LAS VEGAS — All of the picks have been made and all 32 NHL teams have introduced brand new prospects to their fan bases after the 2024 NHL Draft. Now that the event is complete, it’s time to issue our letter grades for each draft class.
As we all know, these classes will take years to truly see how successful or unsuccessful teams were this weekend. So don’t look at these letter grades as the last word. They’ll evolve over time. But we’re going to take the information we have now and the projections we’ve made for this draft to evaluate what teams have done.
In a few more years, we’ll re-evaluate where these classes stand, but for now, here is how all 32 teams did at the 2024 NHL Draft.
NHL DRAFT GRADES
Anaheim Ducks
Grade: A
First rounders:
- Beckett Sennecke, RW
- Stian Solberg, D
Day 2 Picks:
- Lucas Pettersson, C
- Maxim Masse, RW
- Ethan Procsyzyn, C
- Tarin Smith, D
- Alexandre Blais, LW
- Austin Burnevik, RW
- Darels Uljanskis, D
Analysis: The Ducks surprised everyone including their top pick by taking Beckett Sennecke with the No. 3 pick, but they were one of the top picking teams best positioned to take the swing on that tremendous upside. They also landed a throw-back, physical defenseman to bring some balance to their back end in Stian Solberg. On Day 2, Anaheim landed three more players off of FloHockey’s Top 100 in Lucas Pettersson, Maxim Masse and Ethan Procyszyn. I also really liked the Tarin Smith and Austin Burnevik picks as both were productive players in their junior seasons. Anaheim’s system is really loaded right now and probably one of, if not the best in the NHL presently. The Ducks’ long-term outlook is brighter.
Boston Bruins
Grade: C+
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Elliott Gorenewold, D
- Jonathan Morello, C
- Loke Johansson, D
Analysis: It’s hard to get a high grade with four picks and only one in the top 100. I think Dean Letourneau is an intriguing prospect with high upside, but a long development timeline ahead of him. Boston kept going with bigger players including Jonathan Morello, who was No. 95 on FloHockey’s Top 100. They got him at 154. I think he’s just scratching the surface. Boston’s prospect pool is still pretty shallow, but Letourneau adds some real excitement if he can hit the top of his projection.
Buffalo Sabres
Grade: B+
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Adam Kleber, D
- Brodie Ziemer, RW
- Luke Osburn, D
- Simon-Pier Brunet, D
- Patrick Geary, D
- Vasily Zelenov, RW
- Ryerson Leenders, G
Analysis: The Sabres were able to trade down and still get an impact prospect in Konsta Helenius, who should fit well with what they’re building. They also got a big right-shot defenseman in a system that is very left-shot heavy, so Adam Kleber will help them fill a need. He was No. 33 on FloHockey’s Top 100. Brodie Ziemer is another personal favorite as he’s a high-character player who plays the right way. Luke Osburn had a big-time season in the USHL and proved his NHL quality, while re-entry Patrick Geary was a top shutdown defenseman for Michigan State. I also really liked the pick of Ryerson Leenders so late in the draft because he’s an athletic goalie with some room to grow.
Calgary Flames
Grade: A-
First rounders:
- Zayne Parekh, D
- Matvei Gridin, RW
Day 2 Picks:
- Andrew Basha, LW
- Jacob Battaglia, RW
- Henry Mews, D
- Kirill Zarubin, G
- Trevor Hoskin, RW
- Luke Misa, C
- Eric Jamieson, D
Analysis: The Flames bet bigger on skill in this draft and I really like that. Parekh is a dynamic offensive defenseman who had massive production in the OHL and won a Memorial Cup. Matvei Gridin was the top scorer in the USHL. Andrew Basha, Jacob Battaglia, Henry Mews and Luke Misa were all in FloHockey’s Top 100 and all bring that skill element that Calgary is going to need long term. They also added size to go along with that skill. Upside for this class is quite high.
Carolina Hurricanes
Grade: B+
First rounders: None.
Day 2 Picks:
- Dominik Badinka, D
- Nikita Artamonov, LW
- Noel Franson D
- Alexander Siryatsky, D
- Oskar Vuollet, LW
- Justin Poirier, RW
- Timur Kol, D
- Roman Shokhrin, D
- Fyodor Avramov, LW
- Andrey Krutov, LW
Analysis: The kings of the trade-back, Carolina picked up a ton of talent later in the draft as they so often do. Despite picking exclusively on Day 2, Carolina added value with their picks. I had a first-round grade on Nikita Artamonov, listing him at No. 21, and they got him at 50. Dominik Badinka, Justin Poirier, and Timur Kol were also on FloHockey’s Top 100, higher than the Hurricanes got them. Outside of Poirier, I’m not sure there’s a dynamic element to the class, which leads me to believe Carolina added a lot of role players, but you need role players on a roster, too. Carolina continues to find value late, which is a credit to their scouts and their process.
Chicago Blackhawks
Grade: A
First rounders:
- Artyom Levshunov, D
- Sacha Boisvert, C
- Marek Vanacker, LW
Day 2 Picks:
- John Mustard, C
- AJ Spellacy, RW
- Jack Pridham, RW
- Joel Svensson, C
- Ty Henry, D
Analysis: Chicago got very aggressive, adding three first-round picks to their prospect system via a series of trades. They got their No. 1 defenseman of the future in Artyom Levshunov, which is the key piece of this draft. He was No. 2 on my board as well. Sacha Boisvert fits a need the team has with getting a bigger center with two-way skills and scoring ability. While I think Chicago reached for Marek Vanacker, that was a player they really liked and he may not have been around in the second round based on what I had heard. Meanwhile, Chicago landed one of the better skaters in the draft with John Mustard, who can really score. All four of their top picks were on the FloHockey Top 100.
Colorado Avalanche
Grade: C+
First rounders: None.
Day 2 Picks:
- Ilya Nabokov, G
- Will Zellers, LW
- Jake Fisher, C
- Louka Cloutier, G
- Ivan Yunin, G
- Maximilian Curran, C
- Tory Pitner, D
- Christian Humphreys, C
- Nikita Prishchepov, C
Analysis: The Avs traded back a few times and added some picks. Ilya Nabokov had a ton of success this year and is on the older side. Will Zellers and Max Curran were both on my Top 100 and then Christian Humphreys was No. 71 on the list and Colorado got him with their last pick, which I thought was a nice bet on offensive upside. To me, there just wasn’t much top end added with the class as it is, but Nabokov is an especially intriguing player even though he’s a bit older and is below average in size by NHL goalie standards.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Grade: A-
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Charlie Elick, D
- Evan Gardner, G
- Luca Marrelli, D
- Tanner Henricks, D
- Luke Ashton, D
Analysis: Getting a future long-term top-six center in Lindstrom who could really add a dynamic to the forward group in Columbus, especially with Adam Fantilli. They also got good value on day 2 with Charlie Elick, who I had as a first-round pick in my Top 100. Luca Marelli was also on the Top 100 list. The Evan Gardner pick surprised me, but I had heard some late buzz on him. Meanwhile, Tanner Henricks is a big body who will need a lot more development time, but was a worthwhile pick late in the draft. The same goes for BCHL product Luke Ashton, who comes in at 6-foot-7. Size was certainly a big priority here, except for their goalie oddly enough, and Columbus added some braun.
Dallas Stars
Grade: C+
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Niilopekka Muhonen, D
- Williams Samuelsson, C
Analysis: With only three picks made in the draft, the Stars got a good power forward in Emil Hemming. With the other picks coming in the fifth and seventh rounds, there wasn’t going to be a lot of impact to be made on the prospect pool. One thing has become clear in the last several years though, when it comes to the draft, the Stars can really maximize the value of their picks. Hemming becomes one of the better prospects in their system, which makes this draft impactful enough.
Detroit Red Wings
Grade: B-
First rounders:
- Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW
Day 2 Picks:
- Max Plante, LW/RW
- Ondrej Becher, C
- Landon Miller, G
- John Whipple, D
- Charlie Forslund, LW
- Austin Baker, LW
- Fisher Scott, D
Analysis: The Red Wings certainly have a type when it comes to top draft picks. They may give a little away on the top-end skill front to get a player that has a work ethic off the puck and plays a very competitive brand of hockey. That said, there were a couple of swings later in the draft including Max Plante, who I did not expect to go in the second round, but he is a very heady playmaker. Becher is an older prospect who seems to be a late bloomer and could have some high-end offensive potential. All three of those players were on FloHockey’s Top 100. Detroit added another big goalie in Landon Miller and got some hard-nosed players in John Whipple and Austin Baker from the NTDP. I don’t know that Detroit made a major impact on their prospect pool here, but they got good talent in a variety of positions.
Edmonton Oilers
Grade: C
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Eemil Vinni, G
- Connor Clattenburg, LW
- Albin Sundin, D
- Dalyn Wakely, C
- Will Nicholl, C
- Bauer Berry, D
Analysis: The Oilers got aggressive to get back into the first round to take Sam O’Reilly. They wouldn’t have been able to get that player without it and I don’t begrudge a team for being aggressive for players they value. Eemil Vinni was one of the top goalies available in the draft. Edmonton also emphasized size in this class with every pick being over 6-foot ending with Bauer Berry, who is a throwback physical defenseman who really came into his own this year in the USHL.
Florida Panthers
Grade: C+
First rounders: None.
Day 2 Picks:
- Linus Eriksson, C
- Matvei Shravin, D
- Simon Zether, C
- Stepan Gorbunov, C
- Hunter St. Martin, LW
- Denis Gabdrakhmanov, G
Analysis: With no first-rounders, the Panthers couldn’t make a huge splash, but I thought they had an effective draft. That big silver trophy they’ve carried around the last week probably makes it easier to live with a moderate draft. Linus Eriksson is a solid player who has good hockey sense and plays hard. Matvei Shuravin is a higher-upside defenseman who has some intriguing pro traits, while Simon Zether is a big center who played a lot of pro hockey this year.
Los Angeles Kings
Grade: B-
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Carter George, G
- Jared Woolley, D
- James Reeder, RW
Analysis: Liam Greentree is an exciting prospect, but also can leave you wanting more sometimes. That said, his hockey sense and skill are high end, which is an easy thing to bet on. He’s also got size to withstand the Pacific Division grind. The Kings also added a goaltender with a U18 gold medal and excellent technique despite his size disadvantage relative to his peers. Jared Woolley is a massive defenseman who was part of London’s OHL championship team and James Reeder is an undersized, but aggressive forward who produced at a high clip in the USHL this year. Greentree is the big prize, while the Kings added around the edges more with the rest of their class.
Minnesota Wild
Grade: A
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Ryder Ritchie, LW
- Aron Kiviharju, D
- Sebastian Soini, D
- Chase Wutzke, G
- Stevie Leskovar, D
Analysis: Trading up to get Zeev Buium was a major win for the Wild’s prospect system. I think he has the chance to be a star in the NHL and him lasting to 12 was one of the biggest first-round surprises. Ryder Ritchie, Aron Kiviharju and Sebastian Soini were all on FloHockey’s Top 100 as well. Ritchie has some electric hand skills and Kiviharju came into this year as a first-round candidate before injury cost him his season. There’s still upside to get from there. I think the Wild made some impact additions to their prospect pool with their earlier picks.
Montreal Canadiens
Grade: A+
First rounders:
- Ivan Demidov, LW
- Michael Hage, C
Day 2 Picks:
- Aatos Koivu, C
- Logan Sawyer, C
- Owen Protz
- Tyler Thorpe, RW
- Mikus Vecvanags, G
- Ben Merrill, C
- Makar Khanin, RW
- Rasmus Bergqvist, D
Analysis: What a couple of days for the Habs. They get Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage, massively increasing their skill in their system up front. Both players are proven scorers who I think have top-six upside. Getting Demidov at five had to be a relief. Meanwhile, Aatos Koivu is the feel-good story, but he’s also a really good player. The Habs made 10 total picks in this draft, but their grade was secured after the first round. They couldn’t have asked for a better haul than what they got with where they were picking.
Nashville Predators
Grade: B
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Teddy Stiga, RW
- Viggo Gustafsson, D
- Miguel Marques, RW
- Hiroki Gojsic, RW
- Jakub Milota, G
- Viktor Norringer, LW
- Erik Pahlsson, C
Analysis: The Preds have been wanting to get more skilled and certainly got that with Yegor Surin. Teddy Stiga was a nice start to Day 2 as well and Miguel Marques is another player that flashes some higher-end skill, too. Their last pick, Erik Pahlsson was a favorite sleeper of mine because he’s really come on the last two seasons. Jakub Milota is another solid goalie to add to their system. They made their system better with this draft.
New Jersey Devils
Grade: B-
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Mikhail Yegorov, G
- Kasper Pikkarainen, RW
- Herman Traff, RW
- Max Graham, C
- Veeti Louhivaara, G
- Matyas Melovsky, C
Analysis: The Devils had reportedly had designs on trading their top pick, but landing Anton Silayev as late as they did made that pick more valuable. They got a player that fits well with what they’re building, getting a big shutdown guy to go with their elite offensive defensemen including young Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec. Meanwhile, Jersey landed my No. 1 goalie in the draft in Mikhail Yegorov who has a lot of upside even if he didn’t have a great draft season. The Devils basically went with size the whole draft. There wasn’t one player they picked under 6-foot-2. Considering some of their biggest stars are undersized, they need to add some heaviness and accomplished that.
New York Islanders
Grade: B+
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Jesse Pulkkinen, D
- Kamil Bednarik, C
- Dmitry Gamzin, G
- Marcus Gidlof, G
- Xavier Veilleux, D
Analysis: The Islanders took a chance on the elite goal scorer in this draft in Cole Eiserman, whose value dropped over the course of the year in NHL circles. I still like betting on goals, though. Meanwhile, they got one of the more intriguing re-entry players in Jesse Pulkkinen who has a big frame and some underrated skill. Kamil Bednarik and Marcus Gidlof were also on the FloHockey Top 100 with Eiserman and Pulkkinen, too. Drafting two goaltenders in the draft, a year that was thought to be weaker at the position, was an interesting choice, but I’m sure they didn’t think Gidlof would be available where they got him. All in all, the Islanders added some high-end pieces to their prospect system.
New York Rangers
Grade: C+
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Raoul Boilard, C
- Nathan Aspinall, LW
- Rico Gredig, LW
Analysis: The Rangers lacked the picks to make a big impact on their prospect pool, but I absolutely loved their first round pick of EJ Emery, one of my favorites in this class. They won’t need him for a bit and they can let him grow into his game more. Emery was the only Top 100 player they drafted, but I know Raoul Boilard had been well-liked in the scouting community among QMJHL prospects, putting up good numbers in his first QMJHL season. He really popped this season. Nathan Aspinall, meanwhile is a bigger project but he has a massive frame and showed improved scoring touch this season.
Ottawa Senators
Grade: B-
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Gabriel Eliasson, D
- Lucas Ellinas, LW
- Javon Moore, LW
- Blake Montgomery, LW
- Eerik Wallenius, D
Analysis: The Senators may have a new regime, but they went heavily to size in their draft. Carter Yakemchuk is the jewel of the class with his elite-level skill from the back end and he should be a big-time prospect for them. Meanwhile, I thought Gabriel Eliasson went a bit too early as I have hockey sense concerns, but he’s so big and skates especially well for a bigger player. He was on my Top 100, too. After that, Ottawa found some longer-term prospects in Javon Moore and Blake Montgomery in the fourth round. I think both players have shown some very intriguing tools and will probably take quite a while to matriculate. The shortest player in their draft class was Lucas Ellinas, who is 6-foot-2.
Philadelphia Flyers
Grade: C+
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Jack Berglund, C
- Spencer Gill, D
- Heikki Ruohonen, C
- Noah Powell, RW
- Ilya Pautov, RW
- Austin Moline, D
Analysis: The Flyers added an extra draft pick and still got Jett Luchanko, who they really liked and obviously priortized. I can understand if Flyers fans aren’t as anamored with that, but Luchanko has been on the rise and likely would not have been on the board much longer. That was not a huge reach. Jack Berglund is a burly center who I think has some good power forward tools to his game, but is still learning them a bit. All four of the Flyers top picks were on FloHockey’s Top 100 including Heikki Ruohonen, who I think is just figuring out how good he can be. Meanwhile, Noah Powell was on a goal-scoring tear in the USHL this season, which brings a lot of intrigue. I don’t know that the Flyers pushed their prospect system a lot further forward with this group, but there’s some clear talent there.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Grade: C+
First rounders: None.
Day 2 Picks:
- Harrison Brunicke, D
- Tanner Howe, LW
- Chase Pietila, D
- Joona Vaisanen, D
- Mac Swanson, C
- Finn Harding, D
Analysis: No first-round picks always hurts a grade a bit and that’s the case here. That said, the Penguins did land four players off of my Top 100 with Harrison Brunicke, Tanner Howe, Joona Vaisanen and Mac Swanson. They also picked up the late-blooming Chase Pietila out of Michigan Tech, and I think that one could pay dividends later. Given the lack of draft capital, I think the Penguins did pretty well even if they couldn’t really land an especially high-impact prospect given the range they were picking in. Brunicke is the one that really fascinates me, because I think he’s only just starting to put it all together.
San Jose Sharks
Grade: A+
First rounders:
- Macklin Celebrini, C
- Sam Dickinson, D
Day 2 Picks:
- Igor Chernyshov, LW
- Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D
- Carson Wetsch, RW
- Christian Kirsch, G
- Colton Roberts, D
- Nate Misskey, D
- Yaroslav Korostelyov, G
Analysis: While landing Macklin Celebrini was the easy part and made this a clear A draft, they kept it rolling the rest of the way. They got another top-tier prospect in Sam Dickinson after trading up, then got another player I had a first-round grade on to start the second round with Chernyshov. Leo Sahlin Wallenius was also on my Top 100, as was Carson Wetsch, and I think both of those players have a style of game that will get them to and keep them in the NHL for a long time. So this feels like a home-run draft for Mike Grier and his staff on that. In total, the Sharks picked up six players off of my Top 100. They also got a high-compete, athletic goalie in Christian Kirsch, who is coming to North America next season. I thought the Sharks did a heck of a job.
Seattle Kraken
Grade: B+
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Julius Miettinen, C
- Nathan Villeneuve, C
- Alexis Bernier, D
- Kim Saarinen, G
- Ollie Josephson, C
- Clarke Caswell, LW
- Jakub Fibigr, D
Analysis: The Kraken got one of my top five prospects at No. 8 with Berkly Catton, who brings a dynamic element that team sorely lacks. I also thought the pick of Julius Miettinen was a solid one at No. 40. What I do find a little concerning in the earlier days of the Kraken’s drafting, however, is the lack of high-end defensemen in their system. I don’t blame them for going for their best player available as opposed to one of the higher end defensemen when they drafted Catton, but there is going to have to come a time at some point where the team priortizes defensemen in their drafting.
St. Louis Blues
Grade: B
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Colin Ralph, D
- Lukas Fischer, D
- Ondrej Kos, LW
- Adam Jecho, C
- Tomas Mrsic, C
- William McIsaac, D
- Antoine Dorion, C
- Matvei Korotky, C
Analysis: The Blues went heavy on the blue line to start, landing one of the better two-way blueliners in the draft in Jiricek. They also took on a big, athletic defenseman in Colin Ralph, who I think has a long development timeline ahead of him. They also picked up Lukas Fischer who has really come on and has proven he can be a hard defenseman to play against. The Blues got five players off of my Top 100 including Adam Jecho very late, which I think was a great pickup. He’s a bigger player that needs to improve his skating, but he can score. St. Louis also added quite a bit of size to their prospect pool.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Grade: C-
First rounders: None.
Day 2 Picks:
- Jan Golicic, D
- Hagen Burrows, RW
- Joona Saarelainen, C
- Kaden Pitre, C
- Joe Connor, LW
- Noah Steen, LW
- Harrison Meneghin, G
Analysis: Tampa Bay didn’t have a pick until the fourth round, which makes it hard to materially change their prospect system, which continues to look thin as they stay in their competitive window. They did get a player off of my Top 100 in Hagen Burrows, who I think has a lot of potential as a bigger scoring wing. Joona Saarelainen is also a typical Lightning pick as a smaller, but hard-working forward with a little scoring pop. Kaden Pitre is an interesting pick as well, seeing as he missed most of last season, but looked promising when healthy.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Grade: C-
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Victor Johansson, D
- Miroslav Holinka, C
- Alexander Plesovskikh, LW
- Timofei Obvintsev, G
- Matt Lahey, D
- Sam McCue, LW
- Nathan Mayes, D
Analysis: The Maple Leafs were able to trade back in the draft and took Ben Danford, a player that fits their more recent draft profile with a particularly strong showing in the postseason. Victor Johansson was a bit of an off-the-board pick and not a player I’ve had much of a book on. Timofei Obvintsev had a very light workload this year, so it was harder to get a read on him, but he played well when available. The Maple Leafs have put a lot of work in on the scouting front and they definitely went off the beaten path for their picks this year.
Utah Hockey Club
Grade: A
First rounders:
- Tij Iginla, LW
- Cole Beaudoin, C
Day 2 Picks:
- Will Skahan, D
- Tomas Lavoie, D
- Veeti Vaisanen, D
- Gregor Biber, D
- Gabe Smith, C
- Owen Allard, C
- Ales Cech, D
- Vojtech Hradec, C
- Ludvig Lafton, D
Analysis: Utah had 11 picks in the draft and started off with a bang by taking Tij Iginla. He will be a major star for that franchise from the second he steps foot on the ice. Cole Beaudoin is a player that will help them win, too, with his gritty two-way style. They also went for an old-school physical defenseman in Will Skahan on the blue line with their first pick on Day 2. Six players from FloHockey’s Top 100 ended up being picked including the first three picks, Tomas Lavoie, Veeti Vaisanen and Owen Allard. On top of all of this, Utah made a win-now move by adding Mikhail Sergachev via trade. It was a very, very big weekend for the NHL’s newest team.
Vancouver Canucks
Grade: C-
First rounders: None.
Day 2 Picks:
- Melvin Fernstrom, RW
- Riley Patterson, C
- Anthony Romani, RW
- Parker Alcos, D
- Basile Sansonnens, D
Analysis: The Canucks did not pick until 93rd overall, but I do like the Melvin Fernstrom pick. I didn’t list him in the Top 100, but he provided some legit scoring pop at the Swedish U20 level. Anthony Romani is a re-entry who put up major points this year and could certainly be a nice value add in the range they got him. With all the late picks, there wasn’t much they could do to push things forward in their prospect system.
Vegas Golden Knights
Grade: B
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Pavel Moysevich, G
- Trent Swick, LW
- Lucas Van Vliet, C
Analysis: Given the lack of picks, Vegas got quite a bit of value for what they needed. Tervor Connelly’s on-ice value at No. 19 will feel like a win assuming no other off-ice issues creep up. Pavel Moysevich was one of my top goalies in the draft after putting up big numbers last season. I also thought their seventh-round pick of Lucas Van Vliet was a solid one as he could one day be a lower-lineup contributor. Vegas doesn’t get a lot from their prospects outside of trade value usually, but they have some intriguing pieces added to the mix now.
Washington Capitals
Grade: B+
First rounders:
Day 2 Picks:
- Cole Hutson, D
- Leon Muggli, D
- Eriks Mateiko, LW
- Nicholas Kempf, G
- Petr Sikora, C
- Miroslav Satan, C
Analysis: Six of Washington’s eight picks were FloHockey Top 100 players including sixth-rounder Petr Sikora, who I think can be a workhorse down the lineup. Both Terik Parascak and Cole Hutson significantly upgrade the skill department if not the size, Leon Muggli is a talented two-way defenseman who played pro last year. Then Washington went back-to-back with 6-foot-5 forwards in Ilya Protas and Eriks Mateiko, each of whom I think have some big upside to them as well. Nick Kempf is a solid goalie prospect who will need some time at college to grow his game. Miroslav Satan is a total project, but with NHL bloodlines and a 6-foot-7 frame to build on, that’s an easy bet to make.
Winnipeg Jets
Grade: D
First rounders: None.
Day 2 Picks:
- Alfons Freij, D
- Kevin He, LW
- Markus Loponen, C
- Kieron Walton, C
Analysis: I thought this was a somewhat off-brand draft for Winnipeg. Alfons Freij was a Top 100 prospect for me, but I have some concerns about his hockey sense even though his skating is outstanding. There were much better defensemen on the board, I felt. Kevin He is a skilled player, but could use more jam to his game to make it. Markus Loponen looked good in Finland’s U20 league, but struggled internationally at the bigger events. The Kieron Walton pick felt a little more like the Winnipeg Jets we’re familiar with, and I think it’s a reasonable pick, especially in the range they got him. He’s a massive forward who had over 40 points in the OHL who lasted until the sixth round. In the end, Winnipeg didn’t have the picks to really hit and I just wasn’t a huge fan of the picks they made.
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