5 2024 NHL Draft Sleepers Who Could Have a Big Impact (2024)

This year's field in the NHL draft is pretty wide outside of the consensus top picks. Wide open enough, in fact, that it's almost useless to try to predict where anyone will go after the top 15 or so.

More than ever, selections will come down to what kind of player and what specific skills organizations prioritize.

For our purposes, we're not looking solely at the true sleepers—guys who scouts fight for in the late rounds because they see potential no one else in their organization does but who are still a big swing.

We're also looking at players teams can pick up in the late second or third rounds who could end up being a key piece of an organization for years to come with the right development.

Brayden Point at No. 79 overall, anyone?

Including Teddy Stiga here is a bit of a cheat, because he could go just about anywhere between the end of the first round and the third.

He's ranked all over the board, from as high as 23rd by Elite Prospects to as low as 68th by TSN's Bob McKenzie. Skill-wise, he deserves to be on the higher end, particularly given his improvement over the course of the season.

Stiga's tools may not be elite, but he's an incredibly smart player who knows how to use what he has at his disposal. He's creative, and he works his tail off—he's relentless on the forecheck and the backcheck, challenging opponents and taking out their passing lanes. He's speedy and can be elusive, even if he could stand to improve other areas of his skating.

Stiga is a two-way guy who shows up in the big moments, and pairing that with skill is the sort of thing that allows someone to be a key player for his team in a long term, sustainable way.

His game, and his smaller frame, should only develop further during his time at Boston College. Some team will get very lucky with him.

A scout friend, Lauren Kelly of Elite Prospects, turned me in the direction of Luke Misa, and I subsequently fell down the rabbit hole.

Now, I'd like to invite you to come with me.

A surface-level evaluation of him would be "Misa go vroom." He's a dynamic offensive forward with a motor like we haven't seen in a long time and great agility to go with it.

There's much more to his game than his fast pace, though. He is excellent at reading the ice and identifying his routes for zone entries, and he's a terrific passer and creative playmaker. He's also skilled at anticipating play off the puck. Combined with his speed that is dangerous.

Misa could stand to add strength and improve his physicality, but his stick work is high end and his tenacity is unshakeable. He did improve his consistency this season—a significant part of what won me over—but it will be important for him to maintain that moving forward.

Regardless, it's possible whichever team drafts him will get lightning in a bottle.

Fyodor Avramov is a true sleeper—the kind who would be a project for an organization, but a project with great results for the right organization.

He's tall, willing to get physical, has real offensive upside, and he works his tail off with and without the puck. With that sort of work ethic, why not take a swing and see how he can refine his skill set with more professional experience?

One of Avramov's greatest strengths is his high-quality shot—he's got a great release. He needs to improve his skating stride, but he has a solid motor behind it that keeps his stride from limiting him too much.

When he does play physically and use his size, it's always with a purpose. He wins puck battles and is relentless on the forecheck.

We've seen flashes of puck-handling and playmaking capabilities from Avramov, but it's hard to get a great read on that given his season was spent in the MHL on a not-great team.

Ideally, we'll get to evaluate him in a better development environment and see just how much raw potential there is. Regardless, he's one who'll be a true steal if the pick works out.

I hate using the phrase "diamond in the rough," but that's what you're getting with Mustard: a potentially unrefined gem.

The 17-year-old is one of the younger players in this year's draft, and he's only got one USHL season under his belt, so he has a bit of a development runway ahead of him.

If that development is done well, though, and patiently by a team that has the time to do so, it could nab a very effective NHL player.

Mustard is a good skater—he's elusive and always operating at his top speed, and he uses that to blaze past opponents. It's the kind of pace that can be a game-breaker if he uses it effectively at the top levels.

He doesn't have the elite hockey sense that would allow him to make plays at his top speeds, and that's something he needs to work on.

Mustard's instincts off the puck, though, are solid. Improvement needs to come specifically in terms of playmaking and physicality.

Max Plante is the ideal of high-risk, high-reward.

He's an electrifying playmaker at his best, particularly off the backhand. He has progressed across this season with the NTDP, particularly with regards to his impact on the game. But he still needs to improve consistency, and many teams will likely have concerns about his size (5'10", 170 lbs).

Plante is a bit of an odd duck when it comes to his combination of strengths. His playmaking skills are excellent, and he pairs that with a tenacious defensive game, forcing turnovers on the forecheck.

However, he isn't really a goal scorer, and his skating could use work, though he does have speed and quick acceleration. He reads the ice extremely well, finding his teammates in high danger areas and always looking to make the smart pass.

He's headed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth in the fall, where he'll have the opportunity to round out his game against the NCAA's best.

If he adds some variety to his playmaking repertoire and manages to improve his skating (and ideally some strength), he'll be well worth the risk for whichever team selects him.