Achi news desk-
Levshunov (6-2, 208) was named Big 10 Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year and earned spots on the All-Big 10 First Team and All-Freshman Team. The 18-year-old was the third-youngest player in men’s college hockey second nationally among freshmen at his position and was 10th among all defensemen with 35 points (nine goals, 26 assists) in 38 games. The right tackle led the Big 10 with a plus-27 rating while playing a top defensive pairing all season.
He looks to become just the third player from Michigan State to be selected among the top 3 picks. Forward Joe Murphy went No.1 to the Detroit Red Wings in 1986, and forward Craig Simpson went No.2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1985.
Lindstrom (6-3, 210) is a powerhouse center and despite missing 36 regular season games due to injury, remains a top 4 forward option in this draft. The 18-year-old returned to the team on March 29 after recovering from surgery to repair an upper body injury. He had 46 points (27 goals, 19 assists) in 32 games before getting injured and had two points (one goal, one assist) and 17 shots on goal in four WHL playoff games.
“Lindstrom is an elite NHL prospect that any NHL club would covet, and the NHL projection does not change because he has missed time with injuries that were not thought to detract from his future career,” Marr said. “Central Scouting chose to put him in the same position because he remains one of the top prospects in this class and we have not filed any reports to replace him.
“He will undergo a full medical assessment prior to the draft at the NHL Scouting Combine (June 3-8), where NHL clubs will have the opportunity to interview Cayden and review his medical information.”
Buium (6-0, 183), the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Defenseman of the Year, is first in the nation among all defensemen and fifth among freshmen with 50 points (11 goals, 39 assists) in 42 games for the NCAA national champion. He was named to the NCAA Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. The 18-year-old, who is the second-youngest player in men’s college hockey, will look to land the highest-drafted player from Denver. Defenseman Craig Redmond currently holds that distinction, going No. 6 to the Los Angeles Kings in the 1984 NHL Draft.
Buium had five points (three goals, two assists) and a tournament-best plus-11 rating in seven games to help the United States win the gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.
“He plays a quick, proactive transition game and became an offensive impact player as a freshman,” Marr said. “His side would be similar to the likes of Quinn Hughes (Vancouver Canucks) and Adam Fox (New York Rangers).”
Parekh (6-0, 179), who moved up from No. 10 in the midseason rankings, set Saginaw records for goals (33) and points (96) by a defenseman in 66 regular-season games. The 18-year-old right-hander also scored 34 power-play points (10 goals, 24 assists) and two shorthanded goals. Parekh scored 21 goals as a rookie last season, the most by a 16-year-old defenseman in OHL history.
“His upside is huge,” said Nick Smith of Central Scouting. “He never gets rowdy, he’s full of poise and confidence, and he’s got the skills and the brains … just a smart, smart player. He can score, he has a good touch, he has good vision, and he competes. Real high-end prospects.”
Julius Miettinen of Everett in the Western Hockey League made one of the biggest jumps in the final standings. The center (6-2, 203), who moved to No. 18 from No. 49, had 67 points (31 goals, 36 assists) and 24 power play points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 66 regular season games .
“He was a bubble ‘BC’ grade prospect with a face-off against Finland in the under-18 Hlinka-Gretzky Tournament last summer,” Marr said. “Since the CHL Top Prospects game (January 24), there has been a measurable improvement in his skating and confidence which, in turn, has elevated his game and results to the next level.”
Mikhail Yegorov of Omaha (USHL) is No. 1 in the final North American Central Scouting rankings. The 18-year-old (6-4, 179), who was No. 4 in the midseason rankings in January, was 8-25-3 with a 3.86 goals-against average, .892 save percentage and one shutout in 43 regular – season games. He faced the fourth most shots in the USHL this season (1,262) and the Lancers averaged a game-low 2.58 goals per game.
“He has a huge professional presence and has shown steady development throughout the season,” said Al Jensen of Central Scouting. “He moves well throughout the crease and has a very good structure to his game. He is very hard to beat down low and in tight situations and has the chance and ability to become a very good professional with more development. He’s a high-end goalkeeping prospect.”
Source link
The post Celebrini tops the North American Central Scouting rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft appeared first on Canadian News Media.
