Welcome to our annual “Do Not Draft” list for the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas. Every year, we identify prospects that will be drafted and drafted very high in some cases that should not be drafted in a certain spot or range.
The goal is to provide you, the reader, insight into the decisions some teams need to make when it’s their turn to draft. Do not think of this as don’t draft the player at all. Most players will go on to long and successful NHL careers. Think of this as there could be better options available rather than drafting said player in a certain spot.
This year, we will start near the very top of the draft and to one of the most important decisions facing any team in Las Vegas.
2024 Do Not Draft List
Artyom Levshunov – Do Not Draft Second Overall
Let’s start this off with a big bang. All of the talk coming out of the NHL Combine from a Chicago Blackhawks perspective was their possible desire to draft Michigan’s State’s Artyom Levshunov second overall. The team took him out to dinner. Most folks at that time believed this would eventually be the final outcome.
While that outcome is still very much in play, Levshunov appears on the “Do Not Draft” list for one simple reason. He isn’t the best player available in that spot.
There are many, myself included, who believe that Ivan Demidov is the best player available at second overall. He’s already drawing early comparisons to Nikita Kucherov. Putting Demidov next to Connor Bedard has so much potential.
The age-old question comes up. Levshunov is considered by many to be the best defenseman available in this draft, although not everyone holds that belief. Do the Blackhawks take the best player available or the best in a potential position of need?
Levshunov is going to be a great player in the NHL and will help someone’s blueline for many years to come. If the Blackhawks take him over Demidov, that decision will be looked back on for a long time as they would pass on what many feel is the best player available.
Zeev Buium/Sam Dickinson/Zayne Parekh – Do Not Draft in the Top-5
We are putting these group of defenseman together to call out a couple things. First, there are players with higher upside that should go in the top-5.
We already discussed Demidov’s situation. This is especially true if he starts falling down the board. Cayden Lindstrom should hear his name in the top-5 given his size and skill although teams will have to consider his injury history. Anton Silayev is someone that provides upside due to being 6-foot-7 and is a good skater. As of this writing, Vegas has Silayev as the betting favorite to go third overall.
Second, and it’s the most important thing to discuss about the top of the draft, is the thought of teams being able to trade down to still get their guy. Because there are more good defensemen such as Buium, Dickinson, Parekh and others available, if you are the Columbus Blue Jackets or Montreal Canadiens and you want one of these defenseman, trading down must be considered. They could get those guys a couple slots down the board while gaining assets.
Buium, Dickinson and Parekh will each be tremendous additions to their teams. This is more about extracting the most possible value out of a situation on the draft floor.
Cole Eiserman – Do Not Draft in the Top-10
If there was any prospect in the draft in which his good was among the best but his bad moments will scare you, Cole Eiserman is that player. In this case, the questions make him a “Do Not Draft” within the top-10.
There are few who can finish better than Eiserman in this draft. If you want a goal scorer, look no further. But if you’re a team in the top-10 who needs more of a sure-fire player with not as many questions, there are other options available.
It’s possible one of the good defenseman drops because of how the top of the draft breaks. Perhaps a team sees the upside in a center like Konsta Helenius and drafts him in the top-10.
Eiserman was once considered one of the top prospects available in this draft class and will still go in the first round. But the questions about his overall game are legitimate enough that teams in the top-10 should look in other places.
Trevor Connelly – Do Not Draft in the Lottery (Top-16)
Every year, the draft seems to provide a major test as to how teams handle a player who is a sure-fire first-round pick but has bad history. This year, that player is Trevor Connelly.
Connelly spoke to over 20 teams at the NHL Combine in Buffalo so there is interest in this player. On the ice, it’s easy to see why. He is considered one of the most skilled players in the entire draft.
But where do you draw the line? Connelly in a social media post posted a picture of his buddy with posing with a swastika made of children’s blocks. There have also been allegations of using a racial slur.
Someone is eventually going to make the case to take Connelly despite the red flags. He has reportedly been remorseful and is putting in work to show that. Using a top-16 pick here will draw a lot of attention teams probably don’t want. But how far will he fall before someone takes the chance?
Any Goalie This Year – Do Not Draft in the First Round
While there is a talented group of goaltenders available, there isn’t one that is considered a special or generational talent to justify using a first-round pick on. Although I did hear some chatter about Carter George and how his U-18 performance may have elevated him.
George should be one of the first goalies taken. But it would be a stunner if it was in the first round. But early on day two, it’s reasonable to expect to hear his name and some other goalies called.