It feels like the Florida Panthers just got off the ice from their Stanley Cup celebration, but we’re already just a day away from the 2024 NHL Draft. The turnaround time – just four days from the end of the season to the first overall team being on the clock – is one of the fastest in recent history, so teams will be on their toes in pursuit of improvement in both the present and future.
Let’s dive into who’s on the board and what the Canadian NHL teams might be planning in the coming days, as the hockey world descends on the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Canadian Teams in the 2024 NHL Draft First Round
Just four of Canada’s seven teams have first-round picks to use on Friday, though a pair of them were at least nice enough to pick up their regional rivals’ extras. The Montreal Canadiens hold the Winnipeg Jets’ first-rounder, having acquired it from them in February in exchange for Sean Monahan. Calgary owns Vancouver’s first-rounder, acquiring it in the same week for Elias Lindholm. The Edmonton Oilers are also without their pick, having traded it to Anaheim for Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick.
There are a lot of different rankings going around heading into the draft, let’s boil it down to four notables – Bob McKenzie’s TSN rankings, EliteProspects’ editorial rankings, Steven Ellis’ rankings for our teammates at Daily Faceoff, and EliteProspects’ consolidated rankings, which weighs over a dozen popular draft boards.
| Team | McKenzie | EliteProspects | Daily Faceoff | Consolidated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. Montreal | Cayden Lindstrom Centre, WHL | Zayne Parekh Defence, OHL | Berkly Catton Forward, WHL | Cayden Lindstrom Centre, WHL |
| 7. Ottawa | Zeev Buium Defence, NCAA | Zeev Buium Defence, NCAA | Cayden Lindstrom Centre, WHL | Zayne Parekh Defence, OHL |
| 9. Calgary | Konsta Helenius Forward, Liiga | Beckett Sennecke Winger, OHL | Sam Dickinson Defence, OHL | Tij Iginla Winger, WHL |
| 23. Toronto | Cole Beaudoin Centre, OHL | Teddy Stiga Winger, USNTDP | Nikita Artamonov Winger, KHL | Andrew Basha Winger, WHL |
| 26. Montreal via WPG | Emil Hemming Winger, Liiga | Charlie Elick Defence, WHL | Aron Kiviharju Defence, Liiga | Ryder Ritchie Winger, WHL |
| 28. Calgary via VAN | Marek Vanacker Winger, OHL | Adam Jiricek Defence, Extraliga | Andrew Basha Winger, WHL | Alfons Frelj Defence, SWE-U20 |
There isn’t an overwhelming consensus on any particular pick, or even the position of picks, which does make some sense. Teams are more inclined than ever to take the prospect they feel to have the highest future value and solve positional needs through other transactions, and in the case of this specific group, two of the four teams having a pair of first-round picks gives them a lot more flexibility to draft two very different players if they so choose to.
One spot on this table that will have people feeling the warm and fuzzies is Tij Iginla landing in Calgary’s place on the consolidated list. There would be something poetic about the sniper heading to the city where his father Jarome pieced together most of his Hall of Fame career, though that would also come with immense pressure. Iginla impressed many this year with an explosive 47-goal draft year for the Kelowna Rockets and a dominant performance at the U18 World Championships. How likely he is to fall to ninth is up for debate, as the most popular rankings venues have him placed anywhere between third and 13th.
There seems to be a little more consensus in Ontario, with most feeling that the Ottawa Senators will lean toward a defenceman and the Toronto Maple Leafs will lean toward a forward. Even then, though, the specifics feel muddy. Do the Senators look towards college stalwart Zeev Buium or Memorial Cup-winning super-rover Zayne Parekh? Do the Leafs look for another two-way, cycle-friendly utility man – McKenzie ties them to Barrie centre Cole Beaudoin – or do they aim for a little more flash in hopes of getting some long-term support scoring beneath their core stars?
Across the whole draft, it’ll be the Flames and Canadiens having the most fun, having stocked up their cupboards with picks as they’ve acquired through their rebuilding processes. Teams like Edmonton and Toronto managed to pick off some lower picks while trading higher ones for immediate help and can stay in the mix, while Vancouver and Winnipeg are a little lightly stocked after big playoff pushes this year. How the Senators ended up near the bottom of the standings and with as few picks as Edmonton, well, that’s a question for them.
| Team | Picks |
|---|---|
| Calgary Flames | 1/9, 1/28, 2/41, 2/62, 3/74, 3/84, 4/106, 4/107, 6/170 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 2/64, 5/160, 6/183, 6/192, 7/196, 7/218 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 1/5, 1/26, 2/57, 3/70, 3/78, 4/102, 5/130, 5/134, 6/166, 7/198, 7/210, 7/224 |
| Ottawa Senators | 1/7, 2/39, 4/104, 4/112, 4/117, 5/136 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1/23, 4/120, 5/151, 5/152, 5/157, 7/200, 7/216 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 3/93, 4/125, 6/162, 6/189, 7/221 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 2/37, 4/123, 5/155, 6/187, 7/219 |
2024 NHL Top Five Pick Odds
Always popular among hockey fans, you can make specific bets on every spot in the Top 5 of the NHL Entry Draft. Below we have first, second, and fifth overall, though third and fourth are also available.
| 1st Overall | 2nd Overall | 5th Overall |
|---|---|---|
| Macklin Celebrini (-20000) | Artyom Levshunov (-330) | Ivan Demidov (+155) |
| Artyom Levshunov (+5000) | Ivan Demidov (+200) | Cayden Lindstrom (+230) |
| Ivan Demidov (+5000) | Cayden Lindstrom (+2500) | Beckett Sennecke (+320) |
| Anton Silayev (+10000) | Anton Silayev (+3000) | Zeev Buium (+1000) |
| Cayden Lindstrom (+10000) | Sam Dickinson (+6000) | Anton Silayev (+1400) |
Unsurprisingly, Macklin Celebrini is the runaway favourite to be drafted first overall. Many books aren’t even offering the first spot, while bet365 requires a $200 bet just to get a dollar back. The 18-year-old Vancouver native is ranked first by every major scouting agency, and for extra insurance, he has ties to the Bay Area with his father working for the Golden State Warriors. There is next to zero chance that the San Jose Sharks won’t take the 2024 Hobey Baker Award winner with the top selection.
Things get more interesting at second, with the big and mobile Artyom Levshunov leading the way as the expected pick for the Chicago Blackhawks. Born in Belarus, Levshunov came to North America last year to play in the USHL and followed it up with a fantastic freshman year at Michigan State University. A six-foot-two right-shot defencemen with offensive upside will always be a hot commodity. On the other hand, hyper-skilled Russian forward Ivan Demidov could be enticing after an incredible year in Russia’s junior league (MHL), as would hyper-versatile power forward Cayden Lindstrom.
Ivan Demidov to be drafted 5th overall (Montreal Canadiens)
Lastly, while Demidov’s skill gives him a strong case to land second or third, there is the possibility of a slight fall if teams feel concerned about when he comes to North America. This happened last year with Matvei Mitchkov, who dropped from a consensus second to being selected seventh overall. Bet365 and most other sportsbooks think that if this tumble happens, it’ll stop at the Montreal Canadiens at fifth, with him being the favourite to be taken at that spot. Lindstrom also features here, as does Oshawa Generals winger Beckett Sennecke, who has generated a lot of last-second hype despite not being ranked in the Top 10 at any major outlet.
Over/Under Markets For 2024 NHL Draft Picks
Many of the Top Canadian Sportsbooks—led primarily by bet365—are offering lines on the draft positions of dozens of different players. Here’s how they stack up to McKenzie’s draft rankings, which are arguably the best for these practices as he focuses on polling his sources for expected positions rather than projected upside and to the EP Consensus board. Overs/unders in bold indicate players whose rankings on McKenzie’s board are more than three spots removed from their line.
| Player | Line | TSN | Cons. | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrew Basha | 35.5 | 30 | 23 | -135 | +105 |
| Berkly Catton | 11.5 | 12 | 6 | -110 | -110 |
| Carter Yakemchuk | 11.5 | 13 | 14 | +135 | -165 |
| Cayden Lindstrom | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | +130 | -155 |
| Cole Beaudoin | 24.5 | 23 | 32 | +125 | -155 |
| Dominik Badlinka | 32.5 | 29 | 33 | -110 | -110 |
| Igor Chernyshov | 20.5 | 21 | 18 | -240 | +190 |
| Konsta Helenius | 12.5 | 9 | 11 | +110 | -140 |
| Liam Greentree | 21.5 | 18 | 16 | -105 | -115 |
| Michael Brandsegg-Nygard | 15.5 | 17 | 13 | -115 | -105 |
| Michael Hage | 18.5 | 24 | 20 | +165 | -210 |
| Sacha Boisvert | 25.5 | 22 | 21 | +200 | -250 |
| Sam Dickinson | 7.5 | 6 | 8 | -110 | -110 |
| Stian Solberg | 16.5 | 20 | 24 | +140 | -170 |
| Terik Parascak | 29.5 | 25 | 31 | -110 | -110 |
| Trevor Connelly | 20.5 | 15 | 17 | -115 | -105 |
| Zayne Parekh | 7.5 | 8 | 7 | -290 | +220 |
| Zeev Buium | 7.5 | 7 | 4 | +155 | -190 |
There are also odds being offered on eight players who aren’t in McKenzie’s Top 32. Here’s how they stack up to the EliteProspects consolidated board. Overs/unders in bold indicate players whose rankings on the consolidated board are more than five spots removed from their line.
| Player | Line | TSN | Cons. | Over | Under |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Kleber | 40.5 | N/A | 56 | -115 | -105 |
| Dean Letourneau | 31.5 | N/A | 44 | +160 | -200 |
| John Mustard | 52.5 | N/A | 46 | +105 | -135 |
| Leo Sahlin Wallenius | 31.5 | N/A | 40 | -110 | -110 |
| Matvei Gridin | 44.5 | N/A | 42 | -110 | -110 |
| Nikita Artamonov | 33.5 | N/A | 25 | -135 | +105 |
| Teddy Stiga | 45.5 | N/A | 30 | +150 | -185 |
| Will Skahan | 59.5 | N/A | 61 | -105 | -115 |
There is a bit more risk in trying to play the market on these prospects than the ones above, as the consolidated rankings will reflect how outlets see the players’ upside more than how they expect teams to select. With that said, the wisdom of the crowd can have its power, so the contrasts are worth keeping in mind.
2024 NHL Draft Special Prop Bets
Some books are going beyond specific pick and player lines with their 2024 NHL Draft betting options. Betway, for example, has 10 different props on the board. Here’s what they are, what the offering price is, and how they compare to the McKenzie and Consolidated boards:
| Prop | TSN | Cons. | Betway |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2+ Defenders in Top 3 Picks | 1 | 1 | -200 |
| 3+ Defenders in Top 5 Picks | 2 | 2 | +175 |
| 5+ Americans in Round 1 | 4 | 5 | +175 |
| 5+ Russians in Round 1 | 3 | 4 | +175 |
| 20+ Canadians in Round 1 | 18 | 16 | +250 |
| 3+ Czechs in Round 1 | 2 | 1 | +275 |
| 3+ Swedes in Round 1 | 0 | 1 | +300 |
| 4+ Finns in Round 1 | 2 | 2 | +400 |
| Goalie Drafted In Round 1 | 0 | 0 | +1000 |
| 10 Forwards in Top 10 Picks | 5 | 5 | +2500 |
Needless to say, there doesn’t seem to be much value in any of these picks. Consider them if you want to take a swing, but if the most stable projections are any indication, they’re unlikely to hit. The one I might consider here is the five Americans in the first round, though it relies heavily on where Teddy Stiga, who Betway set the expected pick line at 45.5, ends up.
One prop that might carry a bit more interest is at Bet99. They have a “defencemen drafted in the first round” line of 11.5, with a -175 over and +140 under. McKenzie has 10 defencemen going in the Top 32. While the consolidated rankings have 16 defencemen in the Top 40, I’d still lean towards the value in the under here.
