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The first round of the 2024 NHL draft is in the books. With it, several surprises raised eyebrows, leaving fans and observers gasping for breath. From unexpected picks to surprise trades, this year’s draft did not lack drama.
Here's a closer look at the five biggest shocks from the draft.
5 biggest shocks from Round 1 of 2024 NHL draft
#5. Columbus stays put with No. 4 pick
There was significant speculation that the Columbus Blue Jackets could trade the No. 4 pick. Despite reported offers from teams like the Philadelphia Flyers, the Blue Jackets stayed put at No. 4. With the pick, Columbus took Cayden Lindstrom, adding to the club’s core group of young forwards.
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Overall, keeping the pick was perhaps a savvy move. Although, it is unclear what the Flyers, or any other club, would have offered to move up to the fourth sloth.
#4. Anaheim selects Sennecke No. 3
The most surprising pick was Anaheim, taking Beckett Sennecke with the No. 3 overall pick. The consensus was that the Ducks would take Ivan Demidov, especially after the Chicago Blackhawks selected Artyom Levshunov with the No. 2 overall pick.
However, the Ducks stunned the crowd, and even Sennecke himself. He had been projected as a mid-round pick, but it seems the Ducks were impressed by Sennecke’s size and skill set enough to take him No. 3.
#3. Demidov went to the Canadiens
With Sennecke third and Lindstrom fourth, Russian forward Demidov fell into the Montreal Canadiens’ lap at No. 5. While Demidov had been projected as a top three pick, the Canadiens were ecstatic about Demidov being available at No. 5.
The Canadiens now have another young forward, who most scouts consider NHL-ready, to make an impact as soon as next season.
#2. Toronto Maple Leafs trade down
The Maple Leafs held the No. 23 overall pick in the draft. While it was unclear who the Leafs could target, they felt it was a better idea to cash one pick in for two more picks in the second round. So, the Leafs swapped picks with the Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks moved up to No. 23, taking defenseman Stain Solberg, while the Leafs got the No. 31 and No. 58 picks. The trade could make sense for the Leafs as the club felt it could get more valuable out of two second-round picks than a late first-rounder.
#1. Zeev Buium drops to No. 12
The Minnesota Wild traded up one spot in this year's draft to grab Zeev Buium, a defenseman from the NCAA, at No. 12. Meanwhile, the Wild traded their No. 13 pick to the Philadelphia Flyers, who took Jett Luchanko, a center from the OHL.
Upon closer analysis, the Wild made a savvy move by trading up to get the NCAA’s top defenseman. Given the Wild’s lack of top-end defensive prospects, it made sense to take a chance on Buium at No. 12.
The early analysis is that Buium will eventually join Brock Faber as the top-pairing in a young, talented Wild blue line.
