The 2024 NHL Entry Draft kicked off with a few unexpected twists, but nothing too shocking. All the players selected in the first round were generally expected to go around that time. However, there were a couple of surprises. Sennecke, who I had pegged at 10th in my mock draft, was picked third overall by Anaheim, which was quite a jump. Yakemchuk going 7th to Ottawa also seemed like a bit of a reach. Aside from those two picks, the draft unfolded pretty much as anticipated. I was particularly hoping the Calgary Flames would pick a WHL player like Andrew Basha, Ryder Ritchie, or Adam Jecho, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. The expressions on Sennecke’s and Parascak’s faces when they were drafted were priceless. It must have been a tough pill to swallow for the Flames when Utah snagged Tij Iginla. And how fitting that Celine Dion announced the Montreal Canadiens’ pick, a player who had been diligently practicing his English to prepare for a move to North America. Perhaps Demidov should brush up on his French now! Most probably didn’t have Ranford or O’Reilly in their first round either but they probably had them at the high end of their second. Round #2 33 San Jose Sharks Igor Chernyshov L Moscow Dynamo KHL Penza, RUS 36 Columbus Blue Jackets Charlie Elick D Brandon Wheat Kings WHL Calgary, AB 37 Winnipeg Jets Alfons Freij D Vaxjo Lakers SWEjr Solvesborg, SWE 39 Ottawa Senators Gabriel Eliasson D HV71 SWEjr Kungsbacka, SWE 40 Seattle Kraken Julius Miettinen C Everett Silvertips WHL Helsinki, FIN 41 Calgary Flames Andrew Basha L Medicine Hat Tigers WHL Calgary, AB 42 Buffalo Sabres Adam Kleber D Lincoln Stars USHL Chaska, MN 43 Washington Capitals Cole Hutson D USNTDP USHL Barrington, IL 44 Pittsburgh Penguins Harrison Brunicke D Kamloops Blazers WHL Calgary, AB 45 Minnesota Wild Ryder Ritchie R Prince Albert WHL Calgary, AB 46 Pittsburgh Penguins Tanner Howe L Regina Pats WHL Prince Albert, SK 47 Detroit Red Wings Max Plante L USNTDP USHL Hermantown, MN 50 Carolina Hurricanes Nikita Artamonov L Nizhny Novgorod KHL Nizhnekamsk, RUS 55 Nashville Predators Teddy Stiga C USNTDP USHL Sudbury, MA 56 St. Louis Blues Lukas Fischer D Sarnia Sting OHL Brighton, MI 57 Los Angeles Kings Carter George G Owen Sound OHL Thunder Bay, ON 59 Philadelphia Flyers Spencer Gill D Rimouski Oceanic QMJHL Riverview, NB 60 Columbus Blue Jackets Evan Gardiner G Saskatoon Blades WHL Lake Country, BC 62 Calgary Flames Jacob Battaglia R Kingston Frontenacs OHL Mississauga, ON 64 Edmonton Oilers Eemil Vinni G Jokipojat FIN2 Vantaa, FIN 65 Utah Hockey Club Will Skahan D USNTDP USHL Woodbury, MN