Boston University center and recent recipient of the Hobey Baker Award, Macklin Celebrini, remained the No. 1 prospect in North America in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2024 draft. NHL Central Scouting released the list Tuesday.
Celebrini is a dynamic all-around center who checks every box teams will be looking for. He’s an elite offensive player who competes and can play off the puck at a high level, too.
Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov was No. 2, followed by center Cayden Lindstrom from Medicine Hat.
Levshunov is a 6-foot-2 mobile defenseman who provides a ton of offensive skill and hockey sense. He was a top player in his conference and could be a potential No. 1 defenseman in the NHL.
Macklin Celebrini (@TerrierHockey) remains atop the list of North American skaters capped off by winning the 2024 Hobey Baker Memorial Award last week. #NHLDraft
Full Rankings: https://t.co/hgwZsYOewz pic.twitter.com/Xq5aUDc8je
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) April 16, 2024
Defensemen Zeev Buium from Denver and Zayne Parekh from Saginaw round out the top five.
On the international side, 6-foot-7 defenseman Anton Silayev with the Torpedo organization in Russia leads their list, followed by Russian winger Ivan Demidov with SKA and Jukurit center Konsta Helenius. Silayev is very mobile for a giant of a man, coupled with a lot of physicality and good puck-moving ability. He has the potential to be a star in the league.
Forwards Michael Hage from the Chicago Steel and Tij Iginla from Kelowna were the biggest risers, as both players’ great seasons vaulted them into the top ten players in North America.
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(Photo: Richard T. Gagnon / Getty Images)
