2024 NHL Draft: The Top 15 wingers

Credit: KHL

If you’re looking for a high-quality winger in the 2024 NHL Draft, you’re going to have some solid options.

Centers often get priority in draft rankings, but it’s common to see guys who have experience down the middle on the wing taken high, too. Tij Iginla is one who NHL Central Scouting has listed as a center, but he spent a large portion playing wing. Some scouts think Cayden Lindstrom and Berkly Catton are destined to move away from the middle at some point, too.

Ivan Demidov is the leading winger this year, and depending on whom you talk to, he might be the only pure winger taken in the top 10. His skill and play with the puck will be tantalizing, and there’s going to be no shortage of discussion as to whether Chicago should take him or Artyom Levshunov with the No. 2 pick this year.

After looking at the top 15 centers for the draft last week, here are 15 wingers you need to know:

1. Ivan Demidov, RW (St. Peterburg, MHL)

Demidov might be the most skilled player in this draft and could go as high as No. 2 to the Chicago Blackhawks. He finished the MHL (Russian junior league) regular season second in league scoring despite missing 24 games due to injury. At a 2.00 point-per-game average, no U-19 player has ever had a more productive season in MHL history, including Nikita Kucherov back in 2011-12. Demidov then dominated in the playoffs before getting injured, but it was a highly successful season, all things considered. From a pure talent perspective, we’re seeing one of the most creative, speedy, and offensively dominant forwards in quite some time, and I’d be buying high on him if I had an early pick.

2. Tij Iginla, LW, Kelowna (WHL)

Iginla is a natural center, but he spent a large portion of the year playing on the wing. It was a good a call because it allowed him to focus on scoring and getting more opportunities higher in the lineup. Regardless, he’s an energetic forward who scored 47 goals and 84 points in a breakout sophomore campaign, and he had points in each of the seven games at the U-18s. He’s also physically strong enough that he could end up turning into a Brady Tkachuk-like player.

3. Cole Eiserman, LW (USNTDP)

Ah, the most talked-about prospect besides Macklin Celebrini. There isn’t a prospect with a better shot in the draft, and he’s now the all-time leading goal-scorer in USA Hockey National Team Development history. Defensively, Eiserman can be a bit of a liability, but I think he doesn’t get enough credit for how much more physically involved he is now compared to a year ago. I think the upside is still huge but at this point, you’re going to need a more defensively responsible center to take the pressure off him. The right usage will allow Eiserman to be a star, and I think he’s going to make that happen.

4. Beckett Sennecke, RW (Oshawa, OHL)

It’s hard to not love Sennecke with the puck. He had a monster second half that saw him finish the season with 68 points, proving he knows what he can do when he’s on a heater. He’s got the ability to deke opponents with ease with incredible hands and might be one of the best puckhandlers in this draft. He isn’t afraid to rough it up and get into the dirty areas to win puck battles. Believe the hype.

5. Trevor Connelly, LW (Tri-City, USHL)

Connelly can do a bit of everything – he’s a tip-top skater with incredible hands and great hockey IQ. His defensive game isn’t great but he makes up for it with pure offensive talent and the ability to take over games when needed. Connelly’s results at the various international tournaments with USA (save for the blunder in the U-18 World Championship gold medal game) and with Tri-City in the USHL showed why he’s one of the best wingers built on pure talent alone. He’s a burner who creates highlight-reel moments consistently, especially in transition. Off the ice, there are concerns, but on the ice, the Providence College commit looks a bit like Kyle Connor out there.

6. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW (Mora, Allsvenskan)

Brandsegg-Nygard has one of the best shot releases in the draft, and with the right linemates, he’s going to be one heck of a scoring threat. He looked great at the World Junior Championship for the lowly Norwegians and then finished the year off with a couple of great final games with the men’s national team. MBN plays at a high pace while playing significant time in the second-tier Swedish league. I expect him to be a solid two-way player in the NHL, and while he’s not the flashiest pick, he’s going to be popular wherever he lands.

7. Liam Greentree, LW (Windsor, OHL)

Man, if it wasn’t for the lackluster skating, I’d be all in on Greentree. He’s such a great shooter, passer and thinks the game at such a high level. From a skill perspective with the puck, Greentree reminds me a bit of USNTDP-aged Matt Boldy – he just makes things happen. Greentree’s vision is excellent, and he carried a bad Spitfires team in a big way this year. He was quiet at the U-18s, but he showed throughout the year that he can produce and play with just about anyone.

8. Igor Chernyshov, LW (Dynamo, KHL)

At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, Chernyshov has good size and isn’t afraid to use it. A typical power forward, Chernyshov played more than half the season in the KHL but was also a stout offensive threat in the MHL. For the most part, I like how he has matured this year. He doesn’t make as many poor decisions with and without the puck as last year and doesn’t seem to struggle under pressure. Chernyshov does a great job of working his tail off without the puck, and he’s not afraid of anything. He just moves all the time, something coaches love to see.

9. Andrew Basha, LW (Medicine Hat, WHL)

Basha had a tremendous year with Medicine Hat, picking up the slack while Lindstrom was injured. He finished the regular season with 30 goals and 85 points in 63 games, building upon a season that saw him post one of the best goal totals of any Draft-1 players in the CHL last year. He won’t blow you away in the NHL with his skill, but he brings good energy and is strong defensively. Basha’s hockey sense will take him far, and his ability to play a variety of different roles helps, too.

10. Nikita Artamonov, RW (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL)

Artamonov became one of my favorite wingers due to his high-end hockey IQ and his ability to get into scoring positions. Artamonov stepped into KHL duty and immediately started producing, which is something very few scouts expected after watching him last year. His energetic motor is noticeable, even if he’s just an average skater at best. He’s not a big kid, but he battles so hard and plays a nice physical game. That dog-on-a-bone mentality, mixed in with his hockey IQ, makes him an exciting option.

11. Teddy Stiga, LW (USNTDP)

Stiga brings boundless energy to every shift, buzzing through the ice like his life depends on it. He proved this year can play with anyone, especially alongside James Hagens on the USNTDP’s top line. He put up 36 goals this year, which I feel doesn’t get talked about enough. Instead, so much of the focus is on his work ethic, something that few players in this draft can match. I think he’s a middle-six player in the NHL, but he can play with anyone and in just about any role. That type of versatility makes him very useful.

12. Terik Parascak, RW (Prince George, WHL)

Nobody saw Parascak having the year he ended up having. He finished with 43 goals and 105 points while producing a two-point per-game pace throughout the season. Not bad for a kid who was playing AAA a year ago, huh? Some scouts are worried his game isn’t rounded enough and that playing on an offensively dominant team has helped him significantly, but he’s a first-round candidate that, with the right system around him, could make him a top-six scorer sooner rather than later. Parascak’s skating needs help, but his puck skills are excellent.

13. Emil Hemming, RW (TPS, Liiga)

Sometimes I love Hemming for the way he battles hard around the net – other times, I’m worried about how invisible he can get. For the most part, though, I feel like he’s a future bottom-six forward who can outmuscle players while staying disciplined and grinding it out all game long. His defensive game is nice, too, adding to his versatility. If he improves his skating, I can see Hemming playing a more prominent role in the NHL, but at a minimum, I think he works hard enough to earn himself a spot deeper down.

14. Ryder Ritchie, RW (Prince Albert, WHL)

Ritchie loves the puck on his stick, so it only makes sense that he has a great shot release. He can be flashy, but we saw him at the U-18s play a more reserved role while bringing some solid energy and playing a bit more physical than we’re used to. An injury kept him out of play for about two months, really dampening what was just a fine first half of the year. Prince Albert’s best player in the playoffs ended the year strong after putting up some great numbers at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The raw talent is there, but he just has to put it together on a nightly basis if he’s going to be effective in the NHL.

15. Julius Miettinen, RW (Everett, WHL)

Playing at just over a point per game this season, Miettinen received quite a bit of hype in the second half, especially. He’s big at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, and he uses that to overwhelm defensemen in front of the net. He plays a good transitional game and moves quickly while being positionally dependable. Miettinen can play center, but his skating isn’t good enough for me to be convinced that’s the spot for him.

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