2024 NHL Draft: Top 10 under-the-radar prospects

Credit: Parker Von Richter (Natalie Shaver/OHL Images)

Tired of hearing about Macklin Celebrini yet?

I get it. He’s been the undisputed No. 1 prospect all season long and nothing will change that this season. He’s the best there is, no question about it. The team that wins the draft lottery and selects first overall will take Celebrini with no questions asked.

But that’s boring.

Today, we’re taking a look at 10 prospects you need to dig deeper down to find much info about. NHL scouts aren’t paid what they are for just finding the top stars everyone knows about. The value comes in finding future NHL talent later on when the path to the top isn’t as evident.

Whether it be size concerns or late-season breakthroughs, these 10 under-the-radar prospects deserve more love heading into June’s NHL Draft:

Alexander Zetterberg, C (Örebro, Sweden U-20)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 18 European skater

From a talent perspective, Zetterberg isn’t far off from being a first-rounder. The numbers are fantastic, especially internationally. I was blown away by how often he had the puck in a scoring positon in my live viewings earlier this year. The issue? He’s 5-foot-8. That’ll scare teams away because he doesn’t have the tenacity of someone like, say, Logan Stankoven. And if you’re wondering, Alex believes he’s related to Henrik, but the last we heard, he wasn’t sure how.

Mikhail Yegorov, G (Omaha, USHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 4 North America goalie

Yeah, the record is awful. Five wins in 34 games? Not great. Yegorov has faced 30 or more shots in 21 outings this year. So it’s no surprise it’s been difficult, but scouts still see a ton of potential from the 6-foot-4 keeper. The size helps, but he battles so hard. He never gives up on a play, even with a terrible lineup in front of him. The Boston University commit is very athletic for his size and seems to stay focused no matter what. I could see Yegorov being one of the biggest goaltender steals of this draft because he has all the tools needed to succeed but just doesn’t have the results.

Max Plante, RW (USNTDP)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 53 North American skater

Plante is one of the better playmakers in this class. He has skated alongside some of the USNTDP’s top talent and has excellent hand-eye coordination. Plante isn’t big, but he’s always looking to make a smart pass, and it pays off. He has put up good numbers, although I feel like he can get caught trying to make passes when he should just shoot the puck. He comes from a good hockey background: his dad, Derek, had a solid NHL career and his brother, Zam, is a Penguins prospect.

Noel Fransen, LHD (Farjestad, Sweden U-20)

NHL Central Scouting: Unranked

Fransen doesn’t get much love for his game, but he leads all U-19 defensemen in scoring this year in the top U-20 league in Sweden. He’s tied for the most goals scored in a single season by a defenseman, beating out a strong effort from Axel Sandin Pellikka last year, among others. Some scouts think he’s a first-rounder – NHL Central Scouting doesn’t even have him ranked. I think there’s a lot of potential here.

John Mustard, C (Waterloo, USHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 41 North American skater

John Mustard is a lot more than just a great name. I think he has played himself into the first-round conversation after originally getting projected as a seventh-rounder. He’s really smart, plays with pace and has a great shot. He’s been playing at a point-per-game pace with Waterloo in the USHL all season long, but he’s also quite reliable at both ends of the ice. I thought he was one of the most impressive players at the USA Hockey Top Prospects Game, and scouts seem to be high on him now.

Colin Ralph, LHD (Shattuck’s St. Mary’s, Prep)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 46 North American skater

When heading to watch Shattuck’s this year, my eyes were on Will Zellers, Ryker Lee and Aidan Park. But Ralph was the one who stood out the most to me. At 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds, he’s huge, takes up a lot of space and moves well, too. He’s got all the tools to become a physically strong offensive defenseman with good hockey IQ. I could see him going in the second round in the draft because I feel like a player his size will start to really excel against older, tougher competition in college.

Parker Von Richter, RHD (Mississauga, OHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 135 North American skater

I’ve seen plenty of Steelheads games in person this year, and I’m often trying to watch the opposition. But I’m always drawn back to Von Richter thanks to the many small, smart things he does every game. He plays against top lines often and does an excellent job of clearing the crease. At 6-foot-1, he isn’t big by any means, but he can hold his own physically and is a decent playmaker, even if the stats don’t really suggest anything too fancy. If he put up another 15 points this year, more people would have talked about him because his defensive game is solid and he definitely has a good head on his shoulders.

Jack Berglund, C (Farjestad, Sweden U-20)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 38 European skater

There’s definitely an NHL future for Berglund. He’s got a 6-foot-3 frame, is big at 209 pounds and can muscle his way past anyone. That size has allowed him to adjust to SHL games with ease while also bullying around his own age group in U-20 action. Berglund has done a solid job offensively internationally, but those have come in spurts. For me, he fits the mold of a bottom-six center perfectly – he’s defensively responsible, he’s strong and can move well, too.

Tuomas Suoniemi, C (Kiekko-Espoo, Finland U-20)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 98 European skater

NHL Central Scouting doesn’t seem to think too highly about Suoniemi – a bunch of scouts I’ve talked to think otherwise. Suoniemi has hovered around the point-per-game mark with Kiekko-Espoo’s U-20 team and even saw some second division action in the pro Mestis league. He was outstanding at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup last summer, coming in clutch with a couple late-game goals. He’s not big, but he wins faceoffs and has a tremendous amount of energy and skill. I could see him becoming a third-line NHLer one day.

Evan Gardner, G (Saskatoon, WHL)

NHL Central Scouting: No. 16 North American goalie

After spending last year playing U-18 AAA hockey, Gardner has emerged as one of the best goaltenders in the CHL this season. He has an 18-5-0 record with three shutouts and leads the league with a .927 save percentage. He’s on a great team with excellent support, but it’s not uncommon for teams with stacked lineups to have a goalie with just subpar results. Instead, Garnder has actually been a game saver on multiple occasions, and it helps that he’s technically sound with a decent 6-foot-2 frame.

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