Yardbarker's NHL mock draft: Intrigue surrounds top 10

Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini has been the presumed No. 1 overall pick for close to a year now, and with the San Jose Sharks winning the draft lottery, we know where he’ll land.

But after Celebrini is picked, things will get interesting. There’s chatter about potential first-round trades, and there could be a run on defensemen early that shakes up the handful of picks directly after the top 10.

Here’s who could go where in Round 1, which begins Friday in Las Vegas at 7 p.m. ET. (Rounds 2-7 are Saturday beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.)

1. San Jose Sharks | Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University | A no-brainer for Sharks general manager Mike Grier. Celebrini is the consensus top player in the class and likely would have been the second overall choice behind Connor Bedard in the 2023 draft — he’s that good.

2. Chicago Blackhawks |Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State | The Blackhawks have many needs to address, but Levshunov’s potential as a shutdown defenseman is too good to pass up. GM Kyle Davidson would likely salivate at having a future blue-line group composed of Levshunov, Kevin Korchinski, Sam Rinzel, Ethan Del Mastro and Alex Vlasic.

3. Anaheim Ducks | Anton Silayev, D, Nizhny Novgorod | After dealing defenseman Jamie Drysdale to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Cutter Gauthier, the Ducks replace him with another top-tier defender. At 6-foot-7 and 211 pounds, Silayev is the kind of defense-first blue-liner the team needs after loading up on offensive-minded defenders over the years.

4. Columbus Blue Jackets | Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat, WHL | Lindstrom has been compared to Hall of Famer Eric Lindros by NHL Central Scouting, and his ceiling could be the highest of any player in this class. His scoring prowess, playmaking ability, hockey IQ and ability to adapt to any situation make him a must-draft player at No. 4 overall.

5. Montreal Canadiens | Ivan Demidov, RW, SKA St. Petersburg Jr., Russia | Some scouts believe Demidov is the second-best player in the draft, but he could slip a little because of worry about when he would actually come to North America from Russia. But the Canadiens reap the reward of having one of the best forwards in the class fall right into their lap.

6. Utah Hockey Club | Zayne Parekh, D, Saginaw, OHL | Utah could go a number of directions, but why not grab arguably the best offensive defenseman in the class? Parekh logged 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games this season, and he could be Utah’s future power-play quarterback.

7. Ottawa Senators | Sam Dickinson, D, London, OHL | Dickinson has a high hockey IQ, is an excellent puck-mover and can contribute in the offensive zone. He would instantly become the top prospect in Ottawa’s talent-deprived farm system.

8. Seattle Kraken | Zeev Buium, D, University of Denver | Buium led all NCAA defensemen and was fifth among all freshmen with 50 points this season. He has a top-tier skillset, with excellent skating, athleticism and playmaking instincts, and he would fit right in with Seattle’s style of play.

9. Calgary Flames | Tij Iginla, C, WHL | This just makes too much sense, right? Iginla plays center, a position the Flames need more talent at, and his father, Jarome, carved out a Hall of Fame career in Calgary.

10. New Jersey Devils | Konsta Helenius, C, Liiga | As a playoff team that simply had a down season, New Jersey has the luxury of taking a bit of a risk on upside here. Helenius is a talented center with high-end offensive skill who plays with a level of competitiveness that’s unmatched.

11. Buffalo Sabres | Carter Yakemchuk, D, Calgary, WHL | The Sabres are loaded with young, talented forwards, so it makes sense that they grab one of the top defenders in the draft. Yakemchuk has the size (he’s 6-foot-3, 202 pounds) and scoring ability (30 goals, 71 points in 2023) the Sabres need on the backend.

12. Philadelphia Flyers | Berkly Catton, C, Spokane, WHL | Catton put up a 54-goal, 116-point season in the WHL this season, and he has one of the highest upsides as a pure scorer in the draft. He has excellent puck control and thrives at finding premium scoring chances.

13. Minnesota Wild | Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa, OHL | Sennecke has seen his draft stock soar recently, and he could go in the top 10. He has a heavy shot, can drive offense and is a strong, competitive winger.

14. San Jose (from Pittsburgh) | Cole Eiserman, LW, U.S. National Team Development Program | In terms of pure goal scoring, Eiserman -- who many scouts believe has the best shot of anyone in this class -- may be the best. However, some concerns about his maturity and ability to develop the rest of his game beyond scoring goals could drop him down the board.

15. Detroit Red Wings | Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, RW, Mora, Sweden | A great two-way player, Brandsegg-Nygard fits what Detroit is looking for. He’s quick, has good skating and vision, makes great decisions and can forecheck with the best of them.

16. St. Louis Blues | Liam Greentree, RW, Windsor, WHL | Greentree can score, he’s effective on the power play, goes hard to the net and is a problem in the high-danger areas. Some scouts think he only needs two years before he’s NHL ready, which is awfully appealing to a team like the Blues.

17. Washington Capitals | Michael Hage, C, Chicago, USHL | Hage is a physical center who has shown he can take over games and shut down opposing top lines. He has great skating ability, a strong work ethic, a good shot and is someone who could step in as a leader at a young age.

18. Chicago (from NY Islanders) | Igor Chernyshov, LW, Dynamo Moscow, Russia | Chernyshov is a true power forward in every sense of the word. He excels at creating leverage, using his body to his advantage and bringing the attack to the opposition.

19. Vegas Golden Knights | Trevor Connelly, LW, Tri-City, USHL | Connelly runs on speed and skill, which makes him a nightmare matchup for some defenses. He can score and break a game wide open, but there are off-ice concerns that could hurt his stock a bit.

20. New York Islanders (from Tampa Bay) | Jett Luchanko, C, Guelph, OHL | A power-play ace, Luchanko is fast, tenacious, works well in space and has a strong shot. He’s crazy athletic, has a high hockey IQ and would fit in playing for head coach Patrick Roy.

21. Los Angeles Kings | Terik Parascak, RW, Prince George, WHL | One of the smartest players in the draft, the 18-year-old has an underrated shot and produces well when shooting from the slot. He’s a high-upside player worth taking a gamble on picking in the early 20s

22. Nashville Predators | Adam Jiricek, D, Plzen, Czechia | GM Barry Trotz has said he wants to take swings at the top of the draft, and Jiricek is a boom-or-bust prospect. Scouts agree he has top-15 talent and could easily reach his enormous potential, but Jiricek -- who turns 18 on draft day -- battled a serious injury this season and there are concerns about his maturity.

23. Toronto Maple Leafs | Charlie Elick, D, Brandon, WHL | Elick is big (6-foot-3, 202 pounds), physical, battles in front of the net and has offensive upside. Toronto desperately needs smart, aggressive defensemen, and Elick fits that bill.

24. Colorado Avalanche | E.J, Emery, D, U.S. National Team Development Program | Emery plays with pace, has plenty of speed and athleticism and can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. He’s not going to blow anyone away offensively, but he’s one of the more defensively sound players in the draft.

25. Boston Bruins | Cole Beaudoin, C, Barrie, OHL | Beaudoin has upside as a scorer, but his best attributes are his physicality and two-way play. He’s a mature center with great power and a high compete level, which just screams “Boston Bruin.”

26. Montreal Canadiens (from Winnipeg) | Marek Vanacker, LW, Brantford, OHL | The Canadiens can use someone like Vanacker who’s good on the forecheck, the backcheck and can win plenty of puck battles. His puck handling and skating ability also make him appealing as a late first-rounder.

27. Carolina Hurricanes | Stian Solberg, D, Valerenga, Norway | A violent defender, Solberg is a steal for Carolina if he falls this far. He’s been called the hardest hitter in the draft, and he has strong skating plus an excellent shot to pair with his mean streak.

28. Calgary (from Vancouver) | Leo Sahlin Wallenius, D, Vaxjo Jr., Sweden | Wallenius is a great puck-mover with excellent vision and a good sense for setting up plays. He works well in transition, gets his feet set quickly and is an agile blue-liner.

29. Dallas Stars | Ryder Ritchie, RW, Prince Albert, WHL | Ritchie has lots of skills that GMs look for — creativity, grit, patience and competitiveness. His hard-nosed style fits right in with how the Stars like to play.

30. New York Rangers | Dean Letourneau, C, St. Andrew’s College | It’s not every day you see a 6-foot-7 center in the NHL, which makes Letourneau one of the more intriguing players in the first round. He can score, crash the net, get under the opposition’s skin and dominate puck possession.

31. Anaheim (from Edmonton) | Teddy Stiga, LW, U.S. National Team Development Program | Stiga buzzes all over the ice, using his speed and athleticism to up the pressure on opposing defensemen. Because he is a high-tempo player, he can do more with less and create certain matchup problems other forwards don’t.

32. Philadelphia (from Florida) | Yegor Surin, C, Yaroslavl Jr., Russia | Highly skilled with a solid shot, Surin is an excellent skater who plays a strong two-way game. He has good instincts, can generate offense and make plenty of plays at center ice.