CHL Import Draft: Breaking down the 2024 NHL Draft Prospects
Just to make sure major junior general managers weren’t too comfortable at their lakefront cottages, the Canadian Hockey League held its import draft on Wednesday.
The rules were simple: each team gets up to two picks targeting players from Europe, outside of Russia and Belarus (unless a player was previously aligned with a CHL team, like Valentin Zhugin). The majority of players come from Czechia, Slovakia and Finland, with teams allowed to hold a maximum of two import players on their roster at a time.
There’s always the risk a player won’t come over, and the actual selection order isn’t a true representation of the best players available. At the top, it’s more about who will actually show up to a given city or the CHL in general. It’s a lot asking these teenagers to leave home for unfamiliar territory, but it can have its benefits – such as easier viewings for quite a few NHL scouts and GMs.
There were a handful of quality 2024 NHL Draft prospects taken in this year’s draft. While we don’t have a clear indication on who’ll actually report, here’s a look at a handful of prospects you need to know:
Adam Jiricek, D (Brantford, OHL)
The younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek, Adam comes in a similar offensive-minded, high-pace package. Jiricek was tremendous against his own age group and played some significant time against U-18 national team competition, too. Jiricek proved he could handle the rigors of pro hockey in the top Czech league with HC Plzen, recording a pair of assists through 12 games. Jiricek will only get better with more experience, which could result in him spending another year with Plzen instead of an immediate arrival with Brantford. If he shows up at some point, what a huge addition.
Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW (Barrie, OHL)
A total of four Norwegian players were picked in the import draft ahead of the team’s trip back to the top division of the world juniors. While Brandsegg-Nygard might not come over this year – he has a deal with Mora IK in the second-tier Swedish league – the nation’s top young star would be a nice fit in Barrie. The Colts will have first-rounder Eduard Sale this year, and having Brandsegg-Nygard as another scoring threat would be huge.
Adam Jecho, RW (Edmonton, WHL)
It seems like there’s a good chance that Jecho, taken third overall by the Oil Kings, will report to the WHL. And what a treat for fans out there that would be. Jecho made his first real impact at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2021, even if the points didn’t seem to follow. He has struggled back home in Finland ever since, with some mixed-to-solid numbers internationally. Jecho was too good for the Finnish U-18 league but didn’t crack Tappara’s U-20 team. A move to the WHL would be worth it for Jecho.
Daniil Ustinkov, D (London, OHL)
Ustinkov was a standout for Switzerland at the U-18 World Championship, putting up four points for the offensively challenged squad. He was the most prominent defender in the junior national team system for the Swiss all year long, a season that saw him play a handful of pro games in the NL and SL. There’s a similar trajectory between Ustinkov and David Reinbacher at this point, which could include a draft-year stay in the top Swiss league. If he was to join London, an already deep blueline, he’d make them much more dominant.
Kristers Ansons, LW (Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
At the World Junior A Challenge, Ansons – the younger brother of Pittsburgh prospect Raivis Ansons – was a standout. At the U-18 World Championship? The complete opposite. The 6-foot-4 winger had a good season in the Latvian men’s league, but would definitely benefit from playing against quality competition in the QMJHL. He has the frame and skill set to move over comfortably and Raivis himself spent three years in the Q before joining Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last year.
Lukas Kral, LW (Spokane, WHL)
Putting up 30 points as a 16-year-old in the top Czech junior league is no small feat. The Mountfield product did exactly that and also was one of Czechia’s best U-17 skaters. Kral brings good energy, skating and a quick release, giving the Czechs yet another high-end prospect for 2024.
David Svozil, D (Oshawa, OHL)
Svozil’s older brother, Stanislav, was a product of the WHL’s Regina Pats, so he understands the value in coming over to the CHL for his development. The hard-hitting, smooth skating blueliner spent the year between Ilves’ U-18 and U-20 teams, but he’d be a good fit for Oshawa if he decided to come over.
Julius Miettinen, C/LW (Everett, WHL)
I hope Miettinen comes over. He had a solid season in Finland’s U-20 league and I thought he looked good at the U-17 World Hockey Challenge. After that, though, I didn’t love him as much. He’s a patient player with the puck, but sometimes I’d like to see some more urgency – something attackers on the smaller ice would force out of him. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound forward is a good two-way player that would have no issue figuring things out in the WHL, and it helps he can play the wing at points, too.
Dominik Badinka, D (Brantford, OHL)
After a solid first year in Finland’s U-20 circuit, could Badinka make the trip over to the OHL? He looked good at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky and showed a nice edge to his game internationally this year. Of all defenders taken, I like Badinka’s chances of being an impactful OHLer if he chooses to make his way over.
Aron Kiviharju, D (Kitchener, OHL)
Let’s be real here: he’s not coming over anytime soon. The potential top-10 pick is one of the best blueliners in the draft class and one many expected a while back to challenge for the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft. But after spending the past year with TPS in Liiga, he signed a two-year deal to play with HIFK. If it doesn’t work out, I’d only assume he’d be loaned out somewhere else. If, for some reason, he does go to Kitchener, Kiviharju would give the team one of the best offensive defensemen in years, someone coming off of a wicked U-18 World Championship while playing more than 24 minutes a night.
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