Tonight is the night; the 2024 NHL Draft is finally here. All week long, I’ve written about prospects the Nashville Predators should target with each of their picks, ending here in the first round. Barry Trotz seems keen to take a big swing on offensive talent with the 22nd overall pick, so here are a few options.
Liam Greentree | W | Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
Watching the Windsor Spitfires this year was tough, but there was one bright spot: Liam Greentree. The Spitfires’ captain stands at 6’2″ and 214 pounds, and he uses every bit of it. In his second season in the OHL, Greentree scored 36 goals and 90 points in 64 games, finishing 11th in league scoring. At the U18 World Junior Championship (WJC), Greentree scored four points in seven games for Team Canada.
I feel fairly confident that Greentree won’t be available at 22nd overall, but there is a chance depending on how tonight shakes out. And if he is, I imagine Barry Trotz is certainly interested. Greentree bullies his way up the ice and around the offensive zone. He controls the puck with surprisingly soft hands, draws contact from opponents, and shrugs them off as he keeps the rush going. In the offensive zone, Greentree connects with his teammates with manipulations to his stick and passes from the perimeter and uses his strong frame to win puck battles and dominate cycles. Off the puck, Greentree weaves through opponents, pulling defenders away from the play and buying space for his linemates. He can slip behind those opposing defenders too, finding space in high-danger areas; when he’s covered, he uses his reach and power to force shots on-net.
In transition, Greentree hustles his way through the neutral zone, beating defenders with solid dekes, quick, one-touch passes, and delay tactics that rattle defenders. He’s efficient in his zone exits and entries, and he’s extremely confident in getting the puck to the net one way or the other. He completes his offensive skillset with a powerful shooting arsenal that can beat goalies in multiple ways.
So what’s the catch? You guessed it: skating. Greentree’s skating isn’t terrible; in fact, it’s a notch or two above Matthew Wood’s this time last year. But he doesn’t have explosive speed from a standstill, his change-of-direction pace isn’t great, and his mechanics are a little clunky. If a team can fine-tune those, they’ll have a great player on their hands.
Trevor Connelly | W | Tri-City Storm (USHL)
If you’ve heard anything about this draft class outside of Macklin Celebrini, it was probably about Trevor Connelly. Two years ago, he posted a photo of a swastika made of building blocks to his Snapchat before deleting it and apologizing. Three years ago, he was accused of directing a racial slur at an opponent; he was initially suspended, but the California Amateur Hockey Association ultimately dismissed that suspension, unable to corroborate the allegation. Beyond that, reporting at The Athletic has uncovered allegations from past teammates and parents of those teammates about troubling behavior from Connelly. By many accounts, Connelly has taken significant steps to correct his mistakes, including owning up to his actions, taking diversity trainings, doing community service work, and more. Despite that, it’s hard to tell where Connelly will be taken. On talent alone, he’s probably a top-ten pick, but there’s probably half a dozen teams who won’t draft him at all. If he’s available at 22, I’d wager Barry Trotz picks him.
The 6’1″ winger starred in his second season for the Tri-City Storm this year, scoring 31 goals and 78 points in 52 games (good for second league-wide). At the U18 WJC, he dominated with four goals and nine points in seven games.
Connelly is a shifty offensive tour-de-force. One of the first things that stands out about his game is his skating ability. His mechanics are very good, his strides are smooth as hell, he can upshift and downshift in a second, and he’s got great lateral agility. That helps his transition game, which is one of the best in this draft class. His puckhandling skills are elite, and he makes his moves through opponents look easy. He’ll squeeze by defenders along the wall and drive to the net or exploit a millimeter of an opening in their stance and cut to the middle; all with his head up, scanning the ice for what’s next. His passing and shooting skills are dynamic, and he can score with a catch-and-release wrister, a one-timer, or a brilliant move in tight on a goalie.
Connelly’s defense isn’t as detailed, but college hockey should smooth those wrinkles. He’s also still prone to mistakes with the puck on some shifts. He works himself into one-on-twos or one-on-threes that he can’t get out of, or he’ll forgo a smart give-and-go touch to try and do it all himself. Against physical, more imposing defenders, he can get tossed around a bit.
But none of those concerns really outweigh the question marks about his character; that is what will make teams’ decisions tonight interesting.
Igor Chernyshov | W | Dynamo Moskva (KHL)
Igor Chernyshov is one of my ideal prospects in the 2024 NHL Draft. The 6’2″ forward grew up in the Dynamo Moskva system and made his KHL debut in the 2022-23 campaign. After a point-per-game year in the MHL that year, he earned a big promotion to the pro club this year, scoring three goals and four points in 34 games (albeit with just over eight minutes in average ice time). He chipped in 28 points in 22 MHL games this year too.
Chernyshov is an above-average skater who is constantly moving his feet. With the puck, he attacks the offensive zone, pushing defenders back and forcing them to be at their best. Off the puck, he’s a pro at puck support; if his teammates can’t find a passing option in transition, Chernyshov will circle back at full speed, keeping his wheels moving to confuse forecheckers and open up space.
The Russian winger is also a good puck handler. He’ll manipulate his wrists to execute creative passes and work around defenders; and if his moves don’t work, he chases down those mistakes. Chernyshov can still work on keeping his hands and feet moving at the same time, especially when trying to beat a defender to the outside. In those moments, you’d like to see him drop his shoulder more and push off the opponent. Defensively, Chernyshov’s posture is better as a forechecker than he is in his own end; he takes good angles and stops and starts to change directions but could improve his board play getting the puck out of his zone.
Chernyshov’s calling card is very clearly his endless motor. But he displays a two-way responsibility that will help him succeed at the pro level in combination with his good scoring touch.
