2024 World Juniors: Top Eight 2024 NHL Draft-Eligible Players to Watch

Celebrini, Helenius, Buium and Jiricek are just some 2024 NHL draft-eligible players who will be on full display at the 2024 world juniors. Draft expert Tony Ferrari lists eight in particular.

Although the IIHF World Junior Championship is mainly a tournament for 19-year-old players, it is also an excellent opportunity for some of the best NHL draft-eligible talent to showcase their talents on the big stage. 

This year, there will be 23 first-time NHL draft-eligible players at the world juniors, with only Sweden not bringing one.

Let’s take a look at the top draft eligibles and what kind of effect they can be expected to have for their respective nations. The 2024 world juniors last from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5, 2024, in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The projected top prospect for this year's NHL draft will look to put on a show for Team Canada as he plays center in the top six. His understanding of how to attack a defense as a passer and shooter should make him a threat to score every game, no matter the level of competition. Celebrini has been a dual-threat offensive player all year at Boston University. If he has a good world juniors performance, he will all but lock down the No. 1 pick. That said, he was tossed from a tune-up game for a hit from behind and may miss time.

Jiricek has done his best to keep his head above water at the Czech pro level this year, and he's done an impressive job thus far. His offensive game hasn’t been there consistently, but he has shown flashes of puck-rushing ability and playmaking in the attacking zone. Now that he is set to play against his age group once again, he could be poised to showcase the offensive skill that’s been repressed a bit this season. It may be time to unleash Jiricek.

Much like Jiricek, Galvas has played at the men’s level in Czechia this season, although he has found more offensive success. His game is more refined offensively, and he shows some excellent passing ability. Galvas can run-and-gun with the best of them, and he should be able to shine at this tournament if given a chance. With the Czech squad missing many of its key players from last year, the young guys must step up.

While he likely only plays a bottom-six role this year, the hard-working Emil Hemming could be a nuisance for opposing teams to deal with. His relentless motor will help him force opponents into mistakes as he attacks them on the breakout or hunts loose pucks down. Hemming is the kind of player who creates his offense off turnovers in the offensive zone, looking to make the opposing team pay for their mistakes. He should fit right in with the physical and structured Finns.

Coming into this tournament as Finland's top-line center, Helenius will be given plenty of opportunity to show he deserves to be in contention for a top-10 pick in June. He plays the typical sound two-way game the Finns always seem to play at international events, but he brings a bit more flair to the game as well. His speed and skill can create offense at the drop of a dime, and his motor helps ensure he makes his chances count.

Brandegg-Nygard may be the most pro-ready prospect in the NHL draft, already looking like a legitimate player at the Allsvenskan level. He puts in 110-percent effort on every shift, imposes his will physically without chasing hits and has the offensive game that should put him in the discussion as a top-10 prospect. If the young Norwegian can help his squad to an upset or have a big tournament despite the lack of talent around him, we could be hearing M.B.N.’s name early on Day 1 of the draft in June.

Quiet and reserved, Ustinkov has the defensive game that should help make life simple for the Swiss netminders when he is on the ice. Playing in the Swiss National League, he hasn’t been given the chance to put up big offensive totals. He isn’t a fixture on the power play, but his passing and vision are constantly on display. The World Junior Championship could be a coming-out party for Ustinkov. Like many prospects before him, this tournament could be the reason he jumps up draft boards in the new year.

There hasn’t been a defender scoring at the rate that Buium has in the NCAA since the 1980s, and his offense isn’t even his biggest strength. Buium is a play-killer and a calming presence. When things get hectic at the University of Denver, Buium steps in, takes the puck and calms everyone around him down with his play. He is going to look to be the calm, cool, and collected player for the American U-20 squad despite being the youngest player on the team – just as he is on his college team.

Other draft eligibles: Veeti Vaisanen (Finland), Paul Mayer (Germany), Kristers Ansons (Latvia), Rauls Ozollapa (Latvia), Eriks Mateiko (Latvia), Darels Uljanskis (Latvia), Kristers Urbanovics (Latvia), Ingus Locmelis (Latvia), Mathias Dehli (Norway), Stian Solberg (Norway), Ludvig Lafton (Norway), Jakub Chromiak (Slovakia), Richard Baran (Slovakia), Leon Muggli (Switzerland), Jamiro Reber (Switzerland)