Every team’s biggest need at the 2024 NHL Draft – and whom they might take

Jun 5, 2024

Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

It’s always fun to follow the various draft strategies employed by the 32 NHL teams each year.

Some teams go all-in on getting immediate help, leaving them with just a handful of draft picks and very few reasons to even make the trek over to the draft floor. Other teams just go for best player available, while others bank high on upside even if it’s not popular among the consensus.

I’m always on team BPA, especially early – always draft the best player you possibly can get your hands on, regardless of position. Your needs will change over time, and even in a matter of days once free agency opens up. Having a surplus at one position opens up trade doors and could have its benefits, and even if you feel confident in your crop, there’s always the potential of a few falling through the cracks.

But after making your first pick, going for organizational needs makes more sense. So today, we’re checking out what every team needs to look to improve later this month when the draft commences in Vegas – and some teams need a bit more help than others:

Anaheim Ducks: Defensive depth

The Ducks have four picks in the top 60, including the No. 3 selection. That pick is partly out of their own hands – Artyom Levshunov would be a perfect fit, but the Chicago Blackhawks will definitely show some interest. Anaheim could easily go with Ivan Demidov at No. 3 if they’re chasing the best player available, but after losing Jamie Drysdale in the Cutter Gauthier trade, replenishing the blueline isn’t a bad move.

Zayne Parekh would be interesting here, given Anaheim’s recent success when drafting out of the CHL with Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger. Maybe they instead chase size with Anton Silayev, or the two-way acumen of Sam Dickinson or Zeev Buium. Either way, they’ve got some high-end options and then can have a bit of fun at No. 32 and 35 by building some depth.

Boston Bruins: Everything

Unsurprisingly, after years of trying to go the distance, the Bruins’ prospect pool is one of the worst in the NHL. Matt Poitras jumped to full-time NHL duty before his injury, while forward Johnny Beecher and defenseman Mason Lohrei both saw some significant time, too. Fabian Lysell is the best prospect who hasn’t had a real shot with the big team yet and might be the only one who has a shot at being a real impact NHLer one day.

The problem? The Bruins don’t select until the fourth round and have just three picks total. They could afford to ship off some assets to bring some picks back, but GM Don Sweeney still likely believes this team can contend for at least a few more Stanley Cup cycles. The come-down is going to be brutal when that eventually happens with a pipeline as thin as Boston’s, so they need to find a way to hit with one of their few picks.

Buffalo Sabres: Right-handed defenseman

This one was a bit tricky because the argument to land a true right-winger is tantalizing. But when you look at the roster and the fact that the only right-handed defenders were Connor Clifton and Henri Jokiharju, going in this direction makes the most sense.

In a perfect world, they’d land Zayne Parekh – one of the most dynamic scoring defenders you’ll find. But if he’s not available, could the Sabres take a chance on Carter Yakemchuk? Some organizations view him as a top-10 prospect but if he’s not taken at No. 11, and his mix of skill and size would be perfect on a Sabres blueline that has begun establishing themselves as a difficult one to play against. Yakemchuk might even be more NHL-ready than any of Buffalo’s other top RHDs in the system, such as Maxim Strbak and Vesevolod Komarov.

Calgary Flames: Defensive depth

Truly, the answer is: everything. It feels like the Flames will use the ninth overall pick to take a forward, whether it’s Berkly Catton, Cayden Lindstrom or Tij Iginla – someone who can give the team some serious forward depth sooner rather than later. But the 28th pick feels like a safe time to take a defenseman, which could include EJ Emery, Cole Hutson, Charlie Elick, Leo Sahlin Wallenius, Aron Kiviharju, Henry Mews or someone else of the ilk.

The Flames have made moves to address their defensive depth by adding Hunter Brzustewicz and Artem Grushnikov ahead of the trade deadline. But for the most part, the team doesn’t have many bullets in the chamber, especially after trading away Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. With eight picks in the first four rounds, the Flames will be one of the most interesting teams on draft day, no doubt.

Carolina Hurricanes: Center depth

The Hurricanes have a good track record recently for finding hidden gems, especially with players taken outside the first round like Alexander Nikishin and Jackson Blake. Blake signed his first NHL contract, along with Bradly Nadeau and Scott Morrow, meaning the team could have three of their top young guns fighting for roster spots in 2024-25.

But they also moved a handful of prospects to acquire Jake Guentzel at the trade deadline, so now’s the time to start bulking up. Carolina’s top prospects are almost all wingers, including Nadeau and Blake. Ryan Suzuki might be the best real center in their system, and he looks like a long shot to ever become a full-time NHLer. The Canes hold the 27th pick, and if they choose to go the center route, they might have a shot at Sacha Boisvert, Jett Luchanko, Cole Beaudoin or Lucas Pettersson. Any of those would be a good start.

Chicago Blackhawks: Top-four defenseman

I still think the Hawks should go after Ivan Demidov because I truly believe he’s the second-best player available in this draft. But there’s no question they need defensive help in the pipeline to give Kevin Korchinski and Alex Vlasic some help down the line. Sam Rinzel and Ethan Del Mastro are both solid names, but that’s about it. Is either truly a top-four defensemen at this point? Rinzel, maybe, but they need something else to spice it up.

Could the Hawks bet high with their second pick and take Adam Jiricek or Aron Kiviharju? The dynamic defenders both missed most of the season due to injury but were projected to go in the top 10 early on. Stian Solberg or EJ Emery are both decent options, too. Having the 33rd pick also helps, so it really feels like it’s going to be a difficult task for the Hawks to screw this one up. I think there are enough high-end defensive prospects this year that you can get Connor Bedard the scoring help he needs on the wing in Demidov and still pick up a defender with a high ceiling later in the same round.

Colorado Avalanche: Literally anything

Colorado’s pursuit of excellence has left the team with one of the worst pipelines in the league, although snagging Calum Ritchie and Mikhail Gulyayev last year gave them a nice boost.

But beyond that, there aren’t many prospects worth getting too excited about. They still have their first-rounder but don’t pick again until the fourth round. There will be plenty of high-quality options at No. 24, assuming they don’t swap the pick, and I think they’ll aim to bring in a defenseman. The Casey Mittelstadt trade helped them assess a need, but they need a Bowen Byram replacement – could that be Kiviharju or Henry Mews?

I do hope the Avs find a way to acquire another pick along the way because they need help at every position if they want to avoid a rough come-down a few years down the line.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Goaltending

I love Columbus’s prospect pool. I truly do. David Jiricek and Denton Mateychuk are two of the best defensive prospects in the game, while Gavin Brindley and Jordan Dumais are two high-end wingers. That doesn’t include recently promoted offensive threats like Adam Fantilli, Dmitri Voronkov, Cole Sillinger, and Kirill Marchenko.

But with Elvis Merzlikins struggling to perform, and Daniil Tarasov looking more like a true backup (but a good one, at that), the team needs some help in the crease. Sergei Ianov was an excellent pickup in the fifth round in 2022, with hopes he’d outgrow his small frame. But he’s still only 5-foot-11, and a few years away at best. Banking on him coming through and being the No. 1 goalie feels unlikely. Columbus has two picks in the third round, and it almost feels certain they’ll take a chance on a goalkeeper, whether it’s Carter George, Ryerson Leenders, Eemil Vinni, Ilya Nabokov or someone else. It’s never a bad thing to have multiple goalies in waiting because getting an accurate read on them is one of the hardest things for any NHL team to do.

Dallas Stars: Forward depth

It’s a bit vague, yes. But while the Stars have some decent weapons on the blueline coming up and with Logan Stankoven and Mavrik Bourque primed for full-time NHL duty next year, they might not have another future NHL forward in the system.

Dallas picks 29th, so they could bet high on upside here. Teddy Stiga or Ryder Ritchie could fit the bill, or even a big 6-foot-7 center like Dean Letourneau. Maybe Terik Parascak will still be available. I also wouldn’t blame them for going with a defenseman who might have a better shot at becoming a legitimate pro presence than the others in the system, but I think they have to prioritize scoring here.

Detroit Red Wings: Shooting winger

When Alex DeBrincat was hot, he was hot. But when he wasn’t, he was invisible, leaving too much to be desired up front. I still believe in DeBrincat, but the fact the Red Wings don’t have a ton of scoring wingers behind him is a bit scary to think about.

Detroit has the 15th pick, so the options are interesting. Could the Red Wings go with upside and take Beckett Sennecke after his remarkable second half? What about Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, one of the best shooters in the first round? That just feels like a Red Wings pick, honestly. And then there’s Trevor Connelly, one of the most skilled wingers in this class. There are off-ice question marks, but no one can deny the talent. All three would be great pickups for a Detroit pipeline that needs more dangerous scoring threats.

Edmonton Oilers: Rugged forwards with two-way potential

The Oilers don’t have a first-round pick, so they’re going to miss out on some talent. But given where they are, they won’t care too much. With just two picks in the first five rounds, they won’t be overly busy.

But finding some hidden gems is going to be crucial here, and I feel like adding some bottom-six toughness could be valuable. Adam Jecho would be an outstanding option at the end of the second round, if he’s still available. He’s 6-foot-5, has skill, can play center and handles the puck well. If he’s gone, maybe they’ll take a chance on Riley Patterson, another center who drives the net hard and wins battles along the boards. Kieron Walton is a big kid at 6-foot-5 and 203 pounds with a great shot, power-play potential and the hard-working style the team could use in the bottom six.

Florida Panthers: A defenseman with legitimate NHL potential

With just one pick in the first four rounds – a third-rounder – it’s not going to be a big draft year for the Panthers. Realistically, they just need numbers because they have a below average pipeline with very few NHL-caliber prospects.

But could they strike gold in the third round? It’s hard to find future NHL-quality talent that late, but fortunately, it’s a strong draft for blueliners, something the Panthers lack in their pipeline beyond Michael Benning. Could they go the upside route of Tarin Smith, chase size with Spencer Gill or Colton Roberts, mobility with Daniel Nieminen or offense with Anthony Cristoforo? Florida has options to find a hidden gem.

Los Angeles Kings: Goal-scoring winger

It wasn’t that long ago that the Kings had one of the most exciting pipelines in hockey. But the rebuild came and went, and many of those players the team were banking high on just never seemed to make a real impact – Alex Turcotte and Akil Thomas, mainly.

There’s an argument for the Kings to move up from the No. 21 pick. Maybe it’ll require including someone like Turcotte or Arthur Kaliyev to help spice up the deal, but they need to start aiming high to get some extra scoring help. If they could put themselves in a spot to land someone like Cole Eiserman, Trevor Connelly or Beckett Sennecke, they’ll be in better shape.

Minnesota Wild: Centers

The Wild fell short of expectations this year, but they have a chance to strike gold with the No. 13 pick. And with an abundance of defenders expected to go early, this could be their opportunity to hit high on a center – or maybe they even package the pick in a deal to make the group more competitive in the short run.

But if they don’t, getting some long-term help to back up Joel Eriksson Ek, Marco Rossi and Marat Khusnutdinov wouldn’t hurt. At 13, Berkly Catton or Konsta Helenius could realistically still be around. If not, maybe they take a run at Michael Hage, someone who could be a top-six threat in a few years – especially if the Wild aren’t fully sold on Rossi.

Montreal Canadiens: Speedy, goal-scoring forward

With the No. 5 and No. 26 picks, the Canadiens have some options available in the first round. They clearly don’t need a defenseman – they took Logan Mailloux in 2021 and and David Reinbacher in 2023 and have too many young guys chasing a handful of spots.

So it’s almost a sure bet they’ll move forward this year. They need someone who can bring speed and goal-scoring – Cole Eiserman or Tij Iginla come to mind. Some Habs want Beckett Sennecke – that just feels like a bit of a stretch at No. 5. If they pass on Cayden Lindstrom or Berkly Catton in favor of wing depth, I could see them chasing Trois-Rivieres native Sacha Boisvert at No. 25 – or, if they do take a center, they could bet high on Teddy Stiga or Ryder Ritchie.

Nashville Predators: Organizational depth

That’s not much of an answer, for sure. But with six picks in the first 94 selections, the Preds have an opportunity to hit on all positions and potentially push this group into becoming one of the best pipelines in hockey.

The Preds already have a goalie in the future in Yaroslav Askarov, scoring help with Matthew Wood and Joakim Kemell, physicality in Zachary L’Heureux, and a potential momentum-shifting defenseman in Tanner Molendyk. They’d benefit the most from using their first-rounder on another defender with serious NHL potential such as Adam Jiricek, Aron Kiviharju or Alfons Freij, depending on how adventurous they want to get. But with three picks just seven spots apart in the second round, they can get creative, either moving a couple or just stockpiling their pipeline any way they please. It’s a good spot to be in, really.

New Jersey Devils: Goaltending

Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald said he’s open to trading the No. 10 pick for the right price – likely one involving a goalie. If not, they’re going best player available – and there’s no shortage of options that would work out perfectly for the Devils. Eiserman, Zayne Parekh, Tij Iginla, Carter Yakemchuk, you name it.

But with no picks in the second round, they’ll need to get smart with the two third-rounders they have. They’ve got some winger depth, but using one of those picks on a goalie would be a wise move. There’s going to be plenty available at that point, like Ilya Nabokov, Carter George, Marcus Gidlof or Ryerson Leenders. The Devils still need to get an immediate fix, but having another iron in the fire is critical.

New York Islanders: Literally anything

The Islanders have one of the worst pipelines in hockey – but that isn’t news. Calle Odelius is the team’s top prospect, and that’s not exactly a game-changing player at the next level. Danny Nelson and William Dufour are bottom-six players at best, too.

At No. 20, the Islanders need scoring help. Is Liam Greentree the guy? He has size and a great shot release. They could also bank on Terik Parascak being the real deal after his explosive WHL rookie season. But they could also try and strike gold on a defenseman in hopes of getting Noah Dobson some help sooner rather than later. Seriously, just don’t waste these picks.

New York Rangers: Puck-moving defenseman

The Rangers’ push to go all the way didn’t work out as planned – but at least they still have their first-round pick at No. 30. They’ve drafted an abundance of wingers that can fill various roles in the lineup, but they’re still truly in win-now mode.

New York really needs some center help, with Noah Laba being the team’s best option – and I’m not sure he’s a full-time NHLer down the line, anyway. On the blueline, though, Drew Fortescue has the best shot at being an NHLer, but at 18, he’s far from ready. Snagging someone like Henry Mews, Cole Hutson or Alfons Freij would give them someone capable of getting the puck where it needs to be to help generate offense. I wouldn’t blame them if they took a center instead, but there aren’t many realistic options at No. 30, at least.

Ottawa Senators: Right-handed defenseman

Sens fans, meet Zayne Parekh. The perfect fit for the team at No. 7 if he’s still available, which is very possible. He broke the 30-goal, 90-point mark during the regular season and was a big part of Saginaw’s Memorial Cup championship. He has top-pairing upside, and with Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot holding the fort on the left side long-term, Parekh would give them huge value.

If the Senators wanted to really double down, they could target 67’s defender Henry Mews with the 25th pick. They also hold the 39th pick, where they could take a chance on a big 6-foot-3 right-handed blueliner in Dominik Badinka. No matter their direction, they have options and the capital to make it happen.

Philadelphia Flyers: Scoring help

The Flyers have two picks in the first round and five in the first 80 picks. For a team in a rebuild, that’s huge – especially after losing Cutter Gauthier to the Anaheim Ducks back in January.

Matvei Michkov is expected to come over for 2024-25, and he’ll need someone to play with. At No. 12, perhaps that’s center Konsta Helenius or winger Cole Eiserman. Berkly Catton would be an excellent pick, too. With the second pick, they could chase offensive upside in Terik Parascak or Nikita Artamonov to give Philly more wing power. If Cole Hutson is available at No. 36, that would give the Flyers some extra scoring power from the point, too. Just find players who can help score; simple as that.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Defensive depth

At some point, Kris Letang is going to retire. But before that happens, the Penguins need to do everything in their power to ensure the transition isn’t as painful as it’s going to be once Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin eventually move on from playing up front.

The Pens traded their first-rounder to San Jose in the Erik Karlsson trade, so a team that already features one of the most underwhelming pipelines in the draft will remain that way. But with two second-round picks just two positions apart, they have a chance to hit a home run. They’re almost certainly going to take a defenseman with one of the two – but why not two? Will they bet high on someone like Adam Kleber or draft for size like Dominik Badinka? They still need forward depth, too, and Luke Misa, John Mustard and Sam O’Reilly could all be good options with speed once they come up to pick, too.

San Jose Sharks: Defensive depth

So they’re taking Macklin Celebrini at No. 1 – that’s easy. But they’ve got some interesting decisions to make at No. 14, 33 and 42 – all of which could be impact additions for the Sharks by the time they’re ready to start making a serious run at the playoffs.

It feels safe that the Sharks will look to get a defenseman with serious top-four upside with their second first-rounder. EJ Emery and Carter Yakemchuk are two wildly different defenders who could be big pickups. The Sharks could also look to trade down and take a flier on Stian Solberg or Adam Jiricek in order to gain another asset. With two second-rounders, including the first pick on Day 2, landing Cole Hutson or Alfons Freij would give the back end some serious legitimacy. I do hope they use the third pick – No. 85 – on a goaltender because their crease situation is seriously a mess.

Seattle Kraken: Top-four defensemen

The Kraken have drafted some solid forwards in the past few years – Matty Beniers and Shane Wright being the biggest two. But they’ve always lacked a high-end, franchise-developed defenseman, something that could finally change with the eighth pick this year.

Zeev Buium would be a perfect fit for the Kraken. He had 50 points this year in one of the best freshman seasons we’ve seen from a defenseman in NCAA history. If he’s off the board, there’s still a good chance they could land Sam Dickinson or Anton Silayev – both of whom would be massive additions to the team’s depth chart. At No. 40, I could see them sticking with the defensive route before using the No. 62 pick to bet high on a winger, like Melvin Fernstrom, Miguel Marques, Brodie Ziemer or Alex Zetterberg.

St. Louis Blues: Right-handed defenseman

All 32 teams could benefit from adding some right-handed defensive depth this year, but the Blues are definitely near the top of the list. Their top RHD prospect is Noah Beck, who’s set to embark on his fifth year of college hockey. He’s not exactly someone I see having much of an NHL career, if I’m being honest.

The Blues are loaded up front, so while best player available is always the best strategy for any team, I think they need to take a serious run at EJ Emery, Adam Jiricek or Carter Yakemchuk (if he’s still available) at No. 16. Even if it’s a bit of a reach, the impact one of those three could have is much higher than whoever they’ll land at No. 48, so they might as well make a big splash now.

Tampa Bay Lightning: Literally anything

Until they acquired a fourth-rounder in the Ryan McDonagh trade, it looked like Tampa Bay’s management was going to get some extra face time in their hotel casino on draft day. They hold five picks, but nothing in the first 127 selections, so they’ll be mostly banking on finding some late-round gems.

Tampa Bay is as good as anyone at that, but their pipeline is a bit decimated after years of chasing Stanley Cups. They’re not going to get much high-end scoring help that late, but they could land a potential backup goaltender and take chances on players with evident flaws, but high potential. Maybe a re-entry player like Tanner Adams, a smaller scoring threat like Diego Buttazzoni or a late-bloomer like Eerik Wallenius. After that, it’s a bit of a shot in the dark.

Toronto Maple Leafs: Defense

No matter who the Leafs take at No. 23, targeting a defenseman seems to be the right move. They have Topi Niemela, who’s fresh off his first year in the AHL. They also traded for Cade Webber, who brings size but is more likely to be lining up with the Toronto Marlies than the big club.

Toronto has plenty of options at No. 23 – their only pick in the top 100. EJ Emery would be a great fit if he’s still available – a big, right-shot defenseman who can shut guys down. Maybe they’ll go for Stian Solberg, a rough-and-tumble defenseman out of Norway who rose up the rankings in the second half. Aron Kiviharju, Charlie Elick and Cole Hutson have to be targets, too.

Utah: Top-pairing defenseman

GM Bill Armstrong spent the past few years loading up on high-end forwards: Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Conor Geekie and Daniil But. They’ve also taken Dmitri Simashev and Maveric Lameroux in the first round, but they’ve otherwise had a difficult time of drafting and developing impact blueliners since taking JJ Moser 60th overall in 2021.

Armstrong loves human skyscrapers – there’s no shortage of talent in the waiting standing 6-foot-3 and up. Anton Silayev would be a perfect fit if they want to keep the trend up, especially since he’s a Russian on a team that selected two in the first round last year. If they’re chasing more skill with the puck, Sam Dickinson and Zeev Buium both should be available and only a few years away from being legit NHLers.

Vancouver Canucks: Center depth

For a team most expected to still be in rebuild mode, the Canucks went all-in this year, only to fall short in the second round to the Edmonton Oilers. They only have five picks this year as a result, but nothing before No. 93.

Aatu Raty is the best center in the team’s pipeline and that likely won’t change with the draft this year. But that won’t stop them from potentially hitting on a nice value pick, such as Raoul Boilard, Aidan Park, or even the small, but exceptionally skilled Mac Swanson. From there, banking high on a defenseman like Viggo Gustafsson, Alexis Benier, Sebastian Soini, Timur Kol or Tomas Lavoie could pay off, too.

Vegas Golden Knights: Depth of any kind

Vegas’ pick at No. 19 overall is their only selection in the first five rounds. But whoever they take better not get used to the Nevada weather, given they’ve traded all but one first-rounder in franchise history. And even then, it’s not clear what Brendan Brisson‘s path to full-time NHL action looks like right now.

But if we’re being serious, I hope the Golden Knights select a defenseman. But if they do, I hope they go all-out on banking on upside and ignore any flaws. I’m talking Cole Hutson or Henry Mews. Why not? Worst case, both have enough upside to ship out if needed. At best, you’re landing a creative-scoring defenseman who loves to win. Win-win, right?

Washington Capitals: A bit of everything

The Capitals have five picks in the first three rounds, giving them a bit of flexibility. They only have two in the top 80, but there’s a good opportunity for the Capitals to find some wins later in the draft. One name that makes sense – and not because he’s Russian – is Igor Chernysov. He’s a high-end power forward who can play anywhere in the lineup, and I thought he looked quite good in the KHL.

Jett Luchanko, Michael Hage and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard are all interesting options, too. The third round is where they can make or break it – I hope they take a forward, a defenseman and a goaltender to round things out. They just need a bit of help everywhere as the rebuild looms.

Winnipeg Jets: Defenseman with top-four upside

The Jets only have one pick in the top 100 – No. 37 after getting a second-rounder in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade last summer. With five picks total, and most in the second half, it’s all about banking on upside, no matter the position.

But their first pick is definitely interesting. There’s going to be some decent defensemen with some offensive upside worth taking a shot at. Cole Hutson is the popular pick, especially if he develops anywhere close to his brother, Lane. Henry Mews is as good as it gets in terms of offensively gifted right-handers, while Jesse Pulkkinen had a good year in Finland – and he’s 6-foot-6. Adam Kleber is also a nice option at 6-foot-4. From there, just take a few bets as you hope to strike gold while still being a playoff threat.