Craig’s List: Dominant defencemen set to take over 2024 NHL Draft

Boston University centre Macklin Celebrini is the crown jewel and favourite to go first overall in the 2024 NHL Draft but expect defence to dominate draft day.

TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button has seven defencemen in his top 12, starting with Torpedo’s Anton Silayev at No. 3, followed by Michigan State’s Artyom Levshunov (No. 4), London’s Sam Dickinson (No. 7), Saginaw’s Zayne Parekh (No. 8), HC Plzen’s Adam Jiricek (No. 9), Denver’s Zeev Buium (No. 11) and Calgary’s Carter Yakemchuk (No. 12).

While each player brings their own unique skill set to the table, Button believes all seven have potential to be top-pairing defencemen at the NHL level.

“The first thing that applies when you’re going to project somebody as top pair, they’ve got to be able to handle the responsibilities and playing big minutes against the other team’s top players,” said Button. “Every single [one] of those defencemen, they all skate, think and compete and they can all play the big, responsible, demanding minutes.

“One of the things that impresses me about all seven of them is how calm, composed, and settled they are playing the game at this age.”

Jiricek and Buium both skated at the World Juniors but had vastly different experiences.

Jiricek got injured early in the tournament for Czechia and will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury as the Czechs earned bronze with a stunning comeback win over Finland.

In comparison, Buium had three goals and five points in seven games as he helped the United States win gold as the lone draft-eligible player on the American roster.

Buium also leads the NCAA in scoring among defencemen as a freshman with five goals and 25 points in 18 games.

While other players from this draft class also skated at the World Juniors in Finland’s Konsta Helenius (No. 6) and Emil Hemming (No. 17) as well as Norway’s Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (No. 27), it was Celebrini who once again stole the show.

Canada had a very disappointing tournament, crashing out in the quarter-finals against Czechia, but the 17-year-old Celebrini was Canada’s best player, leading the team in scoring with four goals and eight points in five games.

“I think the completeness of his game, the understanding he has of how to impact the game in so many different ways,” said Button of Celebrini’s impact. “Other players have different skills and attributes they can match with him but it’s the completeness of his game and what it really does is give me every confidence that he is a Jonathan Toews-type player.”

A trio of forward prospects that are playing in the Western Hockey League this season have made jumps on Button’s list since November in Prince George’s Terik Parascak (No. 21 to No. 15), Kelowna’s Tij Iginla (No. 22 to No. 16) and Medicine Hat’s Andrew Basha (No. 34 to No. 19).

Basha’s Medicine Hat teammate Cayden Lindstrom (No. 10) and Spokane’s Berkly Catton (No. 13) remain the top-ranked WHL forwards on the list, but Button says the fast-rising trio have unequivocally shown they are also top-notch players.

Parascak is in the top 10 in WHL scoring this season with 26 goals and 60 points in 40 games.

“He’s always looking for opportunities,” said Button of Parascak. “He can strike quickly, he’s smart, he’s aware, and he sees what’s unfolding around him.”

In Kelowna, Iginla has 27 goals and 49 points in 37 games, drawing comparisons to his Hockey Hall of Famer father Jarome. Button dubs the younger Iginla as smart and knows where to go to score.

“I find he’s so much like his dad,” said Button. “Not in terms of style of play – he’s so much like his dad in that there is no wow to him or flash and dash, there’s just incredible substance.”

Basha makes the biggest jump on Button’s list as he climbs 15 spots. He has scored 18 goals with 55 points in 38 games this season.

“He’s like a straw that stirs the drink,” said Button. “He makes those around him better. He understands how to contribute at different points.

“He’s so adaptable, I call him the chameleon.”