Last season was a down year for prep prospects getting picked in the NHL Draft.
The only two were Dexter Southfield's Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.) and Taft's Rudy Guimond. Both went in the sixth round. Ironically enough, Adam Fantilli, the third overall pick, played a season at Kimball Union, while local star Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.), picked sixth overall, played a season for St. Sebastian's.
The 2024 NHL Draft projects to be an interesting one for prep prospects.
There are no first- or second-round candidates. But various players had strong prep campaigns that they could be options for NHL teams in the third round and after when they pick June 28-29.
Back in February, I ranked the 13 locals who were most likely to get taken in the NHL Draft. That was heavily based on talking with pro scouts.
This story is fully based on my opinion. I put on my general manager hat and ranked the NHL Draft prospects in prep. It should also be noted that most of these players will not be selected in June.
Let's dive in.
