4 Storylines to Come out of the First Day of the 2024 NHL Draft

The NHL draft is always abuzz with happenings far beyond the selections made on the stage. Trades, extensions and curveballs are bound to emerge when each front office is congregated in one place.

This year, that place is the Las Vegas Sphere, and the NHL has done an awesome job making sure the spectacle lives up to the hype.

Day 1 of the first major league sports draft held in the Sphere featured Macklin Celebrini's introduction to the San Jose Sharks, a few off-the-board selections, and trades...though not ones that featured players being dealt.

Day 1 was particularly quiet in terms of player movement, but plenty of rumors and talks are escalating while we wait for the actual fireworks.

The biggest single-season salary-cap jump in NHL history ($4.5 million) is on the horizon, so you have to think some big moves are coming up during the later rounds of the draft Saturday. Let's take a look at some of the biggest storylines emerging from Round 1 while we wait.

The league hasn't officially announced that the 2024 draft will be the last in a centralized location, but the NHL voted in October almost unanimously to decentralize it after this season.

So, if this really is the last draft of its kind, the NHL went out with a bang. This was the first sports-related function held at the Sphere, the first event broadcast live from inside the Sphere, and the first event held in the Sphere featuring live footage on the exosphere. The execution was there, with attention to detail and tons of fun graphics projected throughout the night.

The players even had their moments projected on the exterior of the Sphere for all of Vegas to see, which was particularly amusing when the Ducks picked Beckett Sennecke at No. 3, to his complete shock.

What a moment to be plastered on a gigantic building for the world to see.

The Capitals' pick at No. 17, Terik Parascak, had a similar moment.

"I totally blacked out," he later told Jeff Marek on the Sportsnet broadcast.

Other vibe highlights from the first round: Self-proclaimed hockey mom Celine Dion selected Ivan Demidov No. 5 overall for her hometown Montreal Canadiens.

Legendary boxing announcer and Philadelphia native Michael Buffer made the Flyers' pick. Imagine getting drafted and suddenly you hear, "Let's get ready to rumbleeeeee..."

The Utah Hockey Club made a splash with its first draft pick since the franchise moved from Arizona: Tij Iginla, son of NHL great Jarome, at No. 6 overall.

Pierre LeBrun reported Friday morning that Steven Stamkos' agent, Don Meehan, told him Stamkos "will be a free agent on July 1."

Lightning GM Julien BriseBois told reporters Friday that the team had not been able to reach an agreement with Stamkos, although "both sides are still interested in getting a deal done," per team reporter Gabby Shirley.

You'll recall the longtime Lightning captain hit free agency in 2016 before a last-minute deal kept him in Tampa Bay, so even if he tests the market, it doesn't rule out something working out.

Stamkos, who has logged more than 1,000 games for the Lightning, has publicly expressed frustration with contract negotiations more than once throughout this season.

"To be honest, I've been disappointed in the lack of talk in that regard," Stamkos said during Lightning training camp in September. "It was something that I expressed at the end of last year that I wanted to get something done before training camp started. There haven't been any conversations."

It's a tough situation for both sides, as the Lightning and their long-standing cap woes realistically can't afford Stamkos if he doesn't take a significantly team-friendly deal. After reacquiring defenseman Ryan McDonagh in May, the Lightning have just over $5.3 million in available cap space for the 2024-25 season, per CapFriendly. Add Victor Hedman's imminent extension to the mix, and it's tough to see Stamkos returning to the Lightning.

There was a sense that Jake Guentzel would test free agency given the Carolina Hurricanes' dire cap situation and Guentzel's opportunity to go for the biggest contract of his career.

There were reports weeks ago that the Canes let teams know they could attempt to trade for Guentzel's rights before he hits free agency, but the mood has shifted a bit in Carolina. It helps that the team has been shopping Martin Necas, and although multiple potential Necas deals have fallen through at this point, something will likely get done that'll clear space for Guentzel.

The latest word is the Canes have upped the ante and have given Guentzel a better offer. Pierre LeBrun reported the offer as an eight-year deal with an $8 million average annual value, which is around what Guentzel's camp was originally asking for.

Still, others on the free market might be able to offer more, and Guentzel has a right to hit the market. But it'd be a relief for the Canes if they can pull off an 8x8 for a player like Guentzel, still in his prime as they try to remain in their Cup window with plenty of other changes on the horizon.

According to The Athletic's Arthur Staple and Peter Baugh, the New York Rangers asked Jacob Trouba for his 15-team no-trade list ahead of this draft weekend. This obviously means they aren't ruling out trading their captain to create some much-needed cap space.

Teams usually aren't the ones soliciting lists from players—players are required to submit them by July 1. So, the fact that the Rangers asked the 30-year-old defenseman for his list before draft weekend indicates they are at least throwing Trouba's name out there to other teams and seeing what the market for him and his $8 million cap hit might look like.

Trouba could provide some physical value to a team on the cusp of the playoffs that still has some cap space to play with. That narrows the market quite a bit, but includes some options like the Predators, the Red Wings and the Sabres. The Sabres are reportedly buying out Jeff Skinner, per multiple reports, after all.

It was quiet on the Trouba front Friday, but look out for some more traction Saturday.