Top 10 overage prospects for the 2024 NHL Draft

Credit: KHL

Every year, there’s always a handful of overage players looking for chances to prove to NHL teams they’re worth getting selected.

It’s easy to forget we’re talking about teenagers here, and there’s still so much growth to be done both physically and mentally. Not everyone develops at the same rate or has the same opportunities, so finding value in older players who might be closer to helping your organization out can have positive results

Here’s the deal: if you’re a North American player born between Jan. 1 and Sept. 15, you’ve got a three-year draft window. Players born Sept. 16 to Dec. 31 get two years, while European players in European leagues get an extra year of eligibility. To keep it simple – if the player participated in the recent World Junior Championship, you’re still eligible for the draft.

But with COVID-19 impacting a couple draft classes in recent years, teams have been more willing to take a chance on older players. Some famous examples include Connor Hellebuyck and Mackenzie Weegar, while Adam Gajan and Florian Xhekaj were two of eight players taken in the first four rounds alone last year.

Whom could we see taken this year after getting passed over in recent drafts? Here’s a look at 10 names you need to know:

Jesse Pulkkinen, LHD, 19 (JYP, Liiga)

At 6-foot-5, Pulkkinen competes as hard as anyone. And that’s especially good to see given he admitted at the draft combine that he only started to take playing hockey seriously about a year ago. 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 him to be the first overage player taken with the potential to be a bottom-four defender at some point in the next few years.

Ilya Nabokov, G, 21 (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, KHL)

Many are tabbing Nabokov as one of top goaltenders in the draft, and his recent season in the KHL helps back up the concept. The 6-foot-1 goaltender isn’t big, and that’s a large reason why he was passed over three times already. But, as the oldest prospect in this draft class, he brings serious potential. He was one of the KHL’s top goaltenders despite being one of the youngest starters and showed unbelievable athleticism and post-to-post movement. Scouts love his ability to skate well in the crease, and his raw talent is going to excite quite a bit of people.

Anthony Romani, RW, 18 (North Bay, OHL)

The first thing that stands out about Romani’s game is his hockey IQ. Even last year, that was something that popped, and the results followed with a 68-point increase to 111 this year in his third campaign with North Bay. That all but assured he’d get drafted, with many scouts happy to see him finally live up to expectations after being a strong minor hockey star in the GTHL. He had to deal with playing catch-up after losing his OHL Draft year, where he was expected to challenge for the scoring lead. He has a remarkable shot and his skating continues to get better, but he needs to work on his defensive game still.

Nate Misskey, D, 19 (Victoria, WHL)

Misskey missed some time due to injury, but I could still see him becoming a top 100 pick. He’s a mobile 6-foot-3 defenseman with great reach, a solid shot and a bit of a mean streak. He loves to shoot the puck, and his offensive awareness has taken some nice steps forward with more responsibility in his second year of major junior. Misskey isn’t flashy, often displaying a level of calmness that allows him to make smart, heads-up plays. That gets him into trouble, though, because he sometimes can get caught being too reserved with the puck, but that’s fixable.

Austin Burnevik, RW, 19 (Madison, USHL)

A 6-foot-3 winger, Burnevik has come a long way since his days with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He was demoted to the U-17 team last year which meant his chances of getting chances were next to none, resulting in him spending a year with Madison in the USHL. The St. Cloud State University commit had an explosive year with 40 goals and 71 points, basically demolishing his output from the past two years combined. Burnevik figured out how to use his frame to his advantage to win battles while driving the net as hard as anyone. He’s a longshot to make it still, but his frame and shot give him a fighting chance.

Pavel Moysevich, G, 19 (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

At 6-foot-5, there’s so much to like about Mosyevich. The Belarusian goaltender was passed over in 2023, but the fourth-ranked European goaltender had some excellent starts with SKA while also looking good in the junior league playoffs, too. He’s got the size teams crave and the athleticism to boot, too. Moysevich does a great job of holding the fort down low and has an active shoulder that allows him to take space away up high. He simply looks ahead of his age group in terms of maturity and positioning. In a year where there aren’t a ton of high-end options, teams will be chasing size, and Moysevich has tons of it.

Lukáš Matěcha, G, 19 (Tri-City)

Matěcha feels like a lock to get drafted this time around – but I said that about another Czech overage goalkeeper a year ago in former Tri-City keeper Tomas Suchanek. But Matěcha was one of the better draft-eligible goaltenders playing in Canada this year, shining in his season in North America. He has good size at 6-foot-3, moves quickly and efficiently and plays deep in his net. I think his puck reads are among the best and he’s got a good glove hand, too. He’s a project goaltender but someone worth taking a shot on.

Ondrej Becher, C, 20 (Prince George, WHL)

Becher might not be a high-end talent, but he does a lot of things well. He’s a quick skater who loves to handle the puck with deception. Becher isn’t afraid to block shots and get into lanes, and he’s always looking to make a pass. He put up good numbers in the WHL this year, which you hope to see from an older player, but it really showed how confident he looked on the bigger ice. After turning heads at the World Juniors, I think a team should take a chance on him later in the draft as a potential all-situations forward.

Tanner Adams, RW, 18 (Providence College, NCAA)

The one bonus about drafting a player out of the NCAA is the extended development runway. Adams had a solid 21-point rookie season with Providence after a pair of ho-hum seasons with Tri-City. But offense isn’t the name of the game here for the 18-year-old, someone who’s versatile as a center and a winger. He forechecks hard and kills penalties, bringing significant energy every time he hits the ice. Adams’ lack of offense will hurt his ability to adjust to a higher level but I think there’s enough raw talent there that you can benefit from some patience with him.

Ilya Ivantsov, C, 21 (Severstal Cherepovets, KHL)

This is Ivantsov’s final year of draft eligibility – did he make it count? He’s still small, but he was fourth in U-21 scoring in the KHL this year, competing against a host of drafted prospects. He’s smart defensively and plays a nice two-way game while also being an exceptional penalty killer. You can see the competence with the puck when he’s on his game, but his shift-to-shift consistency is still an issue after all these years. I could see a team betting on him being one of the KHLers that find their way later on.

Other notables: Luke Ashton, LW, (Langley, BCHL), Matyas Melovsky, C (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL), Filip Sitar, C (Malmo, Sweden U-20), Owen Allard, LW (Soo, OHL), Vladimir Mikhalyov, LW (Sibirskie Snaipery Novosibirsk, MHL), Jere Lassila, C (JYP, Liiga)

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