2024 NHL Mock Draft: Final predictions on the first 32 picks

Draft weekend is upon us! In two days, more than 200 players will have their rights selected by NHL teams in hopes of winning Lord Stanley’s Cup in the future. Teams will recruit these players hoping that they will become key cogs on a contending team. There’s plenty of intrigue heading into Friday night’s first round (7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+) outside of the top pick — Celebrini’s name bar is practically sewn onto the back of a San Jose Sharks jersey.

With Matvei Michkov arriving in North America earlier than expected, does this bode well for Ivan Demidov’s hopes of finishing second overall? And in what order are the defenders chosen? Who are the biggest bulls and bearers? How many transactions will be made by Friday evening? Which team will come out of the table?

There are so many questions heading into the draft, and only one thing is certain: there will be surprises.

The mock draft differs greatly from the Big Board. The latter is a pure ranking of players based on model results, views, industry insights and other factors. This close to the draft, the simulation is what industry knowledge tells us could happen Friday night in Las Vegas. Teams have different rosters every draft, but this year, more than I can remember, the variance is staggering. A few teams have players in their top five that other teams have in their late teens. Really, it depends on how each team feels about each player.