Top 10 ‘big guy’ prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft

Credit: Dean Letourneau (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)

Last week, we took a look at 10 of the better “small guy” prospects in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Over time, the NHL has gotten bigger, which means prospects like Mac Swanson, Alexander Zetterberg and Justin Poirier have had a more difficult time trying to stand out in front of scouts.

But those on the upper part of a ruler? Fair or not, they typically have a better shot at getting drafted.

There’s a handful of prospects standing 6-foot-5 or taller that have gained significant attention this year. Anton Silayev was as high as No. 2 on some draft boards earlier this year, while Dean Letourneau seems like a safe bet to go in the first round, too. The sweet spot seems to be about 6-foot-2 or 6-foot-3, but you’ll have a hard time swaying GMs away from some of the draft’s biggest beasts.

Here’s a look at some of the taller NHL prospects who’ll make some noise at the 2024 NHL Draft in Vegas on June 28-29:

1. Anton Silayev, LHD, 6’7 (Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, KHL)

It’s funny seeing how split some people are on Silayev. The top-ranked European skater from NHL Central Scouting, some think he’s a top three pick – others, outside the top 15. I think he’ll go in the top 10 with his size being a huge factor here. At 6-foot-7 and 207 pounds, Silayev commands space and takes it away, too. He started off hot with a ton of offense early but that started to melt away as the KHL season wore on. Still, playing around 20 minutes a night as a 17-year-old is almost unheard of in the KHL, and he looked up for the challenge. Silayev has top-pairing potential, but I hope to see his scoring output improve.

2. Dean Letourneau, C, 6’7 (St. Andrew’s College, PHC)

Letourneau was one of my favorite players to catch in person this year. Prep hockey might not get the most attention, but it’s hard to not get excited about a forward who can dominate with size the way Letourneau does. He had 61 goals and 127 points with St. Andrew’s this year while also leading all Prep Hockey Conference players with 25 points in 14 games. Letourneau loves having the puck on his stick and has the skill to pull off highlight-reel moments, something he did often this year. With the size and skill he has, I don’t expect him to last long on draft day.

3. Jesse Pulkkinen, LHD, 6’5 (JYP, Liiga)

One of the premier overage prospects this year, Pulkkinen competes as hard as anyone. He has good size, has great straight-line speed and moves well, too. Pulkkinen had a strong World Junior Championship and played well with JYP’s men’s team, putting up eight points in 29 games. Pulkkinen doesn’t overwhelm players with his size, but he’s gotten significantly better at utilizing it to his advantage. That was especially prevalent when he went back to JYP’s U-20 team and had four points in his first game back, only to play 31:29 two games later. Pulkkinen’s conditioning is excellent, which helps. I expect Pulkkinen to go in the second round as an older player with great puck control and hockey IQ, but I could see a team with multiple picks taking a chance on his upside in the first round while banking on him continuing his upward trajectory.

4. Adam Jecho, C, 6’5 (Edmonton, WHL)

Jecho’s career has been a mixed bag – you’ll see the flashes of overwhelming physical dominance that suggest he could be a top-six forward. His size, skill and shot make him so intriguing, with his release being the best of anyone on this list. But Jecho’s skating, especially his stride, scares me right now. I just don’t think he has the pure pace or explosiveness to thrive in a scoring role in the NHL. Still, I think he’ll be a good pro with good athleticism and with the right patience in his development, I think he’ll become a solid NHLer.

5. Adam Kleber, RHD, 6’5 (Lincoln, USHL)

Kleber is University of Minnesota-Duluth commit, and his 6-foot-5, 209-pound frame makes it hard to miss him out there. He doesn’t put a ton of points on the board, but he will punish you with his strength and work ethic. Kleber had an excellent second half to the season, which saw him look more comfortable moving the puck and outskating opponents. Teams like right-shot defenders with his type of profile, especially since he can move pretty well, too. He’s a project player who’ll likely get taken in the second or third round, but you can feel comfortable in him adjusting to the pro game quite well.

6. Marcus Gidlof, G, 6’6 (Leksands, SHL)

It’s hard not to watch Gidlof play and not compare him to the way Adin Hill commands the crease in Vegas. He’s aggressive in the crease, covers the top of the net well and tracks pucks as well as anyone at this age group. Gidlof can scramble a bit too much for my liking as he isn’t technically sound right now, but from talking to scouts, there are many who believe he can become a starting goalie in the NHL one day. The size, mental makeup and puck reads will pay off in a big way for an NHL team – I believe it.

7. Roman Shokhrin, LHD, 6’5 (Loko-76, MHL)

Shokhrin is one of the players who really grew on me the more I watched him. He plays a nice two-way game with good puckhandling, offensive and defensive awareness and has some decent top speed. He’s a versatile defender who doesn’t lack confidence, especially when passing the puck. I do feel like Shokhrin will get caught watching too much, resulting in him easily getting beaten due to him not chasing after a player or the puck. But when he’s on it, he’s aggressive, skilled and dangerous.

8. Eriks Mateiko, C, 6’5 (Prince George, WHL)

I really like Mateiko, who I feel is a bit underrated. The Latvian forward is strong, competes hard and plays exceptionally well in the defensive zone. I don’t expect him to put up a ton of points at the pro level but I think he finds enough ways to be valuable in different areas of the game, including the penalty kill, to make himself valuable. He’s getting more comfortable using his size to his advantage, including in front of the net and along the boards. There’s enough potential here to get excited about Mateiko.

9. Gabriel Eliasson, LHD, 6’6 (HV71, Sweden U-20)

Eliasson has been a hot topic in the draft community. Some scouts love the fact he’s as mobile as he is for a kid his size, allowing him to take up so much space. Eliasson has a long reach, can really punish opponents and can play a ton of minutes, too. But with limited offensive upside and a penchant for taking truly uncalled-for penalties, especially after the whistle, teams are worried. Still, his physicality is among the best in this draft class, which will get teams looking to take a chance on him as a potential depth defenseman one day. We’ll see how Eliasson’s game translates to North America when he heads to the University of Michigan.

10. Miroslav Satan Jr., C, 6’7 (Bratislava, Slovakia U-20)

Satan is definitely big at 6-foot-7, but is he good? Maybe scouts take a chance on him late because of his pedigree and size, and he moves well enough in bursts. But I don’t think he has the conditioning to really push himself for a full shift consistently or eat minutes. If he focused on being more of a matchup defensive forward, he could have a shot, but we don’t see guys with his profile in the NHL often. We’ll see, because if you’ve seen anything online, people want him drafted for the name factor alone.

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