2024 NHL Draft Notebook: Liam Greentree, Emil Hemming and Igor Chernyshov Fit the Pro Style

These three players from the OHL, KHL and Liiga possess a pro-style game that should intrigue NHL teams in the mid- to late first round of the 2024 draft, says Tony Ferrari.

This season, I want to give more insight into how I track NHL draft-eligible players throughout the year. Through numerous views, both live and in person, I evaluate what I see on the ice from players, from their big flashy plays and highlight-reel goals or assists to minor details, such as board play or off-puck tracking.

This week, we look at some interesting players who fit the prototypical pro-style game that NHL teams covet fairly high in the draft. These are players who may go higher than public lists have them because of their strength, intelligence, and high effort levels.

Liam Greentree has been a dominant force on a Windsor Spitfires team struggling to stay competitive on some nights. Igor Chernyshov has been a solid producer at the KHL level for Dynamo Moscow, constantly getting in the thick of the action. Emil Hemming has been making his case for being a first-round prospect as he has made the most of the bottom-six minutes he’s received in the Liiga with TPS.

Ranked 10th by Tony Ferrari, 15th by Ryan Kennedy

Feb. 8, 2024, vs. Erie - It won’t shock me if Greentree goes higher at the NHL draft than many expect because the blend of strength and skill that he plays with often causes NHL teams and hockey people to drool.

This game was an excellent example of his ability to win battles along the boards, leverage his strength and puck-protection abilities and blend in high-level puckhandling to evade pressure and open himself up to make a play. The OHL site has Greentree registering six shots on goal in this game, but I counted eight and 13 shot attempts. He scored once and collected an assist on a goal in which he shot the puck off a teammate in front.

His goal came on a nice play – Greentree stopped up on the zone entry to give himself some space as the defenders retreated, skating into the slot and then firing a shot that was blocked. He then faded to the outside and crept into the backside of the net, where he buried a cross-crease pass.

There were a number of instances when Greentree worked to win a battle along the boards, using his hips to turn into the opponent before pulling the puck out of the battle with his eyes to the middle of the ice. 

Greentree’s skating, specifically his acceleration, remains the biggest flaw in his game, but he is so intelligent with how he uses his frame and puck skill that it doesn’t really impede him. He uses teammates extremely well, finding the outlet when space does close on him and then working to get himself into position to receive a return pass.

In this game, Greentree consistently found ways to get open in the offensive zone as an off-puck shooting threat. When he had the puck, his vision and passing abilities were impressive. He is the kind of player who plays to his strengths and understands how to mitigate the weaknesses in his game. 

The advancements Greentree has made this season as a powerful playmaking winger were noticed, but he fell back on his strong goal-scoring habits and shooting talent in this game and wound up with a goal and an assist. True dual threat.

Ranked 23rd by Tony Ferrari, 13th by Ryan Kennedy

Jan. 27, 2024, vs. Spartak - This was yet another KHL game in which Igor Chernyshov looked like a legitimate contributor and solid player at both ends of the ice against men. Chernyshov plays with a high motor and relentless drive to get to the inside and establish his position around the net.

In this game, Chernyshov was like a dog on a bone at times, constantly looking to get pucks back, forechecking with his speed and physicality. He played a strong two-way game in this one, looking engaged defensively, pushing the puck to the outside whenever it came to his side of the ice and working hard along the boards to win the puck back or at least dislodge it off the stick of his opponent.

Chernyshov was ultimately rewarded for his efforts with a goal in this game. Collecting the puck on the breakout in the neutral zone, Chernyshov attacked up ice with pace and maintained speed as he closed in on the defender in the faceoff circle. As Chernyshov got into the faceoff dot, he had a quick toe drag and release that the goalie couldn’t absorb cleanly, and the puck went in off the pad. 

Chernyshov was constantly a thorn in the opposing defender’s side as he consistently pushed and shoved around the net to screen the goaltender. His persistence and annoyance of the opposing team were notable throughout.

He was limited when it came to ice time, playing bottom-six minutes, but he made the most of it as he always does. Chernyshov is the kind of player who could project to play up and down the lineup if his offensive tools continue to develop because his effort never wanes, and his willingness to mix it up will keep him in the lineup.

Ranked 19th by Tony Ferrari 

Feb. 7, 2024, vs. HPK - Hemming is continuing to make a case for himself being a first-round prospect. He has intelligent and projectable play built upon solid tools across the board, a good work ethic and anticipatory play in all three zones.

If Hemming wasn’t the player involved in the board battle, he was constantly adjusting to ensure he was in position to jump on a loose puck that squeaked out of the pile on either side. 

He rolled off defenders to put himself on the puck side of the attack and worked hard to get in a strong position. Hemming was a nuisance on the forecheck, leading with his stick to interrupt possession and following through with the body when the play called for it. This game was a very good example of a player using functional physicality to get involved, never chasing hits or looking to “punish” his opponent after the puck is gone.

He also stayed puck-focused while maintaining good spacing and rarely finding himself bunched up needlessly with teammates. 

Hemming had an assist in this game simply by working with the defenders, passing off and rotating to the point as they looked to engage a pinch down into the offensive zone. Hemming ran a criss-cross at the point with a defender, handing it off and drawing the opponent with him in one direction before a cross-ice pass was buried for a goal. Hemming’s constant movement and understanding of how and when to cover for blueliners in the offensive zone earned him the apple.

Hemming was excellent on the backcheck, pressuring the puck carrier on just about every shift. On one play in the second period, a defender blew a tire, and the opposing team had a free 2-on-1 until Hemming came flying back. Hemming lifted the puck carrier’s stick, stripped the puck and turned up the ice toward the offensive zone. He drove the slot, dropped a pass to a trailing teammate and generated a very good offensive chance through his defensive effort.

The high-effort, high-energy game that Hemming plays has made him a very effective player at the Liiga level, and his offensive game is slowly beginning to catch up to his skating and motor. He may not be a dynamic or overly dangerous player in the Liiga at the moment, but everything is slowly getting there.