In an earlier blog, I had an early look at first-round picks in the 2024 Draft picks, in this blog, I wanted to take a deeper look at some of the late 1st round picks in next year’s draft.
Related: 2024 NHL DRAFT: AN EARLY LOOK AT TOP PROSPECTS 11-32
Sascha Boisvert, C, Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
Playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, Sasha Boisvert scored 17 goals and 45 points in 57 games and will play a much greater role on the team heading into his draft year.
Sascha Boisvert is a 6-foot-2 center who can skate but also has very good puck skills, and playmaking instincts and is a shot threat from the faceoff dots. He can make difficult plays with the puck at full flight and has the pace in his game to create versus pros. He’s got the desired height and position on his side, room to fill out his frame, and NHL skill which includes a quick release, good instincts on and off the puck, above-average feet, and great feel with the puck on his stick both at speed and in slowing the game down. Boisvert is a big-time player who can score, shoot, change games with hits, and impact the game in many different ways. Sacha’s skating and vision put him in on another level because he creates so much offense off the rush and he is incredibly difficult to defend against. Sacha’s physicality is what caught my eye because he has the ability to make players around him better and is overall a complete player. Sasha Boisvert has the potential to be a top 6 center in the NHL and should be a late first-round pick.
Will Skahan, D, USNTDP (USDP)/ USNTDP Juniors (USHL)
Will Skahan is a big, 6-foot-4, 200-plus pound defenseman with good mobility for his size and age and more offense to his game than his stat line on the program’s U17 team last year showed. He outlets the puck well, he’s got a heavy shot, and with his frame and mobility, scouts are excited about his potential defensively. He’s quite a good skater for a big man, he’s hard to play against defensively and shows some offensive touch, too. Skahan will be a big part of the program next season. Skahan has a physical edge to his game where he uses his big body to deliver crushing checks. He also has a good stick in the defensive zone breaking up oncoming plays. Once in the offensive zone, he uses his vision and passing ability to open up lanes for his teammates or get the puck through from the point. Will Skahan could get taken earlier than any other player on this list because of his combination of size and skating ability, which gives him the tools to be a top 4 defenseman at the NHL level.
Anthony Cristoforo, D, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Playing for the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, Anthony Cristoforo put up 41 points in 63 games and 4 points in 7 games with Canada Red at the U17 WHC. He was a part of Canada’s U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, putting 2 points in 5 games. Anthony Cristoforo is an undersized defenseman but has excellent hands and vision to go with his strong skating ability. He makes a lot of plays and can do so with pace. The thing that will hold him back is his smaller frame and how well he’ll be able to defend in the NHL. Cristoforo doesn’t possess the effortless skating stride that made Drysdale a top-10 pick or the bold play-creating that made Clarke one, but he’s an extremely well-rounded offensive defenseman who boasts strong edges and good skating in his own right, plays and defends really hard shift to shift, and has plenty of skill but always seems to make the right decisions. Anthony Cristoforo can QB a PP and set up his teammates with good passes because of how good his vision is. He’s got the potential to be a top 4 puck-moving defenseman and be a late 1st round pick.
Alexander Zetterberg, C, Örebro HK J20 (Nationell)
An undersized center, at only 5 foot 8, 159 pounds, Alexander Zetterberg has got a magnetic ability with the puck and because of his light, airy skating mechanics he’s able to dart past defenders in transition, knife through coverage and quickly escape the boards out of won foot races in order to avoid having to engage in too many battles along the wall. Don’t be fooled by his small stature, he is a dynamic player who has managed to be a point-per-game player at every level he’s played at. In the 2022-23 season, Zetterberg played for Örebro HK’s J18 and J20 teams. He dominated the J18 Region and Nationell leagues, putting up 4 points in 3 J18 Region games and 6 points in 3 J18 Nationell. For the majority of the season, he scored 11 goals and 34 points in 43 J20 Nationell games. Zetterberg got off to a terrific start to the season, putting up 6 points in 4 games in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Sweden. Alexander Zetterberg
has the potential to be a top 6 center in the league and a late first-round pick.
Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Liam Greentree had a successful season with one of the top teams in the NHL in the Windsor Spitfires, putting up 25 goals and 45 points in 61 games. He’s a highly skilled winger with good hockey sense and finishing ability to go in a 6-2 frame, but his skating is just so-so. Greentree is a big power forward who can be described as a good skater. Very good on the forecheck intimidating opposing defenders with his relentless pressure. He loves to get in the dirty areas and is very good in front of the net, corralling rebounds for scoring chances and annoying goalies and defenders alike. Because Windsor is so stacked with so many other potential 2024 draft prospects, it might hinder his draft stock because he might not get as much playing time. Liam Greentree has the potential to be a top 6 winger at the NHL level and a potential first-round pick.
Veeti Väisänen, LD, KooKoo (Liiga)
Veeti Vaisanen is a competitive and smooth-skating two-way defenseman who has already established himself as a minute-eating player at Finland’s U20 level and made his Liiga debut in the playoffs with KooKoo last. His stick positioning, gaps, and positional awareness defensively is also pretty good for a defender his age, despite being only 6 feet. He is not flashy and is not a big point gettter, but he is a well-rounded defender, who has the potential of a top 4 shutdown defenseman. As of right now he is a late first-round pick and is a safe pick there because he will likely be in Liiga this season.
Andrew Basha, LW, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Playing with the Medicine Hat Tigers of WHL, Andrew Basha scored 20 goals, 36 assists, and 56 points in 67 games along with 3 goals in 4 playoff games. Basha is only 5 foot 11, but he is a dynamic winger with both goal-scoring and playmaking abilities. Andrew Basha has the potential to be a top 6 forward and will likely be a late first-round pick.
Emil Hemming, LW/RW, TPS (Liiga)
Emil Hemming has clear tools as a 6-foot-2, nearly-200-pound winger with real individual skill as both a handler and a shooter. If he can learn to use his frame better, he can be a truly special player. In the 2022-23 season, Hemming had 16 points in 22 games with TPS U20 of the U20 SM-sarja and 5 points in 5 games with Finland at the U17 WHC. Hemming started the year off great, putting up 4 goals and 9 points in 5 games with Finland U18 at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Emil Hemming has the potential to be an elite point-scoring forward and a steal if gets drafted at the end of the first round.
Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
Carter Yakemchuk had a tremendous season with the Calgary Hitmen in the WHL, putting up 19 goals and 47 points in 67 games. While he was mostly unnoticeable at U18 Worlds for Canada, that was mostly due to his usage and role on the team. While his game in the WHL does come with some give and take, he’s got pro size, a pro shot, and an attack mentality that is complemented by sound decision-making. He also protects the puck really well for a defenseman, which allows him to make the most of his decisions to involve himself in the play around the offensive zone. At 6 foot 2, Carter Yakemchuk has NHL mobility, and his skill is excellent; Yakemchuk shows high-end hands to beat CHL players regularly while doing so at pace. Carter Yakemchuk has the potential to be a top 4 puck-moving defenseman and should be a late first-round pick.
Justin Poirier, RW, Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
A Dynamic but undersized winger, Justin Poirier is a ball of energy on the ice and plays bigger than his size suggests. Listed at only 5’8, but weighing in at 181 pounds, the brother of the Calgary Flames prospect, Jeremie Poirier, scored 28 goals and 48 points in 55 regular season games with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, then a spectacular 4 goals and 9 points in 7 playoff games. At the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, Poirier scored 4 points in 5 games, to help Canada win
the Gold Medal. Poirier is a fantastic skater, has amazing edge work, with speed for days, and processes the game extremely well; he is a great two-way presence, isn’t scared to go to the dirty areas of the ice to create time and space, and dynamic release, especially on the left dot on the power play. Hard and accurate shot, will have to get stronger upper body-wise to make sure he wins his share of puck battles at the next level. Justin Poirier has the potential to be a top 6 forward in the NHL and could be late late-round pick but could slide into the second because of the team’s tendency to avoid shorter players.
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