3 Periods - NHL Central Scouting Rankings
NHL Central Scouting released their first rankings for the 2024 NHL draft. With 2 more rankings remaining, this is a first look at the top prospects to watch throughout the season.
Rankings
A : 1st Round
B : 2nd / 3rd Round
C : 4th / 5th Round
W : 6th / 7th Round
1. By The Numbers
473 players were ranked across the United States, Canada and Europe, 34% from the CHL alone, led by the WHL (63), OHL (62), Swedish Junior Hockey (49) and the USHL (45). 28 players received A rankings, 18 forwards, 10 defenseman and no goaltenders, mostly from the CHL. Outside of the CHL, Sweden had the most B and C rated players, majority playing in the Swedish Junior league. Of the 52 goaltenders listed, just Carter George (Owen Sound) and Ryerson Leenders (Mississauga) of the OHL were B rated, with 16 C rated and 34 W rated. Top prospects to watch outside of North America include Ivan Demidov (SKA St Petersburg KHL) and Aron Kiviharju (HIFK Finland).
The USHL, the top junior league in the United States, has 45 players listed, yet just 2 A rated and 2 B rated. Sacha Boisvert of Muskegon, a Quebec native and North Dakota commit, looks to be the top USHL prospect early on. Boisvert currently has 9G 4A in 12 games, already at half his goal production from last season. 6 prospects were listed from the NAHL, the Tier II junior league in the United States, while 30 prospects including 1 B rated prospect, Jack Pridham of West Kelowna, were listed from Canadian Jr A leagues, led by the BCHL.
2. A Rankings
Macklin Celebrini and Cole Eiserman are the 2 highly touted prospects dominating the headlines for next year’s NHL draft early on, but there are some real surprises for A ranked prospects. For starters, Eiserman is the only A rated prospected out of the US National Development team, compared to 4 first round picks in east years draft and 6 in 2022. The US program included 7 B rated prospects and 6 C rated. The CHL dominates the A rankings with 12 players listed, but just 1 player from the QMJHL (Chicoutimi’s Maxim Masse), led by the WHL (6) and OHL (5).
A Rated Prospects By League
3. Diamonds in the Rough
With over 80% of players ranked between C and W, many teams will be looking to add value in late rounds from these groups. For B rated prospects, watch for Tij Iginla, the son of Calgary Flame great Jerome Iginla. A mix of tenacity and offensive skill, Tij currently has 13G 8A in 14 games for Kelowna in the WHL, and could be a prospect on the rise. Minnesota High School hockey will be another key area to watch for in the states, as 16 of the 34 C and W rated prospects will be kicking off their seasons in the next month.
