Every year, talented players are not drafted. With dozens of junior leagues and hundreds of eligible players, NHL teams have to focus on who they believe will help their team the most, which unfortunately leaves more than a few excellent junior stars on the cutting room floor. It’s not a new phenomenon, and more often than not, those who have the skill will make it by either accepting a training camp invite or signing a contract after they lose their draft eligibility.
But, sometimes, it can be hard to figure out why a certain player was drafted and another wasn’t, especially if the latter was highly regarded by analysts and scouts. Now that the dust has settled on the 2024 NHL Draft, here are five of the most surprising players who didn’t hear their names called.
1. Daniil Ustinkov, LD, ZSC Lions (NL)
Throughout the 2023-24 season, Daniil Ustinkov was considered a fringe first-round pick for the 2024 Draft. An incredibly intelligent defenceman, he was projected to be a solid two-way blueliner in the NHL thanks to his well-rounded game. He made his professional debut in Switzerland as a 16-year-old in 2022-23, playing five regular-season games and three playoff games, and at 17, he split his time between the first and second-tier leagues while also serving as Switzerland’s quarterback at the Hlinka Gretzky Tournament, the U18 World Junior Championships, and the U20 World Juniors.
Yet, after 225 picks, Ustinkov’s name was never called. However, Leon Muggli, his international teammate and also projected to be a fringe first-round pick, heard his name called by the Washington Capitals in the second round. It wasn’t his size that left him off the NHL’s radar; at 6-foot-1 and 201 pounds, he’s bigger than Muggli. Nor was it his ability to play solid defence, as he appeared in the second-most games among U18 players in Switzerland’s National League (NL), coming in second only to Muggli. They both have flaws in their game – neither one has high-end offensive upside – and while Muggli looked like he was trying to do too much, Ustinkov looked too patient. So, why would one be selected and not the other?
It seems that the only significant difference between the two is that Muggli was one of the 100 players invited to the NHL Draft Combine, allowing him to chat with scouts and executives across the NHL. Ustinkov didn’t get that chance, which left him without an interested NHL team.
2. Thomas Desruisseaux, C, Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
The Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) didn’t have the strongest class at the 2024 Draft, but the league promised to deliver some solid underrated talent in the later rounds. Thomas Desruisseax, a 5-foot-11 center with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, was one of those hidden gems. He was the fourth-highest scorer among U18s in the QMJHL with 16 goals and 60 points in 66 games, then jumped up to be the second-best producer in the playoffs, putting up three goals and nine points in eight games. He has speed to burn and can zip around the ice with the puck like few other prospects, and with today’s game built on skating, he seemed locked for a mid-to-late-round selection.
Unfortunately, size and strength were his undoing. At just 154 pounds, he lacked the muscle that NHL teams like to see, which placed some doubt on whether his skill would translate to the pro ranks, and too many scouts thought he wasn’t worth the high risk. It also didn’t help that only four U18 forwards from the QMJHL were drafted: the three players who outscored Desruisseaux and the 6-foot-4 Gabe Smith. The rest were all defencemen. If Desruisseaux can keep up his point-per-game pace while adding some muscle, he should be an early favourite to be drafted in 2025.
3. Alexander Zetterberg, C, Örebro HK J20 (J20 Nationell)
At 5-foot-8, it was always going to be a challenge for Alexander Zetterberg to catch the eye of an NHL team, but he did absolutely everything he could to do so. In 45 games with Örebro HK J20, he scored 21 goals and 58 points, putting him eighth in scoring in Sweden’s J20 Nationell, and in the playoffs, he added another eight goals and 14 points in just eight games to finish third in the league. With another five points in four games at the U18 World Juniors, not even Craig Button, who generally prioritizes size in his draft rankings, could ignore his scoring prowess, ranking him 53rd on his final list.
Related: 2024 THW NHL Draft Guide
In the end, NHL teams couldn’t get over Zetterberg’s diminutive frame, leaving him undrafted after 225 picks. His concussion at the U18s likely didn’t help his case, but many must have considered him too small for the North American game despite being Sweden’s best offensive player. Yet, he wasn’t the only one to take a hit because of his size. Justin Poirier wasn’t selected until the fifth after being the first player to score 50 goals in the QMJHL since Sidney Crosby and Mac Swanson fell to the seventh round after putting up impressive numbers in the United States Hockey League (USHL). Both players were under 5-foot-8, but Zetterberg was at a disadvantage because he played overseas. Hopefully, a season at Boston University will change some minds.
4. Lukas Matecha, G, Tri-City Americans (WHL)
Only three players from the Kubota CHL Top Prospects Game in January were left undrafted this year, and of those three, second-year eligible goalie Lukas Matecha was arguably the most surprising. During the game, he was the only goalie who didn’t allow a goal during his roughly 30-minute shift, stopping all 19 shots and helping Team Red defeat Team White 3-1. On top of making some highlight-reel saves, showcasing his calmness and athleticism, he also came into the showcase with a .912 save percentage (SV%) on a struggling Tri-City Americans team. At 6-foot-3, he was sure to rise up the 2024 Draft charts.
Unfortunately, even though Central Scouting bumped him up from ninth to third on their Final Ranking and Button listed him 87th on his final list, Matecha went undrafted again. The main problem seems to be a combination of a plummeting SV%, which dropped to .901 by the end of the season, and a lack of post-season appearances. Jakub Milota, ranked 18th among North American goalies, stands 6-foot-1 and finished with a comparable .905 SV% in the QMJHL and played all five games for Czechia at the U18 World Junior Championships. If it’s any consolation, Ryerson Leenders, his teammate at the Top Prospects Game, didn’t get drafted until the 219th pick.
5. Tomas Galvas, LD, Bílí Tygři Liberec (Czechia)
When it comes to public draft rankings, no one has an ear closer to the ground than Bob McKenzie. While most scouts and analysts compile a list of their favourite players, McKenzie interviews several NHL scouts before compiling a list of players that are regarded the most highly across the league. While some teams may view some players more highly than others – Easton Cowan was ranked 53rd on McKenzie’s 2023 Final Ranking – few have a completely different list of names. Yet, this year, one name on McKenzie’s Final List was not selected, making Tomas Galvas the most surprising player not drafted in 2024.
Despite being on the smaller side at 5-foot-10 and 152 pounds, Galvas was known for his suffocating defence while playing in Czechia’s top league. His intelligence, quickness, and confidence made him a legitimate threat at both ends of the ice, and despite not playing an offensive-driven game, he still put up the most points of any U18 player in Czechia’s Extraliga with two goals and seven points. He was an effective defender at the Hlinka Gretzky, U18s, and the U20 World Juniors, earning him the 82nd spot on McKenzie’s Final List and was listed 33rd among European skaters by Central Scouting.
Yet it seems that, once again, NHL teams took one look at his frame and decided he was too risky. Joshua Serafini of FC Hockey voiced his disappointment with the decision, writing, “Galvas is a smooth-skating blueliner who uses his strong skating to escape pressure, push the puck up ice and create offence for his team. He’s not one-dimensional though, as he’s able to use his skating and smarts to remain calm under pressure and escape some dangerous situations in his own zone with the puck. He’s small for a rearguard, likely the reason he wasn’t drafted, but that doesn’t limit him from being an impact player at both ends of the ice. Galvas has the toolkit to become an NHLer one day if a team is willing to look past his size.”
Honourable Mentions: Aidan Park, Jack Bodin, Topias Hynninen, Frankie Marrelli, Gabriel Frasca
Size Over Skill in 2024 NHL Draft
The NHL is a copycat league, and that’s never been more evident than in this draft. After the Florida Panthers hoisted their first Stanley Cup with Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Jonah Gadjovich, Nick Cousins, and Ryan Lomberg playing key roles throughout the season, other NHL teams followed suit, adding as many big, strong, grinding players as they could get their hands on. That left smaller players who rely on their smarts and skill to out-think and out-maneuver their opponents without a home in the NHL.
However, for many of these prospects, 2024 is not the end of the road. They’ll get bigger and stronger in 2024-25, and if they can continue to dominate their competition while adding some muscle, NHL teams are sure to take notice. Who knows? Maybe the next Stanley Cup winners will be built around small, speedy players, causing another shift at the draft.
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