As a companion to my 2024 NHL Draft board, here are scouting reports on 32 players who missed the cut. These are the prospects who were considered for my top 100 and who I view as some combination of mid-to-late-round candidates, development camp invite types, or worth following.
They include a couple of Jr. A standouts, a trio of Minnesota high schoolers, a Finn with a famous dad, a Swiss goalie and some Russians who slipped off my list in favor of equal prospects from other leagues.
Consider them honorable mentions (note, too, that they’re sorted alphabetically).
GO DEEPER
Scott Wheeler’s final top 100 ranking for the 2024 NHL Draft
Daniil Anatsky, C, 6-foot-3 (Krasnogorsk)
Anatsky is a well-rounded center with size who played to a point per game in the MHL this season and really drove results for Krasnogorsk’s junior team at both ends of the rink. He’s a hardworking, diligent center who involves himself in shifts, wins pucks and has some sneaky feel for the game inside the offensive zone both off the cycle and around the net/slot. He’s also a summer birthday, which gives him a long-term runway (always best with Russian skaters regardless). He’s a bit heavyset and doesn’t move quickly from a standstill as a result but that’s offset by his work ethic and also really helps him stay over pucks.
Advertisement
Robin Antenen, LW, 6-foot-1 (Zug)
Antenen’s a player I hadn’t made any time for outside of his international play with the Swiss until after U18 worlds, where I thought he had as good a zero-point tournament as you can have for a team like that. He was on the puck a lot. Switzerland’s offensive zone shifts usually involved him protecting pucks and gaining inside-body positioning. He used his strong frame (he still has room to add muscle, too). He had some great looks that didn’t go in. He looked like he’d played pro hockey this year (which he did, getting into six NL games after leading Zug’s U20 team in scoring), and like a worthy late-round candidate. That was reinforced, honestly, by the tape I’ve watched since, too. He’s got some pro tools and he plays a style that works. I’m not sure he’ll get picked but I’d at the very least keep an eye on him.
Fyodor Avramov, LW, 6-foot-3 (Kapitan Stupino)
Avramov’s a late-’05 who played to nearly a point per game as Stupino’s leading scorer this season. They were bad, though, and it can be a real mess trying to evaluate players on some of the weaker/smaller MHL teams. But from a tools standpoint, there is something there. He’s a big winger with good straight-line speed who plays an attacking, direct game with the tools that that game needs. He doesn’t read the game all that well but he’s got the athletic tools and was able to create offense largely on his own in most games this season. I’d honestly like to see him get picked in the CHL Import Draft and come over here now that it’s opening up to Russians again. It would be good for him.
Jack Berglund, C, 6-foot-3 (Farjestad BK)
Berglund finished his draft year with a strong show at U18 worlds for Sweden, where he made some plays in the offensive zone, held onto and protected pucks well and was generally impactful inside the offensive zone on the cycle and along the wall. He’s got size, can play the middle or the wing, controls pucks off of his hips quite well, and showed some offensive zone instincts this season. His skating is quite unnatural, though, and was enough for me to exclude him.
Eric Burger, LHD, 6-foot (Orebro HK)
Burger is an extremely active defenseman who loves to transport pucks, creating entries and exits with his feet and using his smooth skating stride and balanced posture to side-step pressure and push tempo through the neutral zone with his speed. He’s also a confident in-zone attacker who looks to jump into space and use his shot. Defensively, his game is physical and hard for a smaller defenseman, regularly stepping up to close gaps. There are times I’d like him to be a little more disciplined, whether with his decisions with the puck, his choices off of it, or even his propensity for the extra slash/cross-check behind the play or after the whistle. That spirit and involvement in the game have helped him take charge in big minutes at the J20 level and have earned him SHL call-ups, too. I could see him becoming a depth defenseman and PP2 type with the right development, but he’s a bit of a long shot and may just be a mid-level pro type in a similar role.
Advertisement
Hagen Burrows, RW, 6-foot-2 (Minnetonka High)
This isn’t the consensus opinion, but I liked Burrows better than Moore when I watched them this year and his much larger USHL sample size helps his evaluation. He showed more individual skill (he’s got legit talent) and better playmaking sense and was just more consistently noticeable offensively for me. He’s also got an NHL shot that he can finish with from range inside the offensive zone. Even if he doesn’t have the speed or strength that Moore does, his game has a more natural offensive element. I like his competitiveness, too. I trust he’ll be well-developed at Denver. His forward skating stride is a little too compact and will need to lengthen out for the rest of his game to be projectable, but he’s talented, he seems committed to playing the game the right way, and the college timeline should serve him well.
Maxmilian Curran, C, 6-foot-2 (Tri-City Americans)
Curran has been consistently good for the Czech national team over the last couple of years, was reasonably productive as a rookie in the WHL this year, and was weeks away from 2025 eligibility. He’s got size, decent skill and real sense on the puck for where his linemates are. He protects and handles it well, can slow the game down, can play center or the wing, and chipped in on both of Tri-City’s special teams this season. A lack of scoring and a game that can drift and lack pace at times for a natural center are the concerns.
Thomas Desruisseaux, C, 5-foot-11 (Chicoutimi Sagueneens)
A top prospect in the 2022 QMJHL draft, Desruisseaux was selected 13th by Cape Breton before being traded to Chicoutimi, where he has registered 102 points in 116 games across a season and a half. He’s a small but crafty facilitator who sees the ice at an advanced level, problem-solves inside the offensive zone, and makes his linemates better as a center. He plays the game with touch, feel and intellect. There is concern that, at his size, he doesn’t score enough and may just be a high-level junior playmaker. He’s also not a strong defensive player. I do think he’s got more to offer as a scorer, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough.
Gabriel Eliasson, LHD, 6-foot-6 (HV71)
I’ve seen some players cost their teams with discipline over the years but I’m not sure I’ve ever watched a more undisciplined, immature player than Eliasson. His lack of control in his decisions with/without the puck during the actual play but also more pressingly with his body and his decisions after whistles has been a talking point all year. He has shown no ability to read the room (and the game clock) and rein it in, even on the international stage where it really counts. I could not believe how many times he cost the Swedes with a bone-headed penalty of frustration and rage during their international schedule this season and you came to expect it at the J20 level. It’s one thing to want to be tough and mean when you’re a 6-foot-6 defenseman. It’s another thing altogether when your team gives you one chance after another to cool it and you never get the message, resulting in benchings because you can’t be trusted to be on your best behaviour. With his size and fine-to-decent mobility, Eliasson could be a real force. He’s a lock to get picked and could even surprise some people with how high he goes because of his size, presence and decent mobility. Brady Cleveland was a second-round pick last year and Eliasson’s a better prospect than him on makeup. But I don’t trust him between the ears and I’d probably steer clear, frankly.
Will Felicio, LHD, 5-foot-10 (Waterloo Black Hawks)
A talented offensive defenseman, the small but skilled Felicio put up the most productive 16-year-old season by a defenseman in the history of the USHL last year and consistently drove offense and made plays for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, which it otherwise lacked from its back end. This season, though, he didn’t take a step and struggled at times defensively, which limited his usage and ability to make plays on the puck. He’s an extremely mobile defender who walks the line and evades pressure beautifully, regularly sending opposing players the wrong way to attack past pressure, whether that’s on exits or to get into a more advantageous spot inside the offensive zone with the puck. He sees the ice at a high level and uses excellent footwork to open lanes. Though he’s on the smaller side, he also plays hard, engages, will play the body, likes to pinch to keep the play on offense, and manages a tight gap well. He has a tough time defending against bigger players, though, and seems to get beat a lot. He’s likely not going to be picked but I could see him going to the University of Michigan and becoming a top offensive D in college hockey as an upperclassman.
Advertisement
Jakub Fibigr, LHD, 6-foot (Mississauga Steelheads)
Fibigr is a summer birthday who played an important role for a young Steelheads team this past season, often as their 1LHD and a staple on one of their two power plays (including stretches on PP1). I couldn’t get a real read on him across multiple live viewings, though. There were games in which I thought he took pressure well and showed real poise on the puck to navigate past it and make the next play. But there were also other games in which I felt he needed to make better decisions with the puck and was playing above himself. He’s also average-sized and I’m not sure what his role is up levels. On the whole, though, he had a strong rookie season in the OHL and played reasonably well at both U18s and the Hlinka. He’d be a fine late-round pick.
Gabriel Frasca, C, 6-foot (Kingston Frontenacs)
Frasca missed the start of his draft year recovering from a knee injury, but he came back strong before cooling off a little into the playoffs. He’s an average-to-above skater who thinks and processes the game well and can make plays inside the offensive zone when opportunities present themselves. He doesn’t have a dynamic quality but he’s got a decent shot, decent skill, a strong feel for the game offensively, and an opportunistic knack. He’s also a fairly well-rounded. With a summer of training, I expect him to take a step next season offensively.
Hiroki Gojsic, RW, 6-foot-3 (Kelowna Rockets)
After playing his 16-year-old season in the BCHL, Gojsic had a decent rookie campaign and showed some promise in stretches of this season in the WHL. He’s a pro-sized winger who uses his big, strong frame to play off of skill guys well and who I thought complemented Tij Iginla quite nicely at times this season in viewings. He’s a strong skater who can play off the rush but also get after it on the forecheck and who has a good wall game. He’s got a heavy shot that he can really lean into. I’m not sure if the softer skills or sense are all there in terms of an NHL projection but he’s got enough to warrant getting picked.
Ollie Josephson, C, 6-foot (Red Deer Rebels)
Josephson is a heady, well-rounded center who played an important, all-situations role for the Rebels this season. His statistical profile doesn’t scream NHL prospect, especially because of the lack of goals over the last two seasons, but Red Deer didn’t score much as a team and he finished second on the Rebels in points. He plays an intelligent three-zone game. He also reads the play effectively on the defensive side of the puck and has shown himself to be a strong penalty killer because of his defensive details and reads, his strong skating (he’s got good speed) and his willingness to track and then battle for pucks. I’d like to see him score more and his two-way game and average-sized makeup may not translate as well up levels unless he develops that.
Marcus Kearsey, LHD, 5-foot-11 (Charlottetown Islanders)
Last year’s QMJHL Defensive Rookie of the Year award winner even after he wasn’t invited to play for Canada at U17s, Kearsey and fellow Charlottetown defenseman Owen Conrad (2025) both caught my eye in viewings this year. Kearsey’s an offensively inclined defenseman who can steer and control the game’s shape and tempo with his poise, feet and heads-up play. While he’s on the smaller side, he also defends fairly well, disrupting and gapping up and then getting pucks moving the other way. A native of Newfoundland, he is also by all accounts an awesome kid who may be a future captain for the Islanders. I think with time and some strength he’s got another level to find at both ends (even considering how proficient he already is at managing the puck). I’m not sold on an NHL projection but I expect him to become one of the top defensemen in the Q and get the most out of himself.
Christian Kirsch, G, 6-foot-2 (Zug)
Kirsch was excellent at Switzerland’s junior level this year and played well at U18 worlds despite his .872 save percentage there (it’s hard to maintain a high save percentage on the weaker teams). He’s a UMass commit who is going to play in the USHL with Green Bay next season. He’s particularly good down low but also seals his posts effectively, moves well, is good one-on-one, has a good stick, and goes laterally strongly. I’d take a flier on him in the sixth or seventh round.
Aatos Koivu, C, 6-foot-1 (TPS)
One of my final cuts at forward, Koivu, the son of Saku, grew on scouts throughout the season as his role with the national team increased and his play at the J20 level was consistent (eventually resulting in some Liiga time). He never really grabbed me, though. He’s a good skater and athlete who plays with some interior drive, wins races and has some secondary skill. He’ll push through sticks and contact. He’s a summer birthday with room to add muscle. He can shoot it and gets into his shooting action quickly. But he’s not a natural playmaker, he doesn’t take over games or shifts, and I could never quite pinpoint an NHL role/type for him. He’s going to have a good pro career, I just view him as more of a Round 4-5 guy than a Round 2-3 one.
Advertisement
Timur Kol, LHD, 6-foot-3 (Avangard Omsk)
Kol is a late-August birthday who played a good chunk of the season in the second-tier VHL despite being just three weeks away from 2025 eligibility. He’s got size, good feel on the puck, a hard shot and an active offensive disposition that sees him join the rush and involve himself in the offensive zone with good skill. Below-average overall skating and an immature defensive game that lacks physicality and at times sense kept him off my list, but some believe, with reps and maturity, there’s something there. He does have some offense, which at his size makes him interesting.
Felix Lacerte, RW, 5-foot-10 (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Lacerte is a small but talented winger who led the Cataractes in goals (31, 13 more than his nearest teammate) and points (59 in 52, also 13 more than his nearest teammate) despite missing 16 games this season. His 68-game paces of 41 goals and 77 points are really respectable, especially on a team that lost more games than it won. He’s got an NHL-level wrister, and he frequently walked off the point on the power play and cleanly beat goalies this season. He’s got really slick handling ability and touch on the puck/his passes. But an awkward stride at his height limits his prospects.
Hunter Laing, C, 6-foot-5 (Prince George Cougars)
Lang is a towering forward who primarily played a depth role on a Prince George team that was among the CHL’s deepest at forward this year. He’s not the power forward type you may expect and his feet are going to need continued work to build more pace into his game, but he does show some soft skill, he seems to read the game well offensively, and his size could give him some utility if properly developed. Some expect him to take a step next year.
Frankie Marrelli, LHD, 5-foot-11 (Ottawa 67’s)
Marrelli will be an interesting case study as a 5-foot-11 D whose staunch defensive play is his calling card. There aren’t many NHL players with that profile, but guys like Nick Leddy, Mario Ferraro, Ryan Lindgren, Mikey Anderson, Troy Stecher and Matt Grzelcyk have done it. He’s got great stick detail and defensive instincts. He’s a competitor who engages effectively in battles. He wins boxouts and battles in the corner/along the wall. He blocks shots and is a valuable and trusted penalty killer. He’s got a good first pass and moves pucks efficiently. And he has already been a counted-upon player for both the 67’s and Team Canada at both U18s and the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Brendan McMorrow, LW, 6-foot (U.S. NTDP)
McMorrow’s game is about his motor. He works and skates, involves himself, gets after it in and out of stops and starts, and will make the odd play. The statistical profile isn’t there, and he might not even get picked, but I think he’s a great fit for Denver and wouldn’t be surprised if he becomes a really solid college player in a few years. I enjoyed watching him play and wanted to give him some love here.
Javon Moore, LW, 6-foot-3 (Minnetonka High)
Moore’s a pro-sized winger who can skate, which allowed him to attack off the rush and circle the offensive zone fairly frequently at Minnesota’s high school level. But he’s also a player I kept getting told had some real offense to his game and then whenever I’d watch him, I just wouldn’t see it. The goals he scored this season were rarely off of high-skill plays and I found his actual impact on games a little more muted than his production and tools. There’s some potential there and he should get drafted (and will) but I don’t think he reads the game naturally and the skill level looks more average than above it to me. He’s committed to the University of Minnesota and while I wouldn’t be surprised if he became an effective bottom-sixer for the Golden Gophers as a freshman, I also wouldn’t be surprised if he struggled with the level to start.
Jonathan Morello, C, 6-foot-1 (St. Michael’s Buzzers)
The final cut on my list at forward, Morello is a Clarkson commit who played the last two seasons at the Jr. A OJHL level, playing to above a point per game this year, really popping in the OJHL playoffs, and impressing at the World Jr. A Challenge for Canada East. He’s a strong skater and athlete who plays the game with jump. He’s strong both through his stride and his shot. He’s got a pro frame and a direct, attacking mentality with decent skill. And he’s a July birthday. I think he’s got a chance.
Advertisement
Ethan Procyszyn, C, 6-foot-2 (North Bay Battalion)
Procyszyn is a 200-foot forward who can play both center and wing. He’s a reliable, hardworking player whose numbers don’t pop but who has been effective on a deep North Bay team the last two seasons. He’s also a July birthday, which gives him some runway. He’s competitive. He’s a high-end athlete. He finishes all of his checks and gets after it on the forecheck. He’s got a motor. He’s a strong skater who made some plays off the rush this season and has some skill on the puck and can play the cycle game and take plays to the inside off the wall. He’s not the most cerebral player, though, which could limit his upside and I wonder if his projection is that of an AHLer more than an NHLer. He’s got some pro tools, though.
Colin Ralph, LHD, 6-foot-4 (Shattuck St. Mary’s)
One of three 2024 prospects who decided to stay and play at Shattuck instead of jumping into the USHL in their draft year, Ralph’s the only one who didn’t make my list (though he was among the final cuts on D). He’s a big, heavy, strong D who showed some offense this year, moves pucks well enough to project, and skates fine (he’s got work to do to continue to get quicker from a standstill but his mobility isn’t sluggish considering his size). The challenge I had with his evaluation is that at his size, and as an October ’05, I’d expect him to dominate Shattuck’s prep school circle. College (he’s committed to St. Cloud State and going right in next year) will be much more revealing of what kind of prospect he is.
Joona Saarelainen, C, 5-foot-9 (Kalpa)
A big part of the 2006 age group with the Finnish national team, often playing in its top six and with a letter on his jersey, Saarelainen is a small but quick forward. He’s got twists and turns, stops and starts (he’s one of the better skaters in the drafts coming in and out of breaks), and good speed in straight lines, too. The worry is that while skilled, he’s not so dynamic at his size as to eliminate the inherent risk. He did play some pro and didn’t look out of place, he is committed to playing defense even if it’ll never be a strength at his size, and I expect him to have a good pro career because of his style and his skating. He’s a long shot to have an NHL career, though.
Logan Sawyer, C, 6-foot-1 (Brooks Bandits)
A Providence commit, Sawyer was good at the World Jr. Challenge, played to a point and a half per game to start the year in the AJHL, and then played to a point a game following Brooks’ jump to the BCHL, which included a strong showing in the playoffs. He’s got a bit of an unconventional skating stride, with knees that can knock and feet that can kick and splay out (he’ll often pick up his stick and really sway through the shoulders, too), but he’s got good enough speed, jumps on plenty of pucks and did damage off the rush this season. He’s also not the most competitive kid, but he’s not soft or distant, either. He also made some high-end plays in my viewings and his frame looks like it has some room to fill out so I wonder if some strength will straighten things out. He’s got a natural curl-and-drag release and he’ll stick with pucks around the slot to finish off plays. His timeline is long-term but I could see him become a top player for the Friars in a few years.
Artyom Shchuchinov, LHD, 5-foot-11 (Traktor Chelyabinsk)
Shchuchinov’s going to be a really interesting case study because he’s a nearly impossible evaluation. He’s on the older side as an October ’05 … and yet he’s also on the smaller side as a very slight 5-foot-11 … and yet he also played the entire season in the KHL … and yet he didn’t actually play much hockey this year, averaging eight minutes in the regular season and just under five minutes in the playoffs. Despite his size, he was able to progress up to Russia’s top pro level in his draft year because of his smarts and airy mobility. He’s an extremely heady player who reads the game at an advanced level and excels on his edges gapping and re-gapping, or falling back onto his heels to accept passes and move them back up ice quickly. I have no idea if there’s pro upside there, but there are some lines between him and Tomas Galvas, who will be a mid-round pick in this draft class. Shchuchinov seems to me like he’d make a fine late-round pick. He might top out as AHL depth long-term, but it feels like he’s going to play that role pretty comfortably, too.
Sebastian Soini, RHD, 6-foot-2 (Ilves)
Soini’s a player some in Finland were surprised to see left off of the national team for U18 worlds (he was the last cut on D and I know he was surprised, too). He generated some chatter in the fall when Ilves played him in Liiga games to start the year and then he spent the second half of the season split between junior and the second-tier Mestis (where he averaged more than 20 minutes and spent time on both special teams). Soini is a pro-sized, athletic, right-shot two-way D who moves pucks intelligently and seems to manage the game well defensively, defending primarily with his feet, stick and gaps. He doesn’t grab you, though, either offensively (where his game is efficient but vanilla) or defensively (where you’d like to see him play harder at times). Still, he’s got size, mobility and good overall game sense, which, considering his pro track record and summer birthday, is something. He’s going to have a good pro career, I just haven’t quite been sold enough on his NHL projection to rank him.
Lucas Van Vliet, C, 6-foot-2 (U.S. NTDP)
Van Vliet’s a player who, despite playing in a fourth-line role at the program, I found to be quite effective over the last two years. He’s a good straight-line skater and cutter, even if he doesn’t quite have that pull-away gear. He has some secondary skill, including a nice wrister with a deceptive release that comes off of his blade mid-stance and some smooth handles. He plays within himself. He’s physical. You’ll notice him over the course of a game and I thought he was impactful at U18s. I don’t know if there’s enough offense there to project as a bottom-sixer at the next level, but sometimes depth guys from the program take off in college and I wouldn’t be surprised if he developed into a solid player at MSU and good organizational depth for an NHL team someday.
Advertisement
Kieron Walton, C, 6-foot-6 (Sudbury Wolves)
Walton’s a massive forward with impressive handling and feel on the puck for a player his size. And while he’s not a natural mover, his skating has come along enough to warrant a bet at the draft. Teams wanted to see him impose himself more this season on and off the puck, but not every big man has to be the mean type and he’s got some other qualities that should work up a level, including some sneaky power-play utility around the net and good playmaking feel.
(Top photo of Ollie Josephson: Eric Perreaux / WHL)
