple Leafs spent their first draft pick on one of the Ontario League’s best defencemen last season, according to coaches. Danford’s calling card is precisely his defensive qualities: he doesn’t usually support a positional attack, although he can make a good first pass and even complete an attack with an accurate shot, but at the same time he defends well one-on-one thanks to his skillful choice of position and stickwork. In North America he is considered a 100 percent top-4 player in the future, highlighting his thirst for progress and dedication on the ice that stands out among his teammates.
Emil Hemming (Dallas, 29)
The Finnish striker’s main weapon is his shot. Hemming’s arsenal is quite diverse: he can accurately aim the number nine from his wrists and perform a powerful touch, which makes him a particularly valuable player for most. At the same time, Emil shoots confidently from any position, he also has good speed and knows how to get away from his opponent thanks to his sure dribbling. Although the right-footed striker has already played at senior level in Finland, he will spend the next season in the Ontario league.
Emilio Hemming
Photo: Steve Marcus/AP/TASS
Matvey Gridin (Calgary, 28)
Matvey is the only Russian first-round pick to sign a contract with the club that drafted him. He spent the last two years in the top US youth league and became its top scorer last season. However, Gridin will definitely not return there – the forward is expected to go to the Canadian youth league system. We expect further development of the player, who is one of the most promising domestic playmakers. However, Matvey copes just as well with the role of finishing off attacks.
Marek Vanaker (Chicago, 27)
The Hawks had three first-round picks and spent the last one on the reigning World Junior champion. Vanaker, however, was not that important for the Canadian team, but for Brantford in the Ontario League he was indispensable. In addition to Vanaker having explosive speed and good handwork, he often also works in front of his own goal, which often leads to counterattacks that end in a goal or an assist from Marek himself. Some Chicago fans already expect Vanaker in the starting lineup and even call him the ideal winger for Connor Bedard, but with a high degree of probability the forward will spend at least one more year in the Ontario League.
Marek Vanaker
Photo: Steve Marcus/AP/TASS
Liam Greentree (Los Angeles, 26)
Greentree is a power forward who makes good use of his size (189/97) and has good field vision. In addition to his hockey performance, Liam stands out for his leadership qualities: scouts and coaches noted the maturity of the forward, who in January became the captain of Windsor in the Ontario League. Perhaps Greentree’s main drawback is his slightly clumsy skating, which he can compensate for by working with his body at the junior level. In the NHL, this trick will no longer work, as the player himself understands, who after the draft promised to improve in this aspect.
Cole Beaudoin (Utah, 24 years old)
The NHL newcomers took under their wing not the most productive, but at the same time very hard-working forward. Unlike his father Eric, who once played in the NHL and even visited the KHL for three games, Cole is not located on the flank, but in the center. Beaudoin is considered the physically strongest player of the last draft, which allows him to be a real nightmare for his teammates on the court: Cole actively enters a power struggle, easily wins the puck and hits his opponents against the boards. If these qualities can be transferred to the top level, the NHL could have an excellent two-way center.
Stian Solberg (Anaheim 23)
Until this year, no Norwegian had ever been drafted in the first round, but this year there were two. Solberg became the second and at the same time the first defender. At the end of December, Stian will only be 19 years old, but he has already played almost a hundred games at the senior level: he debuted in Norway’s youth team before the junior team, and this year he reached the final series of the local playoffs with Valerenga’s championship of the main teams and made his debut at the World Cup, scoring three points (including a goal against the Canadians) in seven games.
Stian Solberg
Photo: Steve Marcus/AP/TASS
Solberg is primarily a defensive defender and a good option for the minority, but at the same time he has good potential on offense: nine points in 17 playoff games in Norway give a rather opaque indication of this.
Terik Parashchak (Washington, 17)
At the time, 17-year-old Parashchak began his first full season at the junior level with 25 points in 12 games in the Western Hockey League – not even Connor Bedard could do that. In 68 regular-season games, he scored 108 points (eighth in the league), to which he added 14 assists in 12 playoff games. Terik doesn’t have great skating or incredible handwork, but he knows how to be in the right place and has good court vision. Scouts especially highlight his intelligence, which so far allows him to compensate for his shortcomings.
Adam Jirczek (St. Louis, 16)
Like his older brother David, who was drafted sixth overall by Columbus two years ago, Adam is a right-handed defenseman. True, if the “uniforms” player at the time of the draft had spent a lot of time at the adult level and even won bronze at the World Championship, the Blues’ newcomer from the youth and junior teams had not yet played so consistently and so brilliantly. However, unlike David, Adam skates better and helps the attack more – he is not shy about attacking his opponents alone and generally likes to work with the puck at high speed.
Mikaël Brandsegg-Nygaard (Detroit, 15)
Along with Stian Solberg, Brandsegg-Nygaard made his senior international debut for Norway at the recent World Cup and made a strong impression, scoring five points in seven games; with three goals he became the team’s top scorer, surpassed only by veterans Mats Zuccarello and Patrick Thoresen. He was more effective in his performances. Mikael is considered perhaps the top Norwegian talent in the history of local hockey, and the status of the first player from this country to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft gives his compatriots reason to place even more hopes on him.
We talk about Mikael here:
40-year-old record holder and young NHL superstars. Who will play in Group A of the World Hockey Championship?
Brandsegg-Nygaard is a two-way striker who poses a serious physical threat to opponents (94 kg with a height of 185 cm) and is also a danger in front of goal: he has no problems with speed and shooting.
