2024 NHL Draft Profile: Maxmillian Curran
A deep dive into 2024 NHL Draft prospect and Tri-City Americans' forward Maxmillian Curran.
Photo by John Keller/WHL - 2024 NHL Draft Profile: Maxmillian CurranThe WHL is set to play a significant role in this year's 2024 NHL Draft. 57 players were included on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, with a handful expected to be drafted in the first round. Today's draft profile is of Tri-City Americans' Maxmillian Curran, who enters the draft as the 58th-ranked North American Skater.
It was a challenging year for Curran, who missed the second half of the season with an upper-body injury. Not only did the injury drop his draft stock, but it came at a terrible time, as he was starting to find his groove in the WHL. The question is, did he do enough at the U18s to impress scouts and GMs, or will the fact he only played five games since the end of January deter teams from selecting him?
In the offensive zone, Curran thrives when he has time and space. His playmaking ability is arguably his best offensive trait, as 27 of his 32 points were assists. Overall, Curran is a player who has great vision and can pick out teammates' sticks, delivering tape-to-tape passes through traffic.
As for the defensive zone, this is where Curran thrives. He is rarely out of position and can use his long reach to break up passes. Curran is also a player who doesn't mind taking the extra second to wait until the puck is fully cleared, which allows him to stay in a good position if a turnover occurs.
When it comes to Curran, the biggest knock against him is his skating. He is not an explosive skater and likes to sit back and watch the play develop rather than be a driver. If Curran can work on his skating and start utilizing his 6'3" frame a bit more consistently, he will be a difficult player to slow down next season.
Projecting where Curran is going to be drafted is complex due to the amount of time he missed. His NHL projection is a bottom-six center who can play on the penalty kill, but he will only be able to achieve that if he improves his skating. Ultimately, he has a lot of potential and is a player who could be a fourth or fifth-round pick that develops into a serviceable NHLer.
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