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 fifth part of our first 2024 NHL draft rankings!
To See All of our 2024 NHL Draft Rankings, follow the links. You can find part one here, part two here, part three here, and part four here.
December Edition: LWOS 2024 NHL Draft Rankings
21) Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard, Right Wing, Mora IK (Hockey Allsvenskan)
Norwegian forward Brandsegg-Nygaard has split time between the Swedish J20 league and the Allsvenskan this season. He has seven goals and 12 points in seven games at the junior level. Playing against men, the 17-year-old has scored two goals and six points in 22 games. Brandsegg-Nygaard is already 6-foot-1 and is willing to use his size to his advantage. He isn’t afraid to battle for loose pucks or pressure opponents in both ends of the ice.
Brandsegg-Nygaard has a very good shot and quick release. Brandsegg-Nygaard also has good vision and passing skills. After he creates a turnover or wins a puck down low, he can set up teammates for a scoring chance. Brandsegg-Nygaard is also a smart player without the puck. He finds open space and gets himself open in prime scoring areas, where he can take a pass and get a shot on goal. Mature for his age Brandsegg-Nygaard is an excellent defensive player who reads the play well and takes away scoring chances. The main question here is that while his offensive skills are good, does he have an elite trait to make him a true top scorer?
22) Veeti Vaisanen, Left Defence, KooKoo, (SM-Liiga, Finland)
Vaisanen was dominant in the Finnish Junior League with two goals and four points in just five games at the Under 20 level. This has earned him time in Finland’s top men’s league, where he has scored one goal and five points in 25 games. Vaisanen is a bit undersized. While he is six foot, he comes in at just 161 pounds. He has made up for this with absolutely elite skating ability. Vaisanen is very agile and also has great edgework and pivots. This allows him to cover a ton of ice. His smooth pivots allow him to quickly transition from defence to offence or vice-versa.
Vaisanen plays an extremely mature defensive game. His skating allows him to keep attackers to the outside and cut off prime scoring areas. He maintains very good gap control. He also reads the play well, breaking up passes with a quick stick. Vaisanen pairs his skating with good stickhandling. He can bring the puck out of his end and carry it through the neutral zone, generating effective zone entries. As he adds muscle to his frame, he should be able to be a bit more physical as well as improve his shot which will make him even more dangerous.
23) Igor Chernyshov, Left Wing, Dynamo Moscow (KHL and MHL)
Chernyshov is another young prospect splitting time between his country’s junior league and men’s leagues. He has been very effective in the MHL with 10 goals and 19 points in 17 games. However, he has struggled to find regular ice time in the KHL. This is not unusual for a teenager. In fact, Chernyshov is the youngest player ever to score a KHL goal for Dynamo Moscow. His size and frame suggest a power forward, and Chernyshov has the skating ability to power to the net, and the hard and accurate wrist shot to score goals. However, he also shows signs of playmaking ability, with excellent vision and passing skills, paired with good hands. How high will he rise in the NHL Draft Rankings given the Russian Factor and the fact that he needs some work in the defensive end of the ice?
24) Carter Yakemchuk, Right Defence, Calgary Hitmen, (WHL)
Yakemchuk has the ideal package of size (6-foot-3) and skating ability to make scouts drool. His lateral agility and ability to carry the puck while making quick cuts and changes of direction allow him to get the puck out of his end and transition through the neutral zone. This helps him to create offence and he has 35 points in 31 games for the Hitmen this season. Yakemchuk has a decent shot, but his real offensive threat comes as a playmaker. He can open up passing lanes with his quick movement and get the puck to his teammates.
Yakemchuk has shown big improvements in his defensive game, but there is still some room to grow. Once he learns to really use his size and long stick to take away the middle of the ice, he will be the type of two-way defender who can play big minutes in all situations.
25) Liam Greentree, Right Wing, Windsor Spitfires, (OHL)
Greentree has good size and an outstanding wrist shot and release. His deceptive release is able to fool goalies off the rush. Last season, Greentree led all OHL rookies with 25 goals. He also played for Team Canada at the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup, helping the team win a gold medal. This season, Greentree has taken his game to the next level. He already has 19 goals and 39 points in 27 games.
He also can create plays with good stickhandling ability and the vision and passing skills to find teammates. Greentree is very good at controlling the puck down low, using his body to fight off checks and maintain possession. He can make a quick pass to a teammate and create a give-and-go situation where he drives to the front of the net. As he continues to mature, he can learn to be a bit more physical on the forecheck and in the defensive end. If he can transform into a true power forward, Greentree would rise even higher in our next set of NHL Draft Rankings.
26) Nikita Artamonov, Right Wing/Left Wing, Torpedo Novogrod, (KHL)
Artamonov has spent the majority of the season in the KHL, putting up four goals and 14 points in 30 games this year. Artamonov is a strong skater who has excellent speed and acceleration. He combines this with good stickhandling ability and the ability to make plays while moving at top speed. Artamonov shows high hockey IQ. He makes smart passes with the puck and does a good job of getting open and providing an outlet to teammates without it. His shot is hard and accurate. He also shows good vision and uses his shiftiness to open up passing lanes and set up teammates.
Artamonov is also effective in the defensive end of the ice. He doesn’t get caught out of position and uses his body and his active stick to cut down passing lanes and create turnovers. When a turnover is created, he is effective at starting the transition game. Artamonov can carry the puck through the neutral zone, creating effective zone entries and chances off the rush. Artamonov is always moving his feet and is involved in the play in all three zones.
Main photo by: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA
Thanks for reading and check back for the next group of prospects in the December edition of our 2024 NHL Draft Rankings.
