The 2024 NHL Draft featured high-end talent at all three positions, headlined by San Jose Sharks star Macklin Celebrini. Owen Cameron takes a look at what changes would be made if general managers across the league had a second chance to make their picks.
The 2024 NHL Draft had everything hockey fans could ask for. Big trades on draft night, shocking picks, on top of being the last fully centralized draft.
This class had elite talent up front along with some very solid depth, as players outside of the first round have already made an impact for their respective clubs.
While it’s been just over a year since these picks were made, there’s still some shaking up to do if there were a re-draft for this group of players.
Considering the talent, organizational fit, and positional need for each franchise, this exercise aims to explore what each team selecting in the top-10 of the 2024 draft would do if they were given a second chance.
1. San Jose Sharks: Macklin Celebrini, Center
Original Pick: Macklin Celebrini, Center
Not much of a surprise that the 19-year-old who finished fourth in the Hart Memorial Trophy voting would still be selected with this pick.
Macklin Celebrini has given the San Jose Sharks light after a dark period where they didn’t have a true top prospect that could lead them back to the playoffs.
Celebrini had a 20-goal increase and a 52-point increase from his rookie season to his sophomore season. 45 goals and 116 points by a teenager is phenomenal, and what he brings to the game is more than just offense.
His defensive details could lead to potential Selke Trophy honours at some point in his career, even as soon as next season. Now that he’s extended, the Sharks have a window to go all in.
2. Chicago Blackhawks: Beckett Sennecke, Right Wing
Original Pick: Artyom Levshunov, Defenseman
It was a shock to the hockey world, and Beckett Sennecke himself, when the Anaheim Ducks selected him with the third-overall pick in 2024. Although it's clear they knew what they were doing, because he’s been amazing in the NHL so far in his career that’s only one season old.
Sennecke produced 23 goals and 60 points last season and brought that momentum into the playoffs, scoring five goals and finishing with six points in the team's 12 games. If the Chicago Blackhawks were to take Sennecke, they would have landed a perfect power-winger to play alongside Connor Bedard for years to come.
3. Anaheim Ducks: Ivan Demidov, Right Wing
Original Pick: Beckett Sennecke, Right Wing
With the Ducks missing out on Sennecke in this experiment, they take another highly-skilled winger in Ivan Demidov who could play alongside Leo Carlsson.
That level of offensive creativity on one line would be must-watch hockey. Additionally, Carlsson's defensive habits would pair well alongside Demidov, who's still trying to establish that area of his game.
Demidov’s transition from the KHL to the NHL was flawless. He managed to record 19 goals and 62 points for the Montreal Canadiens last season and would add to an impressive young core that the Ducks have put together.
4. Columbus Blue Jackets: Igor Chernyshov, Left Wing
Original Pick: Cayden Lindstrom, Center
Igor Chernyshov entered the draft as one of the top Russian prospects and it was a shock that he fell out of the first round and into the lap of the San Jose Sharks at the 33rd pick. He’s an extremely intelligent player who has skill and a two-way game that will allow him to play in all-situations.
Chernyshov had impressive numbers in the AHL as a 20-year-old and and once the Sharks gave him a chance, he never gave them a reason to send him back.
In 28 games for the he recorded nine goals and 19 points and proved he can play alongside Macklin Celebrini. In this scenario, the Columbus Blue Jackets get a player who fits their current timeline and could be an impact player in any part of their lineup.
5. Montreal Canadiens: Tij Iginla, Left Wing
Original Pick: Ivan Demidov, Right Wing
Tij Iginla hasn’t gotten his first taste of professional hockey yet but he was tremendous last season in the 48 games he played for the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL.
Iginla scored 41 goals, which was only 10 behind Cameron Schmidt for the league lead, doing so in 24 more less games. His 90 points gave him the highest points-per-game average in the WHL.
He was also amazing at the World Juniors for Team Canada and would give the Canadiens a player that can score, play multiple positions, and do the dirty work on a more skilled line.
6. Utah Mammoth: Zeev Buium, Defenseman
Original Pick: Tij Iginla, Left Wing
The Utah Mammoth have struggled to find a top defensive prospect. While they’ve since rounded out their blueline after acquiring Mackenzie Weeger from the Calgary Flames, Zeev Buium still makes sense as a retrospective pick here.
Buium stepped into the NHL during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs for the Minnesota Wild where he didn’t look out of place, recording an assist in his four appearances while playing in a sheltered role.
After joining the Vancouver Canucks in the Quinn Hughes blockbuster trade, Buium produced 12 points in 45 games and has looked like a future No.1 defenseman. The Mammoth need offensive drivers from their blueline and Buium is just that.
7. Ottawa Senators: Artyom Levshunov, Defenseman
Original Pick: Carter Yakemchuk, Defenseman
The Ottawa Senators still go with a defenseman in this experiment, but they get a different one as Artyom Levshunov remains on the board. Levshunov had a tough time adjusting to the NHL in the 18 games he played in the 2024-25 season, but he looked a lot more comfortable in his 2025-26 campaign.
Even on a Blackhawks team that struggled mightily to create offense, Levshunov managed to put together 24 points in 68 games. He still brings the offensive elements Ottawa needed when they took Yakemchuk, but comes with a better transition game and seems like he would have been a steady option to slot in alongside someone like Thomas Chabot.
8. Seattle Kraken: Konsta Helenius, Center
Original Pick: Berkly Catton, Center/Left Wing
Konsta Helenius produced at a near point-per-game pace in the AHL last season before eventually being called up to play in three playoff games for the Buffalo Sabres. He then had three points in those games, displaying a good feel for playoff hockey and what he needed to do in order for his team to win.
Following the Sabres' elimination, Helenius excelled on the international stage at the IIHF World Championships, finishing with six points in six games, including the golden goal in overtime against Switzerland to secure Finland's fifth championship at the event.
Helenius plays a solid all-around game and has some really nice skill that would compliment the other forwards on the Seattle Kraken.
9. Calgary Flames: Zayne Parekh, Defenseman
Original Pick: Zayne Parekh, Defenseman
Zayne Parekh had a rough start to his NHL career where he wasn’t able to produce the type of offense you would have expected from him, recording just nine points in 37 games for the Calgary Flames.
However, there were still flashes of the same dynamic offensive talent he showcased in his record-breaking OHL career.
His skating won’t go away, so once he adjusts to the physicality and pace, he’ll have a better feel for the game and he can start to get back to his old ways. Calgary still needs a player like him and down the line a Carson Carels-Parekh pair sounds like a fun one to watch.
10. New Jersey Devils: Sam Dickinson, Defenseman
Original Pick: Anton Silayev, Defenseman
Anton Silayev's first season in the KHL after being drafted was very underwhelming, and Sam Dickinson has proved he can hang in the NHL already.
Dickinson's offensive numbers don't jump off the page, with 14 points in 72 games, but playing 72 games in itself is an accomplishment considering his age and position. He doesn’t bring the same size as Silayev, but at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Dickinson's physical profile is not a concern.
It's hard to imagine Dickinson will put up the same offensive totals in the NHL as he did with the London Knights, but he works in puck battles, is getting better in his own end, and still has the offensive ability in space to eventually be deployed on the power play full time.
In this experiment, the New Jersey Devils get a reliable two-way defenseman who can play multiple styles of hockey, and will eventually become a point-getter.
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