The 2024 NHL Draft was packed with elite talent, setting the stage for an exciting new generation of hockey stars including future Chicago Blackhawks, Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken, and one current San Jose Sharks player named Macklin Celebrini.

Whether you're following the rise of Celebrini, the promising defenseman Artyom Levshunov, or the high-scoring talents like Beckett Sennecke and Berkly Catton, the future of the NHL is bright with these emerging stars.

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As the first round selections begin to make their mark in the NHL and other leagues, fans and analysts alike are eager to track the progress of these highly anticipated prospects. 

From NHL debuts to standout performances in junior leagues, the path of the top 10 draft picks is already unfolding in dramatic fashion.

In this article, we take a closer look at where the 2024 NHL Draft's top picks are now and how their early careers are shaping up.

NHL Draft Picks: Where Are The Top 10 2024 Round 1 Picks Now

#1. Macklin Celebrini ( C ) - San Jose Sharks

As the only player currently on an NHL line-up from this list, Macklin Celebrini has launched head-first into things earning at least 17 minutes on ice in each of his seven games.

Celebrini scored two goals in one game against the Minnesota Wild and has one goal on the St. Louis Blues. The first goal from his two-goal performance came off of a flipping puck right in front of the net off of a pass back-and-forth from Granlund—it tied the game 1-1. In the third period, San Jose was down 4-1 and Celebrini fired a snipe from the point to high glove side on Marc-Andre Fleury.

Most recently, on November 18, Celebrini scored the game-winner in overtime in a beautiful attacking move, weaving through three defenders and elevating the puck into the seven hole.

MACKLIN CELEBRINI CALLED GAME 🤩

The 2024 first overall pick wins it for the @SanJoseSharks in @Energizer OT! pic.twitter.com/d8KOURKiz7

— NHL (@NHL) November 19, 2024

NHL - San Jose Sharks

• Games Played: 8
• Goals: 4
• Assists: 1
• Points: 5
• + / - : -1
• PIM: 2

#2. Artyom Levshunov (D) - Chicago Blackhawks

In his first year in the AHL, Levshunov is already making waves as a nimble shooter for the IceHogs. Their rough 2024-25 season start hasn't given him the most opportunities to show off his playmaking skills with only four wins and eight losses. 

The Belarusian d-man has 23 shots on goal and 4 assists putting him ahead of all other Rockford defensemen. He assisted Frank Nazar with scoring a power play goal at the beginning of their game on Friday against the Manitoba Moose, a one-goal lead that would be enough to make up the difference by the end of three periods.

AHL - Rockford IceHogs

• Games Played: 9
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 4
• Points: 5
• +/- : -4
• PIM: 6

#3. Beckett Sennecke (RW) - Anaheim Ducks

Sennecke's 27 points have him amongst the best in the OHL, top 15, to be specific. His 13 goals leads the Generals and has helped them to the top of the East Division with a 13-8-1-0 record.

OHL - Oshawa Generals

• Games Played: 18
• Goals: 13
• Assists: 14
• Points: 27
• +/- : +11
• PIM: 14

#4. Cayden Lindstrom ( C ) - Columbus Blue Jackets

Despite injuring his back and hand forcing Lindstrom to miss the back half of the 2023-24 season for Medicine Hat (WHL), Columbus Blue Jackets still picked him up in the no. 4 spot. Before his injuries, he earned 46 points in 32 games.

Injured

• Games Played: N/A
• Goals: N/A
• Assists: N/A
• Points: N/A
• +/- : N/A
• PIM: N/A

#5. Ivan Demidov (RW) - Montreal Canadiens

Last season, Demidov earned 60 points and six game-winning goals in 30 games in Russia's top junior league, playing for SKA St. Petersburg. His pace so far in 2024-25 is slightly behind the monstrous performance that he was able to produce last year, but his +/- has him tied for 2nd in the KHL over 28 games this year with Arseny Gritsyuk.

KHL - SKA St. Petersburg

• Games Played: 28
• Goals: 6
• Assists: 13
• Points: 19
• +/- : +15
• PIM: 8

#6. Tij Iginla ( C )- Utah Hockey Club

With his 12 goals, 6'0, 195-pound Tij Iginla is in the top 30 goal scorers in the WHL so far in the 2024-25 season. Iginla has already netted two hat tricks for the Rockets in wins over the Portland Winterhawks and Moose Jaw Warriors — games that resulted in 9 and 6 goals for the Rockets. He's also credited with two game-winning goals.

His very low penalty time and high productivity has been making this pickup for Utah look better and better as the season goes on.

WHL - Kelowna Rockets

• Games Played: 15
• Goals: 12
• Assists: 12
• Points: 24
• +/- : +12
• PIM: 2

#7. Carter Yakemchuk (D) - Ottawa Senators

Carter Yakemchuk is having a decent start to his 2024-25 season with the Calgary Hitment, currently sitting 15th amongst defensemen in points in the WHL. Yakemchuk earned 3 of his 7 goals in a scoring streak in mid-October when he netted one each against the Prince George Cougars, Red Deer Rebels, and Lethbridge Hurricanes.

His penalty time is a bit on the high side but one game against the Medicine Hat Tigers earned Yakemchuk 16 of those 18 minutes after a few roughing minors and a 10-minute misconduct at the conclusion of the 4-2 loss.

WHL - Calgary Hitmen

• Games Played: 16
• Goals: 7
• Assists: 11
• Points: 18
• +/- : -5
• PIM: 23

#8. Berkly Catton ( C ) - Seattle Kraken

This season, Berkly Catton is currently 2nd on the Chiefs and 8th in the WHL in points with his 30 total, 9 goals and 21 assists. The dynamic center is a face-off machine, holding a 55.6% win rate after 18 games. 

Catton is also 11th in points per game in the WHL with his 1.67. The 5'10 18-year old has already tallied 73 shots on goal this season and has one shorthanded goal.

WHL - Spokane Chiefs

• Games Played: 20
• Goals: 9
• Assists: 23
• Points: 32
• +/- : +9
• PIM: 14

#9. Zayne Parekh (D) - Calgary Flames

Zayne Parekh started playing with the Saginaw's OHL team during the 2022-23 season and has stayed with the Spirit since being drafted. Over 18 games, he's earned an impressive 23 points so far, considerably outpacing his total season numbers from last year. 

Parekh helped Saginaw sweep the Owen Sound Attack and in a 4-3 series win over Soo Greyhounds to make it to the OHL Western Conference Championship. Penalties have been a bit of an issue for Parekh this season with 30 PIM.

OHL - Saginaw Spirit

• Games Played: 18
• Goals: 6
• Assists: 17
• Points: 23
• +/- : +6
• PIM: 30

#10. Anton Silayev (D) - New Jersey Devils

Since being drafted, Anton Silayev has continued playing for the Torpedo of Nizhny Novgorod in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). His numbers this season are similar to the pace at which he started out the 2023-2024 season.

As of Nov. 14 2023, Silayev had a +/- of -5 over 30 games, this year in mid-November, he sits at a much improved +8 over 24 games. 

KHL - Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod

• Games Played: 24
• Goals: 0
• Assists: 7
• Points: 7
• +/- : +8
• PIM: 12

When is the 2025 NHL Draft?

The next NHL Draft will take place after the conclusion of the 2024-25 season in June.

Who are the top 2025 NHL Draft prospects?

NHL teams have been watching junior hockey and collegiate leagues across the world to find the best up and coming players to add to their development programs with the hopes of eventually adding them to their roster. Here are some of the top ranked draft eligible players to keep an eye on:

• James Hagens ( C ) - Boston College, NCAA
• Porter Martone (RW) - Mississauga, OHL
• Anton Frondell ( C ) - Djurgårdens IF, J20
• Matthew Schaefer (D) - Erie, OHL
• Michael Misa (C/LW) - Saginaw, OHL
• Roger McQueen (F) - Brandon, WHL
• Ivan Ryabkin ( C ) - MHK Dynamo Moskva, MHL
• Logan Hensler (D) - Wisconsin, NCAA
• Malcolm Spence (LW) - Erie, OHL
• Caleb Desnoyers ( C ) - Moncton, QMJHL
• Charlie Trethewey (D) - USDP, NTDP
• William Moore ( C ) - USDP, NTDP
• Cole Reschny (F) - Victoria, WHL
• Radim Mrtka (D) - HC Oceláři Třinec, Czech
• Jakob Ihs-Wozniak (F) - Luleå HF, J20

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Looking for more? The best, and most complete, coverage of the NHL minor league hockey and NHL Draft is found on FloHockey. Don't miss the latest new prospect guides, rankings and more from Chris Peters and the FloHockey staff.

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