2022 Draft Thread - July 7-8 (CBJ to pick 6th (via CHI) and 12th overall)

[majormajor]

FWIW my 2022 draft list at the moment is

Joakim Kemell W
David Jiricek RD
Shane Wright C
Simon Nemec RD
Matthew Savoie C

Danila Yurov C/W?
Filip Mesar C/W?
Connor Geekie C
Logan Cooley C
Seamus Casey RD

Brad Lambert C
Juraj Slafkovsky W
Gleb Trikozov W
Ivan Miroshnichenko W
Frank Nazar C/W?

Players I don't want:
Lekkerimaki
Salomonsson

Players I haven't found good video (games) for yet:
Pickering
Mateychuk
Howard
McGroarty
Chesley
Ostlund

If the Jackets are drafting around 5 and 11 like last year then it would be pretty cool to snag Nemec and Mesar, two of the Slovaks. @VT would be proud.

Nemec is a Heiskanen-style defender. Just immaculate in his own end and a beautiful skater / transition player. Not special from the point. I like the upside of Jiricek even more, though he isn't as much of a sure-bet top-pair guy like Nemec is. I expect both to be top pair D, and I feel safe in that projection with Nemec.

Mesar is a smallish waterbug winger. Low production in the Slovak league is a concern, but his skill is top notch. He's a high upside gamble like Kent is. Geekie would be a safer pick. Big raw centerman, kind of like PLD.

Click to read more...

 

[koteka]

Players I don't want:
Lekkerimaki
Salomonsson

I want a right D and a big forward.

I agree on Salomonsson. Looking at the right D, Salomonsson, Chelsey, and Ty Nelson are not guys I want. Jiricek and Nemec might be gone before we pick. Casey or Luneau might be there for Chicago’s pick if they end up in the mid teens.

I want a big forward with the other first round pick. Geekie could work. Slafkovsky is another big guy with skills.

 

[majormajor]

I want a right D and a big forward.

I agree on Salomonsson. Looking at the right D, Salomonsson, Chelsey, and Ty Nelson are not guys I want. Jiricek and Nemec might be gone before we pick. Casey or Luneau might be there for Chicago’s pick if they end up in the mid teens.

I want a big forward with the other first round pick. Geekie could work. Slafkovsky is another big guy with skills.

Yeah Jiricek plus Geekie would be a big size upgrade for the org - currently listed at 6'3 and 6'4 maybe with another inch of growth left. Jiricek is close to #1OA in my book. I think he and Nemec will go fast. Even if they are listed more often in the 5-10 range, high-end RD like that are so rare that they are very unlikely to make it past pick #5.

Seamus Casey is really good - great offensively, and looked like a very smart defender to me. Maybe he'd play like a Girard/Spurgeon type guy. I still have a hard time taking small D that high though. Even though he looks great now, it is harder to project how he will handle NHL size opposition.

 

[Cowumbus]

FWIW my 2022 draft list at the moment is

Joakim Kemell W
David Jiricek RD
Shane Wright C
Simon Nemec RD
Matthew Savoie C

Danila Yurov C/W?
Filip Mesar C/W?
Connor Geekie C
Logan Cooley C
Seamus Casey RD

Brad Lambert C
Juraj Slafkovsky W
Gleb Trikozov W
Ivan Miroshnichenko W
Frank Nazar C/W?

Players I don't want:
Lekkerimaki
Salomonsson

Players I haven't found good video (games) for yet:
Pickering
Mateychuk
Howard
McGroarty
Chesley
Ostlund

If the Jackets are drafting around 5 and 11 like last year then it would be pretty cool to snag Nemec and Mesar, two of the Slovaks. @VT would be proud.

Nemec is a Heiskanen-style defender. Just immaculate in his own end and a beautiful skater / transition player. Not special from the point. I like the upside of Jiricek even more, though he isn't as much of a sure-bet top-pair guy like Nemec is. I expect both to be top pair D, and I feel safe in that projection with Nemec.

Mesar is a smallish waterbug winger. Low production in the Slovak league is a concern, but his skill is top notch. He's a high upside gamble like Kent is. Geekie would be a safer pick. Big raw centerman, kind of like PLD.

I assume the tiers are exactly how you rank them? Pretty disappointed that Savoie did not make team Canada but that’s another subject. Why do you ‘not like’ Yurov and Miroshnichenko?

Regarding Geekie, I think he is one of the higher CHL scorers at 5v5.

 

[majormajor]

I assume the tiers are exactly how you rank them? Pretty disappointed that Savoie did not make team Canada but that’s another subject. Why do you ‘not like’ Yurov and Miroshnichenko?

Regarding Geekie, I think he is one of the higher CHL scorers at 5v5. I like him.

Tiers would be more like:

Kemell Jiricek Wright

Nemec

Savoie Yurov

Mesar Geekie Cooley

Casey Lambert Slafkovsky

Trikozov Miroshnichenko Nazar

I think I like Yurov more than most. From what I've seen I like his chances of becoming a top six center, 1C or 2C. He is a smart player with a fantastic transition game, great skater. I don't see why he couldn't become a center. In Russia they often put the more skilled guys on the wing, so it takes a bit of projection to imagine how they'd fit on a North American roster where center skills are more valued. It would not surprise me if Yurov became a topliner, I just have 5 guys listed ahead of him because I think they are safer picks. Maybe there is a bit of "Russia factor" there buried in my brain, because it is hard to name anything missing in Yurov's game.

That's interesting about Geekie's 5v5 points. I haven't drilled that deep yet on the stats. I normally don't care for prospect stats much but 5v5 scoring would be really telling for Geekie - since the Winnipeg Ice already have other go-to-guys on the PP, I can see why 5v5 scoring would be a better indicator for Geekie. Geekie's skill level is behind Yurov's across the board. So if we're taking him over Yurov it is probably for size and because he is a sure bet to be a center and not play too long in the KHL.

I think everyone is turning a bit sour on Miroshnichenko. He's just having a bad year with a bad attitude. Maybe it will come out that he has an evil coach or something, but as of now it looks like there is an attitude / professionalism problem.

 

[koteka]

Seamus Casey is really good - great offensively, and looked like a very smart defender to me. Maybe he'd play like a Girard/Spurgeon type guy. I still have a hard time taking small D that high though. Even though he looks great now, it is harder to project how he will handle NHL size opposition.

Aaaah. I had them backwards. Names are too similar for two right D on the USNTDP team. Chesley is the guy I would take, and Casey is the guy I would avoid due to size. Chesley is bigger and the better defender. I agree, Casey is dynamic in juniors, but don’t know how his game will translate against grown men.

And I agree that Jiricek and Nemec are going top 5 or so, earlier than many have them now.

 

[majormajor]

Aaaah. I had them backwards. Names are too similar for two right D on the USNTDP team. Chesley is the guy I would take, and Casey is the guy I would avoid due to size. Chesley is bigger and the better defender. I agree, Casey is dynamic in juniors, but don’t know how his game will translate against grown men.

And I agree that Jiricek and Nemec are going top 5 or so, earlier than many have them now.

It is easier to remember when you notice that the Irish name is the kid built like a leprechaun.

 

[koteka]

It is easier to remember when you notice that the Irish name is the kid built like a leprechaun.

Ryan has become a more common boy’s name in Ireland than Seamus, but I get the point.

Baby Names of Ireland - CSO - Central Statistics Office

 

[VT]

FWIW my 2022 draft list at the moment is

Joakim Kemell W
David Jiricek RD
Shane Wright C
Simon Nemec RD
Matthew Savoie C

Danila Yurov C/W?
Filip Mesar C/W?
Connor Geekie C
Logan Cooley C
Seamus Casey RD

Brad Lambert C
Juraj Slafkovsky W
Gleb Trikozov W
Ivan Miroshnichenko W
Frank Nazar C/W?

Players I don't want:
Lekkerimaki
Salomonsson

Players I haven't found good video (games) for yet:
Pickering
Mateychuk
Howard
McGroarty
Chesley
Ostlund

If the Jackets are drafting around 5 and 11 like last year then it would be pretty cool to snag Nemec and Mesar, two of the Slovaks. @VT would be proud.

Nemec is a Heiskanen-style defender. Just immaculate in his own end and a beautiful skater / transition player. Not special from the point. I like the upside of Jiricek even more, though he isn't as much of a sure-bet top-pair guy like Nemec is. I expect both to be top pair D, and I feel safe in that projection with Nemec.

Mesar is a smallish waterbug winger. Low production in the Slovak league is a concern, but his skill is top notch. He's a high upside gamble like Kent is. Geekie would be a safer pick. Big raw centerman, kind of like PLD.

Mesar is a center (and prefers to play there) not a winger although he plays the winger in Slovak teams. Btw Slafkovsky can play the center too.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Ryan has become a more common boy’s name in Ireland than Seamus, but I get the point.

Baby Names of Ireland - CSO - Central Statistics Office

To paraphrase the Lemonheads, it’s a Seamus about Ryan.

 

[tunnelvision]

I want a big forward with the other first round pick. Geekie could work.

Yeah Jiricek plus Geekie would be a big size upgrade for the org - currently listed at 6'3 and 6'4 maybe with another inch of growth left.

Regarding Geekie, I think he is one of the higher CHL scorers at 5v5.

I wasn't even aware of most of these names but started to watch couple videos of him. Acquiring a relatively high scoring and tall center would definitely fill some holes on the prospect pool, at least if only by looking at the surface. By that I mean, first impression of offensive plays was very positive, seems like a strong puck protector and carrier. Reminded a little of Kevin Hayes.

But then I started to notice the inaccuracy of his passes, a lot of them hit skates of teammates or opponent sticks. Also timing of the passes were far from perfect, and he failed to see better shooting or passing options on a rush as the puck carrier. For example, I think on one particular rush he fired the puck far out off the wing without any players going in front of net when there was teammate right behind him just getting into the oz in middle of the ice, left uncovered with lots of space and ready to receive a drop pass. I may be too critical by judging him on one bad play and disregarding all better elements in his game, but if a projected 1st rounder does a lot of that kind of stuff on ice, my interest will be dropping very quickly. What I would be looking for with one of first round picks is a clear top line C talent, if we decide to go for a C.

I will study his videos and highlights of your other listed players more closely during this covid break.

These posts could be moved to the 2022 draft thread once it's created.... @CBJWerenski8 @Double-Shift Lasse

 

[EspenK]

What the hell. Figured since a couple of guys are discussing the draft in another thread I figured let's make it official.

My early hope is for one of Nemec or Jiricek. ( I think McTavish has been drafted )

Here are some links to get you started:

DRAFTPRO – 2022 NHL DRAFT FIRST GLANCE – DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY

https://www.tsn.ca/wright-the-clear-cut-top-choice-in-mckenzie-s-first-2022-draft-ranking-1.1699349

Sportsnet's 2022 NHL Draft Prospect Rankings: December Edition

 

[EspenK]

To paraphrase the Lemonheads, it’s a Seamus about Ryan.

If I Seymour of this ...

 

[majormajor]

It is interesting to see Cosentino's December rankings (the Sportsnet rankings). He still has Miroshnichenko in 2nd.

I thought I was still relatively high on him by keeping him in my top 15. Elite prospects put him at 30th! A lot of Russia watchers have him well down the list.

 

[koteka]

As I have said before, I want a right D and a big forward.

I would love one of Nemec or Jiricek. But I think both might be gone before we pick. A couple other right Ds are Luneau and Chesley.

There are some short offensively talented right Ds in some first round projections (Casey and Nelson), but I want a guy that can play some defense.

We really need an injection of size. I would love to add a physical forward who is 6’3” or 6’4”. Slafkovsky and Geekie are the big boys projected in the first round. McGroarty isn’t quite as tall but is solidly built.

 

[koteka]

As far as middle round picks, David Spacek is an overage right D having a good season in the QMJHL. He was born in Columbus - his father is Jaroslav Spacek. Did I mention he was born in Columbus?

 

[VT]

As I have said before, I want a right D and a big forward.

I would love one of Nemec or Jiricek. But I think both might be gone before we pick. A couple other right Ds are Luneau and Chesley.

There are some short offensively talented right Ds in some first round projections (Casey and Nelson), but I want a guy that can play some defense.

We really need an injection of size. I would love to add a physical forward who is 6’3” or 6’4”. Slafkovsky and Geekie are the big boys projected in the first round. McGroarty isn’t quite as tall but is solidly built.

I would like to see Slafkovsky and Nemec here but honestly, because I know their play and I very like it especially Slafkovsky. Mesar played a center in Poprad (our league) too. Slafkovsky in one game in WC against Czech republic. They said very good but I didn`t watch that game so I can`t say it`s right or not.

 

[majormajor]

I would like to see Slafkovsky and Nemec here but honestly, because I know their play and I very like it especially Slafkovsky. Mesar played a center in Poprad (our league) too. Slafkovsky in one game in WC against Czech republic. They said very good but I didn`t watch that game so I can`t say it`s right or not.

I'm not sure about Slafkovsky. I like big playmaking wingers like Voracek, and Slafkovsky sort of fits that bill. He has great puck protection skill. But he is pretty slow and awkward looking to me, at this stage of his development. I don't know nearly enough to make a projection about how much stronger he'll get, but if he adds a lot of strength and speed, then he will be an impact player.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Looking like we'll have two top 10 picks, and likely a late 1st from Domi as well. Lovely.

Cooley and Nemec are realistic options I like. Lambert too, but I have a feeling Jarmo wont like the way he and his dad have behaved in Finland

 

[ColumbusTrill]

Looking like we'll have two top 10 picks, and likely a late 1st from Domi as well. Lovely.

Cooley and Nemec are realistic options I like. Lambert too, but I have a feeling Jarmo wont like the way he and his dad have behaved in Finland

what’s the backstory there?

 

[koteka]

I looked into Filip Mesar today based on comments in the other thread. Although I would like to draft a bigger player, there is a lot to like about Mesar. He could certainly help with zone entries on the power play. I wouldn’t be sad if we got him along with a right D.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

what’s the backstory there?

Lambert's dad has acted as his manager, which has led to him swapping teams like socks. Even this season there has been talk that his dad is offering him to other Liiga teams and even WHL behind the scenes

 

[majormajor]

I looked into Filip Mesar today based on comments in the other thread. Although I would like to draft a bigger player, there is a lot to like about Mesar. He could certainly help with zone entries on the power play. I wouldn’t be sad if we got him along with a right D.

Some of Mesar's plays look sensational.



Why does he only have 9 pts in 20 games in the Slovak league?

 

[Xoggz22]

I'd love to grab one, or even two, of the high end RD prospects. We're thin even with Cool-man, Boqvist and Peeke and having some size on the Right side would be a nice thing to have. Regardless, I'm always a best player available advocate and would do that with both 1st round picks and then reach for the high potential guys in 2nd and 3rd round. And... draft a goalie...

It's also a year I could see CBJ moving one of the 1sts for additinal assets or even a 1st next year. Always options with multiple picks. And who's to say we don't get another with Domi or Laine if moved at the deadline. Certainly another interesting year for the CBJ but I like our outlook better going in this year than I did last year. I'm truly hoping last year is the homerun it feels like it is right now.

 

[VT]

I'd love to grab one, or even two, of the high end RD prospects. We're thin even with Cool-man, Boqvist and Peeke and having some size on the Right side would be a nice thing to have. Regardless, I'm always a best player available advocate and would do that with both 1st round picks and then reach for the high potential guys in 2nd and 3rd round. And... draft a goalie...

It's also a year I could see CBJ moving one of the 1sts for additinal assets or even a 1st next year. Always options with multiple picks. And who's to say we don't get another with Domi or Laine if moved at the deadline. Certainly another interesting year for the CBJ but I like our outlook better going in this year than I did last year. I'm truly hoping last year is the homerun it feels like it is right now.

If we want to win we can't always trade our best players but work with our young similar way like Tampa. Besides I would concentrade on other rounds too, there're many underrated players there.