2024 NHL mock draft: Post-All-Star break look at top 16
The All-Star break gave us a few days to review the standings, which means it's a fitting time for an updated look at the projected top 16 picks for the draft in June.
You can find our first mock draft here, which was done prior to the world juniors in December.
Selection order is based on points percentage as of Feb. 4, and no lottery was applied.
Celebrini all but cemented his place atop the 2024 draft with his performance at the world juniors.
The 17-year-old was Canada's most impactful player at the tournament. He led the team with four goals and eight points and was consistently the most dangerous forward.
With 19 goals and 37 points in 23 NCAA games, Celebrini's production is in line with what we saw from Adam Fantilli, Jack Eichel, and elite draft-eligible players in the collegiate ranks over the past decade.
The key difference is that Celebrini is still only 17. Both Fantilli and Eichel turned 18 in October of their draft seasons, but Celebrini doesn't celebrate his birthday until June.
Craig Simpson is the only under-18 skater who scored at a higher rate than Celebrini in the NCAA, and he did so back in 1985. Since 2000, Jonathan Toews' 39 points in 42 contests are the most by a U18 NCAA skater.
Celebrini could pass Toews' total within the week. He isn't in the Connor Bedard tier of generational prospects, but he is a darn good player to land at first overall. A one-two punch of Bedard and Celebrini down the middle is the type of roster of which general managers dream.
The Sharks used their last five first-round picks on forwards. With the second overall selection here, San Jose takes a major step in rebuilding its back end by snagging Levshunov.
The top-ranked right-shot blue-liner in the class, Levshunov has stepped into the NCAA this season with Michigan State and been an immediate difference-maker. The Belarusian has tallied eight goals and 27 points, ranks second in team scoring, and boasts a team-best plus-24 rating.
With impressive skating and a pro build of 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds, Levshunov projects as an all-situations, top-pairing defenseman. He's become an elite penalty killer with Michigan State in no time and is the youngest player on the team.
The Sharks need a blue-chip defender and have exactly that in Levshunov.
At 6-foot-7 and 211 pounds, Silayev is a behemoth on the back end.
His combination of size and mobility makes him a tantalizing prospect. In a modern NHL that becomes faster and faster by the year, a monster defenseman who can skate with the top players and shut things down off the rush with his massive reach and physicality is a game-changer for any organization.
The Ducks already boast exciting defenders in Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger, but Silayev provides a very different skillset defensively.
After the acquisition of Cutter Gauthier in January to add to an already blossoming group of young forwards, Anaheim feels good about grabbing the most unique prospect in the class without a positional need in mind.
After starting the season outside of Bob McKenzie's top 16 as an honorable mention, Lindstrom has vaulted himself up to fifth on the most recent list.
Lindstrom is listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, his skating is an exciting trait, and he boasts excellent hands and a lethal shot. He plays mean and has the ability to completely take over games. It's no wonder he's become a challenger at the top of the class.
While he's been out of the lineup since mid-December due to a hand injury, Lindstrom has an active 12-game point streak in the WHL. He's racked up 27 goals and 46 points in 32 contests to go along with 66 penalty minutes.
A one-two combo down the middle of Adam Fantilli and Lindstrom would truly transform the Blue Jackets' future.
Eiserman scores goals. He's done that often for the U.S. NTDP, with 103 since 2022. That's just 23 behind Cole Caufield for top spot all-time at the program with plenty of games to go this season.
The concern is the rest of his game, and that's why he's starting to slip down the board. Once viewed as Celebrini's top challenger for first overall, Eiserman is now the No. 4 prospect on McKenzie's board.
Eiserman remains a pure shooter. He hasn't developed as a passer in the way many had hoped entering this season, he struggles defensively, and he's not a primary puck carrier in transition.
He may be a one-trick pony at this time, but elite goal-scoring is the attribute you want if you're taking a one-dimensional player.
Brock Faber has been a revelation for the Wild this season, and they add a future partner for him in Dickinson at sixth overall.
Starring in a prominent role on a dominant London Knights team, Dickinson has added more of an offensive element to his game this year with 47 points in 49 contests. He's a smooth skater with strong defensive play. Everything about his profile screams minute-munching, top-four defenseman.
The Canadiens need elite talent at forward and take a swing on Catton in the hopes of finding a difference-maker up front.
Catton has destroyed the WHL with 35 goals and 78 points through 47 games. He's a silky offensive creator that boasts strong skating. He was excellent at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in the fall and will likely feature prominently for Canada at the U18s.
The last time a draft-eligible NCAA defenseman produced at Buium's 1.31 points-per-game rate was 1977. He's been the top defender on a top team in Denver, and he landed a top-four role with the U.S. at the world juniors because of it.
The flashiest player in the draft falls to Calgary at No. 9. In need of high-end forwards as they begin to retool, the Flames take a home-run swing on Demidov.
No prospect in this class is as exciting offensively. Demidov possesses breathtaking skill and remarkable creativity. He's annihilating the Russian junior league with 20 goals and 45 points in just 23 games, but a lack of KHL minutes, an average 5-foot-11 frame, and the ever-looming (rightly or wrongly) Russian factor sees him drop to the bottom end of the top 10.
The Coyotes continue to build the league's biggest defense by adding Yakemchuk at 10th overall. A 6-foot-3, 190-pound blue-liner, Yakemchuk has a booming shot from the point and offensive skill. His stat line of 23 goals and 51 points in 45 games resembles that of a right winger, not a right-shot defenseman.
Helenius' intelligent play saw him become a top-six center in a top men's league at just 17 years old. A lack of dynamic attributes sees him drop out of the top 10, but the Kraken are happy to add Helenius to a collection of young, smart two-way centers in the organization.
General manager Barry Trotz wants high-end swings in the draft, and that's what he gets at No. 12 in Parekh. The 6-foot, 178-pound right-shot defenseman is a legitimate scoring threat from the back end, with 22 goals and 66 points in 44 games this season. Suspect defensive play keeps him outside of the top 10.
Jiricek is a wild card on draft day. He impressed at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in the fall but wasn't as strong in the Czech league. He also sustained a season-ending knee injury in his world junior debut. With a 6-foot-3 frame and intriguing two-way ability, Jiricek could be a steal if teams in the top 10 are hesitant to take him after the significant injury.
Fast, skilled, and with lots of room for physical development at a slight 6-foot-1 and 156 pounds, Connelly has excelled everywhere he's played this season. He's a top player in the USHL and was an MVP candidate at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and World Junior A Challenge. However, off-ice concerns from a pair of incidents in 2021 and 2022 make Connelly's ultimate landing spot more unclear.
Brandsegg-Nygard has been on fire since returning to the Swedish second-tier pro league after the world juniors. He has points in six straight games and is playing with confidence. A forechecking menace, he would be a perfect fit as a complementary winger with the Devils' elite talent down the road.
Note: Pick acquired by Sharks from Pittsburgh Penguins in the Erik Karlsson trade.
An offseason trade from the Seattle Thunderbirds to the Kelowna Rockets did wonders for Iginla's draft stock. The son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, Tij has 34 goals and 60 points in 45 games. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him push closer to the top 10 by June.