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The NHL's 32 teams are converging on Las Vegas this week for the first major event of the NHL offseason in the form of the 2024 NHL draft.
It is a virtual guarantee that Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini will go first overall to the San Jose Sharks, but there is plenty of uncertainty after that in terms of potential picks and trades.
Everything from the No. 2 overall pick onward is up in the air, and that could make for one of the most entertaining and unpredictable drafts in recent memory.
Ahead of the start of the first round of the 2024 NHL draft on Friday, here is a look at the biggest draft-related storylines to keep tabs on.
Where Will Ivan Demidov Land?
Celebrini is the clear and obvious choice at No. 1 overall, but an argument can be made for a few different players being the second-best prospect in the class, including Russian forward Ivan Demidov.
The 18-year-old Demidov lit up Russia's Junior Hockey League last season with 23 goals and 37 assists for 60 points in only 30 games, and he even played a handful of games against older, established pros in the KHL.
In many ways, Demidov feels similar to Matvei Michkov, who was viewed as possibly the second-best prospect in the 2023 draft behind only Connor Bedard. However, Michkov fell all the way to the Philadelphia Flyers at No. 7 overall due to concerns about when or if he would leave Russia for the NHL.
The teams that passed on Michkov may already be regretting it, as the 19-year-old had 41 points in 47 KHL games this past season, and announced this week that he is already making the leap from the KHL to the NHL for the 2024-25 campaign.
Elite Prospects' Sean Shapiro (h/t Tab Bamford of Bleacher Nation) observed Demidov this month at a pre-draft camp and provided some hugely positive updates on the talented winger.
Shapiro noted that Demidov is at least two inches taller than his listed height of 5'10", and that he surprised NHL teams by speaking English very well, which perhaps suggests he is preparing to make the leap to North America in the near future.
Additionally, Demidov's agent, Dan Milstein, said the current plan is for Demidov to leave Russia for North America at the end of the 2024-25 season.
With many of the potential concerns surrounding Demidov being mitigated, there is seemingly a legitimate chance the Blackhawks could take him second overall and pair him with Bedard.
If not, it is somewhat difficult to envision him falling outside the top five given how foolish teams may soon look for passing on Michkov last year.
Will Blackhawks Trade No. 2 Overall Pick?
Last year, the Blackhawks selected Bedard No. 1 overall in hopes of reversing the fortunes of a once-great franchise.
Chicago was still the second-worst team in the NHL last season, but Bedard had 61 points in 68 games and looks to be every bit as good as advertised.
The Blackhawks just missed out on getting the chance to add Celebrini to play alongside Bedard, but they could still land a future star with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
One option potentially on the table would be for the Blackhawks to trade the pick for immediate help, additional picks or a combination of the two.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported Wednesday that the Blackhawks were getting trade calls focused on the No. 2 overall pick, but they told teams they intend to keep the selection.
If that is indeed the Blackhawks' decision, it will come as little surprise since they are still too far away from contention to pass up on the opportunity to add another elite prospect to the mix.
Chicago could opt to take another skilled forward like Demidov to pair with Bedard, or they could get their foundational piece for the blue line in the form of a defenseman like Michigan State's Artyom Levshunov or Russian rearguard Anton Silayev.
Of course, it still can't be completely ruled out that the Blackhawks would trade back if a team blows them away with a great offer, especially since there is plenty of talent in this year's draft.
If Chicago were to move down further in the top 10, it could still land a forward like Cayden Lindstrom or Tij Iginla, or a defenseman like Sam Dickinson or Zeev Buium, so they could still come away with a great prospect and possibly a player or two to help Bedard right now if they play their cards right.
Sabres Potentially Dangling 1st-Round Pick
The Buffalo Sabres have the longest active playoff drought in the NHL and any of the four major North American pro sports leagues at 13 seasons, making them a prime candidate to potentially trade their first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft.
Buffalo came agonizingly close to ending the drought in 2023 thanks to being one of the best offensive teams in the NHL, but the Sabres took a big step back in that regard last season, leading to the firing of head coach Don Granato and the decision to replace him with all-time franchise coaching wins leader Lindy Ruff.
The Sabres seem poised to make some sweeping changes to their forward group this offseason, and perhaps the easiest way to make that happen is by trading away their first-rounder.
Buffalo already made a trade involving draft picks by sending the No. 11 overall pick to the Sharks for the Nos. 14 and 42 overall picks on Thursday, but flipping the No. 14 overall pick remains very much within the realm of possibility.
Speaking this week on TSN's Insider Trading (h/t NHL Watcher), LeBrun said there is one team that has "jumped to the front of the queue" when it comes to potentially trading for Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Nečas.
LeBrun noted that the team is dangling a draft pick as part of the deal, and he believes the team may be the Sabres, who are "bidding hard" on Nečas and "have a lot of interest."
The 25-year-old Nečas is one of the speediest skaters in the NHL, and he set career highs in 2022-23 with 28 goals and 43 assists for 71 points. His production dipped to 24 goals and 29 assists for 53 points last season, but he seemingly still has plenty of untapped potential.
Another forward reportedly of interest to the Sabres is Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks.
Per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Sabres are one of eight teams believed to be in on Zegras, but the asking price is reportedly "big."
The 23-year-old Zegras was limited to just 31 games last season due to injury and had only 15 points, but he had back-to-back 60-point seasons in the two previous campaigns.
Zegras would seemingly be a great fit for a Buffalo team that is stacked with some young talent at forward, including JJ Peterka, Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn and Zach Benson.
The Sabres also have several quality forward prospects waiting in the wings, including Matt Savoie, Jiří Kulich, Noah Östlund and Isak Rosén, which is a big reason why they can afford to trade the 14th pick for immediate help.
