Prospect Info: 2022 Draft Prospects, Part II

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

RD Ryan Healy, Sioux Falls USHL
Here's another super-sleeper at RD whom I'm extremely intrigued by. Healy is an extremely mobile, offense-first, 6'1-180 defender with a litany of offensive skill which have yet to truly translate to the scoresheet. He's heading to Harvard University in the fall, and this is absolutely the type of prospect who has a breakout campaign in his sophomore/junior year and everyone wonders how they slept on him in his draft year.

Healy is very aggressive with his breakouts, transitions and zone entries. He shows a great deal of confidence in his skating, puckhandling and passing abilities, all with good reason. I'd say Healy's finest attribute is his playmaking, which I would go so far as to call high-end with the potential to get better. I really like the way this kid sees the ice and anticipates the open man instead of simply finding him.

Defensively, Healy needs work but I'm not grading him down too much on it because he shows the ability and effort-levels to improve in this respect. I respect his physicality and hustle -- though he's never going to be a bruiser with his general frame/game combination, he's not afraid and battles hard.

Healy is about as raw as raw gets, but again there's excellent potential here. His rankings are generally in the 4th round or later range, although he is particularly loved by elite prospects.com, which lists him as a second rounder at #51. I feel this is a kid you hope lasts to the late 4th/5th rounds, where you snatch him up and just sit back and wait for him to develop. This Massachusetts native is certainly an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on in the future.

 

[My3Sons]

2022 Draft Profile:

RD Ryan Healy, Sioux Falls USHL
Here's another super-sleeper at RD whom I'm extremely intrigued by. Healy is an extremely mobile, offense-first, 6'1-180 defender with a litany of offensive skill which have yet to truly translate to the scoresheet. He's heading to Harvard University in the fall, and this is absolutely the type of prospect who has a breakout campaign in his sophomore/junior year and everyone wonders how they slept on him in his draft year.

Healy is very aggressive with his breakouts, transitions and zone entries. He shows a great deal of confidence in his skating, puckhandling and passing abilities, all with good reason. I'd say Healy's finest attribute is his playmaking, which I would go so far as to call high-end with the potential to get better. I really like the way this kid sees the ice and anticipates the open man instead of simply finding him.

Defensively, Healy needs work but I'm not grading him down too much on it because he shows the ability and effort-levels to improve in this respect. I respect his physicality and hustle -- though he's never going to be a bruiser with his general frame/game combination, he's not afraid and battles hard.

Healy is about as raw as raw gets, but again there's excellent potential here. His rankings are generally in the 4th round or later range, although he is particularly loved by elite prospects.com, which lists him as a second rounder at #51. I feel this is a kid you hope lasts to the late 4th/5th rounds, where you snatch him up and just sit back and wait for him to develop. This Massachusetts native is certainly an intriguing prospect to keep an eye on in the future.

He may drop a bit due to the Harvard factor.

 

[StevenToddIves]

He may drop a bit due to the Harvard factor.

Did you go to Yale or something?

 

[My3Sons]

Did you go to Yale or something?

Harvard wait listed my oldest when he applied and I won't forgive them for the audacity.

 

[FooteBahl]

Harvard wait listed my oldest when he applied and I won't forgive them for the audacity.

He couldn’t get into Harvard??! You should change your name to My2Sons and disown his ass

 

[My3Sons]

He couldn’t get into Harvard??! You should change your name to My2Sons and disown his ass

He recently had to spend a week in Atlanta for work. I told him that if he came back as a Falcons fan he's dead to me.

 

[Nubmer6]

Harvard wait listed my oldest when he applied and I won't forgive them for the audacity.

My nephew just got in so I have to root for them

 

[Guttersniped]

Have you been reading my (incessant, sorry) pimping of Sykora for months? I can't get enough of this kid -- he's just a terrific young talent. My #35 ranking of the young Slovakian is probably as high as you'll find, or close. But I expect him to move up on a lot of peoples' boards by the final rankings.

This is how I basically envision you:

 

[StevenToddIves]

Harvard wait listed my oldest when he applied and I won't forgive them for the audacity.

It must have been that one B+ in the 7th grade. They're sticklers.

This is how I basically envision you:

Very similar fashion sense but I'm not really a mustache guy.

 

[My3Sons]

It must have been that one B+ in the 7th grade. They're sticklers.


Very similar fashion sense but I'm not really a mustache guy.

they waitlisted another kid from his school which I think was the issue. They must have split the admissions votes.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

RD Michael Fisher, St. Marks School USHS-MASS
This is a kid who is undeniably talented, and though his life-decision to remain in the USHS ranks is not one we have the right to criticize, it certainly has had a negative affect on his hype and draft position. We have to ask, how would he be producing in the CHL or USHL? He absolutely tore up his league with 13 goals and 50 points in just 28 games. Fisher is 6'3-195, oozing with offensive skill and very fast on his skates. With a May birthdate, he's on the younger side for the draft and still growing into his body. He's an offense-first defenseman who may represent one of the greatest mysteries in the 2022 class.

Fisher will be attending Northeastern University in the fall. Once he's playing with and against competition in the same stratosphere as his own talent level, we will certainly have a better picture of who this player is, and who he can become. The problem is, the draft happens months before this will occur. Someone will have to take a chance, but how early do they take this chance? Fisher is big and terrific on his skates. His edges are marvelous. He walks the blueline against high school kids like they are all just traffic cones. At his level, he's a one-man breakout and break-in machine. He shoots and passes at a high level and is extremely aggressive in creating offense.

Fisher's defensive game is impossible to assess because, quite simply, no one on his level is on his level. Sure, he needs work in positioning and gaps, but the awareness seems to be there and a couple of years at a great NCAA program should do wonders. So, what is the upside, and where do we rank him?

I've seen Fisher ranked by a couple in the early 3rd (Craig Button, Smaht Scouting) with a high-water mark of #36 overall by eliteprospects.com. It's important not to understate how coveted RD are at the draft, and how rare it is to find players combining Fisher's level of size/speed/skill. You're going to have to wait maybe four years for him, but the payoff could be huge. This is a risky pick in the 2nd round, but with each passing round the potential "steal value" rises exponentially. This is certainly a player to closely monitor on draft day.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

C/LW Jere Lassila, JYP U20, Finland Jr.
Lassila is a player who is relentlessly useful in his versatility and competency, but does not offer any singular high end skill which will see him drafted in the first 4 rounds. However, he is a player with the requisite scoring ability to plug into a middle 6 who also features the intelligence and defensive ability to plug into the bottom 6, both at center or wing. This should get him drafted in the later rounds.

Lassila is 5'10-175 with pretty good skating. His skills across the board are solid -- he can puck-handle, shoot and pass well, but won't blow you away with any of these skills. He'll pop in some points and he'll take care of his own end. He's responsible and displays plus awareness across all 200-feet of ice.

I'm not sure if he has the upside for the NHL, or if he'll be a player who will be a long-time Finnish Liiga pro. But he's certainly a good hockey player, and as such deserves some late round attention on draft day 2022.

 

[Xirik]

2022 Draft Prospects:

RD Artyom Barabosha, Krasnaya Moskva MHL
Though I try to keep my prospect evaluations impartial and neutral, simply focusing on the individual abilities and potential of the prospect, with Artyom Barabosha it's going to be impossible to do this without plugging him as a perfect guy for the Devils in the late rounds of the 2022 draft.

Barabosha is a 6'2-190 punishing physical defender who also features good mobility, strong top speeds and extremely competent capability with the puck. His physicality is the first feature you notice -- he's always playing the body in tight, utilizing smart shoulder-checks and high-end strength to separate the opposition from the puck and win one-on-one battles along the boards and in the crease. He also loves the open-ice hit, and he's a guy opposing forwards cannot have their head down around whenever Barabosha is on the ice.

Positionally and in his gaps, I'd say Barabosha is good -- showing nice defensive awareness -- but can still use work if he will fulfill his utmost potential as a mid-pairing, shut down defender at the NHL level. Where Barabosha really goes from "impressive defender" to "intriguing upside" is when you watch him with the puck.

Unlike most defense-first defenders, Barabosha is actually pretty aggressive, both in transition and in the offensive zone. He's a deceptively good puck-carrier with a good number of dekes and moves to avoid opponents in the neutral zone. In the O-zone, Barabosha is not afraid to jump in assertively to join the play. If he sees an opportunity, he'll skate in deeper from the point, looking for a one-timer. Individually, I'd say Barabosha's offensive arsenal is good-but-not-great -- he can shoot and pass effectively, but neither are high-end abilities.

I'd say Barabosha's ultimate ceiling is a mid-pair, physical shut-down guy who can maybe hit the 30-point plateau. This is an extremely valuable commodity at the NHL level. I'd also say his defensive acumen and physicality, combined with his skating also give him quite a reasonable floor. So, when I say Artyom Barabosha is a huge steal for the 2022 draft, it's because he's not ranked by anyone. When we also factor in the New Russian Factor and the chances that all Russian prospects slip in the oncoming draft, we're talking about a kid who could be available in the 5th thru 7th rounds. This would be a huge value, as I would consider Barabosha a very good pick as early as the 3rd round.

Thank you for doing a report on this guy. Saw him on one of the draft simulators and he intrigued me.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

LD Hudson Thornton, Prince George WHL
Thornton belongs to a general player-type I am often skeptical of, which is to say an undersized defenseman who is offense-first stylistically, but without high-end upside. However, Thornton is still a prospect I like for the 2022 draft due to a better-than-average compete level and defensive acumen. He really impressed in the WHL this season with 45 points in 65 games, and I feel he has legit upside as an NHL bottom pairing guy who can generate some scoring while playing acceptable defense.

Thornton's main problems are the obvious limitations of being 5'11-180 with above-average, but ultimately unimpressive skating ability. This combination is the essence of what limits his game, now and in the future. However, he's a smart kid who works hard and features no shortage of skill. Thornton is an excellent passer, puck handler and features a surprisingly heavy shot for a player his size. He'll put up some offense wherever he goes.

Again, Thornton's defensive areas of concern are not for lack of effort -- I commend him for being a battler and hard worker. However, I can't see any light at the end of a tunnel of Thornton's problems defending again high-speed forwards and power forwards. Though he is smart positionally and solid in his gaps, we're not talking an Andy Greene-type defensive efficiency, and I think he'll always be something of a match-up concern.

Thornton is generally considered to be in the neighborhood of a 5th round pick, though eliteprospects.com is quite high on him and has given him a high-water ranking of #81. I agree Thornton is a good player who has NHL potential, but I'm not sure if this is a player I would chance until the final couple of rounds.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

LW/C Raul Yakupov, Nizhnekamsk MHL
Yakupov is an intriguing prospect who has a couple of areas of improvement, but also a couple of standout skills. He's a 6'1 reed, probably weighing in at around 160, and much of his development will hinge upon building up his core strength. Because his two major weaknesses would have to be his skating and his defense, both of which would be organically and exponentially improved with increased lower-body power.

Yakupov can flat-out score. He blasted 30 goals past MHL goalies in just 54 games, and his singular elite ability is his shot, which is just a monster of a blast, whether a wrister or slapper. This kid can fire the puck, and will do it from anywhere. His other standout skill would have to be his puckhandling, which is terrific. Yakupov is a pretty good passer, but he will always choose to fire away when given the chance.

Yakupov is the first cousin of former #1 overall pick Nail Yakupov, but they are not similar as hockey players. I'm not certain he will even be drafted in 2022, but I felt he was worth mentioning because his shot is simply phenomenal, and his overall offensive skill set is good. Again, the weight room will be key, but there is certainly NHL potential here.

 

[Xirik]

@StevenToddIves

Is there a Player in this draft that you think has the highest chance of being picked waay earlier then where most people rank them?

Like someone though to be going in the 100-150th pick range going in the 10-40th range.

 

[StevenToddIves]

@StevenToddIves

Is there a Player in this draft that you think has the highest chance of being picked waay earlier then where most people rank them?

Like someone though to be going in the 100-150th pick range going in the 10-40th range.

W Adam Sykora would be my top bet.

I'd also say LD Arseni Koromyslov -- people just don't watch the MHL enough, and he's the best draft-eligible defender in that league.

Some people still have LW Reid Schaefer outside their top 100, which is just unconscionable. He's the most physical forward in the draft and put up 30 goals this year.

I suppose I'll throw in the most intriguing USHS talents, RD Michael Fisher and C/W Alex Bump. These guys both possess tremendous athleticism and potential, and the NHL scouts have certainly traveled to see them play whereas the draft-writers and analysts have not.

I have to throw in LW Kirill Dolzhenkov. The guy is an absolute mountain of a man, skates well and can blast the puck.

I'll finish with my favorite over-agers, Logan Morrison and Mikey Milne. Both of these players have been utterly ignored in the media, but have dominated all season long in the CHL and followed up with absolutely heroic performances in the playoffs.

 

[My3Sons]

W Adam Sykora would be my top bet.

I'd also say LD Arseni Koromyslov -- people just don't watch the MHL enough, and he's the best draft-eligible defender in that league.

Some people still have LW Reid Schaefer outside their top 100, which is just unconscionable. He's the most physical forward in the draft and put up 30 goals this year.

I suppose I'll throw in the most intriguing USHS talents, RD Michael Fisher and C/W Alex Bump. These guys both possess tremendous athleticism and potential, and the NHL scouts have certainly traveled to see them play whereas the draft-writers and analysts have not.

I have to throw in LW Kirill Dolzhenkov. The guy is an absolute mountain of a man, skates well and can blast the puck.

I'll finish with my favorite over-agers, Logan Morrison and Mikey Milne. Both of these players have been utterly ignored in the media, but have dominated all season long in the CHL and followed up with absolutely heroic performances in the playoffs.

I think Schaefer gets on some do not draft lists because of the cannibalism and the beheadings.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I think Schaefer gets on some do not draft lists because of the cannibalism and the beheadings.

Brendan Lemieux still went in the top 35.

 

[thethinglonger]

Thank you for doing a report on this guy. Saw him on one of the draft simulators and he intrigued me.

 

[glenwo2]

Excuse the bump but @StevenToddIves , any knowledge on him?

Hugo Havelid: 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile; A Short Goalie?

At 5’10", Hugo Havelid is very short by today’s goalie standards. So what is it that makes him a potential 2nd round pick? Read about Havelid’s strengths and weaknesses in this prospect profile

www.allaboutthejersey.com

Who is Hugo Havelid?​

Hugo Havelid was born on January 1st, 2004. He is the twin brother of defense prospect Mattias Havelid. He is from Täby, Sweden. He played his entire junior career for Linköping. EliteProspects.com lists him at 5’10”, 174 lbs, which is small for a goalie in today’s age. I believe Juuse Saros and Jaroslav Halak are the two shortest current NHL goalies, and both are 5’11”.


2019-20 was the year he showed he could be a future NHL prospect, with save percentages of .923, .927, .933, .933, .942, and .953 across the different leagues and tournaments he played in, 29 games total.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Excuse the bump but @StevenToddIves , any knowledge on him?

Hugo Havelid: 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Profile; A Short Goalie?

At 5’10", Hugo Havelid is very short by today’s goalie standards. So what is it that makes him a potential 2nd round pick? Read about Havelid’s strengths and weaknesses in this prospect profile

www.allaboutthejersey.com

Who is Hugo Havelid?​

Hugo Havelid was born on January 1st, 2004. He is the twin brother of defense prospect Mattias Havelid. He is from Täby, Sweden. He played his entire junior career for Linköping. EliteProspects.com lists him at 5’10”, 174 lbs, which is small for a goalie in today’s age. I believe Juuse Saros and Jaroslav Halak are the two shortest current NHL goalies, and both are 5’11”.


2019-20 was the year he showed he could be a future NHL prospect, with save percentages of .923, .927, .933, .933, .942, and .953 across the different leagues and tournaments he played in, 29 games total.

I've seen Havelid, but I'm awful at scouting goalies. He looks extremely athletic, but at 5'10 you're giving up a lot of net. I hate to factor height in too much with NHL forwards, but it means something with D and a lot with goaltenders. It's just a lot more for shooters to look at.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

RW Tucker Robertson, Peterborough OHL
Watching the Petes a lot over the course of the OHL playoffs to monitor the progress of Chase Stillman, I became aware the best RW on Peterborough was actually this kid. Though the general consensus would probably rank Robertson in the 4th round range, watching this high-compete scoring winger immediately endears him to you. Anyone who pays particular attention to the OHL has nothing but glowing reviews, and he has the odd high ranking, suck as the Puck Authority, which has rocketed him up to #21 overall.

The stats would seem to back this. Robertson tore up the CHL for 41 goals and 40 assists in just 68 games and was the Petes most dangerous player throughout their season and short stint in the playoffs. Then we must ask, why is he so overlooked in the rankings? Well, Robertson's 5'10 height might have some seeing him as a smaller forward, but he's extremely solid shoulder-to-shoulder at 190 pounds, so I would quickly refute that. Combined with Tucker's interior, hard-forechecking game, I would actually categorize him far more as a power forward than a finesse one.

The tool breakdown for Robertson is not dazzling, but all of the tools play up because of a high hockey IQ and elite compete level. He's a very good but not great skater with a very good shot which falls short of high-end sniping. His playmaking and puckhandling are what I'd call "good enough" -- they're certainly not strengths, but also not liabilities. Most of his assists are more of a hard work variety -- winning puck battles and dishing off quickly -- than high vision, creative events.

Ultimately, Robertson is an old-school north/south, high-motor, heady forechecker with just enough offensive upside that he might see time one day on an NHL second line. There's nothing not to like here. Considering his draft position might be the 3rd or even 4th round, he's certainly a great pick there. With the high floor of a very likely NHL bottom 6 worker bee, Robertson is even a good pick as early as the late 2nd round. Just a terrific player with a huge heart.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

RD Vladislav Sapunov, Dynamo Moskva MHL
By no means is Sapunov an exciting prospect on any level, but I felt the need to write him up because he's a RD who is solid defensively and should be around in the 6th/7th rounds. Were Sapunov bigger physically, he'd probably be getting more attention because he's rock solid in his own zone and very adept positionally and in his gaps. However, he's 6'0 and very slim, maybe 165 pounds, and people don't really pay attention to smaller stay-at-home defensemen leading up to the draft.

I'll repeat that Sapunov is extremely steady in his own zone, and add that he's also quite mobile and competes very well. His upside is a 3rd pairing, stay-at-home D but he's got a very reasonable floor because he's so smart and responsible. The Devils need RD and in the 6th/7th rounds where he'll likely be available, this is a player certainly worth a look. He's good at hockey and extremely reliable.

 

[StevenToddIves]

2022 Draft Profile:

RW Avery Hayes, Hamilton OHL
I'm not one to write-up over-agers unless I'm a really big fan, but this 2002-born Michigander has really grown on me throughout the OHL playoffs. He was noticeable all season long, playing the wing with another big-time Hamilton over-aged prospect Logan Morrison. Ultimately, he tore up the scoresheets for 41 goals and 38 assists, a total of 79 points in just 66 games.

Hayes' calling cards are his high IQ, consistently great compete level, and ability to find openings in the offensive zone, both through his high-end playmaking and preternatural ability to get open for shots. He's not afraid to play an interior game and is far better down low than most forwards his size. He's got a very good shot and knack for coming out of nowhere to score goals. Hayes is a very good forechecker and excels at using deception to fool defenders into doing what he wants, both when he does have the puck and when he is trying to attain it.

Hayes has one singular weakness, which is he is an average skater at best. If the rest of his game were complimented by high-end speed, I'd say he's certainly good enough to project to an NHL 2nd line. But as it stands, this limitation will likely limit him to a bottom-6 role. As such, a player of his heart and brain and talent should certainly be drafted, just probably not until the later rounds.