Five Bulldogs to watch for during the 2024 NHL Draft (2024)

DULUTH — The Minnesota Duluth men’s hockey program was among the top eight schools in 2023-24 when it came to alumni in the National Hockey League, with 14 former Bulldogs playing an NHL game.

The Bulldogs’ 2024-25 roster currently has nine NHL Draft picks, and that should grow this weekend during the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas. The first round is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by rounds 2-7 starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Here’s a look at five Bulldogs — three incoming freshmen, and two verbal commitments — who could hear their name called over the next two days at the Sphere in Vegas.

Jordan McAlpine / File / The Rink Live

The 6-foot-5, 214-pound, right-shot defenseman from Chaska, Minnesota, will be a freshman at UMD in 2024-25. He could become the sixth Bulldog drafted in the first round, joining Issac Howard (2022, Tampa), Riley Tufte (2016, Dallas), Dylan Olsen (2009, Chicago), Matt Niskanen (2005, Dallas) and Larry Wright (1971, Philadelphia).

Wright is the highest Bulldog ever drafted, going No. 8 overall in 1971 to the Flyers. If Kleber is taken on Friday, it will likely be ever later than where Tufte went to the Stars in 2016 at No. 25. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has Kleber going at No. 31 to the Anaheim Ducks in his latest mock draft. Wheeler also has Kleber No. 49 overall in his final draft rankings.

Most prognosticators have Kleber going pretty quickly on Day 2, with Chris Peters of Flohockey making Kleber the top pick of the San Jose Sharks in the second round at No. 33 overall. No. 33 is also where Peters has Kleber ranked.

Eight Bulldogs have gone in the second round, including national championship defensem*n Justin Faulk (2010, Carolina), Dylan Samberg (2017, Winnipeg) and Hobey Baker Memorial Award winner Scott Perunovich (2018, St. Louis).

Other second-rounders from UMD include Michael Gergen (2005, Pittsburgh), Mason Raymond (2005, Vancouver), Rusty Fitzgerald (1991, Pittsburgh), Dennis Vaske (1986, N.Y. Islanders) and Murray Keogan (1970, St. Louis).

TSN’s Bob McKenzie ranks Kleber No. 51 in his top 100, while his colleague Craig Button has Kleber at No. 47. NHL Central Scouting Service ranks Kleber No. 34 among North American skaters.

Kleber, 18, left Chaska High School after a single season in 2021-22 — his sophom*ore year — to go play his next two seasons with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL. After tallying no goals and eight assists in 64 games in 2022-23, he posted six goals and 22 assists in 61 games in 2023-24.

Clint Austin / File / Duluth News Tribune

The 5-foot-11, 176-pound, left-shot forward from Hermantown, who will be a freshman at UMD in the fall, has a chance to go earlier in the draft than both his brother and father.

Older brother Zam, who will also be a freshman at UMD in 2024-25, is a 2022 fifth-round pick of Pittsburgh, going No. 150 overall. Their father, Derek, was a 1989 eighth-round pick of Buffalo, going No. 161 overall.

Max Plante, 18, is likely a third or fourth-round pick. He’s ranked as high as No. 33 overall by TSN’s Craig Button while The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler has him as low as No. 76. Button’s TSN colleague, Bob McKenzie, has him at No. 65 while Chris Peters of Flohockey ranks Plante at No. 73. NHL Central Scouting has him No. 43 among North American skaters.

Like Kleber, Max Plante played one season of high school hockey at Hermantown in 2021-22 as a sophom*ore before leaving to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program the last two years. Over those two seasons, Max Plante totaled 26 goals and 81 assists in 105 games, including 15 goals and 46 assists in 2023-24 with the Under-18 squad.

Max Plante has proven himself as a playmaker throughout his young hockey career, totaling 54 assists — in addition to 18 goals — as a sophom*ore at Hermantown in 2021-22.

The 6-foot, 185-pound, left-shot forward from Russia verbally committed to the Bulldogs in March. He’s spent the last five seasons in the United States in Faribault, Minnesota, at Shattuck St. Mary’s, which is why he was ranked by NHL Central Scouting — at No. 153 — among North American skaters.

Shlaine, 18, is likely a late-round pick on Saturday. He posted 20 or more goals the last two seasons for Shattuck’s prep team, and 50 or more assists both seasons. He helped Shattuck win a USA Hockey Tier I Under-18 national championship in 2023-24.

Shlaine’s older brother, Artem, is a 2020 fifth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils. He’ll play in the NCHC with Arizona State in 2024-25 after previously suiting up for UConn and Northern Michigan.

Daniel Shlaine is set to play for the Lincoln Stars in the United States Hockey League next season after going fourth overall to the Stars in the 2024 draft.

Jason Wachter / File / The Rink Live

Kleber isn’t the only big defenseman in the Bulldogs’ pipeline that could be drafted this weekend.

The 6-foot-2, 187-pound, left-shot blue liner from Minnetonka is verbally committed to the Bulldogs in the future. He’s ranked No. 165 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and a possible late-round pick.

Stout, 18, had six goals and 24 assists in 28 games as a senior at Minnetonka in 2023-24 to earn the 2024 Reed Larson Award as the top senior defenseman in Minnesota. He finished with 17 goals and 50 assists over three seasons of varsity hockey at Minnetonka.

Stout finished 2023-24 in the United States Hockey League with the Madison Capitals, recording two goals and an assist in 15 games.

Jordan McAlpine / File / The Rink Live

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound, right-handed defenseman from Hermantown went undrafted a year ago in his first year of eligibility when he was ranked No. 217 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.

He’s a much better pro prospect now after two seasons in the USHL with the Sioux City Musketeers than he was after his first, even though you won’t find him on any prognosticator’s draft boards as a 19-year-old.

The incoming UMD freshman was the second-highest scoring defenseman in the USHL during the 2023-24 regular season with 10 goals and 37 assists. He had two goals and three assists in eight games, leading Sioux City to the conference finals, scoring the game-winning overtime goal in the conference semifinals.