2024 NHL Draft Preview & Picks

The 2024 NHL Draft is poised to be an exciting event, beginning on Friday, June 28. Round 1 will be held on Friday, June 28 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN, ESPN+, SN, SN+, TVAS), followed by Rounds 2‑7 on Saturday, June 29 (11:30 a.m. ET, NHLN, ESPN+, SN, SN1, SN+). This annual gathering offers a prime opportunity to delve into the future of hockey and speculate on the next generation of talent entering the league.

While the secretive nature of NHL front offices makes it difficult to predict their strategies and scouting assessments, several prospects have emerged as standout picks, drawing significant attention. This year’s draft, hosted at Sphere in Las Vegas, promises to be a spectacle as teams vie for the best young talent to bolster their rosters.

Macklin Celebrini of Boston University, the Hobey Baker Award winner, is expected to be the No. 1 overall draft pick this year. After his selection, the rest of the draft becomes more unpredictable. I’ll analyze a few draft position props and share my thoughts on who might be picked and where they’ll likely land.

NHL First Round Draft Order

Liam Greentree Under 21.5 (-120) – DraftKings

Liam Greentree (6-3, 215) didn’t have the best showing for Canada at the recent U18 Worlds, with only four points (two goals, two assists) in seven games. However, he led the Windsor Spitfires with 36 goals and 54 assists, totaling 90 points in 64 games. Greentree is a big winger who can protect the puck and go hard to the net creating traffic. Even with his size, he’s a creative player with great puck skills who can make smart passes. However, his greatest asset is his NHL-quality shot. As one NHL scout said, “I think he’s a beast right now. Imagine him in two years.”

Liam Greentree has been linked to the Detroit Red Wings at pick No. 15, the St. Louis Blues at pick No. 16, the New York Islanders at pick No. 20, and the Los Angeles Kings at pick No. 21.

Given his skillset, I believe he’ll be selected within the 15-21 range. The positive aspect is that multiple teams have shown interest in him, increasing his chances of going around the midpoint of the first round.

Greentree could significantly aid the Red Wings’ rebuilding efforts. The Blues, having sold off a few key pieces in the last few years, landed some top prospects but still lack overall depth. The Islanders, with a limited prospect pool due to their lack of high-end draft picks, also need a goal-scorer, a role Greentree could effectively fill.

To bet on this prop at DraftKings, you can click the following link.

Leo Sahlin Wallenius Under 31.5 (-115) – DraftKings

Sahlin Wallenius (6-0, 180) is a smooth skater with a high hockey IQ, excellent vision, and impressive puck movement skills. In Sweden’s junior league, the 18-year-old tallied 42 points (11 goals, 31 assists) in 43 games.

According to NHL Director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen, Leo Sahlin-Wallenius has a playing style comparable to Red Wings defenseman prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka, who was the No. 17 pick in the 2023 draft.

Wallenius has been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes at the No. 27 pick and the Calgary Flames at the No. 28 pick.

The Hurricanes haven’t drafted a defenseman earlier than the fourth round in the past two years and haven’t selected one in the first round since Jake Bean in 2016. With no defenseman currently on their roster signed beyond the 2025-26 season, there’s a clear need to build prospect depth at the position. Despite this need, the Hurricanes have a decent number of defensive prospects close to being NHL-ready, including Scott Morrow (NCAA) and Alexander Nikishin (KHL). They also have other notable prospects such as Aleksi Heimosalmi, Domenick Fensore, and Anttoni Honka. The Hurricanes pride themselves on having a solid blueline, so if Morrow and Nikishin make the jump to the NHL, they’ll want to replenish their prospect pool.

The Flames are in a similar situation, with only one defenseman on their roster signed beyond the 2025-26 season, indicating a need to build prospect depth at the position. Last year, Calgary drafted two defensemen: Etienne Morin in the second round and Axel Hurtig in the seventh, after drafting none in 2022. The last time they selected a defenseman in the first round was in 2017 when they picked Juuso Valimaki, who currently plays for the Utah Hockey Club. The Flames have two solid defensive prospects in Etienne Morin and Jeremie Poirier, both high-flying, offensive defenders with good potential. However, beyond these two, they lack defensive prospects and need to focus on adding more depth.

While Wallenius has been linked to Carolina at No. 27 and Calgary at No. 28, I believe it is more likely that he goes to Calgary at No. 28.

To bet on this prop at DraftKings, you can click the following link.

Dominik Badinka Over 32.5 (-115) – DraftKings

Dominik Badinka (6-3, 190) played for the Malmo Redhawks J20 of the J20 Nationell, the Malmo Redhawks of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), and the Czechia U20 International-Jr teams last season. He tallied three goals and 14 assists for a total of 17 points in 53 games. He has committed to playing for the Malmo Redhawks in the SHL for the 2024-25 season. Badinka is known for his defensive prowess, excelling at closing gaps, blocking shots, protecting his goaltender, and sacrificing his body to clear the zone.

However, Badinka tends to take ill-advised penalties, often reacting poorly when beaten or losing a one-on-one battle. His stick-handling is not the best in this draft, and his passing skills can be lackluster, leading to turnovers. Despite needing significant improvements, he has the potential to become a second-pairing defenseman. Missing the U18 Worlds last year due to appendicitis hurt his draft stock.

In all the mock drafts I’ve read, Dominik Badinka is not projected to go in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. The highest projection I’ve seen for him is at pick No. 32 to the Chicago Blackhawks.

To bet this prop at DraftKings, you can click the following link.

Andrew Basha Under 35.5 (+105) – DraftKings

Andrew Basha (5-11, 187) showcases an incredible compete level with high-end puck skills, impressive skating, and the ability to shake off and beat defenders. Besides his skating, Basha’s best attribute is his playmaking. Although he isn’t the tallest player in the draft class, he plays bigger than his size. In 63 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL, he tallied 85 points (30 goals, 55 assists), including 28 power-play points (10 goals) and two short-handed goals.

Basha has been linked to the Montreal Canadiens at the No. 26 pick, the Philadelphia Flyers at the No. 31 pick, and the Anaheim Ducks at the No. 35 pick.

Given his lack of size and play off the puck, he might fall to the late first round or early second round. However, his versatility in various roles is appealing to many teams. If he doesn’t go in the first round, I believe Anaheim at No. 35 is a prime spot for him to be selected.

To bet on this prop at DraftKings, you can click the following link.

1st to Be Drafted – Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (-115) over Stian Solberg – DraftKings

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard has been linked to the Minnesota Wild at the No. 13 pick, the Detroit Red Wings at the No. 15 pick, the St. Louis Blues at the No. 16 pick, and the Chicago Blackhawks at the No. 18 pick.

Brandsegg-Nygard (6-1, 207) plays in Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second division, and is a hard-working two-way player with good first-step quickness, decision-making, and vision. The 18-year-old recorded 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 41 regular-season games and 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 12 playoff games. He also contributed five points (three goals, two assists) while averaging 17:22 of ice time in five games for Norway at the 2024 WJC.

Stian Solberg, on the other hand, has been linked to the Vegas Golden Knights at the No. 19 pick, though some mock drafts project him to go in the second round.

Solberg had a strong second half of his season, finishing with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in 42 regular-season games and nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 17 playoff games in Norway’s top men’s league. At the 2024 IIHF World Championship, the 18-year-old had three points (two goals, one assist) and led Norway with an average ice time of 22:44 in seven games. He is expected to play for Farjestad in the Swedish Hockey League next season.

On DraftKings, Michael Brandsegg-Nygard’s projected draft position is 15.5, while Stian Solberg’s projected draft position is 16.5.

To bet on this prop at DraftKings, you can click the following link.

Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Bettin