There is a plethora of talent in New England across the 2006 birth year that will be eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft. Two players from the region made the U.S. National Team Development Program, two more tendered in the USHL, and a dozen or so other players stand out as having the potential to blossom into NHL prospects.
Left wing Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) and center Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.) will skate for USA Hockey’s NTDP U-17 team in 2022-23 after being selected out of the evaluation camp in March. Defensemen Will Felicio (Holden, Mass.) and Owen Keefe (Saugus, Mass.) tendered with Madison and Muskegon, respectively.
Those four players will have a leg up in terms of training, competition and exposure. However, as many players before have proven, development is a marathon and not a sprint. There are a number of prep school or Midget players waiting in the wings to take that next step and raise their stock.
While a lot can happen in two years, there are a lot of good players in this draft class whose size is a possible deterrent to pro upside. Every one of New England’s 2024 NHL Draft hopefuls have strengths and weaknesses. Here’s an early look at this draft class, listed in alphabetical order.
