Top five early riser prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft

Credit: Luke Misa (Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)

About this time two months ago, most of North America’s hockey action was just getting started. It feels like yesterday.

But that’s more than enough time for a player to rise from the depths of their community rink and become an NHL scout’s next gem. The draft season wouldn’t be any fun if the same 32 players projected to go in the first round in September stayed there come June.

Maybe for some fringe first-rounders, sure. But then what would scouts do the rest of the year?

One of the biggest risers this year is 6-foot-7 defenseman Anton Silyaev. Practically unknown to most scouts outside of Russia before the season kicked off, Silayev looks like a lock to go in the first round, with some projecting him to even be a top-10 pick. His offense has dropped significantly over the season, and his ice time is 5-10 minutes less per game as of late compared to October. But you don’t find too many prospects with his combination of size, speed and smarts.

So, which other 2024 NHL Draft prospects have risen the most in the eyes of scouts this year? Here’s a look at five that could go in the top 50 next June – and then check out Daily Faceoff’s latest draft rankings:

Luke Misa, C (Mississauga, OHL)

There are always higher expectations for an older player in a draft class. Most only get two years of major junior before getting drafted. But Misa, a 2005-born forward in a 2006-born class, has pushed himself into the first round conversation. He wasn’t included on Daily Faceoff’s most recent draft board because I’m just not convinced he’s going to be a high-output player in the NHL one day. But he’s a give-and-go master who plays a strong defensive game and has some extra speed in his step. And the offensive numbers are there, too, with the third-year OHLer putting himself on pace for around 95 points. Again, expectations are always higher for third-year CHLers, but Misa might be the real deal here.

Terik Parascak, RW (Prince George, WHL)

Nobody saw Parascak exploding offensively as he did. The 17-year-old winger from Lethbridge, Alberta has 21 goals and 34 points in 22 games, putting him on a 65-goal, 105-point pace. Sure, he has some solid linemates to lean on, but the production is clearly there. Given he was playing prep hockey last year, it’s pretty incredible. He’ll have to prove he’s more than a finisher, though, but the progress has been staggering. A few scouts think he’s even a potential top-10 pick, although I wouldn’t go that far.

Matvei Shuravin, LHD (CSKA Moskva, KHL)

Shuravin earned a surprise “A” rating in the NHL Central Scouting’s initial watch list, something I – and many others – didn’t fully understand. But he’s still a significant riser, someone not many scouts had many notes on heading into the season. Projected to go in the top 50, Shuravin is a 6-foot-3 defenseman out of CSKA’s junior program. Compared to many of the more high-output defenders we’ve seen as potential first-rounders, Shuravin prioritizes positioning in his own zone and developing strong defensive habits. He’s still a work in progress with the puck, but he doesn’t shy away from it, either. Size, mobility, hockey IQ – it’s all there.

Matvei Gridin, RW (Muskegon, USHL)

The USHL’s top scorer for most of the season thus far, Gridin tied his 21-point output last year in 25 fewer games. He couldn’t stop scoring early on, and his chemistry with Sacha Boisvert showed early. Gridin’s on a bit of a cold streak as Muskegon has struggled to produce as of late, but he’s still second in scoring and first among first-year draft eligibles. Gridin’s skating stands out, and it’s good to see him become such a finisher. He can tend to follow the game too often, so he needs to get out of his comfort zone and attack more.

Noel Fransén, LHD (Farjestad, Sweden U-20)

I was surprised to not see Fransén on the NHL Central Scouting watch list for October, especially since he already had a hat-trick to his credit. Offensively, Fransén is having one of the most productive seasons in Swedish U-20 league history by a U-19 defender, scoring 15 goals and 27 points in 25 games. For reference, his goal count alone would put him third in scoring among draft-eligible defenders in that league, and he’s two off the all-time record for goals at his age. Axel Sandin Pellikka came up just short with 16 last year, and he was a first-round pick. The issue? Fransén can still get caught trying to do way too much with the puck and get beaten – sometimes quite easily – in his own zone. He needs to be a bit quicker and more conscious of opponents in his own zone, but Fransén has scouts talking after entering the season off the radar.

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