Top 10 NHL Draft prospects to watch at 2024 World Junior Championship

Credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff

Let’s be honest: most fans watch the World Junior Championship to see players who have already gone through the draft.

A Buffalo Sabres fan, for example, probably hasn’t been too focused on Macklin Celebrini or Konsta Helenius this year. It’s Matthew Savoie and Jiri Kulich season for them. But the diehards care about the draft impact on these top stars, and there’s no shortage of potential first-round talent making their way to Sweden.

It all starts with Celebrini, the projected No. 1 pick. He’s not in Connor Bedard territory, but if you haven’t seen him, get ready for him to blow your mind. Scouts love him for a reason – the way he dominates the play, forces turnovers and gets in the head of your team’s top players. He’s a near shoo-in to go first overall this year.

But which other NHL Draft prospects do you need to keep an eye on?

Macklin Celebrini, C (Canada)

It can’t be understated how impressive Celebrini’s season has been. Drawing stylistic praise to Jonathan Toews, Celebrini is a dominant offensive threat putting up tremendous numbers in college against older competition. He entered Canada’s camp as one of the NCAA’s top scorers despite missing time, and he’ll fight up the ranks once he’s back. He’s so dynamic, skilled and now he’s showing more physicality than we saw during his time at the U-18s. As Canadian coach Alan Letang said, “He comes as advertised.” Now, you’re about to see why.

Konsta Helenius, C (Finland)

Despite being one of the youngest players in the tournament, expect Helenius to play a top-six role with the Finns. He was great at the World Junior A Challenge, stood out at the Five Nations in November and has been one of the best junior-aged players we’ve seen in Liiga action since Kaapo Kakko. There’s a realistic chance Helenius will get taken in the top five, and a good showing here could help.

Adam Jiricek, D (Czechia)

The younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek, there’s a lot in common between the two defenders. Adam is coming off an injury, but he has spent the year playing against quality competition in the top Czech league. That’s no easy feat for a player his age, but Jiricek is mature, smart and skates well enough to handle the challenge.

Zeev Buium, D (USA)

The University of Denver standout is on pace for over 40 points as a freshman, which is quite tremendous from a draft-eligible talent. There were a few times last year when Buium looked like the best player on the ice – other times, he can be invisible. This year? More of the former, which has allowed him to stay so impactful. This should be a coming-out party for Buium.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW (Norway)

Some scouts believe Brandsegg-Nygård could adjust to NHL action right now if given the chance. I disagree, but that’s big praise for a guy who’s projected to be the highest-drafted Norweigan in NHL history. He’s a modern-day forward in nearly every aspect, and a team looking to add a hard-working, hard-hitting forward could do much worse this year. Not only is he Norway’s best player, but he’s one of the best NHL Draft prospects in the tournament, so there will be extra attention on him.

Emil Hemming, RW (Finland)

It’s been an interesting year for Hemming, who was Finland’s most effective player at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup this summer. He was also a standout in his first U-20 team action at the Five Nations last month, which you can’t take for granted. Hemming has had his ups and downs with TPS, but he has had a handful of 13+ minute showings in the pro league, which is impressive.

Daniil Ustinkov, D (Switzerland)

While the hype around Ustinkov’s play has died down a little, he’s still someone worth watching. He has spent the year between the top two pro leagues in Switzerland, and it’s hard to ignore just how important he was to Switzerland’s U-18 team last year. This will be his first time playing junior-level hockey since the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August, and he was good there. I have high hopes for Ustinkov.

Leon Muggli, D (Switzerland)

Muggli, meanwhile, has had a better year in the top league back home. He has nine points in 25 games with Zug, even with his ice time bouncing all over the place. This will be his first U-20 competition as well, but the maturity the mobile defender shows is impressive. There’s a good chance Muggli will push himself into the 60 of the NHL Draft.

Tomas Galvas, D (Czechia)

Galvas is a skilled, two-way defender with good speed and overall skating. He’s a strong puck-rusher who has only improved with more confidence over time. The younger brother of Chicago Blackhawks draft pick Jakub Galvas, Tomas doesn’t make many mistakes under pressure and skates as well as any defenseman his age. Galvas was a big reason why the Czechs won silver at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, but this will be a new challenge.

Eriks Mateiko, LW (Latvia)

If Latvia is going to stand a chance, they’ll need big things from Mateiko. The 6-foot-5 forward is playing at over a point per game with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, showing there’s more to his game than just being big. Mateiko had a pair of decent showings at the U-18 World Championship, but this will be his first attempt at the U-20 team. Given his play in major junior, expect Mateiko to have a big impact on this team.

The rest: Paul Mayer, D (Germany), Kristers Ansons, LW (Latvia), Rauls Ozollapa, C (Latvia), Darels Uljanskis, D (Latvia), Kristers Urbanovics, D (Latvia), Ingus Locmelis, D (Latvia), Mathias Dehli, C (Norway), Ludvig Lafton, D (Norway), Stian Solberg, D (Norway), Jakub Chromiak, D (Slovakia), Richard Baran, D (Slovakia), Jamiro Reber, C (Switzerland)

Discover Betano.ca – a premium Sports Betting and Online Casino experience. Offering numerous unique and dynamic betting options along with diverse digital and live casino games, Betano is where The Game Starts Now. 19+. Please play responsibly.