As mentioned on Sunday’s pod, I deliberately avoided doing anything like this for a while because I wanted to wait until the Memorial Cup had come to a close so I could have basically a full season across the major dev leagues to make my assessments based off of. Now that it’s effectively all come to a close, I can make informed evaluations of the value of these prospects.

The initial top 10 is ranked, but beyond the #1 (who can’t be challenged by anyone at this point), this is not necessarily reflective of the order that I expect that these players will be taken in. It’s mostly determined by how impressed I am by their skillsets and how high I believe their ceilings can be. Sample bias admittedly might have influenced how the order was stratified. The second section is not ordered and is merely a group of players I can see being low risk, high reward in the back end of round one and in the subsequent rounds.

In correspondence with the fact that there is a well-recognized dropoff/at minimum interchangeability after the consensus #1 pick in this draft, most of the margins separating the rest of the players in the top 10 are small, sometimes even razor thin. Ergo, take this ranking with a bucket of cement, never mind a grain of salt.

Top ten North American skaters:

1.) C Macklin Celebrini (NCAA – Hockey East: Boston University)

(#1 NHL Central Scouting NA)

There almost isn’t any point covering this choice considering everything that could be said already has been. But hey, why not share some of what I saw from him this year through my own eyes?

As I’ve discussed with some of my circle when doing prospect evaluations and helping to create a model for rankings of essential skills for members of this upcoming class (particularly Derek Dunn of Flyers analysis brand The Liberty Yell), “Mack” doesn’t play similarly to Nathan MacKinnon stylistically, but he shares some similar physical traits and tools in that his contact balance and puck protection are huge parts of what make him so good (and both are very important attributes to have in this sport), yet they get overlooked in contrast with the flashier things. His strength on the puck and general immovability are undersold relative to the other assets he has. He is a tough customer when it comes to getting him to budge in possession, on top of the slickness and quickness. It is the totality of these that made him such a terror for his conference this year as the youngest player in the nation, a season in which he became the youngest ever Hobey Baker Award winner and only the fourth freshman to win the award after Paul Kariya (1993 – Maine), Jack Eichel (2015 – BU), and Adam Fantilli (2023 – Michigan).

This is also bearing in mind that he has exceptional speed both north/south and east/west. His ability to pivot and his acceleration also are too notch. In any skating-based area, he looks the way “the guy” should. It also bears stating that his shot is already both powerful and accurate in a way that looks pro-level and that he’s put in the work to be responsible in the 200-foot game.

Not every draft class has a franchise-altering star available in its ranks, even at 1st overall. However, Celebrini clearly is that. San Jose will be adding yet another legitimate force to their future top six when they make this selection.

2.) LW Cole Eiserman (USHL: US NTDP, committed to Boston University)

(#12 NHL Central Scouting NA)

The narrative around him that persisted for a long time was that he was the only challenger to Celebrini for the king of this class. For reasons I will discuss momentarily, that has changed in the eyes of many, but it hasn’t for me. Eiserman becoming the top goal scorer in US NTDP history was not him being a teammate merchant for supreme playmakers like some think. Quite the opposite, in fact. Look at the players whose underlying playmaking metrics he vastly improved. This is not intended as disrespect to Bednarik or Plante, both of whom I think will do quite well at Boston University and University of Minnesota-Duluth, respectively. However, we did not enter this season under the impression either would be elite playmakers.

It all comes back to Eiserman having a knack for finding soft ice, getting open in the slot, and generally being ridiculous off the puck. We often think of defense when we think the term “hockey IQ.” There are far, far more parts of it than that, and one of them is positioning and knowing where to place yourself when you don’t have the puck to make the most dangerous offensive play. Eiserman possesses that, in spades. Add to that that his shot mechanics are terrific, he possesses great puck control, he has great north/south speed and can hit his top speed pretty quickly, and you have a player who looks like someone you can imagine as perhaps even a #1 option on a Stanley Cup championship team in his pro career.

As for why his offensive ability is just so overthought, he has gotten knocked for his lack of defensive prowess and there have been questions about his character. He is well-aware of his deficiencies in the defensive area and has been putting work to improve them and wants to continue to grow as a player. To me, this shows that he is self-aware, to a degree that is rare for a player his age. Truth be told, the issues he has are far more troubling when dealing with decision-making with the puck and consistency with pass completion. That said, as a late August birthday, he is one of the youngest players in this class. These things will change, especially under the guidance of a coach as good as Jay Pandolfo.

3.) F Berkly Catton (CHL – WHL: Spokane Chiefs)

(#8 NHL Central Scouting NA)

Cayden Lindstrom – who did make this list – is coveted to a great degree and not without reason! However, while acknowledging that injuries limited the sample size he was able to produce for us this year, I didn’t agree with him being selected for the CHL Top Draft Prospect Award.

It’s simply impossible to ignore what Catton accomplished this year and what he did to make it happen. Four players had 50(+) goal, 100(+) seasons in the WHL this season, in the forms of Zac Funk (Prince George Cougars/Washington Capitals), Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw Warriors/Seattle Kraken), James Stefan (Portland Winterhawks/Edmonton Oilers), and Catton. Of these four, Catton was the youngest and the only one who was playing his D0 year. To that point, Catton is in historic company when it comes to DY CHL productivity, at least in this millennium. Check out who the other three players are to have produced 50+ goals, 115+ points in the CHL in their draft-eligible season since the 21st century began.

To contextualize this productivity in the team setting, Conner Roulette, an overager, was the only player on the Spokane roster whose productivity was close to Catton’s this year. After those two, there was a 37 point dropoff to third-place Chase Bertholet. Spokane would be swept out of the first round by Prince George. To do a lot when working with so little is a litmus test for a player having a bright future.

Now, as to what Catton possesses, let’s just say he has a terrific knack for playing off the rush. He’s fast as heck in transition, he’s crafty on his skates and when it comes to making himself available for a play, of any kind, particularly at a moment’s notice. He also has amazing puck manipulation skill, among the best I saw from any player in any dev setting this season. Beyond that, his creativity extends into areas you wouldn’t expect, either. He has some slick ways to win faceoffs, which is something I noticed the very first time I watched him play a full game. There’s some uncertainty about whether he’s a center or a wing at the NHL level. It may depend on setting and roster construction to a degree, but I think he is a C in the NHL, 100%, especially as the league has progressed towards being an environment wherein the center is expected to fill a support role rather than engaging directly in puck battles along the wall.

To that point, contact balance is a question mark surrounding him. I definitely agree with Derek Dunn’s assessment that he’s got it well enough for the CHL, but may not for the NHL. At least not yet. I imagine he puts in the work to become sturdier in the coming few years. He also hasn’t produced the most impressive defensive results yet, with him only being a 44th percentile defensive player in Mitchell Brown’s model (the last I saw). However, the weaknesses he has are very teachable.

4.) D Zayne Parekh (CHL – OHL: Saginaw Spirit)

(#5 NHL Central Scouting NA)

I thought long and hard about whether I would rank Parekh in this spot or D Zeev Buium of the Denver Pioneers higher. However, I think I agree with the scouting assessment I saw that saying that betting on Buium – who will be on this list and has a fantastic future ahead of him in the NHL – is more betting on a reliable offensive floor, whereas Parekh has those raw skills that can be tempered into a phenomenal, unstoppable offensive force. I would say Buium has an advantage in the skating department, but Parekh has the edge in terms of potential/ceiling in a lot of other respects, including defensive capabilities.

We know the statistical profile and achievements – Him setting records for goals and points by a defenseman in a single season for Saginaw, in addition to being just the second defenseman in OHL history to score 30+ goals in his DY after John Slaney of the 1989-90 Cornwall Royals. Since the turn of the millennium, the only OHL defenseman to have more points in a season than him was Ryan Ellis of the Windsor Spitfires in his D+2 season in 2010-11, wherein he had 101. These sit amongst many other achievements by Parekh. What it is that has opened the game up for him to be this productive is that his vision is outstanding and his offensive IQ and processing just make it look like he’s playing Chel on rookie. This especially comes alive when his team is playing on the man advantage and has tons of space, making him a terrific candidate for a power play quarterback role on a contending team in the NHL. This ability also prevents him from making many mental lapses with the puck.

His defense has evolved, particularly his defensive stick, and it was evident during Saginaw’s OHL playoff run and their successful stint as Memorial Cup hosts. I don’t see eye-to-eye with Craig Button on a number of different things, but I agreed with him that he is progressing in that direction. He’ll likely never be a full-on shutdown player in that respect, but he has come a long way in that area of play.

5.) F Cayden Lindstrom (CHL – WHL: Medicine Hat Tigers)

(#3 NHL Central Scouting NA)

I admit – I’m not as high on him as many have come to be. However, I can see a path to success for him in the NHL. It’s a narrow one, but it’s evident that he knows how to walk it and definitely can, due to having such a translatable physical profile and repertoire.

Lindstrom entered Medicine Hat from the CSSHL having raw tools that were waiting to be put together. Willie Desjardins has done that for him and helped him become who he is shaping up to be. He uses his size and speed combination to be a phenomenal power forward to great results and has been on a clear upward trajectory since setting foot in the Dub. Due to unrelated, unfortunate injuries, we haven’t seen all of the results of his development (he was limited to just 32 regular season games this year, in which he tallied 27 goals and 17 assists and registered a +12). The ones we have, however, indicate obvious potential. He can be flashy, but he knows not to go overboard with it. He won’t be some freakish Joe Thornton/Connor McDavid/Eric Lindros type when combining size and skill but he quite frankly doesn’t have to be to have a future in the league. His particular physical attributes lend themselves to development of a great hockey acumen, both offensively and defensively. Provided he continues his forward movement, that should be enough for him to do well in the NHL.

Lindstrom is fortunate, too, in that if he returns to Medicine Hat for further dev after being selected in the draft, he can return to the WHL without stagnating. Dare I say, Willie Desjardins is similar to London’s Dale Hunter in that being in his development system in being beneficial to prospects in pursuit of taking steps forward. Lindstrom’s teammate Gavin McKenna (2026 Draft eligible) is in no small part a product of Desjardins’ efforts both at the CSSHL level and in the Dub. Returning to that environment will only help Lindstrom’s development, not hurt it.

6.) D Zeev Buium (NCAA – NCHC: University of Denver)

(#4 NHL Central Scouting NA)

We know just how successful he was this year. He had the absurd point streak and racked up productivity that was historic, finishing with 50 points in 42 games, all told in his freshman NCAA season. He complemented his existing U18 World Championship gold medal with a WJC gold and a national title. He’s been reliable, productive, and an absolute thrill to watch. In terms of pure productivity, his DY NHLe was the highest of anyone since Bobby Orr.

Buium succeeds by being the physical embodiment of the word “dynamism” in the offensive zone. He is a ridiculously good skater in terms of speed, edgework, north/south and east/west and just seems to do what he wants upon a successful zone entry by the Pios. He processes the game well, has great creativity with the puck, and is an outstanding playmaker who can tally assists with ease. Buium just has everything you want in an offensive defenseman and it’s clear that he’s going to do a lot no matter where he goes based off his results in his D0 season. At minimum, he’s got a terrific floor as an OFD, and the results will be evident right away. He also is entering this draft having already developed a taste for victory and knowing what it takes to succeed under the brightest lights, which is invaluable.

The only thing holding him back is that he, as Byron Bader declared above, is just not very engaged defensively. Not to say that there is no chance that that changes, just that there are options in this class that don’t have this area as a weakness/project, though I do think his offensive prowess is enough to project him as a top-two impact defenseman in the NHL from this class. He also was something of a late bloomer in that Parekh projected better than him in his D-1 year and his ceiling is not really something you can grow because of the specific kind of offensive force he is, at least from where I’m standing right now. Maybe I’ll end up being proven wrong, but I have a sense for where he’s trending. However, that’s still a great player to be.

7.) D Sam Dickinson (CHL – OHL: London Knights)

(#7 NHL Central Scouting NA)

I will keep this one fairly short, as I covered Dickinson’s abilities as a prospect, as well as his team and the season they had in 2023-24, in great detail both here and on the pod’s weekly dev league coverage.

I would argue that, at this point, there is strong evidence that Dickinson is the beneficiary of playing in the London system in terms of tangible results rather than the esteem of that program. He has great shutdown capabilities and possesses strong acceleration. He can make plays and move the puck from the back-end to great results. He is very poised, good at winning battles, and generally possesses a very well-rounded game. On the offensive side, he rode this profile to the tune of 70 points in 68 games in the regular season and a team-best +56 as the Knights captured the Hamilton Spectator Trophy as OHL regular season champions. He was a bit quieter in the OHL postseason, as he tallied 13 points in 18 games and a +11, but make no mistake – He wasn’t just along for the ride this year for the team that did everything except prevail at the last hurdle in the Memorial Cup. He was a driver for their success.

There’s no question about it: Dickinson took steps up in the system that he was traded to after the Niagara IceDogs were not able to secure a meeting with any of Dickinson’s representation or family members after they had drafted him. He does have consistency issues, but with his well-rounded game and his 6’3″, 194 lbs frame, he is easy value for an early selection in the first round.

8.) D Artyom Levshunov (NCAA – B1G: Michigan State)

(#2 NHL Central Scouting NA)

I think part of why this Spartan star is so highly coveted is a manner of convenience – Big (6’2″, 209), right-hand shot blueliner who’s also fast and possesses a gigantic shot. However, Levshunov is not simply a novelty, he has a great repertoire and has used it to great results. As noted previously by Alexander Appleyard, he had one of the most productive years in terms of points that a D0 year defenseman has ever had in NCAA history. He is just about as good laterally as he is vertically and he can make plays, as well, and the statistics reflect that (most notably in his 26 assists in 38 games played). Make no mistake, the former USHL Green Bay Gambler played a big role in the B1G Conference champs’ successful campaign. The reason I don’t have him ranked higher is that I think there are just superior skillsets at his position that would be leaving a lot on the table if I were to pass them up in favor of Levshunov. That said, I’m near certain he’ll be picked in the top 5 due to him possessing attributes a lot of teams value, and I won’t bat an eye at it, either.

9.) D Carter Yakemchuk (CHL – WHL: Calgary Hitmen)

(#11 NHL Central Scouting NA)

Tremendously gifted with his hands, his puck manipulation, craftiness, and overall skill in the offensive respect are extremely powerful assets. Yakemchuk utilized those to the tune of 30 goals and 41 assists for 71 points in 66 games, placing him second on the Hitmen in all major offensive categories on a somewhat middling team that narrowly missed out on the WHL’s Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. He also isn’t afraid to get physical, often toeing the line and frequently crossing it, as well, having racked up 120 PIMs this year. He is skilled in addition to being built like a strong and sturdy tree (6’3″, 194 pounds) and using it well. He possesses many traits that teams do and will covet.

However, he is not without demerits. His skating does not exactly scream “mobile” in any direction. Combine that with the fact that he does not necessarily possess the specific kind of hockey IQ that lends itself to good defensive positioning. This means he will get beaten often. Now combine those with the fact that, having just missed the cutoff for 2023 NHL Entry Draft eligibility by two weeks, he is one of the older players in this class, and there is reason for trepidation. That said, I still believe his slickness and strength will serve him well when it comes time to play at the next level.

10.) D Cole Hutson (USHL: US NTDP, committed to Boston University)

(#57 NHL Central Scouting NA)

Make no mistake, I do not think for even a second that Lane Hutson’s younger brother is going to go high in this class, but I still am 100% convinced that he has one of the best overall profiles among North American skaters and the whole draft.

Cole Hutson did not become the highest scoring defenseman in the history of the US NTDP by accident. While the narrative from at least one scout was once that the game came easier to him than Lane and that he lacked his brother’s motor, I think it’s become evident that it’s more the opposite. In addition to being bigger than his brother was at that same age, he has a superior work rate and has used both of these to great success. He also is a phenomenal passer and a determined competitor. He has a bit of work to do on his shot and his defensive prowess, but I have no doubt that Jay Pandolfo and his staff will help him there. The other thing working against him is his size, but I think Lane has demonstrated that that is negotiable, and his trajectory should have been what heralded a change in the conversation around size in a blueliner, just as is the case regarding height at large in the sport.

When he’s inevitably still available at the tail end of round one, he should be a no-brainer selection. He has already proven so much and is only going to improve in his NCAA career.

Misc.

F Sam O’Reilly (CHL – OHL: London Knights)

(#24 NHL Central Scouting NA)

What stands out to me the most about “Peanut” is his prowess in the defensive respect, as well as on the draw. He possesses an ability to defend one-on-one and be a nuisance to the guy he’s matched up against and is pretty reliable at the dot for someone his age. His offensive reliability was also pretty respectable for a player of his type in their DY, tallying 56 points in 68 games as an important cog in the machine for a successful Knights squad. I would say he wasn’t too reliant upon a stacked team coached by Dale Hunter, either. He exhibited some impressive offensive IQ and skills that turned into some flashy goals/plays. I doubt he’ll ever be a star producer in the NHL, but a 50 point type player who bolsters a middle-six by being great at the less glamorous parts of the game is exceptional value for a guy who will likely (though not definitely based off of some of the mock drafts I’ve seen and the esteem of the Knights system) still be around in round two.

F Mac Swanson (USHL: Fargo Force, committed to University of North Dakota)

(#152 NHL Central Scouting NA)

Swanson’s productivity has been fantastic these last two seasons, tallying 132 points in 110 games. This year, he was both regular season and postseason MVP in the USHL, as he aided the Fargo Force to their second ever Clark Cup as a capoff to a redemption campaign that was also the greatest season by any USHL team ever. More recently, USA Hockey selected him as the recipient of the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year Award. He has been doing some truly remarkable things with the chips stacked against him. Standing just 5’7″ and weighing in at 157 pounds, his tenacity and contact balance far exceed his stature, and he is an exceptional playmaker with phenomenal processing ability on offense.

His physical profile will preclude him from being selected high, but his exceptional player profile and the future that lies ahead for the Alaska native with the Fighting Hawks should make him a no-brainer selection around round four, or somewhere thereabouts.

RW Justin Poirier (CHL – QMJHL: Baie-Comeau Drakkar)

(#82 NHL Central Scouting NA)

As a September 2006 birthday, Poirier is one of the youngest players in this class. However, that did not preclude him from leading the entire Q in goals, with 51, as he was a key part of Baie-Comeau’s successful year which had them capture the Jean Rougeau Trophy as regular season champions and led steerer of the ship Jean-François Grégoire to be honored as both Ron Lapointe Trophy and Maurice Filion Trophy winner as coach and executive of the year, respectively. Like Eiserman, Poirier was not simply a good team merchant, his positioning and knack for getting into good shooting spots as well as his mechanics were tremendous assets to his success.

It’s worth mentioning that the QMJHL isn’t the strongest competition and that players with Poirier’s dev curve only become star producers 13% of the time, per Byron Bader’s model. However, the Q has been moving in a better direction when it comes to producing talent as of late, and Poirier is a player that is indicative of that upward trend. If he only becomes a good depth scorer in the NHL, let’s say that’s his return as a third round pick. That’s a really good return.

LW Teddy Stiga (USHL: US NTDP, committed to Boston College)

(#44 NHL Central Scouting NA)

I’m probably sounding like a broken record on this one, but I really think it should happen that Stiga gets taken in the later parts of round one. His motor on both ends is outstanding, he has great hockey IQ, steps up in the most high profile game, puts in work to grow and has room for more growth. He’ll have familiar faces around him at The Heights and an exceptional coach in Greg Brown leading his development. While his performance in the standard schedule for the US NTDP has been fairly modest, we’ve seen great things from him in tournaments such as the U18 Worlds and against NCAA competition. Stiga is poised and has big game composure and a skill set that is only going to become more pronounced as it grows and produces more overt results night in and night out. His freshman year with the Eagles will be very telling.

D Will Skahan (USHL: US NTDP, committed to Boston College)

(#56 NHL Central Scouting NA)

It’s pretty evident that the Anaheim Jr. Ducks product is there primarily as a shutdown player. His offensive stats are not gonna blow you away and haven’t been in an elite class since his AAA/high school days. However, he is just so reliable in that respect that he’ll be an asset to just about any NHL roster. His +34 with the US NTDP is definitely reflective of what he can do in that respect. Additionally, he has good enough vision and processes the game well enough to where he can be grouped with offensive players and not be an anchor for them. A future I can see for Skahan in the NHL is him being paired with a natural OFD to be the sort of guy who holds down the point and allows them to take risks, while also seeing enough of what his defensive partner sees to draw out his abilities. He is also going to a great dev situation with multiple teammates joining him in Chestnut Hill, with Greg Brown being more than capable to cultivate his future.