The World under-18s are underway in Finland, giving scouts one last good look at a number of draft-eligibles talents as we head down the home stretch. This is a busy time for me, as we have begun working on Draft Preview – though to be fair, I’ve been doing interviews with NHL team scouts for a while already. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of 2024 draft talk to get into, so let’s do it.
Who Ya Got?
Here’s a vexing debate topic: Who’s the No. 1 goalie in the 2024 draft class? Some years, the answer has been easy – Carey Price, Andrei Vasilevskiy, etc. – but this one is a little harder to gauge. It doesn’t feel like major junior has the answer, though Carter George from OHL Owen Sound looks like a fairly safe pick overall. Central Scouting measured him as being a shade under 6-foot-1, which is a bit concerning.
In North America, the best candidate appears to be 6-foot-4-and-a-half Mikhail Yegorov from USHL Omaha. The Lancers struggled mightily this season, but scouts loved how their rookie netminder performed.
“Anytime you have a goalie with size and athleticism, those two things are heralded among goalie traits,” said one scout. “You’ve seen at times he’s had very good performances and stretches where he’s played really well, and other times where he hasn’t got any support.”
To wit: Yegorov made 40 saves or more in seven of his 43 appearances. He’s expected to return to the Lancers next season and is committed to Boston University for the future.
Over in Europe, a pair of Finns are showing promise. Emil Vinni has good size (6-foot-3) and great athleticism, but multiple scouts brought up the mental side of the game with him. Meanwhile, Kim Saarinen is at the world under-18s with Finland and brings his own intriguing 6-foot-4 frame to the table.
“He has a chance to be one of the highest goalies drafted this year,” said another scout. “He wasn’t a junior sensation by any means last year and he was very weak, but he’s gotten stronger and now he’s a top goalie.”
It should also be noted that 2003-born goalie Ilya Nabokov just won the KHL championship with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, earning playoff MVP honors in the process. His challenge is a six-foot frame (and that’s unofficial – Central hasn’t measured him), but I bet someone takes a flyer on him at the draft.
Get With ‘The Program’
Team USA’s entry at the world under-18s is basically just the NTDP every year, but they do add on sometimes. This year, they’ve got USHL Sioux Falls goalie Caleb Heil, but even more interesting is USHL Tri-City left winger Trevor Connelly. This one’s interesting because the Storm are still alive in the playoffs. But I also know that Team USA has been coveting the ultra-skilled forward for the tournament since the All-American Prospects Game months ago (maybe even earlier) and clearly their pitch to Connelly worked. He popped in an assist in Team USA’s opening-game 9-0 demolition of Slovakia. Top 2025 draft prospect James Hagens was the star with four points.
For the Defense
Another player to watch at the under-18s is Switzerland’s Leon Muggli. I liked him at the world juniors and while the Swiss won’t be one of the favorites in Finland, scouts are intrigued by the kid and his reliability. Muggli played in his nation’s best pro league for Zug this season.
“He looked like a true hockey player and he seems like he has a good head on his shoulders,” said one scout. “A bit small and probably not high-end as a defenseman, but a guy that coaches could trust.”
Muggli could even sneak into the second round this summer.
Jett Powered
Finally, let’s turn to Canada, where that under-18 team holds a ton of intrigue – I have to say, there’s more promise on this roster than in most normal years. One player to keep an eye on for 2024 is OHL Guelph center Jett Luchanko, a player who first caught my eye at the OHL Cup when he was playing for the U16 London Jr. Knights a couple years back.
“Jett and that Toronto Maple Leafs pick Easton Cowan are pretty much the same player – similar in stature and style,” said one scout. “Luchanko’s a versatile kid and could be a center at the next level eventually because he’s a smart player who plays well away from the puck and identifies his responsibilities quickly in the defensive zone.”
Luchanko kicked off his tournament with a goal and two points in a 6-3 win over Sweden.
News Summary:
- Future Watch Weekly: Who is The Best Goaltender in the 2024 Draft Class?
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