Mack Celebrini still rules the roost, but players such as Cayden Lindstrom and Zeev Buium have rocketed up the charts.

Some of the most important events of the NHL draft prospect season are now behind us, with the world juniors, All-American Prospects Game and CHL Top Prospects Game all in the rearview mirror. I attended all three showdowns in person, and with our annual Future Watch issue on the horizon (which features the top 10 picks for the next two drafts and four players to watch for 2026), I have begun to interview NHL scouts about players.

Which is a long way of saying that it's time for some 2024 NHL draft rankings. Boston University's Mack Celebrini is the obvious No. 1, but there's a big grouping behind him that is interchangeable in the minds of some talent hawks. The biggest X-factor is going to be Trevor Connelly, the USHL star who has scouts hemming and hawing because of some off-ice red flags they are investigating. Connelly's draft slot is certainly the hardest to predict since, talent-wise, he's top-10.

But rank I must, so check out my mid-term ranking for the first round of the draft:

1. Mack Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA): Canada's best player at the world juniors by a country mile. Celebrini is skilled, competitive and incredibly smart. With the Terriers, the freshman terror has been one of the top scorers in the entire NCAA despite being one of the youngest players around.

2. Anton Silayev, D, Torpedo (Rus.): The potential with Silayev is just too great to ignore. A 6-foot-7 defenseman who can skate and chip in on offense? Yes, please. Silayev was a point-per-gamer early in the season before cooling off, but his game is so alluring - plus he's being coached by 'The Professor,' Igor Larionov, in the KHL.

3. Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA-St. Petersburg (Rus.): An early injury took him out of the spotlight, but Demidov has been a beast in Russia's junior league ever since. He creates offense at an incredible clip, and his strength allows him to win battles and keep puck possession. Not many holes to find in his game.

4. Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (NCAA): The offense was a calling card heading into college, but Levshunov (who starred in the USHL before that) has also proven he can defend, too. With his size, strength and two-way acumen, an NHL team won't have to wait long for him to crack their roster.

5. Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL): High-riser is on the shelf right now, and it was unfortunate he had to miss the CHL Top Prospects Game, but when you're a 6-foot-5 center who puts up big offensive numbers, NHL teams are going to be very interested no matter how many games you play in your draft year.

6. Berkly Catton, C, Spokane (WHL): Incredibly smart and talented player who captained Canada to gold at the summer Hlinka-Gretzky tournament. Catton is posting major numbers with the Chiefs and is the type of player who finds easy chemistry with other dangerous players. He and Tij Iginla were great at the CHL Top Prospects Game, for example.

7. Cole Eiserman, LW, U.S. NTDP (USHL): The best goal-scorer in the draft class, Eiserman could break Cole Caufield's NTDP career goals record this year - but scouts are worried that's the only thing he's concentrating on. I liked him at the All-American Prospects Game (where the stats didn't count towards his NTDP total), but I have to listen to the experts.

8. Sam Dickinson, D, London (OHL): Wicked all-around defenseman who has put up more offense than a lot of us expected this season. Dickinson is hard to play against in his own zone, thanks to his details and physicality. Another player on the NHL fast-track, he's already good at the things young blueliners usually need to be taught.

9. Konsta Helenius, C, HIFK (Fin.): One of Finland's youngest players at the world juniors, Helenius had a wicked shootout goal to help beat Sweden in the round-robin, and he clearly has some excellent offensive skills. He definitely got the worst of a lot of hits, though, so getting bigger and stronger will be a priority.

10. Zeev Buium, D, Denver (NCAA): Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the NCAA season, Buium is a top-10 scorer in the nation and doing so as an 18-year-old defenseman. He has more points than Lane Hutson right now. Buium also won gold at the world juniors with Team USA and is no slouch in his own end, either.

11. Tij Iginla, C, Kelowna (WHL)

12. Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw (OHL)

13. Igor Chernyshov, LW, Dynamo Moscow (Rus.)

14. Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary (WHL)

15. Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor (OHL)

16. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Mora (Swe.)

17. Adam Jiricek, D, Plzen (Cze.)

18. Adam Jecho, C, Edmonton (WHL)

19. Sacha Boisvert, C, Muskegon (USHL)

20. Aron Kiviharju, D, HIFK (Fin.)

21. Ryder Ritchie, RW, Prince Albert (WHL)

22. Charlie Elick, D, Brandon (WHL)

23. Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George (WHL)

24. Nikita Artamonov, LW, Torpedo (Rus.)

25. EJ Emery, D, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

26. Michael Hage, C, Chicago (USHL)

27. Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City (USHL)

28. Andrew Basha, LW, Medicine Hat (WHL)

29. Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph (OHL)

30. Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa (OHL)

31. John Mustard, C, Waterloo (USHL)

32. Cole Beaudoin, C, Barrie (OHL)