The 10 biggest risers for the 2024 NHL Draft

Credit: Kalvin Taylor/Goodall Media

If you’re going to follow the NHL Draft, you have to be like Charmander and evolve.

When it comes to evaluating teenagers, so much can change in a season – even week-to-week. They’re still growing, still maturing and the pressure is immense. It’s why scouts watch hundred and hundreds of games a year, trying to find everything in their power about someone they hope to be a big part of their franchises one day.

The big guns have all been highly publicized, but the value pickups are the ones that can help elevate your team’s future. The biggest source of value can come from the second-half stalwarts – the guys who weren’t high on any draft boards at the midway point that end up becoming difference-makers.

Finding the players that rose the most during the season is one of the most entertaining aspects of following the NHL Draft. And that’s what we’re doing today, looking at 10 players who started out low on draft boards but found a way to put themselves high in the conversation ahead of this month’s selection process:

Beckett Sennecke, RW (Oshawa, OHL)

Sennecke ended the OHL regular season on one of the best runs of any prospect, with many considering him a potential top-15 pick. Sennecke had 42 points in his last 34 regular season games, making him one of the most productive draft prospects across any league down the stretch. Sennecke dealt with an injury to close out the year, but that didn’t hurt his stock. Once seen as a second-rounder, there are some who think Sennecke could legitimately go in the top 10. He isn’t afraid to rough it up and get into the dirty areas to win puck battles and is a very underrated passer, too. Sennecke makes magic happen, man.

Stian Solberg, LHD (Valerenga, Norway)

Scouts really have come around on Solberg – so much so that he looks like a lock for the first round after starting outside of the second. He’s 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, something that has helped him play against men for the better part of the past three years. His best play, though, was at the IIHF World Championship, where he was Norway’s best defenseman by a longshot. He took some dumb penalties, but Solberg isn’t afraid to play on the edge and I like him for that. I’m excited to see what he can do in the NHL in a few years.

Teddy Stiga, LW (USNTDP)

Some wondered if Stiga was going to go undrafted heading into the year after poor U-17 season that was worsened by injuries. But watching the USNTDP so often, I rarely came away thinking Stiga had a bad game, especially in tournament play. Stiga brings boundless energy to every shift, buzzing through the ice like his life depends on it. 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 no matter who drafts him or how they use him.

Harrison Brunicke, RHD (Kamloops, WHL)

Brunicke wasn’t high on anyone’s radar early in the year but that changed around Christmas. He played great on a brutal Blazers team and had a good showing with Canada’s U-18 team to cap off a good year. At 6-foot-3, Brunicke is a good skater who competes hard and doesn’t like to lose anything – especially a 1-on-1 puck battle along the boards. Brunicke can do a lot of small things well and that helps to make him more useful in more situations. He could become just the second South African-born player to go in the first round behind Olaf Kolzig – wouldn’t that be a cool story?

Sam O’Reilly, RW (London, OHL)

Between a hot playoff run and his subsequent play at the Memorial Cup, O’Reilly capped off the season in such a strong fashion. It reminds me a bit of watching Easton Cowan last year – he just keeps getting better and stronger the more he plays. He spent last year playing Jr. B but continued to find ways to put himself in the second-round conversation. I don’t know if I like him as much as some others, but the good news is he’s at least good in most facets of the game – especially when it comes to bringing energy in a two-way package.

Adam Kleber, RHD (Lincoln, USHL)

Kleber is a monster out there. showing incredible athleticism and compete that makes him really difficult to contain. A University of Minnesota-Duluth commit, Kleber is a big 6-foot-5, 209-pound defenseman who doesn’t put a ton of points on the board but will punish you with his strength and work ethic. Teams like right-shot defenders with his type of profile, especially since he can skate, too. Kleber pushed himself into the second-round conversation due to an impressive second half with Lincoln, and while he’s not great with the puck, he’s got enough traits to make him a legitimate NHL threat.

Tarin Smith, LHD (Everett, WHL)

What a whirlwind two years it has been for Smith. The intelligent defenseman missed nearly all of 2022-23, scoring just one goal in eight games. This year, he had 44 points in 67 games, wasting no time making up for lost time – especially on the power play. His shoulder looks to be in good shape, and if he can stay healthy, there’s a chance he’ll become one of the better value picks in the draft. I know scouts are a little split on him, but there’s more that seem to think he’ll be taken in the top 75 than not.

Frans Haara, RHD (Skelleftea, SHL)

Haara is a double overager, but scouts have been impressed with his development this year. The 20-year-old had a point-per-game in the Swedish U-20 league but also played in 18 games with Skelleftea’s men’s team in the SHL. Haara is an excellent, powerful skater who competes hard and has a great shot release, something he looked confident with this year. He showed all of that in his SHL duty but struggled to make quick enough plays with the puck when he was on the rush. He just needs better hockey sense to really put himself into a situation to succeed, but he’s come a long enough way over the past two years to almost ensure he’ll get drafted this time around.

Landon Miller, G (Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)

Miller wasn’t getting much love around scouting circles in the first half of the year but that really changed in the latter half. The 6-foot-3 keeper was ranked No. 6 in the NHL Central Scouting’s North American goalie rankings after seeing him post a stretch where he didn’t allow more than three goals in a game just twice in his final 14 starts. The Greyhounds pushed hard to go the distance this year but fell short, but that meant relying on veteran Charlie Schenkel. Miller outperformed him often, though, and with his good frame, positioning and mental fortitude, teams are interested to see how he develops.

Heikki Ruohonen, C (Kiekko-Espoo, Finland U-20)

Ruohonen had a big second season in the Finnish U-20 league, scoring 20 goals and 47 points in 37 regular season games – including 18 in his final 19 games. He finished things off with a point in all five of Finland’s games at the U-18 World Championship, finishing off the year on a high note. The competitive, physical center wins a ton of faceoffs and doesn’t give opponents much room to play with. Selected first overall in the USHL Draft by the Dubuque Fighting Saints, he’s going to spend a year playing junior before heading off to Harvard.

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