The 2024 NHL Draft begins tonight at 7:00 PM EST. The event will be on ESPN and take place in Las Vegas at the Sphere Entertainment Arena.
While surprises always occur, including last-second trades with teams either moving up or out of a selection, one firm storyline will indeed happen.
The San Jose Sharks are expected to draft Macklin Celebrini, Boston University's versatile scoring threat, with the first pick in the NHL draft.
While the top-five picks are critical and will inevitably produce future NHL greats, several questions remain within the first-round.
What teams are willing to trade up? Or will heavily touted prospects fall out of draft order?
As it sits right now, the draft order is as follows:
2024 NHL Draft Order
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah Hockey Club
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. San Jose Sharks
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. Buffalo Sabres
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues
17. Washington Capitals
18. Chicago Blackhawks
19. Las Vegas Golden Knights
20. New York Islanders
21. Los Angeles Kings
22. Nashville Predators
23. Toronto Maple Leafs
24. Colorado Avalanche
25. Boston Bruins
26. Montreal Canadiens
27. Carolina Hurricanes
28. Calgary Flames
29. Dallas Stars
30. New York Rangers
31. Anaheim Ducks
32. Philadelphia Flyers
Of importance, the Sharks have another pick beyond the first one, so any prospect selected at the 11th pick would be thrilled about the chance to join forces with Celebrini later on.
There are still other storylines, including the Chicago Blackhawks selection of the second pick. The Blackhawks, who chose Connor Bedard last year as the first pick, are set to perhaps add an equally talented player. Will they choose a defenseman or another offensive threat?
With the sixth pick in the draft, the new Utah Hockey Club will select its first pick in franchise history (since relocation). Could this player be the future face of the franchise, like Aleksander Barkov in Florida?
Will the Ottawa Senators, who have Brady Tkachuk (24) and Tim Stützle (22), add to their talent and resemble the powerful Edmonton Oilers through a build-up of the draft?
We'll find out soon. No matter what, history will go down in Vegas.