Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. As we go through the 2023-24 season, our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you 2024 draft class profiles and various other articles. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr, Kyle Pereira and Frederik Frandson on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Today, we have the third part of our first 2024 NHL draft rankings!
You can find part one here, and part two here.
2024 NHL Draft Rankings: Part Three (11-15)
11.) Zayne Parekh, Right Defence, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
Parekh has been dominant so far this season with 11 goals and 40 points in just 27 OHL games. He is a riverboat gambler, always pushing the offence. It is not unusual to find Parekh joining or even leading the rush. With the play in the offensive zone, he loves to pinch in on the boards or even to get himself into the slot to create a scoring chance. With his strong skating, he is able to do this at the junior level and still get back defensively.
He will need to learn to pick his spots going forward and work on his defence. However, that is something that can be worked on and can be taught. Parekh has a level of offensive skill and the instincts to create scoring chances that come naturally and is much harder to teach to a young player. That will make him an intriguing option on draft day.
12.) Tanner Howe, Left Wing, Regina Pats (WHL)
Stepping into the shoes of Connor Bedard can’t be easy, but that is what is being asked of Regina Pats forward Tanner Howe this season. He needs to replace the 2023 first-overall pick and draft phenom as the key scorer for Regina. Howe has been up to the task so far with 17 goals and 36 points in 30 games for Regina. While Howe is just 5-foot-11, he plays with the tenacity of a bigger forward. He is always in on the forecheck, looking to put pressure on defenders and create turnovers.
Howe is not afraid to battle for loose pucks on the boards and to get to the dirty areas of the ice. Once there he can use some slick stickhandling, creative passing, and a quick release on his shot to create offensive chances. Moving forward he will need to add muscle to his frame to play this tenacious style at the pro level.
13.) Alexander Zetterberg, Centre, Örebro HK (Swedish J20)
Zetterberg has shot up our 2024 NHL Draft Rankings early in the season He lit up the Swedish junior league this season, as the 17-year-old has 12 goals and 28 points in 26 games playing for his club at the J20 level. He has also excelled while playing for his country with nine goals and 13 points in eight games for the Under-18 Swedish National Team. Undersized at just 5-foot-8, Zetterberg creates offence by pushing the pace. He is extremely quick. He also can control the puck and make plays while moving at top speed. Zetterberg also has extremely good agility. He can weave in and out of tight spaces both with and without the puck.
Zetterberg is an excellent playmaker. He can open up passing lanes with his shiftiness. He has the vision to see plays as they are developing and get the puck to an open teammate. Zetterberg is dangerous as a goal-scorer as well. He has a hard and accurate wrist shot, that also features a quick release.
14.) Ryder Ritchie, Right Wing, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
With 13 goals and 30 points in 33 games so far this season, Ryder Ritchie is making a statement in the WHL. The son of former NHLer Byron Ritchie, Ryder shows an extremely strong work ethic and excels at both ends of the ice. He battles along the boards and works in the dirty areas of the ice at both ends of the rink. Ritchie pairs this strong work ethic with natural talent. He has an absolute bullet of a shot and gets it off quickly with a deceptive release. Ryder has the speed to take a defender wide and then cut to the front of the net. This forces defenders to back off. When they do, he can use them as a screen, getting off excellent shots on the rush. He also has the ability to get open in the offensive end and unleash a one-timer.
With his ability to dig pucks out of the corners and retrieve rebounds, he keeps the play alive. Ritchie cycles well and can make a quick pass to a teammate while looking for the give-and-go. He keeps his head up at all times and almost always makes the smart play. His game is extremely mature for a 17-year-old prospect, no doubt due to the fact he grew up in the game.
15.) Henry Mews, Right Defence, Ottawa 67s, OHL
Mews started the season playing for Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. With seven points in five games, he helped the squad to the Gold Medal. His strong showing shot him up the 2024 NHL Draft Rankings. Mews has carried that momentum into the OHL season. He has four goals and 24 points in 25 games for the 67s. Hews is an elite skater with outstanding acceleration and speed in both directions. He also has outstanding edgework and agility. This allows Mews to cover a ton of ice. He can get involved in the offence and still get back to make plays defensively. Smooth pivots allow Mews to transition quickly from offence to defence and vice-versa.
Mews skating allows him to play a 200-foot game. He can join the rush and create effective zone entries when he carries the puck through the neutral zone. His quickness and ability to walk the line allow Mews to open up passing and shooting lanes and generate scoring chances in the offensive zone. His skating also allows him to play strong defence. Mews is tough to beat in one-on-one situations. He maintains good gap control and forces attackers to the outside. He has the makings of a very effective two-way defence prospect.
Main photo by: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Thanks for reading and check back for the next group of prospects in the December edition of our 2024 NHL Rankings.
