The 2024 NHL Draft begins Friday in the Sphere, a visual indoor and outdoor spectacle in Las Vegas which is hosting its first sporting event.
The two-day event, which is televised on ESPN, kicks off with Round 1 at 6 p.m. Friday with Rounds 2-7 on Saturday at 10:30 a.m.
There’s wasn’t much mystery with the first pick. Everyone assumed the San Jose Sharks would draft Macklin Celebrini, who is college hockey’s top player and has topped draft charts for more than a year and has ties to the Bay Area, and they confirmed everyone’s assumptions.
The Blackhawks have the second pick overall and selected Belarusian defenseman Artyom Levshunov, who in the final days emerged as the favorite for the pick. The Blackhawks also have the No. 18 pick on Friday. On Saturday, they have two picks in the second and third rounds along with a pick in the fifth and sixth rounds.
Read more of Pope’s predictions in his final mock draft.
2024 NHL Draft first-round picks
San Jose Sharks – Macklin Celebrini, C, Boston University (NCAA)BLACKHAWKS — Artyom Levshunov, D, Michigan State (NCAA)Anaheim Ducks – Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa (OHL)Columbus Blue Jackets – Cayden Lindstrom, C, Medicine Hat (WHL)Montreal CanadiensUtah Hockey ClubOttawa SenatorsSeattle KrakenCalgary FlamesNew Jersey DevilsBuffalo SabresPhiladelphia FlyersMinnesota WildSan Jose Sharks (from PIT)Detroit Red WingsSt. Louis BluesWashington CapitalsBLACKHAWKS (from NYI)Vegas Golden KnightsNew York Islanders (from TBL via CHI)Los Angeles KingsNashville PredatorsToronto Maple LeafsColorado AvalancheBoston Bruins (via DET and OTT)Montreal Canadiens (from WPG)Carolina HurricanesCalgary Flames (from VAN)Dallas StarsNew York RangersAnaheim Ducks (from EDM)Philadelphia Flyers (from FLA)