The 2024 NHL Draft is a few weeks away with the Nashville Predators scheduled to pick 22nd overall. While the first overall pick is likely set in Macklin Celebrini, there isn’t much franchise-altering talent in this draft class. Despite that, there’s a strong group of forwards that will be available later on night one, including the three prospects below.
Beckett Sennecke | F | Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Standing at 6’2″, Oshawa’s Beckett Sennecke will almost certainly be a winger in the NHL, but his size makes it an intriguing discussion. The second-year OHL forward was a key reason the Generals were one of the league’s best teams this year, scoring 27 goals and 68 points in 63 games. His NHL Draft stock has only risen with whispers that he could be a top-10 pick when the league descends on Vegas later this month.
Sennecke is a pure power-forward type and extremely confident as a puck carrier. He skips up the ice, mesmerizing defenders with his slick stickhandling without any hesitation. And while on many shifts that leads to some pretty impressive goals, Sennecke still struggles to adjust his hands against better defenders, carrying the puck too far out in front of his body making himself vulnerable to takeaways. With his frame, NHL teams will want to see him get stronger on the puck.
Off the puck, Sennecke keeps his feet moving in the offensive zone and constantly darts into open ice to give his teammates passing options. As the season continued, he improved as a forechecker and back-checker, taking better angles at opponents and pouncing on puck battles sooner. His skating and speed are fine (if not groundbreaking), but he demonstrates really good puck skills at top speed, including precision passing and a deceptive, versatile shooting arsenal.
With added refinement, Sennecke projects to be a top-six power winger at the next level.
Michael Hage | C | Chicago Steel (USHL)
Michael Hage is the latest in the long line of first-round talent coming out of the Chicago Steel program. The 6’1″ Ontario native looks leaner than Sennecke but is a natural center that’s attracted plenty of interest this season. After a 13-game USHL debut last season, Hage exploded for 33 goals and 75 points in 54 games this year, leading the Steel in scoring. The University of Michigan commit has his detractors but should ultimately be a first-round pick at the NHL Draft.
Hage oozes skill much like Sennecke but at times, he’s less in-your-face about it. He’ll dance around the offensive zone, scanning his options and looking off defenders, but ultimately, he’s focused on making a play to the slot (an area where his metrics are off the chart). Against the most disciplined defenses, Hage finds a way to a teammate’s blade somewhere in a high-danger area; he often follows those passes up by getting himself into a scoring position too, feasting off give-and-go hockey.
Much like Sennecke, Hage is a quick (but not stunning) skater who can stickhandle and make plays at top speed. He excels at bursting out of his crossover steps and dekes, forcing defenders to account for his change-of-direction agility. He keeps his feet moving off the puck too, covering plenty of ice at both ends, but his defense could be more intentional—especially if he plays center in the pros.
He’s not the most physical forward, but Hage doesn’t shy away from a useful hit here and there. But he prefers to make defenders make the first move instead of attacking with more north-south speed in transition—something to which his wider skating stance certainly contributes.
Jett Luchanko | C | Guelph Storm (OHL)
One of my favorite players in this class, Luchanko may not scream dominant scorer like Beckett Sennecke does, but he’s a fun, responsible pivot. Luchanko is a bit smaller at 5’11”, but the Guelph center is tenacious. He jumped from 14 points as an OHL freshman to 20 goals and 74 points in 68 games this year, chipping in a point-per-game effort at the U18 World Junior Championship as well.
Luchanko is fast and a better technical skater than Sennecke or Hage. His stride mechanics are really good and more importantly, consistent; whether he’s forechecking, back-checking, or leading his team’s transition, Luchanko’s skating is often top-notch. His puckhandling skills are probably not quite what Sennecke’s are, but he attacks defenders, pushing them onto their heels with every chance.
The right-hand shot has a later birthday than most of this class but plays such a mature game. He’s defensively responsible, using his speed to give his defenders a boost. Luchanko has a never-ending motor but doesn’t just move his feet for the sake of it; he’s intentional with his decisions, showing quick-thinking set-up skills and staying a step ahead of opponents to cover passing lanes in his end.
Are his puck skills off the charts? Not really. But Luchanko is adaptable and strongly projects to be a middle-six center at the next level—especially given his work rate.
