2024 NHL Draft Prospect Roundup: All aboard the Cayden Lindstrom hype train

The NHL’s Central Scouting Service released its first watch list for the 2024 Draft last week, which I broke down here.

The biggest takeaways? There’s some solid value outside the first round this year. Macklin Celebrini and Cole Eiserman are still the big two this year, and there aren’t as many high-end talents as 2023, but it’s still shaping up to be a good year to be bad.

Most of the players we’re focusing on this week are players projected to be taken outside of the first round, giving some love to guys looking to make scouts second guess themselves. So, here are 10 players you need to know and the associated NHL Central Scouting rank for each:

WHL

– A 6-foot-5 forward with good footwork? Cayden Lindstrom (A) is getting a lot of teams talking early in the WHL season. Through 14 games, Lindstrom has 20 points with the Medicine Hat Tigers, including five points in two games this past weekend. Lindstrom is a remarkable shooter, his imposing size makes him difficult to contain, and when he’s in open space, he doesn’t miss. His shot selection choices are notable.

– Things are looking good for Clarke Caswell (C), who registered a pair of two-point efforts over the weekend. Now sitting with six goals and 16 points in 15 games, including five goals over the past five games as his shot selection has seemingly improved. At points last year, I felt like Caswell was putting pucks on the net just to see what would happen. Now, his chances feel more calculated, and he’s being rewarded for it. The 5-foot-11 forward is looking like a no-brainer top 75 pick right now.

QMJHL

– In 10 games from Sept. 22 until Oct. 15, Alexandre Blais (W) scored eight points, including four on opening weekend. But in his six games since Oct. 19, Blais has 14 points, including eight in three contests this past week. And that includes two losses for Rimouski, too. Blais is an undersized winger with some defensive concerns, but he’s well on his way to pushing towards the 50-goal, 90-point mark. He’ll have to show he’s more than just offense, though.

– I’ll always be drawn to smaller, skilled CHL forwards, even though they more than often don’t end up becoming quality NHLers. But Félix Lacerte (C) has been on a roll on Shawinigan’s top line with seven points in his past five games. Six of those were goals, which makes sense, given he’s averaging around five shots per game. Lacerte is listed at 5-foot-9 by NHL Central Scouting, but he’s not afraid to throw hits or use his body to shield himself from bigger opponents. He’s strong enough for his more petite frame to be intriguing.

OHL

– I watched the Oshawa Generals closely on Friday night, specifically to see how Beckett Sennecke (A) would look after registering just one point in five games before that. Sennecke had the best night of his season with three assists before nabbing another on Sunday, both in losses for Oshawa. It’s been a difficult season for the Generals, but I’ve liked Sennecke’s play away from the puck enough to keep him as a late first-rounder at this point. Hopefully, Friday’s effort keeps his confidence up.

USHL

– I really enjoy watching Max Plante (B) play with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. A quick skater with good edgework, Plante is up to 14 points in 10 games, including seven assists against USHL competition. Plante added some size at 5-foot-10, up from 5-foot-8 a year ago, and he looks more willing to engage physically this year, too. The University of Minnesota-Duluth commit is a stout playmaker who should have no issue keeping eyes on him this year.

– Sioux City Musketeers forward Hagen Burrows (C) missed the 2023 NHL Draft cutoff by a month, and he’s wasting no time making a name for himself. A standout in the Minnesota high school scene, Burrows has 14 points in his first 13 games, including a pair of goals on the weekend. I tuned in to watch his three-point effort against Lincoln earlier this month and was impressed with his power-forward game. I wish he’d shoot more because he’s got an excellent release, but he’s built tough and is a decent enough skater at this level.

NCAA

– Tanner Adams (C) went undrafted last year after a solid season at Tri-City, albeit unspectacular. But as a freshman at Providence College, Adams is up to eight points in seven games, including two assists in a strong showing against the University of Vermont on Friday. He doesn’t shoot a lot, but his rugged, physical play with good hockey IQ has allowed him to excel against older competition in college. If he keeps it up, he’ll be a solid overage pickup.

Finland U-20

– Joona Saarelainen (C) is coming off the biggest game of his junior hockey career, scoring a goal and five points in a 7-5 win for KalPa’s U-20 team on Sunday. That put him up at 20 points in 19 games, breaking a bit of a dead spell that saw him score just one goal and five points in his previous nine games. It wasn’t due to a lack of trying, either, with Saarelainen regularly averaging more than 21 minutes a night. The 5-foot-9 center can get overpowered at times due to his size, but he co-leads all U-18 players in the top Finnish junior league in scoring – largely thanks to Sunday.

Sweden U-20

– Linus Eriksson (B) has been one of the most consistent players in the Swedish U-20 league, recording nine points during a seven-game point streak. But it’s his two-way game that I like to focus in on more, especially with how much space he tends to take up while moving around the defensive zone. Eriksson plays a solid, rounded own-zone game, and he’s a solid setup man, too. I’ll keep a closer eye on him if Djurgardens calls him back up for more Allsvenskan games later on because I know scouts like what they’re seeing.

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